US09954579B2
“Smart” connectors with embedded processors, measurement circuits and control circuits are disclosed for establishing a “contactless” radio frequency (RF) electromagnetic (EM) Extremely High Frequency (EHF) communications link between two electronic devices having host systems. The connectors are capable of monitoring, controlling, and directing (managing) link operation to dynamically adapt to conditions, as well as monitoring and altering (or modifying) data passing through the connector, and selecting a protocol suitable for a communications session. The connectors are capable of identifying the type of content being transferred, providing authentication and security services, and enabling application support for the host systems based on the type of connection or the type of content. The connectors may operate independently of the host systems, and may perform at least one of sensing proximity of a nearby object; detecting a shape of a nearby object; and detecting vibrations.
US09954576B2
A method includes receiving a serial data stream at a transmitter of a serial channel, encoding the serial data stream using a quaternary pulse amplitude modulation (PAM-4) scheme into a stream of 2-bit symbols, wherein a particular symbol is represented as a signal at one of four signal levels provided for a unit interval of time, determining that a first symbol of the encoded serial data stream is represented as a highest state of the PAM-4 scheme, and, in response, providing a first output signal on an output of the transmitter, wherein the first output signal includes a first portion at a first voltage level associated with the highest state for a first half of a first unit interval of time associated with the first symbol, followed by a second portion at a second voltage level associated with a de-emphasized highest state of the PAM-4 scheme for a second half of the first unit interval of time.
US09954566B2
Contactless extremely high frequency (EHF) signal directing and blocking structures are disclosed herein. The EHF signal directing structures may focus EHF signal energy along a desired EHF signal pathway. The EHF signal blocking structures may minimize signal propagation through substrates such as circuit boards. Focusing EHF signal energy and selectively blocking the EHF signal energy can minimize or eliminate crosstalk and enhance data transmission speed and integrity.
US09954558B1
A method for fast decoding, the method may include (a) performing a hard read of a group of flash memory cells to provide hard read data; wherein the group of flash memory cells store a codeword that comprises component codes of multiple dimensions; (b) hard decoding the hard read data to provide a hard decoding result; wherein the hard decoding result comprises first suggested values of component codes of at least one dimension of the multiple dimensions; (c) performing at least one additional read attempt of the group of flash memory cells to provide additional data; (d) performing a partial extensiveness soft decoding the additional data, in response to the first suggested values, to provide a soft decoding result; and (e) wherein the soft decoding result comprises second suggested values of component codes of one or more dimensions of the multiple dimensions.
US09954550B1
Data compression with window-based selection from multiple prediction functions is provided. A predefined default predictor and a plurality of other predictors are applied to a floating point number to generate a plurality of predictions. A compression metric over a collection of floating point numbers is evaluated for the default predictor and the plurality of other predictors. Based on the compression metric, (i) the floating point number is encoded using the predefined default predictor, or (ii) the collection of floating point numbers is encoded using one of the other predictors. Stored indexes indicate which predictor was used for the encoding. A set of predictors out of a larger set of predictors can be determined for a specific data set based on a performance-based ranking. The default predictor and the alternate predictors can be represented as ensembles of predictors. Decompression involves evaluating which predictor was used for the encoding and optionally, whether an ensemble was used for the encoding.
US09954548B2
An embodiment electronic circuit includes an electronic switch comprising a load path, a first protection circuit configured to generate a first protection signal based on a current-time-characteristic of a load current through the load path of the electronic switch, and a drive circuit configured to drive the electronic switch based on the first protection signal. The first protection circuit includes a logarithmic analog-to-digital converter (ADC) configured to receive an ADC input signal representing the load current and to output an ADC output signal that includes a sequence of values such that each of the values represents a respective sample of the ADC input signal, a filter configured to filter the ADC output signal and output a filter output signal, and a comparator circuit configured to generate the first protection signal based on comparing the filter output signal with a predefined threshold.
US09954532B2
An integrated circuit according to an embodiment includes: a first block including a first logic block configured to perform a logical operation, a first switch block circuit configured to control connection and non-connection with the first logic block, and a second switch block circuit configured to control connection and non-connection with the first logic block; and a second block including a second logic block configured to perform a logical operation, a third switch block circuit configured to control connection and non-connection with the second logic block, and a fourth switch block circuit configured to control connection and non-connection with the second logic block, wherein the first switch block circuit is mutually connected with the third and fourth switch block circuits, and the second switch block circuit is mutually connected with the third and fourth switch block circuits.
US09954530B2
An integrated circuit (IC) that includes multiple clock domains is provided. Each clock domain operates at a user specified data rate, and the data rates of at least two of the clock domains are related by a common base clock. The specified data rate of each clock domain is controlled by a modulating signal. Each clock domain includes reconfigurable circuits that operate on the common base clock, and the modulating signal controls the data rate of the clock domain by modulating reconfiguration of the reconfigurable circuits. The reconfigurable circuits reconfigure when the modulating signal enables the reconfiguration.
US09954529B2
Logic circuits, or logic gates, are disclosed comprising vertical transport field effect transistors and one or more active gates, wherein the number of CPP's for the logic circuit, in isolation, is equal to the number of active gates. The components of the logic circuit can be present in at least three different vertical circuit levels, including a circuit level comprising at least one horizontal plane passing through a conductive element that provides an input voltage to the one or more gate structures and another conductive element that provides an output voltage of the logic circuit, and another circuit level that comprises a horizontal plane passing through a conductive bridge from the N output to P output of the field effect transistors. Such logic circuits can include single-gate inverters, two-gate inverters, NOR2 logic gates, and NAND3 logic gates, among other more complicated logic circuits.
US09954525B2
A touch- and/or proximity-sensitive input device has a cover plate with a control section. The side of the control section facing a user forms a control field for the user and a side facing away from the user forms a sensor plane. A sensor film has at least one capacitive sensor field within the control section of the cover plate. A carrier plate has at least one electric contact field. The cover plate has a contacting section next to the control section and the side facing away from the user forms a contacting plane. The sensor film has an electric contact field next to the sensor field. At least one electric contact element connects the electric contact field of the sensor film electrically conductively to the at least one electric contact field of the carrier plate.
US09954523B1
An illustrative integrated circuit configured for galvanically isolated signaling includes a receiver having: a detector module coupled to receive a differential signal from terminals of a transformer secondary, the detector module responsively presenting an impedance that varies based on a magnitude of the differential signal; a biasing module that converts the detector module impedance to a response signal; and a comparator module that compares the response signal to a reference signal to obtain a detection signal indicative of oscillation in the differential signal. A method of receiving a pulse modulated alternating current (AC) signal from a resonantly-coupled signaling path comprises: supplying balanced quiescent currents from a cross-coupled FET pair in a common gate amplifier configuration thereby obtaining an impedance that varies based on an AC signal magnitude; converting the impedance into a response signal; and comparing the response signal to a reference signal to obtain a detection signal representing pulses in the differential AC signal.
US09954520B2
A power on reset circuit applied to a gate driver of a display apparatus is disclosed. The power on reset circuit is coupled between an operating voltage and a ground terminal. The power on reset circuit includes an output terminal, a first transistor, a second transistor, a resistor, and a buffer circuit. The first transistor is coupled between the operating voltage and a first node. A gate of first transistor is coupled to the first node. The second transistor is coupled between the operating voltage and the first node. A gate of second transistor is coupled to the ground terminal. The resistor is coupled between the first node and ground terminal. The buffer circuit is coupled between the first node and output terminal and outputs a reset signal through the output terminal. A second threshold voltage of second transistor is larger than a first threshold voltage of first transistor.
US09954518B2
A sensing circuit configured to activate a controller is disclosed. The circuit comprises a first transistor configured to output an activation signal to the controller and a plurality of switches in connection with a base of the transistor. Each of the switches is connected to an identifying resistor. A first output node and a second output node are in communication with the base of the transistor and each of the switches. The first output node and the second output node are separated across an additional identifying resistor. The first output node and the second output node are configured to output a characteristic voltage corresponding a ratio of each of the identifying resistors in response to an input received by one or more of the plurality of switches.
US09954516B1
A timing device that includes an OTP NVM, a first periodic signal generator operable to generate a periodic signal having a first frequency, a second periodic signal generator operable to generate a periodic signal having a frequency that is lower than the first frequency, and selection logic. In a first operating mode, the selection logic is configured to output the first periodic signal at an output terminal as long as a crystal clock feedback signal is received at the input terminal and output the second periodic signal when the crystal clock feedback signal is not received at the input terminal. In a second operating mode, the selection logic is configured to output the first periodic signal as long as a output enable signal is received at the input terminal and not provide any output at the output terminal when the output enable signal is not received at the input terminal.
US09954515B2
An apparatus includes a plurality of delay elements, a plurality of multipliers and an accumulator to form a biquad stage; and a precision logic circuit. The biquad stage includes feedback paths; at least one feedback path has an adjustable bit precision; and the precision logic is adapted to regulate the bit precision of the feedback path(s) based at least in part on at least one parameter that is associated with the biquad stage.
US09954504B2
A power amplification module includes a first input terminal that receives a first transmit signal in a first frequency band, a second input terminal that receives a second transmit signal in a second frequency band having a narrower transmit/receive frequency interval than the first frequency band, a first amplification circuit that receives and amplifies the first transmit signal to produce a first amplified signal and outputs the first amplified signal, a second amplification circuit that receives and amplifies the second transmit signal to produce a second amplified signal and outputs the second amplified signal, a third amplification circuit that receives and amplifies the first or second amplified signal to produce an output signal and outputs the output signal, and an attenuation circuit located between the second input terminal and the second amplification circuit and configured to attenuate a receive frequency band component of the second frequency band.
US09954502B2
A multiport amplifier MPA is provided with an N-input input network, INET, an N-output output network, ONET, and N amplifiers interposed between the INET and the ONET, the MPA comprising N wanted signal paths and N.(N−1) null signal paths wherein N is divisible by 2, half of the N amplifier paths comprise a signal inversion with respect to the other half of the N amplifier paths, the INET and the ONET each comprise one or more quadrature hybrid couplers, QHC, wherein a pair of amplifier paths is arranged between the output of a first QHC in the INET and the input of a second QHC at the ONET, and each signal inversion is arranged in one of the amplifier paths of each pair of amplifier paths such that the ideal amplitude gain of at least one of the N.(N−i) null signal paths is zero.
US09954501B2
An amplifier includes a first input branch and a second input branch that form a differential input stage and a current mirror connected to the differential input. The current mirror is governed as a function of a common mode feedback signal applied to a control node of the current mirror. A second, amplification, stage includes a branch flowing through which is a current, which is a function of the current that flows in the first input branch, and is in turn connected to a first output branch. A capacitive element is coupled between the control node and the second stage. The circuit is symmetrical with respect to the input stage.
US09954499B2
A switching amplifier provided, at a minimum, with: a first input transistor into which one of two input signals that operate in a complementary manner is input; a first cascode transistor cascade-connected between the first input transistor and a power supply; a second input transistor into which the other of the two input signals is input; and a second cascode transistor cascade-connected between the second input transistor and the first input transistor; the switching amplifier extracting an output signal, a connection point between the first input transistor and the second cascode transistor being used as an output terminal; wherein a first potential limiting circuit and a second potential limiting circuit for limiting the potential fluctuation range are respectively connected to the input terminal of the first cascode transistor and the input terminal of the second cascode transistor.
US09954493B2
A high-frequency semiconductor amplifier circuit includes a first transistor provided on a SOI (Silicon on Insulator) substrate having a grounded source, a second transistor provided on the SOI substrate and cascode-connected to the first transistor, and a bias generation circuit provided on the SOI substrate and generating a gate voltages for the first and second transistors, and a first voltage for a drain of the second transistor. The bias generation circuit sets the gate voltage of the first transistor to a voltage between a second voltage and a third voltage, wherein the gate voltage is smaller than a voltage between a drain-to-source voltage of the first transistor, and wherein the second voltage is a threshold voltage of the first transistor and the third voltage is a gate-to-source voltage at which a second derivative of a square root of the drain current with respect to the gate-to-source voltage becomes a maximum.
US09954482B2
A rigidly mountable solar panel includes lenses supported above a movable panel to focus sunlight onto photovoltaic material carried on the movable panel. Flexible supports space the movable panel at the focal points of the lenses, and a servo-mechanism enables movement of the movable panel to adjust position as the focal point moves with the sun. A light detector on the movable panel, sensing movement of the focal point signals the servo-mechanism to adjust the position of the movable panel automatically, thereby tracking the sun's movement. Concentrating sunlight on photovoltaic material selected to have higher conversion efficiency increases output. Segmenting the photovoltaic material so the output of the segments can be combined in a series-parallel relationship and using mirrors on the ends of the movable panel to reflect sunlight onto the segments allows electricity that is generated by the photovoltaic material to be more uniform during daylight.
US09954480B2
This invention relates to a roofing panel for interconnection with one or more additional roofing panels. The roofing panel comprises a PV cell coupled to an inverter, and wireless (or optionally wired) power transfer circuitry for transmitting power to another roofing panel and/or the AC grid and/or to an AC inverter, and/or for receiving power from another roofing panel.
US09954478B2
Systems and methods for disposing and supporting a solar panel array are disclosed. The embodiments comprise various combinations of cables, support columns, and pod constructions in which to support solar panels. Special installations of the system can include systems mounted over structures such as parking lots, roads, aqueducts, and other bodies of water. Simplified support systems with a minimum number of structural elements can be used to create effective support for solar panel arrays of varying size and shapes. These simplified systems minimize material requirements and labor for installation of the systems.
US09954470B2
An apparatus for controlling operation of a rotating electric machine including a plurality of winding sets. The apparatus includes a plurality of inverters for the respective winding sets and a control unit. The control unit includes a physical quantity comparator configured to compare physical quantities that are responsive to power supplied to the respective winding sets, a temperature estimator configured to estimate system temperatures that are temperatures of respective systems, each of which systems is a combination of a respective one of the plurality of winding sets and its associated components, and a parameter modifier configured to modify a parameter used to estimate a temperature of each system in response to a result of comparison between the physical quantities.
US09954469B2
The present teaching relates to a magnetic sensor that comprises a housing, an input port and an output port, both extending from the housing and the input port being connected to an external alternating current (AC) power supply, and an electrical circuit. The electrical circuit comprises an output control circuit coupled with the output port and configured to be responsive to a magnetic induction signal to control the magnetic sensor to operate in a state in which a load current flows through the output port when a predetermined condition is satisfied, and operate in another state when the predetermined condition is not satisfied. The operating frequency of the magnetic sensor is positively proportional to the frequency of the external AC power supply.
US09954465B2
A dynamic limitation device of a dynamic output parameter of an electric motor capable of receiving a working setpoint comprises: a generator of a dynamic maximum current proportional to a first working setpoint of the motor to supply the motor to generate a rotating torque of a shaft of the electric motor as a function of the first setpoint, a first estimator of a first dynamic output parameter of the electric motor, and a first dynamic limiter of the first output parameter of the motor, which comprises: a first comparator of the value of the first estimated parameter with a predefined maximum value of the first parameter, a first corrector to generate a first correction current, the value of which depends on the result of the comparison to be added to the dynamic maximum current to supply the motor. A dynamic limitation method implementing this device is provided.
US09954459B2
Between smoothing capacitor connected between connection conductors for positive and negative poles and semiconductor power modules constituting inverter, a circuit inductance might be increased due to imbalance of current circuit loops. Phase arms each formed by a series combination of semiconductor power modules are stacked, and the group of semiconductor power modifies connected with positive connection conductor and the group of the semiconductor power modules connected with negative connection conductor are arranged in the same direction. There is formed an interspace between the arrangement of semiconductor power modules for positive pole and the arrangement of semiconductor power modules for negative pole. Connection conductors for positive and negative poles extend in a parallel state with an insulator interposed between connection conductors, through the interspace. The connection conductors are bent in a region near connection terminals of the semiconductor power modules and connected with the semiconductor power modules.
US09954457B2
An overvoltage protection circuit adapted for a switching power supply is provided. The overvoltage protection circuit can use the time difference of the start of the overvoltage protection to distinguish that the overvoltage of the output voltage of the switching power supply is caused by the failure of the internal feedback or by the internal power supply, thereby avoiding a short and harmless external power supply to affect the normal operation of the switching power supply but can immediately stop the switching power supply to achieve protection when the switching power supply has an internal feedback failure.
US09954455B2
The present invention discloses a constant on-time isolated converter comprising a transformer with a primary side and a secondary side. The primary side is connected to an electronic switch and secondary-side is connected to a load and a processor. The processor is connected to a driver on primary side through at least one coupling element and to the electronic switch. The processor receives an output voltage or an output current across the load generating a control signal accordingly. The driver receives the control signal through the coupling element and accordingly changes the ON/OFF state of the electronic switch, regulating the output voltage and the output current via the transformer, where the duration of the ON/OFF state of the electronic switch is determined between the moment control signal changes from negative to positive and the moment it changes from positive to negative to achieve a high-speed load transient response.
US09954449B2
An output current calculating circuit for a flyback converter operating under CCM and DCM is disclosed. The off current value IOFF and the blanking current value ILEB flowing through a sensing resistor are calculated using a detection module and are summed together using a current summing unit. A voltage converted from the sum value of the off current value IOFF and the blanking current value ILEB is transmitted through an output stage in a predetermined time ratio of a cycle with the duty cycle determined by a logic control unit, in which the logic control unit controls the output stage to receive the voltage converted from sum current in a predetermined time period of each cycle, and prevents the output stage to receive the voltage converted from sum current in the remaining time other than such predetermined time period of each cycle.
US09954446B2
System and method for regulating a power converter. The system includes a first signal processing component configured to receive at least a sensed signal and generate a first signal. The sensed signal is associated with a primary current flowing through a primary winding coupled to a secondary winding for a power converter. Additionally, the system includes a second signal processing component configured to generate a second signal, an integrator component configured to receive the first signal and the second signal and generate a third signal, and a comparator configured to process information associated with the third signal and the sensed signal and generate a comparison signal based on at least information associated with the third signal and the sensed signal.
US09954443B2
A power supply for converting AC to a regulated DC output current, utilizing two serial switched mode power supplies, the first providing an intermediate DC output voltage with only moderate ripple properties, this output being input to the second, which operates as a DC/DC converter to provide the desired output with low ripple and good regulation. The diode rectifier assembly has no reservoir/smoothing capacitor, or one of much smaller capacitance than in prior art power supplies. The large resulting rectifier output ripple is overcome by use of the two power supply units, at least the first having a smoothing capacitor at its output. A majority of the energy stored in this capacitor is utilized during each AC half cycle. Such power supplies also provide improved hold-up times. The power supply is also constructed to have low standby power consumption, by use of a double burst configuration.
US09954439B1
A control circuit of a switching power-supply device that converts a first DC voltage supplied from an input power source to a second DC voltage, includes: a first A/D converter that converts the second DC voltage into a first digital value, in response to a sampling clock depending on a first sampling clock and a second sampling clock; a control signal generation unit that generates a control signal for controlling on-and-off of the switching element based on of a difference between the first digital value and a target value; a regeneration completion sensing unit that senses completion of regeneration of the inductor and outputs a regeneration completion signal; and a sampling clock generation unit that: generates the first sampling clock, in response to the control signal to turn on the switching element, and generates the second sampling clock, in response to the regeneration completion signal.
US09954437B2
One charge pump includes at least one delay element, a number of inverters, and a flip flop coupled in series, with an output of one inverter coupled in a feedback loop to one of the delay elements. The charge pump monitors a first supply voltage level, and turns off an oscillator of the charge pump when the first supply voltage drops below a certain level. This is accomplished in one embodiment by monitoring a first supply voltage level supplied to a charge pump, and turning off an oscillator of the charge pump when the first supply voltage drops below a certain level.
US09954428B2
A controller, and related method, to control switching elements of a plurality of voltage converters of a power system. The controller receives a signal representing an operating condition that indicates a contribution of each of the plurality of voltage converters to a ripple component of an input current or an input voltage of the power system. The controller ranks the plurality of voltage converters based on the contribution of each of the plurality of voltage converters to the ripple component. The controller calculates a switching phase offset for each switching element of the plurality of voltage converters by determining a switching order for each switching element of the plurality of voltage converters based on an alternating extremum contribution to the ripple component, and arranging control signals for each switching element of the plurality of voltage converters based on the switching order.
US09954392B2
An energy storage system that includes an uninterruptible power supply configured to supply first power to a load and a battery array comprising a backup battery unit. The system further includes a controller to cut off the first power supplied by the uninterruptible power supply at a first time and control the uninterruptible power supply and the battery array to supply second power to the load using power stored in the battery array. Typically, the second power is supplied when the first power is cut off.
US09954388B2
A wireless power delivery system includes a wireless charging pad and a pad covering device. The wireless charging pad includes a first antenna to provide wireless power to a first information handling system. The pad covering device is in physical communication with the wireless charging pad. The pad covering device includes a cover located within the pad covering device. The cover to extend from the pad covering device, to cover the wireless charging pad, and to lock with the wireless charging pad to securely cover the wireless charging pad.
US09954387B2
A wireless power transmission antenna is disposed at a wireless charging mat. Another second wireless power transmission antenna is disposed at another location at the wireless charging mat. A temperature sensor is disposed at a location between the antennas. The temperature sensor is responsive to heat propagated from both of the antennas. A controller regulates charging power at each antenna based on information provided by the temperature sensor.
US09954384B2
An energy storage system for use with an external device including: an energy storage cell; a microcontroller; an internal communication bus; an interface including two power terminals and a communications port electrically connected to the internal communication bus; power conversion circuitry for performing a charging operation during which energy is transferred from the power terminals to the energy storage cell and a discharging operation during which energy is transferred from the energy storage cell to the power terminals; and one or more sensors for monitoring one or more parameters of the energy storage cell, wherein it is all packaged to form a single, integrated unit.
US09954382B2
A power system adapted for supplying power in a high temperature environment is disclosed. The power system includes a rechargeable energy storage that is operable in a temperature range of between about seventy degrees Celsius and about two hundred and fifty degrees Celsius coupled to a circuit for at least one of supplying power from the energy storage and charging the energy storage; wherein the energy storage is configured to store between about one one hundredth (0.01) of a joule and about one hundred megajoules of energy, and to provide peak power of between about one one hundredth (0.01) of a watt and about one hundred megawatts, for at least two charge-discharge cycles. Methods of use and fabrication are provided. Embodiments of additional features of the power supply are included.
US09954379B2
The present invention relates to an apparatus, a system, and a method of preventing a battery rack from being damaged by measuring a voltage, which, when a battery module is abnormally connected with a relay in some battery racks in installing the relay, which conducts or blocks a current flowing in the battery rack including a plurality of battery modules, so that a voltage smaller than a predetermined voltage limit value is applied to the battery rack, prevent a short-circuit phenomenon, by controlling an operation state of the relay before the battery rack and the relay form a short circuit.
US09954373B2
Systems and techniques are provided for a power receiver circuit. A power receiver circuit may include power generating elements that may generate alternating current. The power receiver circuit may include group circuits that may connect power generating elements in parallel to combine the alternating current from the power generating elements into a single alternating current. The power receiver circuit may include rectifier circuits which may include rectifier channels connected to the group circuits and may include a rectifier that may generate direct current from alternating current. The power receiver circuit may include a step down converter connected to rectifier circuits that may convert direct current to direct current of a target voltage level. An output switch and linear regulator may be connected to the step down converter, and a microcontroller may be connected to the linear regulator and the output switch and may control the output switch.
US09954364B2
A transfer switch including a lockout-tagout assembly and lockout-tagout method are provided. An example method includes a latch of a transfer switch actuating a first switch, wherein actuating the first switch sends an inhibit signal to an electronic controller of the transfer switch. The example method further includes the latch actuating a second switch, wherein actuating the second switch opens operator cutoff thereby preventing function of an operator assembly of the transfer switch. Still further, the example method includes, after the latch actuating the first switch and the second switch, locking the latch so as to mechanically prevent the source contact from closing.
US09954361B2
A demand side electric power supply management system is disclosed. The system comprises an islanded power system having a point of coupling to a supply grid. The islanded power system supplies a plurality of electric loads, each of which is associated with a load controller to control the maximum power demanded by that load. A measuring means associated with the point of coupling measures the total power transfer between the grid and the islanded system, and a system controller monitors the measured power transfer relative to a set point and provides a control signal to a plurality of load controllers. Each load controller receives substantially the same control signal and determines the maximum power which each load associated with the load controller is allowed to draw from the islanded power system based on information contained in the control signal.
US09954359B2
A power supply circuit coupled to a power source for providing electronic energy to a workload includes a first switch, a control circuit, a first diode, and a backup power, in which the input of the first switch is coupled to the power source, the output of the first switch is coupled to the workload, the control circuit is coupled to the control terminal of the first switch for determining the state of the power source, the anode of the first diode is coupled to the power source, the cathode of the first diode is coupled to the first terminal of the backup power, the first terminal of the backup power is further coupled to the workload, when the control circuit determines that the power source is in a power-off state, a control signal is applied to the control terminal of the first switch to turn off the first switch.
US09954355B1
A transient voltage suppressor (TVS) apparatus includes a plurality of input/output (I/O) pins, a plurality of ground pins, and a substrate. The substrate includes a plurality of division parts and a carrier part. The carrier part carries a chip. The division parts are disposed between each of the I/O pins and the ground pins. The chip is electrically connected to the I/O pins and the ground pins, and the division parts are electrically insulated from the I/O pins and the ground pins.
US09954347B1
A wire harness assembly includes a housing defining an interior volume which extends into the housing along an axis and also defines an outer surface having a retention protuberance extending outward therefrom. A seal is received within the interior volume and a wire extends through the seal into the interior volume. A seal includes skirt segments which extend from the seal retainer wall such that each of the skirt segments is positioned laterally to the outer surface and such that one of the skirt segments is a lock arm having a lock aperture which captures the retention protuberance therein, thereby retaining the seal retainer to the housing. A flex limiting strap joins the lock arm to an adjacent one of the skirt segments and limits the extent to which the lock arm flexes away from the axis.
US09954344B2
A spark plug 1 includes a cylindrical housing, a cylindrical insulator, a center electrode, a terminal bracket, a ground electrode, and a resistor. The insulator is held on the inside of the housing. The center electrode 4 is held on the inside of the insulator, with a tip end being projected therefrom. The terminal bracket is held on the inside of the insulator, with a base end part and being projected therefrom. The ground electrode forms a spark discharge gap G between itself and the center electrode. The resistor contains carbon and is disposed on the inside of the insulator so as to be located between the center electrode 4 and the terminal bracket. In an axial direction X of the spark plug, the resistor has a higher carbon content in a first region positioned on a tip side, compared to a second region positioned on a base end side.
US09954333B2
A commutator is formed by providing an electrically insulating commutator body. First and second areas are defined on the commutator body covering a brush contact surface in an alternating manner. At least the surfaces of the first areas are formed of laser direct structured material. The first areas are treated by a laser to form metal particle layers. Conductive layers are formed on the metal particle layers by a plating process to form commutator segments. Terminals are connected to the conductive layers for connecting the commutator to rotor windings.
US09954332B2
Apparatuses and processes associated with a dual in-line memory module (DIMM) adaptor card. Specifically, the DIMM adaptor card may be configured to removeably couple with a slot of a printed circuit board (PCB). The DIMM adaptor card may further be configured to removeably couple with a first DIMM and a second DIMM. Other embodiments may be described and/or claimed.
US09954331B2
A terminal unit has a terminal unit body, a first terminal connector located adjacent a first opening in the terminal unit body for connection of a first conductor passing through the first opening, and a second terminal connector located adjacent a second opening in the terminal unit body for connection of a second conductor passing through the second opening. The first terminal connector conductor terminates internally of the terminal unit at a first link connection point, and the second terminal connector conductor terminates internally of the terminal unit at a second link connection point. The first and second link connection points are accessible via a link opening in the terminal unit body and a removable link comprising a link conductor and a link handle is removably insertable into the link opening. With the removable link inserted a normal orientation, the link conductor electrically connects the first link connection point and the second link connection point to electrically connect the first terminal connector to the second terminal connector.
US09954330B2
A protective arrangement for an electronic device includes a flexible cover having a panel and a skirt that form an interior cavity to receive an electronic device; and an adapter fixedly positioned in the flexible cover and having a male plug with connectors extending into the interior cavity of the flexible cover for mating with a female socket of the device and a contactor with contacts adjacent outwardly from the flexible cover and electrically coupled to one or more of the connectors of the plug. A docking cradle or external adapter can receive the electronic device and cover. A docking cradle may have a movable arm.
US09954323B2
A connector includes an conductor engager, coupler-driver and a compressor-body. A coupler is disposed over and engages a grounding end of the conductor engager while a torque drive member rotationally drives the coupler to threadably engage an interface port. Threaded engagement of the coupler causes the conductor engager to move forwardly toward the interface port and the torque drive member to move rearwardly relative to the conductor engager. Rearward movement of the torque drive member causes a compressor to slide axially over plurality of radially compliant fingers of the compressor-body. The compliant fingers are displaced radially inward to compress a prepared end of the coaxial cable, i.e., an outer conductor and a radially compliant outer jacket, against a tubular-shaped retention end of the conductor engager. Compression of the prepared end connects the coaxial cable to the connector.
US09954321B2
A card edge connector includes an elongated insulative housing forming a central slot with two rows of terminals disposed by two sides of the central slot and retained in the housing. The housing includes two opposite lengthwise walls and two end walls connected to two opposite ends of the corresponding lengthwise walls, and a bottom wall linked to both the lengthwise walls and the end walls below the central slot. A removable key element is assembled to the two lengthwise walls and intersecting with the central slot. A receiving cavity is formed in the bottom wall to receive a light emitting device located under the key element and mounted upon the printed circuit board on which the connector is seated.
US09954318B2
Combined connector receptacles that provide isolation between individual connector receptacles and have structures arranged to reduce or eliminate damage to through-hole contact portions during insertion of the combined connector into a board.
US09954316B2
A module retracting type installing and uninstalling device, including a base, a slide block, a pressing cover and a bail. The slide block includes a long-strip-shaped slide block base body, and U-shaped grooves are respectively formed in the middle part of two side walls of the slide block base body. A square hole is formed at the rear end of the slide block base body, and is sheathed onto a triangular lock catch of the base. First and second rotating shafts of the bail are respectively located in two snapping grooves at the front end of the base, and third and fourth rotating shafts are respectively located in the U-shaped grooves. The pressing cover includes a square pressing cover base body, and a pressure resilient sheet attached to the upper surface of the slide block and being pressed to the base.
US09954309B2
Discussed generally herein are methods and devices including or providing a magnetic, detachable, conductive connector to provide an electrical and mechanical connection between parts. A device can include a first substrate, at least one electric component on or at least partially in a first surface of the first substrate, an adhesive on the first surface of the first substrate to temporarily attached the device to skin of a user, a contact pad electrically coupled to an electric component of the at least one electric component, the contact pad on or at least partially in a second surface of the substrate, the first surface opposite the second surface, and a conductive magnetic connector electrically and mechanically connected to the contact pad through a first conductive adhesive.
US09954307B2
A plug (301) adapted to hold a wire (320) and to be received within a socket (330). The plug (301) comprises a plug body (302) comprising at least two plug body portions (500) that are connected to a plug body end (305), and a passage (307) extending substantially along a central longitudinal axis (501) of the plug body (302) for receiving the wire (320). The plug body (302) is configurable in a first wire-receiving configuration so that the wire (320) can be placed within the passage (307) and a second clamping configuration so that the plug body (302) can clamp to and retain the wire (320) within the passage (307) such that conducting strands (321) of the wire (320) extend substantially along the central longitudinal axis (501) of the plug body (302). The at least two plug body portions (500) are moveable away from the central longitudinal axis (501) into the first wire-receiving configuration, and are moveable towards the central longitudinal axis (501) into the second clamping configuration.
US09954300B2
A connector includes a female terminal having a tubular electric connection portion, and a housing having a terminal receiving chamber. The electric connection portion includes a bottom wall, side walls, a plate spring, a top wall overlaid on an outer side of the plate spring, a plurality of top wall holding protrusions overlaid on an outer side of the first side wall, and lock portions provided contiguously with the top wall holding protrusions and locked at the reception holes of the first side wall. An inner wall of the terminal receiving chamber of the housing includes an engagement groove provided in a recessed manner along a direction in which the female direction is inserted into the terminal receiving chamber. The engagement groove engages with the top wall holding protrusions on the outer side of the first side wall to guide the insertion of the female terminal.
US09954299B2
A connector configured to make a contact with an electrical apparatus includes a contact formed of a metal material; and a housing that houses the contact. The contact includes an exposed part that is exposed outside the housing, a contact portion provided in the exposed part and configured to come into contact with an electrode of the electrical apparatus, and a projecting part provided in the exposed part and positioned between the contact portion and the housing. The housing includes an exterior wall that forms a surface of the housing that faces the electrode. The exterior wall and the projecting part are configured to be in contact with each other when the electrode and the contact portion come into contact with each other to establish an electrical connection between the contact and the electrode.
US09954290B2
A terminal fixing jig includes a terminal insertion support portion that is open outward, the terminal insertion recess portion being formed in a shape that allows a plate-shaped counterpart connecting portion to be inserted thereinto through the opening, and a terminal fitting fixing portion that includes a fitting portion being able to fit in a hole formed in the counterpart connecting portion and a fitting portion support portion for supporting the fitting portion to enable advance and retraction of the fitting portion while biasing the fitting portion in an advancing direction, wherein the terminal fitting fixing portion is fixed to the terminal insertion support portion such that it can come into contact with the counterpart connecting portion to be advanced or retracted, and the fitting portion can be fitted into the hole of the counterpart connecting portion with the counterpart connecting portion inserted to a rear side of the terminal insertion recess portion.
US09954288B2
A complementary antenna (e.g., wideband complementary antenna) is presented herein. A complementary antenna can include a first dipole portion, a second dipole portion, a first electrically conductive surface, and a second electrically conductive surface. The first dipole portion can include a first patch antenna portion and a second patch antenna portion. The second dipole portion can include a third patch antenna portion and a fourth patch antenna portion electrically coupled to the second patch antenna portion via a strip antenna portion. The first electrically conductive surface can be coupled to the first dipole portion and the second dipole portion via a first set of electrically conductive pins. The second electrically conductive surface can be coupled to the first electrically conductive surface via a second set of electrically conductive pins.
US09954285B2
The disclosure concerns a microstrip patch antenna configured for operation in the WiFi bands, including 2.4 GHz and 5.2/5.8 GHz. The microstrip patch antenna includes a pair of opposing u-shaped slots embedded in the patch conductor. The patch includes a patch width configured to provide a resonance at 2.4 GHz, and a slot width configured to provide a resonance at 5.2/5.8 GHz. Thus, the antenna provides a dual band WiFi patch antenna.
US09954275B2
A Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) antenna is provided, which includes a Printed Circuit Board (PCB), an antenna connected with the PCB, a feed system, and a match circuit, wherein the antenna is connected with the feed system through the match circuit, the antenna connected with the PCB is the antenna having a Loop structure, and a gap having a fixed width is provided between a ground loop of the antenna connected with the PCB and the PCB. An MIMO antenna system and a mobile terminal are also provided. By adopting the MIMO antenna, system and mobile terminal, a coupling current between the MIMO antenna and the PCB can be relatively concentrated and current amplitude is small, thereby isolation between antennas is improved.
US09954274B2
An antenna device includes: a case; a board which is encased in the case and receives a signal from an antenna element; and a base for which closes a bottom face of the case. The base is integrally provided with a metal fastening member, and includes a sheet metal part for conducting earth connection between an earth electrode of the board and a vehicle panel, and the sheet metal part is surrounded with resin to be integrally molded therewith.
US09954266B2
Communication device comprising a stripline circulator and at least a coupling piece. The stripline circulator comprises: magnetic assemblies comprising a first magnetic assembly and a second magnetic assembly, the first magnetic assembly and the second magnetic assembly are opposite to each other so as to generate a magnetic field; and a conductive jointing piece positioned between the first magnetic assembly and the second magnetic assembly, the conductive jointing piece comprises a center conductor which is positioned within outer peripheral edges of the magnetic assemblies and positioned in the magnetic field and at least three line connecting arms which extend outwardly from the center conductor. Each coupling piece comprising a first coupling portion positioned within the outer peripheral edges of the magnetic assemblies and positioned in the magnetic field, the first coupling portion is positioned in a space between the first magnetic assembly and the second magnetic assembly, the first coupling portion and one corresponding line connecting arm are opposite to each other so as to generate a coupling action.
US09954263B2
A radio frequency (RF) microelectromechanical system (MEMS) package includes a first mounting substrate, a signal line formed on a top surface of the first mounting substrate, the signal line comprising a MEMS device selectively electrically coupling a first portion of the signal line to a second portion of the signal line, and a ground assembly coupled to the first mounting substrate. The ground assembly includes a second mounting substrate, a ground plane formed on a bottom surface of the second mounting substrate, and at least one electrical interconnect extending through a thickness of the second mounting substrate to contact the ground plane, wherein the ground plane is spaced apart from the signal line.
US09954258B2
Provided is a method of manufacturing high-purity, high-quality manganese sulfate which can be immediately used for manufacturing a lithium ion secondary battery from manganese sulfate waste liquid of a wasted battery. Since impurities are removed from the manganese sulfate waste liquid by using sulfides causing no secondary contamination in the manganese sulfate waste liquid and the manganese sulfate is manufactured by performing evaporation concentration through heating, the manufacturing method is very environment-friendly and economical. Since the manganese recovering process improving the manufacturing yield of the manganese sulfate and the waste water treatment process capable of recycling the source materials and discharging waste water are integrated, the manufacturing method is very efficient and environment-friendly. The manufacturing method is applied to the recycling industry, and thus, it is possible to obtain effects of preventing environmental pollution and facilitating recycling the resources.
US09954248B2
An object of the present invention is to provide a solid lithium secondary battery in which occurrence of short-circuit is suppressed during charging. The object is attained by providing a solid lithium secondary battery comprising an anode current collector, a solid electrolyte layer, a cathode active material layer, and a cathode current collector in this order, wherein the solid electrolyte layer is provided on a surface of the anode current collector, the solid electrolyte layer contains a sulfide solid electrolyte particle, a surface shape of the solid electrolyte layer, which faces the anode current collector, is formed in correspondence with a surface shape of the anode current collector, and 10-point average roughness (Rz) of the surface of the anode current collector on a solid electrolyte layer side, and 10-point average roughness (Rz) of a surface of the solid electrolyte layer on an anode current collector side are in a range of 1.8 μm to 2.5 μm, respectively.
US09954241B2
A polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell that includes a positive electrode, a negative electrode, a polyelectrolyte membrane and a solution of reduced graphene oxide and/or graphene oxide functionalized with metallized nanoparticles. The electrodes are coated with a polymer and the polyelectrolyte membrane has a hydrophobic exterior surface that is subjected to ultraviolet/ozone (UV/O3) exposure, which changes the hydrophobic, exterior surface to a hydrophilic exterior surface. The polyelectrolyte membrane is disposed between the positive electrode and the negative electrode and can include a sulfonated tetrafluoroethylene based fluoropolymer-copolymer. The solution forms a coating on the hydrophilic exterior surface of the polymer electrolyte membrane and the positive and negative electrodes. The positive and negative electrodes can be coated with a polymer, preferably polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) that can be subjected to ultraviolet/ozone (UV/O3) exposure. The metallized nanoparticles increase the efficiency of the fuel cell by at least 50% when the feed gas includes at least 1000 ppm carbon monoxide.
US09954236B2
A humidifier has a stack unit having a plurality of water-vapor-permeable membranes which are arranged parallel one above the other and spaced apart from one another. Two adjacent membranes are connected to one another via fixing elements, wherein a first fixing element acts on the top membrane from above and a second fixing element acts on the bottom membrane from below.
US09954235B2
Described herein are articles, systems, and methods relating to fuel cell systems that include anode chambers with variable volumes. The volume of the anode chamber may be relatively small or essentially zero upon start up to prevent influx of contaminants that would have to be purged from the system. As fuel is directed into the anode chamber, the chamber volume increases to accommodate the flow of fuel.
US09954228B2
An LFP electrode material is provided which has improved impedance, power during cold cranking, rate capacity retention, charge transfer resistance over the current LFP based cathode materials. The electrode material comprises crystalline primary particles and secondary particles, where the primary particle is formed from a plate-shaped single-phase spheniscidite precursor and a lithium source. The LFP includes an LFP phase behavior where the LFP phase behavior includes an extended solid-solution range.
US09954221B2
The present invention relates to a cathode active material for a lithium rechargeable battery, a method of manufacturing the same, and a lithium rechargeable battery including the same, and provides the cathode active material for the lithium rechargeable battery, including a core including a compound represented by the following Chemical Formula 1, and a coating layer positioned on the core and including a compound represented by the following Chemical Formula 2. xLi2MnO3—(1-x)LiM1O2 [Chemical Formula 1] In Chemical Formula 1, 0
US09954216B2
A rectangular secondary battery (1) includes a current interrupting portion (60) disposed in a current path between a collector plate (21) connected to a rolled electrode group (40) and an external terminal (61) and configured to interrupt the current path when an internal pressure of a battery container (2) is increased. The current interrupting portion (60) has a diaphragm (68) whose top portion (68a) is electrically connected to the collector plate (21) and whose edge portion (68b) is electrically connected to the external terminal (61). The diaphragm (68) is formed into a convex shape protruding inside the battery container (2) and into a planar shape elongated in a longitudinal direction of the battery container (2).
US09954213B2
Electrochemical systems with electronically and ionically conductive layers have electronic, mechanical and chemical properties useful for a variety of applications including electrochemical storage and conversion. Electronically and ionically conductive layers may be introduced between an electrode and the separator. Embodiments provide structural, physical and electrostatic attributes useful for managing and controlling dendrite formation and for improving the cycle life and rate capability of electrochemical cells including silicon anode based batteries, air cathode based batteries, redox flow batteries, solid electrolyte based systems, fuel cells, flow batteries and semisolid batteries and may include multilayer, porous geometries supporting excellent ion transport properties, providing a barrier to prevent dendrite initiated mechanical failure, shorting or thermal runaway, or providing improved electrode conductivity and improved electric field uniformity. An electronically and ionically conductive layer may provide electronic conductivity greater than or equal to 1 S/cm and ionic resistance less than or equal to 10 Ωcm2.
US09954211B2
A separator includes a porous substrate, a porous organic-inorganic coating layer formed on at least one surface of the porous substrate, and an organic coating layer formed on the surface of the organic-inorganic coating layer. The porous organic-inorganic coating layer includes a mixture of inorganic particles and a first binder polymer. The first binder polymer contains a copolymer including (a) a first monomer unit including either at least one amine group or at least one amide group or both in the side chain thereof and (b) a (meth)acrylate having a C1-C14 alkyl group as a second monomer unit. The organic coating layer is formed by dispersing a second binder polymer on the surface of the organic-inorganic coating layer, leaving scattered uncoated areas. The porous organic-inorganic coating layer of the separator has a high packing density, enabling the fabrication of a thin battery in an easy manner without losing stability. The porous organic-inorganic coating layer has good ability to bind to the porous substrate, which prevents the inorganic particles from separating from the porous organic-inorganic coating layer. In addition, the organic coating layer enhances the bindability of the separator to an electrode without a substantial increase in resistance.
US09954210B2
A method for manufacturing a separator includes (S1) preparing a porous substrate having pores, (S2) coating at least one surface of the porous substrate with a first solvent, (S3) coating the first solvent with a slurry containing inorganic particles dispersed therein and formed by dissolving a binder polymer in a second solvent, (S4) drying the first and second solvents simultaneously to form a porous organic-inorganic composite layer on the porous substrate. Since the phenomenon that the pores of the porous substrate are closing by the binder polymer is minimized, it is possible to prevent the resistance of the separator from increasing due to the formation of the porous organic-inorganic composite layer.
US09954208B2
A battery package includes a card, a cover attached to the card, and a tray positioned between the card and the cover. The cover includes a body having an opening and a door with the door movable between an open position to provide access to the opening and a closed position in which the door closes the opening. The tray includes multiple receptacles arranged symmetrically about a central post. The front surface of the central post is spaced apart from the interior surface of the front portion of the cover by a distance. The battery package also includes multiple batteries and multiple tabs. The tray is rotatable to selectively align one of the receptacles with the opening in a battery removal position. With the door in the open position, the tab attached to the battery in the receptacle in the battery removal position is accessible through the opening.
US09954207B2
Apparatus for increasing the efficiency of a starter battery for a starter motor of an internal combustion engine in a battery pack arrangement with one or more lithium based cells. The invention includes a solid state switching configuration for high powered battery systems for protecting against over-charging, over-discharging and short circuiting of batteries, especially starter batteries for internal combustion engines. The invention is also useful as a Deep Cycle battery.
US09954203B2
Disclosed herein is an electrode group stack including a plurality of electrode groups, each of which includes a cathode, an anode, and a first separator disposed between the cathode and the anode, and a second separator disposed between the electrode groups, wherein the electrode groups are stacked in a height direction on the basis of a plane, some or all of the electrode groups have different areas of opposite stack surfaces at a stack interface therebetween, and the electrode group stack includes an electrode group satisfying equation (1): T≥(Tsum×0.5) (1), where T indicates a thickness of an arbitrary electrode group and Tsum indicates a sum of thicknesses of the electrode groups constituting the electrode group stack.
US09954190B2
An organic electroluminescent element that uses a compound expressed by the following general formula emits dark blue light and exhibits little change in chromaticity during brightness modulation. (n1 is an integer from 0 to 8; the R1 [groups] are each independently a substituent substituted for a hydrogen atom of the pyrene skeleton; X is CRaRb (Ra and Rb are each independently a hydrogen atom or a substituent), O, S, or SiRdRe (Rd and Re are each independently a hydrogen atom or a substituent); and A1 to A4 represent each independently either N or CRf (Rf represents a hydrogen atom or a substituent, and two adjacent Rf [groups] may jointly form a saturated or unsaturated ring, but no more than two rings may be formed jointly by two or more of the Rf [groups]).)
US09954186B2
Embodiments relate to a delayed fluorescence compound of Formula 1: or Formula 2: The excitons in the triplet state are engaged in emission such that the emitting efficiency of the delayed fluorescent compound is increased. Embodiments also relate to a display device with an organic light emitting diode (OLED) that includes the delayed fluorescence compound.
US09954184B2
Some embodiments provide a compound represented by Formula 1, wherein ET1, ET2 and ET3 are optionally substituted quinolinyl or optionally substituted quinoxalinyl; and wherein R1, R2, and R3 are independently selected from the group consisting of H, C1-3 alkyl, and C1-3 perfluoroalkyl. Other embodiments provide an organic electron transmission element and an organic light-emitting diode device comprising a compound of Formula 1.
US09954178B2
An aromatic amine derivative represented by the following formula (1). In the formula, Ar1 and Ar2 are independently a substituted or unsubstituted aryl group including 6 to 60 ring carbon atoms; L1 is a substituted or unsubstituted arylene group including 6 to 60 ring carbon atoms; L2 is a single bond or a substituted or unsubstituted arylene group including 6 to 60 ring carbon atoms; R1 and R2 are independently a substituted or unsubstituted aryl group including 6 to 60 ring carbon atoms or the like; n is an integer of 0 to 3; m is an integer of 0 to 4; X1 to X5 are independently a nitrogen atom or CR3; provided that at least one of X1 to X5 are a nitrogen atom; R3 is a hydrogen atom, a substituted or unsubstituted aryl group including 6 to 60 ring carbon atom or the like.
US09954175B2
A nanotube-graphene hybrid nano-component and method for forming a cleaned nanotube-graphene hybrid nano-component. The nanotube-graphene hybrid nano-component includes a gate; a gate dielectric formed on the gate; a channel comprising a carbon nanotube-graphene hybrid nano-component formed on the gate dielectric; a source formed over a first region of the carbon nanotube-graphene hybrid nano-component; and a drain formed over a second region of the carbon nanotube-graphene hybrid nano-component to form a field effect transistor.
US09954174B2
There is provided a copolymer having Formula I In Formula I: A is a monomeric unit containing at least one triarylamine group; B′ is a monomeric unit having at least three points of attachment in the copolymer; C′ is an aromatic monomeric unit or a deuterated analog thereof; E is the same or different at each occurrence and can be H, D, halide, alkyl, silyl, germyl, aryl, arylamino, siloxane, a crosslinkable group, deuterated alkyl, deuterated silyl, deuterated germyl, deuterated aryl, deuterated arylamino, deuterated siloxane, or a deuterated crosslinkable group; a, b, and c are the same or different and are mole fractions, such that a+b+c=1, and a and b are non-zero.
US09954169B2
An organic EL display including lower electrodes arranged on a substrate to correspond to first organic EL elements of blue and second organic EL elements of any other color, respectively; hole injection/transport layers arranged on the lower electrodes; second organic light-emitting layers of the other color arranged on the hole injection/transport layers for the second organic EL elements; a first organic light-emitting layer of blue arranged on whole surfaces of the second organic light-emitting layers and the hole injection/transport layers for the first organic EL elements; an electron injection/transport layer arranged on a whole surface of the first light-emitting layer, the electron injection/transport layer made of a nitrogen-containing heterocyclic compound with an electron mobility of 1.0×10−6 cm2/Vs to 1.0×10−1 cm2/Vs both inclusive and having one or both of electron injection properties and electron transport properties; and an upper electrode arranged on the electron injection/transport layer.
US09954163B2
Structures and methods are disclosed for shielding magnetically sensitive components. One structure includes a substrate, a bottom shield deposited on the substrate, a magnetoresistive semiconductor device having a first surface and a second surface opposing the first surface, the first surface of the magnetoresistive semiconductor device deposited on the bottom shield, a top shield deposited on the second surface of the magnetoresistive semiconductor device, the top shield having a window for accessing the magnetoresistive semiconductor device, and a plurality of interconnects that connect the magnetoresistive semiconductor device to a plurality of conductive elements.
US09954160B2
A method of manufacturing a vibrator which includes a method of manufacturing a wiring board includes disposing one granular conductor within each of through holes of a ceramic substrate having the through holes formed therein, supplying a glass paste into the through holes, baking the glass paste, forming an electrode, and disposing a vibrator element and a lid. When a maximum diameter of the granular conductor is set to d1 and a minimum diameter of each of the through holes is set to d2, d1/d2 is preferably equal to or greater than 0.8 and equal to or less than 1.
US09954157B2
A thermoelectric generator includes a first channel for passing a warm fluid along a direction of flow, a second channel for passing a cold fluid, a plurality of thermocouple elements disposed along the direction of flow between the first and second channels, a first member includes portions disposed between the elements and the first channel and associated with the individual elements for providing a heat coupling between the associated element and the first channel, and a second member including portions disposed between the elements and the second channel and associated with the individual elements for providing a heat coupling between the associated element and the second channel. The sum of the thermal resistances of those portions that are associated with a first element positioned upstream of a second element is bigger than the sum of the thermal resistances of those portions that are associated with the second element.
US09954140B2
The present disclosure provides a light-emitting device. The light-emitting device comprises: a substrate; an intermediate layer on the substrate; a first window layer comprising a first semiconductor optical layer on the intermediate layer and a second semiconductor optical layer on the first semiconductor optical layer; and a light-emitting stack on the second semiconductor optical layer; wherein a difference between the lattice constant of the intermediate layer and the lattice constant of the first semiconductor optical layer is greater than 2.3 Å.
US09954136B2
An apparatus for carrying a plurality of photovoltaic structures is provided. The apparatus can include a pair of end plates, a set of stationary posts coupling together the end plates, and a wafer-locking mechanism that can be engaged when the apparatus changes orientation. At least one stationary post can be shaped like a comb and have a first array of comb teeth for separating the photovoltaic structures. The wafer-locking mechanism can be configured to lock the photovoltaic structures in position, thereby preventing motion-induced damage to the photovoltaic structures.
US09954135B2
A method for manufacturing solar cell includes the following. A solution containing aluminum elements is misted. The misted solution is sprayed onto the main surface of a p-type silicon substrate in the atmosphere, to thereby form an aluminum oxide film. Then, a solar cell is produced using the p-type silicon substrate including the aluminum oxide film formed thereon.
US09954130B2
A method of fabricating a solar cell includes forming a doped portion having a first conductive type on a semiconductor substrate, growing an oxide layer on the semiconductor substrate, forming a plurality of recess portions in the oxide layer, further growing the oxide layer on the semiconductor substrate, forming a doped portion having a second conductive type on areas of the semiconductor substrate corresponding to the recess portions, forming a first conductive electrode electrically coupled to the doped portion having the first conductive type, and forming a second conductive electrode on the semiconductor substrate and electrically coupled to the doped portion having the second conductive type, wherein a gap between the doped portions having the first and second conductive types corresponds to a width of the oxide layer formed by further growing the oxide layer.
US09954127B1
A solar module configured in a frame assembly with multi-configuration attachment member(s), which has locking and unlocking characteristics.
US09954126B2
Various stamping methods may reduce defects and increase throughput for manufacturing metamaterial devices. Metamaterial devices with an array of photovoltaic bristles, and/or vias, may enable each photovoltaic bristle to have a high probability of photon absorption. The high probability of photon absorption may lead to increased efficiency and more power generation from an array of photovoltaic bristles. Reduced defects in the metamaterial device may decrease manufacturing cost, increase reliability of the metamaterial device, and increase the probability of photon absorption for a metamaterial device. The increase in manufacturing throughput and reduced defects may reduce manufacturing costs to enable the embodiment metamaterial devices to reach grid parity.
US09954118B2
The method comprises implanting a deep well of a first type of electrical conductivity provided for a drift region in a substrate of semiconductor material, the deep well of the first type comprising a periphery, implanting a deep well or a plurality of deep wells of a second type of electrical conductivity opposite to the first type of electrical conductivity at the periphery of the deep well of the first type, implanting shallow wells of the first type of electrical conductivity at the periphery of the deep well of the first type, the shallow wells of the first type extending into the deep well of the first type; and implanting shallow wells of the second type of electrical conductivity adjacent to the deep well of the first type between the shallow wells of the first type of electrical conductivity.
US09954107B2
A semiconductor structure, such as a strained FinFETs, includes a strain relief buffer (SRB) layer isolated and separated from a source and a drain by a second spacer simultaneously formed with a first spacer upon the sidewalls of a gate structure. The second spacer limits the source and drain from contacting the SRB layer thereby limiting source drain junction leakage. Further, the second spacer limits source and drain punch through to the SRB layer underneath a channel. An etch partially removes a SRB layer portion 24 within a fin stack. The etch undercuts the source and drain forming a fin void without under cutting the channel. The second spacer is formed by depositing spacer material with the fin void.
US09954091B2
A compound semiconductor device includes: a substrate; a channel layer over the substrate; a carrier supply layer over the channel layer; a gate electrode, a source electrode and a drain electrode above the channel layer and the carrier supply layer; and an insulating film that covers the carrier supply layer between the source electrode and the drain electrode. The insulating film includes: a first region that contains anion under the gate electrode; and a second region on the source electrode side or on the drain electrode side of the first region, an anion concentration in the second region being lower than an anion concentration in the first region.
US09954085B2
A tunnel field-effect transistor device includes a p-type GaN source layer, an ntype GaN drain layer, and an interlayer interfaced between the source-layer and the drain layer. These devices employ polarization engineering in GaN/InN heterojunctions to achieve appreciable interband tunneling current densities. In one example, the interlayer includes an Indium Nitride (InN) layer. In one example, the interlayer includes a graded Indium gallium nitride layer and an InN layer. In one example, the interlayer may include a graded Indium gallium nitride (InxGa1-xN) layer and an Indium gallium nitride (InGaN) layer. In one example, the tunnel field-effect transistor device includes an in-line configuration. In one example, the tunnel field-effect transistor device includes a side-wall configuration. In one example, the tunnel field-effect transistor device includes a nanowire cylindrical gate-all-around geometry to achieve a high degree of gate electrostatic control.
US09954082B1
A method of fabricating an embedded nonvolatile memory device is disclosed. A semiconductor substrate having thereon a fin body protruding from an isolation layer is provided. A charge storage layer crossing the fin body is formed. An inter-layer dielectric layer is deposited on the semiconductor substrate. The inter-layer dielectric layer is polished to expose a top surface of the charge storage layer. The charge storage layer is then recess etched and cut into separate charge storage structures. A high-k dielectric layer is formed on the charge storage structures. A word line is formed on the high-k dielectric layer.
US09954074B2
An insulated gate bipolar transistor and a manufacturing method therefor. The insulated gate bipolar transistor comprises a semiconductor substrate (1) of a first conductive type, which is provided with a first major surface (1S1) and a second major surface (1S2), wherein the semiconductor substrate (1) comprises a primitive cell area (2) and a terminal protection area (4) which is located outside the primitive cell area; a first semiconductor layer (5) of a first conductive type which is formed at the side of the first major surface of the semiconductor substrate (1), wherein the doping concentration of the first semiconductor layer (5) is higher than the doping concentration of the semiconductor substrate (1); and an insulated gate transistor unit which is formed at the side of the first major surface of the first semiconductor layer (5) in the primitive cell area, wherein the insulated gate transistor unit is conducted, a channel of a first conductive type is formed. Compared with the prior art, the present invention not only can improve the voltage resistance reliability of the insulted gate bipolar transistor, but also can reduce the forward conductive voltage drop of the insulated gate bipolar transistor.
US09954073B2
A method for manufacturing a SiC semiconductor device includes: forming recesses to be separated from each other on a cross section in parallel to a surface of the substrate by partially removing a top portion of the drift layer with etching using a mask after arranging the mask on a front surface of a drift layer; forming electric field relaxation layers having the second conductivity type to be separated from each other on the cross section by ion-implanting a second conductivity type impurity on a bottom of each recess using the mask; and forming a channel layer by forming a second conductivity type layer on the front surface of the drift layer including a front surface of each electric field relaxation layer in a respective recess.
US09954071B2
A method for preparing a TiAl alloy thin film, wherein a reaction chamber is provided, in which at least one substrate is placed; an aluminum precursor and a titanium precursor are introduced into the reaction chamber, wherein the aluminum precursor has a molecular structure of a structural formula (I); and the aluminum precursor and the titanium precursor are brought into contact with the substrate so that a titanium-aluminum alloy thin film is formed on the surface of the substrate by vapor deposition. The method solves the problem of poor step coverage ability and the problem of incomplete filling with regard to the small-size devices by the conventional methods. Meanwhile, the formation of titanium-aluminum alloy thin films with the aid of plasma is avoided so that the substrate is not damaged by plasma.
US09954070B2
A thin film transistor, a manufacturing method thereof, and a display device are provided. The thin film transistor includes a gate electrode (21), an active layer (23), a source electrode (241) and a drain electrode (242). The source electrode (241) and the drain electrode (242) are formed of at least two materials, the forming materials of the source electrode (241) and the drain electrode (242) can create a cell reaction in a corresponding etching solution so as to be etched, and material of the active layer (23) is not corroded by the etching solution. With the thin film transistor and manufacturing method thereof according to embodiments of the invention, a problem that an active layer is liable to be corroded in an etching procedure of a source electrode and a drain electrode can be solved, and thus the thin film transistor device can be manufactured by using a back channel etch process. Consequently, the process number for manufacture of the thin film transistor is decreased, and the manufacturing cost is saved.
US09954062B2
A method of making a field-effect transistor device includes providing a substrate with a fin stack having: a first sacrificial material layer on the substrate, a first semiconductive material layer on the first sacrificial material layer, and a second sacrificial material layer on the first semiconductive material layer. The method includes inserting a dummy gate having a second thickness, a dummy void, and an outer end that is coplanar to the second face. The method includes inserting a first spacer having a first thickness and a first void, and having an outer end that is coplanar to the first face. The method includes etching the first sacrificial material layer in the second plane and the second sacrificial material layer in the fourth plane. The method includes removing, at least partially, the first spacer. The method also includes inserting a second spacer having the first thickness.
US09954061B2
A semiconductor device includes an isolation pattern on a substrate, the isolation pattern having a lower insulating pattern on the substrate, and a spacer to cover side surfaces of the lower insulating pattern, a vertical structure through the isolation pattern to contact the substrate, the vertical structure having a first semiconductor layer on the substrate, a lower end of the first semiconductor layer being at a lower level than a lower surface of the isolation pattern, a second semiconductor layer on the first semiconductor layer, and a third semiconductor layer on the second semiconductor layer, and a gate electrode crossing the vertical structure and extending over the isolation pattern.
US09954057B2
A semiconductor device having a high and stable operating voltage and a method of manufacturing the same, the semiconductor device including: a substrate having an active region including a channel region; a gate insulating layer that covers a top surface of the active region; a gate electrode that covers the gate insulating layer on the top surface of the active region; buried insulating patterns in the channel region of the active region at a lower side of the gate electrode and spaced apart from a top surface of the substrate; and a pair of source/drain regions in the substrate at both sides of each of the buried insulating patterns and extending from the top surface of the substrate to a level lower than that of each of the buried insulating patterns.
US09954056B2
A semiconductor device includes a transistor cell region and a transition region. The transistor cell region includes a first portion of a super junction structure and a first contact structure electrically connecting a first load electrode with first source zones of transistor cells. The first source zones are formed on opposite sides of the first contact structure. The transition region directly adjoins to the transistor cell region and includes a second portion of the super junction structure and a second contact structure electrically connecting the first load electrode with a second source zone. The second source zone is formed only at a side of the second contact structure oriented to the transistor cell region.
US09954054B2
A fourth impurity region includes a first region facing a bottom portion of a trench and a part of a second impurity region and a second region facing the second impurity region. A first impurity region includes a third region in contact with a side surface of the trench, the second impurity region, the first region, and a second region and a fourth region which is located on a side of a second main surface relative to the third region, electrically connected to the third region, and lower in impurity concentration than the third region. A surface of the first region facing the second main surface is located on the side of the second main surface in a direction perpendicular to the second main surface relative to a surface of the second region facing the second main surface.
US09954049B2
The present invention relates to a circular display device including: a substrate (21) having a circular shape; a plurality of data lines (15) formed on the substrate; a plurality of gate lines (16) extending in a direction orthogonal to the plurality of data lines; a plurality of pixels (14) respectively formed at areas in which the plurality of data lines and the plurality of gate lines intersect; and a circular cover (25) that is air-tightly adhered to the substrate and covers the pixels. The cover has a driving integrated circuit (27) and a plurality of wiring patterns formed thereon, wherein the driving integrated circuit supplies scan signals and data signals to the plurality of pixels, and the wiring patterns extend and are drawn out from the driving integrated circuit. The respective plurality of wiring patterns are electrically connected to each of the plurality of data lines and the plurality of gate lines through connection wires (29).
US09954039B2
An organic light emitting display device can include a substrate; an anode electrode on the substrate; an organic emitting layer on the anode electrode; a cathode electrode on the organic emitting layer; an auxiliary electrode connected to the cathode electrode; a bank provided on either side of the auxiliary electrode; and a partition spaced apart from the bank and provided on the auxiliary electrode, in which the partition includes a plurality of first partitions provided on the auxiliary electrode and spaced apart from each other, and the partition further includes a second partition provided on the plurality of first partitions, and a width of an upper surface of the second partition is larger than a width of a lower surface of the second partition.
US09954034B2
Image sensor, method for manufacturing the same, and image processing device having the image sensor
An image sensor comprising: a first layer having a plurality of groups of photodiodes formed in a semiconductor substrate, each group representing a 2×2 array of photodiodes, with 2 first pixels configured to detect light of a first wavelength and 2 second pixels configured to detect light of a second wavelength, each first pixel positioned adjacent to the second pixels; and a second layer overlapping the first layer, the second layer is organic, having a plurality of organic photodiodes configured to detect light of a third wavelength, each organic photodiode positioned to partially overlap 2 first photodiodes and 2 second photodiodes of the first layer.
US09954028B2
A light emitting device package includes a substrate for growth having a plurality of light-emitting windows, a plurality of semiconductor light-emitting units corresponding to the plurality of light-emitting windows, each semiconductor light-emitting unit having a first surface contacting the substrate for growth and a second surface opposite the first surface, and each semiconductor light-emitting unit having a first conductivity-type semiconductor layer, an active layer, and a second conductivity-type semiconductor layer stacked on each other, a plurality of wavelength conversion units respectively disposed inside the plurality of light-emitting windows, each wavelength conversion unit is configured to provide light having a wavelength different from light emitted by the respective semiconductor light-emitting unit, a metal support layer disposed on at least one surface of each of the plurality of semiconductor light-emitting units and having a lateral surface coplanar with a lateral surface of the substrate for growth, and an insulating layer disposed between each of the plurality of semiconductor light-emitting units and a respective metal support layer.
US09954022B2
The present disclosure relates to a CMOS image sensor having a doped region, arranged between deep trench isolation structures and an image sensing element, and an associated method of formation. In some embodiments, the CMOS image sensor has a pixel region disposed within a semiconductor substrate. The pixel region has an image sensing element configured to convert radiation into an electric signal. A plurality of back-side deep trench isolation (BDTI) structures extend into the semiconductor substrate on opposing sides of the pixel region. A doped region is laterally arranged between the BDTI structures and separates the image sensing element from the BDTI structures and the back-side of the semiconductor substrate. Separating the image sensing element from the BDTI structures prevents the image sensing element from interacting with interface defects near edges of the BDTI structures, and thereby reduces dark current and white pixel number.
US09954017B2
A radiation image-pickup device includes: a plurality of pixels configured to generate signal charge based on radiation; a first substrate including a transistor configured to read out the signal charge; a second substrate disposed to face the first substrate; a conversion layer provided between the first substrate and the second substrate, the conversion layer being provided for each of the pixels, and being configured to convert the radiation to other wavelength or an electric signal; a partition provided between the first substrate and the second substrate, to partition the conversion layer for each of the pixels; and a radiation shielding layer provided to face the partition.
US09954015B2
The present invention relates to a thin film transistor array substrate and a method of manufacturing the same. The thin film transistor array substrate may comprise a substrate which has a plurality of gate lines extending in a column direction along a boundary of pixels, a plurality of data lines extending in a row direction along the boundary of the pixels, and at least one thin film transistor formed in the pixel region; a first insulating film which covers the thin film transistor; a color organic film which is disposed on the first insulating film and has a valley area formed with a valley by partial superimposition of organic films of different colors based on the data lines; a second insulating film which covers the color organic film and the valley area; and a pixel electrode which is disposed on the second insulating film and connected to the thin film transistor via a contact hole, wherein the thin film transistor array substrate is provided with a separating organic film which extends from the color organic film and is disposed between the valley area and the contact hole.
US09954013B2
This invention aims at reducing the probability of short-circuiting between terminals in a display device in which an IC driver is connected by COG. Terminals for connection with the IC driver are formed in a terminal region of a TFT substrate (100). The terminals are each comprised of a terminal metal (60), a first through-bole formed in a first insulation film (107), a second through-hole formed in a second insulation film (109), a first ITO (20) formed in the first through-hole and being in contact with the terminal metal (60), and a second ITO (30) formed over the first ITO (20). The second ITO (30) is formed within an area where the second ITO is in contact with the first ITO but is not formed outside the second through-hole. This ensures that the distance between the ITOs of the adjacent terminals can be enlarged, whereby the probability of short-circuiting between the terminals can be lowered.
US09954009B2
A display device is disclosed. In one aspect, the display device includes a first wire disposed in the inactive area of the substrate, a first pad overlapping the first wire in the depth dimension of the display device, and a first connecting layer configured to electrically connect the first wire to the first pad. The display device also includes a second wire located on a different layer from the first wire, a second pad overlapping the second wire in the depth dimension of the display device, and a second connecting layer configured to electrically connect the second wire to the second pad.
US09953990B1
Embodiments relate to an anti-fuse device with a transistor. The transistor may be a FinFET. The anti-fuse device includes a first electrode, an insulating layer, and a second electrode. The gate of the transistor may be formed in a same layer as the first electrode. The gate insulating layer on the gate of the transistor may be formed in a same layer as the insulating layer. The second electrode may be formed in a same layer as a local interconnect or a via and overlap the first electrode vertically over the insulating layer.
US09953983B2
A vertical tunneling FET (TFET) provides low-power, high-speed switching performance for transistors having critical dimensions below 7 nm. The vertical TFET uses a gate-all-around (GAA) device architecture having a cylindrical structure that extends above the surface of a doped well formed in a silicon substrate. The cylindrical structure includes a lower drain region, a channel, and an upper source region, which are grown epitaxially from the doped well. The channel is made of intrinsic silicon, while the source and drain regions are doped in-situ. An annular gate surrounds the channel, capacitively controlling current flow through the channel from all sides. The source is electrically accessible via a front side contact, while the drain is accessed via a backside contact that provides low contact resistance and also serves as a heat sink. Reliability of vertical TFET integrated circuits is enhanced by coupling the vertical TFETs to electrostatic discharge (ESD) diodes.
US09953980B2
In an output amplifier stage of an operational amplifier circuit, the first p-well of the first nMOSFET and the second p-well of the second nMOSFET are connected to the fourth node. Further, the first n-well of the first pMOSFET and the second n-well of the second pMOSFET are connected to the fifth node. At least one of the fourth node and the fifth node is connected to an output terminal VOUT.
US09953978B2
A transistor device includes a gate structure positioned above a semiconductor substrate, and spaced-apart sidewall spacers positioned above the substrate and adjacent sidewalls of the gate structure. An internal sidewall surface of each of the spaced-apart sidewall spacers includes an upper sidewall surface portion and a lower sidewall surface portion positioned between the upper sidewall surface portion and a surface of the substrate, wherein a first lateral width between first upper ends of the upper sidewall surface portions is greater than a second lateral width between second upper ends of the lower sidewall surface portions.
US09953977B1
Fabricating a semiconductor structure, including: forming a fin structure on a substrate by: forming a first fin layer on the substrate; forming a first insulator layer on the first fin layer; forming a second fin layer on the first insulator layer; forming a second insulator layer on the second fin layer; forming a third fin layer on the second insulator layer; and forming a gate structure on a plurality of opposing sides and a top surface of the fin structure.
US09953969B2
A semiconductor power device having shielded gate structure in an active area and having ESD clamp diode with two poly-silicon layer process is disclosed, wherein: the shielded gate structure comprises a first poly-silicon layer to serve as a shielded electrode and a second poly-silicon layer to serve as a gate electrode, and the ESD clamp diode formed between two protruding electrodes is also formed by the first poly-silicon layer. A mask specially used to define the ESD clamp diode portion is saved.
US09953965B2
A semiconductor package may include a DRAM chip mounted on a substrate; an interposer stacked over the DRAM chip and including redistribution structures; a nonvolatile memory chip stacked over the interposer; a memory controller chip mounted on the substrate, and including a control circuit for controlling the nonvolatile memory chip and first pads and second pads electrically coupled to the control circuit; first conductive coupling members configured to electrically couple bonding pads of the nonvolatile memory chip to the redistribution structures; second conductive coupling members configured to electrically couple the redistribution structures to the first pads; and third conductive coupling members configured to electrically couple the second pads to the substrate.
US09953949B2
A through package vias (TPV), a package including a plurality of the TPVs, and a method of forming the through package via are provided. Embodiments of a through package via (TPV) for a package include a build-up film layer, a metal pad disposed over the build-up film layer, a polymer ring disposed over the metal pad, and a solder feature electrically coupled with the metal pad.
US09953942B2
The present disclosure provides a semiconductor package, which includes a substrate, a passivation layer, a post-passivation interconnect (PPI) having a top surface; and a conductive structure. The top surface of the PPI includes a first region receiving the conductive structure, and a second region surrounding the first region. The second region includes metal derivative transformed from materials made of the first region. The present disclosure provide a method of manufacturing a semiconductor package, including forming a first flux layer covering a portion of a top surface of a PPI; transforming a portion of the top surface of the PPI uncovered by the first flux layer into a metal derivative layer; removing the first flux layer; forming a second flux layer on the first region of the PPI; dropping a solder ball on the flux layer; and forming electrical connection between the solder ball and the PPI.
US09953932B2
Disclosed herein is an electronic circuit package includes: a substrate having a power supply pattern; an electronic component mounted on a surface of the substrate; a mold resin covering the surface of the substrate so as to embed therein the electronic component; a laminated structure of a magnetic film and a metal film, the laminated structure covering at least an upper surface of the molding resin. The metal film is connected to the power supply pattern, and a resistance value at an interface between the magnetic film and the metal film is equal to or larger than 106Ω.
US09953925B2
A 3D IC device including: a first semiconductor layer including first mono-crystallized transistors, where the first mono-crystallized transistors are interconnected by at least one metal layer including aluminum or copper; a second layer including second mono-crystallized transistors and overlaying the at least one metal layer, where the at least one metal layer is in-between the first semiconductor layer and the second layer; a global power grid to distribute power to the device overlaying the second layer; and a local power grid to distribute power to the first mono-crystallized transistors, where the global power grid is connected to the local power grid by a plurality of through second layer vias, and where the vias have a radius of less than 150 nm.
US09953923B2
A metallization stack, comprising: at least an interlayer dielectric layer comprising a dielectric material and a negative capacitance material, wherein: at least a pair of first conductive interconnecting components formed in the interlayer dielectric layer, which are at least partially opposite to each other, comprise both the dielectric material and the negative capacitance material sandwiched between their opposite parts; and/or at least a second conductive interconnecting component formed in an upper interlayer dielectric layer and at least a third conductive interconnecting component formed in a lower interlayer dielectric layer, which are at least partially opposite to each other, comprise both the dielectric material and the negative capacitance material sandwiched between their opposite parts.
US09953914B2
A method for making a microelectronic unit includes forming a plurality of wire bonds on a first surface in the form of a conductive bonding surface of a structure comprising a patternable metallic element. The wire bonds are formed having bases joined to the first surface and end surfaces remote from the first surface. The wire bonds have edge surfaces extending between the bases and the end surfaces. The method also includes forming a dielectric encapsulation layer over a portion of the first surface of the conductive layer and over portions of the wire bonds such that unencapsulated portions of the wire bonds are defined by end surfaces or portions of the edge surfaces that are unconvered by the encapsulation layer. The metallic element is patterned to form first conductive elements beneath the wire bonds and insulated from one another by portions of the encapsulation layer.
US09953906B2
In a plasma processing step that is used in the method of manufacturing the element chip for manufacturing a plurality of element chips by dividing a substrate which has a plurality of element regions and of which an element surface is covered by insulating film, the substrate is divided into element chips by exposing the substrate to a first plasma, element chips having first surface, second surface, and side surface are held spaced from each other on carrier, insulating film is in a state of being exposed, recessed portions are formed by retreating insulating film by exposing element chips to second plasma for ashing, and then recessed portions are covered by protection films by third plasma for formation of the protection film, thereby suppressing creep-up of the conductive material to side surface in the mounting step.
US09953902B2
A semiconductor device includes first and second conductive layers on a substrate and separated from each other. A first semiconductor chip is mounted on the first conductive layer and has a first electrode on a side opposite the first conductive layer. A second semiconductor chip is mounted on the first conductive layer and has a second electrode on a side opposite the first conductive layer. A first metal member is mounted on the first electrode. A second metal member is mounted on the second electrode. A metal plate has a first portion disposed on the first and second metal members, and a second portion connected to the second conductive layer. The metal plate electrically connects the first and second electrodes to the second conductive layer through the first and second metal members.
US09953901B2
A semiconductor light emitting device includes a semiconductor light source, a resin package surrounding the semiconductor light source, and a lead fixed to the resin package. The lead is provided with a die bonding pad for bonding the semiconductor light source, and with an exposed surface opposite to the die bonding pad The exposed surface is surrounded by the resin package in the in-plane direction of the exposed surface.
US09953898B2
A flow channel member according to the present invention includes a ceramic substrate, a flow channel inside the ceramic substrate through which a fluid flows, and multiple protrusions on an outer surface of the substrate.
US09953889B1
Improved processes for manufacturing semiconductor wafers, chips, or dies utilize in-line data obtained from non-contact electrical measurements (“NCEM”) of fill cells that contain structures configured to target/expose a variety of open-circuit, short-circuit, leakage, and/or excessive resistance failure modes. Such processes include evaluating one or more Designs of Experiments (“DOEs”), each comprised of multiple NCEM-enabled fill cells, in at least two variants, targeted to the same failure mode. Such DOEs include multiple means/steps for enabling non-contact (NC) detection of GATECNT-GATE via opens.
US09953883B2
A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device includes forming a semiconductor layer on a substrate, the semiconductor layer including a first semiconductor material and a second semiconductor material, patterning the semiconductor layer to form a preliminary active pattern, oxidizing at least two sidewalls of the preliminary active pattern to form an oxide layer on each of the at least two sidewalls of the preliminary active pattern, at least two upper patterns and a semiconductor pattern being formed in the preliminary active pattern when the oxide layers are formed, the semiconductor pattern being disposed between the at least two upper patterns, and removing the semiconductor pattern to form an active pattern, the active pattern including the at least two upper patterns. A concentration of the second semiconductor material in each of the at least two upper patterns is higher than a concentration of the second semiconductor material in the semiconductor pattern.
US09953867B2
Disclosed are a method of forming a seed layer on a high-aspect ratio via and a semiconductor device having a high-aspect ratio via formed thereby. Thus, efficient Cu filling-plating is possible, and plating adhesion of the seed layer to filling-plated Cu can be simply and profitably enhanced, thus imparting high durability upon forming metal wiring for electronic components. Moreover, stress of the seed layer can be lowered, thereby enhancing plating adhesion.
US09953866B1
A method is provided which includes dispensing and removing different deposition solutions during an electroless deposition process to form different sub-films of a composite layer. Another method includes forming a film by an electroless deposition process and subsequently annealing the microelectronic topography to induce diffusion of an element within the film. Yet another method includes reiterating different mechanisms of deposition growth, namely interfacial electroless reduction and chemical adsorption, from a single deposition solution to form different sub-films of a composite layer. A microelectronic topography resulting from one or more of the methods includes a film formed in contact with a structure having a bulk concentration of a first element. The film has periodic successions of regions each comprising a region with a concentration of a second element greater than a set amount and a region with a concentration of the second element less than the set amount.
US09953850B2
Provided is a substrate processing apparatus. The substrate processing apparatus in which processes with respect to substrates are performed includes a lower chamber having an opened upper side, the lower chamber including a passage allowing the substrates to pass therethrough in a side thereof, an external reaction tube closing the opened upper side of the lower chamber to provide a process space in which the processes are performed, an internal reaction tube disposed within the external reaction tube, the internal reaction tube being disposed around a substrate holder placed in the process position to define a reaction region with respect to the substrates, a heater disposed outside the external reaction tube to heat the process space, the substrate holder on which the one or more substrates are vertically stacked, the substrate holder being movable between a stacking position in which the substrates are stacked within the substrate holder and a process position in which the processes with respect to the substrates are performed, and a heat-shield plate disposed under the substrate holder to close an opened lower side of the internal reaction tube when the substrate holder is disposed at the process position.
US09953844B2
When a plating layer is formed on through holes in semiconductor packages, first and second stacked bodies are stacked with first and second cavities formed in the first and second stacked bodies facing the inner side and are bonded together by applying adhesive to peripheral regions so that the cavities of the first and second stacked bodies form sealed spaces, and the through holes are formed such that part of the first and second stacked bodies including the bonding surface remains. Then, the through holes are plated to form the plating layer, the peripheral regions are removed as cutting allowances, i.e., removal regions, and the first and second stacked bodies are divided into a plurality of pieces along dicing lines to form semiconductor packages.
US09953843B2
Apparatuses suitable for etching substrates at various pressure regimes are described herein. Apparatuses include a process chamber including a movable pedestal capable of being positioned at a raised position or a lowered position, showerhead, and optional plasma generator. Apparatuses may be suitable for etching non-volatile metals using a treatment while the movable pedestal is in the lowered position and a high pressure exposure to organic vapor while the movable pedestal is in the raised position.
US09953841B2
Provided is a method of fabricating a semiconductor device including the following steps. A substrate is provided. A material layer having an opening is formed on the substrate. A first passivation material layer is formed on sidewalls of the opening and on the substrate. A treatment process is performed to the first passivation material layer to form a second passivation material layer. A first surface of the second passivation material layer and a second surface (at an inner side) of the second passivation material layer are differ in a property, and the first surface is located at a side of the second passivation material layer relatively away from the material layer.
US09953839B2
This invention relates to an apparatus, system, and method for creating a high-k gate stack structure that includes a passivation layer. The passivation layer can be constructed from a deposition of silicon carbide. The silicon carbide provides robustness against oxidation, which can reduce the capacity of the stack. The silicon carbide is thermodynamically stable during the deposition process and results in a clean interface.
US09953838B2
In accordance with an embodiment, a substrate treatment apparatus includes a housing, a magnetic field generating portion and a microwave supply portion. The housing is configured to contain a substrate comprising a conductive layer and an insulating film in contact with the conductive layer. The magnetic field generating portion is configured to generate a magnetic field which penetrates the substrate. The microwave supply portion is configured to generate a microwave to heat the substrate, to apply the microwave to the substrate provided in the magnetic field in such a manner that the microwave is absorbed by unpaired electrons at an interface between the conductive layer and the insulating film or in the insulating film.
US09953837B2
A MOS transistor having a gate insulator including a dielectric of high permittivity and a conductive layer including a TiN layer, wherein the nitrogen composition in the TiN layer is sub-stoichiometric in its lower portion and progressively increases to a stoichiometric composition in its upper portion.
US09953834B1
A method includes providing a structure having a dielectric layer, a 1st hardmask layer, a 2nd hardmask layer and a 1st mandrel layer disposed respectively thereon. A 1st mandrel plug is disposed in the 1st mandrel layer. A 2nd mandrel layer is disposed over the 1st mandrel layer. The 1st and 2nd mandrel layers are etched to form a plurality 1st mandrels, wherein the 1st mandrel plug extends entirely through a single 1st mandrel. The 1st mandrel plug is etched such that it is self-aligned with sidewalls of the single 1st mandrel. The 1st mandrels are utilized to form mandrel metal lines in the dielectric layer. The 1st mandrel plug is utilized to form a self-aligned mandrel continuity cut in a single mandrel metal line formed by the single 1st mandrel.
US09953831B1
Device structures for field-effect transistors and methods of forming device structures for a field-effect transistor. A first dielectric layer is formed on a semiconductor layer and nitrided. A nitrogen-enriched layer is formed at a first interface between the first dielectric layer and the semiconductor layer. Another nitrogen-enriched layer is formed at a second interface between the semiconductor layer and a second dielectric layer. Device structures may include field-effect transistors that include one, both, and/or neither of the nitrogen-enriched layers.
US09953830B2
A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes forming an oxide film containing a metal element on a substrate by performing a cycle a predetermined number of times, the cycle including non-simultaneously performing: supplying a precursor containing a metal element and a halogen group to the substrate; and supplying an oxidant to the substrate. In the act of supplying the oxidant, a catalyst is supplied to the substrate together with the oxidant. In the act of supplying the precursor, the catalyst is not supplied to the substrate.
US09953823B2
An ionizing apparatus for ionizing a sample of gaseous fluid. The ionizing apparatus comprises an ionizer configured to provide reactant ions; an ion modifier configured to modify the reactant ions, and a reaction region arranged to receive the modified reactant ions and a sample and to combine the sample with the modified reactant ions to ionize the sample for analysis by a detector configured to identify a substance of interest in the sample.
US09953817B2
An ion transfer tube assembly, a mass spectrometry system, and a method for providing an ion stream to an ion detection device are described that include using an ion transfer tube that provides a coaxial sheath gas flow. In an implementation, an ion transfer tube assembly includes an ion transfer tube for delivering the ion stream, where a sheath gas flows through the ion transfer tube, and where the ion transfer tube receives the ion stream from a first conduit coupled to an ion source; a pump fluidly coupled to the ion transfer tube, where the pump causes the sheath gas to flow through the ion transfer tube, where the ion stream is separated from the ion transfer tube walls by the coaxial sheath gas flow, and where the ion stream is received by a second conduit coupled to the ion detection device.
US09953812B2
Embodiments of process kits and process chambers incorporating same are provided herein. In some embodiments, a process kit includes: a one-piece process kit shield having a cylindrical body having an upper portion and a lower portion; an adapter section extending radially outward and having a resting surface to support the one-piece process kit shield on walls of a chamber and a sealing surface on which a chamber lid rests to seal off an inner volume of the chamber when the one-piece process kit shield is placed in the chamber; a heat transfer channel extending through the adapter section; and a protruding section extending radially inward from the lower portion; a resting bracket having an upper portion coupled to the adapter section and a lower portion extending radially inward; a cover ring disposed beneath the protruding section; and a deposition ring disposed beneath the cover ring.
US09953811B2
A plasma processing method for performing a plasma process on a processing target substrate is provided. The plasma processing method includes: segmenting a RF antenna into an inner coil, an intermediate coil, and an outer coil with gaps therebetween in a radial direction, respectively, the inner coil, the intermediate coil and the outer coil being electrically connected to one another in parallel between a first node and a second node; providing a variable intermediate capacitor and a variable outer capacitor between the first node and the second node, the variable intermediate capacitor being electrically connected in series to the intermediate coil, the variable outer capacitor being electrically connected in series to the outer coil, no reactance device being connected to the inner coil; and controlling plasma density distribution on the processing target substrate by selecting or variably adjusting electrostatic capacitances of the intermediate capacitor and the outer capacitor.
US09953808B2
Provided is an arc evaporation source for melting and evaporating a cathode material by arc discharge for film formation on a surface of a substrate, and including a cathode formed in a substantially disc shape and a magnetic field generating apparatus, disposed at a back side of the cathode. The magnetic field generating apparatus generates a magnetic field which forms magnetic lines that form an acute angle with respect to a substrate direction at an outer circumferential surface of the cathode, magnetic lines that are substantially perpendicular to the discharge surface at an outermost circumference part of the discharge surface of the cathode, and magnetic lines that form an acute angle with respect to a center direction of the cathode at a region towards the outer circumferential surface of the discharge surface of the cathode, by at least one permanent magnet disposed at the back side of the cathode.
US09953807B2
A method for forming reliefs on the surface of a substrate, including a first implantation of ions in the substrate according to a first direction; a second implantation of ions in the substrate according to a second direction that is different from the first direction; at least one of the first and second implantations is carried out through at least one mask having at least one pattern; an etching of areas of the substrate having received by implantation a dose greater than or equal to a threshold, selectively to the areas of the substrate that have not received via implantation a dose greater than said threshold; the parameters of the first and second implantations being adjusted in such a way that only areas of the substrate that have been implanted both during the first implantation and during the second implantation receive a dose greater than or equal to said threshold.
US09953804B2
The system described herein relates to a high-voltage supply unit for providing an output voltage for a particle beam apparatus, wherein the particle beam apparatus is embodied as, for example, an electron beam apparatus and/or an ion beam apparatus. The system described herein is based on the fact that it was recognized that a bipolar voltage supply unit can be formed by means of a unipolar first current source and a unipolar second current source, said bipolar voltage supply unit enabling a load current in two directions. The high-voltage supply unit according to the system described herein can be operated in the 4-quadrant operation. In the 4-quadrant operation, a first voltage source for supplying the first current source and a second voltage source for supplying the second current source are embodied as different voltage sources.
US09953797B2
A flat emitter configured for use in an X-ray tube is presented. The X-ray tube includes a first conductive section including a first terminal. Further, the X-ray tube includes a second conductive section including a second terminal. Also, the X-ray tube includes a third conductive section disposed between the first conductive section and the second conductive section, wherein the third conductive section is configured to emit electrons toward a determined focal spot, and wherein the third conductive section includes a plurality of slits subdividing the third conductive section into a winding track coupled to the first conductive section and the second conductive section, wherein at least two of the plurality of slits are interwound spirally to compose the winding track, and wherein the winding track is configured to expand and contract based on heat provided to the third conductive section.
US09953795B2
A fuse cutout insulator for use in power distribution systems includes three electrically conductive pieces spaced apart and encapsulated by a dielectric material. The conductive components include a top hood, bottom pin, and central pin. The central pin is generally tube shaped and includes an outwardly extending flange to facilitate attachment of the fuse cutout to a utility pole. The top hood and bottom hinge include the traditional components for operable holding of a fuse tube member. The top hood and bottom hinge are accepted in opposite ends of the central pins bore and sealed in spaced relationship during manufacturing by the dielectric material added for fabricating the weathersheds.
US09953786B2
A self-holding magnet has a spring (accumulator spring) and a first armature. The self-holding magnet is capable of holding the first magnet armature against the spring force in a lift position which is determined by a stop. The stop determines a remaining air gap of a working air gap. The magnetic circuit of the self-holding magnet has a magnetic shunt with particularly low reluctance of the same order of magnitude as a series reluctance of the remaining working air gap(s). The working air gap(s) and the shunt are magnetically connected in parallel with the flow generated by a permanent magnet but in series with the flow generated by the trigger coil. The self-holding magnet additionally has at least one positive feedback device such as a compressible resilient stop or a shunt.
US09953785B2
The reliability of testing a normally closed contact in a relay unit may involve the following. While the load is de-energized, sending a test signal to a normally closed contact (b1, b2) and detecting the state of the returning test signal sent. Resending a test signal when a detection result does not satisfy a predetermined criteria, and re-detecting the state of the returning test signal resent. The state of the returning test signal resent may be assessed as normal when the re-detection result satisfies the predetermined criteria.
US09953780B2
A “five-prevention” interlocking pole type high-voltage switchgear includes a pole bracket, embedded poles, and spring and earthing isolated switch operating mechanisms; every three poles are arranged in a row on the bracket, the spring operating mechanism is joined with the switch operating mechanism through the chamber door interlocking piece and mechanism interlocking piece; the chamber interlocking piece, mechanism interlocking piece and door lock plate are joined, the door lock plate is opposite the opening semi-axis pinch plate in the spring operating mechanism and the door lock plate is set with a door lock pin. Chamber interlocking piece movement is used to open or close the switch operating mechanism crank operation hole and corresponds to the start of close brake operation and limit brake of opening pinch plate in the spring operating mechanism and the limiting and opening of the opening semi-axis and cable chamber door in the spring operating mechanism.
US09953776B2
A keyswitch includes a base plate, a cap having a longitudinal axis, a returning device, a support mechanism, and a lifting mechanism including first and second support plates. The first support plate has first and second edges parallel to the longitudinal axis for respectively abutting against the base plate and the cap. The second support plate has third and fourth edges parallel to the longitudinal axis for respectively abutting against the base plate and the cap. The base plate is disposed through openings of the first and second support plates to make the first and second support plates movably connected to the base plate. The returning device drives the cap to a non-pressed position with rotation of the first and second support plates. The support mechanism has first and second support members pivoted to each other to be movably connected to the cap and the base plate.
US09953775B2
An electronic device, according to one embodiment of the present invention, can comprise: a housing which has an opening part penetrating through the inside and the outside of the electronic device and forms the outside of the electronic device; a key button inserted into the opening part so as to be movable; a sealing member which is disposed such that the sealing member slidably contacts the outer surface of the key button, and prevents communication between the inside and the outside of the electronic device through the inner surface of the opening part and the outer surface of the key button; and a push switch accommodated in the housing and pressed by an inward movement of the key button. Various other embodiments are possible.
US09953772B2
A visual status indicator for an electrical apparatus is disclosed. The status indicator can be mounted within a lower cover of the electrical apparatus such that various display faces of the indicator are visible through one or more viewing windows of the lower cover. The status indicator can comprise a mounting base with protrusions and at least one wing, wherein the wing comprises at least one display face. At least one swing arm can be attached to the mounting base via the protrusions and the at least one swing arm can comprise at least one display face. The swing arm can be actuated such that either the display face on the wing or the display face on the swing arm is visible through the viewing window to indicate the status of the electrical apparatus.
US09953767B2
There is provided a conductive polymer having high conductivity with excellent heat resistance. Using the conductive polymer, there can be provided solid electrolytic capacitors having low ESR, high reliability, and less leakage current. There can be also provided conductive films having high conductivity and superior heat resistance. There is provided a conductive polymer dispersion liquid obtained by a method in which in the presence of a copolymer from styrenesulfonic acid, and at least one kind of a non-sulfonic acid monomer selected from the group consisting of methacrylate, acrylate, and an unsaturated hydrocarbon containing alkoxysilane compound or its hydrolysate, thiophene or its derivative is polymerized by oxidation polymerization in water, or in an aqueous solution comprising a mixture of water and a water miscible solvent to produce the conductive polymer dispersion liquid. Using the conductive polymer as solid electrolyte, a solid electrolyte capacitor can be provided. Also, using the conductive polymer, a conductive film can be provided.
US09953754B2
Provided are a medical apparatus and a method of operating the same. The medical apparatus includes a body including a user input unit to which a user instruction is input, a display device displaying a medical image and is rotatable about the body, and a locking member setting the display device to be rotatable when the display device is touched and fixes the display device when the display device is not touched.
US09953753B2
An electronic component includes a magnetic body having internal coil patterns. The magnetic body includes a core part including the internal coil patterns; and upper and lower cover parts disposed above and below the core part, respectively. Magnetic wires are disposed in the core part, and magnetic plates are disposed in the upper and lower cover parts.
US09953752B2
A method for producing grain-oriented electrical steel sheets includes subjecting a steel slab to hot rolling to obtain a hot rolled sheet, the steel slab having a composition consisting of, by mass % or mass ppm, C: 0.08% or less, Si: 2.0% to 4.5% and Mn: 0.5% or less, S, Se, and O: less than 50 ppm each, sol.Al: less than 100 ppm, N: 80 ppm or less, and the balance being Fe and incidental impurities, and satisfying the relation of sol.Al (ppm)−N (ppm)×(26.98/14.00)≤30 ppm; then subjecting the hot rolled sheet to annealing and rolling to obtain a cold rolled sheet; then subjecting the cold rolled sheet to nitriding treatment, under specific condition, before, during or after primary recrystallization annealing; then applying an annealing separator on the cold rolled sheet; and subjecting the cold rolled sheet to secondary recrystallization annealing.
US09953750B2
A sintered Nd base magnet segment has a coercive force high at the periphery and lower toward the inside. A method for preparing the magnet includes the steps of: (a) providing a sintered Nd base magnet block having surfaces and a magnetization direction, (b) coating the surfaces of the magnet block excluding the surface perpendicular to the magnetization direction with a Dy or Tb oxide powder, a Dy or Tb fluoride powder, or a Dy or Tb-containing alloy powder, (c) treating the coated block at a high temperature for causing Dy or Tb to diffuse into the block, and (d) cutting the block in a plane perpendicular to the magnetization direction into a magnet segment having a coercive force distribution on the cut section that the coercive force is high at the periphery and lower toward the inside and a constant coercive force distribution in the magnetization direction.
US09953745B2
A shielded wire includes an electrical wire including a conductor portion and a covering portion, a shield braid in which electrically conductive wire members are braided, and which covers an outer circumference of the electrical wire, a tubular sheath disposed on an outer circumference of the shield braid and made of an insulating resin.
US09953742B2
A cable separator comprising a preshaped article having a longitudinal length, wherein said preshaped article is substantially entirely formed of a foamed polymer material having a glass transition temperature greater than 160° C. and being halogen-free is provided. A data communications cable comprising a plurality of conductors and the cable separator of the present invention, wherein said cable separator separates the plurality of conductors is provided. A method of manufacturing a cable comprising the separator of the invention is also provided.
US09953733B2
A system using a radioisotope concentrator device comprising a body having at least one injection port and at least one valve being configurable between a first open configuration for allowing fluid communication between the at least one injection port and the concentrator column and a second open configuration to prevent fluid communication between the at least one injection port and the concentrator column in use, the system further comprising an injection device comprising an eluent for eluting through the concentrator column via the at least one injection port when the at least one valve of the radioisotope concentrator device is in a selected open configuration in use.
US09953719B2
The present invention relates to a flash memory cell with only four terminals and decoder circuitry for operating an array of such flash memory cells. The invention allows for fewer terminals for each flash memory cell compared to the prior art, which results in a simplification of the decoder circuitry and overall die space required per flash memory cells. The invention also provides for the use of high voltages on one or more of the four terminals to allow for read, erase, and programming operations despite the lower number of terminals compared to prior art flash memory cells.
US09953716B2
According to one embodiment, there is provided a non-volatile semiconductor storage device including a non-volatile memory, a monitoring section, a determining section, and a notification processing section. The non-volatile memory includes a plurality of memory cells driven by word lines and a voltage generating section that generates a read voltage to be applied to the word lines. The monitoring section monitors a change in a threshold distribution of the plurality of memory cells upon performing a read processing to read data from the plurality of memory cells by applying the read voltage to the word lines. The determining section determines a degree of deterioration of the non-volatile memory in accordance with a monitoring result by the monitoring section. The notification processing section notifies a life of the non-volatile memory in accordance with a determining result by the determining section.
US09953715B2
According to one embodiment, A level shifter includes a first circuit configured to generate a first signal, the first signal being inverted and delayed signal of a second signal, a NAND circuit including a first input terminal and a second input terminal, the second signal being input to the first terminal, the first signal being input to the second terminal, a first transistor, a first voltage being applied to a first terminal of the first transistor, a second terminal of the first transistor being connected to a third input terminal of the NAND circuit, a third signal which inverts the second signal being applied to a gate of the first transistor, a second transistor, a second voltage being applied to a first terminal of the second transistor, the second voltage being higher than the first signal, a gate of the second transistor being connected to an output terminal, a third transistor, the second voltage being applied to a first terminal of the third transistor, a second terminal of the third transistor being connected to a second terminal of the second transistor, the second signal being applied to a gate of the third transistor, and a fourth transistor, a first terminal of the fourth transistor being connected to the second terminal of the third transistor, a second terminal of the fourth transistor being connected to the output terminal, an output terminal of the NAND circuit being connected to a gate of the fourth transistor.
US09953713B2
When selectively erasing one sub-block, a control circuit applies, in a first sub-block, a first voltage to bit lines and a source line, and applies a second voltage smaller than the first voltage to the word lines. Then, the control circuit applies a third voltage lower than the first voltage by a certain value to a drain-side select gate line and a source-side select gate line, thereby performing the erase operation in the first sub-block. The control circuit applies, in a second sub-block existing in an identical memory block to the selected sub-block, a fourth voltage substantially identical to the first voltage to the drain side select gate line and the source side select gate line, thereby not performing the erase operation in the second sub-block.
US09953693B2
Embodiments of the invention describe a dynamic random access memory (DRAM) device that may abort a self-refresh mode to improve the exit time from a DRAM low power state of self-refresh. During execution of a self-refresh mode, the DRAM device may receive a signal (e.g., a device enable signal) from a memory controller operatively coupled to the DRAM device. The DRAM device may abort the self-refresh mode in response to receiving the signal from the memory controller.
US09953691B2
According to one embodiment, a nonvolatile semiconductor memory includes a semiconductor substrate, a first substrate area in the semiconductor substrate, a first cell unit in the first substrate area, the first cell unit including a first memory cell and a first transistor, and the first transistor having a control terminal connected to a first word line, using the first substrate area as a channel and supplying a read current or a write current to the first memory cell, and a substrate potential setting circuit setting the first substrate area to a first substrate potential when the read current is supplied to the first memory cell, and setting the first substrate area to a second substrate potential different from the first substrate potential when the write current is supplied to the first memory cell.
US09953688B1
A precharge control device includes a pulse generator, a bank address controller, and a precharge signal generator. The pulse generator generates a write precharge signal in response to a write burst end signal activated after a write burst operation and a read precharge signal in response to a read burst end signal activated after a read burst operation. The bank address controller generates a write address and a read address designating an address for the precharge operation in response to a write bank address and a read bank address. The precharge signal generator generates a precharge signal for performing the precharge operation in a bank selected in response to the write address when the write precharge signal is activated, or generates a precharge signal for performing the precharge operation in a bank selected in response to the read address when the read precharge signal is activated.
US09953687B1
An interlock circuit utilizes a single combinatorial pseudo-dynamic logic gate to take inputs from two voltage domains at the same time without requiring either input to be level shifted. The interlock design allows hold timing to be met across a large voltage range of both supplies in a dual-voltage supply environment while not significantly hurting setup time by having much lower latency than the latency of a level shifter.
US09953680B2
The present invention relates to a mobile terminal capable of capturing videos, and a method of controlling the same. The mobile terminal includes a display unit capable of outputting a first video captured in response to a preset user input, and outputting a timeline of the first video in a camera preview mode, a camera capable of capturing a second video consecutive to the first video, in response to a preset user input, and a controller capable of storing the first video and the second video as one full video, and outputting a timeline of the full video, which a timeline of the second video follows the timeline of the first video, in the camera preview mode.
US09953673B2
A storage device disclosed herein includes a transducer head with a proximity sensor that generates head-disc proximity signals, a digitizer configured to convert the analog proximity signals from the proximity sensor to digitized sample data, a discrete wavelet transformation (DWT) module configured to analyze the digitized sample data by performing an enhanced DWT on the digitized sample data to generate DWT coefficients, and a modal filter configured to determine dominant head-disc interference (HDI) modes for a transducer head by analyzing the DWT coefficients.
US09953668B1
A data storage device may employ a suspension that positions a transducing head proximal a data storage medium. The suspension can consist of an active fiber composite that spans a portion of a loadbeam. The active fiber composite can be configured with at least one active fiber contacting a supporting layer.
US09953640B2
Method and systems are provided for interpreting speech data. A method and system for recognizing speech involving a filter module to generate a set of processed audio data based on raw audio data; a translation module to provide a set of translation results for the raw audio data; and a decision module to select the text data that represents the raw audio data. A method for minimizing noise in audio signals received by a microphone array is also described. A method and system of automatic entry of data into one or more data fields involving receiving a processed audio data; and operating a processing module to: search in a trigger dictionary for a field identifier that corresponds to the trigger identifier; identify a data field associated with a data field identifier corresponding to the field identifier; and providing content data associated with the trigger identifier to the identified data field.
US09953639B2
Disclosed are a voice recognition system and a construction method for the voice recognition system. By way of layering the system, a general semantic recognition operation for the system is separated from a specific semantic recognition operation for an application program; and by way of classifying the application programs and abstracting out a common performance function, the system can find the application program matching the voice content semantics very efficiently and a third-party program is easily added into the existing voice recognition system. The present invention maps the performance function to a regular expression with semantic variables, so that the system can recognize more semantic expression manners with optimization of the semantic recognition. Therefore, the system can show more humanized characteristics.
US09953638B2
A computer-implemented method is described for front end speech processing for automatic speech recognition. A sequence of speech features which characterize an unknown speech input provided on an audio input channel and associated meta-data which characterize the audio input channel are received. The speech features are transformed with a computer process that uses a trained mapping function controlled by the meta-data, and automatic speech recognition is performed of the transformed speech features.
US09953627B2
An exemplary engine noise control includes directly picking up engine noise from an engine of a vehicle at a pick-up position to generate a sense signal representative of the engine noise, and active noise control filtering to generate a filtered sense signal from the sense signal. The control further includes converting the filtered sense signal from the active noise control filtering into anti-noise and radiating the anti-noise to a listening position in an interior of the vehicle. The filtered sense signal is configured so that the anti-noise reduces the engine noise at the listening position.
US09953626B2
In an active noise reducing headphone, a signal processor applies filters and control gains of both the feed-forward and feedback active noise cancellation signal paths. The signal processor is configured to apply first feed-forward filters to the feed-forward signal path and apply first feedback filters to the feedback signal path during a first operating mode providing effective cancellation of ambient sound, and to apply second feed-forward filters to the feed-forward signal path during a second operating mode providing active hear-through of ambient sounds with ambient naturalness.
US09953618B2
Systems and methods for performing localization and mapping with a mobile device are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method for performing localization and mapping with a mobile device includes identifying geometric constraints associated with a current area at which the mobile device is located, obtaining at least one image of the current area captured by at least a first camera of the mobile device, obtaining data associated with the current area via at least one of a second camera of the mobile device or a sensor of the mobile device, and performing localization and mapping for the current area by applying the geometric constraints and the data associated with the current area to the at least one image.
US09953617B2
A flexible display device that includes a display unit to display content information on a screen, wherein the screen can be expandable or reducible; a sensing unit to detect a size of the screen; and a control unit to display at least one of a first indicator for indicating a degree to which the screen of the display unit is expandable and a second indicator for indicating an amount of remaining content information.
US09953614B2
An extraction unit determines whether, in a display area of a display unit in which content data obtained from an acquisition unit are displayed, there is a character area in which an area occupied by a character has a proportion greater than a predetermined value. Based on color information of the character in an area which is determined to be the character area by the extraction unit, a setting unit sets a target color temperature when the content data is displayed. A converter changes an original color temperature of the content data to the target color temperature, based on the target color temperature set by the setting unit.
US09953610B2
A method for regulating a common voltage, a regulating device and a display device. It relates to the display field, which ensures the flicker in the center region of the display panel being relative small meanwhile improving the flicker situation of the edge region of the display panel, thereby improve the flicker uniformity of the display panel. The present disclosure provides a method for regulating a common voltage including: arranging sampling points which at least include: sampling points arranged in the center region of the display panel and sampling points arranged in the edge region of the display panel; optimizing the common voltage value written into the driving chip, such that the flicker values of the sampling points located in the display panel are less than or equal to a first threshold when the common voltage value is applied to the display panel for display.
US09953609B2
A display panel driving apparatus includes a control circuit, a data driver and a gate driver. The control circuit is configured to receive a first control signal for recovering a clock signal from a display signal including image data and the clock signal, and calculate a root mean square of the first control signal to output a second control signal. The data driver is configured to receive the display signal, receive the second control signal, recover the clock signal from the display signal according to the second control signal, and output a data signal based on the image data to a data line of a display panel. The gate driving part is configured to output a gate signal to a gate line of the display panel.
US09953601B2
The present invention discloses a bending action recognition device and a flexible display device, the bending action recognition device comprises: a first electrode, a second electrode, a current detecting unit and a plurality of electrical conductors, a first voltage is applied on the first electrode, a second voltage is applied on the second electrode, first ends of all the electrical conductors are connected to the first electrode, different electrical conductors are located at different positions on the flexible substrate, and different electrical conductors have different resistances; when the flexible substrate is bent backward, at least one electrical conductor is electrically connected to the second electrode, and a first current is generated on the first electrode and the second electrode, and when different electrical conductors are electrically connected to the second electrode, the first current has different current values.
US09953598B2
Provided is a method of controlling a display driver IC. The method includes controlling an application processor to operate in a frequency range, which is changed from an operating frequency range of a preset specification and is a range in which data noise is decreased, through a plurality of frequency noise filtering operations.
US09953596B2
A display panel, a manufacturing method thereof and a display device are provided. A dustproof construction is provided at a peripheral region of the display panel, and the dustproof construction is located on the outer side of the display region on the display panel, and on the inner side of an outer edge of a sealant applying region. The dustproof construction includes a first electrode, a second electrode and an insulating layer interposed between the first electrode and the second electrode; wherein, slits are arranged in the second electrode. With the display panel and manufacturing method thereof and the display device, impurity ions from outside or in the sealant can be prevented from entering the display region, so that the peripheral badness of the display is improved.
US09953590B2
A color display device for displaying an n-primary color image, wherein n is greater than three, the device including an array of sub-pixel (801) configured to have at least one repeating unit having one sub-pixel representing each of the n primary colors, wherein repeating unit (906) is configured to optimize at least one attribute of the n-primary color image.
US09953589B2
An electrowetting display device may comprise pixels that include: a hydrophobic layer portion disposed on a first electrode, electrowetting fluids overlying the hydrophobic layer portion, and a thin film transistor (TFT) that is in electrical contact with the first electrode. The electrowetting display device also comprises a display control circuit in electrical contact with a drain or a source of the TFT of each of the pixels to provide a drive voltage to the drain or the source of the TFT of each of the pixels, and a reset control circuit in electrical contact with the drain or the source of the TFT of each of the pixels to provide a reset voltage pulse to the drain or the source of the TFT of each of the pixels. A magnitude of the reset voltage pulse may be based, at least in part, on the drive voltage.
US09953588B1
A variable transmission medium comprises a fluid and a plurality of nanoparticles dispersed in the fluid, wherein addition of acid to the fluid causes the nanoparticles to flocculate and form aggregates of particles that scatter light. The nanoparticles may comprise at least one metal oxide, such as titanium dioxide, zinc oxide or zirconium dioxide. The fluid may have a dielectric constant less than about 10.
US09953585B2
A display device includes a display which is configured to display an image; a backlight which is turned on in the rear face of the display; a storage unit which is configured to store luminance characteristics at the center of the display; an optical sensor which is configured to measure luminance in the periphery of the display; and a signal processing unit which is configured to correct the measured value measured with the optical sensor in the periphery of the display based on luminance characteristics stored in the storage unit, thus controlling the luminance of the display based on the corrected measured value.
US09953580B2
The present invention provides an OLED gate driving circuit structure, comprising an OLED panel, a gate charge/discharge driving circuit, a logic process unit and a source driving circuit; the gate charge/discharge driving circuit is located at one side of the OLED panel, and the gate charge/discharge driving circuit comprises a plurality of output ends, and each output end is electrically coupled to the logic process unit with one signal line; the logic process unit is located inside the OLED panel, and the logic process unit receives a scan signal transmitted by the gate charge/discharge driving circuit through the signal line, and converts the scan signal into a discharge scan signal and a charge scan signal to be provided to the OLED panel; the source driving circuit is coupled to the OLED panel, and provides a data signal to the OLED panel, and only one gate driving integrated circuit is utilized in the structure for achieving the charge and discharge procedures of the gate driving circuit to save the hardware cost and to simplify the panel layout circuit and to make the frame of the panel narrower.
US09953572B2
An electro-optical device includes a scanning line, a data line intersecting with each other, a pixel circuit which is provided corresponding to the intersection thereof, and a wire. The pixel circuit includes a light emitting element, one transistor which controls a current flowing to the light emitting element, and the other transistor of which conduction state is controlled according to a scanning signal which is supplied to the scanning line between a gate node of the one transistor and the data line. The wire is provided between the data line and the one transistor.
US09953566B2
The present invention discloses a pixel circuit and a driving method thereof, and a display device. The pixel circuit comprises a reference voltage set up sub-circuit, a charging sub-circuit and a driving sub-circuit. The reference voltage set up sub-circuit and the charging sub-circuit are connected with the driving sub-circuit respectively, and the reference voltage set up sub-circuit being used for, within a first period of time, providing for the driving sub-circuit, the charging sub-circuit being used for, within a second period of time, providing for the driving sub-circuit a data signal voltage. The driving sub-circuit comprises a driving transistor for driving the light emitting device to emit light, and a first capacitor for maintaining the reference voltage and the data signal voltage. Within a third period of time, the first capacitor discharges so that the driving transistor is turned on to drive the light emitting device to emit light.
US09953565B2
An organic light emitting diode display and a method for driving the same are disclosed. The organic light emitting diode display includes a display panel including a plurality of pixels, a display panel driver configured to drive signal lines of the display panel, and a timing controller configured to divide one frame into a plurality of subframes, divide data of an input image at each bit, map the data of the input image to the plurality of subframes, control an operation of the display panel driver, and adjust data addressing speeds of the plurality of subframes for adjusting the emission times of the upper and lower display lines of the display panel differently.
US09953561B2
There are provided an array substrate and a driving method thereof, and a display apparatus. Multiple gate lines are arranged on the array substrate, two ends of the gate lines are connected to a first gate driving circuit and a second gate driving circuit respectively, each of the gate lines is divided into a first gate line portion connected to the first gate driving circuit and a second gate line portion connected to the second gate driving circuit, and a switch element is arranged between the first gate line portion and the second gate line portion. Simultaneous turning-on of display TFTs controlled by one gate line is avoided, and the pulling to the voltage of a common electrode is reduced.
US09953558B1
A transparent display apparatus and a method for driving a transparent display panel thereof are provided. The transparent display apparatus includes a first and second transparent display panels, an image processor and a display driver. The image processor receives an image signal having display data, a transparency control signal having transparent values, a first and second transparent parameters. The image processor calculates according to the image signal, the transparency control signal, the first and second transparent parameters to provide a first display signal having first gray data and a second display signal respectively having second gray data. The display driver drives the first and second transparent display panels according to the first and second gray data, so as to display a display image having all gradations between a black state, a white state and a transparent state through the coincided first and second transparent display panels.
US09953555B2
A driving circuit for a touch screen, an in-cell touch screen and a display apparatus. A timing controller of the driving circuit controls a power supply circuit to output a clock signal with a first amplitude to an (N+1−n)th-stage to an Nth-stage shift registers (SR(n)) in a first time period at a display stage, and controls the power supply circuit to output a clock signal with a second amplitude to each stage of shift register (SR(n)) in a second time period at the display stage; and then levels of scanning signals output by the (N+1−n)th-stage to the Nth-stage shift registers (SR(n)) are higher than levels of scanning signals output by other stages of shift registers (SR(n)).
US09953554B2
Disclosed is a method for obtaining a compensation value of gray scale of a pixel. The method comprises steps of: acquiring a display area of a display panel; dividing the display area equally into a plurality of first sub-areas according to a first preset rule, each of the first sub-areas comprising at least two pixels; obtaining pre-stored multinomial coefficients of each of the first sub-areas, and according to a second preset rule, establishing a multinomial corresponding to each of the first sub-areas; and obtaining a value range of an independent variable of the multinomial, and according to a corresponding multinomial, obtaining a compensation value of gray scale of each of the first sub-areas.
US09953543B2
Systems and methods for secured computer based assessment are described. In one embodiment, the method comprises capturing of proctoring data at a candidate assessment device from a candidate at predefined time intervals during an examination. The proctoring data includes biometric data, still image, and surround sound associated with the at least one candidate. The proctoring data captured at the candidate assessment device is then transmitted to a central assessment server connected to the candidate assessment device. At the central assessment server, the proctoring data is compared with registration data, of the candidate, stored in the central assessment server. Based on the comparison, malpractice by the candidate during the examination is determined when the proctoring data deviates from the registration data.
US09953539B1
A method for providing a demand-responsive transportation system includes receiving mobility trace data of collaborative individuals. Clusters of individuals are generated and mobility-activity models for the clusters are defined. Non-collaborative individuals are assigned to the clusters using a combinatorial optimization problem. An Origin-Destination (OD) demand is determined from the clusters. Non-collaborative individuals are re-allocated to different ones of the clusters using an approximation function that learns from an observed OD and the mobility trace data. The mobility-activity models are trained based on the re-allocation of the non-collaborative individuals to different ones of the clusters. An OD database (OD-DB) is maintained to be queried with a geographic location and time so as to receive information from the OD-DB about the current OD demand for the geographic location and time. Control actions are issued to vehicles in a fleet of the transportation system based thereon.
US09953533B1
A hazard warning system for vehicles including hazard detection sensors and a primary transmitter for a primary vehicle configured to transmit information regarding a hazard and a path history of the primary vehicle. A secondary receiver for a secondary vehicle is configured to receive the information regarding the hazard detected by the hazard detection sensors, and the path history of the primary vehicle. A secondary vehicle control module is configured to notify a driver of the secondary vehicle of the hazard when the secondary vehicle is traveling along a path similar to that of the primary vehicle.
US09953527B1
An intersection communications system includes a vehicle intersection traffic movement indicator; a traffic movement surface indicator positioned behind an edge of the vehicle traffic intersection; a pedestrian lane surface indicator; one or more traffic direction surface indicators positioned within the vehicle traffic intersection; and a communications server configured to transmit a first signal to a first traffic movement surface indicator when a first monitored event occurs, transmit a second signal to a first right-turn traffic direction surface indicator directing the first vehicle to turn right from a first street to a second street when a second monitored event occurs, transmit a third signal to a second left-turn traffic direction surface indicator directing the first vehicle to turn left from the first street to the second street when a third monitored event occurs, and transmit a fourth signal to the pedestrian lane surface indicator when a fourth monitored event occurs.
US09953517B2
The present application discloses a risk early warning method and apparatus. An implementation of the method includes: monitoring, in real time, search traffic for a predetermined location from users using an online map within a preset period; determining whether the search traffic exceeds a preset search traffic threshold; and sending early warning information of a crowd gathering risk if the search traffic exceeds the preset search traffic threshold. The implementation effectively utilizes the map search traffic capable of reflecting the intention of users and realizes the early warning for the crowd gathering risk.
US09953514B2
This patent specification relates to apparatus, systems, methods, and related computer program products for providing home security/smart home objectives. More particularly, this patent specification relates to a plurality of devices, including intelligent, multi-sensing, network-connected devices, that communicate with each other and/or with a central server or a cloud-computing system to provide any of a variety of useful home security/smart home objectives.
US09953504B2
A fire alarm device includes: a base portion; a press portion capable of moving relative to the base portion to deviate away from the base portion or close to the base portion; an alarm switch capable of moving relative to an alarm circuit, to control turn-on and turn-off of the alarm circuit; and a plurality of buttons mounted on the base portion and capable of converting movement of the press portion to movement of the alarm switch; wherein the device has an alarm enable position, wherein, the press portion deviates close to the base portion, to press the plurality of buttons and indirectly press the alarm switch to turn on the alarm circuit; and an alarm disable position, wherein, the press portion deviates away from the base portion, to release the plurality of buttons and indirectly release the alarm switch to turn off the alarm circuit.
US09953498B2
A merchandise security device configured for use with an electronic key for locking and/or unlocking a lock mechanism is provided. The merchandise security device may include a housing operably coupled with a cable, wherein the cable is configured to be extended and retracted relative to the housing and to at least partially surround an item of merchandise. The security device may also include a lock mechanism configured to releasably secure the cable relative to the housing for locking the cable about the item of merchandise. In addition, the lock mechanism is configured to receive electrical power for unlocking the lock mechanism so that the housing and the cable may be removed from the item of merchandise.
US09953497B2
A merchandise security system with data collection features and a relevant method are disclosed. The system has: a data management unit, at least one alarm unit and at least one alarm disabling unit, wherein the data management unit is configured to synchronize unlocking data in the alarm disabling unit and set unlocking judgment data in the alarm unit; the alarm unit can detect, in an alarm enabled state, whether a merchandise to be protected is in a normal state, and send out an alarm signal when judging that the merchandise to be protected is not in a normal state; and the alarm unit judges, according to the unlocking judgment data stored therein, whether the unlocking data is legitimate, and disable the alarm enabled state when judging that the unlocking data is legitimate. In the present disclosure, each of the unlocking judgment data corresponds to unique legitimate unlocking data embedded in the alarm disabling unit. The alarm unit can realize a data collection function, and can not only collect information related to enabling an alarm and disabling the alarm, but also can collect other data related to user behaviors for later data analysis.
US09953496B2
A sensor assembly as part of a wireless alarm system for building entrances like windows and doors. An elongated sensor assembly for detecting a change of state comprising at least one sensor switch configured to detect a given state and a change of state between the given state and at least one other state, a microprocessor configured to detect the change of state of the at least one sensor switch, an antenna system, a wireless transmitter configured to receive a signal from the microprocessor identifying a change of the state of the at least one sensor switch and transmit the signal by means of the antenna system, and a power source for providing electric power, wherein the at least one sensor switch, the microprocessor, the antenna system, the wireless transmitter, and the power source are incorporated in the elongated sensor assembly having a maximum height of less than 5 mm.
US09953495B2
An active automated anti-boarding device for a maritime asset security system includes a housing for mounting the device on a maritime asset. The deterrence device includes visual and sound deterrence emitters within said mount to disperse a directional fan pattern of sight and visual deterrence response outward from the housing to unauthorized boarders. An active automated anti-boarding maritime asset security system includes detection devices configured to mount to maritime asset, the detection devices each including emitters and receivers for generating and detection beams that form a virtual fence to form a detection network on a portion or around an entire maritime asset. Deterrence devices responsive to the interruption of the spaced apart detection beams produce a deterrent response that is non lethal. The deterrence response can be a law enforcement level of deterrence, it can induce discomfort and/or disorientation to deter unauthorized boarders. The deterrence response can be strong enough to cause physical pain in an authorized boarder.
US09953494B2
Devices, systems and methods for communicating to another user or users through skin response technology are provided. The present disclosure provides for receiving at least one message over a network by a mobile device; transmitting the received at least one message to a vibrotactile device configured to be worn on the skin of a user; converting, by the vibrotactile device, the transmitted at least one message into a predefined vibration pattern; and effecting the predefined vibration pattern onto the skin of a user by at least one actuating element of the vibrotactile device.
US09953491B2
A system and method for conducting a game between at least one live player and at least one computer-controlled player includes executing a training program between at least two agents to generate probability weights correlating actions or meta-actions representing a set or sequenced set of actions with a probability that the action or meta-action will produce a game outcome meeting a specified criterion or specified criteria. A game is conducted in which at least one live player plays against at least one computer-controlled player in which the computer-controlled player selects actions at one or more of the decision nodes in the game based, at least in part, on the probability weights.
US09953486B2
Systems and methods for controlling access to online casino games are described herein. In one aspect, an authoritative image of a remote player is received and stored in a biometrical facial recognition database. The authoritative image can be linked with a player profile of a player tracking card holder. To play an online casino game, the remote player can provide an authentication image. The player's presence in the authentication image can be determined using a biometrical facial recognition software application. Upon successful authentication, a selection of online casino games can be displayed to the remote player. The real-time (e.g., during game play) identity of the remote player can be determined. If an authorized remote player has been replaced by an unauthorized remote player, the game play can be terminated. In another aspect, the remote player provides the authoritative image after receiving an invitation.
US09953480B2
The present application provides a merchandiser. The merchandiser may include a temperature controlled compartment, a product input system adjacent to the temperature controlled compartment, and a multi-chute product dispensing mechanism positioned within the temperature controlled compartment. The multi-chute product dispensing system may include a number of product chutes in communication with a dispense activation mechanism.
US09953473B2
Various system and method for creating profiles of fuel quality are described herein. A system to create profiles of fuel quality comprises a receiving module arranged to receive vehicle performance data of a vehicle, the vehicle performance data describing the vehicle's performance over a time period; an association module arranged to associate the vehicle performance data with fuel used by the vehicle during the time period; an analysis module arranged to analyze the vehicle performance data with respect to the fuel to calculate a performance metric of the fuel; and a storage module arrranged to store the performance metric in a performance database at the computing system.
US09953465B2
Sales people (agents) get engaged with a lot of contacts from past, present and future prospects that manifests on multiple contact platforms. They end up having their contacts and calendars split in multiple places including communication and messages leading to inefficiencies, loss of business and delayed response time to the end customer. Customer Relationship Management today is still a one dimensional tool, one that featured Email as the core for direct agent-client relationship. CRM should be redefined and relabeled as Communication Management to open up the idea that relationships with clients are developed across multiple platforms though multiple channels. As will be understood by reading below, the invention accomplishes this in an elegant manner. The phrases Communication Management in the main patent title and Customer Relationship Management (CRM) have the same semantics in this document.
US09953455B2
Techniques are disclosed for storing post-z coverage data in a render target. A color raster operations (CROP) unit receives a coverage mask associated with a portion of a graphics primitive, where the graphics primitive intersects a pixel that includes a multiple samples, and the portion covers at least one sample. The CROP unit stores the coverage mask in a data field in the render target at a location associated with the pixel. One advantage of the disclosed techniques is that the GPU computes color and other pixel information only for visible fragments as determined by post-z coverage data. The GPU does not compute color and other pixel information for obscured fragments, thereby reducing overall power consumption and improving overall render performance.
US09953447B2
According to aspects of the present disclosure, certain areas of the display screen are logically considered to be “privileged.” For example, a user may run a utility program and selected areas of the wallpaper to be privileged. In another example, a utility scans the wallpaper looking for, say, a face or text and marks the location around the face or text as privileged. In any case, when an icon (or other visual information) needs to be placed on the display screen, the icon is preferentially placed at a location that does not overlap with the privileged areas. If no non-privileged area is available, then an alert can be sent to the user.
US09953443B2
An aggregation approach allows for a dynamic, interactive, adaptive level-of-detail for 2D, 2.5D, and 3D treemaps for visualization of complex information. For example, the 2.5D treemap visualization concept is extended by providing adaptive identification of aggregates by means of an interactive node scoring approach based on contextual relevance and various other task, interaction, visibility, and/or performance specific criteria. For the resulting mapping and rendering, a per-frame aggregation of blocks and accumulation of those attributes mapped to visual variables (context) is described. Since every embodiment is also targeted for dynamic, interactive visual display of 2.5D treemaps, the rendering is designed to be capable for execution in real-time. Visual preservation of important information is conveyed by hierarchy elements and their mapped attributes (nodes-of-interest) as well as compliance to known aggregation guidelines including visualization of aggregated color and height information, visualization of aggregates that are discernible from non-aggregates, and visualization of outliers within aggregates. Applications include visualization of software maps, business intelligence data, file hierarchies for storage devices, and the like.
US09953442B2
A method includes overlaying a grid on a set of dynamic PET, SPECT, CT or MR data, so as to define a set of voxels defining a plurality of cluster seeds; extracting a respective time activity curve (TAC) for dynamic PET or SPECT data or time varying signals in the case of dynamic CT or MR data, for each voxel based on the data; selecting a subset of the cluster seeds defined by the grid as initial cluster centroids of a set of clusters; assigning each TAC to a respective cluster in the set of clusters; computing a respective average TAC of each cluster; generating a parametric image based on the respective average TACs for the clusters; repeating the overlaying, determining, selecting, assigning, computing, and generating; and averaging the generated parametric images.
US09953440B2
The present approaches relate to frequency-split iterative reconstruction approaches. In some embodiment, such approaches provide for the combination of the low frequency components of an analytical reconstruction (e.g., a filtered back projection) and the high frequency components of an iterative reconstruction. In certain embodiments, frequency-split iterative reconstruction is used for generating region of interest images.
US09953436B2
A method for compressing data is disclosed. The method may include receiving data from one or more data sources. The method may also include selectively classifying the data into one or more data streams, the one or more data streams including at least PCM-encoded data and image data. The method may further include separately compressing the PCM-encoded data and the image data into first and second compressed bit-streams. The method may also include shuffling the first and second compressed bit-streams.
US09953416B2
Embodiments of the invention provide systems and methods for evaluating treatment parameters for a patient undergoing radiotherapy. The method includes the step of generating a portal dosimetry image showing differences between a planning image obtained prior to a treatment session and a portal image obtained during the treatment session. A database of prior portal dosimetry results is accessed, and a processor is used to perform a similarity measurement between the portal dosimetry image and the prior portal dosimetry results. Based on the similarity measurement, the system determines whether radiation was delivered as planned during the treatment session.
US09953411B2
To analyze a tire surface, a 3D elevational image is captured, which is formed of pixels representing points on the surface. Each point is assigned a grey-level value proportional to its elevation relative to a surface level. Based on the elevations in the elevational image, an orientational image is formed showing elevation gradients of the surface. In the orientational image, which is formed of pixels representing points on the surface, each point is assigned a grey-level value proportional to an angle formed with a direction given by a projection in an image plane of a non-zero norm vector substantially corresponding, at this point, to a gradient vector tangent to the surface and oriented in a direction of greatest slope. A filtered image is determined by transforming the orientational image using a filter to select areas that include structures similar to those in a reference orientational image of a blow hole.
US09953404B2
A method for applying a filter to data to improve data quality and/or reduce file size. In one example, a region of interest of an image is identified. A histogram is generated of pixel intensity values in the region of interest. The histogram is iteratively updated to focus (zoom) in on the highest peak in the histogram. A Gaussian curve is fitted to the updated histogram. A bilateral filter is applied to the images, where parameters of the bilateral filter are based on the parameters of the Gaussian curve.
US09953398B2
A computer detects a person in an environment. The computer determines a view direction of the person. The computer displays content relevant to the determined view direction of the person.
US09953396B1
The present invention relates to the technical field of visualization in scientific computing, and specifically discloses a ray casting visualization multi-user interaction processing method based on Hadoop and CUDA. On one hand, the method of the present invention employs the parallel processing capability of Hadoop, MapReduce, and NVIDIA CUDA for accelerated rendering, and, on the other hand, the present invention designs a method to avoid duplicate computation for a multi-user interaction environment, thereby reducing the time consumption of duplicate computation. The method of the present invention realizes the fast operation of each pixel gradient, ray resampling and data synthesis and can accomplish the 3D visualization imaging rapidly and efficiently.
US09953395B2
The tessellation processing rate of a graphics processor may be increased using of local tessellation work redistribution. The redistribution mechanism may avoid the need for large on-die buffers and, as the distribution is local, the performance and power penalty incurred by use of off-chip memory accesses may also avoided in some embodiments.
US09953393B2
An analyzing method and an analyzing system for graphics process are provided. The analyzing method includes the following steps. A graphics application program is provided and a plurality of graphics parameters of the graphics application program are obtained. The graphics application program is classified to be at least one of a plurality of groups according to the graphics parameters. A plurality weighting coefficients are obtained. A total loading of a graphics processing unit for performing the graphics application program is calculated according to the weighting coefficients and the graphics parameters.
US09953391B2
Methods of expressing animation in a data stream are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method of expressing animation in a data stream includes defining animation states in the data stream with each state having at least one property such that properties are animated as a group. The animation states that are defined in the data stream may be expressed as an extension of a styling sheet language. The data stream may include web content and the defined animation states.
US09953390B2
Signal processing devices and methods estimate transforms between signals using a least squares technique. From a seed set of transform candidates, a direct least squares method applies a seed transform candidate to a reference signal and then measures correlation between the transformed reference signal and a suspect signal. For each candidate, update coordinates of reference signal features are identified in the suspect signal and provided as input to a least squares method to compute an update to the transform candidate. The method iterates so long as the update of the transform provides a better correlation. At the end of the process, the method identifies a transform or set of top transforms based on a further analysis of correlation, as well as other results.
US09953385B2
In a method for measuring healthcare quality, a plurality of computers operating in parallel receive from a patient dataset representative of patients within a healthcare organization, the patient dataset being distributed across the plurality of computer as subsets of patient datasets. The plurality of computers receive at least one healthcare quality measure definition comprising a numerator and a denominator. The plurality of computers identify, in the subsets of patient datasets, patient data that corresponds to the measure definition. The plurality of computers attribute the identified patient data to at least one provider based on an attribution rule. The plurality of computers calculate at least one healthcare quality measure for the at least one provider, according to the healthcare quality measure definition, based on the attributed patient encounters. The plurality of computers store the at least one calculated healthcare quality measure in a measure dataset.
US09953384B2
A method and system is provided to improve the throughput and processing time of ediscovery by breaking batches of electronically stored information (ESI) into individual documents or related pieces of ESI, and allowing the individual documents or pieces of ESI to proceed or stream to a subsequent stage in the ediscovery process while other documents or pieces of ESI are still completing earlier stages in the process. The system provides for tracking evidence media and file processing, which includes copying, extraction of documents from container files, document meta-data extraction, text extraction, text indexing, data culling, and transmittal to document review systems, with streaming system throughput and substantially less human intervention which will substantially reduce wait time and human labor.
US09953377B2
The discussion relates to visitor-driven, venue-specific media. One implementation can obtain a venue media profile of a venue and obtain visitor profiles of visitors at the venue. This implementation can generate a playlist of visitor-driven, venue specific media based on both the venue media profile and the visitor profiles.
US09953355B2
Identifying products in a physical store shopping environment. The method includes, using a first detection method, identifying that a given product likely belongs to a given set of products. The method further includes, using one or more other detection methods, determining that the product is likely a specific product from the given set of products.
US09953340B1
A companion advertisement is displayed on a control client which is also used to control the content being shown on a display client. The companion advertisement is related to a video or advertisement being displayed on the display client. Such a companion advertisement takes advantage of previously unused screen real estate and enables the user to interact with the advertisement or view further information without any interruption of the content being displayed on the display client. A server keeps the content displayed on the display client and control client synchronized. The server recognizes when a user is logged into both a display client and a control client and notifies the control client that an advertisement should be displayed. The control client then retrieves an advertisement related to the content on the display client.
US09953336B2
There is provided a scheme of communicating reward data from a first application running on a data processing device (100) to a second application on the data processing device (100) for use by the second application. The method comprises the first application obtaining a reward value in response to a user of the first application completing a predetermined task in the first application. In response to a request from the user to claim a reward, the first application generates and transmits: an instruction to place the second application into an interactive state; and reward data, which is generated on the basis of the reward value, for use by the second application in the interactive state. The passing of the reward value from the first application to the second application occurs within the data processing device (100), with no communication between the data processing device (100) and the backend server (200) via the Internet (400) taking place.
US09953316B2
Systems and methods for creating fingerprints for encryption devices are described herein. In various embodiments, the system includes an encryption device operatively connected to a device management system. According to particular embodiments, the device management system: 1) receives a first payload from the encryption device, the first payload including data in a particular format; 2) creates a fingerprint for the encryption device, the fingerprint including a section format for each of one or more distinct sections of the particular format; 3) storing a record of the fingerprint for the encryption device and the unique identifier at the at least one database; and 4) comparing a format of each subsequent payload received from the encryption device to the fingerprint for the device to determine whether the device has been compromised.
US09953314B2
A system, method, and computer-readable storage medium for enabling an individual to use a purchase-proxy mechanism to conduct a financial transaction from a computing device with an online merchant, whereby the individual is enabled to use stored personal data, such as financial account information and fulfillment information, without having to store the personal data with the online merchant. The system, method, and computer-readable storage medium furthermore enable an individual to change a payment and/or fulfillment option at the time of purchase with minimal inconvenience.
US09953307B2
Systems, methods, and other embodiments associated with generating payments to volunteers in clinical trials are described. In one embodiment, a method includes receiving volunteer data that specifies a clinical event that has been completed by a given volunteer. The example method also includes determining a payment associated with the clinical event. A financial record is generated that records the determined payment. The financial record is transmitted using a web based browser to a financial system to populate at least one field in a financial database table that is used to generate payments to the volunteer.
US09953303B2
A system and method to manage employee time at a set of job sites. A time management system comprises a server in communications with a database in which a set of job site data is stored. An employee device application is installed on a set of employee devices. The set of employee devices are in communication with the server through the employee device application. The set of employee devices collect a set of time punch data and a set of photos from the set of employees at check-in events and check-out events. The set of time punch data and the set of photos are sent to the server and stored in the database with the set of job site data. A supervisor management application is installed on a set of supervisor devices to monitor the set of job site data, validate photos and activate employee devices.
US09953299B2
At least one server connects with clients via networks such that each client communicates using a different network. The server divides an image based on an application into portions. The server assigns version numbers to the portions such that each version number corresponds to a different portion. The server generates lists that include the version numbers, wherein each list corresponds to a different client. The server shares the image by transmitting image data to each client separately based on the respective list. The server receives update(s) for the image and identifies portion(s) that has changed based on the update. The server assigns an updated version number to the identified changed portion and generates updated lists that include the updated version numbers for the clients such that each updated list corresponds to a different client. The server transmits updated image data to each client separately based on the respective updated list.
US09953295B2
Event data management is disclosed. Event data management can include receiving a first set of event data including events classified using local contexts. Event data management can include receiving a second set of event data including one or more event data classified using the local contexts and using a global context. Event data management can include determining a first subset of event data corresponding to a first data flow and a second subset of event data corresponding to a second data flow. Event data management can include establishing a global relationship between the first and second data flow. Event data management can include receiving a third set of event data corresponding to the first data flow and having a local bookend identifier. Event data management can include clearing, in response to determining that the third event datum includes the local bookend identifier, the first subset of event data.
US09953294B2
The embodiments provide a system for linking an application with an in-memory database system for enabling an in-memory-enabled transactional application. The system includes an in-memory transactional processor configured to receive contextual data related to an instantiation of a first business transaction of the application and instantiate at least one second business transaction of the application during a course of processing the first business transaction. The in-memory transactional processor is configured to store results of at least one process step of the at least one second business transaction during the course of processing the first business transaction in an in-memory database, evaluate, at a decision point within the first business transaction, a plurality of alternative process steps, during runtime, and determine a subsequent process step from the plurality of alternative process steps based on the contextual data and captured information stored in the in-memory database.
US09953290B1
An inventory system can include radio frequency identification (RFID) tags and RFID tuners that can be brought into interacting proximity with one another to provide input or other information about the location or other condition of movable elements within the inventory system. A wearable accessory that is wearable by a human operator can include RFID tuners thereon for interacting with RFID tags on other elements of the inventory system in order to communicate details about the elements and facilitate functions of the inventory system.
US09953288B2
Systems and methods of constructing and managing virtual planograms are presented. Contemplated systems allow for construction of a virtual planogram, which can be used to present consumers virtual inventory items as being available for purchase via a display device. The display device can include an electronic billboard within an establishment, a mall for example, or include a user's smart device, a cell phone or tablet for example.
US09953287B1
This disclosure describes a system and method for utilizing an automated aerial vehicle for rapidly transporting a priority pick item when an exception occurs (e.g., an item that was to be picked from another location or otherwise processed is found to be missing or damaged). In some implementations, a priority pick instruction may be generated that directs picking of the item from an alternative location after which the item may be transported by the automated aerial vehicle to a processing location (e.g., a problem solve station). A flight path may be determined which may have starting and ending points at designated locations where the automated aerial vehicle can safely land and take off for acquiring and/or delivering the priority pick item.
US09953277B2
Systems and methods for managing and utilizing competencies of employees of an organization are provided. The system comprises a processor and a memory coupled to the processor. The memory comprises a Role Managing Module (RMM) configured to define a set of roles in a database. Each role of the set of roles indicates a functional job in the organization. The RMM is further configured to assign an expected maturity level in a set of knowledge dimensions to each role in the set of roles. The set of knowledge dimensions comprises at least one of a Solution Dimension, a Technology Dimension, a Process Dimension, and an Organization Dimension. The system further comprises a planning module configured to create a career progression plan based on the set of roles. The system further comprises an analysis module configured to cater to organizational requirements of managing employee competencies.
US09953275B2
A system and methods for third-party access to a network-based system for providing location-based upcoming event information are described. The location-based upcoming event information may be accessed from the network-based system by a server-side web application implemented by a third party. The server-side web application may be configured to communicate with the network-based system that provides online marketplace and ticket fulfillment services and to generate a query based upon the location of a user and other event criteria. The server-side web application may communicate the query to the network-based system and, in response, receive location-based upcoming event information which may be displayed to a user as a list and/or information on a map. The location-based upcoming event information may comprise an aggregate of ticket inventory available from multiple online marketplaces providing the user with multiple purchasing options.
US09953273B2
Disclosed are systems, apparatus, methods and computer-readable media for updating information stored in a database system over a network. In some implementations, first contact data is retrieved from a first virtual portion of a database system, where the first contact data provides first contact information associated with at least one entity. In some instances, the first contact data is compared with second contact data, where the second contact data provides second contact information associated with the at least one entity. In some instances, at least some of the second contact information is retrieved from a social networking system. In various implementations, at least one difference between the first contact data and the second contact data is identified, where the at least one difference is capable of being presented in a user interface displayed at a computer system. In some instances, a selection identifying contact data to store is received.
US09953270B2
Optimization of machine intelligence utilizes a systemic process through a plurality of computer architecture manipulation techniques that take unique advantage of efficiencies therein to minimize clock cycles and memory usage. The present invention is an application of machine intelligence which overcomes speed and memory issues in learning ensembles of decision trees in a single-machine environment. Such an application of machine intelligence includes inlining relevant statements by integrating function code into a caller's code, ensuring a contiguous buffering arrangement for necessary information to be compiled, and defining and enforcing type constraints on programming interfaces that access and manipulate machine learning data sets.
US09953261B2
Embodiments of the invention relate to a neuromorphic network for producing spike-timing dependent plasticity. The neuromorphic network includes a plurality of electronic neurons and an interconnect circuit coupled for interconnecting the plurality of electronic neurons. The interconnect circuit includes plural synaptic devices for interconnecting the electronic neurons via axon paths, dendrite paths and membrane paths. Each synaptic device includes a variable state resistor and a transistor device with a gate terminal, a source terminal and a drain terminal, wherein the drain terminal is connected in series with a first terminal of the variable state resistor. The source terminal of the transistor device is connected to an axon path, the gate terminal of the transistor device is connected to a membrane path and a second terminal of the variable state resistor is connected to a dendrite path, such that each synaptic device is coupled between a first axon path and a first dendrite path, and between a first membrane path and said first dendrite path.
US09953258B1
The disclosed embodiments generally relate to transaction cards and methods for manufacturing transaction cards. The transaction card may include a first card component having a first surface and a first structural feature associated with the first surface. The transaction card may also include a second card component separate from the first card component and attachable thereto. The second card component may include a second surface and a second structural feature associated with the second surface. The first and second structural features may be configured to interconnect.
US09953257B2
An integrated circuit card (200) is described. The integrated circuit card comprises a card body (204, 306) and two components located in the card body (204), wherein a first component (214) of the two components includes an integrated circuit, and wherein the two components are in communication with a common electrical contact (208).
US09953250B2
An image processing apparatus includes a converter, a reuse portion storage unit, and a reuse information output unit. The converter converts page description language (PDL) data into printable data. The converter stores a conversion result of converting an object appearing in the PDL data multiple times into printable data in a storage device and reuses the conversion result for the object which appears after the conversion result has been stored, instead of converting the object into printable data. The reuse portion storage unit stores information indicating a portion of a page image described by the PDL data for which the conversion result has been reused. The reuse information output unit outputs reuse information indicating a portion of the page image for which the conversion result has been reused, by using the information stored in the reuse portion storage unit.
US09953247B2
A method of determining eye position information includes identifying an eye area in a facial image; verifying a two-dimensional (2D) feature in the eye area; and performing a determination operation including, determining a three-dimensional (3D) target model based on the 2D feature; and determining 3D position information based on the 3D target model.
US09953246B2
A noise removal method includes receiving in a de-noising system multiple noisy copies of a target image; providing the noisy copies as input data to the de-noising system in a training phase, and determine a noise distribution for the plurality of noisy copies. The method further includes, for n stages of the de-noising system, transforming the input data into an output; reconstructing the output; and providing the reconstructed output as input data. The method may further include receiving a new image and generating a de-noised image based on the determined noise distribution.
US09953240B2
Image processing system, image processing method, and recording medium for detecting a static object
An image processing system includes: a first identification unit that identifies a static area from an input image captured at each of a plurality of time points; an image generation unit that generates a first image by using the static areas of respective input images captured in a first time span from a processing time point and generates a second image by using the static areas of respective images captured in a second time span from the processing time point; and a second identification unit that compares the first image and the second image and identifies an area having a difference.
US09953232B2
In real biometric systems, false match rates and false non-match rates of 0% do not exist. There is always some probability that a purported match is false, and that a genuine match is not identified. The performance of biometric systems is often expressed in part in terms of their false match rate and false non-match rate, with the equal error rate being when the two are equal. There is a tradeoff between the FMR and FNMR in biometric systems which can be adjusted by changing a matching threshold. This matching threshold can be automatically, dynamically and/or user adjusted so that a biometric system of interest can achieve a desired FMR and FNMR.
US09953231B1
Techniques are described for authenticating a user to access information through an application executing on a computing device. Multiple authentication methods may be used in combination to authenticate the user with greater confidence than authentication provided by a single method, and to verify that the user is a live person and not an image or video. Facial recognition may be used in conjunction with heartbeat detection, via video analysis, to verify the user's identity and confirm that the user is live. Facial recognition may include capturing an image of the user's face and comparing certain points on the face with previously gathered information regarding the user. Heartbeat detection may include capturing a video segment of the user, stabilizing the captured video data, applying motion magnification techniques to the stabilized video data, and analyzing the stabilized, magnified video data to determine a presence of the user's heartbeat.
US09953230B2
Systems and methods for detecting a subject in a vehicle are provided. A temperature sensor installed in the vehicle is automatically activated when the vehicle ignition switch is switched off. The temperature sensor monitors the internal vehicle temperature and activates a detection module when the monitored internal vehicle temperature reaches a threshold temperature. The detection module includes a camera that is configured to capture a first image of the vehicle interior and to subsequently capture a second image of the vehicle interior, and a monitoring module that is configured to analyze the first image and the second image to detect the subject. A response module is coupled to the detection module and configured to activate one or more alert mechanisms when the subject is detected.
US09953227B2
An in-vehicle image processing device processes camera images to determine a parkable area and includes an overhead image generation section generating an overhead image relative to a road surface by converting the view point of an image of a nearby vehicle and the road surface taken by a vehicle-mounted camera; a tire recognition section recognizing the tires of the nearby vehicle; a three-dimensional object recognition section recognizing three-dimensional objects including the nearby vehicle; an area-under-vehicle recognition section calculating the ground contact position of the tire and the above-ground height from the ground contact position to the vehicle body and recognizing an area under the vehicle body on the road surface from the overhead image; and a parkable area recognition section for recognizing the area occupied by the vehicle body and the area under the vehicle body as a non-parking area and recognizing a parkable area on the road surface.
US09953226B2
The subject of the invention is a method for detecting and classifying events of a scene by means of a single-pupil imaging system equipped with a VisNIR detector in the 0.6 μm-1.1 μm band and with an SWIR detector, which comprises steps of acquiring synchronized VisNIR and SWIR successive 2D images, of displaying the VisNIR images, and of processing these images, which consists in: comparing the SWIR images so as to determine, for each pixel, the variation in illumination from one SWIR image to another and the peak value of these SWIR illuminations, if this variation in SWIR illumination is greater than a threshold, then an event associated with said pixel is detected and: its date, its temporal shape and its duration are determined, in the VisNIR images, the coordinates are determined of the corresponding pixel for which: the variation in the illumination from one VisNIR image to another and the peak value of these VisNIR illuminations are calculated, and these variations in SWIR and VisNIR illumination and their peak values are compared so as to estimate a temperature of the event, the distance of the corresponding point of the scene is estimated so as to calculate the intensity of the event on the basis of the SWIR and VisNIR illuminations and on the basis of this distance, the total energy of the event is estimated on the basis of its temporal shape and of its intensity, the event is classified as a function of its duration, its temperature, its intensity and its energy, the previous steps are repeated for another pixel of the SWIR images.
US09953225B2
An image processing apparatus includes an object detection unit configured to detect an object from an image, a tracking unit configured to track the detected object, a trajectory management unit configured to manage a trajectory of the object being tracked, and a specific object detection unit configured to detect a specific object from the image. In a case where the specific object determination unit detects the object being tracked by the object tracking unit to be the specific object, the trajectory management unit manages a trajectory of the object being tracked at a time point before the time point the object being tracked is detected to be the specific object as the trajectory of the specific object.
US09953220B2
Cutout object merge techniques are described. In one or more embodiments, a cutout object is identified for insertion into a scene. The cutout object may, for instance, be selected from a library of cutout objects, each of which was extracted from an already-captured image. Before capturing an image of the scene, the selected cutout object may be placed in a substantially real-time display of the scene, such as that which is displayed via a camera's view finder. Using an image capturing device, an image of the scene may then be captured. Once an image of the scene is captured, the cutout object and the captured image may be merged to form a composite image that includes the cutout object at a location in the scene specified by the placement.
US09953217B2
A pose-aware feature learning system includes an object tracker which tracks an object on a subject in a plurality of video frames, a pose estimator which estimates a pose of the subject in a track of the plurality of video frames, an image pair generator which extracts a plurality of image pairs from the track of the plurality of video frames, and labels the plurality of image pairs with the estimated pose and as depicting the same or different object, and a neural network trainer which trains a neural network based on the labeled plurality of image pairs, to predict whether an image pair depicts the same or different object and a pose difference for the image pair.
US09953210B1
Devices, systems, and methods provide for improved facial detection and facial recognition in vehicle interior inspections. In various embodiments, one or more high-resolution cameras having one or more lens and filter attachments operate in conjunction with one or more auxiliary illumination devices and a related computer system. According to various embodiments, an auxiliary illumination device can be synchronized to one or more cameras, and configured to supply auxiliary illumination to facilitate capture of accurate and usable images. The filter(s) and advanced image processing solutions assist with facial detection and identifying individuals inside a vehicle, removing light glare and undesired reflections from a window surface, and capturing an image through a tinted window, among other things. Further, embodiments can compare a captured image to an authenticated image from a database, in order to confirm the identity of a vehicle occupant.
US09953184B2
The techniques discussed herein facilitate the transmission, storage, and manipulation of data in an encrypted database management system (EDBMS). An untrusted machine is connected to a data store having encrypted records, a client machine that sends encrypted queries, and a trusted machine that receives and decrypts the encrypted records and encrypted queries. The trusted machine processes the query using semantically secure query operators to produce a query result. The trusted machine ensures the size of the query result conforms to an upper bound on the number or records in the query result and returns the query result.
US09953176B2
A method for processing activity records. The method includes obtaining an activity record, and generating an anonymization dictionary. Generating the anonymization dictionary includes detecting, in the activity record, a set of target entities to be anonymized, making a determination that a resource is associated with a subset of the target entities of the set of target entities, and after making the determination, assigning an anonymized identity to the subset of target entities, and generating an anonymization identifier for each target entity in the subset of target entities to obtain a set of anonymization identifiers, each including the anonymized identity. The method further includes processing the activity record using the anonymization dictionary to obtain an anonymized activity record and storing the anonymized activity record.
US09953175B2
Embodiments are described of systems and methods for prevention, detection, mitigation of risk, and such, of unauthorized manipulation, e.g., substitution, of high-value data files (including electronic document files).
US09953170B2
The invention provides a flash memory which may effectively protect information with a high security level. A flash memory includes a setting part. When the setting part is inputted a specific command, the setting part sets up specific address information to a nonvolatile configuration register, and sets up specific data in a hidden storage region. The flash memory also includes: a comparing part, which compares inputted address information and the specific address information during a reading operation; and a control part, which reads specific data set in the storage region and erases a specific address when two address information are consistent, and reads data stored in a memory array according to the inputted address information when two address information are inconsistent.
US09953169B2
Example embodiments disclosed herein relate to modifying execution of an application under test to act as if a user is a power user. The application under test is hosted in a real-time modifier. A security crawl is performed on the application under test logged in as the user. The user is treated as a power user.
US09953165B2
Generally, this disclosure describes devices, methods and systems and for securely updating software on a mobile platform using trusted hardware based authentication. The device may include an image update module configured to receive a software update image from an update server, the image update module executing at an operating system (OS) level; a critical component database configured to identify critical software components associated with the secure operation of the device; a secure update application module configured to verify the inclusion of the critical software components in the software update image prior to installation of the software update image on the device; and a trusted execution environment (TEE) configured to restrict control access and data access to the secure update application module and the critical component database, the restriction enforced against the OS and against modules executing at the OS level.
US09953164B2
A device may receive a trigger to determine whether one or more client devices, of a set of client devices, are infected by a malicious file. The device may generate file identification information associated with the malicious file based on receiving the trigger to determine whether the one or more client devices are infected by the malicious file. The device may obtain remote access to the one or more client devices using a connection tool based on receiving the trigger to determine whether the one or more client devices are infected by the malicious file. The device may obtain information, associated with the one or more client devices, using the remote access. The device may provide information indicating whether the one or more client devices are infected by the malicious file based on the file identification information and the information associated with the one or more client devices.
US09953151B2
The present system and method enables the automatic detection and identification of authorized users within proximity of a computing apparatus and, after verifying, using biometric detection and analysis, that the user is authorized to access the target, providing the user with such access. The system comprises a computer appliance target requiring authentication of a user in order to access the target, including software stored on and executing from the target, a biometric input device, and a transceiver enabling short-range wireless communication with other wireless capable devices; a database accessible to the target; and a beacon device associated with the user, including at least a transceiver and a locally stored encrypted identity token associating the device with the identity of the user; wherein the transceiver on the target periodically scans for the beacon device within the short-range, and upon detection, establishes communication with the beacon device and requests the identity token, the beacon device receives the request and sends the identity token back to the target which decrypts and validates the token by comparing token data with stored token data in the database and upon successful decryption and validation of the identity token, the software initializes a biometric test input to positively identify the user in possession of the beacon, wherein the software of the target attempts to match the biometric input with second biometric input of the user stored in the database and upon a successful match, unlocks the target and allows the user to operate the target.
US09953149B2
Systems and methods for enrolling and authenticating a user in an authentication system via a user's camera of camera equipped mobile device include capturing and storing enrollment biometric information from at least one first image of the user taken via the camera of the mobile device, capturing authentication biometric information from at least one second image of the user, capturing, during imaging of the at least one second image, path parameters via at least one movement detecting sensor indicating an authentication movement of the mobile device, comparing the authentication biometric information to the stored enrollment biometric information, and comparing the authentication movement of the mobile device to an expected movement of the mobile device to determine whether the authentication movement sufficiently corresponds to the expected movement.
US09953141B2
The present disclosure provides a method for coordinating data between a plurality of sample processing systems comprising: providing, using a central control unit, data to a pre-analytical sample processing system identifying a sample undergoing pre-analytical processing, receiving data, at the central control unit, indicating the transfer of the sample to an analytical system, providing, from the central control unit (CCU), data associated with the sample to the analytical system, and receiving a result associated with the sample from the analytical system.
US09953119B2
A method for designing a multiple tuned filter (MTF) in a high voltage direct current (HVDC) system includes setting an input parameter constituting the MTF; setting a resonance frequency of the MTF; extracting at least one LC combination case constituting the MTF on the basis of the input parameter and the resonance frequency; performing optimization for harmonic reduction on the LC combination case; and extracting an LC combination case determined based on a result obtained by performing the optimization.
US09953117B2
A method for solving a two-stage non-linear stochastic formulation for the economic dispatch problem under renewable-generation uncertainty. Certain generation decisions are made only in the first stage and fixed for the subsequent (second) stage, where the actual renewable generation is realized. The uncertainty in renewable output is captured by a finite number of scenarios. Any resulting supply-demand mis-match must then be alleviated using high marginal-cost power sources that can be tapped in short time frames. The solution implements two outer approximation algorithms to solve this nonconvex optimization problem to optimality including the application of a decomposition approach derived from the Alternating Direction Method of Multipliers (ADMM) algorithm.
US09953116B2
A simulation apparatus which simulates a position of each of a plurality of objects, which move in a virtual space together with time, at each of a plural calculation time is disclosed. The apparatus includes: an object connection block for applying, to each object of each three or more objects contacting with each other at each of the plural calculation time points, a pointer value indicative of a contact destination object with which the object is in contact determining one of the three or more objects as a terminal end to connect the objects; and a pointer value updating block for repeating a pointer value updating process, by which the pointer value of each object is updated to the pointer value of the contact destination object indicated by the pointer value until the pointer values of all of the objects come to indicate the object of the terminal end.
US09953114B2
Designing a drillstring in for use in a wellbore, such as a deviated or horizontal wellbore, particularly with application to extended reach wellbores. Method comprises determining the downhole weight-on-bit transmitted by a drillstring by determining a baseline tension profile and baseline torque profile in a drill string rotating off-bottom, and then using such profiles in conjunction with a selected surface weight-on-bit slack-off value to calculate a drillstring tension profile and rotating torque profile with the bit on bottom and having weight applied thereto. The method includes buckling limit checks and rig operational limit checks to determine if sufficient torque and DWOB can be transmitted through the drillstring, and to determine whether the drill string remains operable even though portions thereof may be in a buckled condition.
US09953103B2
Techniques are provided for encoding/decoding binary XML data in a client program before sending/receiving the XML to/from a database server. By encoding the binary XML at the client, the overhead of parsing the XML text is avoided by the database server, thus improving database server scalability. Also, the XML data is sent by the server to the client in the binary form, and the binary format is decoded by the client program to perform the necessary operations.
US09953090B2
Resolving a query received from a first node in a network includes accepting, by a second node in the network, ownership of the query from the first node, receiving, at the second node, an identification of a third node in the network, wherein the identification is received from a user of the second node and the user of the second node believes that a user of the third node has information necessary to resolve at least part of the query, and transferring, by the second node, ownership of the at least part of the query to the third node, wherein the accepting, the receiving, and the transferring dynamically generates a data structure that traces a propagation of the query, and the data structure is accessible to an origin of the query.
US09953089B2
In one embodiment, a method includes receiving free-form text from users of an online social network, wherein the free-form text of each input corresponds to an object associated with the online social network; determining a plurality of affinity declarations from the free-form text that are associated with the object; determining, for each affinity declaration, an affinity coefficient between a respective user and the object; and upon determining that the affinity coefficient for a threshold number of users exceeds a threshold value, creating a page associated with the object for display on the online social network.
US09953080B1
Described is system for early detection of civil unrest events. A set of textual social media data having corresponding user identifications is received as input. The textual social media data is filtered with a keyword filter, resulting in a first set of data comprising keywords of interest. The first set of data is then filtered with a future date filter, resulting in a second set of data comprising future dates. The second set of data is filtered based on relevance to a civil unrest event with a text classifier module, resulting in a third set of data that is classified based on relevance to the civil unrest event. The third set of data is then filtered based on a location of interest, resulting in a fourth set of data having user identifications in the location of interest. A location is assigned to the civil unrest event, and a forecast of the civil unrest event is output.
US09953075B1
A data classification system is associated with a hybrid cloud comprising at least one private cloud and at least one public cloud. The data classification system comprises a data set classification model classifying data sets, a cloud classification model classifying the private and public clouds of the hybrid cloud, and mapping policies each specifying a particular mapping between one or more classes of the data set classification model and one or more classes of the cloud classification model. The data classification system classifies a received data set using the data set classification model, and determines for the received data set at least one cloud of the hybrid cloud to which the received data set should be directed for further processing based at least in part on a result of the classification of the received data set, the cloud classification model and a selected one of the mapping policies.
US09953070B1
An enterprise resource planning (ERP) system data extraction, directing, and loading (EDL) method, system, application, and computer program is disclosed having a Data Export Workbench (DEW) application and Data Integrator (DI) application operating within an ERP system environment. The EDL method and system can use existing hardware systems to quickly and efficiently extract, direct, and load any user requested data from an ERP system to predefined and controlled destinations that can be widely accessed by one or more users.
US09953067B2
An exemplary computer implemented method for processing data in a database management system implemented on a network of two or more nodes is disclosed. The method includes receiving a query referencing first and second user-defined table functions and a table distributed across the two or more nodes. The first user-defined table function is executed on each of the two or more nodes by processing records of the table residing on the respective nodes. A data sample is generated per node as a result of executing the first user-defined table function on each of the two or more nodes. The generated data samples are stored in a selected set of nodes. The second user-defined table function is executed on each of the selected set of nodes by processing records of the data samples residing on the respective nodes of the selected set of nodes to compute a user-defined aggregate.
US09953066B2
A method and associated system for method for generating performance and capacity statistics that consists of a processor receiving statistical information from a set of monitoring entities that monitor characteristics of one or more computing resources. The processor formats the received statistics for storage in a raw-data repository, then filters and processes the data to extract data items necessary to generate predefined reports and to place the extracted data in a format consistent with historical information. The processor then merges the filtered, formatted data with the historical information to create an integrated history of the characteristics and stores the integrated history in a history repository. This integrated history is automatically translated into reports customized to requirements of particular support, personnel, which are then forwarded to local devices from which the support personnel may select, customize, and review the reports.
US09953059B2
A method may include receiving a continuous query identified by an archived relation associated with an application. The method may also include generating a physical query plan. Additionally, the method may include constructing a structured query language (SQL) equivalent expression corresponding to an attribute utilized by the operator and/or constructing an output SQL expression for the identified operator based at least in part on the SQL equivalent expression. Additionally, the method may include constructing the archiver query for the identified operator based at least in part on the output SQL expression. Further, the method may include executing the archiver query to obtain a result set of data records related to the application and/or generating a snapshot output of one or more data values related to the application based at least in part on the result set of data records.
US09953054B2
In accordance with disclosed embodiments, there are provided systems and methods for implementing and maintaining sampled tables in a database system. According to a particular embodiment such a system includes a processor and a memory to execute instructions at the system; a database to store database records; a query interface to submit queries to the database and receive results from the database; triggers to initiate a hash function on database insert transactions, the hash function to hash a primary key of each database record to be inserted into the database to determine whether a first hash value of the primary key of the database record to be inserted satisfies a sampling condition; a sample table to store a sample record corresponding to any database record to be inserted into the database which satisfies the sampling condition based on the hash function; a primary key index providing a first index of the primary keys of the sample records stored in the sample table; and an ordered hash index providing a second index on a second hash value corresponding to a second hash of the primary key of the sample records stored in the sample table ordered numerically by the second hash value. Other related embodiments are disclosed.
US09953052B1
Features are disclosed for caching network resources. A system determines whether a resource which does not contain an indication in its associated header that it is cacheable may nevertheless be cached. The determination may be based on observations of a number of requests for the resource over time and from a number of different requesting clients. In response to determining that the resource is cacheable, the system may cache the resource, and in some cases modify the cache control header of resource to facilitate caching. The system may insert fields into the header or otherwise modify the header so that the resource may be cached at a network computing provider, at a requesting client device, or at some other shared or private cache.
US09953045B2
Various embodiments provide data structures and algorithms for efficiently computing a time ordered stream that is the combination of a time ordered substream for individual persons of interest. In addition, various embodiments provide an approach for identifying how many changes of interest have happened to a particular stream since it was last viewed.
US09953039B2
There is presented a method and system for providing a compact graphical user interface for flexible filtering of data. The method comprises showing a search interface on a display device for filtering a content set by a plurality of domains, including a first domain, displaying, within the search interface, a first graphical representation of a parameter set of the first domain in response to a selecting of the first domain, receiving a first parameter subset from the first graphical representation, filtering a content set using the first parameter subset to obtain a search result, and displaying the search result on a display device. The search interface includes a temporally visible menu for selecting parameter sets of the domains and a compact single line query box to display graphical representations of parameter sets or to provide a conventional text entry box.
US09953038B2
The efficient backing up of a hierarchical system in cloud blob storage. The hierarchical structure of the system as it existed at a prior instance in time is reconstructed. A change journal that represents changes in the file system that prior instant in time is then used to formulate an updated file system hierarchy as it exists at a second instant in time. An updated injected representation of the file system, and updated file system reversal information is then formulated and provided to cloud blob storage. The injected representation of the file system is a one-to-one function of the content of the file system, in that the reversal information can be used to recover the content of the file system. Injected representations of various nodes in the system hierarchy may also be remotely stored.
US09953029B2
Embodiments are directed to a computer implemented counterproductive interaction identification system. The system includes an electronic tool configured to hold data of a user, and an analyzer circuit configured to derive a cognitive trait of the user based at least in part on the data of the user. The system further includes a decision engine configured to determine, based at least in part on the derived cognitive trait of the user, that the user is a target or a source of an actual or an impending counterproductive interaction.
US09953021B2
The invention improves document generation systems in which data is collected to enable automated, customised document generation. initially, a questionnaire which defines a dataset is completed. The system then determines which variables are relevant, and then determines whether all relevant variables are in the dataset. Finally, the system generates a fully customised document if the dataset is complete.
US09953018B2
Transfer of content between documents of different storage types is provided. Different versions of an endpoint (e.g., a productivity application) such as a mobile version and a desktop version, for example, may be enabled to process the same document and synchronize changes to the document content, even though the different versions or endpoints may use distinct formats for the same document.
US09953014B1
Providing interaction to an application with a collection of information stored in a Document Object Model is disclosed. The collection is maintained in the Document Object Model. A virtualization layer provides one or more collection interfaces to the collection. An indication of an interaction of the application with the collection is received. The collection interfaces include a safety buffer and the interaction of the application with the safety buffer triggers a functionality of the virtualization layer.
US09953011B1
Systems and associated processes for generating user pagination preference data and using that data to generate and/or present network pages are described herein. These systems and processes can dynamically collect data representing a user's preference respecting specific layout determination factors, and can store this data in association with the user. The systems and processes can also make use of that data to provide the user with a personalized user interface which will provide the user with a page layout tailored to that specific user's browsing habits. Moreover, data representing the attributes of the requested content or the user device may further contribute to generating a page layout which optimally displays the requested content to the user. Accordingly, user pagination preference data can potentially both present a more satisfying user interface and elicit more item purchases than existing pagination systems in some embodiments.
US09953010B2
Page layout of content items from a variety of sources is performed. A content processing system queues content items, such as user-generated blogs, tweets, social networking status updates and other postings, received from a variety of sources. Each content item comprises one or more assets from one or more asset types. The asset types include text, images, and video. A page builder retrieves items from the queue and determines the item's size constraints. A template is selected from a template database to use as a layout for the items on a page; each template has a number of slots into which content can be placed. A layout module lays out the items into the slots of the selected template based on the respective size and aspect ratio constraints of the items, in order to build a page to serve to a client device.
US09953000B2
A device comprising: a bus master, including a bi-directional data and clock lines, configured to produce a select signal output for enabling data transmission on the bi-directional data line to first/second different data busses supporting multiple slave devices configured to receive/transmit data over a respective data bus and to receive a clock signal from the bus master from the clock line; and a de-multiplexer including an input, first and second outputs and a control input, the input coupled to the bi-directional data line of the bus master, first/second outputs of the de-multiplexer coupled to first/second data busses, respectively, and the control input configured to receive the select signal from the bus master that is configured to communicate to a first slave device when the select signal is in a first state, and a second different slave device when the select signal is in a second different state.
US09952992B2
In certain information handling system environments, physical devices connected to a client are redirected to a server or other information handling system. Each of these physical devices will use and occupy network bandwidth. Physical devices may be virtualized so that other users of remote systems may access and use the physical devices. Transaction requests associated with physical devices located at one or more client devices from applications may be reduced by determining if the transaction requests are certain types of commands, and if so then under certain conditions handling the transaction request at the server as opposed to transmitting all such transaction requests to the client device. Optimization of transaction requests associated with redirected devices provides efficiencies for a network.
US09952983B2
Systems comprising a processor, a memory controller, and a flash memory. The flash memory comprises a programmable intelligent search memory (PRISM).
US09952981B2
A method includes reading memory pages from a non-volatile memory that holds at least first memory pages having a first bit significance and second memory pages having a second bit significance, different from the first bit significance. At least some of the read memory pages are cached in a cache memory. One or more of the cached memory pages are selected for eviction from the cache memory, in accordance with a selection criterion that gives eviction preference to the memory pages of the second bit significance over the memory pages of the first bit significance. The selected memory pages are evicted from the cache memory.
US09952978B2
Systems, methods and or devices are used to enable improving mixed random performance in low queue depth workloads in a storage device (e.g., comprising a plurality of non-volatile memory units, such as one or more flash memory devices). In one aspect, the method includes (1) maintaining a write cache corresponding to write commands from a host, (2) determining a workload in accordance with commands from the host, (3) in accordance with a determination that the workload is a non-qualifying workload, scheduling a regular flush of the write cache, and (4) in accordance with a determination that the workload is a qualifying workload, scheduling an optimized flush of the write cache.
US09952975B2
According to an example, memory traffic including memory access commands is routed between compute nodes and memory nodes in a memory network. Other traffic is also routed in the memory network. The other traffic may include input/output traffic between the compute nodes and peripherals connected to the memory network.
US09952970B2
A method for allocating cache for a disk array includes monitoring an I/O distribution of the disk array in a predetermined time period, determining a garbage collection state of the disk array, the garbage collection state allows the disk array to perform a garbage collection and prevents the disk array to perform the garbage collection, and determining an allocation of the cache based on the I/O distribution and the garbage collection state.
US09952963B2
The present invention relates to aSoC, which includes a master device, a slave device, a high-speed bus, and a monitoring apparatus. The master device is connected to a first port of the high-speed bus, and the slave device is connected to a second port of the high-speed bus, so that the master device is capable of accessing the slave device. The monitoring apparatus is arranged between the first port of the high-speed bus and the master device, and/or between the second port of the high-speed bus and the slave device, and configured to record, based on a high-speed bus communication protocol, state information of each command that passes through the first port and/or the second port, and when state information of a command indicates that an operation of the command is in a timeout state, report an interrupt to locate a faulty node on the high-speed bus.
US09952961B2
A computer-implemented method and system for assessing risk of a software program and software updates to a program to prioritize verification resources, which includes receiving code for a software product for a testing assessment. The code is analyzed according to a risk assessment criteria, and the risk assessment criteria includes risk assessment factors. The risk assessment factors for the code are weighted as part of the criteria. A risk assessment score of the code is determined based on the criteria. Testing resources are allocated in response to the risk assessment score.
US09952959B2
A logging tool running on a computing device serializes system and application events. The logging tool analyzes a logging stream from a process to identify if the logging stream includes a formatting instruction. The logging tool identifies at least one argument associated with the formatting instruction, and serializes the formatting instruction and the at least one argument by recording, to a buffer, the formatting instruction and the at least one argument without formatting the logging stream.
US09952951B2
One or more techniques and/or computing devices are provided for preserving coredump data. A first storage controller, of a first storage cluster, may have a disaster recovery relationship with a second storage controller of a second storage cluster. When the first storage controller fails, the first storage controller performs a coredump process to dump memory contents of the first storage controller into a storage device. During implementation of the coredump process, the first storage controller stores a storage device identifier of the storage device into a disk mailbox. Upon detecting the failure, the second storage controller reads the storage device identifier from the disk mailbox. The second storage controller performs a switchover operation to change ownership of storage devices, but excluding the storage device used by the coredump process, from the first storage controller to the second storage controller for providing clients with failover access to the storage devices.
US09952943B2
A transactional memory system salvages a partially executed hardware transaction. A processor of the transactional memory system saves state information in a first code region of a first hardware transaction. The processor executes an about-to-fail handler, the about-to-fail handler using the saved state information to determine whether the first hardware transaction is to be salvaged or to be aborted. The processor executing the about-to-fail handler, based on the transaction being to be salvaged, uses the saved state information to determine what portion of the first hardware transaction to salvage.
US09952941B2
Technologies for virtual multipath access include a computing device configured to sequester a recovery partition from a host partition while allowing the recovery partition to access one or more resources of the host partition such as host memory or data storage. A remote computing device determines whether the host partition is responsive. The recovery partition receives a request for host state data of the host partition from the remote computing device in response to a determination that the host partition is not responsive. The recovery partition retrieves the requested host state data using a host state index maintained by the host partition and transmits the requested host state data to the remote computing device. The host state index may identify the location of the requested host state data. The remote computing device may perform a recovery operation based on the received host state data. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US09952938B2
Methods, devices and systems enable restoring a database system more efficiently. A server computing device may be configured to determine a recovery time interval for a session store database system so as to allow a large number of sessions (e.g., ninety percent of sessions, etc.) to start and finish within that interval, periodically review database records to identify a database record that has not been updated within a most recent recovery time interval, add the identified database record to a journaling log, and update the identified database record to include information identifying a time at which the database record was last added to the journaling log. After detecting a failure event, the server computing device may perform the database operations identified in the journaling log to restore the database system.
US09952927B2
A data storage apparatus comprising a plurality of data storage devices configured to store data blocks, and one or more protection devices configured to store protection blocks, wherein the data devices and the protection devices are associated by a plurality of stripes, wherein each stripe comprises a memory block on each data device or protection device, and wherein each protection block in a protection device comprises a value for reconstructing storage blocks in the same stripe, and a controller configured to select a data device, store data blocks sequentially to the memory blocks in the selected data devices, store protection blocks in the protection devices for each updated stripe, read data blocks from a selected data device, and reconstruct damaged storage devices. It operates a cold storage system with less power consumption, low component wear, and flexible in capacity expansion.
US09952907B2
A method and apparatus for managing data is provided, including determining one or more network services associated with user-uploaded data stored in a database, and linking the user-uploaded data with the one or more network services to provide the user-uploaded data via the one or more network services.
US09952906B1
A native environment on a local device and a virtual environment on a server device linked to the native device over a network can concurrently execute. The concurrently executing can share state information to keep activities between both environments substantially time-synched. The native environment can be a user-machine interactive environment of a machine-to-user interactive interface. The native environment can perform stand-alone operation without appreciable end-user experience degradation. A process in the native environment requiring an excessive quantity of processing cycles can be detected. The native environment can not perform the processing using resources of the native environment. The virtual environment can perform the process and synchronize the result to the native environment, thereby permitting the native environment to continue to function as if the process was performed by the native environment.
US09952901B2
Described herein are technologies related to enforcing thread dependency using a hybrid scoreboard. An encoded video information that includes a plurality of threads is received, a first set and a second set of threads from the plurality of thread is determined, the first and second sets of threads are assigned to a hardware and a software, respectively, and dependency threads in the first and second sets of threads is enforced.
US09952896B2
Systems and methods are described for managing asynchronous code executions in an on-demand code execution system or other distributed code execution environment, in which multiple execution environments, such as virtual machine instances, can be used to enable rapid execution of user-submitted code. When asynchronous executions occur, one execution may become blocked while waiting for completion of another execution. Because the on-demand code execution system contains multiple execution environments, the system can efficiently handle a blocked execution by saving a state of the execution, and removing it from its execution environment. When a blocking dependency operation completes, the system can resume the blocked execution using the state information, in the same or different execution environment.
US09952886B2
Embodiments are directed towards employing a traffic management system (TMS) that is enabled to deploy component virtual machines (CVM) to the cloud to perform tasks of the TMS. In some embodiments, a TMS may be employed with one or more CVMs. In at least one embodiment, the TMS may maintain an image of each CVM. Each CVM may be configured to perform one or more tasks, to operate in specific cloud infrastructures, or the like. The TMS may deploy one or more CVMs locally and/or to one or more public and/or private clouds. In some embodiments, deployment of the CVMs may be based on a type of task to be performed, anticipated resource utilization, customer policies, or the like. The deployment of the CVMs may be dynamically updated based on monitored usage patterns, task completions, customer policies, or the like.
US09952877B2
In one embodiment, a physical device (e.g., packet switching device, computer, server) is booted using custom-created frozen partially-booted virtual machines, avoiding the time required for an end-to-end boot process. In one embodiment while the system is operating under a current version, a partially-booted virtual image of a new operating version for each of multiple processing elements of the device is produced according to static configuration information specific to the device, with each of these partially-booted virtual machines frozen. The device is rebooted to a fully operational device by unfreezing these partially-booted virtual machines, thus removing this portion of a boot process from the real-time booting of the device. The generation of the frozen partially-booted virtual machines is advantageously performed by the device itself based on current static configuration information and the availability of the specific hardware configuration of the device.
US09952876B2
There are provided a system, a method and a computer program product for selecting an active data stream (a lane) while running SPMD (Single Program Multiple Data) code on SIMD (Single Instruction Multiple Data) machine. The machine runs an instruction stream over input data streams. The machine increments lane depth counters of all active lanes upon the thread-PC reaching a branch operation. The machine updates the lane-PC of each active lane according to targets of the branch operation. The machine selects an active lane and activates only lanes whose lane-PCs match the thread-PC. The machine decrements the lane depth counters of the selected active lanes and updates the lane-PC of each active lane upon the instruction stream reaching a first instruction. The machine assigns the lane-PC of a lane with a largest lane depth counter value to the thread-PC and activates all lanes whose lane-PCs match the thread-PC.
US09952875B2
A superscalar pipelined microprocessor includes a register set defined by an instruction set architecture of the microprocessor, execution units, and a store unit, coupled to the cache memory and distinct from the other execution units of the microprocessor. The store unit comprises an ALU. The store unit receives an instruction that specifies a source register of the register set and an operation to be performed on a source operand to generate a result. The store unit reads the source operand from the source register. The ALU performs the operation on the source operand to generate the result, rather than forwarding the source operand to any of the other execution units of the microprocessor to perform the operation on the source operand to generate the result. The store unit operatively writes the result to the cache memory.
US09952874B2
Operation of a multi-slice processor including execution slices and load/store slices, where the load/store slices are coupled to the execution slices via a results bus and the results bus includes segments assigned to carry results of a different instruction type, includes: receiving a producer instruction that includes an identifier of an instruction type and an identifier of the producer instruction, including storing the identifier of the instruction type and the identifier of the producer instruction in an entry of a register; receiving a source instruction dependent upon the result of the producer instruction including storing, in an issue queue, the source instruction, the identifier of the instruction type of the producer instruction, and an identifier of the producer instruction; and snooping the identifier of the producer instruction only from the segment of the results bus assigned to carry results of the instruction type of the producer instruction.
US09952861B2
Operation of a multi-slice processor including execution slices and load/store slices, where the load/store slices are coupled to the execution slices via a results bus and the results bus includes segments assigned to carry results of a different instruction type, includes: receiving a producer instruction that includes an identifier of an instruction type and an identifier of the producer instruction, including storing the identifier of the instruction type and the identifier of the producer instruction in an entry of a register; receiving a source instruction dependent upon the result of the producer instruction including storing, in an issue queue, the source instruction, the identifier of the instruction type of the producer instruction, and an identifier of the producer instruction; and snooping the identifier of the producer instruction only from the segment of the results bus assigned to carry results of the instruction type of the producer instruction.
US09952856B2
The present disclosure describes methods, systems, and computer program products for providing a lightweight deployment of mobile cloud applications. A computer-implemented method comprises: receiving, at a server and from a remote client device, a first request to create a frame for the application; storing, by the server, the frame of the application in a repository; generating, by the server, an identifier associated with the frame and the repository; initiating, by the server, a copying of the repository to a workspace; and receiving, by the repository or the workspace and from the remote client, a pushing command including the identifier to update the frame stored in the repository or the workspace with application data associated with a created, modified or deleted version of the application.
US09952853B2
A technique, as well as select implementations thereof, pertaining to cross-mounting a device is described. The technique may involve an apparatus detecting a presence of a device not a part of the apparatus. The technique may also involve the apparatus performing an update in response to the detecting of the presence of the device. The technique may additionally involve the apparatus establishing a communication connection with the device. The technique may further involve the apparatus utilizing the device to perform one or more tasks.
US09952850B2
Systems and methods for automated firmware update with rollback are described herein. The systems include a plurality of storage zones, each storage zone including a plurality of storage nodes, each storage node including a plurality of storage media. The method includes monitoring storage system activity and parameters and maintaining a data storage system usage and parameter database containing system activity information. When a firmware update is available, data storage system activity is evaluated. Storage nodes needing the firmware update are identified. The firmware update is run on available storage nodes identified as needing the firmware update. The impact of the firmware update is evaluated and a rollback of the firmware update is initiated on all firmware updated storage nodes when parameter variations are significant and/or result in degraded performance.
US09952845B2
Embodiments relate to systems and methods for provisioning machines having virtual storage resources, such as virtual disks. A provisioning (or “cobbler”) server can interact with a local virtual machine installation client to initiate software provisioning to a set of target machines. Each virtualization profile or virtualized system record can have one or more virtual disks associated with it for installation and storage. The provisioning process can entail, for example, the delivery of an operating system, applications, or other software to the targets. The virtual machine installation client can identify potential locations for virtual disks on the target, such as volume identifiers, media types, and/or file systems. The cobbler server can generate a distribution to the target machine taking the configuration of the virtual disk into account, and install the provisioned software to that storage resource without a need to manually specify storage parameters. Diskless machines can also be provisioned.
US09952844B1
Embodiments relate to optimizing an indirect call function. More specifically, an indirect call function configuration comprises a first application module having a target function of the indirect function call, a second application module with a symbolic reference to the target function of the indirect function call, and a third application module to originate an indirect function call. A compiler is provided to identify potential target functions and indicate the potential target functions in the program code. Additionally, the compiler determines and indicates in the program code that the function pointer value resulting from a non-call reference of a function symbol is solely used to perform indirect calls in the same module. A linker can read the indication the compiler made in the program code and optimize the indirect call function.
US09952843B2
A solution is proposed for implementing staging in computer programs and code specialization at runtime. Even when values are not known at compile time, many of the values used as parameters for a code section or a function are constant, and are known prior to starting the computation of the algorithm. Embodiments of the claimed subject matter propagate these values just before execution in the same way a compiler would if they were compile time constant, resulting in improved control flow and significant simplification in the computation involved.
US09952841B2
In one embodiment, an improved programming system and language for application development is provided that combines elements of the C and Objective-C languages without the constraints imposed by a requirement to maintain compatibility with the C language. The language provides the functionality of the C language compatibility in certain areas to improve the inherent safety of software written in the language. The new language includes default safety considerations such as bounds and overflow checking.
US09952840B2
External references are resolved in a software compiling and linking environment by identifying a group of related external references and by processing the group of external references until a stopping condition is satisfied. The external references are processed by selecting a next external reference from the group of external references as a current external reference and by resolving the current external reference with a matching definition if a matching definition for the current external reference exists. The stopping condition is designated as being satisfied if either the selected external reference is resolved, or if each external reference in the group of external references has been selected.
US09952833B2
Proposed changes to a source code generated by client computing devices are integrated with a master version of the code resident on a server computing system remote from the client devices. The client devices connect to the server system over a network and transmit proposed changes to the server system, where resident integration/conflict resolution software automatically integrates the proposed changes into the master version. Any unresolved conflicts remaining after the automatic integration are identified and the server system automatically sends an email notifying the one or more client devices that there are unresolved conflicts. The email includes a link that enables a client device to launch a window on a monitor, and the client device user employs the window to transmit commands directly to and receive further communications directly from the integration/conflict resolution software in an interactive operation to attempt to manually resolve the conflicts.
US09952829B2
A binary fused multiply-add floating-point unit configured to operate on an addend, a multiplier, and a multiplicand. The unit is configured to receive as the addend an unrounded result of a prior operation executed in the unit via an early result feedback path; to perform an alignment shift of the unrounded addend on an unrounded exponent and an unrounded mantissa; as well as perform a rounding correction for the addend in parallel to the actual alignment shift, responsive to a rounding-up signal.
US09952826B2
An audio mixer system and method is provided. The audio mixer system includes an audio interface, an audio signal processor, and a control circuit. The control circuit is configured to recognize a source type of an audio signal at the audio interface based on analyzing the audio signal. The control circuit is configured to control a setting of a signal path of the audio signal from an input of the audio interface through the audio signal processor to an output of the audio interface based on the recognized source type.
US09952815B2
An image generation-output control apparatus provided in an image forming apparatus communicable with a server that controls a plurality of processes in an image processing system includes a first image processing unit, a second image processing unit, a job receiver to update an initial command information received from the server to a specific command information, a part of the initial command information updated to the specific command information processable at the second image processing unit and not processable at the first image processing unit, and a job controller to cause the first image processing unit to generate first image drawing information based on output target image information received from the server and the initial command information that is not updated, and further cause the second image processing unit to generate second image drawing information based on the specific command information and the output target image information received from the server.
US09952806B2
A mapping table loading method and a memory storage apparatus are provided. The method includes: receiving a plurality of first read commands comprising a plurality of first logical units; executing a first logical-physical mapping table pre-loading operation to read a plurality of mapping information corresponding to the first logical units in a logical-physical mapping table from a rewritable non-volatile memory module to a first buffer area of a buffer memory according to a first executing sequence of the first read commands if the first logical units are not continuous logical addresses; and reading data belonging to the first logical units from physical erasing units to the first buffer area according to the mapping information of the first logical units, and replacing the mapping information of the first logical units in the first buffer area by the data belonging to the first logical units.
US09952805B2
A processor receives a command from a server computer to designate a plurality of addresses related to a plurality of logical storage areas, and write a plurality of write data to the logical storage areas. The processor receives the write data and writes it to storage areas different from storage areas in which a plurality of holding data are stored in a first memory. When the processor determines that the write data are written to the first memory, the processor transmits a success response to a host computer. When the write data satisfy a predetermined condition, the processor writes the write data in the first memory to a plurality of first device storage areas. When it is determined that at least a part of the data is not written to the first memory, the processor transmits a failure response to the host computer.
US09952797B2
Presented herein are mass data storage networks, file system protocols, non-transitory machine readable devices, and methods for storing data blocks in mass data storage systems. Methods for storing data blocks in a file system are disclosed which include: receiving by storage controller of the data storage system a request to write a data file to a system storage module; determining whether the data file includes a sub-K data chunk that is less than approximately four kilobytes; identifying a packed block that stores a plurality of sub-K data chunks and has sufficient storage space available to store the sub-K data chunk; and placing, by the storage controller in the packed block, the sub-K data chunk and a corresponding data length and a respective offset identifying a location of the sub-K data chunk in the packed block.
US09952795B2
In a data storage system including a non-volatile random access memory (NVRAM) array, a page is a smallest granularity of the NVRAM array that can be accessed by read and write operations, and a memory block containing multiple pages is a smallest granularity of the NVRAM array that can be erased. Data are stored in the NVRAM array in page stripes distributed across multiple memory blocks. In response to detection of an error in a particular page of a particular block of the NVRAM array, only the particular page of the particular block is retired, such that at least two of the multiple memory blocks across which a particular one of the page stripes is distributed include differing numbers of active (non-retired) pages.
US09952793B2
A memory system may include: a memory device including a plurality of pages having a plurality of memory cells coupled to a plurality of word lines and suitable for storing read data and write data requested from a host, a plurality of memory blocks each including the pages, a plurality of planes each including the memory blocks, and a plurality of memory chips each including the planes; and a controller suitable for searching map data of the read data corresponding to a read command received from the host on a basis of a plurality of segments, triggering memory chips corresponding to the map data searched through the searches of the respective segments, reading data stored in the triggered memory chips, and transferring the read data to the host.
US09952792B2
Methods, systems, and computer readable media for storage device workload detection using power consumption are disclosed. One aspect of the subject matter described herein includes a storage device. The storage device includes non-volatile storage. The storage device further includes a device controller for controlling access to the non-volatile storage. A power management controller separate from the device controller senses an indication of power used by at least one of the non-volatile storage and the device controller, compares the sensed indication of power to at least one threshold, and, in response to a predetermined relationship between the sensed indication of power and the at least one threshold, signals the device controller of a workload state of the storage device.
US09952789B2
A memory system includes a nonvolatile memory module and a memory controller. The nonvolatile memory module includes a plurality of memory chips and a module controller disposed on a printed circuit board. The module controller controls operations of the plurality of memory chips. Each of the plurality of memory chips includes a plurality of nonvolatile memory cells and operates in an operation mode. The operation mode is either a memory mode or a storage mode. The memory controller performs a write operation and a read operation on the nonvolatile memory module, and performs a first error check and correction (ECC) operation on data communicated with the nonvolatile memory module. One of the module controller or the plurality of memory chips performs a second ECC operation on data stored in the plurality of memory chips based on the operation mode of the plurality of memory chips.
US09952777B2
A method of orchestrated shuffling of data in a non-uniform memory access device that includes a plurality of processing nodes that are connected by interconnects. The method includes running an application on a plurality of threads executing on the plurality of processing nodes. Data to be shuffled is identified from source threads running on source processing nodes among the processing nodes to target threads executing on target processing nodes among the processing nodes. The method further includes generating a plan for orchestrating the shuffling of the data among the all of the memory devices associated with the threads and for simultaneously transmitting data over different interconnects to a plurality of different target processing nodes from a plurality of different source processing nodes. The data is shuffled among all of the memory devices based on the plan.
US09952771B1
Example embodiments of the present invention relate to a method, a system, and a computer program product for compressing data in a data storage system. The method includes performing writes to the data storage system according to a first compression algorithm and determining to perform write commands according to a second compression algorithm. Subsequent writes may be performed to the data storage system according to the second compression algorithm.
US09952770B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide methods, systems, and computer program products for responding to recall operations based on a file migration time. In one embodiment, it is determined whether the number of recall requests (R) is equal to the number of storage drives in an idle state, and if the number of recall requests (R) is equal to the number of storage drives in an idle state, the storage drive(s) that are in the idle state are assigned as having the shortest time to complete a requested recall operation. The time to complete the requested recall operation (M) of the identified idle state storage drive(s) is set to zero.
US09952750B2
A computer implemented method for managing a widget is disclosed. The widget can include a drop-down menu. The method can include opening the drop-down menu having a set of items corresponding with a set of data. The method can also include updating the set of items dynamically in the opened drop-down menu in response to a change in the set of data. The method can also include processing a selected item from the updated set of items in the opened drop-down menu.
US09952741B2
Disclosed are a mobile terminal application icon management method and a mobile terminal. The mobile terminal application icon management method comprises: presetting class information about an application, and establishing a mapping relation table among an application class, a screen serial number of a display screen and an application icon; receiving an object moving instruction, obtaining regular pattern information corresponding to a moved object according to the object moving instruction, and displaying the regular pattern information; and after the moved object is successfully moved to the corresponding region of a regular pattern, updating the corresponding mapping relation table among the application class, the screen serial number of a display screen and the application icon. The present invention simplifies the management operation process of an application icon, and achieves batch management and multimodal management of an application icon, thereby greatly facilitating the management operation of a user in respect of an application icon.
US09952740B1
A color conversion panel includes a substrate, a color conversion layer, a transmission layer, and a blue light cutting filter. The color conversion layer is disposed on the substrate. The color conversion layer includes a quantum dot. The transmission layer is disposed on the substrate. The blue light cutting filter is disposed between the substrate and the color conversion layer. An interface between the color conversion layer and the blue light cutting filter includes irregularities.
US09952738B1
In some embodiments, a method includes determining a content type in response to a user accessing a webpage and further based on a user attribute. In some embodiments, the user attribute may be related to a business organization that the user belongs to. In some embodiments, the method may further include determining relevant content to be displayed based on the determined content type, and transmitting webpage data including the relevant content for rendering on a device as a graphical user interface (GUI). In some embodiments, a method comprises of receiving a request to create a dynamic content component and identifying content to be displayed therein. In some embodiments, the method may further comprises customizing a look and feel of the dynamic content component based on the user attributes, and generating a code to display the dynamic content component in response to the user accessing a webpage.
US09952730B2
A flexible touch panel having a bending region which is bendable and a flat region, includes: a plurality of first unit conductive patterns formed in the flat region; and a plurality of second unit conductive patterns formed in the bending region, and the second unit conductive pattern has a smaller width than the first unit conductive pattern.
US09952729B2
A touch screen panel includes a plurality of pixels on a substrate, a sealing thin film on the substrate, and a plurality of sensing electrodes on the sealing thin film, each of the sensing electrodes having a mesh structure, the mesh structures of the sensing electrodes and the pixels overlapping different portions of the substrate.
US09952708B2
An electronic device includes a transparent display, a display controller; configured to control the transparent display to display content; a first adjustable optical panel, arranged on a first surface of the transparent display; and an adjustable optical panel controller, configured to control states of the first adjustable optical panel, wherein the first adjustable optical panel is transparent in a first state and the first adjustable optical panel is non-transparent in a second state.
US09952707B2
A password input device includes: at least two mutually separate touch display screens; a controller configured to control the touch display screen to randomly display characters; and a processor configured to determine the characters currently displayed on corresponding touch display screens subjected to a touch operation after detecting the touch operation, determine a character string inputted by a user according to a sequence of the touch operation, and take the character string as a password inputted by the user. The password input device can adopt a flexible overall arrangement mode of the character string for the password and improve the security of password input. A password input method is further disclosed.
US09952700B2
A display device includes: a plurality of pixel electrodes each of which is provided in each of a plurality of sub-pixels arranged in a display region; a driving electrode provided so as to overlap the plurality of pixel electrodes when seen in a plan view; a plurality of detecting electrodes provided so as to overlap the driving electrode when seen in a plan view; and a dummy electrode provided apart from the detecting electrodes. The detecting electrodes and the dummy electrode include a metal layer or an alloy layer. A ratio of total sum of areas of portions of the plurality sub-pixels which overlap any of the detecting electrodes and the dummy electrode when seen in a plan view to total sum of areas of the plurality of sub-pixels is 1 to 22%.
US09952698B2
Dynamically adjusting a touch resolution of a display having pixel circuits each including an OLED driven by a driving transistor according to programming information representing a desired brightness for each OLED. A first touch resolution of the display is defined to create first touch zones relative to the display as images are being displayed thereon. A first touch in one of the first touch zones is detected by measuring a voltage across an anode and a cathode of each of a first set of OLEDs in the first touch zone. The first touch resolution is dynamically changed to a different second touch resolution to create second touch zones as further images are being displayed. A second touch in one of the second touch zones is detected by measuring a voltage across an anode and a cathode of each of a second set of OLEDs in the second touch zone.
US09952687B2
An apparatus for implementing touch control and fingerprint identification includes: a fingerprint identification sensor, a fingerprint identification circuit, a combination switch and a touch control circuit. The fingerprint identification sensor comprises a plurality of sub-sensors. The fingerprint identification sensor transmits a signal generated by detection of the plurality of sub-sensors to the fingerprint identification circuit when the combination switch is open circuited, and combines the signal generated by detection of the plurality of sub-sensors into a touch signal through the combination switch so as to transmit the touch signal to the touch control circuit when the combination switch is closed.
US09952683B1
An apparatus includes a processor and a keyboard having multiple, separately moveable keys. The keyboard is configured to function as both a keyboard and a trackpad.
US09952679B2
To give various movement instructions by body gestures to an object in a virtual space, a method includes detecting movements of controllers held by both hands of a user. The method further includes determining a first movement instruction based on the movements of the controllers. The method further includes causing a first character gazed at by the user to perform a first movement and causing a second character not gazed at by the user to perform a second movement depending on the first movement instruction. With this, instructions are given to the characters in the virtual space by means of body gestures.
US09952676B2
A method is described including receiving real time signals from the sensor array, comparing the real time signals to corresponding training signals representing a gesture from each sensor in the sensor array to determine if a gesture has been recognized and transmitting a command corresponding to a recognized gesture to a remote computing device.
US09952659B2
A product guidance system is described herein that provides consistent methods and processes to aggregate product guidance from different online (and potentially local) sources, to ensure that the guidance aggregation is done with proper quality criteria (e.g., content/author reputation), to define how guidance is aggregated and presented appropriately for the context (e.g., a novice user may see different UI experience and different content than an advanced user), and to specify how the guidance is delivered within the product surface itself. The system defines a consistent information asset type meta-model, applies a semantic approach and algorithms to aggregate guidance content from varying sources and deliver through consistent interfaces, and provides an asset and user interface composition model to present the retrieved information following flexible categorization and navigation schemes. Thus, the product guidance system helps product teams deliver the right information, within the right context, and within the product surface.
US09952652B2
A virtual reality system is provided. A head mounted display apparatus is coupled to a host device via a transmission cable. A multimedia module receives multimedia content via a first signal path of the transmission cable. A multi-sensing module obtains sensing information regarding the head mounted display apparatus and the user. A power management device controls the power status of the multimedia module, the multi-sensing module, and the peripheral hub according to a power voltage via a third signal path of the transmission cable. The micro control unit detects in which mode the virtual reality system is operating according to the signal status of the first and second signal paths of the transmission cable to notify the power management device to control the power status of the multimedia module, the multi-sensing module, and the peripheral hub.
US09952650B2
A processing system with multiple processors is switchable between two modes of operation dynamically: symmetrical multi-processing (SMP) and asymmetrical multi-processing (ASMP). The system uses certain criteria to determine when to switch to improve the power consumption or performance. A controller enables control and fast-switching between the two modes. Upon receipt of a switching command to switch between SMP and ASMP, a series or sequence of actions are performed to control voltage supplies and CPU/memory clocks to the multiple processors and cache memory.
US09952647B2
A method and system are provided for managing wireless collaborative charging between at least two mobile devices that include a first mobile device and a second mobile device. The method includes monitoring power usage for at least one of the at least two mobile devices. The method further includes predicting power requirements for at least one of the at least two mobile devices. The method also includes authorizing wirelessly sending power from the first mobile device to the second mobile device based on at least one of the power usage and the power requirements.
US09952640B2
A power control system allowing multiple voltage levels from a single power adaptor includes a power supply device and an electronic device. The power supply device includes a power supply and a first power controller. The power supply is configured to supply power for a graphics card as an external renderer, and the first power controller is configured to output a voltage signal. The electronic device includes a second power controller electrically coupled to the first power controller and the second power controller is configured for obtaining the voltage signal from the first power controller. The first power controller can output a first voltage or a second voltage to the second power controller to supply power for the electronic device.
US09952638B2
In an example, a computing device is disclosed in which processing elements and other active devices may generate thermal irregularities such as hot spots on the casing of a computing device. In some cases, these hot spots may be undesirable from a comfort and usability standpoint or because they may result in thermal damage to system components. To remediate thermal irregularities, including hot spots, a localized depression may be provided in a casing or chassis to enlarge the air gap between the heat source and the bottom casing around the hot spot, so that the bottom casing skin temperature at the hot spot can be lowered with the increased air gap. A heat spreader may also be disposed above the localized depression to better distribute heat over a surface area. In some cases, ribbing may be provided to provide structural support to a heat spreader disposed over a localized depression.
US09952628B2
An apparatus comprises a first body including a display and a second body including a first portion and a second portion, the first portion including an input device to receive an input, and the second portion including a magnet to magnetically attach to the first body. An apparatus comprises a body having a display screen, and having a frame with a first surface having an opening to expose the display screen, a second surface disposed opposite to the first surface, and a side portion disposed between the first surface and the second surface and having one or more magnets disposed in the side portion of the frame of the body.
US09952626B2
A highly portable semiconductor device and the like providing improved browsability of display. Provided is a semiconductor device including a flexible display panel, a first housing supporting a first region of the display panel, a second housing supporting a second region of the display panel, and a flexible base material firmly attached to the first housing. The display panel can be deformed into an open position where the first and second regions are substantially on the same plane or into a folded position where the first and second regions overlap with each other. The second housing includes a groove portion where the flexible base material can partly slide. Part of the flexible base material is inserted into the groove portion in the open position. The part of the flexible base material which is inserted into the groove portion is at least partly withdrawn in a deformation into the folded position.
US09952624B2
The invention relates to a cover comprising a decoration 11 which is visible to a user when the cover is connected to an electronic device. In order to enhance the functions provided by such a cover, it is proposed that the cover further comprises contact sensitive means 22, 23 arranged such that they generate an electrical signal when a part 12 of the decoration 11 associated to the contact sensitive means 22, 23 is touched, and connection means 24, 25 for electrically connecting the contact sensitive means 22, 23 to processing means. The invention relates equally to an electronic device with such a cover.
US09952623B2
There is provided an electronic apparatus, including a first housing, a second housing which has a display section and a support member supporting the display section, and a housing connection section which rotatably connects the second housing with respect to the first housing. The support member includes a first support section connected to the housing connection section, a second support section which fixedly supports the display section, and a support connection section, positioned between the first support section and the second support section, which has a flexibility to rotatably connect the second support section with respect to the first support section.
US09952618B2
A handlebar grip including an inward portion defining an inward portion outer diameter, an outward portion defining an outward portion outer diameter, and a recessed portion, located between the inward portion and the outward portion, and defining a recessed portion outer diameter that is less than the inward portion outer diameter and the outward portion outer diameter.
US09952614B2
Arrangements described herein relate to accessing a cloud based service. Responsive to a user of a first communication device initiating access to the cloud based service via the first communication device, a prompt for a valid password to be entered to access the cloud based service can be received by the first communication device. Responsive to the valid password required to access the cloud based service not being stored on the first communication device, the first communication device can automatically retrieve the valid password from a second communication device via a peer-to-peer ad hoc communication link between the first communication device and the second communication device. The valid password can be automatically provided, by the first communication device, to a login service for the cloud based service to obtain access by the first communication device to the cloud based service.
US09952612B2
A power system is provided for a machine, such as a marine or petroleum drilling vessel. The power system may have a plurality of power sources, each with an operating range divided into a plurality of power zones. The power system may also have at least one power consumer driven by the plurality of power sources, a load manager associated with the at least one power consumer and configured to create a load demand for the plurality of power sources, and a controller in communication with the load manager and the plurality of power sources. The controller may be configured to determine a current operational mode of the power system, and to selectively cause the plurality of power sources to operate in particular zones of the plurality of power zones based on the current operational mode and the load demand.
US09952611B2
Systems and methods for managing power on an electric power grid including a server for communicating IP-based messages over a network with distributed power consuming devices and/or power supplying devices, the IP-based messages including information relating to activities by the power consuming devices and/or the power supplying devices; and wherein the information is transformed by the system into settlement grade data corresponding to the activities of the power consuming devices and/or the power supplying devices.
US09952610B1
A semiconductor integrated circuit includes a control transistor, a control circuit, a reference circuit, a current source, and a stabilizing circuit including a first transistor whose base is connected to a node to receive the reference voltage. The reference circuit includes series-connected second transistor and first and second resistors, third and fourth transistors and third and fourth resistors, and fifth and sixth transistors. The fifth transistor has connected base and collector, which base is connected to a base of the third transistor, the second transistor has a base connected to a node between third and fourth transistors, fourth and sixth transistors have bases connected to a first node between first and second resistors or a second node between second transistor and first resistor, a potential at the first or second node is the reference voltage, and a gain is determined depending on a resistance of the first resistor.
US09952609B2
A low dropout linear regulator circuit comprises a voltage reference source module (100), an error amplifier (200), a reference voltage determining module (300), a power transmission device (400) and a feedback module (500); wherein the voltage reference source module (100) provides a reference voltage for the error amplifier (200), the reference voltage determining module (300) controls an enablement of the error amplifier (200) according to whether the voltage reference source module (100) is completely started, the error amplifier (200) controls ON/OFF of the power transmission device (400) according to the reference voltage provided by the voltage reference source module (100) and a feedback voltage provided by the feedback module (500). A chip having the above low dropout linear regulator circuit and a electronic device having the above chip are provided.
US09952606B2
In an embodiment, control is performed to operate a three-way valve in accordance with a reaching ratio of pH adjustment. When process of certain steps is performed, bubbles of ammonia generated in a nebulizer can be extruded by air so as to be injected from an injection port together with aqua ammonia remaining in the nebulizer. Therefore, the pH adjustment can be performed while a large amount of bubbles of ammonia are prevented from being generated in the nebulizer.
US09952605B2
Fluid regulator systems having reset apparatus and methods are described herein. A fluid regulator system includes a fluid regulator including a loading chamber and a supply chamber. The supply chamber is in fluid communication with a supply fluid. The system includes a first fluid control device having a loading inlet and a loading outlet. The loading inlet receives a loading fluid from a loading fluid source and the loading outlet is in fluid communication with the loading chamber. The first fluid control device controls fluid flow between the loading fluid source and the loading chamber. A second fluid control device includes a vent inlet and a vent outlet. The vent inlet is in fluid communication with the loading outlet and the loading chamber and the vent outlet is in fluid communication with a vent. The second fluid control device to control fluid flow between the loading chamber and the vent.
US09952598B2
A mobile robot system capable of estimating the occurrence of various risks within its environment and executing appropriate processing to achieve an objective is provided. The mobile robot system includes an environment recognition unit for recognizing an external environment, a travelling unit, and a travelling control unit which controls the travelling unit on the basis of environment information from the environment recognition unit. The mobile robot system also includes a calculation unit which generates a travelling command to the travelling control unit, a potential risk area recognition unit, and a risk occurrence condition detection unit. When a risk occurrence condition is satisfied, the calculation unit calculates a degree of influence of the occurring risk on achievement of an objective quantitatively in each stage. When the possibility of achieving the object is low, a movement planning unit replans a moving route to raise the possibility of achieving the objective.
US09952596B2
In an embodiment, an autonomous vehicle system includes an autonomous vehicle. The autonomous vehicle includes a communications system configured to communicate with the base station, and a control system communicatively coupled to the communications system, the control system comprising a processor. The processor is configured to receive driving commands from the base station, execute the driving commands to drive the autonomous vehicle, and execute a vehicle controller-to-subsystems latency protocol to determine a communications latency between a vehicle controller and vehicle subsystems, and to stop the autonomous vehicle if the communications latency exceeds a user-configurable latency value, wherein the vehicle controller and vehicle subsystem are disposed in the autonomous vehicle.
US09952590B2
A self-propelled device can determine an initial reference frame of the self-propelled device in three-dimensional space, receive control inputs from a controller device, where the control inputs can be inputted by a user on a steering mechanism of the controller device. The self-propelled device can interpret the control inputs as control commands to maneuver the self-propelled device, and implement the control commands on an internal drive system of the self-propelled device to maneuver the self-propelled device based on the control inputs. While maneuvering, the self-propelled device can determine an orientation of the internal drive system within a spherical housing of the self-propelled device in relation to the initial reference frame, and transmit feedback to the controller device based on the orientation of the internal drive system in order to calibrate an orientation of the steering mechanism with the orientation of the internal drive system.
US09952578B2
In a method for actuating at least one actuator, two control units and a selection logic are provided, and each of the control units is designed to influence the actuator. Each of the control units performs a self-diagnosis, and each of the control units generates at least one activating signal as a function of the self-diagnosis. The activating signal indicates which of the control units is to be activated. The selection logic activates one of the two control units for influencing the actuator as a function of the activating signals.
US09952574B2
A machine learning device which learns the cleaning frequency of a fan motor which cools an electric motor mounted in a machine includes a state observation unit which observes the state of the machine, and a learning unit which updates an action value table for cleaning the fan motor, on the basis of a state variable observed by the state observation unit. This can improve both the life of the electric motor and the operating ratio of the machine.
US09952572B2
A method and apparatus for producing an object (2) comprising providing a digital model (14) of the object (2) that is to be produced; using the digital model, identifying one or more parts (8) of the object (2) that satisfy certain criteria; for each identified part (8), adjusting, in the digital model (14), the thickness of that part (8) to satisfy further criteria, thereby producing an updated model; performing a first production process to produce the part or parts (4, 6) of the object (2) that do not satisfy the criteria, thereby producing an initial object (17); performing an Additive Manufacturing process to add, to the initial object (17), the one or more identified parts (8), thereby producing the object (2). The initial object (17) and identified parts (8) are made of the same material. The first production process is different to the Additive Manufacturing process.
US09952570B2
The disclosure is related to a method for controlling an electric power consumption amount of a consumer by a server coupled to a smart grid for managing electric power distribution. The method may include receiving signals having information on electric power consumption amounts from a meter of a consumer through a communication network, determining an electric power consumption pattern of the consumer based on the information on electric power consumption amounts, calculating electric power supply amounts for a predetermined time period based on the determined electric power consumption pattern of the consumer, and transmitting a control signal to the meter of the consumer through a communication network for controlling an electric power consumption amount of the consumer based on the calculated electric power supply amounts.
US09952569B2
There is provided a building management system and a method for associating a portable sensor device with a stationary control device in such a system. Upon detection of a movement of the portable sensor device, the portable sensor device starts to transmit signals more frequently to the stationary control devices. It is determined that the movement of the portable sensor device has stopped if the signal strength of the transmitted signals received at the stationary control devices is essentially constant during a time window. In response to such a determination, the portable sensor device is associated with the stationary control device having the highest received signal strength and the portable sensor device returns to an energy-saving mode.
US09952568B2
Described embodiments relate generally to energy harvesting systems and interface devices for such systems. In particular, such energy harvesting systems may be configured to harvest kinetic energy from the environment, such as wind, hydro, wave or geothermal energy or to harvest electromagnetic energy like solar radiation. Embodiments also relate to systems and methods to facilitate remote monitoring and/or control of a system comprising an interface device.
US09952566B2
A computer-implemented method for controlling and/or regulating a technical system, in which actions to be carried out on the technical system are first of all determined using an action selection rule which was determined through the learning of a data-driven model and, in particular, a neural network. On the basis of these actions a numerical optimization searches for actions which are better than the original actions according to an optimization criterion. If such actions are found, the technical system is regulated or controlled on the basis of these new actions, such that the corresponding actions are applied to the technical system in succession. The method is suitable, in particular, for regulating or controlling a gas turbine, wherein the actions are preferably optimized with respect to the criterion of low pollutant emission or low combustion chamber humming.
US09952559B2
System for fastening gems to a watch dial and a watch provided with such a system for fastening gems
In order to make a system for fastening gems to a watch dial, the dial is made of an upper plate-shaped element and of a lower plate-shaped element facing each other, the upper plate-shaped element being provided with openings for housing the gems in a visible manner and the lower plate-shaped element being provided with openings at the openings of the upper element and having the same size as these latter. Each of the openings mutually facing by pairs extends across the thickness of the respective plate-shaped element with an own peripheral edge inclined so that each opening narrows, within the section of the respective plate-shaped element, going from the surface of the plate-shaped element facing the other plate-shaped element towards the opposite surface thereof for forming a seat for housing and retaining a gem between the two elements.
US09952558B2
An electronic device has a housing and a rotatable and translatable input mechanism. The housing has an aperture and the rotatable and translatable input mechanism has a shaft positioned at least partially within the aperture and a manipulation structure coupled to the shaft. The manipulation structure may be manipulated to rotationally and translationally move the shaft to provide rotational and translational input to the electronic device. A compressible seal is positioned in a gap between the housing and the rotatable and translatable input mechanism. The compressible seal may resist and/or prevent passage of contaminants into the aperture and/or obscure one or more internal components. The compressible seal may be configured to collapse or bend when the rotatable and translatable member translates.
US09952551B2
An image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive member, a charger, a developing device, a transfer device, a scraper, and a controller. The controller performs an image formation process to form the developer image on the photosensitive member by using the developing device. The controller acquires, as a first value, at least one of a value of the charging current flowing in the charger and a value of the transferring current flowing in the transfer device. The controller calculates an accumulation current value by using result of an integral of a second value over time. The second value is an absolute value of the first value. The controller performs a scraping process in which the scraper scrapes the photosensitive member when the accumulation current value reaches a threshold value.
US09952543B2
Provided is an image-forming apparatus that prevents a drop in processing speed even when a preceding job is interrupted by a simple job (interrupt job). The image-forming apparatus includes a printer unit that prints on paper, a first transporting path that passes by the printer unit, a second transporting path that path branches off from the first transporting path and moves paper that has been turned over from front to back further upstream than the printer unit, a storage unit that stores a condition table indicates conditions for which a preceding job can be interrupted by an interrupt job, and a system-control unit that references the condition table, and when the preceding job can be interrupted, sets a printing order so that printing of the interrupt job is inserted into the printing order of the preceding job.
US09952539B2
The smoothness of a toner layer is reduced and thus the gloss of a resulting print is reduced. A single toner, the original high gloss version, is enabled to print all images. A finishing option is provided which, through application of a combination of heat and pressure with a textured roller, reduces the specular gloss of the toner surface by imprinting a high frequency texture onto the smooth toner layer. By adjusting the temperature/pressure of the textured roller, the effective gloss of the press can be adjusted through software as desired.
US09952534B2
An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member, and a developing device including a developing container accommodating a one component developer including toner, and a developer detecting portion configured to detect the developer in the developing container. The developing device develops an electrostatic latent image formed on the image bearing member with the toner. In addition, a developer supply portion supplies the developer into the developing container in accordance with a detection result of the developer detecting portion, and a controller controls developer supply means, in which a developer amount in the developing container when an image ratio of images formed by a predetermined number of image formations is a first image ratio is larger than the developer amount in the developing container when the image ratio of the images formed by a predetermined image formations is a second image ratio which is smaller than the first image ratio.
US09952514B2
An immersion lithography apparatus is disclosed in which liquid is supplied to a space between a projection system and a substrate, and a plate structure is provided to divide the space into two parts. The plate structure has an aperture to allow transmission of the projection beam, has through holes in it to reduce the damping effect of the presence of the plate and optionally has one or more inlets and outlets to provide various flows around the aperture in the plate. An embodiment of the invention may reduce the transportation of contaminants, stray light, temperature gradients, and/or the effect of bubbles on the imaging quality.
US09952504B2
An imprint method for transferring a pattern to an imprint material supplied to a plurality of shot areas on a substrate using a mold includes removing a foreign matter attached to a pattern of the mold in such a manner that the plurality of shot areas includes a part shot-area where a part of pattern of the mold can be formed and the mold is brought into contact with an imprint material supplied to the part shot-area to transfer the pattern of the mold to the substrate and transferring a pattern to the shot area excluding the part shot-area, among the plurality of shot areas, using the mold used in the removing the foreign matter.
US09952486B2
There is provided a image projection apparatus including an image generation unit for generating an image by using light emitted from a light source, comprising: a movable unit configured to hold the image generation unit and to be able to change a position of the image generation unit; and a drive unit configured to drive the movable unit to move, wherein the movable unit is disposed to move horizontally.
US09952484B2
A photographic background assembly, comprises a collapsible background unit having a semi-rigid frame, and a background mounting member. The collapsible background unit comprises a magnetic portion, and the background mounting member comprises at least one magnetic receiving formation configured to engage the magnetic portion of the collapsible background unit, such that the collapsible background unit is selectively attachable to the background mounting member by the magnetic portion so as to provide a background for use in photography.
US09952475B2
A liquid crystal display which enhances an aperture ratio and stabilizes a storage voltage includes a first substrate, a second substrate opposing the first substrate, a liquid crystal layer between the first substrate and the second substrate, a gate line, a data line, a first sub-pixel electrode, and a second sub-pixel electrode on the first substrate, a first transistor connected to the gate line, the data line, and the first sub-pixel electrode, and a second transistor connected to the gate line, the data line, and the second sub-pixel electrode and including a source electrode, a drain electrode and at least one floating electrode between the source electrode and the drain electrode.
US09952474B2
A deskew display panel is disclosed in present invention. The deskew display panel includes a plurality of data lines arranged in a column direction, a plurality of scanning lines perpendicular to the column direction and intersecting the data lines; a sub-pixel array including a plurality of sub-pixels arranged in array, each sub-pixel including a transistor and disposed between any two neighboring scanning lines and any two neighboring data lines; the scanning lines disposed in the sub-pixel array and parallel to each other; sub-pixels in each row including a plurality of sub-pixel sets, each sub-pixel set including two sub-pixels, the sub-pixel including the transistor, gates of the transistors connected to two neighboring scanning lines respectively, sources of the transistors connected to the same data line, and drains of the transistors connected to a liquid crystal capacitor and a storage capacitor.
US09952466B2
A liquid crystal display includes a display substrate, in which a plurality of domains is defined, includes a pixel electrode disposed in each of the plurality of domains and configured to have a plurality of branch electrodes and a common electrode. A liquid crystal layer disposed between the display substrate and an opposite substrate. A plurality of domains is arranged in a column direction and a row direction. Each of the domains includes first and second sides, a first horizontal edge, and a second horizontal edge facing the first horizontal edge. The second side is parallel with the column direction and the first side is parallel with a first slanted direction. A slit is defined between adjacent branch electrodes. The slit has a first width adjacent to the first horizontal edge, and a second width adjacent to the second horizontal edge.
US09952449B2
A presbyopia contact lens set especially for a user who has worn spherical contact lenses, a designing method for a presbyopia contact lens, and a manufacturing method for a presbyopia contact lens that uses such design method. The presbyopia contact lens set configured by combining a plurality of types of presbyopia contact lens having different specifications lens powers, includes the plurality of types of presbyopia contact lenses in which the radial lens power profile in a near-use region and that in a far-use region are defined using mutually different functions, the function for defining the radial lens power profile in the far-use region is set in accordance with a specifications lens power, and the radial lens power rate-of-change in the far-use region is made larger for lenses having a small specifications lens power than for lenses having a large specifications lens power.
US09952439B2
A head mounted device mounted on a user's head includes a display unit that displays an image to the user, a holding member that holds the display unit to the user's head, and an auxiliary member, including a rotation unit, that assists the holding member by rotating about the rotation unit to contact a front of the user's head. The rotation unit includes a biasing member that biases the auxiliary member in a direction of pressing the front region of the user's head and a restricting member that restricts the rotation at the rotation unit.
US09952438B1
A method and apparatus for performing a task. The task is performed using a tool. Information received by a display system from the tool is displayed on a viewing area that is substantially transparent in the display system. The viewing area is configured to cover an eye and display the information in the viewing area.
US09952437B2
To provide a head-mounted display excellent in portability and operability. A head-mounted display according to the present technology includes a main body and an input operation section. The main body includes a display section configured to present an image to a user and is configured to be mountable on a head of the user. The input operation section includes a first detection element that extends in a first axis direction and is provided in the main body and electrostatically detects an operation position in the first axis direction, and a first guide section that guides an input operation of the user along the first axis direction on the first detection element, and controls the image.
US09952422B2
Methods and systems are provided for enhancing the imaging resolution of three dimensional imaging using light field microscopy. A first approach enhances the imaging resolution by modeling the scattering of light that occurs in an imaging target, and using the model to account for the effects of light scattering when de-convolving the light field information to retrieve the 3-dimensional (3D) volumetric information of the imaging target. A second approach enhances the imaging resolution by using a second imaging modality such as two-photon, multi-photon, or confocal excitation microscopy to determine the locations of individual neurons, and using the known neuron locations to enhance the extraction of time series signals from the light field microscopy data.
US09952413B2
Provided are an imaging lens, which is a wide-angle imaging lens and is capable of satisfactorily correcting various aberrations, and an imaging apparatus which includes this imaging lens. The imaging lens consists of, in order from an object side: a first lens L1 that has a negative refractive power; a second lens L2 that has a negative refractive power; a third lens L3 that has a positive refractive power; a fourth lens L4 that has a negative refractive power; a fifth lens L5 that has a positive refractive power; a sixth lens L6 that has a positive refractive power; and a seventh lens L7 that has a negative refractive power. The following conditional expression (1) is satisfied. −2
US09952390B2
An optical element includes a distributed Bragg reflector, wherein the distributed Bragg reflector includes a first-order diffraction grating of a first-order period disposed in a central region, and second-order diffraction gratings of a second-order period having a coupling coefficient smaller than a coupling coefficient of the first-order diffraction grating and disposed in both end regions between which the central region is located.
US09952388B2
A tapered core waveguide which may be configured as a spectral component splitter, a spectral component combiner, and various combinations thereof including a reflective mode of operation. The tapered core waveguide has an aperture and cladding, and is dimensioned such that radiant energy admitted into the core via the aperture and having at least two spectral components would be emitted via the cladding at a location dependent on its frequency and/or its polarization, and that a plurality of spectral components injected to the core via the cladding will be mixed and emitted via the aperture.
US09952387B2
An optical fiber transmission system with a laser beam splitting and combining device includes a laser beam splitting and combining device receiving a laser beam from a laser device and projecting the laser beam onto a target through an objective lens. The laser beam splitting and combining device has a beam splitter, two transmitters, two receivers and a beam combiner. When the beam splitter divides the received laser beam and transmits the divided laser beams to the transmitters, the transmitters transmit the divided laser beams to the receivers through two optical fibers. The receivers send the divided laser beams to the beam combiner for the beam combiner to combine the divided laser beams into an output laser beam projected on the target through the objective lens. Given the optical transmission path of the laser beam splitting and combining device, the laser transmission distance can be extended.
US09952374B2
A display device includes a display panel, a light guide plate disposed under the display panel, a light source which provides a side surface of the light guide plate with incident light, a reflective plate disposed under the light guide plate, a first optical adjustment member which includes first scattering particles which scatter a first color wavelength range of the incident light into a first value and scatter a second color wavelength range of the incident light into a second value, and a second optical adjustment member which includes second scattering particles which scatter the first color wavelength range of the incident light into a third value and scatter the second color wavelength range of the incident light into a fourth value.
US09952356B2
An autofocus lens system includes no conventional moving parts and has excellent speed and low power consumption. The system includes a small electronically-controlled focusing-module lens. The focusing-module lens includes two adjustable polymeric surfaces (e.g., two adjustable-surface lenses in a back-to-back configuration). The curvature of the surfaces can be adjusted to change focus. The performance of the autofocus lens system is extended by adding a conventional first and second lens, or lens group, on either side of the focusing-module lens. What results is an autofocus lens system with excellent near field and far field performance.
US09952352B2
A method and system configured to provide a weather forecast for a selected zone is provided. The method and system is configured to receive meteorological reports and locally sensed measurements. The information is transmitted to a weather model preprocessor disposed on the device which generates an analysis field. This information is passed to the weather model which is an executable program also disposed on the device. The weather model processes the analysis field generated by meteorological reports, large-scale initialization data and in-situ sensor values to generate an initial weather forecast. The weather model updates the initial weather forecast with real-time, high-resolution atmospheric measurements to generate a weather forecast more representative of the user's zone than that available from Internet/media outlets. Furthermore, because the weather model is run on the mobile device itself, staleness of the forecast will no longer be an issue, as forecasts can be generated on demand.
US09952346B2
A method and apparatus for magnetic sensing is described. The apparatus includes a strain-sensing fiber coupled to a conducting strip. The strain-sensing fiber may be, for example, a distributed feedback fiber with Bragg gratings. A current may be induced to flow on the conducting strip by electrically coupling a photodiode to the conducting strip and then activating a laser optically coupled to the photodiode. In the presence of a magnetic field, a Lorentz force will be exerted on the conducting strip, causing a displacement of the conducting strip that will induce strain on the strain-sensing fiber. The strain on the strain-sensing fiber may be measured by laser-pumping the strain-sensing fiber and measuring the reflected waves. The measured strain may be used to calculate the magnitude of the magnetic field. Multiple strain-sensing fibers may be optically coupled in series and deployed into a borehole for distributed magnetic field measurements. The magnetic field measurements may be used to determine the resistivity of formations surrounding the borehole and, for example, to monitor the movement of relatively-low resistivity water fronts.
US09952332B2
A method and a PET apparatus are provided. According to an example of the method, a saturation indicia of a target detector may be determined through simulating emission of a γ photon to the target detector. The target detector is any one of SiPM detectors of a PET apparatus. The saturation indicia is for designating a maximum output voltage after amplifying an output of the target detector through a VGA when one γ photon is received by the target detector. The target VGA is a VGA corresponding to the target detector. By comparing an output voltage of the target VGA and the saturation indicia, it may determine that the target detector received a saturation event if the output voltage of the target VGA is higher than the saturation indicia. An amplifier gain of the target VGA may be adjusted until an amount of the saturation events detected by the target detector in unit time satisfies a pre-determined threshold.
US09952331B2
An apparatus for detecting the presence of a nuclear reactor by the detection of antineutrinos from the reactor can include a radioactive sample having a measurable nuclear activity level and a decay rate capable of changing in response to the presence of antineutrinos, and a detector associated with the radioactive sample. The detector is responsive to at least one of a particle or radiation formed by decay of the radioactive sample. A processor associated with the detector can correlate rate of decay of the radioactive sample to a flux of the antineutrinos to detect the reactor.
US09952328B2
The system provides a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receiver in a vehicle. The GNSS receiver includes a radio frequency (RF) receiving circuit configured to receive GNSS signals from a plurality of GNSS satellites orbiting Earth at respective azimuth and elevation angles, a memory device storing an predetermined antenna pattern including initial signal to noise ratio (SNR) values for each of the respective azimuth and elevation angles, and a processor. The processor is configured to calculate SNR values of the received GNSS signals, iteratively calculate an updated antenna pattern by combining the calculated SNR values with the initial SNR values, compare further SNR values of further received GNSS signals to the SNR values in the updated antenna pattern to perform at least one of the following: 1) detection and mitigation of multipath signals, 2) estimation of vehicle heading, and 3) determination of a location of the antenna within the vehicle.
US09952325B2
The invention introduces “crossed” navigation message authentication, which comprises a) generation and transmission of unpredictable bits periodically from satellites currently not connected to the ground mission segment and b) generation of digital signatures for the data from these satellites, and the transmission thereof through satellites that currently are connected to the ground mission segment. An attacker cannot spoof the navigation message as it contains an unpredictable bit pattern that is verified a few seconds later through a digital signature.
US09952319B2
A Pseudo-Random Phase Modulation (PRPM) multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) radar system suitable for use on an automated vehicle includes a first transmit-antenna that transmits a first transmit-signal generated by a first PRPM-code, a second transmit-antenna that transmits a second transmit-signal generated by a second PRPM-code, a receive-antenna used to detect a first reflected-signal arising from the first transmit-signal and a second reflected-signal arising from the second transmit-signal, and a controller. The controller is in communication with the receive-antenna and is operable to generate the first PRPM-code and the second PRPM-code. The controller is configured to generate a first sub-channel-output based on a down-converted-signal from the receive-antenna and the first PRPM-code, generate a second sub-channel-output based on the down-converted-signal from the receive-antenna and the second PRPM-code, determine a first residue-signal based on the second sub-channel-output, and determine a first residue-removed-signal by subtracting the first residue-signal from the first sub-channel-output.
US09952311B2
A radar apparatus and method of reducing interference which can reduce an amount of interference are provided. The radar apparatus transmits a modulated pulse signal and a non-modulated pulse signal. The radar apparatus includes an interference frequency detecting module and a map generating module. The interference frequency detecting module detects an interference frequency that is a frequency of an interference wave, based on reception signals containing a reflection wave caused by either one of the modulated pulse signal and the non-modulated pulse signal. The map generating module generates a frequency map for specifying an interference band that is a frequency band where the interference frequency exists and a no-interference band that is a frequency band where the interference frequency does not exist. A central frequency of at least one of the modulated pulse signal and the non-modulated pulse signal is set based on the frequency map.
US09952300B2
The present invention generally relates to paramagnetic contrast agents and a Dynamic Contrast Enhanced-MRI method for the non-invasive estimation of the delivery of a macromolecular anticancer drug or pro-drug within pathological tissues and, especially, in solid tumors and for the optimization of anticancer therapies.
US09952295B2
According to one embodiment, a medical image diagnostic apparatus includes a gantry and a screen. The gantry for medical imaging includes a bore. The screen is insertable into the bore. A predetermined image is projected by a projector on the screen. The screen forms a shape that enables light generated by the projector to arrive at an inner wall of the gantry.
US09952286B2
A power-supply control device includes a power-source input terminal, an output circuit outputting power to load, power interrupting circuits connected in parallel between the power-source input terminal and the output circuit, and a control circuit controlling each power interrupting circuit separately. Each power interrupting circuit includes an interrupting circuit and a switch element connected in series between the power-source input terminal and the output circuit. The interrupting circuit permits power to pass when receiving a passage permitting signal from the control circuit and interrupts passage of power when not receiving the passage permitting signal. ON/OFF of the switch element is controlled by the control circuit. When any of the power interrupting circuits is set as a diagnostic target circuit, the control circuit stops supplying the passage permitting signal to the interrupting circuit of the diagnostic target circuit and turns off the switch element of the diagnostic target circuit.
US09952278B2
Electronic devices (320) are provided which comprise a digital logic circuit (101) and a test module (322) adapted to receive test parameters from a remote test management device (310), generate test patterns based on the test parameters, apply the test patterns to the digital logic circuit, receive test responses from the digital logic circuit, compact the test responses into a test signature, and either transmit the test signature to the remote test management device or determine a test result based on a comparison of an expected signature received from the remote test management device with the test signature. Further provided are remote test management devices comprising means adapted to acquire test parameters suitable for generating test patterns for a digital logic circuit, acquire an expected signature corresponding to the test patterns, transmit the test parameters to at least one electronic device comprising the digital logic circuit, and either receive a test signature from the at least one electronic device and determine a test result based on a comparison of the expected signature with the test signature, or transmit the expected signature to the at least one electronic device.
US09952266B2
The disclosure features living object detectors for a wireless energy transfer systems that include a sensor featuring a first conductor positioned adjacent to a first surface of a substrate, a shield featuring a second conductor different from the first conductor, where at least a portion of the second conductor is positioned proximal to the first conductor and adjacent to the first surface of the substrate, a ground reference featuring a third conductor spaced from the substrate and positioned on a side of the substrate opposite to the first surface, and an electrical circuit coupled to the first, second and third conductors and configured so that during operation of the living object detector, the electrical circuit applies a first electrical potential to the first conductor and a second electrical potential to the second conductor, the first and second electrical potentials being approximately similar.
US09952262B2
The physical parameter measurement method is performed using an electronic circuit (1) with a resistive sensor (2). The resistive sensor includes two resistors (R1, R2) mounted in series, whose connection node connected to a moving mass (M), is connected to a first input of an amplifier-comparator (3). A second input of the amplifier-comparator receives a reference voltage. One output of the amplifier-comparator is connected to a logic unit (4), which provides a digital output signal (OUT). A digital-to-analogue converter (5) provides a measurement voltage (Vdac), as a function of a digital signal provided by the logic unit, to the first resistor (R1) in a first phase of a measurement cycle, whereas the second resistor (R2) is polarized by a polarization voltage, and to the second resistor in a second phase, whereas the first resistor is polarized by a polarization voltage via a switching unit.
US09952258B2
Traceable cables (e.g., networking cables, power cables, etc.). Some embodiments include a traceable power cable with a battery (e.g., that may be rechargeable from current from an external power source to which the power cable is electrically connected). Some embodiments include a traceable networking cable configured to draw power from power-over-Ethernet (POE) power sourcing equipment (PSE) even if the networking cable is not connected to a separate powered device (PD).
US09952255B2
A probe card includes a mechanical support fixture having an inner aperture with a plurality of probes secured to the fixture that includes probe tips that extend into the inner aperture for contacting probe pads on die of a wafer to be probed. At least one magnetic shield includes a magnetic material that at least substantially surrounds a projected volume over an area that encloses the probe tips. The magnetic material has a relative magnetic permeability of at least 800.
US09952254B1
Various technologies to facilitate coupled electrical and mechanical measurement of conductive materials are disclosed herein. A gripping device simultaneously holds a specimen in place and causes contact to be made between the specimen and a plurality of electrodes connected to an electrical measuring device. An electrical characteristic of the specimen is then measured while a mechanical load is applied to the specimen, and a relationship between the mechanical load and changes in the electrical characteristic can be identified.
US09952249B2
A torque command value and an acceleration detection value are accumulated when a driven portion is subjected to acceleration/deceleration driving, and, from a ratio between the two, inertia of a movable portion is calculated. By executing the acceleration/deceleration driving about a position where influence of gravity torque is zero, the influence of the gravity torque included in the torque command value before and after the center position is offset, whereby inertia can be estimated correctly even with a machine structure in which the influence of gravity differs depending on the position of the motor.
US09952246B2
A gyroscopic rotational monitoring system may be utilized for monitoring one or more properties of rotatable container or vessel, and/or one or more properties of a displaceable material contained in the rotatable vessels. An exemplary aspect relates to the use of a gyroscope and periodicity sensor (e.g., accelerometer) to determine rotational speed of a concrete mixing drum, so that the slump or other property of the concrete can be monitored or adjusted such as by dosing with water, chemical admixtures, or mixture thereof.
US09952244B2
A device and method for handling racks of disposable pipette tips in a laboratory automation system are presented. The device comprises a guide rail for guiding racks from a loading region (I) to a supply region (II). The loading region (I) is accessible by a user or a loading device for loading a rack on the guide rail. A plurality of disposable pipette tips stored in a supplying rack located in the supply region (II) is accessible by a delivering device for delivering at least one selected one of the plurality of disposable pipette tips to a pipetting system. The device comprises at least one moveable element, which is controllably moveable by a driving device for selectively enabling or disabling a removal of the supplying rack from the supply region (II). A laboratory automation system comprising such a device and/or for carrying out the method are also presented.
US09952235B2
An external standard solution for use in the analysis of amino acid in plasma, containing, (1) at least one amino acid selected from the following components A, at a concentration of 0.0007 M to 0.49 M, and (2) (i) at least one amino acid selected from the following components B, at a concentration of 0.2 to 0.9 times of the lowest-concentration amino acid among the amino acids selected from components A, (ii) at least one amino acid selected from the following components C, at a concentration of 0.1 to 0.4 times of the lowest-concentration amino acid among amino acids selected from the components A, or (iii) at least one amino acid selected from the following components D, at a concentration of 0.05 to 0.2 times of the lowest-concentration amino acid among amino acids selected from the components A; [Components A] valine, glycine, alanine and glutamine [Components B] serine, proline, threonine, taurine, leucine, isoleucine, lysine, histidine, phenylalanine and tyrosine [Components C] asparagine, ornithine, arginine and tryptophan [Components D] glutamic acid, methionine, citrulline and cystine.
US09952233B2
A system including a light source, sampling tray, and a plurality of fiber optics positioned to achieve high contrast to improve accuracy and eliminate the need to rotate the sample. A composite light image from the fiber optics is fed to a spectrometer which converts the reflected light into a fingerprint corresponding to the concentration of at least one substance in the sample. The fingerprint is processed by a statistical model to determine concentration level of the at least one substance in the sample and the concentration level is then displayed.
US09952232B2
Methods, systems and circuits evaluate a subject's CVD risk using a risk parameter that includes at least one HDL and inflammatory biomarker interaction parameter. The inflammatory biomarker may optionally comprise NMR derived measurements of GlycA from at least one biosample of the subject. The risk parameter may be gender-specific.
US09952229B2
Subject of the present invention are assays and in vitro methods for the prediction of the risk of a subject for contracting metabolic syndrome and/or diabetes mellitus and for diagnosing metabolic syndrome, comprising determining the level of arginine vasopressin pro-hormone or fragments thereof in a sample of a subject.
US09952228B2
A method for detecting adrenocorticotropic hormone comprising: bringing a liquid sample containing adrenocorticotropic hormone into contact with gelled casein to adsorb adrenocorticotropic hormone to the gelled casein; and detecting the adrenocorticotropic hormone adsorbed to the gelled casein is disclosed. An adsorbent of adrenocorticotropic hormone comprising gelled casein is also disclosed.
US09952227B2
Fluorescent proteins (Chlopsid FP I from Kaupichthys hyoproroides and Chlopsid FP II from Kaupichthys n. sp.) are used in a method for detecting bilirubin. The proteins are based on transcriptome analysis of the false moray eels, Kaupichthys hyoproroides and Kaupichthys n. sp., the later representing a heretofore undescribed species.
US09952218B2
The present invention relates to an in vitro method for determining HIV neutralizing antibodies in a sample. It further relates to a fusion protein to be used in said method and a nucleic acid encoding said fusion protein.
US09952214B2
The invention relates to methods for providing prognosis, diagnosis, monitoring and treatment of a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) in a subject, including a sports-related concussion. The invention further relates to assessing the severity of brain damage resulting from mTBI in a subject, including in a subject who has not undergone a CT scan following the injury. For example, the methods of the invention can be used to determine the suitability for someone who has suffered a sports-related injury to return to play that sport. This invention also relates to methods of predicting risk for developing brain damage and long-term dysfunction in a subject having suffered mTBI.
US09952213B2
It is intended to evaluate an ischemic heart disease with high accuracy by convenient operation. The method for evaluating an ischemic heart disease according to the present invention comprises the steps of: assaying complement factor H and/or complement factor D in a sample derived from the blood of a test subject; and comparing the concentration of the complement factor H and/or the concentration of the complement factor D assayed in the preceding step with a reference value(s), wherein it is determined that the seriousness of the ischemic heart disease is high when the concentration falls below the reference value.
US09952211B2
A capturing device (20) and method for use in capturing a substance in a liquid, by feeding the liquid through a capturing device (20) including: a lateral capillary flow matrix (13) and a capturing matrix (26) in fluid communication with the lateral capillary flow matrix (13) such as to produce a lateral capillary flow in the capturing matrix having a lower velocity than that in the lateral capillary flow matrix. This produces by the Bernoulli effect, a lower pressure with respect to the two lateral flows sufficient to impart transverse oscillations to the lateral flow in the capturing matrix, such oscillations driving the liquid into the interior of the capturing matrix thereby exposing its interior, rather than merely a surface thereof, to the liquid. In the described preferred embodiments, the capturing device is a biological assay device, and each substance in the liquid to be captured in the capture zone of the capturing matrix is a biological substance.
US09952207B2
When an immunochromatography reagent composition containing a nonionic surfactant, an N,N-bis(2-hydroxyethyl)glycine buffer, and casein is used as a specimen treatment solution or developing solution in detecting a detection object in a specimen according to an immunochromatographic method, an immunochromatography reagent composition which suppresses a non-specific reaction; does not cause aggregation of antibody-immobilized colloidal gold; and has a high developing rate, in comparison with conventional technology which detects a detection object by using an immunochromatographic device; and a high-performance and highly-sensitivity immunochromatographic method and a detection kit capable of rapid, simple and easy virus detection, which use the immunochromatography reagent composition are provided.
US09952202B2
The present invention relates to methods and assays for identifying agents useful in the treatment of fibrotic diseases, in particular diseases related to fibroblast migration and differentiation. The invention provides polypeptide and nucleic acid TARGETs, siRNA sequences based on these TARGETs and antibodies against the TARGETs. The invention is further related to pharmaceutical composition comprising siRNA sequences based on the TARGETs and antibodies against the TARGETs for use in the treatment of fibrotic disease. The invention further provides in vitro methods for inhibition of fibroblast migration and differentiation.
US09952193B2
A test strip device exhibits visual changes, such as color changes, when there is a only slight difference in the composition of liquids such as gasoline, oil, ethanol and water. Such a slight liquid composition difference usually requires a sophisticated and expensive instrument to differentiate. The test strip consists of one and more than one inverse opal films deposited on a substrate and achieves this goal of differentiation in a simple, fast and energy-free manner.
US09952187B2
The invention relates to an optical sensor element, comprising indicators, selected from luminescence-active means that are of the same type or different, and indicator protectors, and to a sensor, comprising at least one such sensor element, an energy source that excites the luminescence emission of the indicators, and a detector unit, wherein the sensor element or sensor is suitable for detecting molecular oxygen in a gaseous or liquid medium and/or for determining the molecular oxygen content of a gaseous or liquid medium and at least one layer of the sensor element bearing the indicator protectors is designed in such a way that the diffusion rate of the molecular oxygen formed on the indicator protectors by means of the reduction of strong oxidants back into the medium is greater than the diffusion rate of molecular oxygen from the medium in the direction of the at-least-one layer bearing the indicator molecules.
US09952175B2
A gas sensor including a first layer including copper (I) bromide, and a second layer, which is disposed on the first layer, and is a p-type semiconductor that is different from the copper (I) bromide, wherein one of the first layer and the second layer is more preferentially in contact with detection-target gas than the other.
US09952173B2
Copolymers including at least one optionally substituted 2-hydroxy-5-sulfonic aniline as a first constituent unit and at least one optionally substituted phenylenediamine as a second constituent unit are disclosed. Compositions containing the copolymers, and methods of making the copolymers are also disclosed. The compositions can also contain for example an ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA) and/or electrical conducting additives. The compositions can, for example, be used for detecting lead ions in a sample.
US09952172B2
In some aspects, a modular analyte measurement system having a replaceable strip port module is provided to permit contaminated modules to be replaced. Some aspects of the present disclosure related to barriers for strip ports or the sealing of strip ports and/or analyte measurement devices to maintain a clean strip port and/or enable the strip port to be cleaned for reuse. Cleaning tools are also provided. Also provided are strip port interfaces that guide fluid away from the strip port opening, as well as absorptive elements that prevent fluid from entering a strip port. Analyte measurement devices with gravity sensors or accelerometers are also provided, along with methods related thereto. Also provided are docking station that serve as an information server and provides storage and recharging capabilities.
US09952160B2
A method for processing a plurality of sheet material includes receiving a plurality of sheets of material, transporting, via a transport mechanism, the plurality of sheets, one sheet at a time, past a first image capture device, obtaining, via a first image capture device, a first image of a first set of one or more of the plurality of sheets while being transported past the first image capture device, and determining, via at least one processor, a first caliper measurement of the first set of one or more of the plurality of sheets based on the first image of each of the first set.
US09952156B2
An apparatus comprising: a direct push probe configured to be pushed into a subsurface soil environment; a transparent window mounted to a side of the probe; a white light source mounted within the probe and positioned such that when the white light source is activated only white light exits the window; an ultraviolet (UV) light source mounted within the probe and positioned such that when the UV light source is activated only UV light having a given wavelength exits the window; and an imaging system disposed within the probe and configured to capture a white-light-only-illuminated image and a UV-light-induced-fluorescence image of the subsurface soil environment at a given depth, wherein the imaging system comprises a longpass filter to filter out the UV light having the given wavelength.
US09952152B2
The present invention discloses an optic distribution meter that includes a testing system and an imaging system. The testing system includes an arc-shaped brace which has an extended object holder; and a rail base which has a first rail. The imaging system, set at a side of the testing system, includes a screen and an image catcher. With the implementation of the present invention, the rail base is able to rotate or move an object to a test angle with very little light blocking of measurements. Besides, with the first rail supporting the object, the incident angle of the light of a light source to the object remains unchanged when the measuring angle of the imaging system is changed. Thus ensure the accuracy of measurements of the optic distribution meter.
US09952141B1
An approach to characterizing beams of electromagnetic radiation such as are applied in ellipsometer and the like systems, involving considering the beam to be comprised of a number of spatially distributed beam rays, each of which is represented mathematically as an effectively independent source.
US09952140B2
Methods and systems for small angle CD metrology with a small spot size are introduced to increase measurement sensitivity while maintaining adequate throughput necessary for modern semiconductor manufacture. A small angle CD metrology system includes a small angle spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE) subsystem combined with a small angle spectroscopic reflectometry system, both operated at small angles of incidence. The small angle SE subsystem is configured to operate in a complete Mueller Matrix mode to further improve measurement sensitivity. The small angle CD metrology system includes an objective having all reflective surfaces in the light path. In some embodiments, the all-reflective objective is a Schwartzschild objective having an axicon mirror element to further reduce measurement spot size. In some embodiments, the small angle CD metrology system includes a dynamic aperture subsystem to isolate specific ranges of angles of incidence and azimuth for improved measurement sensitivity.
US09952139B2
An apparatus includes a first pedestal surface coupled to i) a swing arm and to ii) a light source. The apparatus further includes a magnet, a base plate, a mechanical stop coupled to the base plate, and a second pedestal surface mechanically coupled to said base plate and configured to receive a liquid sample, said second pedestal surface being coupled to a spectrometer. The apparatus further includes a magnetic flux sensor located between north and south magnetic flux fields of the magnet such that the magnetic flux reaching the sensor while the mechanical stop is in physical contact with the swing arm provides a linear range of output of the magnetic flux sensor, and a processor adapted to calibrate the point for minimum optical path length using a threshold magnetic flux field emitted from the magnet and detected by the magnetic flux sensor.
US09952132B2
The invention relates to methods and devices for analysis of samples using laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS). The invention provides methods and devices in which individual ablation plumes are distinctively captured and transferred to the ICP, followed by analysis by mass cytometry.
US09952129B2
Provided is a failure detection sensor which, when attached to structural members of various structures such as buildings can easily detect the risk of the failure of the structural members, and thus the structure, before such failure occurs and has a simple structure, which leads to realization at a low price.The failure detection sensor comprises: the first member 10 and the second member 20 provided in parallel with the first member 10 such that one end of the second member 20 is fixed to or restricted by the first member 10 and the other end of the second member 20 is not fixed to or restricted by the first member 10, having fracturing characteristics such that the second member 20 fractures during elastic deformation or plastic deformation of the first member 10. The failure detection sensor may have a compression coil spring 40 which applies a tensile force to the other end of the second member 20 on the opposite side of the one end. The first member 10 and the second member 20 are constituted of, for example, a round rod or a square rod and the first member 10 is constituted of, for example, a hollow rod. The second member 20 has a notch 24 which is a stress concentration site between the one end and the other end. The second member 20 is made of brittle materials.
US09952127B2
Aspects of the present disclosure include methods of moving a target fluid in a triphasic fluid arrangement from a vessel into a tube and systems and devices for practicing the same.
US09952114B2
A circuit board including an electronic circuit unit and electronic adjusting units is disposed in a case. A signal transmitting member connected to the circuit board is mounted in a mount hole of a cover member. Operation holes corresponding to a plurality of operable portions of the electronic adjusting units are provided to the cover member. A cap member including a plurality of cap bodies and a connection portion connecting the cap bodies is attached to the cover member to close the operation holes. The operation holes for adjusting the electronic adjusting units are thus covered/uncovered by the simple cap member. The operation holes are reliably waterproofed by the cap member.
US09952110B2
A pressure sensor package includes a pressure sensor having a first side attached to a substrate and a second side opposite the first side, the first side having a pressure inlet aligned with an opening in the substrate, the second side having one or more electrical contacts. A logic die attached to an opposite side of the substrate as the pressure sensor is operable to process signals from the pressure sensor. First electrical conductors connect to the one or more electrical contacts of the pressure sensor. Second electrical conductors connect to one or more electrical contacts of the logic die. A mold compound completely encapsulates the second electrical conductors and at least partly encapsulates the logic die and the first electrical conductors. An open passage in the mold compound is aligned with the opening in the substrate so as to define a pressure port of the pressure sensor package.
US09952101B2
A spectroscopic measurement apparatus includes a light source, an integrator, a first spectroscopic detector, a second spectroscopic detector, and an analysis unit. The integrator includes an internal space in which a measurement object is disposed, a light input portion for inputting light to the internal space, a light output portion for outputting light from the internal space, and a sample attachment portion for attaching the measurement object. The first spectroscopic detector receives the light output from the integrator, disperses the light of a first wavelength region, and acquires first spectrum data. The second spectroscopic detector receives the light output from the integrator, disperses the light of a second wavelength region, and acquires second spectrum data. The first wavelength region and the second wavelength region include a wavelength region partially overlapping each other.
US09952100B2
A handheld LIBS spectrometer system features an optics stage moveable with respect to a housing and including a laser focusing lens. A laser source is mounted in the housing for directing a laser beam to a sample via the laser focusing lens. A detection fiber is mounted in the housing and is fixed relative thereto. A first mirror is fixed relative to the housing and includes an aperture for the laser beam. This mirror is oriented to re-direct plasma radiation for delivery to the detection fiber. A controller subsystem is responsive to the output of a spectrometer subsystem and is configured to control the laser source and the optics stage.
US09952092B2
An optical sensor and optical system are disclosed. The optical sensor is disclosed to include a light source, a photodetector having a proximity sensing portion and an ambient light sensing portion, and a controller configured to implement a proximity sensing phase where the proximity sensing portion of the photodetector is utilized to obtain an incident light reading when the light source is ON and then implement an ambient light sensing phase where the ambient light sensing portion of the photodetector is utilized to obtain an incident light reading when the light source is OFF.
US09952091B2
The invention provides a management system for an illumination facility, which comprises an illuminance measuring instrument, a position detector for detecting a position of the traveling vehicle, and an arithmetic device, which are mounted on a traveling vehicle, wherein the arithmetic device is configured to save a map information, positional data of an illumination lamp, initial data including illuminance data, and the illuminance data as acquired by the illuminance measuring instrument while driving the traveling vehicle, and wherein the arithmetic device is configured to calculate daily management data of the illumination facility based on the positional data of the traveling vehicle as detected by the position detector, the map information, and the illuminance data, and further wherein the arithmetic device is configured to calculate a change of the illumination facility including the illumination lamp based on the initial data and the daily management data.
US09952081B2
A level sensor assembly includes a fiber that is configured to be at least partially disposed in a tank and to be coupled to a light source and to a light detector. The fiber includes a plurality of sensing regions spaced apart along a length of the fiber. Each sensing region of the plurality of sensing regions includes a Bragg grating configured to generate a reflection spectrum responsive to incident light and a strain layer around the Bragg grating. Each strain layer is configured to induce a strain on the fiber at a respective Bragg grating based on a temperature of the strain layer such that shifts in the reflection spectra of the Bragg gratings indicate which of the sensing regions are submerged in a liquid.
US09952071B2
A sensor unit includes a sensor module including a first plane and a second plane that crosses the first plane, and an armor body configured to house the sensor module. The armor body includes a first reference inner plane for positioning the first plane of the sensor module, a first reference outer plane parallel to the first reference inner plane and provided on an outer surface of the first reference inner plane, a second reference inner plane for positioning the second plane of the sensor module, and a second reference outer plane parallel to the second reference inner plane and provided on an outer surface of the second reference inner plane.
US09952069B2
A tipping indicator (10) for fixing to a side surface of a packing box (1) includes an ink bag (11), an ink absorber (12), and an outer bag (13). The ink bag (11) includes an ink chamber (11a) internally filled with an ink (G). The ink absorber (12) is ink absorptive and has a different color from the ink (G). The outer bag (13) is formed from a film within which the ink bag (11) and the ink absorber (12) are enclosed. At least part of the outer bag (13) has a visual confirmation region (R3) in which the ink absorber (12) is visible.
US09952062B2
A consumption meter for measuring consumption data of a supplied utility is provided, the consumption meter comprising: a housing with an opening, where the housing forms a closed compartment when the opening of the housing is closed with a cover; a communication module provided in the closed compartment; a front plate provided in the closed department and arranged adjacent to the cover, wherein the front plate has a first front plate surface facing the cover, and a second front plate surface facing opposite; and an antenna comprising an antenna body with an antenna conductive element, which is connected to the communication module; wherein the front plate has an indentation arranged between the first and the second front plate surfaces, and wherein the antenna body is arranged in the indentation. The consumption meter provides an antenna with a high transmission performance. Further, the antenna is mechanically supported, and is arranged inside the closed compartment, eliminating the need of any feedthrough across the housing wall.
US09952060B2
A method for the real-time estimation of the total consumption of a fluid, in particular water or gas, distributed from a unit (A) to users (b1, b2 . . . ) via a network of supply pipes (E) with a branch (d1, d2 . . . ), for each user, fitted with a counter (c1, c2 . . . ) of the fluid consumed by the user, which method involves defining cohorts of users having homogeneous behavior with regard to the consumption of fluid; defining, for at least one of these cohorts, a sample of users from the cohort that is statistically sufficient to represent the cohort; fitting only the branches of the users of each sample with a remote reading device (t1, t2, . . . ) for reading the consumption; also fitting remote reading devices to the branches of the users of the other cohorts that have not been sampled; and processing the information provided by the remote reading devices to obtain a real-time value representative of the total consumption of the network.
US09952059B2
A method for delivering information to a user terminal is provided. The method includes obtaining user data. The user data may include a plurality of user activity locations and corresponding user activity time. The method may further include identifying a first position and a second position based on the user activity locations and the user activity time, selecting a travel path based on the first position and the second position, determining a user activity area based on the selected travel path, and sending content to the user terminal based on the user activity area.
US09952044B2
A calibration block for calibrating a touch probe includes a calibration block body forming a bored hole providing a concave measurement surface, and a three dimensional object protruding from the calibration block body and providing a convex measurement surface, wherein the convex measurement surface provides opposing measurement contact points in at least two dimensions.
US09952042B2
A waveguide apparatus includes a planar waveguide and at least one optical diffraction element (DOE) that provides a plurality of optical paths between an exterior and interior of the planar waveguide. A phase profile of the DOE may combine a linear diffraction grating with a circular lens, to shape a wave front and produce beams with desired focus. Waveguide apparati may be assembled to create multiple focal planes. The DOE may have a low diffraction efficiency, and planar waveguides may be transparent when viewed normally, allowing passage of light from an ambient environment (e.g., real world) useful in AR systems. Light may be returned for temporally sequentially passes through the planar waveguide. The DOE(s) may be fixed or may have dynamically adjustable characteristics. An optical coupler system may couple images to the waveguide apparatus from a projector, for instance a biaxially scanning cantilevered optical fiber tip.
US09952025B2
A projectile includes a body containing pyrotechnic material. A rear cap closes a rear end of the body. A pyrotechnic unit includes an ignitor in communication with the pyrotechnic material. A striker is arranged to strike a primer of the pyrotechnic unit. A safety lever is arranged initially to restrain movement of the striker towards the pyrotechnic unit. An external safety keeper is arranged initially to clamp a portion of the safety lever to the body.
US09952024B2
A training ammunition cartridge comprises a projectile and a cartridge case with a pyrotechnic propellant. The projectile has a projectile body with at least one compartment therein forming a void and containing a material that transitions from a solid to a liquid after set-back and after exiting from a barrel of a gun. The void is of such configuration as to cause the liquid material therein to induce forces and moments that, after a period of stable ballistic flight, destabilize the projectile and shorten its flight. Alternatively, the projectile void contains a solid mass that is released to shift its position after set-back and after the projectile exits from the barrel of the gun, wherein the void is of such configuration as to cause the mass, upon shifting, to induce forces and moments that, after a period of stable ballistic flight, destabilize the projectile and shorten its flight.
US09952023B2
A bolted telescopic rod-type defense spray apparatus includes a first tube body, a cap, a compression elastic piece, a second tube body, an anti-extraction element, a spring pin component, and a push joint component. In the bolted telescopic rod-type defense spray apparatus, two sectioned tube pieces and a spring pin component and a push joint component that are between the two tube pieces are applied to lock and unlock a relative position relationship between the two tube pieces, so that the defense spray apparatus has composite functions of a rod-piece additional function of a locking configuration of relative positions of the two tube pieces and a press-lever spray irritant gas can of an unlocking configuration of the relative positions of the two tube pieces.
US09952014B2
The invention relates to a vibration damper (35) for archery bows. The vibration damper comprises a housing (36) extending along an axis (X) and forming at least one chamber (37, 38, 39, 40), wherein the at least one chamber is partially filled with granular solid material (9). The housing is formed by a stack of two or more bowl-shaped parts (1, 2, 4) arranged along the axis, wherein the at least one chamber is closed by the subsequent part in the stack. The stack of parts is held together by a central attachment device (41) extending along the axis, to close the at least one chamber, such that the at least one chamber forms an open space circumventing the central attachment device.
US09952008B2
An apparatus is described for cleaning the exterior of a furnace heat exchanger that includes a bundle of finned convection or bare radiant tubes heated when in use by the flue gases of a heater furnace. The apparatus comprises a motorized carriage 10 guided for movement along the outer surface of the bundle in a direction parallel to the tubes and a holder 24 on the carriage for holding a lance 20 in a position relative to the carriage 10 that permits the lance 20 to penetrate between the tubes of the bundle and to be advanced along the core by the carriage while remaining in the latter position.
US09952007B2
Presently disclosed thermal actuators may be incorporated into a self-regulating thermal insulation, such that expansion and contraction of the thermal actuators in response to changes in temperature adjacent the thermal insulation automatically changes the thermal resistance of the thermal insulation. In this manner, a self-regulating thermal insulation may be configured to locally adjust in response to local changes in temperature of a part being insulated, for example, during curing or some other manufacturing process. Such self-regulating thermal insulation may be configured to respond to temperature changes without feedback control systems, power, or human intervention. One example of a thermal actuator may include a first segment of a first material, and a plurality of second segments of a second material, the second segments being coupled to the first segment and spaced apart from one another along the length of the first segment.
US09951998B2
A multi-pass heat exchanger is provided wherein the heat exchanger is comprised of a plurality of stacked heat exchange plates defining a plurality of alternating first and second fluid channels interconnecting respective pairs of manifolds. At least one of the manifolds in the pairs of manifolds is in the form of an annular manifold structure which divides the heat exchanger into at least a first part and a second part thereby forming at least a two-pass flow path. The annular manifold structure is provided by a generally tubular manifold insert having one end embedded within the manifold. A first annular manifold flow passage communicates with one of the sets of fluid channels in the first part of the heat exchanger and a second, central manifold flow passage communicates with the corresponding set of fluid channels in the second part of the heat exchanger.
US09951994B2
A mechanical draft cooling tower employs air cooled condenser modules and operates by mechanical draft to exchange heat between atmospheric air and steam. The cooling tower utilizes a modular air cooled condenser with heat exchange deltas having tube bundles that are manufactured and assembled prior to being shipped to the tower site.
US09951989B2
A refrigerator includes a cabinet, a door and a hinge assembly connecting the door and the cabinet. A sensor detects an opening angle of the door. The sensor includes: a first component and a second component, where one of the first component and the second component is a magnetic element, and the other one is a magnetic sensing element. The first component is provided at the hinge assembly, and the second component is provided at the door. This enables the magnetic sensing element to accurately sense a magnetic field of the magnetic element, and simplify a structure of the cabinet.
US09951988B2
A refrigerator includes a storage chamber having an opening; a drawer type door to open or close the opening; a display positioned at the drawer type door; a first connector provided at a sidewall of the storage chamber; a second connector provided at the drawer type door and being electrically connected to the display; a first frame coupled to an inner wall of the storage chamber, the first frame to cover the first connector; a second frame coupled to the drawer type door, the second frame to support a storage box; and a wire electrically connected between the first connector and the second connector. The first frame has a first accommodating part to accommodate one portion of the wire and the second frame has a second accommodating part to accommodate another portion of the wire.
US09951974B2
A flash tank economizer includes a sensor for sensing a condition indicative of pressure in the flash tank, and when that pressure is found to equal or exceed the critical pressure of the particular refrigerant being used, a controller responsively closes a valve in the economizer vapor line to shut off the economizer. A sensor is also provided to sense the pressure at the compressor mid-stage, and if that pressure is found to exceed the pressure in the flash tank, the controller causes the flow control device to function so as to prevent the flow of refrigerant from the compressor mid-stage to the flash tank. Provision is also made for selectively draining refrigerant from the flash tank to reduce the pressure therein from a supercritical to a subcritical condition.
US09951973B2
A cooling system (1) that cools an HV apparatus (31) includes a compressor (12) that circulates a refrigerant, a heat exchanger (14) that performs heat exchange between the refrigerant and outside air, an expansion valve (16) that reduces the pressure of the refrigerant, a heat exchanger (18) that performs heat exchange between the refrigerant and air-conditioning air, a cooling portion (30) that cools the HV apparatus (31) using the refrigerant that flows between the heat exchanger (14) and the expansion valve (16), and a gas accumulator (70) that retains a gas-phase refrigerant gasified by heat exchange with the HV apparatus (31) in the cooling portion (30).
US09951969B2
A register box for HVAC installations has a body with a plurality of side panels arranged in a generally rectangular or square configuration and a wall extending across the rectangular configuration, a duct opening through the wall so as to communicate with an interior of the body, and an expandable foam polymeric material affixed to an inner side of the side panels. The wall has a surface extending from the opening of the duct to the side panels. The expandable foam polymeric material is affixed to the surface of the wall. The expandable polymeric material is polyurethane.
US09951967B2
Various arrangements are provided related to thermal energy coordination systems. A thermal energy coordination system may analyze solar irradiance measurements to identify an overgeneration solar energy event. The system may activate a thermal energy storage event to coincide with the overgeneration solar energy event at the plurality of solar panels. The system, which can include many network-enabled smart thermostats, may control air conditioners or other HVAC system within various structures. The system may determine a time to initiate cooling and a temperature to which to cool the structure based upon the received indication of the thermal energy storage event. Cooling may be initiated by the system based on the determined time and the determined temperature in response to the received indication of the thermal energy storage event
US09951965B2
A method for heating ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems is described. In one embodiment, the method includes measuring a temperature of a first room of a building via a first thermometer placed in the first room and measuring a temperature of a second room of the building via a second thermometer placed in the second room and receiving the temperature of the first room via a first data communication device communicatively coupled to a first HVAC register in the first room and receiving the temperature of the second room via a second data communication device communicatively coupled to a second HVAC register in the second room. In some cases, the first data communication device is configured to communicate data between the first thermometer and a central automation controller and the second data communication device is configured to communicate data between the second thermometer and the central automation controller.
