US09307614B2
A temperature and illumination adjusting system, including: a temperature and illumination adjusting device, including a CPU, receiving a temperature value and an illumination value, and generating a first PWM value and a second PWM value according to a first formula and a second formula; and a communication unit, outputting the first PWM value and the second PWM value; and a lamp device, including a lamp communication unit, receiving the first PWM value and the second PWM value; a first light module; a second light module; a first PWM driving unit, driving the first light module with the first PWM value; a second PWM driving unit, driving the second light module with the second PWM value, wherein the outputs of the first light module and the second light module have different color temperature.
US09307606B2
The present invention provides a light emitting device driver circuit and a control circuit and a control method thereof. The light emitting device driver circuit is used for driving a light emitting device circuit according to a rectified dimming signal. The light emitting device driver circuit includes a power stage circuit and a control circuit. The control circuit includes a pulse width modulation (PWM) circuit, a current limit (CL) circuit, and a determination circuit. The CL circuit generates a CL signal according to a current sense signal and a predetermined CL threshold. The determination circuit is coupled to the PWM circuit and the CL circuit, for generating an operation signal according to a PWM signal and the CL signal. The power stage circuit maintains an absolute level of an AC dimming current not lower than a holding current in an ON phase period.
US09307604B2
A dimmable light emitting diode (LED) lamp is provided. The dimmable LED lamp includes an alternating current (AC) input unit and at least one AC detection unit connected to the AC input unit. The dimmable LED lamp also includes at least one LED driving and power supply unit and at least one LED light source assembly, where the LED driving and power supply unit is connected to the LED light source assembly. Further, the dimmable LED lamp includes at least one controller with a pulse width modulation (PWM) output, wherein the AC detection unit is connected to the controller, and the controller is connected to the LED driving and power supply unit.
US09307594B2
An apparatus for driving LEDs. The apparatus that drives a first LED unit having at least one LED and second LED unit connected to the first LED unit and having at least one LED comprises a rectifying unit for rectifying an AC power source connected to the first LED unit, a first current detector connected between the rectifying unit and the first LED unit and having its operation state changed depending on a level of current flowing through the first LED unit, a second current detector connected between the rectifying unit and the second LED unit and having its operation state changed depending on a level of current flowing through the second LED unit, and a reverse current protector connected between the first and second current detectors for providing a path to connect the first and second LED units in series.
US09307591B2
Systems, methods, and devices for providing a luminaire inductively coupled to a power transmission line include a current transformer containing a plurality of tap points, and a plurality of tap switches that can be coupled to the tap points. The plurality of tap switches are connected to a microcontroller. Further, the systems, methods, and devices include an energy storage device, and LED light source(s). In some instances the current transformer powers the LED light source(s), and in other instances, the current transformer charges the energy storage device and the energy storage device in turn powers the LED light source(s), and in yet other instances, a combination of powering directly from the current transformer or energy storage device may be switched back and forth depending on a variety of parameters.
US09307590B2
An electrical current (“I”) digital-to-analog converter (“IDAC”) (60) supplies a specified electrical current to at least one light emitting diode. The IDAC (60) includes a plurality of current sources/sinks (26): a. that are connected in parallel so a total amount of current flowing through the at least one LED equals the sum of their individual electrical currents; and b. at any instant in time individual current sources/sinks (26) are either: 1. turned on: or 2. turned off. When the specified electrical current being supplied exceeds a pre-established threshold (94), a sequence of individual current sources/sinks (26) are turned on ever more quickly to produce a. non-linearly increasing electrical current. When the specified electrical current being supplied is below the pre-established current threshold (94), the non-linearly increasing electrical current is supplied by an increasing number of additional current sources/sinks (26), each additional current source/sink (26) producing progressively longer current pulses until that current source/sink {26} remains fully on.
US09307589B2
A lighting module includes a main circuit board, a plurality of lighting units, and a driving unit. The main circuit board forms a plurality of through holes. Each lighting unit includes a transparent substrate, a circuit layer, a plurality of light emitting diode (LED) dies, and a transparent resin layer. The transparent substrates are arranged on the main circuit board, and then a predetermined angle spans between a first surface of each transparent substrate and the main circuit board. The circuit layer and the LED dies are placed on the first surface, and the LED dies are electrically connected to the circuit layer. The transparent resin layer covers the LED dies. The driving unit includes a driving circuit board including a plurality of protrusions. The protrusions are respectively inserted into the through holes such that the driving circuit board is substantially perpendicular to the main board.
US09307583B2
Provided herein are a cooking apparatus and an operating method thereof. The cooking apparatus includes a cavity, a microwave generator to generate and output microwaves of a plurality of frequencies to heat an object within the cavity, and a controller to calculate interpolated microwave frequencies for a heating session, based on microwave frequencies calculated during a scanning session, and to calculate heating times of the interpolated microwave frequencies. Thereby, operating efficiency of the cooking apparatus is improved.
US09307581B2
An induction heating system (46) for use in cooking with a positive feedback mechanism (54, 56) by means of which the power applied to a cooking utensil (52) can be varied in a wide range by changing its position above an induction coil (10), and by means of which the circuitry (54) is automatically protected against overheating.
US09307578B2
A system for measuring temperatures of and controlling a multi-zone heating plate in a substrate support assembly used to support a semiconductor substrate in a semiconductor processing includes a current measurement device and switching arrangements. A first switching arrangement connects power return lines selectively to an electrical ground, a voltage supply or an electrically isolated terminal, independent of the other power return lines. A second switching arrangement connects power supply lines selectively to the electrical ground, a power supply, the current measurement device or an electrically isolated terminal, independent of the other power supply lines. The system can be used to maintain a desired temperature profile of the heater plate by taking current readings of reverse saturation currents of diodes serially connected to planar heating zones, calculating temperatures of the heating zones and powering each heater zone to achieve the desired temperature profile.
US09307573B2
Providing link quality intelligence from physical layer to higher protocol layers. The PHY (physical layer) of devices operating within wireless communication systems assess 1 or more operational parameters corresponding to a PHY link that communicatively couples 2 or more devices. These PHYs provide this assessed intelligence to the devices' higher protocol layers so that these higher protocol layers have greater visibility of the operational parameters of the PHY link. These higher protocol layers may use this assessed intelligence to make decisions about how future communication are governed across the PHY links. For example, based on a change of the operational parameter(s), the higher protocol layers may modify the operational parameter(s) for future communications. The higher protocol layers may direct the PHY to assess a particular set of operational parameters, and the higher protocol layers may assess different operational parameters at different times.
US09307572B2
A method and an apparatus for simultaneously receiving on two carriers and performing discontinuous transmission (DTX) and discontinuous reception (DRX) in dual cell high speed downlink packet access (DC-HSDPA) are disclosed. A wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) receives a message for activating DRX for at least one of an anchor carrier and a supplementary carrier and applies the same DRX pattern to the anchor carrier and the supplementary carrier upon reception of the message. The message may be received via a high speed shared control channel (HS-SCCH) order. The WTRU may activate or de-activate the supplementary carrier based on the physical layer signal. Upon activation of the supplementary carrier, the WTRU may apply the same DRX pattern on both the anchor carrier and the supplementary carrier. The WTRU may flush a hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) buffer associated with the supplementary carrier upon de-activation of the supplementary carrier.
US09307566B2
Methods and arrangements for handling shortcomings when a wireless user terminal (200), currently using a first connection (2:1) with a first network node (202), is redirected to a second connection in a release-with-redirect process. The connection first network node sends a first redirect message (2:2) to the terminal with an instruction to attach to the second connection. The terminal then sends a message (2:5) to the first network node which comprises a failure indication indicating that the terminal has made a failed attempt (2:3) to attach to the second connection. The first network node then identifies (2:6) a cause for the failed attempt by using the failure indication. The first network node also performs at least one of: sending (2:7) a second redirect message to the terminal based on the identified cause, and providing (2:9) the identified cause to a network management function, to enable adaptation of the release-with-redirect process.
US09307556B2
A method includes configuring user equipment to support use of one or more carriers for authorized shared access. The configuring is performed to emphasize use of a first set of a plurality of carriers over use of a second set of the plurality of carriers. The second set comprises the one or more carriers for authorized shared access. The method also includes communicating with the user equipment using the first and second sets of carriers. Apparatus, computer programs, and program products are also disclosed.
US09307553B2
A method in a user equipment for requesting that a base station schedule the user equipment for an uplink data transmission to the base station is provided. The user equipment comprises a buffer. Directly or indirectly responsive to receiving data into the buffer to be transmitted to the base station, the user equipment generates a scheduling request trigger. The scheduling request trigger is configured to trigger the sending of a scheduling request to the base station if the trigger is pending at the next scheduling request opportunity, and to remain pending until it is cancelled. The user equipment cancels the pending scheduling request trigger when the data is accounted for in a buffer status report, which reports the size of the buffer to the base station, or when the data is included directly in a scheduled uplink data transmission whichever occurs first.
US09307543B2
Systems and methods for generating a Long Term Evolution network return procedure. A mobile terminal may generate, in absence of redirection instruction from a circuit-switched network, a Long Term Evolution network return procedure that when instantiated by the mobile terminal implements connection of the mobile terminal to a Long Term Evolution network based on a ranking of measured Long Term Evolution network access points.
US09307531B2
The present invention discloses a random access method, a mobile terminal, and a mobile communications system, and relates to the communications field. The method includes: obtaining a dynamic probability class (N) and an access service class (ASC) of a current service that are in a system information block; calculating an access probability of the current service according to the N and the ASC of the current service; successively comparing random numbers corresponding to available access timeslots with the access probability of the current service until a random number corresponding to an available access timeslot is less than or equal to the access probability of the current service; and sending an access preamble to a base station in the available access timeslot. Embodiments of the present invention apply to establishment of a random access process for a mobile terminal.
US09307528B2
A method for activating/deactivating secondary carriers of a User Equipment (UE) in a mobile communication system supporting carrier aggregation is provided. The method comprises, receiving a control message including an activation/deactivation Control Element (CE) in a first sub-frame from a Base station, identifying an activation command or a deactivation command of at least one secondary carrier based on the control message, determining whether a current sub-frame is a second sub-frame or not, performing at least one first operation for the at least one secondary carrier in a second sub-frame, and performing, when the activation/deactivation CE indicates deactivation of the at least one secondary carrier, at least one second operation for the at least one secondary carrier no later than the second sub-frame.
US09307523B2
A method includes controlling a set of transmission points, which are configured to operate in accordance with a Coordinated Multipoint (CoMP) transmission scheme, to simultaneously transmit a composite Reference Signal (RS) to a mobile communication terminal. Feedback, which is indicative of a response of a composite communication channel between the transmission points and the terminal, is received from the terminal. The feedback is estimated in the terminal based on the composite RS received in the terminal from the transmission points. Subsequent transmission from the transmission points is configured based on the received feedback.
US09307520B2
A method for configuring a cell includes the following steps. A network node obtains information for configuring serviceless Multicast Broadcast Single Frequency Network (MBSFN) sub-frames of a first cell; and the network node configures serviceless MBSFN sub-frames of a neighboring cell of the first cell by alternating the serviceless MBSFN sub-frames of the neighboring cell with the serviceless MBSFN sub-frames of the first cell according to the information for configuring the serviceless MBSFN sub-frames of the first cell. In the method for configuring the first cell, the serviceless MBSFN sub-frames of the neighboring cell alternate with the serviceless MBSFN sub-frames of the first cell, thereby reducing interference between cells and improving stability of the system.
US09307518B2
Methods and apparatuses are provided for performing communication by a UE in a mobile communication system. A speed of the UE is measured by using an acceleration sensor in the UE. The UE determines that a change of the measured speed is detected in accordance with a predetermined criteria. The UE transmits information about the measured speed to a serving base station if the change of the measured speed is detected. Information about a target cell determined by the serving base station based on the measured speed is received from the serving base station. A handover procedure to the target cell is performed in response to receiving the information about the target cell.
US09307515B1
In one aspect, the present disclosure relates to a self identifying light source including an emitter that produces visible light; and an autonomous modulator in electrical communication with the emitter that automatically and continually modulates the visible light produced by the emitter, wherein the modulated visible light represents an identification code of the light source. In some embodiments, the emitter is a light emitting diode (LED) and further comprising an LED driver that provides a specified voltage and current to each LED in the light source.
US09307510B2
Methods, systems, and devices are described for synchronizing a user equipment (UE) in a device-to-device communications network. The UE may scan for a synchronization signal transmitted from another UE in the network. A synchronization frame including a plurality of slots to use may be identified based at least in part on a result of the scanning. The identified synchronization frame may be analyzed to select a slot to use from the plurality of slots of the synchronization frame. A synchronization signal may be transmitted using the identified synchronization frame and the selected slot.
US09307498B2
Methods and apparatuses for enabling power back-off indication in PHR in a telecommunications system
The exemplary embodiments describe a method for use in a user equipment, a method for use in a radio base station; a user equipment and a radio base station. According to the exemplary embodiments, the user equipment is configured to decide on application or not of a power reduction and to indicate it decision in a power headroom report intended for transmission to the radio base station. The radio base station is configured to receive the power headroom report and based on the indicated information in the received power headroom report, the base station in made aware of an additional or special power backoff (e.g. to fulfill SAR requirements) has been applied and thereby able to distinguish it from normal power backoff or power reduction.
US09307497B2
Methods and devices to dynamically determine suitable cell-specific RoT limits are provided. The suitable cell-specific RoT limits can advantageously be set both with respect to a short time scale and a long time scale In accordance with some embodiments the long term time scale operation is based on UE measurements representative for the intended coverage area of the cell. In accordance with some embodiments the short term time scale operation is based on UE measurements from active User Equipments only. Furthermore, also receiver capabilities of and cell isolation to neighboring base stations can be considered in the long time scale operation.
US09307494B2
An apparatus and method for selecting a processor clock speed and a wireless network are disclosed. The method for selecting a processing speed of a processor and/or a wireless network to be connected in a User Equipment (UE) in a wireless communication system includes detecting states of a processor-related queue and a network module-related queue, and selecting a processing speed of the processor-related queue and/or a wireless network to be connected, based on the detected states of the processor-related queue and the network module-related queue and power consumptions of a processor and a network module. The processing speed of the processor-related queue and/or the wireless network to be connected are selected to keep a difference between a length of the processor-related queue and a length of the network module-related queue at a predetermined value and minimize the power consumptions of the processor and the network module.
US09307492B2
An operating mode switching method for a electronic device is disclosed. The operating mode switching method includes receiving a notification message via a proximity-based wireless communication technology; switching from an initial operating mode to an environmental operating mode corresponding to the notification message; and switching from the target operating mode back to the initial operating mode when not effectively receiving an environmental signal corresponding to the notification message via a short-ranged wireless communication technology.
US09307491B2
A system includes a processor and a memory connected with the processor, the memory to store logic. A DRX module also connects with the processor. The DRX module alternatively provides both a CS DRX cycle length and a PS DRX cycle length observed from network configuration. The processor executes the logic stored in the memory to instruct the DRX module to use a longer of a CS DRX cycle length or a PS DRX cycle length.
US09307490B2
A method for controlling a Bluetooth device for power conservation includes the steps of: establishing a Bluetooth link; controlling the Bluetooth device to enter sniff mode; handling a sniff anchor point after wakeup preparation and before sleep preparation; and handling a wakeup operation between the wakeup preparation and the sleep preparation. The wakeup operation is a BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) operation or a Wi-Fi operation. The wakeup/sleep preparation can be also done as few times as possible in the invention such that the power consumption of the Bluetooth device is effectively reduced.
US09307486B2
User equipment includes a cell search unit configured to execute a cell search; a detector configured to detect that reconnection is required; a storage unit configured to store VoIP support information that indicates, for each type of radio communications system (RAT), whether voice packet communication is allowed; a cell search target determination unit configured to refer to the VoIP support information and report only the type of the radio communications system (RAT) for which the voice packet communication is allowed to the cell search unit as a target of the cell search, when the detector detects that the reconnection is required for the voice packet communication; and a communication unit configured to communicate in a cell that is detected by the cell search.
US09307485B2
The invention relates to a telecommunications system comprising at least a plurality of SA-cells. The invention provides a method for a terminal to facilitate establishment of a data connection between the terminal and at least one of the SA-cells. The method includes steps of, while the terminal is in an idle mode, the terminal transmitting an information request message (IRM) for the plurality of SA-cells and receiving, from each SA-cell of one or more SA-cells of the plurality of SA-cells, a message comprising at least information indicative of a strength with which the each SA-cell received the IRM. The method further includes the step of, at least partially based on the messages received from the one or more SA-cells, the terminal selecting an SA-cell of the plurality of SA-cells for establishing the data connection between the terminal and the selected SA-cell.
US09307479B2
In accordance with an example embodiment of the present invention, a method includes receiving a connection request in uplink signaling from a user equipment, the user equipment being located in a cell; making a determination whether the user equipment can be connected and, if it is determined that the user equipment cannot be connected, informing the user equipment by downlink signaling, as a response to the connection request, that the user equipment cannot be connected. The downlink signaling includes information that indicates that the user equipment should de-prioritize a current carrier frequency or current radio access technology, and can further include a timer value to indicate a period of time for which the current carrier frequency or current radio access technology is to be de-prioritized. The method can be executed by an evolved NodeB (eNB) of an evolved universal terrestrial radio access network (E-UTRAN).
US09307477B1
A networking device includes a tunneling module, a mobility agent module, and a wireless network interface that establishes a wireless link with a wireless client terminal. The tunneling module establishes first and second tunnels with first and second local mobility anchors, respectively. The first and second local mobility anchors are associated with first and second packet data networks, respectively. The mobility agent module stores a mapping of a plurality of addresses respectively assigned to local mobility anchors. The mapping maps a first address to the first local mobility anchor and a second address to the second local mobility anchor. In response to receiving a first packet from the wireless client terminal, the mobility agent module identifies, based on a source address of the first packet, a selected local mobility anchor from the mapping. The tunneling module tunnels the first packet from the networking device to the selected local mobility anchor.
US09307473B2
The disclosure provides a method for switching between different network standards, which includes the following steps performed by a terminal: when switch is to be performed, sorting in a history record target cells corresponding to a source cell which the terminal is leaving, to form a search list, choosing the target cell from the search list and accessing the target cell. The disclosure further provides an apparatus for switching between different network standards. By means of the method and the apparatus of the disclosure, the rate of the switching between the different network standards is increased, the user experience is improved and the power consumption of the terminal is reduced.
US09307471B1
In systems and methods of selecting an access node for wireless device communication, it is determined that a first loading of a first access node meets a first loading criteria, and a wireless device is selected which is in communication with the first access node and which detects a second access node. A request is sent to the second access node to accept a handover of the wireless device, and a timer is started comprising a first timer value when the request is rejected by the second access node. A second request is sent to the second access node to accept a handover of the wireless device to the second access node when the timer expires, and the wireless device is instructed to change from communicating with the first access node to communicating with the second access node when the second request is accepted by the second access node.
US09307461B2
A femtocell base station in a telecommunications network identifies, for each user device served by the base station, which other base stations in the network that user device is authorized to access. The base station also determines a group identity for each of a plurality of possible neighbor cell base stations in the network. Based on this information, the base station identifies at least one possible handover target cell base station for each user device served by the base station, based on the identified other base stations in the network that user device is authorized to access; and based on the identified group identity for each of a plurality of possible neighbor cell base stations in the network.
US09307460B2
An arrangement (400) for a user equipment, UE, is disclosed. The arrangement (400) comprises an acquiring unit (401) configured to acquire neighboring cell information relating to a plurality of neighboring cells. An assignment unit (403) is provided to assign a priority indicator to each neighboring cell based on the neighboring cell information. Also, a measurement unit (404) is provided to perform measurements on the basis of the assigned priority indicators. The arrangement (400) is arranged such that measurements can be performed more frequently for a neighboring cell having a first priority indicator compared with another neighboring cell having a second priority indicator, which second priority indicator is comparatively lower than the first priority indicator. The disclosure also presents corresponding methods, computer program products and devices.
US09307455B2
Methods and systems are provided for transitioning an active communication session of a mobile station from being conducted over a communication path that includes a source base station to being conducted over a communication path that includes a target base station, without terminating the communication session. A wireless communication device situated within a source coverage area of a source base station operates as a clone of the mobile station that is situated within a source coverage area of the source base station and also within a target coverage area of the target base station. The transition involves the clone relaying the communication session between the source base station and the mobile station; meanwhile, the target base station (i) establishes an air-interface connection with the mobile station and (ii) detects a handoff-completion trigger, and responsively serves the mobile station over the air-interface connection with respect to the communication session.
US09307449B2
A radiocommunication network includes a core network including primary and secondary nodes and a radio access network including radio controllers. Each primary node connects at least one secondary node, and each secondary node connects at least one radio controller via respective links. In relation to a given primary node, at least one entity in the radiocommunication network calculates respective target load reduction values for the links connecting the given primary node and secondary nodes, depending on an excess value between a current load of the given primary node and a primary node load threshold, and calculates respective target load reduction values for the links connecting said secondary nodes connected to the given primary node and radio controllers, depending on calculated target load reduction values. Actions are taken for changing traffic distribution by taking account of calculated target load reduction values.
US09307445B2
An apparatus and method for transmitting a plurality of data packets of a plurality of nodes in a wireless sensor network. The plurality of data packets includes a plurality of original data values. The apparatus deleting the one of the plurality of original data values in accordance with a determination that an absolute difference between one of the plurality of original data values and a first preset value is smaller than a second preset value, or storing the one of the original data values in a database as an optimized data and setting the first preset value as the one of the original data values.
US09307442B2
The invention relates to a method for reducing the header size of data packets by removing inner headers from the data packets, wherein at least an outer header remains for routing purposes. When removing the inner headers from a data packet, a newly configured address of the receiving and/or the transmitting entity is inserted in the remaining outer header of the data packet. Context information is provided in the receiving entities for reconstructing the removed inner headers, wherein the context information is referred to by the newly configured address that is in the source and/or destination address of the outer header. The reduced data packet is transmitted with only one header, thereby significantly reducing the size of each data packet. The original packet is completely reconstructed at the receiving entity thereby allowing to proceed with the usual processing of each data packet.
US09307434B2
The invention relates to a method implemented in a user equipment 4 of a communication network 1 for reporting inter-radio access technologies measurements. The communication network 1 comprises a first radio access technology system 2 and a second radio access technology system 3. The user equipment 4 is connected to a primary serving cell of the first radio access technology system 2 and a secondary serving cell of the second radio access technology system 3. The method comprises: performing 110 signal strength measurements in the first radio access technology system 2; performing 120 signal strength measurements in the second radio access technology system 3; determining 130, 145, 230, 240, based on the signal strength measurements, whether a criterion for a measurement event relating to the second radio access technology system 3 is fulfilled, and transmitting 150, for a fulfilled criterion, a corresponding measurement report to the communication network 1. The invention also relates to a user equipment, network node and methods in a network node.
US09307432B2
Techniques are provided for providing a processing delay estimate of an access point, or turnaround calibration function (TCF), associated with round trip time (RTT) measurements. Mobile devices, access points, and/or other systems can utilize these techniques to derive processing delay from the RTT measurements. Crowdsourcing can also be used to help increase the accuracy of the processing delay estimate, which can be propagated to multiple devices.
US09307430B1
A method and system for testing a SMS text messaging network is disclosed herein. The method and system allows for real-time testing of the mobile terminated (“MT”) and mobile originated (“MO”) delivery delays across the major American mobile phone carriers, and accurately measures the progress on SMS broadcasts and records when a broadcast has been completed.
US09307428B2
In one embodiment, a method comprises monitoring network data associated with a cell of a communication network for one or more channel conditions, estimating total cell capacities for respective channel conditions based on the monitored network data, and estimating an available cell capacity based at least in part on the total cell capacity estimates and a portion of the monitored network data. The method may also include sending information derived from at least a portion of the network data to a server and receiving from the server total cell capacities for respective channel conditions, where the total cell capacities received from the server are used to estimate the available cell capacity. The method may further include sending the available cell capacity estimate to the server and receiving from the server an available cell capacity.
US09307426B2
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for testing mobile terminals in an OFDMA system, in which all or part of available downlink radio resources in a cell are transmitted. A processing unit in a test apparatus splits a set of contiguous resource blocks into separate contiguous portions. A first contiguous portion of the set of resource blocks is allocated to users of a first type, and a second contiguous portion of the set of resource blocks is allocated to users of a second type. A transmitter in the test apparatus transmits test signals to the users of the first type and the second type using the at least one contiguous set of resource blocks.
US09307423B2
Provided are a method for coordinating inter-cell interference in a heterogeneous network (HetNet) and the heterogeneous network. The method includes: forming M normal base stations and low-power nodes within coverage of the respective normal base stations in the heterogeneous network into a coordinated group; combining mute/non-mute states of bandwidths of the M normal base stations to obtain a plurality of states of the coordinated group; a user of each of the normal base stations feeding at least one first CQI back to the normal base station; a user of each of the low-power nodes feeding one or more second CQIs back to the low-power node; using the first CQI and the second CQIs as a basis to make capacity estimation of the coordinated group; and setting the mute/non-mute states of the bandwidths of the M normal base stations in accordance with a state of the coordinated group corresponding to an optimal system capacity so as to perform data transmission. In the method for coordinating interference provided by the present invention, M transmission points each including one or more normal base stations and low-power nodes covered by the respective normal base stations can be formed into a coordinated group, thereby extending processing for the normal base stations up to all the transmission points in the coordinated group.
US09307422B2
Disclosed is a method for receiving a downlink signal through a receiving end in a wireless communication system. Specifically, the method comprises the steps of: receiving, from a transmitting end, information on at least one antenna port of a reference signal for a control channel and at least one antenna port of a reference signal for a data channel; receiving the control channel on the basis of the reference signal for the control channel; and receiving the data channel on the basis of the reference signal for the control channel and the reference signal for the data channel, wherein the at least one antenna port of the reference signal for the control channel is included in the at least one antenna port of the reference signal for the data channel.
US09307409B2
Some demonstrative embodiments include apparatuses, systems and/or methods of protecting domains of a multimode wireless radio transceiver. For example, an apparatus may include a protection domain controller (PDC) to restrict access of a configuration software to a protection domain of a plurality of protection domains of a multimode wireless radio transceiver based on a security level of the configuration software, wherein the protection domain includes one or more radio configuration parameters of the multimode wireless radio transceiver.
US09307397B2
A system including a server coupled to a wireless network, the server comprising a wireless interface adapted to transmit and receive wireless signals, one or more processors coupled to the wireless interface, the one or more processors adapted to: detect a registration request sent from a wireless device to a home location register (HLR) over which the server has authority to control, the request indicating an International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) associated with a subscriber identity module (SIM) card in the wireless device, send a reply to the wireless device in response to a determination that the IMSI is associated with a subscriber account that has not been activated, wherein the reply includes a web link to be displayed on the wireless device, receive a message from the wireless device when the web link displayed on the wireless device is subscriber activated, the message identifying characteristics of the wireless device, send a sequence of webpages to the wireless device, the webpages providing a customized activation process for establishing the subscriber account based on identified characteristics of the wireless device, and receive information related to the subscriber account from the wireless device in response to the webpages to thereby establish and activate the subscriber account.
US09307396B2
Provided are a system, method and mobile communication terminal for displaying an advertisement upon activation of the mobile communication terminal. The mobile communication terminal includes a display unit, and an activation button configured to switch an inactive state in which the display unit is off to an active state in which the display unit is on. When the activation button is pressed and thereby the inactive state is switched to the active state, an advertisement is displayed on the display unit.
US09307390B2
The present invention relates to a method and device of performing Tracking Area Update TAU for a group of Machine-Type Communication MTC devices in a communication network. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the group comprises a first MTC device and at least one second MTC device that have the same group ID and location information, the communication network comprises an old Mobility Management Entity MME and a new Mobility Management Entity MME before and after TAU, respectively, for providing mobility management to the group of MTC devices, and the method comprises: after the new MME receives a TAU request about the first MTC device, obtaining a context of the first MTC device from the old MME; the new MME checking the context of the first MTC device to find the group ID of the group; and if the group ID is included in the context of the first MTC device, the new MME utilizing the group ID to obtain from the old MME a context of the at least one second MTC device.
US09307377B2
A method, a terminal, and a system for implementing call diversion. The method comprises: when a call access anomaly of a request terminal occurs, setting and sending call forwarding request information to a target terminal; the target terminal reading a call forwarding identification in the call forwarding request information, determining whether the call forwarding identification is correct, and if yes, reading an address of the target terminal in the call forwarding request information; the target terminal determining whether the address of the target terminal is correct, and if yes, reading a forwarding address identification in the call forwarding request information, setting a forwarding terminal address according to the forwarding address identification, and setting and sending call forwarding success response information to the request terminal; and the request terminal receiving the call forwarding success response information and setting up call forwarding.
US09307376B2
Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) telephone calls at an information handling system are managed based upon data transfer allocations associated with an information handling system wireless wide area network (WWAN) account to reduce data transfer overages at the WWAN account. If data transfer associated with a WWAN account approaches an allocation threshold, VoIP telephone calls associated with the information handling system that would use WWAN data transfer are instead configured to proceed through a WWAN telephone call with a WWAN telephone number that does not use data transfer.
US09307360B1
Systems and methods to identify a predefined geographical region in which a mobile device is located
Systems and methods including a mobile device determining the coordinates of its location using a location determination system, such as a global positioning system. A database stores the identifiers of cells representative of predefined regions in a hierarchical grid system. A server computer or the mobile device converts the coordinates of the location to one or more cell identifiers at different grid resolution levels and searches the database to find a match between the cell identifiers representing the regions and the cell identifiers representing the location of the mobile device to determine one or more regions in which the mobile device is located. For example, the hierarchical grid system can be constructed in a longitude latitude space of location coordinates, with resolution levels aligned with decimal precision levels of the location coordinates; and the cell identifiers can be constructed from the digits of the longitude and latitude coordinates.
US09307356B2
A description of a user is estimated based on the context of the user's travel pattern. A disclosed data-processing system continually receives data points originating from the user's cell phone, for example, wherein each data point represents a visit by the user to a particular geolocation, at a particular time. The system then partitions the received data points into groups, wherein the groups represent the different places that the user has visited. The system counts how many data points are in each group. Based on the number of data points in each group, as well as the number of groups, the system then determines the entropy of the received data points that correspond to the particular user, which is also regarded as the entropy of the user's travel pattern. The data-processing system then estimates a user description for the user, based at least in part on the determined user entropy.
US09307355B2
A system for contextualized location aware content delivery comprising a group of beacons transmitting respective ID's, an application running on a smart device configured for receiving the beacons, determining signal amplitude, reception time, beacon ID, and sending ID and amplitude to a server over a network. The server determines location of the smart device and contextualizes the location based on a context location database with the server. Context information sent back to application. Application sends context information along with user action information to an application server over a network. Application server sends context related information to application for display to a user on said smart device. The server, application, and beacons may be provided as a service to a facility for use with customer's smart devices. A beacon ID security method is disclosed. Beacons may include precision location technology and relay information to one another and to the server.
US09307347B2
A programming initiator device identifies a set of user devices for which an update to software/firmware/content has not yet been installed; wirelessly provides to one or a subset of the user devices the update and also instructions for how to distribute the update among remaining user devices of the set; and identifies from feedback wirelessly received from at least one of the user devices in the set all of the user devices of the set which have successfully installed the update. A first user device wirelessly receives an update to software/firmware/content and distribution information for distributing the update to at least a second user device; installs the update itself; and shares the update with the at least second user device according to the received distribution information.
US09307343B2
According to the disclosure of the present invention, a method of a Network Body Area Network (MBAN) master to control the channel defaulting of an MBAN terminal in an MBAN system is provided. The method includes: performing an association process with the MBAN terminal through a channel of a first frequency band; and transmitting control information for the channel initialization of the MBAN terminal to the MBAN terminal. The control information includes a channel defaulting timer, and a value of the channel defaulting timer indicates a time between the timing when the MBAN terminal cannot receive a signal from a channel of the first frequency band in use and the timing when the channel search of a second frequency band starts.
US09307339B2
Embodiments disclose a display apparatus including a controller configured to detect a vocalized position in the video frame; and an audio processor configured to process an audio signal corresponding to the video frame differently according to a distance between the vocalized position and each of the plurality of speakers, create a plurality of audio output signals, and provide each created audio output signal to each of the plurality of speakers, and the controller controls the audio processor to change the each created audio output signal provided to the each of the plurality of speakers according to the moved vocalized position in response to the vocalized position being moved within the video frame.
US09307331B2
A new hearing device system is disclosed herein. The hearing device system has a hearing device and a control device that allows a user to select perceived directions of arrival of selected sound signals transmitted to the hearing device.
US09307328B2
A microphone includes an interposer, a lid, and a base. The interposer includes at least one wall portion that forms a cavity. The wall portion includes a first side and a second side that are opposite from each other. The lid is coupled to the first side of the interposer and the base is coupled to the second side of the interposer such that the lid and the base enclose the cavity. A microelectromechanical system (MEMS) device is disposed in the cavity. The interposer structurally supports one or both of the lid and the base. The interposer includes a plurality of plated regions that are configured to electrically connect the lid and the base. The plated regions are configured to at least partially be exposed and open to the cavity.
US09307327B2
Disclosed is a portable electroacoustic device. The device includes a shell having a receiving space; a fixing part received in the receiving part and connected with the shell, and a vibrating unit positioned in the receiving space. The vibrating unit includes a vibrating system and a magnetic circuit system fixed with the fixing part for driving the vibrating system. The magnetic circuit system has a magnetic gap. The vibrating system includes a vibrating plate for driving an external medium to generate resonate, and a voice coil inserted in the magnetic gap for driving the vibrating plate. The shell includes a lower plate having a through hole, the vibrating plate connects with the lower plate and is accommodated in the through hole.
US09307324B2
A plurality of magnetostrictive elements made of ferrite or the like are arranged in a matrix on an upper surface of a circuit board. On the periphery of each of the magnetostrictive elements, a voice coil is arranged. When current flows to the voice coils, the magnetostrictive elements themselves expand and contract in their center axis direction (height direction), and whereby ultrasonic waves (carrier waves) are emitted into the air from the magnetostrictive elements themselves. Since the magnetostrictive elements made of ferrite or the like are used, power consumption can be reduced, compared with the case of using piezoelectric vibrators. Also, the magnetostrictive elements can be made resistant to damage even if subjected to an impact due to falling or the like. Accordingly, in a parametric speaker using ultrasonic waves as carrier waves, power consumption can be reduced and vibrating elements can be made resistant to impact damage.
US09307310B2
A wearable portable electronic device including a body and a speaker is provided. The body includes a base and a sidewall surrounding the base, wherein the sidewall has at least one opening. The speaker is disposed in the body, wherein a sound wave produced by the speaker is transmitted outward through the opening. An orthogonal projection of the speaker on the base is separated from an orthogonal projection of the opening on the base.
US09307299B2
An apparatus, system and method of a digital video recorder. The apparatus, system and method include at least one memory device, a plurality of communication access points for receiving at least one program play, and an open application programming interface associated with the at least one memory device for programming a plurality of applications to operate on the at least one program play. Each of the plurality of applications correspondent to said open application programming interface manipulates metadata associated with ones of the programs plays. The metadata may relate to interactivity with detailed, non-topical aspects of the ones of the program plays.
US09307298B2
The present invention discloses methods and systems of statistical video multiplexing to improve the performance of video encoding by minimizing delay while achieving high video quality. The video encoders used in the system are capable of calculating the complexity of underlying video sources and communicating the complexity to the multiplexer. Furthermore, the video encoders are capable of estimating the look-ahead complexity, i.e. the future complexity and communicating the future complexity values to the multiplexer. A processor associated with the multiplexer allocates bit rates for the video encoders according to the received complexity values and future complexity values. The bit rate information is then communicated to the video encoders. Each video encoder will then exercise its coding control parameters to regulate the resulting bit rate to be within or close to the allocated bit rate.
US09307289B2
A portable video delivery device includes data storage, a secure processor, and a wireless network interface that acts as an access point for a secure personal wireless network. Transcoded media files are stored in the data storage so that the portable device maintains a library of stored media programs that can be carried along with the user during commuting, travel and/or other activities. To playback the stored programming, other media player devices use the personal wireless network to securely connect to the portable device and to obtain previously-transcoded content from the data storage of the device.
US09307281B2
A media guidance application is provided by which users can define rules for assigning user equipment devices as destinations for media content. For example, a user may define a rule by which selected media content having attributes that satisfy a user-defined condition are downloaded, recorded, or streamed to a particular, user-specified user equipment device. The user may define and manage rules using media guidance menus, and may restrict other users from accessing the rules (e.g., parents restricting children).
US09307279B2
A digital broadcasting receiving apparatus with improved start-up speed and a start-up method for the digital broadcasting receiving apparatus are provided. The start-up method for the digital broadcasting receiving apparatus includes performing a booting operation related to a central processing unit (CPU) when the digital broadcasting receiving apparatus is powered on, performing a channel decoding operation related to a channel to be displayed while the CPU booting is being performed, and displaying the channel decoded by the channel decoding operation when the CPU booting and the channel decoding are finished. Accordingly, the start-up time of the digital broadcasting receiving apparatus can be remarkably reduced.
US09307275B2
A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may operate, for example, according to a method for identifying subsets of blogs from a collection of blogs according to a relevance of each subset of blogs to one of a plurality of media programs deliverable to a plurality of subscriber devices, determining for each subset of blogs one or more trends, detecting a subscriber device from the plurality of subscriber devices, selecting a media program from the plurality of media programs, selecting one of the subsets of blogs that is relevant to the media program, and supplying the subscriber device the selected subset of blogs with the one or more trends determined for the select subset of blogs. Other embodiments are disclosed.
US09307264B2
A coefficient presence/absence flag decoding unit, included in a quantized residual information decoding unit which reduces a processing amount related to coding and decoding of a transform coefficient, splits a target frequency domain or a target pixel domain into sub-blocks, and derives different context indexes with respect to each transform coefficient in a pixel domain, obtained through a transform skip or a transform/quantization bypass, and each transform coefficient which is obtained for each frequency component through frequency transform.
US09307256B2
A method and apparatus provide the ability to resample video frame into various resolutions, and to predict, quantize, and entropy code the video signal for spatially scalable compression and networking applications. The solution involves a unified re-sampling and estimation-theoretic prediction, quantization, and entropy coding framework, which by design is tailored to allow base layer coding information to be fully accessible and usable by enhancement layers; and for the enhancement layer to account for all available information from both layers for superior compression performance. Specialization may include specific techniques for coding and networking scenarios, where the potential of the unified resampling and estimation-theoretic framework is realized to considerably improve the overall system performance over existing schemes.
US09307249B2
The present application relates an encoder. The encoder partitions an image domain into several substructures each having one of at least one size dimension, and defines at least one geometric primitive for each substructure on the basis of geometry data. The encoder also retrieves, for each substructure, a subset of image data and determines whether pixel values of the retrieved subset are the same. If the pixel values are describable by a texture mapping operation, then the encoder defines a compressed texture image and assigns texture mapping data to the geometry data. Otherwise, the encoder defines an uncompressed texture image and assigns texture mapping data to the geometry data. The compressed image includes the geometry data, the texture mapping data, and the texture image data.
US09307247B2
Information to be transmitted may be compressed using range coding for adaptive arithmetic coding with a virtual sliding window. Cost and complexity of coding may be reduced in some cases.
US09307244B2
A data storage controlling device has: a compression unit which performs lossless compression on each compression object region; determination means which determines whether or not the lossless compression is possible in each compression determination region including a plurality of compression object regions; and a storage control unit which performs storage control in each compression determination region in such a manner that data after the lossless compression in a compression determination region is stored as compressed data into a storage unit when it is determined that the lossless compression in each compression object region included in the certain compression determination region is possible, and image data before the lossless compression in the certain compression determination region is stored into the storage unit when it is determined that the lossless compression in each compression object region included in the certain compression determination region is impossible.
US09307238B2
Disclosed is a method of encoding a video, the method including: splitting a current picture into at least one maximum coding unit; determining a coded depth to output a final encoding result according to at least one split region obtained by splitting a region of the maximum coding unit according to depths, by encoding the at least one split region, based on a depth that deepens in proportion to the number of times the region of the maximum coding unit is split; and outputting image data constituting the final encoding result according to the at least one split region, and encoding information about the coded depth and a prediction mode, according to the at least one maximum coding unit.
US09307235B2
A device encodes a video signal having a sequence of images into an encoded video signal. The device includes a group of picture (GOP) adaption module that detects a high complexity scene in the sequence of images and that generates GOP adaption data indicating the high complexity scene when the high complexity scene is detected. An encoding module generates the encoded video signal with hierarchical B frames disabled when the GOP adaption data indicates the high complexity scene.
US09307225B2
Aspects herein describe at least a new method, system, and computer readable storage media for processing two-dimensional (2D) video into three-dimensional (3D) video and transmitting the 3D video from a host computing device to a client computing device. In one embodiment, the method comprises spatially scaling a segment of video when a structural similarity index is greater than a first threshold value and temporally scaling the segment of video when a rate of change of successive frames of the segment falls below a second threshold value. The method generates one of the segment, a spatially scaled segment, a temporally scaled segment, and a temporally and spatially scaled segment. The method further comprises multiplexing one of the segment, the spatially scaled segment, a temporally scaled segment, and a temporally/spatially scaled segment of the video in a second channel with the segment of the video in a first channel.
US09307219B2
A video processing system includes: a merge server configured to decode a plurality of individual videos provided from video providing units, encode the plurality of individual videos by adjusting an amount of data of each of the individual videos to generate a preliminary video, and provide the preliminary video; a display server configured to receive the preliminary video and configure final videos according to output conditions of a display device; and a control server configured to receive the output conditions from the display server and transfer an output control signal with respect to the preliminary video to the merge server. When a user wants, individual videos provided from the plurality of video providing units can be displayed on a display device without sacrificing resolution and a frame rate, and since videos can be zoomed in/out and panned in real time, operational responsiveness and usage efficiency of the video processing system can be enhanced.
US09307218B2
An imaging apparatus includes an autofocus function, and performs focus adjustment by displacing a focus lens to an in-focus opposition. A focal correction calculation unit calculates a focal correction amount using at least one type of information selected from the diaphragm information used for exposure adjustment, positional information for the zoom lens, and positional information for the focus lens. The focal correction amount is further revised, and processing is executed to suppress coloring on the subject image resulting from chromatic aberration. The correction amount after revision is sent to a focal adjustment unit and the focal lens is driven and controlled by the lens control unit.
US09307215B1
A system for brightness-sensitive automatic white balancing of an electronic color image includes a processor and a memory with (a) brightness-specific color-weighting maps each specifying illuminant-specific auto white balance parameters, (b) brightness range definitions respectively indicating applicability range of the brightness-specific color-weighting maps, and (c) instructions for white balancing the electronic color image according to scene brightness and based upon the brightness-specific color-weighting maps. A system for adaptive automatic white balancing of an electronic color image includes a processor and a memory having (a) a color-weighting map specifying a probability distribution of color ratios defining auto white balance parameters, the probability distribution composed of a plurality of illuminant-specific probability distributions respectively associated with a plurality of different spectral types of illuminant, and (b) instructions for processing one or more electronic color images to refine at least one of the plurality of illuminant-specific probability distributions.
US09307211B2
Provided is an image processing system capable of coping with data which is obtained in a new color filter array, and making full use of the performance of a receiving-side device by reducing the influence of a difference in the performance of the receiving-side device on an image quality. An image processing system 100 includes a transmitting-side device 101 and a receiving-side device 102. The transmitting-side device 101 generates intermediate data by preprocessing RAW data, generates three-plane color data by processing synchronization of the intermediate data, and outputs placement information for specifying pixel positions corresponding to the three-plane color data and the intermediate data. The receiving-side device 102 restores the intermediate data using the three-plane color data and the placement information from the transmitting-side device 101, and generates the three-plane color data from the restored intermediate data.
US09307203B2
A method and communication system are disclosed for conducting a conference among sets of conference participants connected by a communication system. This system has at least one conference server, at least one image reproduction unit at each conference environment and at least one microphone at each conference environment. The method involves calculating respective virtual images of a majority of the conference environments, each virtual image containing at least one image corresponding to at least one conference participant who is present at that conference environment, calculating an aggregate representation of the virtual images of all conference environments and displaying the aggregate representation on at least one image reproduction unit. The method also calculates an individual representation for an individual conference participant and provides the individual participant with the individual representation while simultaneously providing to that individual the aggregate representation.
US09307194B2
Provided are a system and method for a video call. The system for a video call includes one or more terminals configured to transmit images obtained by capturing video call users, and a video call control server configured to generate a combined image by combining the images transmitted by the one or more terminals, and transmit the combined image to the terminals. Here, the respective images are rotated according to information on orientations sensed by the terminals, and combined into the combined image.
US09307193B2
The present invention relates to a communication method and an electronic device. The communication method is applied to a first electronic device and includes receiving a first type of a communication request from a second electronic device, and carrying out a first type of communication with the second electronic device via a first communication network in response to the communication request; when establishing the first type of communication with the second electronic device, automatically starting a second communication network for carrying out a second type of communication with the second electronic device; and carrying out the second type of communication with the second electronic device while carrying out the first type of communication with the second electronic device.
US09307187B2
A display control device includes a determining portion determining a frame rate in displaying a frame image on a display portion as a determined frame rate; and a converter converting a present frame rate into the determined frame rate when the determined frame rate is different from the present frame rate. The determining portion determines, based on information about an OSD image, whether the determined frame rate is set to a frame rate identical to or higher than the present frame rate, and when determining that the determined frame rate is set to the frame rate higher than the present frame rate, determines the frame rate as the determined frame rate to display the frame image at the determined frame rate starting from a frame image which is K frames after a currently displayed frame image, where K is an integer not less than 1 and not more than 10.
US09307181B1
Video content can be amplified to enhance the experiences of content consumers. In that regard, the presentation of the video content need not be treated as a standalone experience, but rather can be integrated with other rich and related content to provide a more immersive and engaging experience. Video content can be presented in a first portion of the display, and references to related content can be presented in a second portion of the display. The references can be triggered at defined times of the presentation of the video content. The related content can be displayed alongside the video content upon selection of an associated reference or in some cases automatically at the defined time.
US09307180B2
A digital cable broadcast receiver and a method for automatically processing caption data of various standards and types, is disclosed. The digital broadcast receiver includes: a demultiplexer for dividing a received broadcast stream into video data, audio data, supplementary information; a controller for determining whether caption data included in the video data is digital caption data or analog caption data on the basis of caption information included in the supplementary information, and outputting a control signal according to a result of the determining; a digital caption decoder for extracting and decoding digital caption data from the video data according to the control signal; and an analog caption decoder for extracting and decoding analog caption data from the video data according to the control signal.
US09307178B2
A device receives a request from a controlling device, such as a remote control, smart phone, or the like, where the request is intended to have one or more target devices perform one or more functional operations. The device responds to the request by applying the optimum methodology to propagate one or more commands to each intended target appliance to cause each intended target appliance to perform the intended one or more functional operations.
US09307174B2
A solid-state imaging apparatus includes a plurality of pixels arrayed in a matrix, and configured to generate signals by photoelectric conversion; a plurality of read-out circuits disposed on each column of the plurality of pixels arrayed in a matrix pattern, and configured to read out the signals from the plurality of pixels; a plurality of comparison units configured to compare the signals output from the plurality of read-out circuits with a reference signal whose level changes with time; a counter configured to count a clock signal after the level of the reference signal starts a change; a storage unit configured, when a magnitude relationship between the signals output from the plurality of the read-out circuits and the reference signal is reversed; and a reset unit configured to reset the count value stored in the storage unit.
US09307173B2
A signal processing circuit includes: a reference signal generating circuit that generates a reference signal of a ramp waveform of which a voltage value varies with the lapse of time by changing a current; and a signal processing unit including a plurality of processing sections that process the reference signal as a ramp wave and a potential of a supplied analog signal, wherein the reference signal processing circuit has a function of adjusting an offset of the reference signal by adjusting the current from the time of starting the generation of the reference signal or adjusting the level of the reference signal at least at the time of starting the generation of the reference signal.
US09307172B2
An image sensor may include an array of image sensor pixels arranged in rows and columns. Each image pixel arranged along a given column may be coupled to analog-to-digital converter (ADC) circuitry that is capable of converting analog pixel signals into a digital floating point equivalent representation. The ADC circuitry may be configured to obtain an illumination value during an auto exposure period. The illumination value, which serves as an exponent value, can be stored as tile data in a tile column memory circuit. During actual readout, the ADC circuitry may be configured to perform mantissa conversion. During mantissa conversion, the ADC circuitry may use a reference voltage value that is adjusted based on the tile data. A mantissa value that is obtained during the mantissa conversion may then be combined with the exponent value for that tile to yield a final floating number point for that image pixel.
US09307171B2
A pixel 10 includes a photodiode PD which is provided between a first barrier region 21 forming a first potential barrier B1 and a second barrier region 27 forming a second potential barrier B2, a first floating diffusion region F1 which is provided adjacent to the first barrier region 21, and to which a first electric charge generated in the photodiode PD is transferred, and a second floating diffusion region F2 which is provided adjacent to the second barrier region 27, and into which a second electric charge generated in the photoelectric conversion region PD flows, and in which a part of the flowing-in second electric charge is accumulated. The second potential barrier B2 is lower than the first potential barrier B1.
US09307170B2
The invention provides a solid-state image sensor including a pixel having a plurality of photoelectric conversion portions and at least one waveguide arranged closer to a side of light incidence than the photoelectric conversion portions, wherein the waveguide has a core member and a cladding member formed of a medium having a refractive index lower than that of the core member, and wherein a layer formed of a medium having a refractive index lower than that of the core member of the waveguide is provided between the photoelectric conversion portions and the waveguide.
US09307169B2
A multiband camera comprises: a band-pass filter having four or more optical filters; a microlens array having arrayed microlenses; a photoelectric conversion element including a plurality of pixels; and a measurement unit for measuring spectral intensity. The multiband camera satisfies the expression below, where Pl is a pitch between the microlenses, Ps is a pitch between the pixels, n is a number of pixels corresponding to one microlens, u is an effective dimension in a prescribed direction of the pixels, t is a dimension in the prescribed direction of a real image that the band-pass filter forms on a plurality of two-dimensionally arrayed pixels, Na is a number of microlenses arrayed in the prescribed direction, L is a distance from an exit pupil to the microlens, and f is a focal length of the microlens. [ Expression 14 ] ( 1 - f L ) nPs - 3 Ps - u - t Na ≤ Pl ≤ ( 1 - f L ) nPs + 3 Ps - u - t Na
US09307164B2
An imaging lens barrel includes: a barrel body; a rotating body including a first magnetic scale and a second magnetic scale; a magnetic sensor device including a first magnetic sensor and a second magnetic sensor; a phase difference calculation section configured to calculate a phase difference between a first phase signal and a third phase signal; a correction table memory configured to store a correction table storing a correction value for correcting a difference between the phase difference and a design value in association with the phase difference; a phase difference correction section configured to read a correction value corresponding to the phase difference calculated by the phase difference calculation section and to correct the phase difference using the read correction value; and an absolute position calculation section configured to calculate an absolute position of the imaging lens.
US09307150B2
In a case of a camera array, the arrangement of image capturing units and the arrangement of captured images that are displayed do not agree with each other depending on the orientation of the camera at the time of image capturing and it is hard to grasp the correspondence relationship between both. An image processing device for processing a plurality of images represented by captured image data obtained by a camera array image capturing device including a plurality of image capturing units includes a determining unit configured to determine, on the basis of a display angle of the images in a display region, an arrangement of each image in the display region corresponding to each of the plurality of image capturing units, and the arrangement of each image in the display region is determined based on the arrangement of the plurality of image capturing units.
US09307149B2
In one embodiment, a method includes determining one or more amounts of light present during recording of a multimedia clip. The method also includes determining a motion-blur metric for the multimedia clip, the motion-blur metric based at least in part on the amounts of light. The method further includes determining whether to apply a video-stabilization routine to the multimedia clip based at least in part on the motion-blur metric.
US09307130B2
An imaging lens includes an aperture stop, a first lens element, a second lens element, a third lens element, a fourth lens element, a fifth lens element, and a sixth lens element arranged in order along an optical axis. The imaging lens satisfies ALT/T5≦6.90, where T5 is a thickness of the fifth lens element, and ALT is a summation of thicknesses of the six lens elements. Through designs of surfaces of the lens elements and relevant lens parameters, a short system length of the imaging lens may be achieved while maintaining good optical performance.
US09307128B2
A lens mount design is presented. The mount can be used on a variety of imaging systems but is targeted at small camera systems such as might be used on mobile phones, cameras, sports cameras, computers and computer peripherals where interchangeable lenses are currently not common place. Embodiments include different attachment mechanisms, environmental barriers, electrical connections, a serial number marking system on the replaceable lens body and methods for using the lens mount and system.
US09307111B2
An image reading device comprising: a document placing portion; a conveyor; and a reading unit configured to read an image of the document. The reading unit includes: an image sensor; and a support which supports the image sensor, wherein in the case of reading the image of the document conveyed by the conveyor. The support is to be stopped at a predetermined reading position; a guide; and a driving unit. The reading unit further includes: a release unit configured to release the contact with the guide by separating the support from the guide when the support is moved toward the predetermined reading position; and a contact portion configured to contact with the support separated from the guide by the release unit when the support is moved toward the predetermined reading position.
US09307109B2
An image processing apparatus is disclosed, including a marking position detection part and a first character recognition part. The marking position detection part detects a marking position with respect to a first sheet based on first image data scanned from the first sheet. The first character recognition part conducts a first character recognition with respect to an area specified based on the marking position, for second image data scanned from a second sheet.
US09307108B2
An information processing system includes a first information processing apparatus and a second information processing apparatus that are interconnected via a network. The first information processing apparatus includes an input unit configured to input a group of programs, a first install unit configured to install a first program of the input group of programs onto the first information processing apparatus, and a transmission unit configured to transmit a second program of the input group of programs to the second information processing apparatus. The second information processing apparatus includes a second install unit configured to install the second program transmitted from the transmission unit onto the second information processing apparatus.
US09307107B2
A method for automatically classifying scanned hardcopy media based on its physical size. The hardcopy media is classified as a photograph if the determined physical size matches a common physical sizes for photographs to within a predetermined tolerance, and is classified as a document if the determined physical size matches one of the common physical sizes for documents to within a predetermined tolerance. Otherwise, a media classification is determined using contextual processing.
US09307104B2
Provided is an information processing apparatus that, whichever of a web application and a native application is being executed when a specific hard key is operated, make uniform a function executed by operating the hard key. When processing is executed by communicating with the web application on a web server, and the operation is performed by the hard key included in the information processing apparatus, the web server is notified of identification information for identifying the hard key, and an operation screen is displayed based on screen information received from the web server that has been notified of the identification information.
US09307102B2
An image forming apparatus includes a storage section, an operating section, an assignment and management section, a press detecting section, and a display processing section. The storage section stores settings of a plurality of paper feed cassettes accommodating paper. The operating section has a plurality of operation keys to be pressed for inputting operation. The assignment and management section assigns the paper feed cassettes to the different operation keys to manage the respective paper feed cassettes. The press detecting section detects press of any of the operation keys. The display processing section displays, during the time when any of the operation keys is kept pressed, a setting check screen showing the settings of the paper feed cassette assigned to the operation key being pressed.
US09307097B2
An image forming apparatus, including: an image forming section; a reading section which reads the image formed by the image forming section over a predetermined width in a width direction of the sheet; a colorimeter which reads the image over a width smaller than the predetermined width; a calibration section which calibrates the reading section on the basis of a difference between first reading section measurement data and first colorimeter measurement data; a specification section which specifies adjacent images having a largest difference in brightness of a predetermined threshold value or more from among images for color adjustment formed on the sheet; and a color adjustment section which controls the colorimeter to read at least one of the adjacent images and adjusts a color of the image formed by the image forming section on the basis of second colorimeter measurement data.
US09307096B2
A mobile power device includes a mobile power source and a border casing. The mobile power source includes a housing, and the housing has a top plate and an annular plate. The border casing encloses the annular plate. An inner circumference of the border casing has a surrounding block surroundingly disposed around the top plate. The surrounding block protrudes beyond the top plate, and a gap is formed between the surrounding block and the top plate. Therefore, the surrounding block can restrict a position of a portable electronic product, so that the portable electronic product is securely disposed corresponding to the mobile power source to enhance the convenience in using the mobile power device.
US09307092B1
Systems and methods for using secondary communication channel information, such as RTCP information to facilitate correlating business information to allow gateway recording. Using information in this secondary communication channel the recording system can correlate the business metadata either directly (e.g., using a phone extension) or through one or more indirect operations (e.g., a call ID-to-universal call id-to-phone extension). Additionally, information in the primary communication channel may be used to perform an indirect operation to correlate auxiliary business information (e.g., using the CALLID or UCID in SIP signaling to resolve the agent's phone extension and thereby access auxiliary business information.)
US09307091B2
In one embodiment, a method, system and apparatus for recording audio is provided so that the recording can be authenticated. The system may be implemented as a central server that is accessed via one or more lines for audio communication, or as a stand-alone unit. The system operates by encrypting communicated data (e.g., audio signals), storing the encrypted information, and providing at least one user with a key that can be used to decrypt the stored information.
US09307081B2
A system and method for communicating a pre-stored emergency message from a TTY to a PSAP may include, in response to receiving an emergency call signal, accessing a pre-stored emergency message stored in a memory. A PSAP may be dialed. In one embodiment, the PSAP may be dialed by the user dialing 911 or the TTY may automatically dial 911 in response to the user selecting a hard or soft-button associated with communicating an emergency message to a PSAP. The pre-stored emergency message may be communicated to a PSAP using a TTY communications protocol. A TTY compatible device utilized by a PSAP operator may be configured to provide the PSAP operator with pre-stored messages available for selection and communication to the emergency caller. By providing pre-stored messages on TTY devices, emergency communications between users of the TTY devices may be expedited, thereby potentially saving lives.
US09307080B1
A request to establish a voice communications session between a user of a telephonic device and an interactive voice response (IVR) system of a call handling system is received by a dynamic call control engine. A resource requirement for the voice communications session is determined. Resource usage data for multiple call handling systems is accessed by the dynamic call control engine. A particular call handling system from among the multiple call handling systems is selected based on the resource usage data and the resource requirement. A connection to be set up between the telephonic device and the particular call handling system to allow the user of the telephonic device to participate in the voice communications session with an IVR system of the particular call handling system is enabled.
US09307077B2
Provided is a mobile communication terminal, including a used device information storing unit, a location information acquiring unit, and a used device information transmitting unit. The mobile communication terminal specifies a communication device to be used depending on a location, acquired by the location information acquiring unit or stored by the used device information storing unit, and transmits the relevant information to a connection control device. Also provided is a connection control device, which includes a connection controlling unit. The connection controlling unit, based on information received from the mobile terminal, performs connection control.
US09307076B1
A method and apparatus are disclosed for transmitting notifications to customers. One example method may include identifying a notification event associated with a customer via a customer management module and retrieving a customer record. The method may also include identifying a customer's mobile device via a voice channel preference indicating the mobile device in the customer preference record, and transmitting the notification event to the customer's mobile device based on the voice channel preference.
US09307072B2
A method and apparatus for performing a function in an electronic device includes an electronic device displaying 110 a first set of elements on a touch-sensitive display. Then the device receives 115 a first input on the touch-sensitive display, wherein the first input selects at least one element from the first set of elements. Then the device determines 120 that the first input has continued on a path from the at least one element to an edge of the touch-sensitive display. In response to the determining, the device calculates 130 a target key based on at least one characteristic of the path. After calculating, the device senses 155 an activation of the target key by a user. Subsequently, when the target is pressed the device performs 165 the function associated with the target key on the at least one element.
US09307066B1
Disclosed are a mobile terminal to which a touch input is applicable, and a control method thereof. The mobile terminal includes: a terminal body; a wireless communication unit configured to receive position information on the terminal body; and a controller configured to extract one or more schedules stored in the terminal body, to acquire azimuth information on positions related to the extracted schedules based on the received position information, and to output one or more icons related to the extracted schedule(s) to an edge region of the display unit, wherein when a tilted state of the terminal body is sensed, the controller controls the one or more icons to move along the edge region of the display unit, based on azimuth information changed according to a sensed gradient.
US09307063B2
An accessory for a hand-held electronics device having an integrated camera unit includes a member for attachment along an outer surface of the hand-held electronics device, the member having an aperture defined therethrough. The aperture is positioned along the member such that when the member is attached to the hand-held electronics device, the aperture is positioned adjacent the camera unit of the hand-held electronics device to allow for image capture thereby. A light element is disposed within the aperture and a lens mounted in a stationary position within the aperture of the member modifies the optical power of the camera unit.
US09307061B2
An apparatus with a first flexible layer and at least one adjustment member attached to the first flexible layer. The adjustment member is movable between a first configuration and a second configuration. In the first configuration, the adjustment member is configured to allow flexibility of the apparatus, and in the second configuration, the adjustment member is configured to restrict flexibility of the apparatus.
US09307058B2
A negotiation method used in a high definition multimedia interface (HDMI) is provided. The negotiation method includes: transmitting a first negotiation signal from a first side to a second side during a first specific time period for enabling negotiation of an HDMI Ethernet Channel (HEC); and checking whether any negotiation signal sent from the second side is received by the first side for determining a result of the negotiation. The first negotiation signal includes parameters of Energy Efficient Ethernet (EEE) or parameters of flow control at least. Any packet of the negotiation signal excludes a data field of Start Frame Delimiter (SFD), and therefore the packet can be applied for point-to-point transmission and compatible with the Physical layer.
US09307052B1
According to various embodiments of the present invention, acceleration can be used in connection with edge caching. Edge Side Landing Pages (ESL pages) are cached upstream on a Content Delivery Network (CDN), so as to reduce or eliminate round trips to the origin, thereby improving efficiency and reducing latency. ESL pages optimize performance for first time and repeat visitors for pages flagged to be cached upstream on the CDN. This allows pages cached on the CDN to be accelerated in addition to being cached. At the same time the system still efficiently serves requests to the origin for pages that are not cached on the CDN.
US09307039B2
The present invention discloses a method, a system, a Push client, and a user equipment for service communication. The method disclosed in the present invention includes that: A source Push client generates a Push message, where the Push message carries a destination user Push identifier for identifying a destination user; the source Push client sends the Push message to a destination Push server to which the destination user belongs; the destination Push server obtains, according to the destination user Push identifier, a network address for reaching a destination Push client; and the destination Push server sends, based on the network address, the Push message to the destination Push client. With the present invention, communication of various services can be established without relying on a third party application server, which can reduce power consumption of a terminal and save network resources.
US09307032B1
A wireless access node and media session extension method configured to extend a media session in a wireless network are provided. The wireless access node in one example embodiment includes a communication interface configured to exchange wireless communications with a user equipment (UE), a storage system configured to store a UE fail state corresponding to the UE of a current media session and store an extended dormancy time period, and a processing system coupled to the communication interface and to the storage system, with the processing system configured to obtain the UE fail state, if the UE fail state is true, then load the extended dormancy time period into a dormancy timer corresponding to the UE, and if the dormancy timer expires, then maintain one or both of a traffic channel and a signaling channel between the wireless access node and the UE.
US09307027B2
A system and method for managing smart grid communication is disclosed. The system includes a communication module, a discovery module, a translation module and a smart grid module. The communication module receives data initiating smart grid communication between a utility server and a communication node. The discovery module identifies a server protocol used by the utility server to communicate with the communication node. The discovery module identifies a node protocol used by the communication node to communicate with the utility server. The node protocol is incompatible with the server protocol. The translation module performs a protocol translation between the server protocol and the node protocol. The smart grid module handles the smart grid communication between the utility server and the communication node using the protocol translation.
US09307024B2
The embodiments described herein provide a system and method for efficiently storing small, random modifications or changes to data on one or more storage devices, such as disks, of storage servers coupled to a host computer in a network environment. Illustratively, the data is stored in a region of a byte-addressable, persistent memory of the host computer and is replicated (i.e., copied) as changed data of the region on the disks at the granularity at which it was modified, e.g., at the byte-addressable granularity. To that end, each storage server employs a data structure (e.g., a Fibonacci array) that is configured to efficiently accumulate the small, random data changes into one or more large blocks of changed data for storage on the disks in a manner that realizes the streaming bandwidth of the disk.
US09307021B2
Provided are methods and systems for processing information. In one example method a first frame of a first group of frames of an information transmission can be processed. The first frame can be encoded without reference to other frames of the information transmission. Additionally, a second frame can be processed in the first group of frames. The second frame can be processed with reference to a frame from a second group of frames of the information transmission.
US09307018B2
In one embodiment, a system includes a switch controller configured to communicate with each of a plurality of network devices in a network, the switch controller including a processor and logic integrated with and/or executable by the processor, the logic being configured to: receive a request to instantiate a new workload or to move a current workload in the network, determine a throughput associated with the new or current workload, and select an optimum location to place the new workload or to move the current workload in the network based on the throughput associated with the new or current workload. According to another embodiment, a method includes receiving a request at a switch controller to instantiate or move a workload, determining a throughput associated with the workload, and selecting an optimum location to place or move the workload based on the throughput associated with the workload.
US09307017B2
A member-oriented hybrid cloud operating system architecture and a communication method thereof are provided. A hybrid architecture is established based on layer, object and message models, and a member-oriented idea is applied to manage constituent members and a processing environment thereof. On this basis, high-efficient routing, read-write separation and load balancing are performed on a member processing cluster, satisfying the requirements of being open and compatible, loosely coupled and extensible of a cloud operating system, and solving the self-management problem, the horizontal scaling problem of members and the high-availability problem of stateful members of the existing cloud operating system.
US09307015B1
A cloud black box (CBB) subsystem in a cloud computing infrastructure includes CBB storage and computer processing circuitry executing a CBB application having first and second operating modes. In a depository mode information messages are continually received from hardware computing devices during normal operation and device information from the messages is stored into the CBB storage. The information messages are generated by CBB agents executing on the hardware computing devices, which continually collect the device information and generate the information messages according to a common information transfer protocol. In a retrieval mode, device information in the CBB storage is provided to a requestor such as a data analysis application, which may be part of or external to the CBB subsystem. The CBB subsystem operates independently and remains available upon failure of hardware or software components in the cloud infrastructure, providing a centralized source of information for diagnosis or other analysis.
US09307013B1
The present disclosure describes a system and method for reducing total batch completion time using a max-min fairness process. In some implementations, the max-min fairness process described herein reduces the batch completion time by collectively routing the batches in a way that targets providing the same effective path capacity across all requests. More particularly, given a network shared by batches of flows, total throughput is increased with max-min fairness (and therefore batch completion time decreased) if the nth percentile fastest flow of a batch cannot increase its throughput without decreasing the nth percentile fastest flow of another batch whose throughput is not greater than the throughput of the first batch.
US09307007B2
Content pre-render and pre-fetch techniques are described. In one or more implementations, a likelihood is predicted of subsequent navigation to content associated with a network address based at least in part on monitored navigation performed by a computing device to one or more network addresses. A determination is then made whether to cause the computing device to pre-fetch and pre-render the content based at least in part on the prediction.
US09306992B2
Systems and methods of communicating voice communication signals and video content over a WiFi ad hoc network and within the framework of Miracast/Wi-Fi Direct standards may include a first wireless-enabled mobile device configured to establish a Miracast session with a second wireless-enabled mobile device, enter a Miracast mirroring mode in which the first wireless-enabled mobile device establishes itself as a source device so that content output to the speaker and electronic display of the first wireless-enabled mobile device is also displayed on the speaker and electronic display of the second wireless-enabled mobile device, detect user input indicating that the push-to-send over Miracast features should be activated, activate a microphone and/or camera to capture voice communications, images, and/or video content, and transmit the captured voice communications, images, and/or video content to the second wireless-enabled mobile device.
US09306988B2
A segmented object storage system is an object storage system that divides files into a number of object segments, each segment corresponding to a portion of an object, and stores each segment individually in the storage system. The system also generates and stores a manifest file describing the relationship of the various segments to the original data file. Requests to retrieve the segmented file are fulfilled by consulting the manifest file and using the information from the manifest to reconstitute the original data file from the constituent segments. Modifying, appending to, or truncating the object is accomplished by manipulating individual segments and the manifest file. Manipulation of the individual object segments and/or the manifest can be used to implement copy-on-write, snapshotting, software transactional memory, and peer-to-peer transmission of the large file.
US09306987B2
In one embodiment, a decoder or transcoder of a video conference network receives the first video stream and an indication of the ratio of the spatial-to-temporal resolution of the tuning of the encoding. The behavior of the decoder or transcoder is set based on the indication of the ratio. The behavior is for use of the first video stream.
US09306982B2
In a preferred embodiment, the method of caching media used in a telephony application includes: receiving a media request; sending the media request to a media layer using HTTP; the a media layer performing the steps of checking in a cache for the media resource; processing the media request within a media processing server; and storing the processed media in the cache as a telephony compatible resource specified by a persistent address. The system of the preferred embodiment includes a call router and a media layer composed of a cache and media processing server.
US09306967B2
An apparatus, system, and method are directed towards enabling auditing of network vulnerabilities from multiple network vantage points virtually simultaneously. Multiple network vantage points may include, but are not limited to, remote/branch enterprise sites, devices on an enterprise perimeter, on either side of a security perimeter, and even through the security perimeter. In one embodiment, an auditor performs reflected audits thereby extending auditing of network vulnerabilities to provide a comprehensive 360 degree audit of internal, external, and remote enterprise network sites. In one embodiment, the present invention may be implemented employing a single auditing device, and one or more audit extension devices that are configured to extend the auditing device's audit reach. The auditing device and one or more audit extension devices may communicate using an encrypted network channel through a security perimeter and/or across multiple networks.
US09306962B1
A system for classifying events on a computer network includes an event clustering engine for receiving event and log data related to identifiable actors from a security information and event management (SIEM) or log management module and selecting behavioral groupings of the event and log data. An affinity-based feature generation module assigns a value to each identifiable actor based on occurrences within predetermined time intervals of the identifiable actors having the selected behavioral grouping. A time-based weighting decay module applies a time decaying function to the assigned values for each identifiable actor. A feature engineering storage module stores information relating to the identifiable actors and their associated time-decayed values. A machine learning module generates a prediction model based on information received from the event clustering engine and the time-based weighting decay module, and the prediction model is utilized by a prediction engine on a computer to predict and classify received event and log data as malicious or non-malicious.
US09306960B1
A computer worm defense system comprises multiple containment systems tied together by a management system. Each containment system is deployed on a separate communication network and contains a worm sensor and a blocking system. In various embodiments, the computer worm may be transported from a production network, where the computer worm is not readily identifiable, to an alternate network in the worm sensor where the computer worm may be readily identifiable. Computer worm identifiers generated by a worm sensor of one containment system can be provided not only to the blocking system of the same containment system, but can also be distributed by the management system to blocking systems of other containment systems.
US09306953B2
A system for securely transferring commands to a recipient device. An access interface allows a user to enter a command for the recipient device. The access interface only allows the user to enter commands within a subset of commands associated with a role assigned to the user. The control interface receives information, i.e., the command entered by the user and the associated user role, from the access interface. The control interface outputs, to the manifest engine, the information and a manifest table which identifies each role and the subset of commands associated with each role. The manifest engine compares the information with the contents of the received manifest table, and, if the command entered by the user corresponds to a command within the set of commands associated with the role assigned to the user, forwards the command to the recipient device.
US09306946B1
An intelligent electronic cryptographic cloud computing system can include a computing cloud. The computing cloud can include one or more data storages and one or more processers, one of which is an enterprise server. The computing cloud can be configured to provide at least one service with shared hardware and software resources.
US09306945B2
A mechanism for performing a network boot sequence and provisioning a device may generate a command by a server and have the command executed by the device. The command may be used to verify the authenticity of the device, and may be used to establish ownership of the device. After authenticity and, in some cases ownership is established, bootable software may be downloaded and executed. The device may be provisioned with software applications.
US09306943B1
A technique controls access to a protected resource. The technique involves providing a tokencode prompt to a user. The tokencode prompt requests a tokencode from an electronic token in possession of the user. The technique further involves receiving, in response to the tokencode prompt, a current tokencode from the electronic token in possession of the user. The technique further involves performing, by a SOHO device having an embedded tokencode authentication server, an authentication operation based on the current tokencode. A result of the authentication operation (i) permits the user to access the protected resource when the authentication operation determines that the user is legitimate and (ii) denies the user access to the protected resource when the authentication operation determines that the user is not legitimate. For example, the SOHO device may be a NAS device or a firewall device which with tokencode authentication capabilities.
US09306940B2
Technology is disclosed for mitigating account enumeration and thus enhances network security. The technology can receive from a client computing device a sequence of characters corresponding to a portion of an email address input by a user. The technology retrieves a set of email addresses that have a common first portion identical to the received sequence of characters and generates hashed data. The hashed data is sent to the client computing device. A result value is then generated by hashing the input email address by using the same hashing function as the hashed data. If the result value is in the hashed data, the technology displays a text region for collecting from the user a password.
US09306934B2
In one embodiment a controller comprises logic configured to receive, from an application executing on an untrusted execution complex of the electronic device, a request for a secure communication session with a remote service, verify a security credential received from the remote service, establish a secure communication connection between the secure controller and the remote service, establish a secure user interface, collect one or more authentication credentials from a user via the secure user interface, forward the one or more authentication credentials to the remote service, and conduct a secure communication session with the remote service. Other embodiments may be described.
US09306932B2
A certificate issuer (210) can periodically request, receive, and store current server-based certificate validation protocol (SCVP) staples (225) for supported relying parties (205) from at least one server-based certificate validation protocol (SCVP) responder (215). The certificate issuer (210) can receive a contact initiation request (220) from one of the relying parties (205). Responsive to receiving the contact initiation request (220), the certificate issuer (210) can identify a current SCVP staple from the saved staples that is applicable to the relying party (205). The certificate issuer (210) can conveying a response to the contact initiation request (220) to the relying party (205). The response can comprise the identified SCVP staple and a public key infrastructure (PKI) certificate (230) of the certificate issuer. The SCVP staple can validate a certification path between the PKI certificate (230) and a different certificate trusted by the relying party (205).
US09306927B2
A social networking system contains information describing users of the social network and various connections among the users. A user can access multiple external systems that communicate with the social networking system to access information about the users of the social networking system. Login status of the user account on the social networking system is maintained. If the login status of the user account on the social networking system indicates that the user is not logged in, the user is required to provide authentication information. If the login status of the user account indicates that the user is logged in, social network information is provided to the user via an external system, subject to the privacy settings of users of the social networking system. If the user logs out from an external system, the user is also logged out from the social networking system.
US09306923B2
Image forming apparatus, method for controlling image forming apparatus, and storage medium therefor
When a request for acquiring authorization information is received from a resource service application that is a request source, an image forming apparatus transmits a request for further delegating an authorization delegated from a user to the resource service application to an authorization server system together with first authorization information, and acquires second authorization information issued based on the first authorization information from the authorization server system.
US09306911B2
Techniques for credentials management in large scale virtual private network (VPN) deployment are disclosed. In some embodiments, credentials management in large scale VPN deployment includes generating a public/private key pair and a certificate signing request at a satellite device; automatically communicating the certificate signing request to a portal over a public, untrusted network to authenticate the satellite device using a serial number associated with the satellite device, in which the certificate signing request and the serial number are verified by the portal; and receiving a certificate from the portal for using to establish VPN connections and configuration information for the satellite device, in which the certificate includes a credential signed by a trusted certificate authority, and the configuration information includes gateway configuration information identifying a plurality of gateways to which the satellite device is configured to connect using VPN connections.
US09306903B2
Network address translating is contemplated to be of a type where a network address translator (NAT), a carrier grade NAT (CGN), or other type of translator may facilitate reconstruction of translated addresses in a manner that ameliorates the amount of data that must be stored to facilitate the reconstruction.
US09306901B2
An IP address distribution system according to the present invention includes a network including a plurality of switches, and an IP address distribution apparatus connected to the network, in which each of the switches holds therein arrangement information that indicates a position thereof in the network, and when receiving an IP-address request signal from one of, devices connected thereto, adds the held arrangement information to the IP-address request signal and transfers the IP-address request signal, and when receiving an IP-address request signal, the IP address distribution apparatus selects an IP address from a range corresponding to the arrangement information added to the signal and distributes the selected IP address to a request source device.
US09306899B1
Systems and methods are provided for determining a presence of an electronic message recipient based on an attribute of the electronic message, such as the content and/or context of the electronic message. The systems and methods can include acquiring, at a server, an electronic message from a sender, and determining an attribute of the electronic message. Based on the determined attribute, the server assigns an urgency level to the electronic message, which corresponds to a response time period. The server then monitors the recipient's device for a response to the electronic message, and to collect monitoring data about activity performed by the recipient on the device, or the environment surrounding the device. If the recipient does not respond within the response time period the server informs the sender a presence status of the recipient based on the monitoring data.
US09306897B2
Techniques associated with a smart media ecosystem using local data and remote social graph data are described, including identifying an account associated with a user based on a detection of a presence of a compatible device, the compatible device being associated with the account in a profile, receiving an input indicating a request for media content, retrieving remote social graph data from a remote database, cross-referencing the remote social graph with profile data being stored locally, the profile data associated with media preferences, updating the profile data with a learned media preference generated by a learning module, selecting targeted media content based on the profile data, and sending a control signal to a media device, the control signal configured to cause the media device to output the targeted media content.
US09306887B1
The invention relates to systems and methods for managing emails where an email server that may comprise one or more computer systems, and which may be part of an email system, receives an email addressed to a specified first user. The email server may analyze the received email and access one or more electronic databases, which may comprise information related to one or more respective registered users of the email system. The databases may be stored on one or more computer-readable storage media operatively connected to the email server.
US09306877B2
A notification system with a method for providing a notification including storing a notification request at a home unit; receiving the notification request at a central location, the notification request comprising a message, a notification time, and a destination; storing the message at the central location; associating the message with the notification time and destination; determining a current time; comparing the determined current time to the notification time; opening a communication session with the destination based on the determination; and transmitting the stored message to the destination during the communication session based on the opening.
US09306861B2
An example system to disable a promiscuous mode of a network interface includes a plurality of local network interfaces. Each local network interface of the plurality is coupled over a network to one or more remote network interfaces. Each remote network interface is assigned one or more remote network addresses, and the plurality includes a local network interface in a promiscuous mode. The system also includes a bridge module that determines whether a list of all remote network addresses that are coupled to a subset of local network interfaces is known. The subset includes the plurality of local network interfaces excluding the local network interface. When the list of all remote network addresses that are coupled to the subset is determined to be known, the bridge module disables the promiscuous mode of the local network interface and adds all remote network addresses that are coupled to the subset to a filtering table.
US09306856B2
Embodiments provide a method, network device, and computer program product for optimizing traffic in a link-state network distributed across a plurality of sites. The method, network device, and computer program product include receiving a multi-destination message at a first node within the link-state network. Additionally, the method, network device, and computer program product include identifying a plurality of multi-destination trees within the network, each tree having a respective root node. The method, network device, and computer program product determine a plurality of cost values corresponding to each of the plurality of multi-destination trees, based on one or more links along a shortest path from the first node to the respective root node of each tree. Based on the determined cost values, the method, network device, and computer program product select one or more of the multi-destination trees and transmit the multi-destination message using the selected tree.
US09306853B2
A method and an apparatus for maintaining a quality of service (QoS) for a multi-media packet data service in a transport network is provided. The method comprises determining a first packet loss indication for a first flow of QoS traffic packets. The method further comprises determining a second packet loss indication for a second flow of QoS traffic packets, wherein the determination of the first packet loss indication for the first flow of QoS traffic packets is independent from the determination of the second packet loss indication for the second flow of QoS traffic packets. The method further comprises determining whether to drop the first flow of QoS traffic packets based on the first packet loss indication or to drop the second flow of QoS traffic packets based on the second packet loss indication. By using per-flow independent packet loss statistics to determine whether that flow should be dropped and gradually dropping such QoS flows having the most impact on a desired QoS performance, a reduced number of QoS flows may be dropped to recover a data transport network from congestion.
US09306850B2
A method for transmitting content in a content centric network. The method provides a mobile router with information regarding the content transmission path between a connection router and a mobile terminal while the mobile terminal moves from the current connection router to the mobile router, and enables the mobile router and routers adjacent to the mobile router to transmit a content request message only to the path router included in the transmission path from among the adjacent routers based on the transmission path information, thus reducing loads to a network and quickly transmitting a request content to the mobile terminal.
US09306849B2
Methods, systems, and computer programs are presented for switching a network packet. One method includes operations for receiving a packet having a media access control (MAC) address, and for switching the packet by a first packet switching device (PSD) when the MAC address is present in a first memory. Further, the method includes operations for transferring the packet to a second PSD when the MAC address is absent from the first memory and present in a second memory associated with the second PSD, and for transferring the packet to a third PSD when the MAC address is absent from the first memory and the second memory.
US09306848B2
Access control lists (ACLs) include one or more rules that each define a condition and one or more actions to be performed if the condition is satisfied. In one embodiment, the conditions are stored on a ternary content-addressable memory (TCAM), which receives a portion of network traffic, such as a frame header, and compares different portions of the header to entries in the TCAM. If the frame header satisfies the condition, the TCAM reports the match to other elements in the ACL. For certain conditions, the TCAM may divide the condition into a plurality of sub-conditions which are each stored in a row of the TCAM. To efficiently use the limited space in TCAM, the networking element may include one or more comparator units which check for special-case conditions. The comparator units may be used in lieu of the TCAM to determine whether the condition is satisfied.
US09306845B2
An address table can be easily shared (synchronized) between two switching devices for which multi-chassis link aggregation is set. When a destination port of a frame received at a port P2 is a port P1, one of the two switching devices for which the multi-chassis link aggregation is set creates a bridging frame containing a transmission source address contained in the flame and an identifier of the port which has received, and transfers the bridging frame from a bridging port. When the other of the two switching devices receives the bridging frame, the other of the two switching devices detects the identifier of the port which has received and the transmission source address from the frame, and updates an address table of its own based on the identifier, the transmission source address, and a link table of its own.
US09306844B2
A router includes a plurality of virtual networks, a plurality of output links, at least one decoder and arbitration circuitry. Each virtual network has a plurality of virtual network inputs and a plurality of virtual network outputs. Each virtual network output is associated with an output link. The decoder decodes a header of a data unit received on a virtual network of one of the virtual network inputs. The decoder generates a first request and a second request. The first request is for the allocation of a virtual network output of the virtual network to the virtual network input. The second request is for the allocation of an output link associated with the virtual network output to the virtual network output. The arbitration circuitry performs arbitration of the first request and arbitration of the second request in parallel.
US09306838B2
According to an example, a method for avoiding a loop in a network, which is performed by each ED in each VPN site, comprises: interacting with other EDs in a same VPN site to elect a DED; assigning an authorized forwarding instance to each ED in the same VPN site when the ED is elected as the DED; obtaining the authorized forwarding instance from the DED when the ED is not elected as the DED; allowing traffic of the authorized forwarding instance transmitted from or to a public network, and blocking traffic of unauthorized forwarding instance transmitted from or to the public network.
US09306836B2
Examples described herein provide for generating a multicast consumer search request from a request node in the network. The request is then routed to the interconnected nodes and received at a target node having a directly-connected multicast consumer. Identification information associated with the directly-connected multicast consumer is forwarded from the target node back to the request node.
US09306819B2
A method is performed by a network element implementing a controller of a split architecture network. The method requests that a subset of switches in the network report metrics for a data flow to provide a management module with information for executing a management function. A second method is performed by a network element implementing a switch. The switch reports metrics for a data flow to the controller, wherein the switch forwards a management packet with the data flow and collects the metrics for the data flow.
US09306818B2
The disclosure provides a probe and a method for calculating statistic data of traffic flows. The probe comprises at least one link processor (LP) and a correlation processor (CP). Each LP includes two buffers, receives packets from directional traffic flows, generates information of bi-directional traffic flows based on the received packets, stores the generated information in one buffer within a reporting period and, reports the stored information to CP when the reporting period boundary is reached. The information of each bi-directional traffic flow includes the relevant identification information and statistic data. The CP calculates statistic data of a particular group of traffic flows with a predetermined characteristic based on the reported information, and the other buffer stores information of bi-directional traffic flows to be generated within a next reporting period and the stored information is to be reported to the correlation processor when the next reporting period boundary is reached.
US09306814B1
A distributed execution environment provides instances of computing resources for customer use, such as instances of data processing resources, data storage resources, database resources, and networking resources. Data is collected from systems internal to and external to the distributed execution environment. Some or all of the data is utilized to compute instance availability information for instances of computing resources provided by the distributed execution environment. The instance availability information might then be provided to customers and other users of the distributed execution environment. Various types of actions might be taken in a manual or automated way based upon the computed instance availability information.
US09306813B2
Operating conditions of a remote device and operating conditions of a local device are compared, where the local device and the remote device are located within a predetermined proximity of a wireless network. An advertisement request is transmitted from the local device to the remote device based on the comparison of the operating conditions of the local device and the remote device. The advertisement request includes information identifying one or more services advertised by the local device, whereby the remote device is configured to advertise the one or more services on behalf of the local device in the wireless network.
US09306812B2
The present invention relates to a system and method for network performance management for monitoring performance of network applications. The system comprises a transmitter for sending one or more types of probe packets to the network, a receiver for receiving the one or more network probe packets from the network and for receiving one or more network application performance queries from one or more network applications, a processor connected to the transmitter and the receiver and operable to process network probe packets received by the receiver to generate network performance statistics for each type of probe packet and to look up the network application performance requirements of the one or more network applications and compare the network application performance requirements with the corresponding network performance statistics to determine whether the network application should access the network. Network performance statistics may be obtained using lean packet probes, using real traffic test streams or obtaining network performance statistics from a service provider. Thus by providing a probe, lookup, feedback methodology, network parameters, or network application requirements, may be adjusted to meet performance requirements of one or more network applications.
US09306810B2
A method and system for disabling traffic from a specific device or devices on a WiFi network via a remote script or other action. In one embodiment, the method is implemented as an application that executes on a device such as a smart phone (e.g., IOS iPhone, Android operating system device) or tablet (e.g., iPad).
US09306808B2
An Autonomous System domain comprising a topology transparent zone comprising a plurality of topology transparent zone nodes at least some of which are topology transparent zone edge nodes, wherein the topology transparent zone nodes are interconnected with one another via a plurality of internal links, and a plurality of neighboring external nodes connected to the topology transparent zone edge nodes via a plurality of external links, wherein no link state advertisements (LSAs) describing the internal links are distributed to the neighboring external nodes.
US09306805B2
Embodiments herein provide for a method of dynamically converting servers and a computer and storage readable medium configured to do the same. In the method a first server enters a server conversion while a second server performs one or more network services. A current physical hardware configuration and logical hardware configuration of a first server and a second server is verified. Possible conversions are calculated of one or more valid logical hardware configurations and one or more valid physical hardware configurations based on the current hardware configurations of the first server and the second server. A valid physical hardware configuration is selected for both servers from the calculated possible conversions. The physical hardware is updated for the conversion of the physical hardware configuration of the first server. The current logical configuration of the first server converts to a valid logical hardware configuration based on the calculated possible conversions.
US09306798B2
A system for aggregate monitoring Internet Protocol television (IPTV) channel activity across user-based groups of private computer networks includes monitoring servers for monitoring private networks. Each private network has a monitoring server operable to receive multicast stream information from at least one switch on the private network, the multicast stream information indicating which ports of the at least one switch are joined to one or more multicast streams. A central server stores information associating users with a group of one or more of the private networks. The central server receives a request from a remote device via the WAN, determines the group of private networks associated with the requesting user, automatically generates a set of IPTV channel activity statistics according to only the statuses collected for each private network in the group associated with the requesting user, and sends the set of statistics to the remote device.
US09306794B2
A mechanism for identifying long-lived large flows in a communication network is disclosed in which packets transmitted through ports of a switching device or router are continuously examined. As new flows are recognized, their flow definition information is processed through a hashing table that uses a predetermined number of hash stages each having a pre-selected number of hash buckets. Each hash bucket has a counter that is incremented each time flow definition information ends up in the bucket. At the same time as counters are incremented, they are compared against a threshold number. If the bucket counters for all the hash stages exceed this threshold number, the flow is identified as a long-lived large flow and stored as such in a flow table.
US09306790B1
A system includes an analog to digital converter (ADC) that samples an analog input signal as received by a first channel of a plurality of channels, samples the analog input signal as received by at least a second channel of the plurality of channels, and outputs a plurality of digital samples including a first set and a second set of digital samples of the analog input signal corresponding to the first channel and the second channel, respectively. A filter receives the first and second sets of digital samples, up-samples each of the first and second sets of digital samples, filters the up-sampled first set of digital samples and the up-sampled second set of digital samples, and outputs a first digital output signal and at least a second digital output signal based on the filtered first set of digital samples and the filtered second set of digital samples, respectively.
US09306785B2
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for transmitting a frame in a wireless LAN system. An access point (AP) receives a single orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbol from each of a plurality of stations (STA) and a single-tone request to send (sRTS) frame through a single subcarrier, selects STAs for performing uplink (UL) multiuser (MU)-multiple input multiple output (MIMO) transmission, and transmits to the plurality of STAs a single-tone clear to send (sCTS) frame allocated to the same subcarrier as a subcarrier to which the sRTS frames received from the selected STAs are allocated.
US09306784B2
Wireless devices, transmitters, systems and methods are provided that have a narrow band signaling channel and a wide band channel, for example an OFDM channel. In order to save power, the wireless device is nominally powered down with the exception of a receiver specific to the narrow band signaling channel. Once instructed to do so over the narrow band signaling channel, the wireless device wakes up the rest of its wide band receive circuitry.
US09306783B2
Method of data processing for selectively activating, at a mobile station, a mode of communication related to VAMOS-2 technology. The method includes the steps of: receiving a first signal of a first subchannel, the first signal containing a first training sequence, and receiving a second signal of a second subchannel, the second signal containing a second training sequence, the second signal being orthogonally multiplexed with respect to the first signal, and using the first training sequence and the second training sequence to: determine a value of a parameter defining a ratio between the first subchannel power and the second subchannel power, and determine a signal to noise ratio estimation, and determine, using the parameter value and the signal to noise estimation, whether the mode of communication has to be activated.
US09306781B2
An apparatus and a method are provided for receiving a signal in a communication system supporting a Gaussian frequency shift keying (GFSK) modulation scheme. The method includes receiving the signal; and estimating a codeword vector by performing a signal detecting operation based on a GFSK-maximum likelihood sequence estimation (MLSE) scheme, which is based on a GFSK modulation scheme and an MLSE scheme, on the received signal. States of a Viterbi trellis that are used in the GFSK-MLSE scheme are determined based on the GFSK modulation scheme.
US09306772B2
A method is provided for the instant transfer of packet switched data corresponding to at least one data content type between at least two terminals connected to each other by a packet switched network. An information element which is specific to the at least one data content type is transmitted to each element of the network involved in the communication link when a communication link is set up between the at least two terminals.
US09306762B2
Methods and systems are described for storing video content collected by a home automation system. According to at least one embodiment, an apparatus for accessing video content collected by a home automation system includes a processor, a memory in electronic communication with the processor, and instructions stored in the memory which are executable by a processor to receive at a remote device live video content from a camera of the home automation system, and initiate real-time, two-way audio communication between the remote device and a user of the home automation system via the camera.
US09306752B2
A method and system for generating a digital signature of a data item. A unique condition digest of at least two condition digests is iteratively processed in each iteration of a loop for a sufficient number of iterations to process all of the condition digests. Each iteration includes concatenating a reference digest with the unique condition digest of the iteration to generate a concatenand and hashing the concatenand to generate a hashed concatenand serving as the reference digest for the next iteration. Each unique condition digest is a different condition digest in each iteration. The regenerated reference digest of the last iteration is a last digest which is encrypted to generate a digital signature block that represents the data item and at least two conditions specified for the digital signature. The digital signature block includes the digital signature. The encrypting includes signing the last digest with the digital signature.
US09306749B2
A method and apparatus are provided for biometric authentication of a user to be authenticated, from among a plurality of users, with an authentication system storing a set of pieces of reference biometric data, each associated with one of the users. The method includes providing, by the user to be authenticated, a piece of biometric authentication data by a device for obtaining biometric data from a transactional terminal. A subset of the set of pieces of reference biometric data stored by the authentication system is searched for a piece of reference biometric data corresponding to the user to be authenticated as a function of the piece of biometric authentication data. The step of searching includes filtering the pieces of reference biometric data as a function of: a base station of a mobile communications network; and a set of mobile devices for which a connection indicator is activated for the base station. The transactional terminal is substantially near a zone of coverage of the base station.
US09306744B2
A system and method implementing stenographic cryptography in a video data stream (VDS) is disclosed that embeds secret video data (SVD) in a graphical user experience (GEX) generated by a host computing system (HCS) and streamed to a remote user on a mobile computing device (MUD). The system and method augments existing secure communications by applying steganography to a bidirectional GEX of indefinite length. The security risk associated with the use of a single steganographic key for indefinite VDS lengths is mitigated by the use of a self-regulating indefinite stream system (SRIS). The SRIS is composed of an initialization vector system (IVS), a self-seeding reference key system (SRKS), and a non-contiguous pixel/frame reference system (NPRS) to provide continuous security for the entire VDS life. The NPRS utilizes an adaptive steganographic capacity system (ASCS) to vary the SVD placement and complexity based on the steganographic capacity of each video frame.
US09306740B2
Certain embodiments of the invention may include systems, methods and apparatus for a quantum key distribution (QKD) telescope. According to an example embodiment of the invention, a method is provided for receiving a quantum key distribution (QKD) signal. The method can include collecting one or more QKD signals and one or more primary signals with a single telescope.
US09306736B1
In a power-line communication system, a data processing electronic circuitry can receive a plurality of symbols from a plurality of endpoint circuits and over a plurality of communications channels on power lines in a power-line communication system. A first symbol of the plurality of symbols can be decrypted using a first decryption key that is assigned to a first endpoint circuit. From the first decryption, a first measure of error is computed that includes a first bit error rate. The first symbol is decrypted using a second decryption key that is assigned to a second endpoint circuit. From the second decryption, a second measure of error is computed that includes a second bit error rate. The first and second bit error rates are compared to a threshold error measure to determine validity.
US09306731B2
According to an embodiment, a signal processing apparatus includes a first switch, a second switch, a corrector and a circuit. The first switch selects one signal from a first signal group including a first signal and a first constant envelope signal to obtain a first selected signal. The second switch selects one signal from a second signal group including a second signal and a second constant envelope signal to obtain a second selected signal. The corrector corrects a characteristic of at least one of the first and second selected signals to obtain a first corrected signal and a second corrected signal. The circuit generates an output signal from the first corrected signal and the second corrected signal.
US09306727B2
A system and method of synchronizing clocks within a system having a plurality of base stations, wherein each base station includes a frequency locked clock. A fast moving emitter transmits pulses that are received at each base station. A time of arrival for each pulse received by each base station is recorded and the recorded times of arrival are communicated to at least one of the other base stations. The clocks are synchronized as a function of the recorded times of arrival received from each base station.
US09306723B2
A method in a wireless communication terminal including monitoring a terminal specific search space of a first Component Carrier (CC) from a base unit, wherein the search space corresponds to a set of Physical Downlink Control CHannel (PDCCH) candidates monitored by the terminal for PDCCH messages, and receiving an activation message on the first CC, wherein the activation message activates at least one additional CC. The size of the search space monitored by the terminal after receiving the activation message is greater than the size of the search space monitored before receiving the activation message.
US09306715B2
A method may include receiving, by a user equipment incapable of transmitting and receiving simultaneously, a schedule to transmit data on an uplink, detecting, by the user equipment, whether there is data to be transmitted on the uplink, and receiving, by the user equipment, during a time corresponding to the schedule, data associated with a downlink, when it is determined that there is no data to be transmitted.
US09306712B2
Method of scrambling signals, transmission point device and user equipment using the method are provided. The method is for scrambling signals assigned on predetermined radio resources of at least one layer of resource blocks with the same time and frequency resources, and comprises the steps of: sending an ID table to a user equipment through higher layer signaling, the ID table being a subset of the whole ID space and containing available IDs for the user equipment; notifying the user equipment an ID in the ID table to be used through physical layer signaling or UE specific higher layer signaling; generating a random seed based on the notified ID; initializing a scrambling sequence by the random seed; and scrambling the signals with the initialized scrambling sequence. The method of the disclosure, by combining physical layer signaling and higher layer signaling, may notify the used group ID and the blind detection space to a UE, the blind detection for the UE is enabled and the signaling overhead is reduced.
US09306710B2
A method and apparatus for establishing a RRC connection between a base station and a mobile station in a wireless communication system is provided. A packet transmission method for a communication system including a transmitter and a receiver according to the present invention includes transmitting, at the transmitter, a packet; retransmitting, when a confirmation message is not received in response to the packet, the packet; and stopping, when the confirmation message is received in response to the packet, retransmission of the packet. An RRC connection establishment method and apparatus of the present invention allows the transmitter to retransmit the RRC Connection Response message periodically until the RRC Connection Complete message is received from the receiver, thereby improving the RRC connection success probability.
US09306709B2
A method in a base station of transmitting control information to a mobile station includes transmitting a persistent assignment to a mobile station, wherein the persistent assignment includes a plurality of ACID indications; and transmitting a subsequent assignment to the mobile station including an ACID derived from the plurality of ACID indications. In another method, a mobile station receives control information from a base station, including receiving a persistent assignment from the base station, wherein the persistent assignment includes a plurality of ACID indications; and receiving a subsequent assignment from the base station including an ACID derived from the plurality of ACID indications.
US09306707B2
A method and apparatus for processing control information included in a data unit in a mobile communication system are provided. A receiver processes control information of a first type immediately irrespective of reordering of a received data unit, when the received data unit comprises the control information of the first type. The receiver processes control information of a second type after reordering of the received data unit, when the received data unit comprises the control information of the second type.
US09306702B2
The present invention is related to a method and apparatus for implementing space frequency block coding (SFBC) in an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) wireless communication system. The present invention is applicable to both a closed loop mode and an open loop mode. In the closed loop mode, power loading and eigen-beamforming are performed based on channel state information (CSI). A channel coded data stream is multiplexed into two or more data streams. Power loading is performed based on the CSI on each of the multiplexed data streams. SFBC encoding is performed on the data streams for each of the paired subcarriers. Then, eigen-beamforming is performed based on the CSI to distribute eigenbeams to multiple transmit antennas. The power loading may be performed on two or more SFBC encoding blocks or on each eigenmodes. Additionally, the power loading may be performed across subcarriers or subcarrier groups for weak eigenmodes.
US09306693B2
A method of generating timestamp information irrespective of a packet format include generating an egress timestamp corresponding to a time at which a first egress packet associated with a synchronization event is transmitted to a network medium; storing the egress timestamp in a memory based on an egress identifier; and transmitting a second egress packet associated with the synchronization event with the stored egress timestamp being included in the transmitted second egress packet for timing synchronization in the network medium. The method also includes receiving an incoming packet from the network medium; generating an ingress timestamp corresponding to a time at which the incoming packet is received; replacing an error detection field included in the incoming packet with an error detection tag; inserting the ingress timestamp into the error detection tag; and providing the incoming packet with the ingress timestamp to a processor for synchronization of a local clock.
US09306691B2
Methods and devices for generating training symbols to be transmitted in a radio network are provided for a radio system where multiple users are sharing the same transmission slot. The method involves forming a sequence of training symbols by repeating an initial block of training symbols and for each user rotating the repeated block by a user specific rotation angle. A rotated block is periodically extended in both ends.
US09306686B2
The present invention is directed to an audience response communication system comprising a base unit and a plurality of remote input devices. The audience response and communication system lowers the risk of undelivered data transmissions by enabling the remote input devices to sequentially transmit responses via multiple transmission channels until a vote acknowledgement message is received, or a predetermined number of attempts is made.
US09306669B2
An optic Distributed Antenna System includes a Head End (HE) configured to adjust a first signal for a first carrier at a first band to a first level, to adjust a second signal having at least a carrier different from the first carrier or a band different from the first band to a second level, to combine the first and second signals, to perform Electronic/Optic conversion on the combined signal, and to optic-distribute and send the combined optic signal, and a plurality of Remote Units (RUs) each connected to the HE over a corresponding single optic line, wherein each of the RUs is configured to perform Optic/Electronic conversion on the combined optic signal, to adjust the converted signal for each signal band, to perform high-power amplification on the adjusted signals, to multiplex the amplified signals, and to transmit the multiplexed signal to a Mobile station via at least one antenna.
US09306666B1
A programming device is provided that programs cards, such as payment cards, with data, such as personal data, using light transmitters and receivers. For example, an infrared transmitter may be provided to program personal data (e.g., a customer's credit card number) into a card wirelessly. In doing so, the card may be, for example, completely laminated such that there are no exposed electronic components on the exterior surface of the card and be programmed via light. The programming device may shield the programming components to block ambient light from interacting with those programming components during programming. A conveyor may be utilized to align multiple cards with a programming device to allow assembly-line style programming of the cards.
US09306662B1
A system includes a light emitting device on a first side of electrically isolated circuitry for transmitting an optical signal to a second side of the electrically isolated circuitry. The system also includes a driver for driving the light emitting device at an operational characteristic. The system further includes an optical receiver on the second side of the electrically isolated circuitry for receiving the optical signal from the light emitting device. The system also includes a sensor coupled with the optical receiver for sampling the intensity of the optical signal received by the optical receiver. The sensor is communicatively coupled with the driver and configured to transmit the sampled intensity of the optical signal received from the light emitting device to the driver, and the driver is configured to adjust the operational characteristic of the light emitting device based upon the sampled intensity of the optical signal.
US09306658B2
A system for wireless data transmission that uses a channel bandwidth, channel separation, and radio frequency power spectrum which is compatible with existing deployments of wireless voice services. The transmitted waveforms are thus compatible with existing cellular networks. However, the time domain digital coding, modulation, and power control schemes are optimized for data transmission. Existing cellular network sites can thus be used to provide a high speed service optimized for wireless data traffic without the need for new radio frequency planning, and without interfering with existing voice service deployments.
US09306657B2
A method of providing a communication link for a mobile platform. The method may involve generating a single beam and controlling the single beam to simultaneously generate first and second communication lobes from the single beam, with the first communication lobe being steered to communicate with a first base transceiver station (BTS). The method may further involve simultaneously using the second communication lobe to communicate with the second BTS and fading out the first lobe so that communication with the mobile platform is transferred to the second BTS.
US09306654B2
A method of performing interference cancellation (IC) in a wireless communication device having a receiver comprising at least a primary receiver chain and a diversity receiver chain includes determining an interference level of a transmitted signal on the receiver; determining whether the interference level is within a predetermined range; selecting a first mode of operation if the interference level is within a predetermined range; and selecting a second mode of operation if the interference level is not within the predetermined range. The first mode includes receiving, at the primary receiver chain, a first signal corresponding to the transmitted signal; receiving, at the diversity receiver chain, a second signal corresponding to the transmitted signal for providing to an IC circuit; generating, at the IC circuit, an output signal based on the second signal; and generating a cancellation signal based on the output signal and the first signal.
US09306651B2
The present invention relates to a wireless communication system. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method and to an apparatus for transmitting an SRS in a multi-antenna system. The method comprises the steps of: acquiring specific information for discriminating a first antenna group and a second antenna group from among a plurality of antennas, wherein said first antenna group includes one or more antennas which are set to a turned-on state to perform communication with a base station, and said second antenna group includes one or more other antennas which are set to a turned-off state; transmitting an SRS to the base station if a predetermined condition is satisfied, under the condition that the second antenna group is set to the turned-off state; and setting the second antenna group to a turned-off state after the transmission of the SRS.
US09306648B2
A method of a terminal that forms beams and a device for performing beam tracking in a communication system that supports beamforming are provided. The method includes detecting, by the terminal, an object located at a periphery of the terminal and performing beam tracking through beams formed by the terminal, except for a beam that is formed in a direction in which the detected object is located.
US09306646B2
A method of a receiving a downlink signal from a base station including a two-dimensional (2D) antenna array composed of a plurality of antenna elements in a wireless communication system is disclosed. The method includes receiving a reference signal allocated to at least one column-direction antenna array of the 2D antenna array, receiving information about a semi-static beam candidate set composed of at least one semi-static beam applicable to the at least one column-direction antenna array, and measuring an average channel state for semi-static beamforming using the received reference signal and the information about the semi-static candidate set. The 2D antenna array is virtualized to one-dimensional (1D) antenna array supporting dynamic beamforming by applying at least one semi-static beam in the semi-static beam candidate set to the column-direction antenna array.
US09306645B2
Systems and techniques for interference avoidance beamforming transmissions are described. A described technique includes accessing, at a first device, data for transmission to a second device; performing, at the first device, a channel sounding process with a third device to obtain channel feedback regarding a wireless channel between the first device and the third device; determining a steering matrix based on the channel feedback to reduce interference leakage received by the third device during a beamforming transmission from the first device to the second device; and performing, at the first device, the beamforming transmission to the second device based on the data and the steering matrix.
US09306642B2
The invention relates to a method for providing channel state information, CSI, about a radio channel (4) established between a first network element (2) and a second network element (3), the method comprising: providing an estimate (hn) of a channel coefficient (hn,a) of the radio channel (4) based on at least one signal, in particular a pilot signal (7), transmitted over the radio channel (4) from the first network element (2) to the second network element (3), making a prediction (I) of the channel coefficient (hn,a) of the radio channel (4) based on previous estimates (hn,k), and feeding back information about an error (en) between the prediction (I) and the estimate (hn) of the channel coefficient (hn,a) from the second network element (3) to the first network element (2). The invention also relates to network elements (2, 3) for implementing the method, as well as to a wireless communication network (1) comprising the same.
US09306635B2
A magnetic resonator includes an inductor comprising a conductive first loop having a first dipole moment and a conductive second loop having a second dipole moment wherein a direction of the first dipole moment is substantially opposite to a direction of the second dipole moment and at least one capacitor in series with at least one of the first loop and the second loop.
US09306633B2
A wireless power transmission apparatus and a wireless power transmission system are provided. The wireless power transmission apparatus includes a main body; and a support which is disposed on a side surface of the main body, wherein the main body includes a transmission resonator unit which generates a first magnetic field of a horizontal direction with respect a ground surface and a second magnetic field of a vertical direction with respect to the ground surface.
US09306629B2
There is provided a mobile device including: a first communication unit configured to perform contactless communication; a second communication unit configured to perform wireless communication with an external device; a designation control unit configured to make a user designate an own device or the external device as an entity using specific information that is received from outside via contactless communication by the first communication unit; a first specific process unit configured to execute a specific process to use the specific information when the user designates the own device as the entity using the specific information; and a transmitting control unit configured to make the second communication unit transmit the specific information received by the first communication unit to the external device, when the user designates the external device as the entity using the specific information.
US09306623B2
A measurement tape is proposed for determining the position of a cab in an elevator shaft, wherein the measurement tape is situated vertically in the elevator shaft, and extends over at least two floors, and wherein the measurement tape includes a marking unit for marking at least two positions in the elevator shaft, wherein the marking unit runs along the length of the measurement tape. In order to improve servicing, the measurement tape includes a carrier tape and has a transmission device for transmitting information, wherein the transmission device includes at least one communication line for transmitting an information signal and/or at least one supply line for supplying power, and the at least one communication line/supply lines runs along the length of the measurement tape, wherein the communication line is designed as an electrical line for transmitting an electrical signal or as a fiberglass line for transmitting an optical signal.
US09306620B2
In one embodiment, a management device determines a topology of nodes in a network. Based on the topology, frequency hopping sequences are assigned (and notified) to the nodes such that each particular node of a certain set of the nodes is assigned a frequency hopping sequence on which to transmit that is different than frequency hopping sequences of neighbors and hidden neighbors of that particular node. In another embodiment, a transmitting node first transmits a transmission indication signal on its particular frequency band based on its frequency hopping sequence, and then transmits a message on the particular frequency band. In a further embodiment, a receiving node listening to a plurality of frequency bands may detect the transmission indication signal on the particular frequency band. In response, the receiving node filters out all frequency bands other than the particular frequency band, and receives the following transmission on that particular frequency band.
US09306619B2
A direct-sequence spread spectrum signal receiving device may comprise a receiver unit, a chip sequence generating unit, a correlation unit, and comparison unit. The receiver unit may extract a chip stream from a radio-frequency signal, said chip stream containing a first chip sequence. The chip sequence generating unit may generate a plurality of trial chip sequences on the basis of a first trial chip sequence and on the basis of a plurality of index rotations. The correlation unit may determine a plurality of correlation values on the basis of said plurality of trial chip sequences and on the basis of said first chip sequence, each of said correlation values indicating a degree of correlation between a respective one of said trial chip sequences and said first chip sequence. The comparison unit may determine whether a maximum one of said correlation values exceeds a defined threshold value.
US09306617B2
A FET-based RF switch architecture and method that provides for independent control of FETs within component branches of a switching circuit. With independent control of branch FETs, every RF FET in an inactive branch that is in an “open” (capacitive) state can be shunted to RF ground and thus mitigate impedance mismatch effects. Providing a sufficiently low impedance to RF ground diminishes such negative effects and reduces the sensitivity of the switch circuit to non-matched impedances.
US09306606B2
A method and apparatus for analyzing an input signal. A nonlinear filter system comprises a plurality of polyphase filter banks corresponding to a plurality of orders of nonlinearity. Each of the plurality of polyphase filter banks is configured to process an input signal with respect to a plurality of selected frequency subbands to generate an output signal that corresponds to a corresponding order of the each of the plurality of polyphase filter banks.
US09306603B2
A device includes an adjustable capacitance and a switchable inductance coupled to the adjustable capacitance and configured as a tunable resonant circuit, the switchable inductance comprising a tapped structure having a first inductance and a second inductance.
US09306601B2
A method of data encoding is disclosed. An encoder receives a set of information bits and performs an LDPC encoding operation on the set of information bits to produce a codeword based on a matched lifted LDPC code. The matched lifted LDPC code is based on a commutative lifting group and includes a number of parity bits and a submatrix to determine values of the parity bits. An order of the lifting group (Z) corresponds with a size of the lifting. A determinant of the submatrix is a polynomial of the form: ga+(g0+gL)P, where g0 is the identity element of the group, g0=gL2k, and P is an arbitrary non-zero element of a binary group ring associated to the lifting group.
US09306595B2
A system and method for low-power digital signal processing, for example, comprising adjusting a digital representation of an input signal.
US09306590B2
A test and measurement instrument including a splitter configured to split an input signal having a particular bandwidth into a plurality of split signals, each split signal including substantially the entire bandwidth of the input signal; a plurality of harmonic mixers, each harmonic mixer configured to mix an associated split signal of the plurality of split signals with an associated harmonic signal to generate an associated mixed signal; and a plurality of digitizers, each digitizer configured to digitize a mixed signal of an associated harmonic mixer of the plurality of harmonic mixers. A first-order harmonic of at least one harmonic signal associated with the harmonic mixers is different from an effective sample rate of at least one of the digitizers.
US09306585B1
An apparatus relates generally to the generation of an oscillating signal. In this apparatus, a fractional-N generator is for receiving a frequency control word and a reference signal. A multiplying injection-locked oscillator is coupled to the fractional-N generator for receiving a clock signal for outputting an oscillating signal. A frequency tracking loop is coupled to the fractional-N generator for receiving the clock signal, and further coupled to the multiplying injection-locked oscillator for receiving the oscillating signal.
US09306581B2
The present invention provides a synchronization signal processing method and apparatus, which solves problems of low accuracy and a slow speed of synchronization operation executed on the synchronization signal. The specific steps include: acquiring multiple to-be-processed signals of a power supply, where the to-be-processed signals are signals changing periodically; generating a synchronization signal that has the same period as the to-be-processed signals by generating pulses in each period of the to-be-processed signals, where each period of the synchronization signal includes at least two pulses; detecting whether the synchronization signal is normal by determining whether parameters of all the pulses in the synchronization signal are accurate; and if the synchronization signal is normal, synchronizing the to-be-processed signals by performing time alignment on the pulses in the synchronization signal. The synchronization signal processing method and apparatus can be applied in a synchronization operation between signals.
US09306579B2
Techniques for controlling a driver to reduce data dependent noise, such as simultaneous switching effects and cross-talk effects. A plurality of drivers may each receive a data segment to transmit and a plurality of data segments that other drivers will transmit. A driver controller may adjust the time at which the data segment is transmitted in response to the plurality of data segments that the other drivers will transmit. The adjustment may compensate for simultaneous switching noise and cross-talk by, for example, delaying the transmission of a data segment or changing the slew rate of the signal carrying the data segment.
US09306578B2
An oscillator includes an oscillator circuit, a crystal filter, a package portion, and a heating portion. The oscillator circuit is configured to output an oscillation signal. The crystal filter has a frequency characteristic where an attenuation at a detuned frequency is larger than an attenuation at an oscillation frequency of the oscillation signal. The detuned frequency is a frequency different from the oscillation frequency. The package portion covers a crystal blank of the oscillator circuit and a crystal blank of the crystal filter. The heating portion is configured to heat the crystal blank of the oscillator circuit and the crystal blank of the crystal filter using a resistor disposed between: a wiring board to which the package portion is secured, and the package portion.
US09306573B2
A circuit internal to a programmable integrated circuit for preventing laser interrogation of the programmable integrated circuit includes a sense resistor connected between a deep n-well and a source of bias voltage for the deep n-well. A voltage-sensing circuit is coupled across the sense resistor to measure voltage across the sense resistor. A tamper trigger circuit responsive to the voltage sensing circuit generates a tamper signal in response to a voltage sensed in the voltage sensing circuit having a magnitude greater than a threshold value.
US09306570B1
At least one configurable circuit cell with a continuous active region includes at least one center subcell, a first-side subcell, and a second-side subcell. Each center subcell includes first and second pMOS transistors and first and second nMOS transistors. The first pMOS transistor has a first-pMOS-transistor gate, source, and drain. The first-pMOS-transistor source is coupled to a first voltage source. The second pMOS transistor has a second-pMOS-transistor gate, source, and drain. The second-pMOS-transistor source is coupled to the first voltage source. The first-pMOS-transistor drain and the second-pMOS-transistor drain are a same drain. The first nMOS transistor has a first-nMOS-transistor gate, source, and drain. The first-nMOS-transistor source is coupled to a second voltage source. The second nMOS transistor has a second-nMOS-transistor gate, source, and drain. The second-nMOS-transistor source is coupled to the second voltage source. The first-nMOS-transistor drain and the second-nMOS-transistor drain are a same drain.
US09306561B2
A touch switch apparatus emulating a mechanical switch includes a field effect sensor and an electric field stimulator mechanically associated with the field effect sensor. A field generation signal applied to the field effect sensor causes an electric field to be generated thereabout. The electric field stimulator can be moved between first and second positions with respect to the field effect sensor. When moved into proximity with the field effect sensor, the electric field stimulator disturbs the electric field. A detection circuit coupled to the field effect sensor detects and responds to the disturbance to the electric field.
US09306554B2
A semiconductor circuit includes an operational amplifier, a voltage drop circuit, and a switch. The operational amplifier has an output terminal connected to an active element that produces a load drive current. A reference voltage is input to the non-inverting input of the operational amplifier. The voltage drop circuit drops a voltage outputted from the operational amplifier. The switch applies a voltage corresponding to a predetermined current flowing when the active element is on to the inverting input of the operational amplifier in a first interval in which the active element is on in response to a predetermined voltage from the operational amplifier. The switch allows the voltage dropped by the voltage drop circuit to be input to the inverting input in a second interval in which the active element is off, thereby shortening a time period until the load drive current starts to flow.
US09306538B2
A composite electronic component includes: a circuit board; a package that includes an acoustic wave filter and is located on a top surface of the circuit board; a dummy package that is located on the top surface of the circuit board; and a lid that is located above the package and the dummy package.
US09306535B2
A duplexer includes a transmit filter and an integrated receive filter configured to filter a receive signal from an antenna. The integrated receive filter includes a receive filter portion having multiple acoustic resonator filter elements and a matched balun configured to convert a single-ended input signal, received at a single-ended input of the matched balun from a single-ended output of the receive filter portion, to a differential output signal. The matched balun being is located in place of a phase matching inductor of the receive filter portion, eliminating need for the phase matching inductor of the receive filter portion and a phase matching inductor of the matched balun. Impedance at the single-ended input of the matched balun includes a complex conjugate of impedance at the single-ended output of the receive filter portion.
US09306529B2
A resonator includes a multilayer body including a plurality of dielectric layers. An electrode is disposed on each of the plurality of dielectric layers. The resonator includes ground electrodes disposed on any of the dielectric layers, capacitor electrodes disposed on any of the dielectric layers, and inductor electrodes. The inductor electrodes are located in portions which start from nodes between the inductor electrodes and the capacitor electrodes as start points, pass through line electrodes disposed on dielectric layers different from the dielectric layers on which the capacitor electrodes are disposed and the dielectric layers on which the ground electrodes are disposed, and reach nodes between the inductor electrodes and the ground electrode as end points. The line electrode have a ring-shaped configuration, as viewed in a stacking direction of the dielectric layers.
US09306523B2
A class D amplifier receives and amplifies a differential analog signal which is then differentially integrated. Two pulse width modulators generate pulse signals corresponding to the differentially integrated analog signal and two power units generate output pulse signals. The outputs the power units are coupled to input terminals of integrators via a resistor feedback network. An analog output unit converts the pulse signals to an output analog signal. The differential integration circuitry implements a soft transition between mute/un-mute. In mute, the integrator output is fixed. During the soft transition, the PWM outputs change slowly from a fixed 50% duty cycle to a final value to ensure that no pop noise is present in the output as a result of mode change.
US09306522B2
The present document relates to multi-stage amplifiers, such as linear regulators or linear voltage regulators (e.g. low-dropout regulators) configured to provide a constant output voltage subject to load transients. A multi-stage amplifier is described. The multi-stage amplifier comprises a first amplification stage configured to provide a stage output voltage at a stage output node. Furthermore, the amplifier comprises an intermediate amplification stage comprising an amplifier current source configured to provide an amplifier current and an amplifier transistor arranged in series with the amplifier current source. A gate of the amplifier transistor is coupled to the stage output node of the first amplification stage. The intermediate amplification stage is configured to provide an amplified or attenuated stage output voltage at a midpoint between the amplifier current source and the amplifier transistor.
US09306518B2
Circuits, devices and methods are provided, such as an amplifier (e.g., a voltage regulator) that includes a feedback circuit that supplies negative feedback through a feedback path. One such feedback path includes a capacitance coupled in series with a “one-way” isolation circuit through which a feedback signal is coupled. The “one-way” isolation circuit my allow the feedback signal to be coupled from a “downstream” node, such as an output node, to an “upstream” node, such as a node at which an error signal is generated to provide negative feedback. However, the “one-way” isolation circuit may substantially prevent variations in the voltage at the upstream node from being coupled to the capacitance in the isolation circuit. As a result, the voltage at the upstream node may quickly change since charging and discharging of the capacitance responsive to voltage variations at the upstream node may be avoided.
US09306513B2
A low noise amplifier for radio frequency integrated circuits having an adaptive input and operating mode selection. The low noise amplifier comprises two inputs which can be operated in different configurations. The operating mode may be chosen in such way that the inputs are used respectively one at the time for single-ended configuration or both inputs are used for differential configuration. Additionally, in single-ended operation, inputs can be matched to different frequencies. The information regarding the operating mode is obtained from an external component. The operating mode to be used may be determined when the device using a particular radio frequency integrated circuit is designed or it can be determined dynamically by the device using the radio frequency integrated circuit.
US09306508B1
A reconfigurable integrator/Differentiator circuit includes: a first input terminal; a first output terminal; a first current follower amplifier having a second input terminal, a second inverting output terminal, and a third non-inverting output terminal, wherein the second inverting output terminal provides feed back to the first input terminal and the third non-inverting output terminal is directly connected to the first output terminal; a second current follower amplifier having a third input terminal, a fourth inverting output terminal, and a fifth non-inverting output terminal, wherein the fourth inverting output terminal provides feed back to the first input terminal and the fifth non-inverting output terminal is directly connected to the first output terminal; a single resistor being connected between the first input terminal and the second input terminal, and a single capacitor being connected between the first input terminal and the third input terminal.
US09306506B1
Apparatus and methods for dual loop power amplifier digital pre-distortion systems are disclosed. In certain implementations, a dual DPD system includes a first digital pre-distorter (DPD) and a second DPD. A digital IF upconverter electrically coupled between the first and second DPDs separates the DPD system into independently controlled fine and coarse sections. The adaptive adjustment processor can be used to modify or pre-distort input signals in order to compensate for the power amplifier nonlinearity. It also controls the fine DPD section to correct an RF output signal single-band adjacent channel leakage ratio (ACLR), while it controls the coarse DPD section to correct an RF output signal dual band intermodulation distortion (IMD).
US09306501B2
A voltage adjusting circuit includes a reference voltage generating circuit, a subtractor circuit, a threshold generating circuit and a comparator circuit. The voltage adjusting circuit may provide power supply signals to an amplifier circuit so that the amplifier circuit may provide an output signal to a load according to an input signal. The subtractor circuit generates a difference signal according to the output signal and the power supply signal. The comparator circuit compares the difference signal and a threshold signal generated by the threshold generating circuit for configuring the reference voltage generating circuit to adjust the signal value of the power supply signal.
US09306500B2
A cascode amplifier includes: a first transistor having a gate to which a signal is input, a grounded source, and a drain; a second transistor having a gate, a source connected to the drain of the first transistor, and a drain; a load connected to the drain of the second transistor; a DC-DC converter supplying a supply voltage, which is variable according to output power, to the drain of the second transistor via the load; and a first bias circuit supplying a voltage, which is a function of the supply voltage, to the gate of the second transistor.
US09306496B2
The present invention provides a frequency multiplier apparatus. The frequency multiplier apparatus includes an injection-locked frequency multiplier and a frequency-to-control signal converter. The injection-locked frequency multiplier outputs an output signal having a first frequency in response to an input signal having a first basic frequency. The frequency-to-control signal converter provides a first control signal to the injection-locked frequency multiplier in response to the input signal. The injection-locked frequency multiplier adjusts the first frequency to a second frequency in response to a change of the first control signal when the first basic frequency is changed to a second basic frequency.
US09306492B2
An oscillator includes a flip-flop that outputs a first signal having a phase that is inverted according to a comparison signal, a comparison circuit that compares an amplification voltage with a first reference voltage and outputs the comparison signal, a current source having an output voltage that is fixed to a second reference voltage, and an amplification circuit that generates the amplification voltage according to a current outputted from the current source and the second reference voltage.
US09306481B2
A variable speed fan motor, including a variable speed motor body and a motor controller. The motor controller includes a microprocessor, an inverter circuit, a gear detection circuit, and a power supply. The gear detection circuit includes a plurality of current sensing units. Only one of the power input lines is in an energized state, and remaining power input lines are in a deenergized state. Each power input line is connected to one current sensing unit. An output end of the current sensing unit is connected to an input end of the microprocessor. The microprocessor selects operating parameters of the motor according to a detected signal of energization state of each power input line. The microprocessor is connected to the series communication unit. The microprocessor communicates with an external device via the series communication unit.
US09306476B2
A pavement interlayer, suitable for laying between layers of pavement, includes: at least one layer of interlayer material, a plurality of piezoelectric elements; at least one transmission line, coupled to the plurality of piezoelectric elements, for transmitting power generated by the plurality of piezoelectric elements to an output.
US09306472B2
A power supply device of the invention includes a first switching leg including first and second switching elements between DC terminals; a second switching leg including third and fourth switching elements between the DC terminals; a first capacitor leg including first and second capacitors between the DC terminals; a second capacitor leg including third and fourth capacitors between AC terminals; a first inductor between a connection of the first and second switching elements and one of the AC terminals; a second inductor between a connection of the third and fourth switching elements and another of the AC terminals; a controller; an AC power supply connected to the AC terminals and the connection of the third and fourth capacitors; and a DC power supply between the DC terminals, wherein the controller charges the first and second capacitors to a voltage higher than a voltage crest of the AC power supply.
US09306470B2
An inverter control module electrically connected to an inverter module is disclosed to include an error detection unit for receiving a control signal and a feedback signal from an external source and processing these signals and then outputting a corresponding error signal, a signal amplifier module electrically coupled to the error detection unit for receiving the error signal and amplifying the error signal or raising the frequency of the error signal and then outputting the processed signal, and a driver module electrically coupled to the signal amplifier module for receiving the amplified or frequency-raised error signal and generating a corresponding driving signal and then outputting the driving signal to a power module of the inverter module for driving the power module to work.
US09306466B2
The power supply apparatus includes a switch element for turning ON and OFF supply of electric power to a primary winding of a transformer; a determining unit connected to an auxiliary winding of the transformer, for determining an ON-time of the switch element; and a switching unit for switching the ON-time determined by the determining unit.
US09306460B2
A power supply device including a switch arrangement including switches for generating a square wave output, a switch control arrangement for controlling the switch arrangement, a resonator tank, a rectifier circuitry for rectifying in an output from the tank, and a burst mode operation arrangement configured to facilitate a standby mode of the power supply and including a burst mode restriction arrangement for receiving and evaluating a first feedback parameter associated with a switch of the switch arrangement, the burst mode operation arrangement further receiving and evaluating a second feedback parameter indicative of the output voltage of the power supply device, and being configured to disable and enable the burst mode feature based on the evaluation of both the first feedback parameter and second feedback parameter by controlling an output from the burst mode operation arrangement.
US09306458B2
A power circuit combination includes a series capacitor buck converter including a first half-bridge including a first high side power switch (HSA), first low side power switch (LSA) and a second half-bridge. A transfer capacitor (Ct) is connected in series with HSA and LSA, and between the first and second half-bridges. An adaptive HS driver circuit has an output coupled to a gate of HSA and includes a power supply circuit including a summing circuitry that dynamically outputs a variable power supply level (VGX) based on a fixed voltage and a voltage across Ct, a buffer driver, and a boost capacitor (CA) across the buffer driver. VGX is coupled to a positive terminal of CA. The power supply circuit is configured so that as a voltage across Ct varies, VGX adjusts so that a voltage across CA is changed less than a change in voltage across Ct.
US09306454B2
A boost switching regulator incorporates a ripple injection circuit to generate a voltage ripple signal for feedback control that mimics the actual ripple signal of the regulated output voltage. In this manner, the ripple injection circuit achieves optimal ripple injection for stable and enhanced feedback control. In one embodiment, the injected ripple signal is generated from a current injection signal that mimics the difference between the inductor current that flows through the synchronous rectifier and the load current when the synchronous rectifier is on. The injected voltage ripple signal is generated when the current injection signal is integrated by a feedforward capacitor.
US09306448B2
A signal amplifying circuit and associated methods and apparatuses, the circuit comprising: a signal path extending from an input terminal to an output terminal, a gain controller arranged to control the gain applied along the signal path in response to a control signal; an output stage within the signal path for generating the output signal, the output stage having a gain that is substantially independent of its supply voltage, and a variable voltage power supply comprising a charge pump for providing positive and negative output voltages, the charge pump comprising a network of switches that is operable in a number of different states and a controller for operating the switches in a sequence of the states so as to generate positive and negative output voltages together spanning a voltage approximately equal to the input voltage.
US09306447B2
When a power conversion unit is in a working mode, the power conversion unit converts an alternating current power from an alternating current power supply apparatus into a direct current power. Then, the power conversion unit sends a power starting signal to a first switch control unit. After the first switch control unit receives the power starting signal, the first switch control unit turns on a first switch unit, so that an overall capacitor impedance formed by a first capacitor and a second capacitor is smaller than a first capacitor impedance formed by the first capacitor. When the power conversion unit is not in the working mode, the first switch control unit turns off the first switch unit, so that the overall capacitor impedance is equal to the first capacitor impedance.
US09306443B2
The invention provides an analog photovoltaic power circuit with auto zero calibration, which judges whether the current trend or voltage trend has the same direction as or different direction from the power trend, and adjusts an input/output power conversion accordingly, so that an input current approaches to an optimum current corresponding to a maximum power point, in which the judgments of the current trend, voltage trend and power trend is calibrated with auto-zero circuitry.
US09306438B2
An apparatus for moving wire dispensing members used to wind dynamo electric machine coils comprising a frame; a first tubular member having a longitudinal axis assembled for longitudinal reciprocation parallel to said longitudinal axis; a second tubular member assembled for longitudinal reciprocation and rotational oscillation; means for generating the translational reciprocation motion of said first and second tubular members; means for generating rotational oscillation of said first and second tubular members; means for generating a relative rotational motion between the first and second tubular members for accomplishing a radial motion of the wire dispensing members; wherein the means for generating the translational reciprocation motion are assembled on a first shaft and the means for generating rotational oscillation are supported for the rotational oscillation with support means assembled on the frame, and the means for generating the rotational oscillation derive rotational motion from the first shaft through a transmission joint.
US09306433B2
A drive module with a housing, an electric motor, a coolant sump, an inlet pipe and a transmission and differential assembly that is driven by the electric motor to drive a pair of output members. The electric motor is coupled to the housing and has a stator, which is fixedly coupled to the housing, and a rotor that is rotatable within the stator. The rotor has a coolant passage, which extends parallel to a rotational axis of the rotor, and a nozzle passage that intersects the coolant passage and extends radially outwardly therefrom. The coolant sump is configured to hold a coolant fluid. The inlet pipe is in fluid communication with the coolant sump and is received into the coolant passage. The inlet pipe is configured to feed the coolant fluid from the coolant sump into the coolant passage. The coolant fluid is gravity fed into the inlet pipe.
US09306429B2
A vibration generator includes a circumferential wall portion, a vibrating body arranged inside the circumferential wall portion in an opposing relationship with a coil and configured to reciprocatingly vibrate in one direction, a band-shaped leaf spring arranged between the vibrating body and the circumferential wall portion to support the vibrating body on the circumferential wall portion, and a damper member including a base portion attached to one of the vibrating body and the leaf spring and a tip end portion extending toward the other of the vibrating body and the leaf spring. The tip end portion of the damper member makes sliding contact with the leaf sprig or the vibrating body.
US09306428B2
A thermal control system includes a stator having conductor end turns at opposite axial ends thereof, and first and second cooling systems respectively disposed at the opposite axial stator ends, each cooling system having a cover, a coolant inlet, a coolant outlet, and at least one cooling channel. Thermally conductive potting compound thermally mates the cooling systems with the end turns. A method of cooling end turns includes providing a cooling system for each axial end of the stator, each cooling system having at least one cooling channel that includes a coolant inlet and a coolant outlet, and thermally mating each cooling system to the respective end turns. A method of cooling end turns includes providing separate cooling systems in each axial end plate of an electric machine, and filling space within the end turns, and between the end turns and the cooling systems, with thermally conductive potting compound.
US09306416B2
Systems, apparatus, and methods for controlling power modes in electronic devices are provided. A system may include an electronic device and an input device that sends power mode selection information via a network to a power mode selection receiving component in the electronic device. The electronic device includes a first power component that powers a first component, and a switching component that controls the first power component. The electronic device may include a second power component that powers a second component. The switching component may control the second power component. The power mode selection receiving component and the switching component may be powered independently of the first and the second component. If the power mode selection information indicates an off mode, the electronic device may provide power to the power mode selection receiving component and the switching component and not to the first and the second component.
US09306415B2
A power consumption control apparatus and a power consumption control method capable of providing a power storage being utilized as an uninterruptible power supply (UPS), and in a case of an emergency, automatically selecting a load to supply a backup power to the load, the power consumption control method including determining an occurrence of an abnormality in a supply of a grid power and a renewable power, performing an emergency mode to immediately finish a current operation of a load if it is determined that an abnormality in the supply of both of the grid power and the renewable power has occurred, and performing a standby mode to stand by until the current operation of the load is finished in a normal manner if it is determined that an abnormality in the supply of the grid power has occurred while the supply of the renewable power is normal.
US09306410B2
A wireless energy transfer enabled battery includes a resonator that is positioned asymmetrically in a battery sized enclosure such that when two wirelessly enabled batteries are placed in close proximity the resonators of the two batteries have low coupling.
US09306405B2
A POS terminal, includes a battery box having a box-side commercial power source circuit to supply power from a commercial power source; a battery charge circuit to charge batteries by power supplied from the box-side commercial power source circuit; a battery discharge circuit to discharge the batteries to a POS terminal main body side; and a charge and discharge changeover switch which connects a battery discharge circuit to the batteries to cause the batteries to be discharged when the battery box is attached to a POS terminal main body, and connects a battery charge circuit to the batteries to cause the batteries to be charged when the battery box is detached from the POS terminal main body.
US09306402B1
Circuits for charging capacitors in connection with oscillators are described. The oscillator may include a mechanical resonator. The circuits may include a charging element and a switched capacitor subcircuit to control operation of the charging element, and may be considered a charging circuit in some scenarios. The charging circuits may provide rapid charging of a capacitor to provide a reference voltage to the oscillator.
US09306399B2
A wireless power transmission and charging system, and a communication method of the wireless power transmission and charging system are provided. In one embodiment, a resonance frequency control method of a wireless power transmitter may include: generating communication power used for communication in a plurality of target devices using a reference resonance frequency; transmitting communication power to the plurality of target devices; transmitting charging power to the plurality of target devices; and adjusting the reference resonance frequency based on a reflected wave of the charging power, the amount of power received by one or more of the target devices, the amount of the charging power, the transmission efficiency of the charging power, or any combination thereof.
US09306393B2
A battery power supply device is provided. The battery power supply device includes: an input unit that receives external power; a battery power unit that is connected to the input unit to charge a battery with the external power; a current detection unit that detects a current that is supplied to a load and that provides the current to the battery power unit; and an output unit that provides the external power and battery power from one node to the load and that receives a load current from the battery power unit to adjust output of the battery power.
US09306387B2
Aspects of the disclosure provide a circuit that includes a driver circuit and a current limiter circuit. The driver circuit is configured to drive a load with an output current when the load is coupled with the driver circuit. The current limiter circuit is configured to turn on a path to deplete a portion of the output current from the driver circuit in order to prevent a load current flowing through the load from exceeding a current limit.
US09306385B2
A surge arrester has a tube-shaped housing, an end fitting connected to an end of the housing, a varistor block arranged in the housing and a supporting element arranged in the region of the end fitting. The supporting element has a supporting ring which is in contact with the housing and which includes a cone and a clamping ring with a counter-cone that corresponds to the cone. The cone is braced to the counter-cone in such a manner that the supporting ring is pressed to the housing in a non-displaceable manner. The supporting element can thus also be used after the installation of the varistor block and also be removed.
US09306384B2
There is a method of fault clearance for a DC power grid (10), wherein the DC power grid (10) includes: a plurality of DC terminals (12a,12b,12c,12d); a plurality of DC power transmission media (14a,14b, 14c,14d) to interconnect the plurality of DC terminals (12a, 12b, 12c, 12d); and a plurality of DC circuit interruption device stations (18), each DC circuit interruption device station (18) being associated with a respective one of the plurality of DC power transmission media (14a,14b, 14c, 14d) and a respective one of the plurality of DC terminals (12a, 12b,12c, 12d), each DC circuit interruption device station (18) including a DC circuit interruption device (20) to selectively interrupt current flow in the associated DC power transmission medium (14a, 14b, 14c, 14d), the method comprising the steps of: (i) detecting one or more faults occurring in the plurality of DC power transmission media (14a, 14b, 14c,14d); (ii) after detecting the or each fault, opening all of the DC circuit interruption devices (20) to interrupt current flow in the plurality of DC power transmission media (14a,14b, 14c,14d); (iii) measuring electrical characteristics of each DC power transmission medium (14a, 14b, 14c,14d); (iv) identifying the or each faulty DC power transmission medium (14a, 14b, 14c, 14d), in which the or each fault is located, based on the measured electrical characteristics of the plurality of DC power transmission media (14a, 14b, 14c, 14d); and (v) after identifying the or each faulty DC power transmission medium (14a, 14b, 14c, 14d) in which the or each fault is located, inhibiting closing of the or each DC circuit interruption device (20) that is associated with the or each faulty DC power transmission medium (14a,14b, 14c,14d), in which the or each fault is located, and closing the or each DC circuit interruption device (20) that is associated with the or each non-faulty DC power transmission medium (14a, 14b, 14c, 14d), in which the or each fault is not located.
US09306364B2
An ultra-high power fiber laser system includes a single-piece fiber booster configured with fiber and straight short rod fiber portions which have in common a core configured with a numerical aperture≧0.1. The rod fiber portion has a length≦a few tens of centimeters and has a frustoconical cross-section expanding from the uniformly configured fiber portion. The core extending along the fiber portion supports a single mode (SM) or very low number of HOMs, whereas the large-diameter end of the frustoconical core portion supports a fundamental mode and high order multiple modes. The disclosed booster is energized by a pump source configured to emit pump light with such a density that while amplification of the fundamental mode continues in the central area of the core, a peripheral non-overlapped area of the core is bleached. The disclosed booster emits signal light in substantially a fundamental mode.
US09306350B2
A method for converting a male connector to a female connector. A connector comprising a header, an insert and a female adapter module. The header is equipped with a plurality of pins forming male contacts. The insert ensures the hermeticity of the male pins in the header. The female adapter module is mounted in the header so as to form a female connector. The female adapter module comprises a plurality of sockets forming female contacts. Each female socket is mounted around a male pin, and a locking housing is mounted around the plurality of sockets so as to tighten each female socket around the associated male pin.
US09306348B2
A lamp connector comprises a contact and a connector body having an accommodation space accommodating the contact. The contact has a positioning hole. The connector body has a slot extending along an insertion direction of the contact and confining the contact thereinside. The accommodation space has a elastic member with a barb that corresponds to the positioning hole and has a guide slope. The contact can easily overcome elastic force of the elastic member, overpass the guide slope to go into the accommodation space and is longitudinally confined to the slot. Then, elastic force springs the barb into the positioning hole. Thus, the contact is transversely positioned in the plastic body. Thereby, the contact can be assembled to the plastic body faster, more conveniently and more firmly; the electric connection of the male plug and the female socket is more stable and more resistant to electromagnetic interference.
US09306343B1
A remote controlled extension cord. The extension cord has a wire attached to a plug with an integrated base. The base serves to cradle a remote control, which is used to turn power on/off to the extensions on the cord. The extension cord has a number of advanced operations, for example a sequential flash operation which cycles power between all of the individual sockets in the extension cord in sequence, and then repeats the sequence. This can all be controlled by the remote control.
US09306337B2
An electrical connector includes an insulative housing, a number of contacts retained in the insulative housing, a metallic outer shell enclosing the insulative housing, and a metallic inner shell positioned between the metallic outer shell and the insulative housing. The insulative housing includes a base and a tongue portion protruding from the base. The contacts include a number of flat contacting portions exposed on a top surface and a bottom surface of the tongue portion, respectively. The metallic inner shell includes at least two pieces which are separately made and fixed to the insulative housing. The metallic inner shell and the metallic outer shell are in mechanical contact with each other in order to achieve a relative larger grounding area.
US09306335B2
An electrical connector comprises an insulative block, a plurality of contacts received in the insulative block. The contacts each include a retaining portion retaining in the insulative block, a contacting portion extending forwardly from the retaining portion and a soldering portion. The contacts include a plurality of differential signal contacts and a plurality of grounding contacts. The soldering portion of differential signal contacts arranged to a plurality of rows and the soldering portion of grounding contacts arranged to a plurality of another rows which parallel to the row of the differential contacts. The row of the differential contacts and the row of the grounding contacts are spaced from each other.
US09306332B2
A connector includes a first terminal housing that houses a first connecting terminal, and a second terminal housing that houses at least a portion of a cable including a second connecting terminal at an end portion thereof. The first and second connecting terminals contact with each other and form a contact point when the first and second terminal housings are fitted each other. The two terminal housings are fitted in a direction intersecting with an extending direction of the cable. The first and second terminal housings include a first fitting portion and a second fitting portion, respectively. The connector further includes a fitted-state maintaining member that is configured so as to be fitted to both the first and second fitting portions by being slid along a direction perpendicular to the fitting direction of the two terminal housings after the two terminal housings are fitted to each other.
US09306328B2
A power and data connector includes an extension that protrudes from a lip surface. The extension is configured to mate with an electronic device. A connection surface at a terminal end of the extension separately surrounds openings, through which power interfaces extend.
US09306327B1
Retainer clip (100) attachable to automotive headlamp (10) for inhibiting second electrical connector (72) of wiring harness (44) from unintentionally separating from mating first connector (52) on the PCB (60) of the lamp. Clip (100) has central first beam (110) to contact lamp (10), lamp-retaining support base (160) depending from one end of first beam (110) to engage lamp (10), and second connector-blocking region (140) extending from an opposite end of first beam (110) that, upon assembly proximate second connector (72), inhibits separation of the connectors (52, 72). Clip (100) is stamped from sheet metal. Support base (165) has engaging arms (164, 166) joined by bight (162) either to be clipped over one fin (22) of heat sink (20) or to be squeezed between two neighboring fins (22). Engaging arms (164, 166) have protruding barbs (165) to resist separation of support base (165) from heat sink (20).
US09306319B2
A connector includes a housing (10) into which terminal fittings (110) are accommodated and a housing-side lock (26). A wire cover (70) is mounted on the housing (10) to cover wires (200) pulled out from the housing (10). The wire cover (70) includes a cover-side lock (73) at a position to be lockable to the housing-side lock (26) in a mounted state and is held on the housing (10) by being locked to the cover-side lock (73) after the housing-side lock (26) is resiliently deformed. A restricting member (90) is inserted into a deflection space for the housing-side lock (26) to restrict the deflection of the housing-side lock (26) when the cover-side lock (73) and the housing-side lock (26) are in a locked state.
US09306317B2
There is provided a coaxial connector that can ensure high airtightness without using a costly hermetic sealing component. An airtight coaxial connector includes: a resin filling space portion formed more to a coaxial cable connection side than to an insulator in an outer shell; a resin inlet that is open more to a target connector connection side than to the insulator in the outer shell and communicates with the resin filling space portion; and an airtightness resin that is filled in the resin filling space portion through the resin inlet and seals between a central conductor and the outer shell and between a dielectric of a coaxial cable and the outer shell.
US09306313B2
A first adapter arrangement includes a housing having a sealing end supporting the housing in a vertical wall opening of a casing containing an electronics device, and a connecting end extending externally of the casing for connection with the housing of a companion adapter arrangement. A pair of resilient generally-annular longitudinally-spaced seal members are mounted concentrically about the adapter housing sealing portion for sealing the space between the adapter housing outer surface and the adjacent surface of the casing wall opening. An electrical connector mounted in a through passage contained in the adapter housing includes a conductor contact end connected with the conductors of the electrical device, and a connector contact end adapted for connection with the corresponding contacts of a companion second adapter arrangement. A fastening device serves to connect together the adjacent ends of the adapter housings of the first and second arrangements.
US09306312B2
An electrical connector system includes mating pin and socket connectors each designed for increased contact density to improve performance of high-speed data transfer. The connectors include features for retaining a plurality of pin or socket contacts in a ganged, co-aligned configuration and for shielding groups of contacts from one another to reduce interference and crosstalk. The connectors further include features for providing strain relief to the internal wires and/or cables. One of the connectors may include a plug insert with cantilevered fingers extending therefrom that contact a conductive surface of the mating connector to provide a mechanical connection and a low-impedance pathway between the mating connectors for grounding and shielding. The connectors are designed to be readily assembled and disassembled for repair or rework without the use of special tools.
US09306310B2
A connector is provided which includes a housing in which a terminal is accommodated, and a retainer which is mounted on the housing to prevent movement of the terminal in the direction of detachment. A retainer insertion hole is provided on the housing to insert the retainer, and a provisional locking projection and a final locking projection are provided which extend into the retainer insertion hole. A guide portion is provided in the retainer which is flexibly deformed by interference from the provisional locking projection and the final locking projection, and a locked portion is formed, which is a locking hole opened in the guide portion. The locked portion and the provisional locking projection are temporarily locked during the insertion process, and the locked portion and the final locking projection are locked at the end of the insertion process.
US09306309B2
An OBD connector protective cover includes a clip provided with a pair of openable/closable lugs, a body cover that covers the entire clip including the pair of lugs, a key cylinder provided on a front of the body cover as opening/closing operation means for the pair of lugs and a socket provided on a rear face of the body cover as an opening for inserting a connection terminal section 101 of an OBD connector 100 into the body cover. The pair of lugs are closed through a key operation with the key cylinder, the connection terminal section 101 of the OBD connector 100 and the body cover are integrated together by the lugs holding the connection terminal section 101 of the OBD connector 100, and the body cover constitutes an obstacle to thereby disable access to the connection terminal section 101 from outside.
US09306306B2
A terminal used in an electronic circuit unit with a circuit board including a plurality of connection conductors, a housing and a plurality of terminals respectively provided on ends of a plurality of wires includes a wire connecting portion to be connected to an end portion of the wire and a board connecting portion to be connected to the connection conductor. The board connecting portion includes a resiliently deformable first resilient contact piece having a first contact portion to be resiliently brought into contact with the connection conductor and a resiliently deformable second resilient contact piece having a second contact portion to be resiliently brought into contact with the connection conductor common to the connection conductor, with which the first contact portion is brought into contact. The first and second resilient contact pieces are resiliently deformable independently of each other and shaped to have mutually different natural vibration frequencies.
US09306305B2
An electrical connector includes a plurality of contacts, each contact having a first contact point electrically connected to a wiring pattern of a first connection object at one end and a second contact point mounted and fixed onto a wiring pattern of a second connection object by soldering at the other end, and the plurality of contacts is arranged in accordance with a predetermined wiring pattern, and after the second contact is mounted and fixed onto the wiring pattern of the second connection object, portions other than the second contact point of each contact are not fixed and bound with respect to the second connection object.
US09306298B2
A terminal block including at least one housing for a connection terminal, the housing extending at least partly within a volume delimited by: a first plane transverse to two side planes delimiting the insulating body, substantially parallel to a general direction joining a first end and a second end of a fastening member, and passing through a connecting area of the fastening member, and a second plane transverse to the two side planes delimiting the insulating body, substantially parallel to the first plane and passing through a connecting area of the rear face, at least a third plane transverse to the two side planes delimiting the insulating body, substantially transverse to the first plane and to the second plane, and passing through the furthest elastic branch of the fastening means intended to interact with an edge of the support rail, and at least a fourth plane transverse to the two side planes delimiting the insulating body, substantially transverse to the first plane and to the second plane, and passing through a retaining member intended to lock a tool.
US09306297B2
A single element electrical connector includes a single conductive contact element formed into a cage structure having a wire insert end and a wire contact end along a longitudinal centerline axis of the connector. One wall of the cage structure includes a tab that extends into a recess included in another wall of the cage structure. The cage structure defines an upper pick-up surface having a surface area suitable for placement of a suction nozzle of a vacuum transfer device, as well as a pair of contact tines biased towards the centerline axis to define a contact pinch point for an exposed core of a wire inserted into the connector. A contact surface is defined by a member of the cage structure for electrical mating contact with a respective contact element on a component on which the connector is mounted.
US09306295B2
The transmitting and receiving antenna comprises an array of feeds clustered by groups of four adjacent feeds along two directions X, Y of a plane, each feed comprising two transmitting ports and two receiving ports with orthogonal polarizations. For each group of four adjacent feeds, the first, or the second, transmitting ports, respectively the first, or the second, receiving ports, corresponding to a same pair of frequency and polarization values are connected two-by-two in the direction X then two-by-two in the direction Y, the four interconnected transmitting ports forming a transmitting beam and the four interconnected receiving ports forming a receiving beam.
US09306293B2
A multi-beam antenna comprises an array of feeds illuminating a reflector, the feeds being associated in a plurality of groups. Each feed comprises a polarizer, two diplexers and four ports operating in four different colours. All the feeds belonging to the same group comprise first ports having the same first colour, or second ports having the same second colour, linked together to form a first beam and third ports having the same third colour, or fourth ports having the same fourth colour, linked together to form a second beam.
US09306289B1
An apparatus includes first and second antenna elements each having a tapered width end, with the tapered width ends being separated by a gap. A portion of the edge of the tapered width end of the each antenna element has a thickness less than a thickness of the remainder of the respective antenna element. Such portion may be the portion of the edge of the antenna elements closest to a feed point of the antenna elements, and may be angled to a point or a flat edge. The thickness of the tapered width ends increases along the width and/or the height of the respective antenna element as the antenna element extends from the feed point.
US09306280B2
A mobile terminal that includes a first antenna element disposed in proximity to a first side of the mobile terminal, a second antenna element disposed in proximity to a second side of the mobile terminal, and a third antenna element disposed in proximity to a third side of the mobile terminal. The mobile terminal further including a switching mechanism that switches between a first connection mode in which the first and second antenna elements are feed elements and the third antenna element is a parasitic element, and a second connection mode in which the first and third antenna elements are feed elements, and a control unit that controls the switching mechanism to switch between the first connection mode and the second connection mode in accordance with a predetermined condition.
US09306273B2
Disclosed herein are example embodiments of a dielectrically loaded multifilar antenna for circularly polarised radiation the antenna having a plurality of operating frequencies in excess of 200 MHz. In one embodiment, the antenna comprises: an electrically insulative core having proximal and distal surface portions and, between the proximal and distal surface portions, a laterally directed side surface portion; a pair of feed nodes; at least four elongate generally helical conductive radiating elements located on the core; and, arranged between and coupling together the feed nodes and the radiating elements, a phasing ring formed by a closed loop, wherein the phasing ring is resonant at least two of the operating frequencies, the elongate antenna elements being coupled to the phasing ring at respective spaced apart coupling locations and extending from the phasing ring in a direction away from the feed nodes.
US09306268B2
An electronic device and a method for manufacturing an outer housing of the electronic device are provided. The electronic device includes an outer housing including a portion including a base including a non-conductive material and a plurality of islands formed on or above the base, wherein the plurality of islands include metallic materials, wherein the plurality of islands are spaced apart from each other, and wherein the plurality of islands form a two-dimensional (2D) pattern. The method includes injection-molding a base and forming a plurality of islands on or above the base, wherein the plurality of islands include metallic materials, and wherein the plurality of islands are spaced apart from each other to form a 2D pattern.
US09306254B1
Substrate-free mechanical structural systems comprised of interconnected subsystems of electronic and/or electromechanical components are provided.
US09306253B2
Provided is an electrolyte solution capable of further increasing the output of a lithium air battery, the electrolyte solution for a lithium air battery having a total bonding strength between Li2O2 is no less than 0.14.
US09306251B2
A battery pack includes batteries, a fan unit, a case housing the batteries and the fan unit, an air circulation passage formed in the case, an air introduction passage that makes communication between a suction part of the fan unit and outside of the case, and an air discharge passage that makes communication between the outside and an inside of the case. The air circulating passage includes a blow-off side passage that makes communication between a blowoff part of the fan unit and battery passages through which the circulating air flows to exchange heat with the batteries, and a suction side passage that makes communication between the battery passages and the suction part of the fan unit. At least one of the blow-off side passage and the suction side passage is an in-duct passage formed inside a duct disposed in the case.
US09306247B2
A method is provided for detecting when a vehicle mounted battery pack is damaged from an impact with a piece of road debris or other obstacle. Positioned within the battery pack is a plurality of deformable cooling conduits located between the lower surface of the batteries within the battery pack and the lower battery pack enclosure panel. One or more sensors are incorporated into the cooling conduits which monitor coolant flow rate or pressure. When the cooling conduits deform, a change in coolant flow/pressure occurs that is detected by the sensors integrated into the conduit's coolant channels. A system controller, coupled to a sensor monitoring subsystem, may provide any of a variety of responses when cooling conduit deformation is detected.
US09306242B2
A moss guard for a lead-acid battery cell includes a body and a plurality of fingers extending from a side of the body. The plurality of fingers are configured to substantially cover the top surfaces of negative electrodes between the negative electrodes and a positive strap. An end of at least one of the plurality of fingers distal to the body includes a lock, and the lock is configured to resiliently deflect between an engaged position and a disengaged position. The lock is configured to fix the moss guard with respect to positive lugs while in the engaged position.
US09306240B2
A solid polymeric electrolyte having a pattern, and a lithium battery including the same, includes a polymer matrix having a mesh structure and being formed of a cured photo-crosslinking agent; inorganic particles substantially uniformly distributed in the polymer matrix; and a liquid electrolyte comprised of a lithium salt and an organic solvent impregnated between the polymer matrix and the inorganic particles. The liquid electrolyte and the cured photo-crosslinking agent are present in a weight ratio ranging from 50:50 to 99:1. The liquid electrolyte containing the cured photo-crosslinking agent and the inorganic particle are present in a weight ratio ranging from 10:90 to 90:10. The solid polymeric electrolyte has properties suitable for a printing process to provide the pattern including a thickness ranging from about 10 nm to about 500 μm and, prior to curing the photo-crosslinking agent, a viscosity ranging from 100-10,000 poise under a shear rate condition of 1 sec−1.
US09306239B2
The present invention is directed to a starch-based battery system. The starch-based battery system uses a rheological and replaceable starch gluten electrolyte that generates colloidal starch gel adhesive contacted with and/or attached on electrodes to generate current for powering electronic devices. The starch-based battery system that includes control circuit and standard cap module replaces a conventional dry cell battery or is integrated with electronic devices to power, for example, flash-light, lighting ornaments or magnetic actuated motion products and toys. In other embodiments of the invention, the starch-based battery system is integrated into a device for attracting aquatic life forms in an aquatic environment, wherein the starch-based battery powers a light source and/or sound source and also the starch gluten electrolyte acts as bait for attracting aquatic life forms within the aquatic environment.
US09306237B2
The present invention relates to a cable-type secondary battery having a horizontal cross section of a predetermined shape and extending longitudinally, comprising: a core for supplying lithium ions, which comprises an electrolyte; an inner electrode, comprising an open-structured inner current collector surrounding the outer surface of the core for supplying lithium ions, an inner electrode active material layer formed on the surface of the inner current collector, and an electrolyte-absorbing layer formed on the outer surface of the inner electrode active material layer; a separation layer surrounding the outer surface of the inner electrode to prevent a short circuit between electrodes; and an outer electrode surrounding the outer surface of the separation layer and comprising an outer electrode active material layer and an outer current collector.
US09306236B2
Disclosed herein is a cable-type secondary battery having a horizontal cross section of a predetermined shape and extending longitudinally, comprising: a core for supplying lithium ions, which comprises an electrolyte; an inner electrode, comprising an open-structured inner current collector surrounding the outer surface of the core for supplying lithium ions, an inner electrode active material layer formed on the surface of the inner current collector, and a first electrolyte-absorbing layer formed on the outer surface of the inner electrode active material layer; a separation layer surrounding the outer surface of the inner electrode to prevent a short circuit between electrodes; a second electrolyte-absorbing layer formed on the surface of the separator; and an outer electrode surrounding the outer surface of the second electrolyte-absorbing layer and comprising an outer electrode active material layer and an outer current collector.
US09306227B2
A flow field plate for use in a fuel cell includes a non-porous plate body having a flow field that extends between first and second ends of the non-porous plate body. The flow field includes a plurality of channels having channel inlets and channel outlets, a fluid inlet portion that diverges from the first end to the channel inlets, and a fluid outlet portion that converges from the channel outlets to the second end. A fuel cell including the flow field plate includes an electrode assembly having an electrolyte between an anode catalyst and a cathode catalyst. The flow field of the flow field plate is side by side with the electrode assembly. A method of processing a flow field plate includes forming the flow field in a non-porous plate body.
US09306214B2
In a lithium ion battery having a discharge capacity of 30 Ah or more and 125 Ah or less, the positive electrode composite has the following configuration: The positive electrode composite contains a mixed active material of layered lithium nickel manganese cobalt composite oxide (NMC) and olivine lithium iron phosphate (LFP), a density of the positive electrode composite is 2.0 g/cm3 or more and 2.6 g/cm3 or less, and an application quantity of the positive electrode composite is 100 g/m2 or more and 200 g/m2 or less. Furthermore, a weight ratio (NMC/LFP) of the mixed active materials is set to 10/90 or more and 60/40 or less. Alternatively, when a discharge capacity is defined as X and the weight ratio is defined as Y, the relation of Y<−0.0067X+1.84 (30≦X≦125) is satisfied.
US09306210B2
A lithium-metal-oxide positive electrode having a layered or spinel structure for a non-aqueous lithium electrochemical cell and battery is disclosed comprising electrode particles that are protected at the surface from undesirable effects, such as electrolyte oxidation, oxygen loss or dissolution by one or more lithium-metal-polyanionic compounds, such as a lithium-metal-phosphate or a lithium-metal-silicate material that can act as a solid electrolyte at or above the operating potential of the lithium-metal-oxide electrode. The surface protection significantly enhances the surface stability, rate capability and cycling stability of the lithium-metal-oxide electrodes, particularly when charged to high potentials.
US09306205B2
A rechargeable battery according includes a plurality of electrode assemblies including a first electrode assembly and a second electrode assembly, a case housing the plurality of electrode assemblies, a cap assembly coupled to the case, and a first safety member including a first conductive plate between the first electrode assembly and the case, a second conductive plate between the second electrode assembly and the case, and a safety fuse between the first conductive plate and the second conductive plate and coupling the first and second conductive plates together.
US09306202B2
A separator for a secondary battery and a secondary battery including the same, the separator including a porous substrate; a patterned fabric layer on at least one side of the porous, the patterned fabric layer having patterns; and a polymer coating layer on the patterned fabric layer.
US09306198B2
A power tool has a mechanism for forcing a battery pack at least partially from a cavity that receives a battery pack. A biasing member is in the cavity. A member for retaining the biasing member is also in the cavity. The biasing member forces the battery pack at least partially from the cavity. When the battery pack is locked onto the frame, the biasing member is in a compressed condition and when the battery pack is an unlocked position, the biasing member forces the battery pack at least partially from the frame.
US09306194B2
Disclosed is a battery module assembly for a vehicle's battery pack, which has four battery modules, among which two battery modules are arranged in parallel and two battery modules are stacked and provided on the two battery modules arranged in parallel, wherein cylindrical secondary battery cells respectively included in the battery modules are electrically connected in parallel by means of plates respectively disposed at tops of the two battery modules arranged in parallel, wherein the two battery modules arranged in parallel are electrically connected in parallel by means of a lower metal plate disposed on the two battery modules arranged in parallel, wherein cylindrical secondary battery cells respectively included in the battery modules are electrically connected in parallel by means of metal plates respectively disposed at tops and bottoms of the two battery modules stacked on the two battery modules arranged in parallel, and wherein the four battery modules are electrically connected in series. Therefore, it is possible to provide a stable and economic battery module assembly including a plurality of secondary battery cells.
US09306190B2
A display device is provided that comprises a pattern positioned on a substrate, the pattern comprising a multi-layered structure comprising a conductive layer and at least one light-blocking layer in whole or in part; and a bank positioned on the pattern, the bank comprising a light-absorbent material.
US09306189B2
An organic light emitting display device, including: a substrate; a display unit formed on the substrate; and an encapsulation layer formed on the display unit, in which the encapsulation layer includes a lower layer formed on the display unit, at least one pattern layer formed on the lower layer, and an upper layer formed on the pattern layer, and the lower layer includes at least one of an inorganic film and an organic film, and the pattern layer includes an uneven pattern having a plurality of protrusions which are spaced apart from each other, formed on the lower layer, and a filling layer disposed on the uneven pattern, and the upper layer includes at least one of an inorganic film and an organic film.
US09306183B2
Described herein are organic photovoltaic (OPV) cells using gold complex(es) with as chemical structure of Structure I as active material: wherein, wherein R1-R15 are independently hydrogen, halogen, hydroxyl, an unsubstituted alkyl, a substituted alkyl, cycloalkyl, an unsubstituted aryl, a substituted aryl, acyl, alkoxy, acyloxy, amino, alkylamino, nitro, acylamino, aralkyl, cyano, carboxyl, thio, styryl, aminocarbonyl, carbamoyl, aryloxycarbonyl, phenoxycarbonyl, hydroxyalkyl, or an alkoxycarbonyl group. The OPV cell can be fabricated by thermal deposition or solution process such as spin coat and printing.
US09306180B2
A stretchable substrate including a plurality of islands that are disposed in a planar lattice pattern and spaced apart from each other, and a plurality of bridges that connect two adjacent islands. An aperture is formed between a pair of bridges, which are adjacent and parallel to each other, and the plurality of bridges are capable of stretching and contraction, and the shapes of the islands remain unchanged during the stretching and contraction of the bridges.
US09306165B2
Methods of forming memory cells comprising phase change and/or chalcogenide materials are disclosed. In one aspect, the method includes providing a lower line stack extending in a first direction, the lower line stack comprising a sacrificial line over a lower conductive line. The method further includes forming a chalcogenide line extending in the first direction by selectively removing the sacrificial material of the sacrificial line and replacing the sacrificial line with a chalcogenide material.
US09306153B2
A thermoelectric conversion element includes a magnetic layer which has a component magnetized in an in-plane direction, an electromotive layer which includes a material with spin orbit coupling, and a spin injection layer. The spin injection layer is provided between the magnetic layer and the electromotive layer and magnetically coupled to both the magnetic layer and the electromotive layer. A magnetic moment per unit volume of the spin injection layer is smaller than the magnetic moment per unit volume of the magnetic layer.
US09306151B2
Threshold gates and related circuitry are disclosed. In one embodiment, a threshold gate includes a threshold realization element and a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) element. The MTJ element is switchable from a first resistive state to a second resistive state. To realize a threshold function with the MTJ element, the threshold realization element is configured to switch the magnetic tunnel junction element from the first resistive state to the second resistive state in accordance with the threshold function. In this manner, the threshold gate may implement a threshold function that provides an output just like a complex Boolean function requiring several Boolean gates.
US09306149B2
Provided is a piezoelectric material that achieves both high piezoelectric performance and high Curie temperature. In addition, provided are a piezoelectric element, a liquid discharge head, an ultrasonic motor, and a dust removing device, which use the piezoelectric material. The piezoelectric material includes a perovskite-type metal oxide that is expressed by the following general formula (1): xBaTiO3-yBiFeO3-zBi(M0.5Ti0.5)O3 (1), where M represents at least one type of element selected from the group consisting of Mg and Ni, x satisfies 0.25≦x≦0.75, y satisfies 0.15≦y≦0.70, z satisfies 0.05≦z≦0.60, and x+y+z=1 is satisfied.
US09306146B2
A method of manufacturing fiber based and syntactic foam based composite type thermally insulating materials that retain high performance thermoelectric properties, and which can be used as thermoelectric generators or Peltier coolers for a wide range of industrial, commercial, residential and military applications.
US09306145B2
Methods for synthesis of thermoelectric materials are disclosed. In some embodiments, a method of fabricating a thermoelectric material includes generating a plurality of nanoparticles from a starting material comprising one or more chalcogens and one or more transition metals; and consolidating the nanoparticles under elevated pressure and temperature, wherein the nanoparticles are heated and cooled at a controlled rate.
US09306140B1
A semiconductor light-emitting device includes first and second semiconductor layer and a light-emitting layer between the first and second semiconductor layers. These layers are on a conductive substrate. A first electrode and a first electrode pad, which are electrically connected to each other, are the first semiconductor layer. A second electrode is between the substrate and the second semiconductor layer. A portion of the second electrode is not covered by the first semiconductor, second semiconductor, and light-emitting layers. A second electrode pad is on the exposed portion of the second electrode. The second electrode pad has a planar area that is less than a planar area of the first electrode pad. A third electrode is on a second surface of the conductive substrate such that the conductive substrate is between the third electrode and the second electrode. The third electrode is electrically connected to the second electrode pad.
US09306137B2
A method of producing the crystalline substrate having a concave-convex structure includes: (A) forming a transfer film by forming a concave-convex film on a support film on the surface having a concave-convex pattern thereon so that thickness of the residual film of the concave-convex film is 0.01 to 1 μm, the concave-convex pattern of the support film having concave parts with a width of 0.05 to 100 μm, a depth of 0.05 to 10 μm, and a ratio of the depth of the concave part to the width of the concave part of up to 1.5, (B) disposing the transfer film on the crystalline substrate, and transferring the concave-convex film onto the crystalline substrate to produce a crystalline substrate having the concave-convex film thereon, (C) etching the crystalline substrate having the concave-convex film thereon to form a concave-convex structure on the surface of a crystalline substrate.
US09306136B2
A batwing beam is produced from an optical emitter having a primary LED lens over a number of LED dies on a package substrate. The LED lens includes a batwing surface formed by rotating a parabolic arc about an end of the parabolic arc over a center of the optical emitter. A center of each of the LED dies is mounted to the package substrate about the focus of a parabola whose arc forms the batwing surface, for example, between about 0.5 to 1.5 of a focal distance from the vertex of the parabola. The batwing surface reflects light from the number of LED dies through total internal reflection (TIR) or through a reflectivity gel coating.
US09306133B2
An optical semiconductor device in which an optical semiconductor element connected to a silver-plated copper lead frame is sealed with an addition curing silicone resin composition, the addition curing silicone resin composition having (A) organopolysiloxane that contains an aryl group and an alkenyl group and does not contain an epoxy group; (B) organohydrogenpolysiloxane that has at least two hydrosilyl groups per molecule and an aryl group, the organohydrogenpolysiloxane that contains 30 mol % or more of an HR2SiO0.5 unit in a constituent unit having an amount that a molar ratio of the hydrosilyl group in the component (B) with respect to the alkenyl group in the component (A) is 0.70 to 1.00; and (C) a hydrosilylation catalyst having a catalytic amount.
US09306127B2
A light emitting device includes an electrically conductive member provided with a reflective film; a light emitting element mounted on the reflective film; and a protective film continuously covering a surface of the light emitting element and a surface of the reflective film. A thickness of the protective film on the reflective film in a vicinity of the light emitting element is substantially equal to a thickness of the protective film on the reflective film in the region except for the vicinity of the light emitting element.
US09306125B2
A light-emitting device, according to one embodiment, comprises: a light-emitting structure comprising a first conductive semiconductor layer, an active layer which is underneath the first conductive semiconductor layer, and a second conductive semiconductor layer which is underneath the active layer; a reflective electrode, which is arranged under the light-emitting structure; and an electrode which is arranged inside the first conductive semiconductor layer and comprises a conductive ion injection layer.
US09306117B2
A transfer-bonding method for light emitting devices including following steps is provided. A plurality of light emitting devices is formed over a first substrate and is arranged in array, wherein each of the light emitting devices includes a device layer and an interlayer sandwiched between the device layer and the first substrate. A protective layer is formed over the first substrate to selectively cover parts of the light emitting devices, and other parts of the light emitting devices are uncovered by the protective layer. The device layers uncovered by the protective layer are bonded with a second substrate. The interlayers uncovered by the protective layer are removed, so that parts of the device layers uncovered by the protective layer are separated from the first substrate and are transfer-bonded to the second substrate.
US09306113B2
A light emitting device comprises a body of an indirect bandgap semiconductor material. A junction region is formed between a first region in the body of a first doping kind and a second region of the body of a second doping kind of first concentration. A third region of the second doping kind of a second concentration is spaced from the junction region by the second region. The second concentration is higher than the first concentration. A terminal arrangement is connected to the body for, in use, reverse biasing the first junction region into a breakdown mode, thereby to cause emission of light. The device is configured such that a depletion region associated with the junction region reaches through the shaped region to reach the third region, before the junction enters the breakdown mode.
US09306111B2
A method of manufacturing (AgxCu1-x)2ZnSn(SySe1-y)4 thin films, the method comprising: providing a thin film comprising Ag and/or Cu, the thin film further comprising Zn and annealing the thin film in an atmosphere comprising S and/or Se, and further comprising Sn.
US09306107B2
Methods for forming a photovoltaic device include forming a buffer layer between a transparent electrode and a p-type layer. The buffer layer includes a doped germanium-free silicon base material. The buffer layer has a work function that falls within barrier energies of the transparent electrode and the p-type layer. An intrinsic layer and an n-type layer are formed on the p-type layer. Devices are also provided.
US09306099B2
A material including: graphene; and an inorganic material having a crystal system, wherein a crystal plane of the inorganic material is oriented parallel to the (0001) plane of the graphene. The crystal plane of the inorganic material has an atomic arrangement of a hexagon, a tetragon, or a pentagon.
US09306096B2
The present invention discloses an electrically conducting composition that include a charge transporting oligomer selected either from oligoanilines and/or oligothiophenes and electron accepting dopants; and further contain conductivity enhancing substances such as ionic liquids, or a nanoparticle, dissolved in a mixture of at least two solvents to achieve the desired formulation for making the electrically conductive layer for organic electronic devices.
US09306088B1
A method for manufacturing back contact solar cells, comprising steps of: (a) providing a silicon substrate doped with phosphorus; (b) doping the front surface and the rear surface of the substrate homogeneously with boron in a blanket pattern, thereby forming a front side p+ region on the front surface and a rear side p+ region on the rear surface; (c) forming a silicon dioxide layer on the front surface and the rear surface; (d) depositing a phosphorus-containing doping paste on the silicon dioxide layer of the rear surface in a second pattern; (e) heating the silicon substrate in order to locally diffuse phosphorus into the rear surface of the silicon substrate, thereby forming a rear side n+ region on the rear surface of the silicon substrate beneath the phosphorus-containing doping paste; and (f) removing the silicon dioxide layer from the silicon substrate.
US09306087B2
A method for manufacturing a photovoltaic cell with a locally diffused rear side, comprising steps of: (a) providing a doped silicon substrate, the substrate comprising a front, sunward facing, surface and a rear surface; (b) forming a silicon dioxide layer on the front surface and the rear surface; (c) depositing a boron-containing doping paste on the rear surface in a pattern, the boron-containing paste comprising a boron compound and a solvent; (d) depositing a phosphorus-containing doping paste on the rear surface in a pattern, the phosphorus-containing doping paste comprising a phosphorus compound and a solvent; (e) heating the silicon substrate in an ambient to a first temperature and for a first time period in order to locally diffuse boron and phosphorus into the rear surface of the silicon substrate.
US09306086B2
A solar cell according to an embodiment of the invention includes a substrate of a first conductive type, an emitter region of a second conductive type opposite the first conductive type, which is positioned at the substrate, an anti-reflection layer including a first opening exposing the emitter region and a plurality of second openings which expose the emitter region and are separated from one another, a first electrode which is positioned on a first portion of the emitter region exposed through the first opening and is connected to the first portion, a first bus bar which is positioned on a second portion of the emitter region exposed through the plurality of second openings and is connected to the second portion and the first electrode, and a second electrode which is positioned on the substrate and is connected to the substrate.
US09306080B2
An optical wiring substrate includes an insulation layer including a resin, and a conductor layer formed on the insulation layer and including a metal and an inclined surface inclined relative to an optical axis of an optical fiber. A first wiring pattern and a second wiring pattern are formed in the conductor layer, the first wiring pattern including a first connecting part to which a first electrode of a photoelectric conversion element is connected, and the second wiring pattern including a second connecting part to which a second electrode of the photoelectric conversion element is connected. A distance between the first wiring pattern and the second wiring pattern is narrowest between the first connecting part and the second connecting part. A distance between the first connecting part and the second connecting part is less than a dimension of the conductor layer in a thickness direction thereof.
US09306074B2
Provided is a semiconductor device including a transistor having excellent electrical characteristics (e.g., on-state current, field-effect mobility, or frequency characteristics) or a semiconductor device including a transistor with high reliability. In the channel width direction of a channel-etched transistor in which an oxide semiconductor film is between first and second gate electrodes, the first and second gate electrodes are connected to each other through an opening portion in first and second gate insulating films. In addition, the first and second gate electrodes surround the oxide semiconductor film in a cross-section in the channel width direction, with the first gate insulating film provided between the first gate electrode and the oxide semiconductor film and the second gate insulating film provided between the second gate electrode and the oxide semiconductor film. Furthermore, the channel length of the transistor is 0.5 μm or longer and 6.5 μm or shorter.
US09306073B2
Disclosed is a semiconductor device including an insulating layer, a source electrode and a drain electrode embedded in the insulating layer, an oxide semiconductor layer in contact with the insulating layer, the source electrode, and the drain electrode, a gate insulating layer covering the oxide semiconductor layer, and a gate electrode over the gate insulating layer. The upper surface of the surface of the insulating layer, which is in contact with the oxide semiconductor layer, has a root-mean-square (RMS) roughness of 1 nm or less. There is a difference in height between an upper surface of the insulating layer and each of an upper surface of the source electrode and an upper surface of the drain electrode. The difference in height is preferably 5 nm or more. This structure contributes to the suppression of defects of the semiconductor device and enables their miniaturization.
US09306062B2
A semiconductor device has a body layer disposed in a semiconductor substrate, cell regions arranged around a surface layer part of the body layer, and trenches arranged in a grid pattern for separating the cell regions from each other. A gate insulating film covers inner walls of the first trenches and an inner wall of the second trench, and a gate electrode is filled in the first trenches and the second trench covered by the gate insulating film. A cell circumferential region is disposed to surround an outer side of the second trench. An interlayer insulating film is disposed on the cell regions, the first trenches, and the second trench. A gate contact hole is disposed in the interlayer insulating film at an intersection of the first trenches arranged in the grid pattern. A gate wiring is connected to the gate electrode via the gate contact hole.
US09306058B2
An integrated circuit includes a transistor in a semiconductor substrate having a main surface. The transistor includes a source region, a drain region, a channel region, a drift zone, a gate electrode, and a gate dielectric adjacent to the gate electrode. The gate electrode is disposed adjacent to at least two sides of the channel region. The channel region and the drift zone are disposed along a first direction parallel to the main surface between the source region and the drain region. The gate dielectric has a thickness that varies at different positions of the gate electrode.
US09306054B2
A method of fabricating a semiconductor device is provided. A plurality of first gate electrode structure is formed on a substrate. A recess is formed in the substrate, wherein the recess is formed between two adjacent first gate electrode structures of the plurality of first gate electrode structure. A diffusion prevention layer includes a first material and is formed on the recess of the substrate. A first pre-silicide layer includes a second material different from the first material and is formed on the diffusion prevention layer. A metal layer is formed on the first pre-silicide layer. The first pre-silicide layer and the metal layer are changed to a first silicide layer by performing an annealing process to the substrate. The diffusion prevention layer prevents metal atoms of the metal layer from diffusing to the substrate, and the first silicide layer comprises a monocrystalline layer.
US09306040B2
A nonvolatile memory device includes a substrate comprising a first word line formation area, a second word line formation area, and a support area interposed between the first and second word line formation areas; a first stacked structure disposed over the substrate of each of the first and second word line formation areas and having a plurality of interlayer dielectric layers and a plurality of conductive layers that are alternately stacked therein; a second stacked structure disposed over the substrate of the support area and having the plurality of interlayer dielectric layers and a plurality of spaces that are alternately stacked therein; a channel layer disposed in the first stacked structure; and a memory layer interposed between the channel layer and each of the plurality of conductive layers.
US09306028B2
An electronic device comprises an insulator, a local first gate embedded in the insulator with a top surface of the first gate being substantially coplanar with a surface of the insulator, a first dielectric layer formed over the first gate and insulator, and a channel. The channel comprises a bilayer graphene layer formed on the first dielectric layer. The first dielectric layer provides a substantially flat surface on which the channel is formed. A second dielectric layer formed over the bilayer graphene layer and a local second gate formed over the second dielectric layer. Each of the local first and second gates is capacitively coupled to the channel of the bilayer graphene layer. The local first and second gates form a first pair of gates to locally control a first portion of the bilayer graphene layer.
US09306027B2
The characteristics of a semiconductor device are improved. A semiconductor device is formed so as to have a channel layer formed over a substrate, a barrier layer, a trench penetrating through the barrier layer in an opening region, and reaching some point of the channel layer, a gate electrode arranged in the trench via a gate insulation film, and an insulation film formed over the barrier layer outside the opening region. Then, the insulation film has a lamination structure of a Si-rich silicon nitride film, and a N-rich silicon nitride film situated thereunder. Thus, the upper layer of the insulation film is set as the Si-rich silicon nitride film. This enables the improvement of the breakdown voltage, and further, enables the improvement of the etching resistance. Whereas, the lower layer of the insulation film is set as the N-rich silicon nitride film. This can suppress collapse.
US09306008B2
The present disclosure relates to a semiconductor device including an oxygen gettering layer between a group III-V compound semiconductor layer and a dielectric layer, and a method of fabricating the semiconductor device. The semiconductor device may include a compound semiconductor layer; a dielectric layer disposed on the compound semiconductor layer; and an oxygen gettering layer interposed between the compound semiconductor layer and the dielectric layer. The oxygen gettering layer includes a material having a higher oxygen affinity than a material of the compound semiconductor layer.
US09306007B2
According to one embodiment, a semiconductor device includes a structural body, an insulating film, and a control electrode. The structural body has a first surface, and includes a first semiconductor region including silicon carbide of a first conductivity type, a second semiconductor region including silicon carbide of a second conductivity type, and a third semiconductor region including silicon carbide of the first conductivity type. The structural body has a portion in which the first semiconductor region, the second semiconductor region, and the third semiconductor region are arranged in this order in a first direction along the first surface. The insulating film is provided on the first surface of the structural body. The control electrode is provided on the insulating film. The structural body has a buried region provided between the second semiconductor region and the first surface. The buried region is doped with a group V element.
US09305999B2
A stack pad layers including a first pad oxide layer, a pad nitride layer, and a second pad oxide layer are formed on a semiconductor-on-insulator (SOI) substrate. A deep trench extending below a top surface or a bottom surface of a buried insulator layer of the SOI substrate and enclosing at least one top semiconductor region is formed by lithographic methods and etching. A stress-generating insulator material is deposited in the deep trench and recessed below a top surface of the SOI substrate to form a stress-generating buried insulator plug in the deep trench. A silicon oxide material is deposited in the deep trench, planarized, and recessed. The stack of pad layer is removed to expose substantially coplanar top surfaces of the top semiconductor layer and of silicon oxide plugs. The stress-generating buried insulator plug encloses, and generates a stress to, the at least one top semiconductor region.
US09305996B2
After the formation of a first interlayer insulating, an etching stopper film made of SiON is formed thereon. Subsequently, a contact hole extending from the upper surface of the etching stopper film and reaching a high concentration impurity region is formed, and a first plug is formed by filling W into the contact hole. Next, a ferroelectric capacitor, a second interlayer insulating film, and the like are formed. Thereafter, a contact hole extending from the upper surface of the interlayer insulating film and reaching the first plug is formed. Then, the contact hole is filled with W to form a second plug. With this, even when misalignment occurs, the interlayer insulating film is prevented from being etched.
US09305993B2
A method of manufacturing a semiconductor structure with a high voltage area and a low voltage area is provided. The method includes the following steps: providing a substrate of a first conductivity type; forming a second doped region of a second conductivity type in the substrate by a first implantation; forming a first doped region of a first conductivity type in the second doped region by a second implantation; forming an insulating layer on the substrate; forming a resistor on the insulating layer, wherein the resistor is electrically connecting the high voltage area and the low voltage area; and forming a conductor electrically connected to the resistor. The step of forming a first doped region defines the high voltage area and the low voltage area.
US09305992B2
An inductor may be formed from a conductive path that includes intertwined conductive lines. There may be two, three, or more than three intertwined conductive lines in the conductive path. The conductive lines may be formed from conductive structures in the dielectric stack of an integrated circuit. The dielectric stack may include metal layers that include conductive traces and may include via layers that include vias for interconnecting the traces. The intertwined conductive lines may be formed from the conductive structures in the metal and via layers. In crossover regions, the conductive lines may cross each other without electrically connecting to each other. Vias may be used to couple multiple layers of traces together to reduce line resistance.
US09305988B2
In a light-emitting device, supply of current is controlled using a transistor having a normal gate electrode (a first gate electrode) and a second gate electrode for controlling threshold voltage. The light-emitting device comprises one or more switches for selecting conduction or non-conduction between the first gate electrode and a drain terminal of the transistor. When the threshold voltage of the transistor is acquired, the first gate electrode and the drain terminal of the transistor are brought into conduction with the switch, and the threshold voltage of the transistor is shifted by controlling the potential of the second gate electrode.
US09305985B2
An organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display and method of manufacturing the same are disclosed. In one aspect, the OLED display includes a first substrate including a display area, a display unit formed in the display area and including an insulating layer, and a second substrate formed over the display layer. A sealant material is interposed between the first and second substrates and substantially seals the first and second substrates to each other. At least one hole is formed in a first portion of the insulating layer and at least one recess is formed in a second portion of the insulating layer. The sealant is substantially filled in the hole and the recess.
US09305972B2
According to one embodiment, a memory includes a semiconductor layer including a trench which extends in a first direction, the trench having a first portion with a first depth and a second portion with a second depth deeper than the first depth, a gate insulating layer covering the semiconductor layer in the first portion, an element isolation layer covering the semiconductor layer in the second portion, the element isolation layer extending in a second direction from the second portion, a gate electrode provided on the gate insulating layer in the first portion and the element isolation layer in the second portion, the gate electrode filling the trench, and a third impurity region provided in the semiconductor layer directly below the second portion, the third impurity region being continuous in the first direction.
US09305971B2
A semiconductor device comprises a semiconductor wafer; a piezoelectric resonator formed on the wafer, and an active circuit also formed on the wafer. The active circuit (e.g., a frequency divider) is electrically connected to the piezoelectric resonator.
US09305969B2
A solid-state imaging device 1A includes a CCD-type solid-state imaging element 10 having an imaging plane 12 formed of M×N pixels that are two-dimensionally arrayed in M rows and N columns, N signal readout circuits 20 arranged on one end side in the column direction for each of the columns with respect to the imaging plane 12, and N signal readout circuits 30 arranged on the other end side in the column direction for each of the columns with respect to the imaging plane 12, a semiconductor element 50 for digital-converting and then sequentially outputting as serial signals electrical signals output from the signal readout circuits 20 for each of the columns, and a semiconductor element 60 for digital-converting and then sequentially outputting as serial signals electrical signals output from the signal readout circuits 30 for each of the columns.
US09305965B2
The present invention provides a solid-state imaging apparatus which has hollow portions provided around each of color filters and achieves the prevention of the peeling of each of the color filters. The solid-state imaging apparatus having a plurality of light receiving portions provided on a semiconductor substrate includes: a plurality of color filters arranged correspondingly to each of the plurality of light receiving portions; and hollow portions formed around each of the plurality of color filters, wherein each of the color filters has one peripheral part contacting with adjacent one or more of the color filters.
US09305963B2
A system for use in identifying a user includes a portable emitter transported with the user. The emitter includes a quantum cascade laser configured to emit a thermal beam identifying a location of the user in response to a command, the thermal beam having a wavelength between approximately 2 μm and approximately 30 μm.
US09305961B2
A wafer-level packaging method of BSI image sensors includes the following steps: S1: providing a wafer package body comprising a silicon base, an interconnect layer, a hollow wall and a substrate; S2: cutting the wafer package body via a first blade in a first cutting process to separate the interconnect layer of adjacent BSI image sensors; and S3: cutting the wafer package body via a second blade in a second cutting process to obtain independent BSI image sensors. As a result, damage of the interconnect layer and the substrate may be decreased to improve performance and reliability of the BSI image sensor.
US09305956B2
An optical assembly includes a solid spacing layer between a plenoptic microlens array (MLA) and a pixel-level MLA, avoiding the need for an air gap. Such an assembly, and systems and methods for manufacturing same, can yield improved reliability and efficiency of production, and can avoid many of the problems associated with prior art approaches. In at least one embodiment, the plenoptic MLA, the spacing layer, and the pixel-level MLA are created from optically transmissive polymer(s) deposited on the photosensor array and shaped using photolithographic techniques. Such an approach improves precision in placement and dimensions, and avoids other problems associated with conventional polymer-on-glass architectures. Further variations and techniques are described.
US09305947B2
Image sensors are provided including a substrate defining a plurality of pixel regions, the substrate having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface. The second surface of the substrate is configured to receive light incident thereon and the substrate defines a deep trench extending from the second surface of the substrate toward the first surface substrate and separating the plurality of pixel regions from each other. In each of the plurality of pixel regions of the substrate, a photoelectric conversion region is provided. A gate electrode is provided on the photoelectric conversion region and a negative fixed charge layer covering the second surface of the substrate and at least a portion of a sidewall of the deep trench is also provided. The image sensors further include a shallow device isolation layer on the first surface of the substrate. The shallow device isolation layer defines an active region in each of the pixel regions and the negative fixed charge layer contacts the shallow device isolation layer.
US09305946B2
A photoelectric conversion apparatus includes a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix, a plurality of signal processing units each corresponding to a column of the matrix, and a signal line. Each of the plurality of signal processing units includes a first capacitance and a second capacitance that hold a signal, a switch provided between the signal line and the first capacitance, a capacitance adjustment unit electrically connected to the second capacitance, and a connection unit configured to electrically connect the first capacitance provided to one of signal processing units to the second capacitance provided to another one of the signal processing units.
US09305944B2
Provided is a method to manufacture a liquid crystal display device in which a contact hole for the electrical connection of the pixel electrode and one of the source and drain electrode of a transistor and a contact hole for the processing of a semiconductor layer are formed simultaneously. The method contributes to the reduction of a photography step. The transistor includes an oxide semiconductor layer where a channel formation region is formed.
US09305943B2
An array substrate, a repairing method thereof and a display device, wherein the array substrate includes: a plurality of gate lines and a plurality of data lines provided in a display region, gate lead lines provided in a non-display region and respectively connected to the gate lines and a gate driver IC, and data lead lines provided in the non-display region and respectively connected to the data lines and a data driver IC. The array substrate further includes: at least one first repairing line provided in a same layer as the gate lead lines, and at a position corresponding to a data lead line; and/or, at least one second repairing line provided in a same layer as the data lead lines, and at a position corresponding to a gate lead line.
US09305942B2
TFT array substrate having metal oxide part and method for manufacturing the same and display device
Embodiments of the present invention provide a TFT array substrate and a method for manufacturing the same and a display device. The TFT array substrate comprises: a base substrate; gate lines, gate electrodes, a gate insulating layer and a semiconductor active layer formed on the base substrate; a metal barrier layer formed on the semiconductor active layer, the metal barrier layer covering the semiconductor active layer; source electrodes and drain electrodes formed on the metal barrier layer, with a metal oxide part being formed between the source electrode and the drain electrode to insulate the source electrode and the drain electrode from each other; and a protection layer formed on the gate insulating layer and the source and drain electrodes, wherein the metal oxide part is formed by oxidizing a part of the metal barrier layer located between the source electrode and the drain electrode.
US09305939B2
A semiconductor device has: a first transparent electrode, a drain electrode, and a source electrode formed on a substrate; an oxide layer joined electrically to the source electrode and the drain electrode and containing a semiconductor region; an insulating layer formed on the oxide layer and the first transparent electrode; a gate electrode formed on the insulating layer; and a second transparent electrode formed so as to overlap at least a part of the first transparent electrode with the insulating layer interposed therebetween. The oxide layer and the first transparent electrode are formed of the same oxide film.
US09305926B2
A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor device may include, but is not limited to, a semiconductor substrate, an isolation electrode, a gate electrode, a gate insulating film, and a first insulating film. The semiconductor substrate has a first groove and a second groove. An isolation electrode is positioned in the first groove. The gate electrode is positioned in the second groove. The gate insulating film is adjacent to the gate electrode. The first insulating film is adjacent to the isolation electrode. The isolation electrode is greater in threshold voltage than the gate electrode.
US09305922B2
A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device comprises forming an interlayer insulating film on a semiconductor substrate, the interlayer insulating film including a trench, forming a work function metal layer in the trench, forming an insulating film on the work function metal layer, forming a sacrificial film on the insulating film and filling the trench, forming a sacrificial film pattern with a top surface disposed in the trench by etching the sacrificial film, forming an insulating film pattern by selectively etching a portion of the insulating film which is formed higher than the sacrificial film pattern, and forming a work function metal pattern with a top surface disposed in the trench by selectively etching a portion of the work function metal layer which is formed higher than the insulating film pattern.
US09305916B1
An Electro-Static-Discharge (ESD) protection circuit uses Silicon-On-Insulator (SOI) transistors with buried oxide but no parasitic substrate diode useable for ESD protection. A filter voltage is generated by a resistor and capacitor. When a VDD-to-VSS ESD positive pulse occurs, the filter voltage passes through an n-channel pass transistor and inverted to drive a gate of a big SOI transistor that shunts ESD current. A second path is used for a VSS-to-VDD ESD positive pulse. The filter voltage passes through a p-channel pass transistor to the gate when the positive ESD pulse is applied to VSS. The big SOI transistor can connect between VDD and VSS for a power clamp, and the gates of the n-channel and p-channel pass transistors connect to VDD. A small diode may be added between VDD and VSS to generate a small triggering current to activate grounded-gate transistors near I/O pads for full-chip Pad-based ESD protection.
US09305914B2
In the high-voltage transistor, which is suitable for an ESD-protection circuit, there is no doped well or at most a portion of a second well (3) of a second conductivity type opposite a first conductivity type under a contact region (4) for the drain between a first well (2) and a semiconductor material of the substrate (1), said semiconductor material being undoped or being doped for the first conductivity type. Said portion has a lower thickness than a thickness which would provide a good insulation of the first well from the substrate and which would provide a high-breakdown voltage.
US09305911B2
Embodiments of methods for forming microelectronic device packages include forming a trench on a surface of a package body in an area adjacent to where first and second package surface conductors will be (or have been) formed on both sides of the trench. The method also includes forming the first and second package surface conductors to electrically couple exposed ends of various combinations of device-to-edge conductors. The trench may be formed using laser cutting, drilling, sawing, etching, or another suitable technique. The package surface conductors may be formed by dispensing (e.g., coating, spraying, inkjet printing, aerosol jet printing, stencil printing, or needle dispensing) one or more conductive materials on the package body surface between the exposed ends of the device-to-edge conductors.
US09305910B2
A semiconductor device includes an insulating substrate having a first conductive pattern on a first insulating substrate; a first semiconductor element having one surface fixed to the first conductive pattern; a printed circuit board having a conductive layer on a second insulating substrate and a plurality of metal pins fixed to the conductive layer; and a third insulating substrate. A portion of pins constituting the metal pins is fixed to other surface of the first semiconductor element, and the printed circuit board with the metal pins is sandwiched between the insulating substrate having the first conductive pattern and the third insulating substrate.
US09305909B2
A semiconductor apparatus includes a plurality of stack dies which are formed with a predetermined number of channels. The semiconductor apparatus also includes a base die configured to initialize a channel not electrically coupled with the stack dies.
US09305888B2
Some embodiments relate to a semiconductor module having an integrated antenna structure that wirelessly transmits signals. The semiconductor module has a first die having a first far-back-end-of-the-line (FBEOL) metal layer with a ground plane connected to a ground terminal. A second die is stacked onto the first die and has a second FBEOL metal layer with an antenna exciting element that extends to a position that is vertically over the ground plane. One or more micro-bumps are vertically located between the first FBEOL metal layer and the second FBEOL metal layer. The one or more micro-bumps provide a radio frequency (RF) signal between the first FBEOL metal layer and the antenna exciting element of the second FBEOL metal layer. By using micro-bumps to connect the first and second die, the FBEOL metal layers are separated by a large spacing that provides for good performance of the integrated antenna structure.
US09305887B2
A method of forming a seal ring structure includes the following steps. A substrate is provided, and the substrate includes a seal ring region. A metal stack is formed in the seal ring region. A first dielectric layer covering the metal stack is formed. A part of the first dielectric layer is removed to form an opening to expose the metal stack, and at least a side of the opening is not perpendicular to a top surface of the first dielectric layer. A conductive layer is formed to fill the opening. A second dielectric layer is formed to continuously cover the first dielectric layer and the conductive layer, and the second dielectric layer has a v-shaped surface totally overlapping the conductive layer.
US09305886B2
Integrated circuits and methods for fabricating integrated circuits are provided. In one example, a method for fabricating an integrated circuit includes fabricating a crack-stop structure that extends through a plurality of metallization layers above a semiconductor substrate. The plurality of metallization layers includes a first metallization layer and a second metallization layer that overlies the first metallization layer. Fabricating the crack-stop structure includes forming a first via-bar overlying and coupled to a first metal line of the first metallization layer that is disposed in a first ILD layer of dielectric material. The first via-bar is disposed in a second ILD layer of dielectric material and has a first width. A second metal line of the second metallization layer that is in the second ILD layer is formed overlying and coupled to the first via-bar. The second metal line has a second width that is from about 1 to about 5 times the first width.
US09305875B2
A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes forming a barrier metal film on a surface of at least one of a first electrode of a wiring board and a second electrode of a semiconductor element, providing a connection terminal between the first and second electrodes, the connection terminal being made of solder containing tin, bismuth and zinc, and bonding the connection terminal to the barrier metal film by heating the connection terminal and maintaining the temperature of the connection terminal at a constant temperature not lower than a melting point of the solder for a certain period of time.
US09305872B2
A power supply system has a QFN leadframe with leads and a pad. The pad surface facing a circuit board has a portion recessed with a depth and an outline suitable for attaching side-by-side the sync and the control FET semiconductor chips. The input terminal of the control FET and the grounded output terminal of the sync FET are coplanar with the un-recessed portion of the pad (switch node terminal) so that all terminals can be directly attached to contacts of a circuit board. A driver-and-control chip is vertically stacked to the opposite pad surface and encapsulated in a packaging compound.
US09305868B2
A semiconductor package, a substrate and a manufacturing method thereof are provided. The substrate comprises a conductive carrier, a first metal layer and a second metal layer. The first metal layer is formed on the conductive carrier and comprises an lead pad having an upper surface. The second metal layer is formed on the first metal layer and comprises a bond pad. The bond pad overlaps and is in contact with the upper surface of the first metal layer. The upper surface of the lead pad is partially exposed. A part of the bond pad overhang outward from the edge of the lead pad.
US09305866B2
Electronic devices including intermetallic columns within vias are provided. Vias are filled with one or more pastes containing metal particles. Thermal treatment of the pastes within the vias converts the particles within the pastes to one or more intermetallic compounds that do not melt during next level packaging.
US09305865B2
Methods of manufacturing semiconductor devices and semiconductor devices with through-substrate vias (TSVs). One embodiment of a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes forming an opening through a dielectric structure and at least a portion of a semiconductor substrate, and forming a dielectric liner material having a first portion lining the opening and a second portion on an outer surface of the dielectric structure laterally outside of the opening. The method further includes removing the conductive material such that the second portion of the dielectric liner material is exposed, and forming a damascene conductive line in the second portion of the dielectric liner material that is electrically coupled to the TSV.
US09305860B2
A cycling heat dissipation module is used for removing the heat generated by a heat-generating element of a circuit board and includes at least one main body and at least one conducting pipe. The main body has a chamber and a heat guiding part. The chamber is filled with a fluid and has a wall to divide the chamber into a first compartment and a second compartment adjacent to each other. The heat guiding part is used for conducting the heat generated from the heat generating element. The conducting pipe has a first end, a second end and a heat exchanging section. The fluid is pushed into the heat-exchanging section by the pressure difference after absorbing the heat of the heat guiding part, and then moved to the second compartment.
US09305859B2
In a bump-on-leadframe semiconductor package a metal bump formed on a integrated circuit die is used to facilitate the transfer of heat generated in a semiconductor substrate to a metal heat slug and then to an external mounting surface. A structure including arrays of thermal vias may be used to transfer the heat from the semiconductor substrate to the metal bump.
US09305857B2
A first cooling unit is provided for an exothermic member and has a capability of cooling the exothermic member to a temperature less than an ambient temperature of the exothermic member by absorbing heat from the exothermic member. A second cooling unit has a capability of cooling the exothermic member by blowing air onto the exothermic member. A temperature of the exothermic member is detected. It is determined that whether or not the exothermic member is in a supercooled state based on a detection result. The cooling capability of the first cooling unit is decreased and the cooling capability of the second cooling unit is increased, when the exothermic member is in the supercooled state.
US09305856B2
A semiconductor device including a dielectric layer formed on the surface of a post-passivation interconnect (PPI) structures. A polymer layer is formed on the dielectric layer and patterned with an opening to expose a portion of the dielectric layer. The exposed portion of the dielectric layer is then removed to expose a portion of the PPI structure. A solder bump is then formed over and electrically connected to the first portion of the PPI structure.
US09305850B2
A method and an apparatus of etching a semiconductor wafer are provided. The etching apparatus of a semiconductor wafer having a marker inside includes: a monitoring device capable of monitoring a surface of the semiconductor wafer so as to detect the marker; a nozzle capable of jetting a mixed gas that contains hydrogen fluoride and ozone onto the surface of the semiconductor wafer; a regulator capable of adjusting at least one of hydrogen fluoride concentration and ozone concentration in the mixed gas; and a controller capable of determining whether the marker is detected by the monitoring device and terminating the etching process.
US09305848B2
A process of forming an integrated circuit containing elongated contacts which connect to three active areas and/or MOS gates, and elongated contacts which connect to two active areas and/or MOS gates and directly connect to a first level interconnect, using a litho-freeze-litho-etch process for a contact etch mask. A process of forming an integrated circuit containing elongated contacts which connect to three active areas and/or MOS gates, and elongated contacts which connect to two active areas and/or MOS gates and directly connect to a first level interconnect, using a litho-freeze-litho-etch process for a first level interconnect trench etch mask. A process of forming the integrated circuit using a litho-freeze-litho-etch process for a contact etch mask and a litho-freeze-litho-etch process for a first level interconnect trench etch mask.
US09305847B2
A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device is provided. The method includes the following steps. A substrate including a first transistor having a first conductivity type, a second transistor having a second conductivity type and a third transistor having the first conductivity type is formed. An inner-layer dielectric layer is formed on the substrate, and includes a first gate trench corresponding to the first transistor, a second gate trench corresponding to the second transistor and a third gate trench corresponding to the third transistor. A work function metal layer is formed on the inner-layer dielectric layer. An anti-reflective layer is coated on the work function metal layer. The anti-reflective layer on the second transistor and on the top portion of the third gate trench is removed to expose the work function metal layer. The exposed work function metal layer is removed.
US09305843B2
An embodiment of the invention provides a chip package which includes: a first chip; a second chip disposed on the first chip, wherein a side surface of the second chip is a chemically-etched surface; and a bonding bulk disposed between the first chip and the second chip such that the first chip and the second chip are bonded with each other.
US09305830B2
A method of fabricating a semiconductor device includes forming a stacked structure in which 2n (here, n is an integer which is 2 or more) deposited sacrificial layers and 2n deposited insulating layers disposed on the 2n deposited sacrificial layers respectively are alternately deposited in a third direction perpendicular to a first direction and a second direction on a substrate having an upper surface extending in the first and second directions which are perpendicular to each other. Methods include forming a recess group including 2n−1 first recesses penetrating 20 through 2n−1 deposited sacrificial layers and forming a buried insulating layer group including 2n−1 buried insulating layers filling the 2n−1 first recesses respectively. A contact plug group including 2n contact plugs penetrating an uppermost deposited insulating layer of the 2n deposited insulating layers and the 2n−1 buried insulating layers may be formed.
US09305828B2
One or more embodiments of the invention concerns a method of forming a semiconductor layer having uniaxial stress including: forming, in a surface of a semiconductor structure having a stressed semiconductor layer and an insulator layer, at least two first trenches in a first direction delimiting a first dimension of at least one first transistor to be formed in the semiconductor structure; performing a first anneal to decrease the viscosity of the insulating layer; and forming, in the surface after the first anneal, at least two second trenches in a second direction delimiting a second dimension of the at least one transistor.
US09305825B2
A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes forming a plurality of fins by forming a plurality of first device isolating trenches repeated at a first pitch in a substrate, forming a plurality of fin-type active areas protruding from a top surface of a first device isolating layer by forming the first device isolating layer in the plurality of first device isolating trenches, forming a plurality of second device isolating trenches at a pitch different from the first pitch by etching a portion of the substrate and the first device isolating layer, and forming a second device isolating layer in the plurality of second device isolating trenches, so as to form a plurality of fin-type active area groups separated from each other with the second device isolating layer therebetween.
US09305821B2
An apparatus for manufacturing an integrated circuit having a thick film metal layer includes an applicator configured to selectively apply a paste on a heat-conducting substrate. The paste includes particles of a first metal constituent of particles having sizes substantially within a narrow predetermined range about a predetermined size. The apparatus further includes a radio frequency (RF) generator to selectively inductively coupling RF energy into the paste. The first metal particles of the predetermined size are inductively couplable with the RF energy, and the frequency of the RF energy corresponds to a coupling frequency of the first metal particles of the predetermined size so that the inductive heating of the first metal particles is substantially maximized.
US09305805B2
Provided are methods of etching a substrate using atomic layer deposition apparatus. Atomic layer deposition apparatus including a gas distribution plate with a thermal element and remote plasma are discussed. The thermal element is capable of locally changing the temperature of a portion of the surface of the substrate to vaporize an etch layer deposited on the substrate.
US09305803B2
Provided are a plasma processing apparatus with a radio-frequency power supply supplying temporally modulated intermittent radio-frequency power which can be controlled with high precision in a wide repetition frequency band, and a plasma processing method using the plasma processing apparatus.A plasma processing apparatus includes: a vacuum vessel; a plasma generating section plasma in the vacuum vessel; a stage installed in the vacuum vessel and mounted with a sample; and a radio-frequency power supply applying temporally modulated intermittent radio-frequency power to the stage, wherein the radio-frequency power supply has two or more different frequency bands and temporally modulates the radio-frequency power by a repetition frequency which has the same range of analog signals used in each of the frequency band.
US09305801B2
A method of forming a semiconductor device can be provided by forming a mask pattern including non-metallic first spaced-apart portions that extend in a first direction on a lower target layer and non-metallic second spaced-apart portions that extend in a second direction on the lower target layer to cross-over the non-metallic first spaced-apart portions at locations. The lower target layer can be etched using the mask pattern.
US09305800B2
Methods for fabricating integrated circuits are provided. In one example, a method for fabricating an integrated circuit includes forming assisting etch resistant fill topographical features that overlie a semiconductor substrate and that define an assisting etch resistant fill confinement well using a photomask. The photomask defines an assisting lithographically-printable mask feature. A block copolymer is deposited into the assisting etch resistant fill confinement well. The block copolymer is phase separated into an etchable phase and an etch resistant phase. The assisting etch resistant fill topographical features direct the etch resistant phase to form an etch resistant plug in the assisting etch resistant fill confinement well.
US09305794B2
An etching method is disclosed. A substrate is provided. An etching is performed to form at least one opening in the substrate. An auxiliary etching layer is formed in the opening to cover at least one etching residue. The auxiliary etching layer includes a media, a carrier and an etching component encapsulated by the carrier. A treatment process is performed to the auxiliary etching layer. The treatment process includes applying an energy to the auxiliary etching layer or exposing the auxiliary layer to a gas, so that the carrier breaks in the treatment and thereby the etching component is released to etch the etching residue.
US09305791B2
Combinatorial workflow is provided for evaluating materials and processes for current selector devices in a cross point memory array. Blanket layers, metal-insulator-metal devices, and compete memory structures are combinatorially fabricated on multiple regions of a substrate, with each region having a different material and process condition for the current selector devices. The current selector devices are then characterized, and the data are compared to obtain the optimum materials and processes.
US09305789B2
A semiconductor device comprising at least one active layer on a substrate and a a Schottky contact to the at least one active layer, the Schottky contact comprising a body of at least titanium and nitrogen that is electrically coupled with the at least one active layer.
US09305781B1
A method includes forming a multilayered structure by providing a substrate having a semiconductor layer disposed on a top surface thereof, the semiconductor layer containing misfit dislocations and associated threading dislocations. The method further includes depositing a tensile strained dielectric layer on a top surface of the semiconductor layer to induce a compressive strain in the semiconductor layer and annealing the multilayered structure to cause the misfit dislocations and associated threading dislocations to propagate within the semiconductor layer. The method further immobilizes the propagating misfit dislocations and associated threading dislocations in a predetermined portion of the semiconductor layer. A multilayered structure formed by the method is disclosed wherein a semiconductor layer contains misfit dislocations and associated threading dislocations that are immobilized within a predetermined portion of the semiconductor layer, where other portions of the semiconductor layer surrounding the predetermined portion are locally strain relaxed portions.
US09305776B2
Disclosed is a gallium nitride crystal substrate having a top surface, a bottom surface, regions of higher oxygen concentrations measured by SIMS, and other regions of lower oxygen concentrations measured by SIMS. The top surface is a C-plane surface. The ratio of the highest oxygen concentration to the lowest oxygen concentration is equal to or more than fifty.
US09305774B2
A stable and minute processing method of a thin film is provided. Further, a miniaturized semiconductor device is provided. A method for processing a thin film includes the following steps: forming a film to be processed over a formation surface; forming an organic coating film over the film to be processed; forming a resist film over the organic coating film; exposing the resist film to light or an electron beam; removing part of the resist film by development to expose part of the organic coating film; depositing an organic material layer on the top surface and a side surface of the resist film by plasma treatment; etching part of the organic coating film using the resist film and the organic material layer as masks to expose part of the film to be processed; and etching part of the film to be processed using the resist film and the organic material layer as masks.
US09305766B2
The present invention provides a method for aligning nanowires which can be used to fabricate devices comprising nanowires that has well-defined and controlled orientation independently on what substrate they are arranged on. The method comprises the steps of providing nanowires (1) and applying an electrical field (E) over the population of nanowires (1), whereby an electrical dipole moment of the nanowires makes them align along the electrical field (E). Preferably the nanowires are dispersed in a fluid during the steps of providing and aligning. When aligned, the nanowires can be fixated, preferably be deposition on a substrate (2). The electrical field can be utilized in the deposition. Pn-junctions or any net charge introduced in the nanowires (1) may assist in the aligning and deposition process. The method is suitable for continuous processing, e.g. in a roll-to-roll process, on practically any substrate materials and not limited to substrates suitable for particle assisted growth.
US09305765B2
An induction RF fluorescent lamp, comprising a bulbous vitreous portion filled with a working gas mixture, a power coupler comprising at least one winding of an electrical conductor for receiving an alternating voltage, and an electronic ballast providing appropriate voltage and current to the power coupler and operating at a frequency greater than 5 MHz wherein the electronic ballast comprises an EMI filter, an AC-to-DC converter, a DC bus, an input choke inductor and a DC-to-AC inverter.
US09305760B2
An electron source for electron-induced dissociation in an RF-free electromagnetostatic cell for use installation in a tandem mass spectrometer is provided. An electromagnetostatic electron-induced dissociation cell may include at least one magnet having an opening disposed therein and having a longitudinal axis extending through the opening, the magnet having magnetic flux lines associated therewith, and an electron emitter having an electron emissive surface comprising a sheet, the emitter disposed about the axis at a location relative to the magnet where the electron emissive surface is substantially perpendicular to the magnetic flux lines at the electron emissive surface.
US09305759B2
An ion source able to ionize liquid and gaseous effluents from interfaced liquid or gaseous separation techniques and from direct introduction of the analyte to the entrance of the ionization region. The liquid effluents from sources such as a liquid chromatograph are ionized by inlet ionization methods and the gaseous effluents from sources such as a gas chromatograph are ionized by a corona or Townsend electrical discharge, or an alpha or beta emitter, or by inlet ionization, or by photoionization. Ionization occurs in an intermediate pressure region linking atmospheric pressure and the vacuum of the mass analyzer. The source has the ability to ionize compounds from both liquid and gaseous sources, which facilitates ionization of volatile compounds separated by gas chromatography, volatile or non-volatile compounds separated by liquid chromatography, or infused into the ionization. The ionization methods can be achieved with a single configuration or with separately optimized configurations.
US09305747B2
The invention relates to a maskless lithography system for patterning a target using a plurality of charged particle beamlets. The system comprises an electron optical column including a blanker array for modulating the beamlets. The blanker array includes receivers for receiving data signals and blanker elements for modulating the beamlets in accordance with the data signals. The system further comprises a data path comprising a preprocessing system for processing pattern data and a plurality of transmission channels for transmitting processed pattern data to the blanker elements. The data path further comprises a pattern streaming system for receiving pattern data and generating data signals. First and second channel selectors connect a subset of selected transmission channels for pattern data transmission. The first channel selector is connected between the preprocessing system and the transmission channels. The second channel selector is connected between the channels and the blanker elements.
US09305746B2
A method of assembling a nozzle/skimmer module includes coupling a nozzle assembly and skimmer cartridge assembly in a rigid tandem configuration to more accurately control the formation of the Gas Cluster Ion Beam (GCIB). The nozzle/skimmer module is pre-aligned before installation in a production GCIB processing system to more accurately position the GCIB.
US09305739B2
An x-ray tube includes a frame forming a first portion of a vacuum enclosure, a rotating subsystem shaft positioned within the vacuum enclosure and having a first end and a second end, wherein the first end of the rotating subsystem shaft is attached to a first portion of the frame, a target positioned within the vacuum enclosure and attached to the rotating subsystem shaft between the first end and the second end, the target positioned to receive electrons from an electron source positioned within the vacuum enclosure, and a thermal compensator mechanically coupled to the second end of the rotating subsystem shaft and to a second portion of the frame, the thermal compensator forming a second portion of the vacuum enclosure.
US09305737B2
A filament for a light bulb includes a tube and a filament material within the tube, wherein the filament material is configured to be in a liquid state while the light bulb is in use.
US09305736B2
Provided is a phosphor for a dispersion-type EL that may be manufactured in a simple process and may provide stable, high brightness and light emission efficiency. The phosphor for a dispersion-type EL according to the present invention includes a mixture of an electron-accepting phosphor particle (4A) and an electron-donating phosphor particle (4B). The electron-accepting phosphor particle (4A) includes a base particle and an acceptor element added thereto, and the electron-donating phosphor particle (4B) includes a base particle and a donor element added thereto. For example, the base particle is a ZnS particle, the acceptor element is Cu, and the donor element is Cl or Al.
US09305735B2
An x-ray window comprising a polymer and carbon nanotubes and/or graphene. The carbon nanotubes and/or graphene can be embedded in the polymer. Multiple layers of polymer, carbon nanotubes, and/or graphene may be used. The polymer with carbon nanotubes and/or graphene can be used as an x-ray window support structure and/or thin film.
US09305730B2
A polarized electromagnet in a remote control relay includes a pair of armatures into which opposite ends of the plunger in a forward/backward movement direction are respectively inserted and fixed; a yoke to which one of the armatures becomes closer than the other when the plunger is at a stop position; an auxiliary yoke which contacts with one magnetic pole of a permanent magnet whose the other magnetic pole contacting with the yoke, the auxiliary yoke becoming closer to the other of the armatures than the one of the armatures; and a gap maintaining portion for maintaining a gap between the other of the armatures and the auxiliary yoke. When the plunger is at the stop position, the other of the armatures and the auxiliary yoke comes close to each other with the gap, a space is provided between the one of the armatures and the yoke.
US09305723B2
One aspect of the present invention, a strip type off-circuit tap changer includes an insulating rod and a support, where an operation positioning device is arranged on the support, a rack mobile frame is disposed on the insulating rod, the rack of the rack mobile frame is engaged to a drive gear of the operation positioning device, columnar fixed contacts are longitudinally arranged at a spacing on the insulating rod, the rack mobile frame is connected to a moving contact frame, and a moving contact assembly is arranged on the moving contact frame and fits with the fixed contacts on the insulating rod, the moving contact assembly is formed by an annular moving contact and an elastic pin, and the annular moving contact spans between two adjacent columnar fixed contacts.
US09305721B2
A switch comprising: a cover; a base; and a push button comprising: an elastic touch piece formed in a sidewall of a sliding part of the push button, wherein the push button is vertically and slidably installed in a space formed by assembling the cover to the base, wherein a free end of the elastic touch piece is configured to abut the base when the push button is pushed, and the free end is configured to abut the cover when the pushed push button is returned.
US09305720B2
An electrical signal switch connector structure is provided, mainly including an insulating case, an elastic terminal, a fixing terminal, and a shielding case. The insulating case respectively accommodates the elastic terminal and the fixing terminal. The elastic terminal has an elastic arm, and the elastic arm of the elastic terminal has a cutting gap. The fixing terminal has a fixing arm, and the elastic arm of the elastic terminal is elastically pressed against the fixing arm of the fixing terminal. An inlet hole of the insulating case is used for passing a terminal of a butting connector therein, and the shielding case wraps the insulating case profile such that an ambient extraneous matter is not attached to the elastic arm of the elastic terminal.
US09305719B2
A tap-changer selector for uninterrupted switching between two winding taps of a tapped transformer has fixed contacts arranged circularly in several horizontal planes at a selector housing and a centrally extending rotatable drive shaft in an interior of the selector housing and in each of the horizontal planes of the fixed contacts carries at least one movable contact for connection thereof. The selector housing consists of a plurality of honeycomb segments, and the honeycomb segments are arranged adjacent to one another in the circle in a horizontal plane. A plurality of honeycomb segments arranged in a plane in the circle are arranged vertically one above the other and the honeycomb segments have mounting regions and are so interconnectible by these mounting regions to form when at least two honeycomb segments are connected a mechanically positive connection between at least two mounting regions of the individual honeycomb segments.
US09305707B2
In a ceramic electronic component, a first internal electrode includes a first opposed section and a first extraction section. The first opposed section is opposed to a second internal electrode with a ceramic layer interposed therebetween. The first extraction section is located closer to a first end surface than the first opposed section. The first extraction section is connected to a first external electrode. The number of cross-linked sections per unit area in the first extraction section is less than the number of cross-linked sections per unit area in the first opposed section.
US09305705B2
There is provided a multilayer ceramic electronic component including a ceramic body having internal electrodes formed therein, external electrodes formed on external surfaces of the ceramic body and connected to the internal electrodes, and a buffer layer formed on surfaces of contact between the internal electrodes and the external electrodes among external surfaces of the ceramic body, in an interior direction of the ceramic body, wherein when a thickness of the external electrode is denoted by T, a thickness of the buffer layer is denoted by t, a thickness of an active region is denoted by TA, and a thickness of the ceramic body is denoted by Tc, T≦10 μm, TA/TC>0.8, and t≦5 μm, so that a multilayer ceramic electronic component having excellent reliability may be realized.
US09305701B2
Apparatus comprises: an induction, coil (40) arrangement, the induction coil arrangement having a first set of at least one coil (41) with a first diameter and a second set of at least one coil (42) with a second diameter, the second diameter being different to the first diameter, a first tap (A) connected at a first end of the first set, a second tap (B) connected at connection common to a second end of the first set and a first end of the second set, and a third tap (C) connected at a second end of the second set; a power transmit arrangement (61) selectively connectable to a first combination of two of the first to third taps; and a power receive arrangement (62) selectively connectable to a second combination of two of the first to third taps, the second combination being different to the first combination.
US09305695B2
A current-compensated choke features several current paths and includes several windings that are connected in parallel and wound around a common core. The windings preferably are alternately wound on the core in such a way that windings of a common current path are not arranged directly one on top of another.
US09305693B2
A bistable electromagnetic actuating apparatus (1) having an actuating element (2), which forms an engagement region (4) at the end and can be moved axially between two end positions, in particular for engaging in a control groove in a cam of an internal combustion engine, and having a coil device (11) which is provided in a stationary manner relative to the actuating element (2) and is designed to exert a force on said actuating element, wherein the actuating element (2) has permanent magnets (5) which are designed to interact with a core region (3) which is provided in a stationary manner relative to the actuating element (2), and wherein the coil device (11) is designed to generate a counterforce, which counteracts a retaining force of the permanent magnets (5) and releases said permanent magnets from the core region (3), in response to an electronic actuation signal, and wherein a spring is arranged such that it applies a spring force to the actuating element (2) in an axial direction which faces away from the core region (3).
US09305690B2
A composite ferrite composition comprises a magnetic material and a non-magnetic material. A mixing ratio of said magnetic material and said non-magnetic material is 20 wt %:80 wt % to 80 wt %:20 wt %. Ni—Cu—Zn based ferrite is used as the magnetic material. Oxides of Zn, Cu, and Si are at least included in a main component of said non-magnetic material. Borosilicate glass is included in a subcomponent of said non-magnetic material.
US09305689B2
An injection molding composition includes a ferrite powder which is a collection of ferrite particles, a first binder and a second binder, wherein a softening point of the second binder is lower than that of the first binder, a weight and a specific surface area of the ferrite powders are represented by Wp and S, and a weight and a density of the first binder and the second binder is represented by Wb1, Wb2, and Db1, Db2, and a hypothetical thickness Tb1 of the first binder is 0.6 to 3.0, and a hypothetical thickness Tb2 of the second binder is 5.0 to 16.0. In the composition, it is preferable that coated ferrite particles covering the outer circumference of the ferrite particles with the first binder and the second binder exist. Tb1 [nm]=(Wb1×103)/(Db1×Wp×S) formula (1) Tb2 [nm]=(Wb2×103)/(Db2×Wp×S) formula (2).
US09305684B2
The substrate gap supporter (30) according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises a body (31) having a hexahedron shape and made of an insulator, metal foils (32a) and (32b) installed on opposite side surfaces of the body (31) to expose the upper portions of both side surfaces and cover the lower portions of both side surfaces, and a substrate (210) attached to the bottom surface of the body (31). According to the present invention, the gap supporter can be made through an automated process, thus precisely controlling size. Since the gap supporter is attached to the surface of the substrate, there is little possibility for a height difference to occur. And also, because the gap supporter can be installed in an automated process, it is suitable for a mass production process.
US09305678B2
To provide a composition for a wire coating member containing a non-crosslinked material at a low cost, which has superior flame retardancy, and is excellent in heat resistance, wear resistance and flexibility, and to provide an insulated wire and a wiring harness containing the composition. The composition contains (A) polypropylene, (B) a polyolefin elastomer, (C) a bromine flame retardant, (D) an antimony trioxide, (E) magnesium hydroxide, either one of (F) (F1) a zinc sulfide and (F2) a zinc oxide and (F3) mercaptobenzimidazole, and (G) a hindered phenolic antioxidant. The insulated wire includes a conductor and an insulation coat made from the composition, wherein the insulation coat has a thickness of 0.5 mm or less, and the insulated wire has an external diameter of 4 mm or less. The wiring harness includes the insulated wire.
US09305673B2
Systems produce desired isotopes through irradiation in nuclear reactor instrumentation tubes and deposit the same in a robust facility for immediate shipping, handling, and/or consumption. Irradiation targets are inserted and removed through inaccessible areas without plant shutdown and placed in the harvesting facility, such as a plurality of sealable and shipping-safe casks and/or canisters. Systems may connect various structures in a sealed manner to avoid release of dangerous or unwanted matter throughout the nuclear plant, and/or systems may also automatically decontaminate materials to be released. Useable casks or canisters can include plural barriers for containment that are temporarily and selectively removable with specially-configured paths inserted therein. Penetrations in the facilities may limit waste or pneumatic gas escape and allow the same to be removed from the systems without over-pressurization or leakage. Methods include processing irradiation targets through such systems and securely delivering them in such harvesting facilities.
US09305671B2
An electrical power system for a nuclear power facility includes an active alternating current (AC) power bus configured to be electrically coupled to a plurality of engineered safety feature (ESF) loads of a plurality of nuclear power systems, each of the ESF loads configured to fail to a safe position upon loss of primary AC power; a critical battery system electrically coupled to the active AC bus, the critical battery system comprising a plurality of valve regulated lead acid (VRLA) batteries; and a primary AC power source electrically coupled to the active AC bus.
US09305653B1
A method of operating a memory array is disclosed. The memory array includes a plurality of memory cells arranged in rows and columns, wherein a plurality of parallel memory strings correspond to respective ones of the columns, and a plurality of word lines are arranged orthogonal to the plurality of memory strings, each word line being connected to gate electrodes of a corresponding one of the rows of memory cells. The method includes performing a program operation that programs all of the memory cells on edge word lines located at opposite edges of the memory array, and that programs selected memory cells between the edge word lines in the memory array according to input data to be stored in the memory array. Each programmed memory cell has a threshold voltage at a program verify (PV) level.
US09305651B1
An efficient wide range bit counter is presented that can support a wide range of counts with scientific notation. The counting scheme is dynamically altered to maintain a balance between accuracy and performance and allows early termination to fit timing budgets. Two (or more) counters each track the number of occurrences of a corresponding subset of events, where, when none of the counters have reached their capacities, the total count is the sum of the counts for the subsets. If one of the counters reaches it capacity, the other counter is then used as an extension of this first counter and the total count is obtained by scaling the count of the extended counter. In case of early termination, the accumulated count can be compensated to approximate the full count.
US09305641B2
A resistance change memory has a resistance change device and a control circuit for controlling application of voltage to the resistance change device. The resistance change device has a first electrode, a second electrode, and a resistance change layer interposed between the first electrode and the second electrode. A material for the second electrode includes one of members selected from the group consisting of W, Ti, Ta, and nitrides thereof. During forming of the resistance change device, the control circuit performs a second forming treatment succeeding to a first forming treatment. The first forming treatment includes application of voltage such that the potential of the first electrode is higher than the potential of the second electrode. The second forming treatment includes application of voltage such that the potential of the second electrode is higher than the potential of the first electrode.
US09305632B2
A method and an apparatus are provided. The apparatus is a hardware module that controls a power mode of a plurality of modules. The apparatus receives an indication of a desired operational frequency. Based on the received indication, the apparatus determines to switch from a first power mode associated with a first set of modules to a second power mode corresponding to the desired operational frequency and associated with a second set of modules. The apparatus enables modules in the second set of modules that are unassociated with the first power mode, stops traffic through the plurality of modules upon expiration of a time period after enabling the modules in the second set of modules that are unassociated with the first power mode, routes traffic through the second set of modules, and disables modules in the first set of modules that are unassociated with the second power mode.
US09305630B2
One of a source and a drain of a first oxide semiconductor (OS) transistor is connected to a gate of a second OS transistor and one electrode of a first capacitor. One of a source and a drain of the second OS transistor is connected to one electrode of a second capacitor and one of a source and a drain of a Si transistor. The gate of the second OS transistor serves as a charge retention node. Charge injection and retention at this node is controlled by the first OS transistor. The other of the source and the drain of the second OS transistor is connected to a wiring applying a high potential, and a potential of the second capacitor that corresponds to the write data is maintained. A signal corresponding to the write data is read by the Si transistor.
US09305626B2
A magnetic random access memory (MRAM) array having a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) to be read using a magnetic state of the MTJ, the MTJ being read by applying a current there through. Further, the MRAM array has a reference MTJ, a sense amplifier coupled to the MTJ and the reference MTJ, the sense amplifier operable to compare the voltage of the MTJ to the reference MTJ in determining the state of the MTJ; a first capacitor coupled to the sense amplifier at a first end and to ground at a second end; and a second capacitor coupled to the sense amplifier at a first end and to ground at a second end, the first capacitor storing the, wherein short voltage pulses are applied to the first end of each of the first and second capacitors when reading the MTJ thereby makes the current flowing through the MTJ there through for small time intervals thereby avoiding read disturbance to the MTJ.
US09305623B2
A circuit comprises a first memory cell, a second memory cell, and a disturb control circuit. The first memory cell has a first port and a second port. The first port is associated with a first write assist circuit. The second port is associated with a second write assist circuit. The second memory cell has a third port and a fourth port. The third port is associated with a third write assist circuit. The fourth port is associated with a fourth write assist circuit. The disturb control circuit is configured to selectively turn on at least one of the first write assist circuit, the second write assist circuit, the third write assist circuit, or the fourth write assist circuit according to whether the first port, the second port, the third port, or the fourth port is determined to be write disturbed.
US09305621B2
Semiconductor systems are provided. The semiconductor system may include a controller and a semiconductor device. The controller may generate command signals and address signals. The semiconductor device may discharge electric charges of a first local line pair and a second local line pair during a predetermined period after a read operation begins according to a combination of the command signals, equalize and pre-charge levels of the first and second local line pairs when a pre-charge operation is executed or the address signals are inputted thereto. The semiconductor device may also sense and amplify data loaded on the first or second local line pair to output the amplified data through an input/output line after the read operation begins.
US09305614B2
Embodiments of the present invention include an apparatus, method, and system for integrating data processing logic with memory. An embodiment of a memory integrated circuit is designed to execute a task on the data in a memory array within a memory integrated circuit. The memory integrated circuit can include a memory array, a data access component, a data holding component, and a logic component. The data access component can be coupled to the memory array and configured to provide an address to the memory array. The data holding component can be coupled to the memory array and configured to temporarily store the data in the memory array located at the address. The logic component can be coupled to both the data access component and the data holding component, and be configured to execute a task using data received from the data holding component. The logic component can include combinational or sequential logic.
US09305613B2
A memory module can include a data buffer having a data bus interface and a dynamic random access memory (DRAM) coupled to the data buffer. The memory module may also include a switch connected in parallel with the data buffer, wherein the switch can selectively bypass the data buffer. In one example, the memory module also includes a registered buffer having an address bus interface, where the switch may selectively bypass the data buffer based on a program signal obtained from an address bus via the address bus interface.
US09305609B2
Devices and systems for powering up a memory device, for example, are disclosed. One such memory device includes power up circuitry configured to receive an external power supply and to provide an internal power supply to the memory device upon receipt of a command. The power up circuitry may be configured to provide the internal power supply limited to a peak current, or may be configured to provide the internal power supply not limited to a peak current. The memory device may be, for example, a synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM) device or Flash memory.
US09305597B2
A method begins with a processing module of a centralized digital video storage (DVS) system storing, for playback, a plurality of sets of encoded data slices in storage units, where multi-media content is encoded to produce the plurality of sets of encoded data slices. The method continues with the processing module monitoring the storage units for a failure mode and monitoring a number of subscriber devices requesting playback of the multi-media content. The method continues with the processing module determining whether a sufficient number of unique combinations of a decode threshold number of encoded data slices per set of slices exists to service playback of the multi-media content. When the sufficient number of the unique combinations do not exist, the method continues with the processing module reassigning unique combinations of the decode threshold number of encoded data slices per set of encoded data slices to some of the subscriber devices.
US09305593B2
A method for enhancing read performance in an ARMR system includes: obtaining CTS information for a plurality of readers in a multi-reader head of the ARMR system, the CTS information defining a relationship between skew angle and CTS between respective combinations of subsets of the readers; determining, as a function of the CTS information, a subset of the readers which provides enhanced read performance among the readers for each of a plurality of skew angles; assigning a weight value to each of a plurality of read signals generated by a corresponding one of the readers for each of the skew angles, the weight value being indicative of a performance of the corresponding one of the readers relative to one another; and decoding information read from at least one target track of a magnetic storage medium being read as a function of the read signals and corresponding weight values.
US09305592B1
A reception terminal and a method for compensating for inter-symbol interference (ISI) in a two-dimensional (2D) data structure are provided. The method for compensating for ISI includes transmitting, from a transmission terminal, a plurality of source pixel values based on a source 2D data structure via a channel, receiving, at a reception terminal, a plurality of pixel values for compensation based on a 2D data structure, and compensating each of the plurality of pixel values for compensation to each of corresponding pixel values after compensation. The plurality of pixel values for compensation are changed values of the pixel values of the source pixels due to the ISI, and each of the pixel values after compensation is determined based on both of each of the pixel values for compensation and values of adjacent pixels thereof.
US09305583B1
A method provides a magnetic transducer having an air-bearing surface (ABS) location. An intermediate layer that includes a first sublayer in a side shield region and a second sublayer outside of the side shield region is provided. A trench is formed in the intermediate layer using multiple etches. A first etch removes part of the second sublayer, providing a first portion of the trench having a first sidewall angle. A second etch removes part of the first sublayer, providing a second portion of the trench having a second sidewall angle. The second sidewall angle is greater than the first sidewall angle. A main pole is provided in the trench and has a plurality of sidewalls. The sidewalls have the second sidewall angle in the second portion of the trench and at least one main pole sidewall angle corresponding to the first sidewall angle in the first portion of the trench.
US09305582B2
Various embodiments of the present invention provide systems and methods for determining changes in fly-height. For example, various embodiments of the present invention provide storage devices that include a storage medium having servo data thereon. A read/write head assembly is disposed in relation to the storage medium. A servo based fly-height adjustment circuit receives the servo data via the read/write head assembly, and calculates a first harmonics ratio based on the received data and compares the first harmonics ratio with a second harmonics ratio to determine an error in the distance between the read/write head assembly and the storage medium.
US09305581B2
Various embodiments of the present invention provide systems and methods for low overhead disk wobble compensation. As an example, a method for performing synchronous wobble compensation processing is disclosed. The method includes providing a medium that includes a servo data region and a user data region. The servo data region includes a clock recovery pattern and a location pattern. A detectable pattern is written to the user data region a known number of bit periods from the location pattern. The detectable pattern is read back, and a fractional processing delay is calculated. Based at least on the fractional processing delay and a known number of bit periods from the location pattern to the end of the servo data region, a wobble compensation pattern is written an integral number of bit periods from the location pattern.
US09305575B2
Disclosed herein is an apparatus that includes a near field transducer positioned adjacent to an air bearing surface of the apparatus; a first magnetic pole; and a heat sink positioned between the first magnetic pole and the near field transducer, wherein the heat sink includes a first and second portion, with the first portion being adjacent the near field transducer and the second portion being adjacent the first magnetic pole, the first portion including a plasmonic material, and the second portion including a diffusion blocking material.
US09305573B2
A thermally assisted magnetic recording head includes core that propagates laser light as propagation light, a near-field light generator that faces a portion of the core and extends to an air bearing surface (ABS), the near-field light generator coupled to the propagation light propagating through the core so as to generate a surface plasmon, propagating the surface plasmon to an end part facing the ABS, and generating near-field light at the end part to irradiate the near-field light to a magnetic recording medium, a main magnetic pole layer provided in the vicinity of the near-field light generator where an end part is positioned on the ABS, a laser diode that generates laser light of wavelength 890 nm to 1,000 nm and enters the laser light into the core, and a photodiode provided on a silicon substrate measures an intensity of the laser light entering from the laser diode to the core.
US09305572B2
Methods that include forming at least a portion of a near field transducer (NFT) structure; depositing a material onto at least one surface of the portion of the NFT to form a metal containing layer; and subjecting the metal containing layer to conditions that cause diffusion of at least a portion of the material into the at least one surface of the portion of the NFT; and devices formed thereby.
US09305570B2
Systems, methods, and apparatus for pitch trajectory analysis are described. Such techniques may be used to remove vocals and/or vibrato from an audio mixture signal. For example, such a technique may be used to pre-process the signal before an operation to decompose the mixture signal into individual instrument components.
US09305560B2
Example methods, apparatus and articles of manufacture to perform audio watermark decoding are disclosed. A disclosed example method includes receiving an audio signal including an audience measurement code embedded therein using a first plurality of frequency components, sampling the audio signal, transforming the sampled audio signal into a first frequency domain representation, determining whether the code is detectable in the first plurality of frequency components of the first frequency domain representation, and when the code is not detected in the first plurality of frequency components, examining a second plurality of frequency components of a second frequency domain representation to determine whether the code is detected, the second plurality of frequency components being offset from the first plurality of frequency components by a first offset, the first offset corresponding to a sampling frequency mismatch.
US09305555B2
Onboard information device mounted on vehicle to provide information for supporting passenger includes voice acquisition unit that continually detects and acquires voice the passenger utters while the onboard information device is operating; voice recognition unit that recognizes speech contents of the voice the voice acquisition unit acquires; vehicle state detector that detects vehicle state including environmental state in the vehicle, surrounding state of the vehicle or operating state of the vehicle; output controller that creates display data or voice data from the speech contents recognized by the voice recognition unit according to the vehicle state the vehicle state detector detects, and that controls output of the display data or voice data; and output unit that outputs the display data or voice data the output controller creates. It can perform effective conversation support in real time according to recognition result obtained by continually recognizing speech contents of the passenger.
US09305554B2
A method and device for recognizing an utterance. The method includes transmitting context data associated with a first device to a second device. A first speech recognition model is received from the second device. The first speech recognition model is a subset of a second speech recognition model present at the second device. The first speech recognition model is based on the context data. It is determined whether the utterance can be recognized at the first device based on the first speech recognition model. If the utterance cannot be recognized at the first device, then at least a portion of the utterance is sent to the second device. If the utterance can be recognized at the first device, then an action associated with the recognized utterance is performed.
US09305549B2
A method and apparatus to identify names, personalities, titles, and topics that are present in a repository and to identify names, personalities, titles, and topics that are not present in the repository, uses information from external data sources, notably the text used in non-speech, text-based searches, to expand the search terms. The expansion takes place in two forms: (1) finding plausible linguistic variants of existing search terms that are already comprehended in the repository, but that are present under slightly different names; and (2) expanding the existing search term list with items that should be there by virtue of their currency in popular culture, but which for whatever reason have not yet been reflected with content items in the repository.
US09305547B2
Disclosed herein are systems, computer-implemented methods, and computer-readable storage media for recognizing speech by adapting automatic speech recognition pronunciation by acoustic model restructuring. The method identifies an acoustic model and a matching pronouncing dictionary trained on typical native speech in a target dialect. The method collects speech from a new speaker resulting in collected speech and transcribes the collected speech to generate a lattice of plausible phonemes. Then the method creates a custom speech model for representing each phoneme used in the pronouncing dictionary by a weighted sum of acoustic models for all the plausible phonemes, wherein the pronouncing dictionary does not change, but the model of the acoustic space for each phoneme in the dictionary becomes a weighted sum of the acoustic models of phonemes of the typical native speech. Finally the method includes recognizing via a processor additional speech from the target speaker using the custom speech model.
US09305539B2
A plenum with features to disperse acoustic energy in an airflow while maintaining a relatively small pressure drop in the airflow is disclosed. A general structure of the plenum may include a perforated airflow passage surrounded by a substantially large space enclosed between the airflow passage and a plenum. The perforated airflow passage has a perforated wall that may allow the acoustic energy to be dispersed into the substantially large space when flowing through the airflow passage. Acoustic energy dispersing materials may also be disposed in the substantially large space and/or on the perforated wall to help disperse acoustic energy by, for example, absorbing the acoustic energy. The plenum can help disperse the acoustic energy while helping minimize the pressure drop in the airflow.
US09305534B2
An adaptive audio system for a motor vehicle is disclosed. The audio system is operable to retrieve a music item from a storage device, classify the music item in a predefined music category the basis of a determined audio profile, select a category from a plurality of predefined music categories on the basis of a current driving behavior of the driver, and output a music item included in the selected category via an output device. The driving behavior of the driver is understood to mean the mode or style in which the driver drives.
US09305523B2
Methods for editing contents in a touch screen electronic device are provided. One method detects user selection of a plurality of displayed contents to be combined within one contents region, such as a memo. Main contents and sub-contents are determined from the selected contents, based on a predetermined input gesture. The sub-contents are combined with the main contents, where a style of the sub-contents is automatically changed to a style of the main contents. Techniques for separating combined contents are also disclosed.
US09305520B2
An image display apparatus includes: a grayscale conversion device configured to perform grayscale conversion processing on input data to output data; and a display device configured to operate in accordance with the output data to display an image by pixels arranged in a two-dimensional matrix state, wherein the grayscale conversion device is configured to perform first error diffusion processing for converting N0-grayscale input data into N1-grayscale data (2
US09305512B2
The present invention discloses array substrate, display device and method for controlling refresh rate of an array substrate. The array substrate includes; a plurality of pixel structures each including gate line, data line, common electrode line, first switching element at intersection of the gate line and the data line, pixel electrode, second switching element, and first transparent electrode. Gate, source and drain of the first switching element are connected to the gate line, the date line and the pixel electrode, respectively. Gate, source and drain of the second switching element are connected to second switching controlling line, common electrode signal terminal and the first transparent electrode, respectively. A first storage capacitance is formed between the pixel electrode and the common electrode line and/or between the pixel electrode and the gate line, and a second storage capacitance is formed between the pixel electrode and the first transparent electrode.
US09305511B2
A common electrode voltage compensating method, apparatus and a timing controller, the method comprising making statistics for grey scale data of every pixel for displaying a display picture; calculating a grey scale shifting rate between two adjacent rows of pixels, and obtaining common electrode voltage compensation signal parameters based on the grey scale shifting rate; generating positive/negative polarity information of the common electrode voltage compensation signal parameters based on a pixel voltage polarity inversion signal; generating a common electrode voltage compensation control signal based on the common electrode voltage compensation signal parameters and the positive/negative polarity thereof. The common electrode voltage compensating method, apparatus and timing controller address the problem of display picture pixels grey scale shifting due to a reversion of the positive/negative polarity of grey scale voltage.
US09305507B2
An object of the present invention is to prevent screen burn-in in a liquid crystal display device that performs a plurality of types of frame-reversal driving. When any gate bus line is focused, among a plurality of pixel electrodes in a display unit, pixel electrodes provided in pixel formation portions to which a scanning signal is provided from the focused gate bus line are arranged in a staggered manner with the focused gate bus line centered. A latch strobe signal (LS) including pulses where in each pixel formation portion a length of a period (TA1) during which a positive polarity voltage is applied to a liquid crystal is longer than a length of a period (TA2) during which a negative polarity voltage is applied to the liquid crystal is provided to a source driver from a display control circuit.
US09305505B1
A display panel comprising a light guide plate; a main light source configured to emit light from a first lateral surface of the light guide plate in a first direction; a sub-light source configured to emit light from a second lateral surface vertical to the first lateral surface of the light guide plate in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction; and a liquid crystal panel provided in a front surface of the light guide plate and configured to output image information.
US09305503B2
A display panel includes a switch control circuit, a first pre-charge switch circuit and a second pre-charge switch circuit. The switch control circuit is used for comparing the most significant bits (MSBs) of data signals to generate switch control signals for controlling the first and second pre-charge switch circuits, such that data lines are pre-charged through the first and second pre-charge switch circuits respectively. A method for driving a display panel is also provided herein.
US09305501B2
A method to drive a display device includes: transmitting at least one data voltage to one or more of a plurality of data lines, scanning one or more of a plurality of gate lines to enable transmission of a gate signal in association with a first frame of a first hold section of a first still image section associated with display of a still image, and scanning one or more of the plurality of gate lines to enable transmission of the gate signal every frame of a first refresh section. The first still image section comprises the first refresh section.
US09305479B2
Provided is a detection circuit for dark points on a panel, comprising a preset voltage generation module and a selection circuit module, wherein the preset voltage generation module is connected with the selection circuit module and is used for transferring N preset voltages to the selection circuit module, and the selection circuit module comprises N inputting terminals for receiving the N preset voltages, respectively, an outputting terminal and a strobe switch for strobing the outputting terminal with one of the N inputting terminals, N≧2. The circuit according to the embodiments of the present disclosure can detect the dark point defect caused by remains in active layers effectively in a panel state and prevent the panels having such dark point defects from being incorporated into modules, so that a waste of cost is avoid and a detection capability in a detection procedure for the panel is increased.
US09305478B2
An OLED display device includes first and second group pixels that emit light during first and second fields, respectively; first and second scan lines respectively coupled to the first and second group pixels; and first and second power lines for respectively supplying first and second power voltages to the first and second group pixels. The first and second power lines are coupled with first electrodes of the respective storage capacitors of the first and second group pixels, and the first power voltage is supplied as a first level voltage for a first period during which the first group pixels concurrently emit light. The first and second power lines are coupled with first electrodes of the respective storage capacitors of the first and second group pixels, and the first power voltage is supplied as a first level voltage for a first period during which the first group pixels concurrently emit light.
US09305451B2
An improved seismic alarm system designed to alarm users of an upcoming seismic event and other natural disasters, and aid victims' survival after an earthquake. The seismic alarm system includes an accelerometer, a controller, an acoustic-to-electric transducer for acoustic pattern detection, and RF module to receive emergency radio signals. The alarm system has central controlling unit that sets off an alarm after processing signals from several module and components: accelerometer detects seismic P wave acceleration changes for early earthquake detection; acoustic-to-electric transducer detects human acoustics or predetermined acoustic patterns, then initiates an alarm that brings rescue attention to survivors; RF module is tuned to receive emergency radio signals.
US09305450B2
An interactive wireless life safety communications system is disclosed. A central coordination server is linked to a first network, over which there is a connection to at least one resident life safety device at a specific location or for specific resident. An alarm signal is generated by the resident life safety device upon detection of an alarm condition and transmitted to the central coordination server. A caregiver communications device is connected to the central coordination server over a second network, and is receptive to an alarm notification that is generated by the central coordination server in response to the alarm signal. The caregiver communications device is also receptive to a caregiver user input, from which an action status response is generated for transmission to the central coordination server.
US09305448B2
The instant invention provides a smart system for securing distribution lines from malicious activities in the electricity distribution system, ultimately influencing the power sector in a positive way. The system architecture comprises two major parameters including distribution box and service box contributing mainly to the focal purpose of the system. The system is designed intelligently to improve and impede the process of theft control. The distribution box is designed to provide a high frequency signal having high voltage spikes on the distribution lines.
US09305446B1
A security camera is provided. The security camera includes an outer two-part housing having a front cover and a back cover. A camera assembly is disposed internally within the housing. The camera assembly includes a camera module carried by a support body. A seal arrangement is provided which seals the camera assembly from a portion of the interior of the camera housing, as well as the exterior. The security camera does not require the use of a sealing compound around its mounting holes when surface mounting the security camera using the mounting holes as a result of the sealing arrangement.
US09305439B2
A computing device may include a policy agent configured to receive activity information, apply at least one display policy to the activity information, and determine at least one command based on results of the at least one display policy being applied to the activity information, and a multi-colored indicator unit, located on a non-display screen area of the computing device, configured to display at least one of a plurality of colors based on the at least one command.
US09305438B2
The invention provides for optional printing at a pont of sale (POS). The invention provides a system and computer implemented method for printing information at a POS relating to a purchase transaction at the POS, comprising printing a second alternative instead of a default print, or printing both a default and a second print, in both cases dependent upon the second print being timely delivered to the POS printer. Preferably, the second print depends upon processing business rules related to color in the print.
US09305426B2
The invention includes a system and method for planning and customizing a gaming vacation. Initially, a central controller receives preference and configuration data from a user at a user terminal. A preparation code is then determined and associated with the configuration data. The configuration data and the associated preparation code are transmitted from the central controller to a casino server. The central controller provides feedback regarding the user's requests. The feedback may include, for example, marketing offers for the user and/or configuring a gaming device according to the configuration data associated with a preparation code received from a user at the gaming device.
US09305421B2
A method of monitoring a power supply of a gaming terminal comprises receiving, at an input of the power supply of the gaming terminal, an input power from an electrical power source, converting the input power to one or more output powers, providing, at one or more outputs of the power supply, the one or more output powers to one or more components of the gaming terminal, measuring, via one or more sensors, at least one electrical characteristic of the input power and the one or more output powers, and storing, in a memory, the measured at least one electrical characteristic for each of the input power and the one or more output powers.
US09305417B2
An automatic supplying device of door hinges includes: a door hinge supplying device having the door hinges loaded in upward and downward directions and supplying the door hinges; and a transferring device provided on a rear surface of the door hinge supplying device and automatically transferring the door hinges. The door hinge is automatically supplied when it is mounted, which makes it possible to improve work efficiency. In addition, a cylinder driving scheme is used, which makes it possible to decrease generation of noise at the time of supplying the door hinge, and a configuration for loading and moving the door hinge is simplified, such that a work space may be secured, and improving work convenience.
US09305415B2
A banknote management system 1 includes a banknote handling apparatus 2 having stackers for stacking banknotes, the banknote handling apparatus sorting the banknotes based on sorting conditions set for the respective stackers, and sequentially stacking the sorted banknotes in the stackers corresponding to the sorting conditions; and a banknote management apparatus 3 managing the banknote handling apparatus. The system includes a DB registration specifying unit 32B specifying a stacker 11 a DB registration necessity of which is specified among the stackers; a banknote detailed information creating unit 37B creating banknote detailed information for recognizing a banknote that is stacked in the stacker a DB registration of which is set to be necessary; and a DB control unit 37D registering the banknote detailed information in a database 33. The system can minimize a memory capacity of the database and a volume of banknote detailed information to be registered in the database.
US09305414B2
A safe unlocking machine includes a currency container that may be moved into and out of a container unit. The currency container includes a coin inlet, a bill inlet, and a lock-incorporated shutter that opens and closes a tag. When the shutter is operated to open, RFID wireless verification is performed between an antenna located in the container unit and the tag of the currency container. When predetermined conditions including accomplishment of the RFID verification are satisfied, rotation of a receiver handle is permitted. When the receiver handle is rotated once, a safe main body of a safe, which is located in the safe unlocking machine, is solely moved rearward. The currency in the safe main body falls down due to its own weight and is stored in the currency container.
US09305407B1
A method for fleet management can be created using a vehicle maintenance tracker for at least one vehicle and performing a vehicle inspection on the at least one vehicle using an inspection device to identify services needed on the vehicle. The vehicle inspection can then be transferred to a mechanic for verification of services needed on the vehicle. The vehicle inspection can provide a verification of services needed to the vehicle maintenance tracker and generate at least one of: vehicle repair information prioritized by importance of services, a schedule for vehicle service prioritized by importance of services needed, and a vehicle return to service date based on a schedule for vehicle service prioritized by importance of services needed.
US09305406B2
The present application discloses systems and methods for managing assets. In one exemplary embodiment, a system for monitoring an asset is disclosed. The system comprises at least one asset monitoring device, at least one fuel control device, and a central server. The asset monitoring device is configured for use with the asset to collect asset data about the asset. The fuel control device is configured for use with a fuel source to collect fueling data about fueling of the asset. The fuel control device is configured to communicate with the asset monitoring device to receive the asset data from the asset monitoring device. The central server is configured to communicate with the fuel control device to receive the asset data and the fueling data from the fuel control device.
US09305399B2
An object display device includes an image capturing unit for acquiring an image in real space, an image feature extraction unit for extracting a predetermined feature about an image either in a plurality of feature regions detected from the image in real space or in the entire image in real space, an image processing unit for performing correction processing on an image of an object based on the predetermined feature about the image, and a display unit for displaying an overlaid image in which the image of the object subjected to correction processing is overlaid on the image in real space. With this configuration, the feature of the image in real space is appropriately reflected in the image of the object in the overlaid image.
US09305397B2
Systems and methods for a tessellation are described. These systems and methods may divide the domain into a plurality of portions, including a first portion. The systems and methods may also determine coordinates for vertices for a first set of shapes that reside within the first portion, wherein each shape of the first set of shapes includes at least one vertex on a first edge of the first portion. After determining coordinates for the vertices for the first set of shapes, the systems and methods may determine coordinates for vertices for a second set of shapes that reside within the first portion. Each shape of the second set of shapes shares at least one vertex with at least one shape of the first set of shapes and none of the shapes of the second set of shapes includes a vertex on the first edge of the first portion.
US09305394B2
Embodiments of the present invention are directed to methods and a system that allow for deterministic parallel low discrepancy sampling, which can be efficiently processed, and are effective in removing transitionary artifacts that occur in low-dimensional projections generated in low discrepancy sequences. Embodiments of the claimed subject matter further provide improvements upon the low-dimensional projections and thus the visual quality when using the Sobol' sequence for image synthesis.
US09305393B2
A synthetic acceleration shape bound primitives composing a 3-D scene, and is defined using a group of fundamental shapes arranged to bound the primitives, and for which intersection results for group members yield an ultimate intersection testing result for the synthetic shape, using a logical operator. For example, two or more spheres are used to bound an object so that each of the spheres is larger than a minimum necessary to bound the object, and a volume defined by an intersection between the shapes defines a smaller volume in which the object is bounded. A ray is found to potentially intersect the object only if it intersects both spheres. In another example, an element may be defined by a volumetric union of component elements. Indicators can determine how groups of shapes should be interpreted. Synthetic shapes can be treated as a single element in a graph or hierarchical arrangement of acceleration elements.
US09305391B2
The present disclosure provides a system and method for the development and manipulation of three-dimensional voxel-based models. The method includes accessing, by a processor of a computing device, a subdivision surfacing geometry (SubD) model and converting a portion of features of the SubD model to a voxel model. The method includes accessing a texture for application to the voxel model and combining the texture and the voxel model to create a textured voxel model. The method includes determining displacement maps determined based in part on a difference between a surface portion of the voxel model and a surface portion of the SubD model and applying the displacement maps to the surface portion of the SubD model to determine a second SubD model where the second SubD model is configured for manipulation while preserving a visual aesthetic and a geometric placement of the added texture.
US09305381B1
Methods for drawing content to a display are provided. In one aspect, a method includes receiving input indicating content to be drawn to a display, and providing a request to prepare the content for display to a first thread. The method also includes receiving, in response to the provided request, instructions for drawing the content to the display, and providing the instructions for drawing the content to the display to a second thread. The method further includes executing, by the second thread, the instructions for drawing the content to the display. Systems and machine-readable media are also provided.
US09305379B2
A method for processing an image of a series of images includes receiving first data representing a first previously reconstructed image and receiving second data representing a second image. A second image is reconstructed in accordance with the first data, the second data and a noise model. The noise model is a likelihood estimation. The second image is reconstructed in accordance with a penalty function. The penalty function is a roughness penalty function. The penalty function is updated by iteratively adjusting an image volume estimate. The penalty function is updated by iteratively adjusting a registration term. The penalty function is a prior image penalty function and the prior image penalty function and a registration term are jointly optimized. The penalty function is determined in accordance with a noise model. The function is a p-norm penalty function.
US09305374B2
An electronic device with a display displays a user interface on the display. The device determines a first set of content-display values for one or more content-display properties of first content that corresponds to a respective region of the display. The device determines a first set of control-appearance values for one or more control-appearance parameters based on the first set of content-display values. The device displays a control in the respective region of the display, where an appearance of the control is determined based on the first content and the first set of control-appearance values, and displaying the control includes applying a blur operation to the first content to generate first blurred content and overlaying a translucent colored layer over the first blurred content.
US09305370B2
Techniques are described for rendering objects formed by implicit surfaces using ray-tracing, where each implicit surface is defined by a surface equation. The techniques utilize presence of real-roots to determine which implicit surfaces are intersected by a ray. If all implicit surfaces classified as uncomplemented surfaces intersect the ray, and none of the implicit surfaces classified as completed surfaces intersect the ray, the techniques determine a maximum from among a set of real-root values of the surface equations for the uncomplemented surfaces to determine an intersection point of the ray. The techniques utilize the intersection point for further processing such as per-pixel color and depth processing.
US09305357B2
A novel technique for performing video matting, which is built upon a proposed image matting algorithm that is fully automatic is disclosed. The disclosed methods utilize a PCA-based shape model as a prior for guiding the matting process, so that manual interactions required by most existing image matting methods are unnecessary. By applying the image matting algorithm to these foreground windows, on a per frame basis, a fully automated video matting process is attainable. The process of aligning the shape model with the object is simultaneously optimized based on a quadratic cost function.
US09305356B2
A method of selecting image data representative of a subject from an image data set comprises determining regions of image data, wherein each region of image data consists of a respective plurality of connected voxels, and selecting at least one region as being representative of the subject based upon at least one of the size and shape of the region.
US09305348B2
A diagnosis imaging apparatus and an operation method thereof are provided. A diagnosis imaging apparatus includes: an image processing apparatus for detecting a first point and a second point on a heart wall of a valve of interest in a 3D volume data of a heart of a subject, rotating the 3D volume data to make a virtual line connecting the first point and the second point be parallel with a datum plane, and acquiring a 3D standard view of the valve of interest based on the rotated 3D volume data; and a display apparatus for displaying the 3D standard view.
US09305339B2
Multi-feature image haze removal is described. In one or more implementations, feature maps are extracted from a hazy image of a scene. The feature maps convey information about visual characteristics of the scene captured in the hazy image. Based on the feature maps, portions of light that are not scattered by the atmosphere and are captured to produce the hazy image are computed. Additionally, airlight of the hazy image is ascertained based on at least one of the feature maps. The calculated airlight represents constant light of the scene. Using the computed portions of light and the ascertained airlight, a dehazed image is generated from the hazy image.
US09305332B2
Input image information is received. Enhancement information is determined based on frequency characteristics of the input image information. The enhancement information is mixed with the input image information to generate an enhanced image.
US09305329B2
A first image at a first resolution is received, the first image having a first hole therein. Based on the first image, a second image is generated at a second resolution lower than the first resolution, the second image having a second hole therein corresponding to the first hole. In the second image, one or more second-image source patches for the second hole are identified. At least one first-image source patch in the first image is identified based on a location of the identified second-image source patch. The identified at least one first-image source patch are stored in memory. Fill content are identified in the at least one first-image source patch stored in the memory. The identified fill content are placed in the first hole.
US09305328B2
A method performed by software generates a render request record for a render request submitted by a user of an app and stores the render request record in a queue database. The render request includes a visualization to be rendered. The software selects the render request record from the queue database. Selection of the render request record is determined at least in part by a priority value that depends on an amount of time the user has spent using the app. The software generates a rendered image for the selected render request record, using render data. Then the software publishes a publishing element including the rendered image to a newsfeed stream displayed by a social networking site.
US09305327B2
An image processing apparatus and its control method receives a drawing command including a moving image drawing command and a graphics drawing command and performs drawing processing. A drawing command is received, and the moving image drawing command is separated from the graphics drawing command. A graphics drawing unit obtains the result of graphics drawing in accordance with the graphics drawing command. A moving image drawing unit generates moving image data processed in accordance with the moving image drawing command. A composition unit composes the result of graphics drawing by the graphics drawing unit with the moving image data generated by the moving image drawing unit.
US09305318B2
A method of forming unique, private, personal, virtual social networks on a social network system that includes a database storing data relating to corresponding user entities. The method includes: a first user entity sending an invitation to a second user entity, recording in the database the second user entity as a direct contact of the first user entity and determining that third user entities, directly connected to the second user entity, are indirect contacts. A unique, personal, social network formed from direct and indirect contacts is thereby created for each user entity. Each user entity is able to control privacy of its data with respect to other user entities depending on the connection factor to that other entity and/or that other entity's attributes.
US09305302B2
Weighting sentiment information includes capturing sentiment information of a post from an electronic source, categorizing the post into categories based on the sentiment information, and assigning a weight to the post based on an interest attribute.
US09305299B1
A system, method, and computer program product are provided for proactively identifying and addressing customer needs. In use, at least one customer need for at least one customer is predicted, based, at least in part, on information associated with the one or more detected customer care request triggering events, information associated with the one or more customer care interactions, and information associated with the one or more after-effects.
US09305293B2
Embodiments of the invention include systems, methods, and computer-program products for a clearing house for creating and directing readable indicia to/from merchants, users, and/or vendors. As such, merchants, users, and vendors may all be able to recognize, read, and complete transactions using a created universal readable indicia, irrespective of the entities associated with the transaction. The invention may create and provide a universal readable indicia that may be read and/or scanned by any of a user, merchant, or vendor. Subsequently, upon scanning, the system may recognize the appropriate vendor associated with the scan, based on information about the user or merchant derived from the scan. As such, the invention may be able to convert the universal readable indicia to one or more indicia accepted by a vendor that may complete the transaction with the user and/or merchant.
US09305290B2
Disclosed is an employee vacation scheduling system for enabling an employee to purchase vacation travel services on the basis of the availability of the paid leaves thereof. The vacation scheduling system comprises a database comprising a plurality of employees wherein, each employee is associated with the number of paid leaves the employee is entitled to. The scheduling system further comprises a store module for enabling an employee to purchase a vacation travel service that spans a predetermined number of vacation days, a date module for enabling the employee, in the process of purchasing the vacation travel service, to mark successive vacation dates for the utilization of the vacation travel service, and a payment module for enabling the employee to pay for the vacation travel service upon determining that the number of vacation days are lesser than or equivalent.
US09305288B2
Systems and methods are disclosed for wirelessly communicating electronic mail messages at a vehicle. A computer processor is in communication with a memory device having software for an e-mail service, and electronic mail account credentials enabling access to one or more electronic mail accounts. A transceiver is in communication with the computer processor, and is capable of pairing with one or more wireless communication devices (e.g. cellular phone, etc.) for wirelessly communicating data between the processor and electronic mail servers located remotely from the vehicle. The processor operates the transceiver to wirelessly access the one or more electronic mail accounts at the electronic mail server(s) to wirelessly send or receive electronic mail messages at the vehicle. The computer processor convert received electronic mail messages to speech signals for playback.
