US09326653B2
A surface treating appliance includes a surface treating head rotatably connected to a yoke, and a main body pivotably moveable relative to the yoke about a pivot axis between an upright position and a reclined position. A retaining mechanism is provided for inhibiting rotation of the head relative to the yoke when the main body is in the upright position. The retaining mechanism includes a locking member which is moveable between a stowed position and a deployed position for inhibiting rotation of the head relative to the yoke, and an actuator for urging the locking member towards its deployed position. To provide a compact appliance, the actuator moves with the main body about the pivot axis to urge the locking member towards its deployed position as the main body is moved to the upright position.
US09326646B2
A fibrous structure having a total dry tensile strength of greater than about 59 g/cm and at least one embossed ply having a surface thereof is disclosed. The surface has a surface area comprising from about 10.0 percent to about 20.0 percent line embossments. Also, a fibrous structure having at least two plies is disclosed. One of the two plies has a total dry tensile strength of greater than about 59 g/cm and at least one embossed ply having a surface thereof. The surface has a surface area comprising from about 10.0 percent to about 20.0 percent line embossments.
US09326641B2
An assistive bath ring for use by a child or adult to provide support for the user to sit in a bathtub. The bath ring comprises an essentially cylindrically shaped framework comprising a circular solid base, a circularly shaped ring attached to the base by height adjusting telescoping leg components; wherein the ring has a front and a rear; and further comprising a hinge in the circular shaped arm rail creating a gate to allow the circularly shaped ring arm rail to open and close.
US09326640B2
A food processor feed tube assembly includes a first feed tube extension and a second feed tube extension telescopically and slidably received in the first feed tube extension. The second feed tube extension is configured to be movable from a retracted position in which the second feed tube extension is substantially entirely nested within the first feed tube extension, and an extended position in which the second feed tube extension is extended from the first feed tube extension.
US09326623B2
A mounting device for housing a smart device having a user interface comprises a horizontal armature, a screen housing, and a mounting bracket. The mounting device is configured for attachment to a display unit having a plurality of posts. The horizontal armature includes coupling mechanisms disposed at each end thereof, wherein each coupling mechanism is configured to be removably coupled to one of the posts. The screen housing has a hollow interior configured to receive the smart device therein, wherein the screen housing includes at least one aperture for providing visual and tactile access to desired portions of the smart device. The mounting bracket is securely coupled to the screen housing and includes at least one projection extending therefrom and configured to be received in a corresponding opening formed in the horizontal armature to couple the screen housing to the horizontal armature.
US09326617B2
A spring mattress structure comprises a mattress body with a top bed surface and a bottom bed surface which consists of a plurality of shaft levers separated by a regular spacing between any two adjacent shaft levers and prepared for placement of a plurality of springs; each of the springs allows the bottom's both ends to be placed on surfaces of two adjacent shaft levers and develops a hollow space which correspond to a spacing developed by the two adjacent shaft levers; the bottom of each spring is fixed on one of the shaft levers with a spring-loaded locating piece so that the spring is securely connected to the shaft lever.
US09326613B2
An upholstered seat with flexible pelvic support having a seat bottom with a seat pan, upholstery, and resiliently deflectable pelvic support structures retained at least partially within the central area of the seat pan. Plural resiliently deflectable fingers can project to within a left portion of the central area and plural resiliently deflectable fingers can project to within a right portion of the central area. The resiliently deflectable fingers can have different deflection resistances to permit hyper-localized control over the resilient support provided. A U-shaped rigidifying member secured to the seat pan establishes rigidified lateral and posterior portions of the seat pan. A resiliently compressible foam structure can have a U-shaped outer portion and a softer inner portion to facilitate a cradling of a seat occupant. A support and positioning member can be retained by a seat back in a fixed angular orientation relative to the seat bottom.
US09326603B2
A slide rail includes: a rail assembly 2; an inner rail 4 mounted on the rail assembly 2, and slidable in a longitudinal direction of the rail assembly 2; and a locking arm 5 a rear end portion of which is secured to a surface of the inner rail 4 facing the rail assembly 2, and a front end portion of which is a free end, wherein the locking arm 5 has a lock protrusion portion 5a that, when pulling out the inner rail 4 from the rail assembly 2, locks slide at a predetermined position, and wherein the rail assembly 2 has a lock hole 2a for catching the lock protrusion portion 5a.
US09326592B2
Disclosed is a toothbrush and a toothbrush having interdental brush. There is provided the configuration of the toothbrush in which toothbrush bristles are aligned in two lines without the bristles in the middle of toothbrush head, and interdental brush bristles are also provided, so that toothbrush bristles can be deeply fit into and touched to every teeth and interdental portions without needs of applying excessive power or pressure during toothbrushing, thereby to prevent damages on teeth and gums, easily remove food particles and plagues remained on the toothbrush, and prevent the secondary bacteria diseases due to fast dry of the toothbrush.
US09326580B2
Containers are described herein for the transportation and distribution of replaceable consumer products, e.g. interchangeable shaving assemblies. The containers described herein include a mechanism to securely hold the container in predetermined open and closed positions. The interior of the container may provided features which serve to hold and protect the shaving assemblies when not in use, e.g., during transport or storage.
US09326569B1
A clasp for releasably holding opposed ends of an elongated filament element. The clasp includes a housing having opposed sides each having a receiving port for accommodating respective opposed ends of the elongated filament element, and an open center chamber, a slide member received in the open center chamber of the housing, including opposed walls that each have a locking aperture, having an open center passage, and an end actuation button having locked and released positions, a locking disc engaged between the slide member and housing, and a spring disposed within the open center passage of the slide member and positioned between the locking disc and the end actuation button.
US09326566B2
An article of footwear may include a motorized tensioning system including a tensile member and a motorized tightening device attached to an outer surface of the article of footwear, the tightening device configured to apply tension in the tensile member to adjust the size of an internal void defined by the article of footwear. The article of footwear may also include a tightening device cover configured to be removably attached to the article of footwear over the tightening device.
US09326565B1
A shoe with interchangeable attachable heel that includes a connection seat disposed upon a sole of an extant shoe, said connection seat disposed between a shank and a counter of said extant shoe, wherein a top plate, disposed atop at least one attachable heel, is expediently connectable to the connection seat by sliding engagement therewith and superimposition thereupon, whereby a lozenge-shaped protrusion disposed atop the top plate is positional for engagement interior to a connection aperture centrally disposed upon the connection seat, and each of a pair of arcuate rails slidingly engages interior to each of a pair of arcuate channels disposed upon the connection seat, whereby a plurality of pegs are extendable interior to each of a plurality of holes disposed upon the connection seat and the attachable heel is expediently securable for custom wear upon the connection seat, as desired.
US09326563B2
A base (1) is provided for a ski boot (2) and comprises a one-piece sole (4) defining heel and toe portions (6, 7) that is adapted to be secured to one or more outsole elements (8, 9, 10). Preferably, toe and heel outsole elements (8, 9) are bonded to the toe and heel portions (6, 7) respectively to form a base (1) with a unitary construction. The sole (4) also has a fiber-reinforced composite structure wherein a majority of the fibers in at least a mid-section (7) of the sole (4) between the heel and toe portions (6, 7) are angled at an acute angle with respect to a longitudinal axis (L) of the sole (4). Preferably, the mid-section (7) of the sole covers a position anatomically beneath the location of the metatarsal bones and the plantar arch of a person wearing the ski boot and a majority of the fibers in this mid-section (7) of the sole are angled at substantially ±45°±10° to the longitudinal axis (L) of the sole (4) and between 5% and 10% of the fibers in the mid-section (7) of the sole (4) are substantially aligned with the longitudinal axis of the sole at angles within ±20° of being parallel to the longitudinal axis (L) of the sole (4). A ski boot (2) incorporating such a sole (4) is also provided.
US09326560B2
A safety helmet has a protective shell, an inner liner with several attachment branches, and at least a first securing clip to fit an accessory on the outer surface of the shell. Each attachment branch of the liner comprises a fixing part inserted and blocked in a slide of the shell by said first securing clip which acts both as latch to attach the liner to the shell and as female loop for clipping of a second securing clip connected to a chinstrap.
US09326552B2
Disclosed herein are abdominal-restraint garments comprising an outer garment layer and an inner abdominal-restraint layer. The inner abdominal-restraint layer can be attached to the outer garment layer. In some embodiments, a front bottom and/or back bottom of the inner abdominal-restraint layer are attached to an inner side of the outer garment layer. The front top of the inner abdominal-restraint layer can be configured to be even with the front rise of the outer garment layer or extend above the front rise of the outer garment layer. The inner abdominal-restraint layer can be configured to extend across a garment-wearer's abdominal region. In some embodiments, the abdominal-restraint garment is a pair of pants, jeans, a pair of shorts, a skirt, leggings, or tights. Also disclosed herein are methods of assembling the abdominal-restraint garments disclosed herein.
US09326550B2
An electronic cigarette includes a battery assembly, an atomizer assembly and a cigarette bottle assembly. An external thread electrode is located in one end of battery assembly. An internal thread electrode is located in one end of atomizer assembly. The battery assembly and the atomizer assembly are connected by the screwthread electrode. The cigarette bottle assembly is inserted into the other end of the atomizer assembly and both form a cigarette type or cigar type body.
US09326544B2
One variation of a method for dispensing toppings onto topping vehicles includes: indexing a first topping vehicle to a first position adjacent a first topping module, the first topping module comprising a first hopper containing a first topping of a first topping type; indexing a second topping vehicle to a second position adjacent a second topping module comprising a second hopper containing a second topping of a second topping type; retracting a first blade of the first topping module; advancing the first blade through the first topping; retracting a first retaining plate to dispense a topping slice from the first topping onto the first topping vehicle according to a first topping order for the first topping vehicle specifying the first topping type, the first retaining plate offset from the first blade opposite the first hopper; advancing the first retaining plate; and indexing the first topping vehicle to the second position.
US09326537B2
A frozen, microwaveable, coated food product comprising: a core of cooked edible material having a weight equal to 15-95 wt. % of the food product; a fried coating that envelops the core of edible material and has a weight equal to 5-85 wt. % of the total weight of the food product, said coating comprising at least three coating layers, including an inner crumb layer, an outer crumb layer and a batter layer that separates the inner crumb layer from the outer crumb layer; wherein both the inner crumb layer and the outer crumb layer comprise a milled farinaceous dough extrudate containing 0.05-5 wt. % of added hydrocolloid.
US09326534B2
A beet processing process including the step of washing of the beets and the step of partial pressing of the beets for the production, on the one hand, of a press cake containing more than 20% sugar relative to the dry matter content and, on the other hand, of a sugar juice at a concentration greater than 15% dry matter content. The process further includes the step of separation of the press cake and of the sugar juice.
US09326533B2
The present invention provides a means to concentrate, dry and formulate biomaterials such as polysaccharides, gums and related biopolymers, and microorganisms such as cells, spores, and the like from dilute solutions using spent germ and other oil bearing residues. In addition, the spent germ can serve as a carrier for such biomaterials. The sorbed materials are useful in animal feeds.
US09326532B2
A preformed serving of a frozen confection configured to be received in a substantially hollow edible container is provided including a body of a frozen confection. A first portion of the body has a shape generally complementary to the edible container. When the body is received within the container, the first portion extends substantially below a surface of the container such that the body of the frozen confection is substantially wedged therein.
US09326527B2
In a deboning process, a knee joint length is measured in a work loading section of a first process station, and incision making of a thigh meat portion is performed in a second process station based on the measured knee joint length. At the same time, the entire length of a work is measured, and the knee joint length is calculated from previously collected data based on the measured entire length of the work. Positioning of a cutting blade and a meat separator is performed based on these values in subsequent process stations, and cutting of a tendon adhering to a knee joint and tearing of thigh meat are performed. A thigh bone is separated from a lower thigh in a further process station.
US09326525B2
The present invention provides a kneading device including a hopper having a hopper body that stores raw powder, and a mixer that kneads material to be kneaded, which contains the raw powder, wherein the hopper includes a stirring device that stirs the raw powder in the hopper body, and a temperature-controlled air supply device 6 that supplies temperature-controlled air into the hopper body. This kneading device can stably prepare high-quality kneaded dough.
US09326519B2
This invention provides granulated methylene dithiocyanate for safe and environmentally friendly industrial antimicrobial use, and a process for manufacturing it.
US09326510B2
Novel compounds of formula (I) their use as germination trap for parasitic weeds, for the regulation of branching, tillering and root development, for enhancement of cambium growth, for the regulation of hyphal growth of mycorrhizal fungi and compositions comprising compounds of formula (I) and insecticides and/or fungicides.
US09326499B1
A tubular, adjustable, reed-type game call has axially aligned, adjustable sections. A tubular horn is threadably interconnected with a tubular handle comprising a mouthpiece and an intermediate coupling with an internal sounding chamber. The horn is threadably mated to internal coupling threads, and relative twisting of the horn relative to the mouthpiece causes axial lengthening or shortening of the game call, as the horn is displaced relative to the coupling. A cylindrical anchor supports an elongated reed and a parallel, elongated sounding board. A contactor pressures the reed at a point that is varied when the parts are twisted together or apart, to shorten or lengthen the effective reed length, producing different user selectable sounds. A lock washer is positioned proximate the contactor for securing it.
US09326492B2
A cleaning device for aquariums comprises a water-tight enclosure configured to be submerged under water and a water pump comprising an inlet for receiving water and an outlet pipe for expelling water. The outlet pipe comprises a central axis. A power source is disposed within the water-tight enclosure for powering the water pump. An adjustable nozzle comprises a nozzle outlet in fluid communication with the outlet pipe, and the adjustable nozzle is configured to be rotated about the central axis of the outlet pipe to selectively adjust a position of the nozzle outlet. In one example, water volume flow or water velocity flow expelled from the nozzle outlet can be selectively adjusted via rotational adjustment of the adjustable nozzle relative to the outlet pipe.
US09326491B1
An animal and attacker deterrent system to be mounted to a bicycle or equivalent vehicle is disclosed herein. The deterrent system in one form included: a gas cylinder; a valve coupled to the gas cylinder and mounted to the bicycle; a gas conduit having a first end coupled to the user actuated valve; and at least one fluid reservoir coupled to a second end of the gas conduit; a plurality of mist producing spray apertures fluidly coupled to at least one of the fluid reservoir(s). The system as disclosed may include a plurality of reservoirs mounted to each of the left and right front fork components of the bicycle and having spray apertures mounted thereto. Alternatively, the system may include a plurality of spray apertures mounted at a single position and directed to mist fluid to left and right sides of the bicycle therefrom.
US09326484B2
An apparatus and process for impinging a fluid upon an object to be treated is described. A generally conical-shaped flow of fluid is directed from the cleaning device onto a surface. The fluid contacts the surface and then is reflected through an opening defined by the device and against a deflection plate. The deflection plate has a shape configured to direct the fluid into a fluid return and back onto the surface to be treated.
US09326478B2
A soybean cultivar designated UA 5414RR is disclosed. The invention relates to the seeds of soybean cultivar UA 5414RR, to the plants of soybean cultivar UA 5414RR, to the plant parts of soybean cultivar UA 5414RR, and to methods for producing progeny of soybean cultivar UA 5414RR. The invention also relates to methods for producing a soybean plant containing in its genetic material one or more transgenes and to the transgenic soybean plants and plant parts produced by those methods. The invention also relates to soybean cultivars or breeding cultivars, and plant parts derived from soybean cultivar UA 5414RR. The invention also relates to methods for producing other soybean cultivars, lines, or plant parts derived from soybean cultivar UA 5414RR, and to the soybean plants, varieties, and their parts derived from use of those methods. The invention further relates to hybrid soybean seeds, plants, and plant parts produced by crossing cultivar UA 5414RR with another soybean cultivar.
US09326477B2
A soybean cultivar designated S130056 is disclosed. The invention relates to the seeds of soybean cultivar S130056, to the plants of soybean cultivar S130056, to the plant parts of soybean cultivar S130056, and to methods for producing progeny of soybean cultivar S130056. The invention also relates to methods for producing a soybean plant containing in its genetic material one or more transgenes and to the transgenic soybean plants and plant parts produced by those methods. The invention also relates to soybean cultivars or breeding cultivars, and plant parts derived from soybean cultivar S130056. The invention also relates to methods for producing other soybean cultivars, lines, or plant parts derived from soybean cultivar S130056, and to the soybean plants, varieties, and their parts derived from use of those methods. The invention further relates to hybrid soybean seeds, plants, and plant parts produced by crossing cultivar S130056 with another soybean cultivar.
US09326472B1
A novel maize variety designated X13D088 and seed, plants and plant parts thereof, produced by crossing Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc. proprietary inbred maize varieties. Methods for producing a maize plant that comprises crossing hybrid maize variety X13D088 with another maize plant. Methods for producing a maize plant containing in its genetic material one or more traits introgressed into X13D088 through backcross conversion and/or transformation, and to the maize seed, plant and plant part produced thereby. This invention relates to the maize variety X13D088, the seed, the plant produced from the seed, and variants, mutants, and minor modifications of maize variety X13D088. This invention further relates to methods for producing maize varieties derived from maize variety X13D088.
US09326465B1
The invention provides seed and plants of Tagetes patula variety ‘PAS1077396’. The invention thus relates to the plants, seeds, and tissue cultures of Tagetes patula variety ‘PAS1077396’, and to methods for producing a marigold plant produced by crossing such plants with themselves or with another marigold plant, such as a plant of another genotype. The invention further relates to seeds and plants produced by such crossing. The invention further relates to parts of such plants, including the gametes of such plants.
US09326463B2
Provided is a method for producing a homozygous non-human organism from a heterozygous non-human organism, which homozygous organism can be crossed to obtain a hybrid, comprising providing a heterozygous starting organism; allowing the organism to produce SDR-0 cells through meiosis, which cells originate from second division restitution; regenerating SDR-0 organisms from the SDR-0 cells; and producing the homozygous organism from the SDR-0 organisms thus obtained. Further provided is a method for producing a hybrid, comprising crossing a first homozygous organism that is produced according to the above method with a second homozygous organism. Also provided is a homozygous non-human organism and hybrid non-human organisms obtainable by these methods. In a preferred embodiment, the organisms are plants.
US09326451B1
The disclosure provides compositions and methods to improve seeding success. In an exemplary embodiment the compositions and methods disclosed herein are used to improve seeding success in rangeland areas. However, the compositions and methods are useful to improve seeding success in any environment where seeding is difficult. In an exemplary embodiment, the invention provides a “seed pillow”, a multifunctional seed treatment that mitigates the limiting factors controlling seedling establishment. In one embodiment, the seed pillow comprises a pillow-shaped agglomeration of absorbent earth materials and other additives, with seeds attached within a concave well on the underneath side of the pillow. To increase the probability that the seeds will be covered by the pillow, soil and tackifier are placed with the seeds for increased weight on the seed side of the pillow, and to glue the pillow to the soil. The shape of the pillow is also designed to improve coverage by having a flat bottom and convex top. Upon wetting, the pillow material melts over the seeds, thus providing seed coverage and enhanced conditions for seed germination and growth.
US09326445B1
A composite discharge spout portion for a discharge spout for a forage harvester defines at least a portion of a path for crop materials. The spout portion may include a proximal end, a distal end, an upper wall and a pair of side walls extending between the proximal end and distal end. The side walls depend from the upper wall, and the top and side walls have opposite major faces and edges. A spine may be integrated into each of the side walls and extends between the proximal and distal ends, with each of the spines forming a tubular structure on either side of the spout portion. The upper wall, the side walls and the spines may be integrally formed of a composite material.
US09326444B2
A spout is pivotally mounted to a transferring material for transferring the agricultural material to the receiving vehicle. An imaging device faces towards the storage portion of the receiving vehicle and collects image data. A container module is adapted to determine a container position of the storage portion, or its container perimeter. An alignment module determines the relative position of the spout and the container perimeter and for generating command data to shift a relative longitudinal alignment between the vehicles in or against a direction of travel of the vehicles when the discharge end of the spout is in misalignment state. An angle sensor is associated with the spout for measuring an observed rotational angle of the spout, wherein the misalignment state means the observed rotational angle is equal to or greater than a rotational angle limit.
US09326443B2
An arrangement for the automatic transfer of agricultural crops from a harvesting machine to a transport vehicle has an image capture device, which optically detects one or more features of the transport vehicle. A computer controls an actuator to adjust a transfer device relative to the harvesting machine and/or to change the position of the loading container relative to the harvesting machine based on signals of the image capture device. The computer continually sets up, with the aid of the signals of the image capture device, a virtual movement model of the loading container and controls the actuator with the aid of extrapolated data for an expected position of the loading container derived from the movement model, if the signals of the image capture device are no longer sufficient to recognize the transport vehicle because of an impairment of the visibility conditions.
US09326440B2
An apparatus for maintaining a tillage implement such as a plow at a consistent working depth utilizes a spring biased quadrilateral linkage to maintain the tillage implement in a position having to float forwardly and upwardly from the working depth thereby preventing unwanted flotation of the tillage implement from the working depth until the tillage implement encounters a substantially vertical load.
US09326439B2
An agricultural implement having a rolling basket is disclosed. A stationary blade is disposed inside an inner chamber of the rolling basket and attached at ends of the rolling basket near the bearings that are connected to the rolling basket. The rolling basket rotates around its major axis via the bearings, while the blade is held stationary. The stationary blade has sleeves at the ends, and each of the sleeves is connected to a post of a support arm and locked into the posts via a pin.
US09326438B2
An attachment assembly for the disc of a mobile agricultural device, including a washer configured to attach to a disc of the mobile agricultural device. The washer may be attached to a center location of the disc. The washer is operatively connected to a deflector bar. The deflector bar substantially prevents debris from accumulating between the disc and a fertilizer assembly attached to the disc, as the disc rotates. The deflector bar in other embodiments, may be directly connected to a fertilizer assembly, rather than to the washer.
US09332672B2
An electronic product including a heat dissipating device is disclosed. The electronic product includes a casing, a heat conducting board, at least one fan unit and a plurality of electronic elements. The casing includes a compartment. The heat conducting board divides the compartment into first and second chambers. The first chamber includes a plurality of openings. The fan unit(s) includes an air inlet aligned with an opening of the openings, as well as an air outlet aligned with another opening of the openings. The first chamber defines at least one air channel each being in the form of a single air channel including two ends respectively in communication with the opening and the other opening. In one embodiment, the at least one fan unit includes first and second fan units. In another embodiment, the at least one air channel includes first and second air channels in communication with each other.
US09332668B2
An electronic circuit unit includes a circuit board (10) with conductors for connection (14) on an edge (12), a case (20) for housing the circuit board (10) and a connector (C). The case (20) includes an opening (21) that allows the circuit board (10) to be inserted in a board inserting direction and holds the circuit board (10) at a specific board holding position. The connector (C) includes connector terminals (30) to be mounted on ends of wires (W), and a housing (40) for holding the connector terminals (30) so that the connector terminals (30) can simultaneously contact the conductors for connection (14). The housing (40) includes a lid (48) for closing the opening (21). The case (20) locks the housing (40) at a position where the connector terminals (30) contact the conductors for connection (14) of the circuit board (10) at the board holding position.
US09332660B2
A display which thickness is allowed to be reduced is provided. A display includes: a display panel; and a back-face member having rigidity and provided on a back face of the display panel, the back-face member covering the back face, or the back face and other part of the display panel.
US09332659B2
An electronic component case includes a lower case including a bottom plate, a aide wall having a protruding portion, an engaging projection formed on an outer face of the side wall, and a screw hole formed in the side wall in a region where the protruding portion is provided, and an upper case including a top plate, a side wall in which an engaging hole is formed, and a notched hole forced in the side wall on the top plate side. The protruding portion of the lower case is engaged to the notched hole of the upper case, and the screw hole is exposed in the notched hole. The engaging projection of the lower case is engaged in the engaging hole of the upper case.
US09332655B2
An electronic circuit having an electronic component mounted on a substrate, a light source device having the electronic circuit, and a method of manufacturing the electronic circuit on which the electronic component is mounted on the substrate are described. The electronic component has a plurality of lead pins to be electrically connected to wirings on the substrate. The substrate is formed with a hole having a larger dimension than a maximum distance between at least two lead pins of the lead pins. The lead pins are inserted into the hole from sides of tips of the lead pins while being bent at a plurality of bending portions, and fixed to the substrate by a solder.
US09332654B2
A bottom reception pin module 22 which is allowed to stand upright on a bottom reception base part 21 having a magnetic member 21a provided on an upper surface to support a board includes a base part 23 having a magnet member 26 built therein so as to be freely lifted and lowered and fixed to the bottom reception base part 21 by a magnetization force under a state that the magnet member 26 is lowered and a hollow shaft member 24 extended upward from the base part 23 and having an upper end of a top member 25 abutting on the lower surface of the board to support the board. By a vacuum suction from a suction hole 25c, the magnet member 26 is lowered and lifted to fix and unfix the base part 23 relative to the bottom reception base part 21.
US09332652B2
A process for etching excess tin or tin alloy deposits including the steps of providing a substrate having recessed structures filled with tin or a tin alloy and an excess layer of tin or tin alloy, providing an aqueous etching solution consisting of a source of hydroxide ions and a nitro-substituted aromatic sulfonic acid and having a pH value greater than 7, and contacting said substrate with said aqueous etching solution for removing said excess tin or tin alloy layer on top of the recessed structures filled with tin or a tin alloy.
US09332640B2
A contact area is provided on a carrier for connection to a mating contact area on a further carrier using an adhesive containing conductive particles. The contact area includes at least one recess forming a drain channel for the adhesive, extending from one edge of the contact area to an opposing edge and having a width being less than an average diameter of the particles. Alternatively, the contact area includes boreholes extending from a main surface to an opposing main surface and having diameters being approximately equal to or smaller than the average diameter of the particles in at least one direction and a cavity is formed in the carrier beneath the contact area. Alternatively, integral moldings forming a turf structure are provided on the contact area and distances between the moldings are equal to or smaller than the average diameter of the particles in at least one direction.
US09332636B2
A sandwich of impact resistant material comprising: a first tile comprising a plurality of nano-particles bonded together, wherein the nano-structure of the nano-particles is present in the first tile and the first tile comprises a hardness value; a second tile comprising a plurality of nano-particles bonded together, wherein the nano-structure of the nano-particles is present in the second tile and the second tile comprises a hardness value; and a third tile comprising a plurality of nano-particles bonded together, wherein the nano-structure of the nano-particles is present in the third tile and the third tile comprises a hardness value, wherein the second tile is coupled in between the first tile and the third tile, and the second tile comprises a hardness value greater than the first tile and the third tile.
US09332630B2
Disclosed is an insulation circuit comprising: a first pattern formed on a first layer of a substrate, that receives high-frequency signals; a second pattern formed on this first layer next to the first pattern and that outputs the high-frequency signals received by the first pattern; a third pattern formed on a second layer different from the first layer of the substrate and connected with a signal ground, in such a way that the first and second patterns respectively overlap in plan view; and a fourth pattern formed on the second layer next to the third pattern and connected with a frame ground, in such a way that the first and second patterns respectively overlap in plan view.
US09332629B2
An integrated circuit (342) that is electrically connected to a printed circuit board (246) with a package substrate (344) includes a circuit body (352), and a bump array (354) that electrically connects the circuit body (352) to the package substrate (244). The bump array (354) includes a first bump set (356) having a plurality of signal bumps (364) and a plurality of non-signal bumps (366) alternatingly interspersed and aligned along an axis. With the present design, the bump array (354) allows each signal bump (364) to be surrounded by a power bump (370) and a ground bump (368). The package substrate (344) includes (i) a package body (372); and (ii) a pin array (374) that includes a first pin set (376) that includes a plurality of signal pins (384) and a plurality of non-signal pins (386) alternatingly interspersed and aligned along an axis.
US09332625B2
An EUV light source apparatus by which detachment of a chamber or a part of the chamber, movement to a maintenance area, and highly accurate placement relative to projection optics can be performed easily for maintenance of the EUV light source apparatus. The EUV light source apparatus is an apparatus for generating plasma by applying a laser beam to a target material within a chamber and entering EUV light radiated from the plasma into projection optics of exposure equipment, and includes a positioning mechanism for positioning the chamber or a maintenance unit of the chamber in a predetermined location where an optical axis of the collected extreme ultraviolet light and an optical axis of the projection optics of the exposure equipment are aligned, and a movement mechanism for moving the chamber or the maintenance unit of the chamber between the predetermined location and a maintenance area.
US09332623B2
A high-voltage discharge lamp illumination device comprises a pulse generation part which generates pulse waves, and a power supply part which receives a DC voltage and converts the DC voltage into the AC current in correspondence to a frequency of the pulse waves so as to supply the AC current to the lamp. The pulse generation part repeats a cycle of outputting a first pulse wave over a first period, and thereafter outputting a second pulse wave having a lower frequency than the first pulse wave over a second period shorter than the first period. The pulse generation part returns to the cycle after outputting a third pulse wave having a frequency which is further lower than the second pulse wave in place of the second pulse wave, at a predetermined timing.
US09332620B2
Disclosed are a lighting device, a lighting system including the same, and a method of operating the same. The lighting device includes a communication unit receiving contents through communication with an outside, a content analyzing unit detecting an output state of the contents by analyzing the contents received through the communication unit, a storage unit storing information of a driving condition of a lighting unit corresponding to the output state of the contents, a controller extracting the information of the driving condition of the lighting unit corresponding to the detected output state of the contents from the storage unit and allowing the lighting unit to operate according to the contents based on the information of the driving condition of the lighting unit, and a lighting unit driver outputting a driving signal used to drive the lighting unit according to a control signal of the controller.
US09332617B2
A method for controlling a light, comprising: providing a first sensor device (11) comprising a first transmitter and a first occupancy sensor; providing a lighting controller (1) comprising a receiver and a second sensor; and transmitting an occupancy signal from the first transmitter to the receiver. The occupancy signal comprises a repeated cycle of transmission phases and silent phases, such that during a transmission phase the transmitter transmits and during a silent phase the transmitter does not transmit. The method further comprises activating the light when the second sensor is triggered; and deactivating the light after a period of time, the length of the period being determined at least in part by the occupancy signal transmitted by the first transmitter.
US09332613B2
This relates to a current limiter circuit that can be used in a power conversion system having a triac dimmer. In one example, the power conversion system may be used in an off-line LED driver. The current limiter circuit may be coupled to a power converter of the power conversion system and may operate to reduce the current that the power converter receives from an input line in the event of a power line surge. The current limiter circuit may also be coupled to the triac dimmer and may also operate as a damper for a portion of the half line cycle. The current limiter circuit may dampen the ringing in the triac current for a portion of the half line cycle and may cease dampening for the remaining portion of the half line cycle.
US09332612B1
Some embodiments include a model builder system that generates a color model to facilitate a color tunable lamp to mix the right amount of light from various color channels to reproduce a target color characteristic of a reference lamp. The model builder system can perform pre-computations that characterize the perceived characteristic of individual color channels and the reference lamp. The model builder system can divide the color channels of the color tunable lamp into floating channels and non-floating channels. Holding the operating points of the non-floating channels constant, the model builder system inverse solves for the necessary flux values of the color channels to reproduce the target color characteristic and to optimize color metrics.
US09332611B2
A method for controlling a multi-color signal assembly with a multi-color LED, a connection for voltage supply, and a control input. The control input is connected to a control output of a first control unit for controlling the signal assembly by pulse-width modulation signals (PWM signals) or to a signal assembly control output by the bus communication. After a supply voltage UB is connected, voltage UDI/BUS at the control input is measured within a predetermined time span Δt, wherein the first and second control units have respective first and second voltages at the control input within the time span Δt, wherein the first and second voltage are different. The signal assembly is placed in a BUS mode or in a PWM mode depending on the measured voltage UDI/BUS, can be controlled by bus communication in the BUS mode, and can be controlled by PWM signals in the PWM mode.
US09332610B2
A light fixture includes a light emitting module for radiating and illuminating a preset illumination area with a fixed illuminance; a light sensor unit mounted on and in electrical communication with the light emitting module, including a light guiding pipe having a first end for guiding reflection light beam from the preset illumination area into the guiding pipe and a light sensor component mounted on a second end of the guiding pipe for measuring an illuminance of the reflection light beam guided into the guiding pipe in order to modulate the light emitting module based on the measured illuminance in such a manner that the light emitting module is capable of actively automatically controlling and maintaining the preset illumination area with the fixed illuminance.
US09332609B1
A phase cut dimming LED driver includes a rectifier, a phase cut hold, a local regulator, controller, a power switch, a transformer, and a load detector. The phase cut hold is connected to the rectifier, one terminal of the primary winding of the transformer, and the local regulator. The controller includes pins connected to the local regulator, the power switch, and the aux winding of the transformer. The power switch is connected to the other terminal of the primary winding. The load detector is connected between the secondary winding of the transformer and a LED. The load detector sends the voltage or current signal of the LED to the controller, and the controller controls the power switch in an uninterrupted mode to keep the current or voltage in a condition to obtain higher PF and lower THD.
US09332605B2
A lighting system includes a switch configured so that when the switch is in a first state, current from a supply flows to a light emitter, and when the switch is in a second state, current from the supply flows through the switch bypassing the light emitter. A capacitor in parallel with the light emitter provides current to the light emitter sufficient to cause the light emitter to emit light when the switch is in the second state.
US09332603B2
A circuit arrangement (3) is provided for operating at least one low-power lighting unit with a power supply (4) and in particular with a self-oscillating power supply. The circuit arrangement (3) comprises at least an input (12) for receiving an operating voltage (28) from said power supply (4) and an output (11) for connection to one or more low-power lighting units. To allow an efficient operation of said low-power lighting unit with the power supply (4), the circuit (3) comprises a pulse generator (17), connected with said input (12) and adapted to inject at least one trigger pulse (40a, 40b) into said power supply (4) during operation.
US09332588B2
A method, an apparatus and a system for information transmission are provided. The method includes the following steps. A second user equipment receives update information issued by a wireless access point (AP). The second user equipment is located within a coverage area of the wireless AP. After detecting that the second user equipment has the update information, a first user equipment establishes a connection with the second user equipment and obtains the update information from the second user equipment. A wireless AP of the first user equipment is located outside the coverage area of the wireless AP. In the present invention, the user equipment can update the information without additionally increasing the transmit powers of the wireless AP and the user equipment when located outside the coverage area of the wireless AP, and thus the interference to other equipments is not increased.
US09332580B2
The invention is a mobile device collaboration framework (MDCF)—a form of communications framework, which enables devices to discover other devices that support the framework, access applications and services on those devices and exchange a variety of media and application-specific data. It is not tied to any one communications medium or protocol. It supports access restriction and data security at many levels. Sessions can involve multiple devices, creating subnets of devices, each with a shared purpose or task.
US09332579B2
A method for efficient establishing or configuring a connection between a telecommunications network and a customer premises equipment (CPE) via an access node includes: establishing a physical communication channel between the access; node of the telecommunications network and the CPE; providing a public or private Internet Protocol (IP) address to the CPE for use by the CPE to communicate with an IP Edge node of the telecommunications network; initially assigning a first functionality level to the public or private IP address; and assigning a second functionality level to the public or private IP address, when the telecommunications network is able to federate a network access related identification information to a contract related identification information.
US09332578B2
A method facilitates establishment of wireless pairing connections between wireless electronic devices by: initiating, at a first device, a connection utility that enables the first device to establish a wireless connection with at least one second device; capturing an image of a selected second device, representing a second device to which a wireless connection is desired; and scanning for identifying information about each discoverable second device that is within a connection range of the first device. The method further includes: forwarding the captured image and any detected identifying information to a wireless connectivity assist (WCA) service; receiving wireless connection setup and configuration (WCSC) instructions from the WCA service; and establishing the wireless connection with the selected second device utilizing wireless connection setup and configuration (WCSC) instructions received from the WCA service.
US09332577B2
A method and system for implementing a smart card remote operation are provided. A mobile phone gateway, used for communication between a remote management server and a smart card, is set up in advance on a mobile phone. The mobile phone gateway communicates with a UICC by using a BIP protocol, sets up/closes a channel according to an instruction of the UICC, receives/transmits data, and is capable of synchronizing channel states. The remote management server monitors, in a sever mode, a local port by using a TCP/IP data stack, and provides an HTTP/HTTPS protocol access service. The remote management server transmits, as a client, a command and data to the local port. After a data packet is forwarded by the gateway to the UICC and is processed by an SCWS, the gateway carries out data inspection of a certain level and control encapsulation on a response of the UICC.
US09332574B2
A method of establishing a persistent emergency call and positional indication of the call is provided. Upon a call center receiving a call by a user equipment (UE) device, a request for a the UE device to perform a function, such as provide its current location, is issued and a pseudo hold mode initiated by temporarily severing the voice call. The user of the UE device is aware of the pseudo hold mode but unaware of the call termination. While on the pseudo hold mode, the current location is determined, the call is subsequently reestablished and the pseudo hold mode terminated.
US09332570B2
A network node that serves a cell in a cellular communication system is operated. An air interface of the cellular communication system is divided up into sequentially occurring frames, each of the frames comprising a plurality of sequentially occurring sub-frames, each of the sub-frames comprising a plurality of sequentially occurring symbols. Operation includes receiving and detecting a request signal transmitted by a device within the cell. Based at least in part on a characteristic of the request signal that is indicative of one or more device capabilities of the device, an associated time/frequency position for transmitting a response signal is ascertained. The response signal is transmitted at the ascertained time/frequency position.
US09332569B2
A method and wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) for utilizing channel control information associated with enhanced uplink (EU) transmission is disclosed. The WTRU receives information via radio resource control (RRC) signaling and receives downlink (DL) control information for at least EU transmission. The WTRU determines whether the DL control information is intended for the WTRU based at least upon a first forty bit specific code sequence and a second forty bit specific code sequence received in at least one time slot and determines whether the DL control information is the first type or the second type. The WTRU utilizes the DL control information of the first type or the second type for at least EU transmission on a condition that the DL control information is intended for the WTRU.
US09332568B2
A base station able to maintain backward compatibility with an LTE mobile station while minimizing the amount of increase in uplink scheduling information reception and demodulation/decoding processing in independent uplink/downlink cell data transmission. A wireless communication system includes a cell #1, a cell #2, and an LTE-A mobile station, and supports independent uplink/downlink cell data transmission. The base station of the cell #2 arranges a PDCCH+, which includes uplink scheduling information from the LTE-A mobile station to the base station of the cell #2, in a downlink data region in the downlink connection of the base station of the cell #1.
US09332564B2
A method, apparatus and system to manage distributed channel access with time reservation are generally presented. In this regard, a reservation agent is introduced to reserve access to a wireless network channel for an amount of time greater than necessary to transmit to another station(s) and to transmit to the other station(s).
US09332563B2
A wireless communication includes: a communication unit; a storage unit; a transmission buffer; and a controller. The communication unit wirelessly communicates with a reception terminal. The storage unit stores information relating to a timing at which the reception terminal changes from a first state to a second state. The first state is a state of being able to receive data and continues for a first period. The second state is a state of being unable to receive data and continues for a second period. The first period is extended by a fixed duration when the reception terminal in the first state receives data. The transmission buffer temporarily stores segmented data constituting transmission data to be transmitted to the reception terminal. The controller controls the communication unit to wirelessly transmit dummy data to the reception terminal by the timing if the segmented data is not stored in the storage unit.
US09332554B1
A wireless apparatus node supporting wireless communications on a wireless local area network (WLAN). The wireless apparatus node includes: a local link prober, a remote link prober, a cross-link interference estimator, and a concurrent access controller. The local link prober probes a target node for channel information characterizing a communication channel for a local link therewith. The remote link prober probes a pair of device nodes on the WLAN capable of forming a remote link for cross-channel information characterizing communication channels there between. The cross-link interference estimator estimates interference signal levels at each node of the remote link resulting from communication over the local link. The concurrent access controller is responsive to a determination of an active communication on the remote link to allow a concurrent communication on the local link when interference levels at the remote link fall below a threshold level.
US09332553B2
For controlling a wireless transmission of a network element of a radio access network where signal propagation is unknown, wherein the network element is configured to inhibit use of a licensed shared access spectrum, interference levels in predefined reservation zones are determined, which are introduced by the network element when using the licensed shared access spectrum. It is checked whether or not the interference levels violate agreed interference levels in the predefined reservation zones of the licensed shared access spectrum, and the network element is configured to allow use of the licensed shared access spectrum in case the interference levels do not violate the agreed interference levels in the predefined reservation zones.
US09332549B2
Techniques are disclosed for Machine-to-Machine (M2M) Announce procedures that allow advertisement machine-to-machine service capabilities layer resources and subresources. Resource structures and signal flows of the various disclosed embodiments are defined.
US09332546B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide a radio resource optimizing method, apparatus, and system. The method includes: performing DPI on received network data, so as to identify a protocol type of the network data; if the network data is a first kind of data stream, identifying a heartbeat in the first kind of data stream, and obtaining heartbeat information of the heartbeat; when the heartbeat interval period of the heartbeat information is greater than a radio resource pre-allocated time slice, determining a radio resource bandwidth allocation parameter according to the heartbeat bandwidth requirement of the heartbeat information; and sending a radio resource allocation parameter including the radio resource bandwidth allocation parameter. In this way, the radio resource allocation parameter is dynamically set when an application runs in the background, thereby improving the utilization rate of an air interface bandwidth and time of a radio base station.
US09332545B2
A Method and System For Optimizing The Efficiency of SIGINT Collection Systems on Mobile Platforms with Limited Bandwidth Connections that is implementable in legacy signal collection systems. The resultant system first reduces potential upload bandwidth by eliminating whitespace in collected signals. Next, the system ignores collectable signals based on signals frequency or angle of arrival so as to identify energy of interest. Next, the system score and attributes a priority to each energy of interest, now known as signals of interest. The system then increases collection bandwidth on all signals of interest based on the score, priority and availability of resources. Finally, in real time, and based on SOI score and priority and the availability of downlink resources, the collected signal data is downlinked to the SIGINTcontrol center.
US09332544B2
The disclosure of the present invention provides a method for a Medical Body Area Network (MBAN) to control, through a master, the channel switching of an MBAN terminal that uses a channel of a first frequency band in an MBAN system. The method includes: receiving information related to the use of each channel of a second frequency band from an MBAN controller; and transmitting information on a channel of the second frequency band that the MBAN terminal is to switch on the basis of the received information related to the use of each channel of the second frequency band. The first frequency band and the second frequency band are distinguished from each other based on whether the MBAN terminal uses a corresponding frequency band first.
US09332543B2
A mobile radio device capable of receiving a radio signal whose frequency band switches, includes a setting unit that when the frequency band of the radio signal is a first frequency band, sets a first threshold corresponding to the first frequency band, and that when the frequency band switches from the first frequency band to a second frequency band different from the first frequency band, sets for a given period, a third threshold that is between the first threshold and a second threshold corresponding to the second frequency band and subsequently sets the second threshold; and a determining unit that determines a travel speed of the mobile radio device, based on a comparison of a moving average obtained by temporally accumulating variations of estimates of propagation characteristics of the radio signal and averaging the accumulated variations by a moving average method using a threshold set by the setting unit.
US09332538B2
A device for allocating a channel resource in a wireless network includes a Media Access Control (MAC)/MAC Layer Management Entity (MLME) sublayer and the MAC/MLME sublayer receives a primitive requesting to transmit a message for requesting the channel resource from an upper layer; transmits the message for requesting the channel resource to a coordinator, wherein the message for requesting the channel resource includes information about a duration of the channel resource; and receives channel resource allocation information for allocating the channel resource from a MAC/MLME sublayer of the coordinator, the channel resource allocation information including information about a duration of the allocated channel resource, wherein the device transmits a first message to a second device during the channel resource allocated based upon the channel resource allocation information, and receives a second message from the second device in response to the first message during the allocated channel resource.
US09332536B1
A method and apparatus to help manage communication on a wireless channel. When a neighboring node detects on a wireless channel a ready-to-send (RTS) message from a transmitting node to a receiving node, the neighboring node will set itself to avoid transmission on the channel for a time period but will then determine whether it detects in that time period a further transmission from the transmitting node to the receiving node, related to the data transmission. The further transmission may be a confirmation-to-send (CoTS) message that the transmitting node sends to the receiving node in response to a clear-to-send (CTS) from the receiving node. If the determination is affirmative, then the neighboring node will continue avoiding use of the channel. But if the determination is negative, then the neighboring node will discontinue avoiding use of the channel.
US09332535B2
A method and apparatus are provided for transmitting and receiving control information in a wireless communication system supporting multi-cell transmission. A method includes receiving a first pilot signal from a first cell and a second pilot signal from a second cell; generating first control information indicating channel quality for the first cell and second control information indicating channel quality for the second cell, based on the first pilot signal and the second pilot signal, respectively; separately encoding the first control information and the second control information; separately power controlling the encoded first control information and the encoded second control information; transmitting, on the first cell, the power controlled, encoded first control information on a first control channel; and transmitting, on the first cell, the power controlled, encoded second control information on a second control channel.
US09332531B2
A system includes at least one data collection device, each connected to a corresponding data terminal via a primary communication channel; and a central connectivity point connected to each data collection device via a wireless secondary communication channel so as to communicate with the at least one data collection device without disrupting communication between the at least data collection device and the corresponding data terminal via the primary communication channel and to permit remote administration of each data collection device.
US09332530B2
A mobile communication method according to the present invention includes: a step A of broadcasting, by a radio base station eNB, “ac-Barring For TYPE x” for barring an access by each type of an EPS bearer in a subordinate cell; and a step B of determining, by a mobile station UE, whether an originating call request is transmitted or not depending on whether the “ac-Barring For TYPE x” corresponding to a type of the EPS bearer set to a destination APN of the originating call request in a standby cell is broadcasted or not.
US09332521B2
Access from a communication terminal apparatus is received, and identification information that enables identification of a position of a communication terminal apparatus from which the access has been received and transmission data are acquired from the communication terminal apparatus, and are stored in a storage unit. Then, if access has been received from a communication terminal apparatus next and thereafter, the transmission data stored in the storage unit is transmitted to the communication terminal apparatus on the basis of identification information that enables identification of a position of the communication terminal apparatus.
US09332517B2
The present invention relates to a method and device for an access point to transmit a signal in a wireless communication system. A method for an access point to transmit a synchronization signal includes: generating a frame for synchronizing a timer of a station connected to an access point; and transmitting the frame for synchronization. The frame for synchronization may be transmitted before/after all Target Beacon Transmission Times.
US09332515B2
Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a transmitter, a receiver and methods of operating a transmitter and a receiver. In one embodiment, the transmitter includes a synchronization unit configured to provide a primary synchronization signal and a secondary synchronization signal having first and second segments. The transmitter also includes a secondary scrambling unit configured to provide a scrambled secondary synchronization signal, wherein scrambling agents for the first and second segments are derived from a primary synchronization sequence of the primary synchronization signal. The secondary scrambling unit is further configured to provide an additional scrambling of one of the first and second segments, wherein a second scrambling agent is derived from the remaining segment of a secondary synchronization sequence of the secondary synchronization signal. The transmitter further includes a transmit unit configured to transmit the primary synchronization signal and the scrambled secondary synchronization signal.
US09332512B2
At least one of transmissions and receptions over allocated radio resources within a first timing advance group are synchronized using a first timer; and similar for allocated radio resources within a second timing advance group that are synchronized using a second timer. In response to determining that the first timer remains synchronized while the second timer is not synchronized with a radio network which has allocated the respective radio resources, a first procedure is followed for the case in which there is a primary component carrier within the second timing advance group and a different second procedure for the case in which there is no primary component carrier within the second timing advance group. In an exemplary embodiment, a message is sent to the radio network indicating that the second timer has expired. Various distinctions between the two procedures, and how the message is sent, are detailed for different embodiments.
US09332506B2
The following relates to a method, apparatus and computer program for a mobile transceiver 200 and a base station transceiver 300 of a cellular mobile communication network communicating with the mobile transceiver 200 using packet switched data, the mobile communication network comprising a plurality of base station transceivers 300, 301. A base station transceiver 300, 301 operating one or more cells 300a, 301a. The mobile station is associated with a first cell 300a. Interference reduction information is received from a second cell 301a, the interference reduction information comprising an indication on a request of the second cell 301a to reduce the transmission power of the mobile transceiver 200 to reduce the interference power received at the second cell 301a. A transmission power of the mobile transceiver 200 is reduced based on the interference reduction information from the second cell 301a and based on a reduction criterion.
US09332504B2
A system and method of uplink power control in a fixed wireless backhaul network, wherein determining an uplink transmit power of each remote backhaul module (RBM) comprises obtaining an interference-over-thermal (IoT) noise value of each hub, determining a target IoT noise value for each RBM, determining a total path loss from each RBM to its serving hub, determining a target uplink carrier to interference and noise ratio (CINR) for the RBM, and computing the RBM uplink transmit power for each RBM by summing the target IoT noise value for the RBM, the total path loss of the RBM to its serving hub, and the target uplink CINR. Computationally expensive parameter sweeps are avoided. The method can be implemented using a centralized processing unit or distributed processing at each node. The method is self-optimizing, and initial hub and RBM transmit powers and other data may be estimated using pre-deployment tools.
US09332503B2
Embodiments of the present invention disclose a method for controlling power of an uplink multiple-input multiple-output channel, and a user equipment that are used to support an uplink MIMO application scenario and implement control of transmit power of a UE. The method in the embodiments of the present invention includes: when total transmit power of a user equipment UE is greater than maximum allowed transmit power, performing, by the UE, power reduction for an uplink multiple-input multiple-output MIMO channel on which a main data transmission block and a secondary data transmission block are sent, so that the total transmit power of the UE after the reduction is less than or equal to the maximum allowed transmit power.
US09332502B2
A method for uplink channel estimation comprises providing of a channel state model in a channel estimator. An uplink radio signal of a present time slot is obtained in the channel estimator as well as a series of transmit power control commands issued for controlling a transmit power of the uplink radio signal. A delay between the time a transmit power control command is issued and the time that the transmit power control command is applied is estimated based on measurements of the particular received uplink radio signal. Channel states are adapted based on a transmit power control command compatible with the estimated delay. After the adaptation, channel states of the present time slot are estimated in the channel estimator, by tracking the demodulated uplink radio signal with the channel state model. A channel estimator performing such method is also described.
US09332500B2
A method can control electronic equipment. The electronic equipment includes a wireless transceiver and is able to communicate with an electronic station. The wireless transceiver is able to receive wireless signals from the station with a variable receiving power level. The receiving power level depends on the transmission power level of the station, and the wireless transceiver is able to transmit wireless signals to the station. The method includes measuring the receiving power level of the wireless signals, comparing the receiving power level with a first threshold and a second threshold, and transmitting wireless signals with a first power level or a second power level based on the comparison results obtained.
US09332489B2
A method and system for operating a multi-Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) mobile device are provided. The method includes determining whether at least one Registered Public Land Mobile Network (RPLMN) among a first RPLMN of a first SIM and a second RPLMN of a second SIM of the multi-SIM mobile device is unavailable to the multi-SIM mobile device when the multi-SIM mobile device triggers a Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) search, identifying a common PLMN, from a first PLMN set associated with the first SIM and a second PLMN set associated with the second SIM, in response to determining that the at least one RPLMN among the first RPLMN and the second RPLMN is unavailable, and camping on the common PLMN by the first SIM and the second SIM after acquiring camping information of the common PLMN.
US09332485B1
An integrated circuit includes a control module and a physical layer device. The control module (i) during each of multiple beacon intervals, operates a mobile device in a sleep mode or a listen mode, and (ii) for each of the beacon intervals, selects a length of the sleep mode or the listen mode such that resulting lengths of the sleep mode or the listen mode vary randomly. The control module partially or fully powers down the mobile device during the sleep mode. The physical layer device (i) wirelessly transmits, while the control module operates the mobile device in an active mode, a signal to discover one or more peers in a peer-to-peer network, and (ii) while the control module is operating the mobile device in the listen mode, receives responses to the signal. The control module determines which of the peers are discoverable based on the responses.
US09332483B2
To suppress increase in the amount of signals due to repetition of transition to a “Preservation state” and return to an “Active state,” a mobile station UE according to the present invention includes: a receiving unit 13 configured to receive access restriction information against communication satisfying a predetermined condition during the “Preservation state,” from a radio access network; and a transmitting unit 12 configured to transmit an “RRC CONNECTION REQUEST” to the radio access network in a case where the mobile station UE transitions from the “Preservation state” to the “Active state.” The transmitting unit 12 is configured to decide whether or not to transmit an “RRC CONNECTION REQUEST” for the communication satisfying the predetermined condition, on the basis of the access restriction information.
US09332472B2
A node of a secondary RAT that is in communication with a primary node of a primary RAT and UEs that are able to communicate by way of the primary and secondary RATs. The node includes a network interface unit of the node which receives a message from the primary node that indicates that the primary RAT is in an overload condition. The node includes a processing unit of the node which forms UE messages for the UEs not to try to communicate with the primary RAT, the network interface unit of the node sending the messages to the UEs. A method of a node of a secondary RAT that is in communication with a primary node of a primary RAT and UEs that are able to communicate by way of the primary and secondary RATs.
US09332465B2
Systems and methods for improved interference management by Wi-Fi devices are disclosed. The interference management may be achieved by monitoring, by the Wi-Fi device, signaling energy on a communication channel in a frequency band associated with the Wi-Fi device, comparing the monitored signal energy with a known waveform signature corresponding to Long Term Evolution (LTE) operation, and identifying a presence of an LTE interferer on the communication channel in the frequency band associated with the Wi-Fi device based on the comparison.
US09332464B2
Aspects directed towards measurement procedures in multicarrier operation are disclosed. In a particular aspect, a wireless terminal selects a subset of cells, which include at least one serving cell and at least one non-serving cell. The subset of cells are then evaluated by obtaining a first measurement associated with the at least one serving cell and a second measurement associated with the at least one non-serving cell. A measurement event occurrence, which is based on a comparison between the first measurement and the second measurement, is then monitored. An occurrence of the measurement event triggers a measurement report transmission, which the network then uses to perform handovers. Other disclosed embodiments are directed towards placing a reception band, which include identifying a set of assigned component carriers and placing a reception band within the system bandwidth so that the placement overlaps with at least a portion of the assigned component carriers.
US09332463B2
Determining a geographic location of a cellular base station is disclosed. In some embodiments, a set of measurement data that includes for each of a plurality of signals received at the base station a corresponding measurement data is determined. The set of measurement data is used to determine the geographic location of the base station. In some embodiments, a set of measurement data is received. The received measurement data includes for each of a plurality of location measurement units at which a signal transmitted by the base station is received a corresponding measurement data associated with the signal. The set of measurement data is used to determine the geographic location of the base station.
US09332461B2
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 measured signal strength of at least one Long Term Evolution network access point.
US09332460B2
The method and apparatus for CSFB are provided. The method includes transmitting a MO CS request to a LTE network or receiving a MT CS call notification from a LTE network; triggering or accepting a CSFB procedure by the UE; receiving redirection information from the LTE network; judging whether system information corresponding to candidate cells is provided in the redirection information; acquiring system information corresponding to candidate cells, wherein the system information includes location area identifications (LAI) corresponding to candidate cells in the redirection information to determine whether the candidate cells belong to a registered LA; setting the candidate cell belonging to the registered LA to a higher priority; selecting the candidate cell with the higher priority as a target cell; and connecting to the target cell first.
US09332457B2
A method includes computing a minimum sensitivity threshold value for a particular wireless device, configuring the particular wireless device to receive wireless signals with a signal strength higher than the minimum sensitivity threshold value, distributing the minimum sensitivity threshold value to other wireless devices, and configuring the other wireless devices based on the minimum sensitivity threshold value for the particular wireless device.
US09332456B2
Embodiments of a system and method for providing DRX enhancements in LTE systems are generally described herein. In some embodiments, a system control module is provided for controlling communications via a communications interface. A processor is coupled to the system control module and is arranged to implement an inactivity timer and an on-duration timer for determining an active time for monitoring subframes on the physical downlink control channel for control signals, the processor further monitoring subframes after the active time.
US09332454B2
Method, system and program product for detecting, quantifying and localizing of wireless interferers
A method, system and program product comprise receiving spectrum data from one or more WiFi communication devices being configured to be operable as observers of transmissions within a frequency band associated with a WiFi communication system. The spectrum data at least comprises signal levels and timing information for WiFi communication signals and non-WiFi signals observed within the frequency band. WiFi interferers are distinguished using at least the signal levels and timing information for the non-WiFi signals. A real-time interference impact on the observed WiFi communication signals for each of the distinguished WIFi interferers is determined.
US09332453B2
Method, apparatus and computer program product for monitoring wireless wide area network almanac integrity in a wireless wide area network are disclosed. In one embodiment, the method comprises receiving crowdsourcing data from a plurality of mobile devices, determining a change to a wireless wide area network almanac using the crowdsourcing data, and updating a database in accordance with the change to the wireless wide area network almanac.
US09332445B2
A coordinated processing method and system for northbound data configuration and self-organized network configuration, the method includes: a northbound configuration module sending a data configuration request and an SON function management module sending a parameter optimization request to a conflict resolution module; the conflict resolution module receiving the requests, and if judging that the parameter requested by the northbound configuration module to be configured conflicts with the parameter requested by the SON function management module to be configured, then sending a conflict judgment message indicating conflict to the northbound configuration module and the SON function management module; after receiving the message, the northbound configuration module performing data configuration in the data configuration request and reporting conflict information to a superior network management; after receiving the message, the SON function management module notifying the SON function module to perform parameter rollback and/or end a current self-optimization procedure.
US09332444B2
There is provided an invention whose object is to efficiently perform exchange of control information, for example, in the case where a plurality of cells cooperate to moderate inter-cell interference, like the IA technology.There is provided a communication system in which there is a plurality of communication areas in which a base station apparatus and at least one terminal apparatus perform wireless communication, and the plurality of communication areas are adjacent to or overlap one another, wherein, in each communication area, in a case of performing cooperative control that performs communication while taking into consideration communication conditions in at least one another communication area, a base station apparatus in one communication area among the plurality of communication areas notifies a base station apparatus in another communication area of information for starting the cooperative control.
US09332442B2
A mobile device which is moved within this network can stay connected to the network. The network routes signals from client to client and from the Internet to client using transceivers. The transceivers in the relay can be a software radio and can be software controlled. Streams of bits are transferred from a source to a destination in a wireless network. Portions of these streams of bits can be transferred between these software radios to distribute signals in the network. In addition, servers can be located within the network to provide local and immediate high bandwidth information. As the bandwidth increases, the range of the wireless signal typically decreases. Thus, inserting relays or multiple transceivers can be used to maintain high bandwidth coverage over a large networking range.
US09332441B2
A system and methodology that can utilize measurement data collected by a set of femto access points (FAPs), during a network listen procedure, to detect one or more areas with weak macro network coverage and/or high interference. Moreover, an automatic cell planning (ACP) component can be employed to analyze the measurement data and update a transmission parameter(s) associated with a macro access point. After the update is implemented, the ACP component can trigger another network listen procedure at the set of FAPs and receive new measurement data. The ACP component can evaluate the new measurement data to dynamically verify that the implementation of the update resulted in an improvement of macro network coverage and/or interference within the one or more areas.
US09332429B2
A spectral content of a baseband waveform is varied and a measure of the baseband waveform whose spectral content has been varied is used by a transmitter in order to convey information. According to embodiments of inventive concepts, a set of frequencies that is used to provide spectral content to the baseband waveform is varied. In some embodiments, the spectral content comprises non-contiguous first and second frequency intervals wherein a third frequency interval that is between the first and second frequency intervals remains substantially devoid of providing spectral content in order to reduce or avoid interference. In other embodiments, the spectral content that is varied comprises a bandwidth that is varied. The inventive concepts are relevant to 4G LTE carrier aggregation systems/methods and/or other aspects of 4G LTE. Various transmitter/receiver embodiments are disclosed including direct synthesis transmitter/receiver embodiments.
US09332425B2
A method for routing calls between a third party telecommunications device (“TD”) and a subscriber TD associated with a primary service and a second line service (“SLS”) involves associating the SLS number of the subscriber, the primary number of the subscriber and the primary number of a third party via a common relationship number. Calls directed from a third party to the SLS number of a subscriber are routed to an SLS platform and redirected to the subscriber TD. Calls directed from the subscriber TD to the third party use the relationship number to route the call to the SLS platform. The combination of the primary service number and the relationship number identifies the third party number for call completion. Calls can be directed to and from an SLS number of a subscriber TD using a combination of protocols such as ISUP, CAP and SIP.
US09332420B2
A method and an apparatus for managing User Equipment (UE) history information are provided. The method for managing user equipment history information in a wireless communication network includes determining if a recording event occurs when the user equipment enters into an idle mode; recording information about the recording event in idle mode user equipment history information when the recording event occurs; and transmitting the recorded idle mode user equipment history information to a base station when the user equipment accesses the base station.
US09332418B2
A network apparatus and a method of switching a data network for a network apparatus are provided. The network apparatus includes a plurality of User Identity Modules (UIMs), a transceiver module, and a switching unit. The UIMs are used to provide a plurality of network service plans, wherein the network apparatus operates in a first network service plan corresponding to a first UIM of the UIMs. The transceiver module is arranged to receive a plurality of network packets corresponding to the network service plans. The switching unit is arranged to obtain a plurality of corresponding network connection information from the network packets, performing an information-matching operation upon the plurality of corresponding network connection information to generate a matching result by referring to a profile database, and determining if the network apparatus is required to be switched to operate in a second network service plan according to the matching result.
US09332405B2
The present invention discloses a short message backup method, mobile terminal, server, and system, and belongs to the field of communications. The method includes: obtaining a local short message of a mobile terminal, and storing the local short message of the mobile terminal in a local short message backup database file according to a preset format supported by a remote server; and sending the short message backup database file to the server, so that the server stores the short message backup database file and a user account, so as to complete short message backup. In the present invention, by storing a short message of a mobile terminal of a user as a short message backup database file of a preset format supported by a remote server, and sending it to the server for storage, the reliability and compatibility of short message backup are improved, and an operation is simple.
US09332395B2
The present invention relates to a mobile network (10) organized into a plurality of location areas and service areas gathering a geographically homogeneous set of cells of the mobile network, with gathering of the femtocells into specific additional service areas. The arrival of a received phone call intended to a user equipment (14) coupled to a femtocell (30) triggers a location step, with communication to the switching center of a rough location comprising the service area codes SAC and location area codes LAC corresponding to the femtocell, and of a fine location comprising unique data, such as IP address and INSEE code, of identification of the Internet box (20) associated to the femtocell. The femtocells may hence operate in open mode, each femtocell being able to be coupled to any user equipment registered with the mobile network operator.
US09332391B2
Systems and methods for providing location estimates of user equipment to be used in location based services are provided. Data collected from users in a local radio access network (RAN), such as an Enterprise RAN (E-RAN), as well as configuration information of the local RAN/E-RAN is siphoned from the system and utilized in conjunction with a location engine to provide a high accuracy location estimate for users in an indoor environment. The siphoned data is provided in a real-time location stream to the location engine.
US09332381B2
Described herein are techniques related to location-aware application recommendations in wireless devices. For example, an application recommendation alert may be displayed at the wireless device based on a current location, time, and data of the wireless device. Further, relevant applications to user location based on where the wireless device that are placed for sale at the market may be displayed at the wireless device.
US09332372B2
An apparatus, method and computer program product relating to spatialized audio. There is a set of headphones having an accelerometer and a tilt sensor for tracking the location and orientation of the set of headphones and a computer apparatus which includes a headphone position processor to receive headphone location and orientation information from the set of headphones, virtual speaker location processors (VSLPs) which receive a digital signal containing audio information from a digital audio stream and a digital signal containing headphone location and orientation information from the headphone position processor and output a digital signal containing audio information, a summing processor to receive the digital output signals from the VSLPs, sum them and output them to a digital to analog (D/A) converter. The D/A converter converts the summed digital output signals received from the VSLPs to an analog signal and outputs the analog signal to the set of headphones.
US09332366B2
A loudspeaker noise inspection method is to be implemented by an electronic device and includes the steps of: obtaining a frequency sweeping audio signal from an audio output generated by a loudspeaker in response to a frequency sweeping input signal; performing differentiation upon the frequency sweeping audio signal so as to generate a differentiated frequency sweeping audio signal; and dividing the differentiated frequency sweeping audio signal by a constant which is greater than 2π times a maximum frequency of the frequency sweeping audio signal, so as to obtain an attenuated frequency sweeping audio signal for inspection of a noise pulse in the frequency sweeping audio signal.
US09332361B2
A replaceable filter member for a hearing aid device is disclosed. The filter member comprising an unit with a housing configured to be inserted into the ear canal of a user of the hearing aid device. The filter member is configured to prevent ear wax from entering an opening in the housing. The filter member is a one-piece body that is configured to cover several openings in the unit while being attached to the unit.
US09332358B2
Monitoring usage of a hearing device includes: c) checking whether a message has been received within a time period (dt) shorter than a pre-defined time period (Dt) via a long-distance communication network in a remote device; and d) generating usage status data dependent on the result of the checking addressed in step c). The usage status data are indicative of the usage of the hearing device, indicating “use” if the time period (dt) is smaller than or equal to the pre-defined time period (Dt) and indicating “non-use” if the time period (dt) is larger than the pre-defined time period (Dt). The message includes identification data for identifying the hearing device or a user of said hearing device. The remote device is located remote from the hearing device and connected to the long-distance communication network. The time period (dt) starts from a start event.
US09332353B2
A plane-type speaker where, on one of the main surfaces of an exciter film, there are placed piezoelectric films which are expanded and contracted by sound-releasing driving signals applied thereto. An oscillation plate is secured to the excited film through frame members. The oscillation plate has a flat-plate shape and is secured to the exciter film while having a warped shape such that it is gradually spaced further away from the exciter film, with decreasing distance from the secured ends to a center area, when viewed at a side surface. This realizes a state where the exciter film is pulled outwardly with respect to the secured ends due to bending stresses therein. If sound-releasing driving signals are applied to the piezoelectric films in this state, the exciter film contracts and expands along with the expansion and contraction of the piezoelectric films, thereby causing the oscillation plate to oscillate.
US09332331B2
A data processing method and an electronic apparatus are described. The hand-held electronic apparatus has a microphone array that includes at least two kinds of usage modes. The microphone array is in a first usage mode of the at least two kinds of usage modes when the hand-held electronic apparatus is in a first usage status. The method includes receiving an adjustment signal to adjust the hand-held electronic apparatus from the first usage status to a second usage status, wherein, the second usage status is different from the first usage status; obtaining a control command when the hand-held electronic apparatus is adjusted to the second usage status; adjusting the microphone array from the first usage mode to the second usage mode according to, wherein, the second usage mode is different from the first usage mode and corresponds to the second usage status.
US09332329B2
An electronic apparatus includes the following elements. A housing has at least an opening and an accommodating space. A first circuit board is disposed in the accommodating space. A battery module disposed in the accommodating space is stacked over the first circuit board. A display module disposed in the accommodating space is stacked over the battery module. The display module is visible through the opening. A second circuit board is disposed in the accommodating space and beside the battery module. At least a part of the second circuit board is not disposed below the display module. A first speaker is disposed in the accommodating space and below the part of the second circuit board. The first speaker has a top side with a first sound hole aligned to a slot of the part of the second circuit board.
US09332328B2
The invention provides a magnetic yoke used for a moving-iron microphone/transducer, which comprises an inner through hole, an enclosed soft magnet and two end surfaces orthogonal to the enclosed soft magnet. The magnetic yoke is one-piece configured, the outer peripheral surface of the soft magnet and the inner through hole respectively is used for connecting with an armature and a magnetic piece of the microphone/transducer, and one of the two end surfaces is used for connecting with an induction coil of the microphone/transducer, to form a vibrating/transducing drive mechanism. The manufacturing process of the magnetic yoke comprises forming a tube by drawing process and cutting the tube.
US09332317B1
Systems, methods, and articles of manufacture for searching available programs in a broadcast system. A system in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present invention comprises a transmitter, transmitting a plurality of video programs and a program guide, the program guide comprising information related to the plurality of video programs, a receiver for receiving the plurality of programs and the program guide from the transmitter, a monitor, coupled to the receiver, for displaying at least a selected one of the plurality of video programs and for selectively displaying the program guide, and a remote control, coupled to the receiver, wherein the receiver accepts at least one input from the remote control, compares the information in the program to the at least one input, and presents a search result of programs from the plurality of programs having a matching characteristic with the at least one input.
US09332315B2
A video commentary system receives video content items from users in a community. Such video content items are presented to viewers in the community. The system presents submission controls through which the viewers can submit feedback related to specific time points within that presentation. The controls can be used to submit textual, video, or audio comments. The controls can include labeled buttons that viewers can activate to submit categorized comments. Each submission is associated with a timestamp corresponding to the current video frame. The user interface includes regions that display, in real-time, the submissions received from the viewers. Submissions can indicate their timestamps. A bar graph indicates, by category and by time interval, quantities of categorized comments that have been received relating to various time intervals in the presentation.
US09332314B2
Methods and apparatuses for presenting targeted advertisements to DVR users are described. After a DVR has finished playing a recorded television program, or in response to other specified events, the DVR presents a screen which comprises a “save or delete” menu. In addition to the “save” and “delete” options, the menu additionally comprises one or more other options. Each of these other options may correspond to a separate promotional item. For example, a user's selection of such an option may cause the DVR to display or play an advertisement on the user's television set. Additionally or alternatively, these other options, when selected by a user, may cause the DVR to display a user interface through which the user can actually purchase a product or service. The product or service advertised or offered may be one that was featured or referenced in the television program that the user was just watching.
US09332313B2
A personalized audio and/or video (AV) stream is created for a user. A first stream of AV data is selected by reference to predetermined user preferences. One or more further data streams having a predetermined relation to the first stream are selected. Portions of the first stream are identified and captured by reference to identifying predetermined indicia in a group of streams consisting of the first stream and the one or more further data streams, where the capturing comprises capturing one or more time stamps from the group of streams. The personalized AV stream, comprising a captured portion of the first stream and data selected by reference to the predetermined indicia from at least one of the further data streams is generated, where the data selected is based on each captured timestamp.
US09332312B2
A video display device performing wireless communication with a plurality of external devices is provided. The video display device includes a display unit, a memory formed according to driving of an external device and configured to store state information of the external device, a tuner configured to receive advertisement data including a plurality of content items selectively outputtable to the display unit, in real time; and a controller configured to control the display unit to output a content item matched to state information of the external device.
US09332311B2
A digital video recorder is disclosed. The digital video recorder includes at least one memory device, a plurality of communication access points for receiving at least one program play, an open application programming interface associated with the at least one memory device, and at least one correlation engine in communication with the open application programming interface. The plurality of applications correspondent to the open application programming interface allow a user to manipulate metadata associated with ones of the programs plays and the metadata relates to interframe interactivity with detailed aspects of the ones of the program plays. The at least one correlation engine provides for correlation among at least for the interframes of the program play to ones of the interframes of other ones of the program plays, and among the interframe interactivity to the interframes of the program play to interframe interactivity with the other ones of the interframes of the other ones of the program plays.
US09332304B2
A system and method for providing awareness in a hospitality environment are presented. In one embodiment, a vertical and horizontal array of set-top boxes is provided and each set-top box includes an identification corresponding to the room in which the set-top box is placed. Each set-top box includes a wireless transceiver that periodically transmits an identification beacon that is received by a proximate wireless-enabled interactive device. The proximate wireless-enabled interactive device, in turn, broadcasts data packets including an indication of the strength of set-top box identification signals received. The broadcasts are received by a server via an array of wireless routers. The location of the proximate wireless-enabled interactive device is determined based on the signal strength information in the data packets.
US09332303B2
A system and method for providing companion content on a device that downloads content associated with a media presentation playing on a media player and displays the downloaded content at times synchronized to time-offsets (from the start of the program) of the presentation by signals from the media player.
US09332302B2
A method for presenting advertisements for commercial products in video productions, whereby the commercial product is placed in the video production as an element of the video production. A viewer is enabled to interact with the video production to select the product. Information is then displayed about the selected product; and the viewer is enabled to purchase the selected product.
US09332297B2
Security processor (42) for a decoder able to receive a scrambled multimedia signal, this processor comprising: —at least one first rewritable lock (FIELDKEY, FIELDPIEMM, FIELDPIEMMC, FIELDPIECM, FIELDFCT) whose value can be toggled between a first and a second predetermined value in response to an EMM or ECM message, —a restriction function able to authorize and, alternately, prohibit, as a function of the value of the first lock, only one particular operation of the security processor, this particular operation being chosen from the group composed of: the use of a cryptographic key, the processing of a parameter contained in an EMM or ECM message received, and the execution of an elementary conditional access function of the code of the application.
US09332284B1
Disclosed are various embodiments for selecting personalized advertisements to be transmitted to a user device during the streaming of advertisement-supported media item content. A primary user and a secondary user may be associated with the consumption of media item content being streaming to a user device. Based on the identification of both the primary user and secondary user, presence metadata may be generated. Using at least the presence metadata, advertisements that are appropriate for and target both the primary and any secondary users may be selected and transmitted to the client device.
US09332279B2
A method is used for encoding digital video data corresponding to a sequence of original input video frames. The method comprises: encoding a first original input video frame into an INTER-frame; decoding and reconstructing said INTER-frame into a reference frame; creating an INTRA input frame comprising information from both a second original input video frame and said reference frame; and encoding said INTRA input frame into an INTRA-frame. A digital video encoder system is used for encoding digital video data corresponding to a sequence of original input video frames by encoding the sequence of original input video frames using INTRA- and INTER-mode.
US09332278B2
A method including: obtaining video information at a video decoder apparatus, the video information including largest coding units of video data and filtering information, each of the largest coding units having a common size; obtaining, at the video decoder apparatus, an adaptive loop filter on/off indicator for each of the largest coding units, wherein each of the largest coding units includes a respective adaptive loop filter on/off indicator; and performing, by the video decoder apparatus, adaptive loop filtering to the largest coding units if the respective adaptive on/off indicators are on.
US09332276B1
Coding a video stream having a plurality of frames is disclosed. A frame of a video stream is processed to determine if direct motion prediction can be applied to the macroblocks of the frame. Macroblocks to which direct motion can be applied are grouped into superblocks. The distribution of superblock size and configuration is analyzed to determine variable-length codes that can vary for each frame or segment encoded using direct prediction superblocks, thereby reducing the number of bits used to indicate superblock encoding in the encoded video stream.
US09332272B2
An encoding apparatus includes a processor that calculates and stores, an evaluation value for each candidate vector, based on a given block to be encoded among blocks formed by dividing an image, and a reference block on a reference image represented by each candidate vector that is a candidate motion vector of the given block; identifies an evaluation value of a first candidate motion vector of the given block, based on the stored evaluation values; calculates an evaluation value of a second candidate motion vector, based on the evaluation value of each candidate vector and the second candidate motion vector selected for the given block from among motion vectors of blocks adjacent to the given block; and determines the first or the second candidate motion vector to be the motion vector of the given block, based on the respective evaluation values of the first and the second candidate motion vectors.
US09332268B2
An electronic device for sending a message is described. The electronic device includes a processor and instructions stored in memory that is in electronic communication with the processor. The electronic device determines whether a picture is allowed to be decoded on a sub-picture level. If the picture is allowed to be decoded on a sub-picture level, the electronic device generates at least one of a buffer size parameter and a buffer scale parameter. The electronic device sends at least one of the buffer size parameter and the buffer scale parameter.
US09332259B2
A video encoder generates a bitstream that includes a syntax element that indicates whether a picture is encoded according either a first coding mode or a second coding mode. In the first coding mode, the picture is entirely encoded using wavefront parallel processing (WPP). In the second coding mode, each tile of the picture is encoded without using WPP and the picture may have one or more tiles. A video decoder may parse the syntax element from the bitstream. In response to determining that the syntax element has a particular value, the video decoder decodes the picture entirely using WPP. In response to determining that the syntax element does not have the particular value, the video decoder decodes each tile of the picture without using WPP.
US09332251B2
The present invention provides a method whereby the spatial relationship and orientations of one or more three-dimensional objects being illuminated by an optical projector, and the optical projector itself, can be very accurately defined both quickly and easily. The present invention also provides a novel computerized optical projection system whereby three-dimensional data when viewed by the human eye projected onto three-dimensional objects is not deformed as a result of the non-planar projection surface. In one embodiment, the invention provides computerized optical assembly or manufacturing guidance systems, and related methods, that provide step-by-step assembly or manufacturing instructions for instructing technicians how to assemble or manufacture three-dimensional objects or systems. The assembly instructions are in the form of calibrated three-dimensional text, images and/or symbols, and are projected by one or a plurality of optical projectors that are in operable communication with one or a plurality of computers onto the three-dimensional objects or systems, or component parts or skins thereof.
US09332244B2
An information processing apparatus comprises an image capturing unit configured to output a maximum tone value for each tone point at which exposure exceeds a saturation light amount; a calculation unit configured to calculate individual tone intersections by interpolating tone distributions of a first and second luminance pattern lights that were output by the image capturing unit; and a light quantity adjustment unit configured to adjust the quantity of light that enters the image sensor such that the tone values of tone points that are adjacent to the tone intersections and are used in calculation of the individual tone intersections are lower than the maximum tone value, and the tone value of at least one tone point other than the adjacent tone points is equal to the maximum tone value.
US09332243B2
A system and methods for real-time or near-real time processing and post-processing of RGB-D image data using a handheld portable device and using the results for a variety of applications. The disclosure is based on the combination of off-the-shelf equipment (e.g. an RGB-D camera and a smartphone/tablet computer) in a self-contained unit capable of performing complex spatial reasoning tasks using highly optimized computer vision algorithms. New applications are disclosed using the instantaneous results obtained and the wireless connectivity of the host device for remote collaboration. One method includes steps of projecting a dot pattern from a light source onto a plurality of points on a scene, measuring distances to the points, and digitally reconstructing an image or images of the scene, such as a 3D view of the scene. A plurality of images may also be stitched together to re-position an orientation of the view of the scene.
US09332236B2
To control a laser used as a light source according to an input image, while satisfying a safety standard, a projector includes lasers provided for each of a plurality of colors, a dichroic mirror that synthesizes laser beams emitted by the lasers, an LCOS panel that modulates synthesized light by the dichroic mirror, and a projection lens that projects the light modulated by the LCOS panel. A processor determines rate of power of the laser beams according to the image signal, determines, according to the rate of the power, an upper limit value of the power of the projected laser beam in each color to the extent that the upper limit value satisfies a safety standard, and adjusts the laser beam in each color emitted by the corresponding laser so as to prevent the projected light beam in each color from exceeding the upper limit value.
US09332224B2
A computer-implemented method, computer program product, and computing system is provided for managing quality of experience for video conferences. In an implementation, a method may include determining a capacity of a participant associated with a video conference. The method may also include determining a number of remote participants of the video conference. The method may further include implementing a video distribution architecture for the participant based upon, at least in part, the capacity of the participant and the number of remote participants. Implementing the video distribution architecture for the participant may include implementing a distributed architecture session for the participant if the capacity of the participant is greater than or equal to the number of remote participants of the video conference. Implementing the video distribution architecture for the participant may also include implementing a centralized architecture session for the participant if the capacity of the participant is less than the number of remote participants of the video conference.
US09332214B2
A video signal adjustment system that is capable of being connected between a server and a console includes: a server unit that is connected to the server; a main unit that is connected to the server unit, and includes a first adjustment portion that adjusts gain and frequency characteristic of a video signal output from the server; and a console unit that is connected between the main unit and the console, and includes a second adjustment portion that adjusts gain, frequency characteristic, and delay of the video signal output from the main unit.
US09332213B2
A recording device that improves the stability of an operation of recording data in a recording medium is provided. Recording device includes mounting unit, protective cover, open/close detecting unit, buffer, and recording controller. The recording controller performs a control of storing data into the buffer, reading, from the buffer, the data stored in the buffer, and recording the data into the recording medium. When the open/close detecting unit detects that the protective cover is opened, the recording controller performs a control of continuing the operation of storing data into the buffer, and yet stopping the operation of reading, from the buffer, the data stored in the buffer and recording the data into the recording medium.
US09332212B2
The imaging apparatus include a solid-state imaging device which has a plurality of pixels and outputs a pixel signal corresponding to a formed image of a subject as an image data; an image-capturing processing unit which outputs a pre-processed image data that is obtained by performing pre-processing on a part of the image data input from the solid-state imaging device, and an un-processed image data except the part of the image data from the image data input from the solid-state imaging device; and a storage unit which stores the pre-processed image data and the un-processed image data.
US09332211B2
The present disclosure relates to a mobile terminal and an audio zooming method thereof capable of effectively capturing audio based on an image while capturing and reproducing video. According to the present disclosure, if an event for changing the capture location or range or capture mode of a subject occurs when capturing the subject while capturing the sound of the subject in a predetermined sound capture range, the sound of the subject may be captured by changing a sound capture angle and automatically controlling a sound capture range according to the relevant event, and if an event for changing the capture location or range or capture mode of a subject occurs, the sound of the subject may be captured by automatically controlling a sound capture range according to the event.
US09332209B2
An image and/or audio data processing and storage system includes a monitoring system and a plurality of cameras connected thereto. The image and/or audio data processing and storage system contains n units that are independent of each other, with each of the units having a data processing device containing a first segment that compresses digital image and/or audio data as well as a first storage device and a second storage device that are fed the same image and/or audio data compressed by the data processing device for storage.
US09332204B2
According to one embodiment, in an AD conversion circuit of a single slope type, a counter is configured to count number of clocks, in a state where a potential level of a first slope voltage and a potential level of a second slope voltage concurrently change, until an output signal of either one of a first comparator and a second comparator is inverted. A reference counter is configured to constantly output a full count value. A generation circuit is configured to generate and output a digital value corresponding to a count value of the counter when an output signal of the first comparator is inverted, and to generate and output a digital value corresponding to a value obtained by subtracting a count value of the counter from the full count value of the reference counter when an output signal of the second comparator is inverted.
US09332194B2
An imaging apparatus includes a display unit capable of performing through display for displaying in real time a captured image, a control unit configured to cause, while the through display is being performed, the imaging unit to capture a still image in response to an instruction for a shooting preparation and a subsequent instruction for a shooting operation, an image processing unit configured to apply a special effect for changing image quality in a set direction to the captured image subjected to through display, a detection unit configured to detect an orientation of the imaging apparatus, and a setting unit configured to set the direction of the special effect according to the detected orientation, wherein, during a period for which an operation input for the shooting preparation continues, the setting unit retains the setting of the direction of the special effect even when the detected orientation changes.
US09332189B2
A user attempting to obtain information about an object can capture image information including a view of that object, and the image information can be used with a matching or identification process to provide information about that type of object to the user. In order to narrow the search space to a specific category, and thus improve the accuracy of the results and the speed at which results can be obtained, the user can be guided to capture image information with an appropriate orientation. An outline or other graphical guide can be displayed over image information captured by a computing device, in order to guide the user in capturing the object from an appropriate direction and with an appropriate scale for the type of matching and/or information used for the matching. Such an approach enables three-dimensional objects to be analyzed using conventional two-dimensional identification algorithms, among other such processes.
US09332184B2
The image-shake correction apparatus 1 of the invention comprises a base part 10 including a permanent magnet 20 and a moving part 30 having a coil 40 located in a position opposite to the permanent magnet 20, wherein the permanent magnet 20 and coil 40 form together a voice coil motor 70, and the permanent magnet 20 includes cutouts 101, 102 and 103.
US09332181B1
An f-theta lens system for a camera that provides a wide field-of-view, relatively low distortion, and a compact footprint. The lens system comprises four molded plastic elements with seven aspheric surfaces. Within a total thickness of 2.5 millimeters, the system is able to provide an image that is 1.2 millimeters across with a horizontal field of view of 127 degrees. The images produced by the system are well-suited for use with conventional face tracking algorithms designed to process rectilinear images produced by cameras with a narrower field of view.
US09332179B2
Certain aspects relate to systems and techniques for flash collision detection, compensation, and prevention. For example, the flash of another camera or other sudden increases in ambient lighting of an image scene can introduce unwanted quality degradations into captured images, for example over-exposure of part or all of the captured image. Flash collision can be detected through a row sum calculation and comparison process in some examples. In some examples, flash collision can be compensated for by analysis of row sum data from a number of preview frames. In other examples, flash collision can be mitigated or prevented through use of a flash traffic control protocol.
US09332178B2
Disclosed is a method of image acquiring and an electronic device. The method comprises: obtaining first image purpose information, wherein the first image purpose information corresponds to a first application; determining a first algorithm corresponding to the first image purpose information from at least two algorithms which are different from each other, based on the first image purpose information; and acquiring a first image data for the use of the first application based on the first algorithm.
US09332168B2
A photographing device includes a main body, a first video capturing unit, a second video capturing unit and a rotatable electrical connection portion. The first video capturing unit is disposed on the main body, a center of a first video capturing range of the first video capturing unit is located on a first axis. The second video capturing unit is rotatable about the first axis to be pivoted on the main body, the second video capturing unit and the first axis are separated by a distance. A second video capturing range of the second video capturing unit overlaps the first axis. The rotatable electrical connection portion includes a first and a second connection component pivoted and connected to each other. The second video capturing unit is disposed on and connected to the first connection component. The second connection component is disposed on and connected to the main body.
US09332165B1
A camera assembly may include a printed circuit board (PCB), an image sensor carried by the PCB, and a lens assembly carried by the PCB and having an external, enlarged diameter, threaded upper end, and an external, unthreaded lower end. The camera assembly may further include a camera body having a lens assembly opening aligned between the image sensor and the lens assembly. The lens assembly opening may have an internal, enlarged diameter, threaded upper end, and an internal unthreaded lower end. The external unthreaded lower end of the lens assembly may sealingly engage the internal, unthreaded lower end of the camera body prior to the external, enlarged diameter, threaded upper end of the lens assembly threadingly engaging the internal, enlarged diameter, threaded upper end of the camera body.
US09332164B2
An image sensor package includes an image sensor, a window, and a molding, where the molding includes a lens holder extension portion extending upwards from the window. The lens holder extension portion includes a female threaded aperture extending from the window such that the window is exposed through the aperture. A lens is supported in a threaded lens support. The threaded lens support is threaded into the aperture of the lens holder extension portion. The lens is readily adjusted relative to the image sensor by rotating the lens support.
US09332159B2
An image reading apparatus including: two image reading devices which are different from each other, read out a same surface of a same sheet after image formation on a sheet conveyance path and read out a plurality of common color patches formed in the same surface of the same sheet, one of the image reading devices being a first image reading device which reads out only a partial region in a main scanning direction and the other of the image reading devices being a second image reading device which reads out over an image formation width in the main scanning direction; and a calculation section which estimates a value equivalent to reading information of the first image reading device from reading information of the second image reading device on the basis of reading information obtained by reading out the common color patches.
US09332153B2
In an image reading device, a reading control portion reads image data for one line in a main scanning direction from a first reference member having a reference color. A storage portion stores initial reference data for one line generated based on image data for a plurality of lines read from a second reference member by using an image reading portion while a surface of the second reference member having the reference color is moving in a sub scanning direction perpendicular to the main scanning direction. A reference data generation portion generates reference data based on the image data read by the reading control portion and a high-frequency component of the initial reference data stored in the storage portion. A shading correction portion performs shading correction for image data read from a document by the image reading portion, based on the reference data generated by the reference data generation portion.
US09332143B2
An image reading apparatus includes an image reading unit that is reciprocally movable in a predetermined direction; a guide member that supports the image reading unit and guides the image reading unit in the predetermined direction; a first cable that is fixed to the image reading unit at one end of the first cable and is deformable in accordance with a movement of the image reading unit; and a second cable that is fixed to the image reading unit at one end of the second cable and is deformable in accordance with the movement of the image reading unit, wherein the first cable and the second cable are provided such that a rotation moment of the image reading unit generated by a reaction force of the first cable and a rotation moment of the image reading unit generated by a reaction force of the second cable cancel each other out.
US09332139B2
An information processing apparatus for causing an image forming apparatus to perform printing, the image forming apparatus being able to perform calibration in order to correct an output color to a target color indicated by target information, includes a storing unit configured to, when printing processing is executed for a print job by the image forming apparatus, store the target information in association with the print job.
US09332135B1
A system, method, and computer program product are provided for managing a shared quota for a plurality of network subscribers in a consumer telecommunications network. In use, an Sy interface session is established for a subscriber of a consumer telecommunications network, the Sy interface session being between a Policy and Charging Rules Function (PCRF) node and an Online Charging System (OCS) node of the consumer telecommunications network. Further, it is determined whether the subscriber is associated with any multi-subscriber shared usage counters on the consumer telecommunications network. Responsive to determining that the subscriber is associated with at least one multi-subscriber shared usage counter on the consumer telecommunications network, a reference to the at least one multi-subscriber shared usage counter is provided to the PCRF node by the OCS node. Additionally, the OCS node monitors the at least one multi-subscriber shared usage counter. Responsive to determining that a status of the at least one multi-subscriber shared usage counter has changed, a single Spending Status Notification Request (SNR) message is sent to the PCRF node, the single SNR message notifying the PCRF node that the status of the at least one multi-subscriber shared usage counter has changed. Responsive to the PCRF node receiving the single SNR message notifying the PCRF node that the status of the at least one multi-subscriber shared usage counter has changed, the PCRF node determines which open sessions on the consumer telecommunications network are associated with the at least one multi-subscriber shared usage counter. Furthermore, one or more policy changes to the open sessions are executed in accordance with the change to the at least one multi-subscriber shared usage counter.
US09332134B2
The technology described herein provides wireless charging for battery-operated electronic devices (14) including both mobile and fixed battery-operated devices. A wireless charging system, based on any suitable wireless charging technology(ies), allows easy access/discovery, registration, authorization, monitoring, and/or compensation for charging services. The technology uses donor mobile radio nodes (12) that register as potential charging stations for requesting radio nodes (14). The donor and requesting nodes negotiate the charging event, and in a preferred example embodiment, payment by the requester for the charging service to donor is arranged.
US09332130B2
The present invention provides a highly flexible system that can receive SMDR messages in many different formats and process these messages to produce useful reports and control information. The system can collect data via a LAN/WAN connection from PBX systems with internal data storage, PBX systems without internal data storage and legacy PBX systems that are connected to a buffer for storage of SMDR records.
US09332127B1
A portable electronic device is provided. The portable electronic device comprises a processor, a memory, a display, and a first application stored in the memory that, when executed by the processor, receives indications of a plurality of events. The application also stores event information associated with the events in the memory, and when a user interface of a second application that is presented on the display is navigated away from, presents an announcement about one of the stored event information on the display.
US09332125B2
This provides for controlling mobile device functions and features. For example, it limits or disables the use of some of mobile device features which could cause distraction to the user, when the user is engaged in another activity. In an example, it enables other mobile device features based on occurrence of events related to the user or environment. Another example addresses controlling the mobile device features, such as SMS, while the user is in a vehicle or driving. Another example restricts the ability of the driver of a vehicle to text, while the vehicle is in motion, by automatically disabling the texting ability of mobile device within and around the perimeter of the driver's seat. Other variations, examples, improvements, detection mechanisms, models, techniques, calculations, verification mechanisms, and features are also described in details.
US09332121B2
A method and system of establishing calling preferences for a user are provided. The method includes: defining a user profile containing an association between the user and two or more communication devices, each device having an associated device type; assigning the user to at least one group; obtaining group preferences associated with one or more of the user's groups; determining user preferences for the user based on the group preferences and the device types of the communication devices associated with the user; and storing the user specific preferences in a user profile associated with the user.
US09332116B1
Embodiments of the invention include a set of rules established by a third-party to control the execution of various functions offered by a device. The set of rules can block a function outright, or can specify particular combinations of days and times when the function can be executed and when it is blocked. Then, when the user of the device requests an instance of the function to be executed, the set of rules can be accessed to determine whether the requested function instance is permitted, after which the device can either block or execute the requested function instance.
US09332101B1
The present disclosure provides methods and systems for storing image data in a mobile device. In some embodiments, the method includes generating an image on the mobile device, identifying automatically at least one person in the image, creating a cropped image of the at least one person and storing the cropped image to memory upon request of a user of the mobile device.
US09332099B2
An electronic device may include a smoke detector. The electronic device may use the smoke detector to monitor for the presence of smoke. In response to detecting smoke with the smoke detector, the electronic device may issue an alert or take other suitable action. The electronic device may transmit alerts to nearby electronic devices and to remote electronic devices such as electronic devices at emergency services facilities. Alerts may contain maps and graphical representations of buildings in which smoke has been detected. Motion detectors and other sensors and circuitry may be used in determining whether electronic devices are being used by users and may be used in determining where the electronic devices are located. Alerts may contain information on the location of detected smoke and building occupants.
US09332093B2
A method and a device for connecting electronic devices are provided. The method includes: sending a first communication connection request to a second electronic device and establishing a first path based on a first protocol by a first electronic device; receiving a response message, determining whether the content of the response message satisfies a first preset condition; if the content of the response message satisfies the first preset condition, sending a second communication connection request to the second electronic device through the first path and establishing a second path based on a second protocol; where the first protocol is different from the second protocol and the first path correlates with the second path. With this method, different data is transmitted between two electronic devices through the first path and the second path simultaneously and data interaction and sharing are achieved in a simple way.
US09332092B2
A method for processing a Data Record Packet includes: a General Packet Radio Service Supported Node (GSN) sends a Data Record Packet to a Charging Gateway Function (CGF), wherein the Data Record Packet is a normal packet or a possibly duplicated packet, and the message header of a message for sending Data Record Packet includes a sequence number and the message body includes packaging time; and the CGF sends a response message of receiving the Data Record Packet to the GSN, wherein the Packet Transfer Response Command information element in the response message is used to indicate whether the response message is for the normal packet or the possibly duplicated packet. Therefore, the problem that possibly duplicated packets occupy sequence number resources is solved without limiting the network transmission speed.
US09332089B2
Described are sequence numbers for client-server communication, to control a client's use of server resources. A server grants the client credits, and the client consumes a credit for sending each command to the server. Each credit corresponds to a sequence number, with the set of sequence numbers forming a valid command window. The server enforces that for each received command, the command includes a sequence number that is within the valid command window and that the sequence number has not been used with another command. The server may also maintain a maximum window size, such that clients with credits cannot send a command with a sequence number that beyond a maximum sequence number. When incorporated into a data communication protocol, quality of service, combating denial of service, detection of message loss, division of server resources, secure message signing, and other numerous benefits result.
US09332088B2
A process transmission system comprises a process transmission server and a client device configured to communicate with the process transmission server. The process transmission server receives program request information from the client device, packs a process of a program to generate a process package comprising a central processing unit (CPU) register value associated with the program, and transmits the process package to the client device. The client device transmits program request information to the process transmission server, receives a process package corresponding to the program request information from the process transmission server, and executes a process by performing data processing on the received process package. The data processing comprises storing the process in a main memory device of the client device based on the process package and transmitting the CPU register value to a CPU of the client device.
US09332087B2
Buffering an interactive digital content item includes downloading the interactive digital content item, and beginning execution of the interactive digital content item with a buffer after enough of the interactive digital content item is downloaded to fill the buffer and before the interactive digital content item is completely downloaded. The size of the buffer is dynamically set as a function of one or more experience parameters.
US09332084B2
Some embodiments provide systems and methods for sandboxing content optimization to occur entirely within a network edge or PoP of a CDN. Some embodiments pass a first request for a first URL to a first back-end at the network edge that is configured to cache an optimized instance of the particular object. When the optimized instance of the particular object is not cached at the first back-end, a second request is issued for a second URL identifying a non-optimized instance of the particular object. The second request resolves internally within the network edge to a second back-end that is configured to cache the non-optimized object. The non-optimized object from the second back-end is optimized and passed to the first back-end. The first back-end caches the optimized instance of the non-optimized object and serves the optimized instance to a requesting end user.
US09332068B2
A method of converting client-server software agents to peer-to-peer software agents coupling a client to an adaptor software module is provided. The method includes directly coupling a client in software to an adaptor software module, wherein said adaptor software services underlying traffic from an unmodified agent and relays it on behalf of said unmodified agent, wherein all traffic generated by said unmodified agent is relayed directly to said adaptor software module.
US09332053B2
According to one aspect, the subject matter described herein includes a method for load balancing SCTP messages. The method includes receiving an SCTP message containing an address, a port identifier, and a verification tag. The method includes determining, using the verification tag, an associated application server from a plurality of application servers. The method includes sending the SCTP message to the application server for processing.
US09332052B2
A method of controlling an execution of a software application. The method includes, within a control device designed for driving at least one multimedia contents restitution device: a step of obtaining, from an execution device configured to trigger an execution of the software application, first connection data to be used by a restitution device to establish a first communication link across a network with the execution device and receiving, during the execution, via the first communication link a multimedia stream resulting from the execution; a step of transmitting to the restitution device parameters for restitution of a multimedia content comprising the first connection data; and a step of dispatching to the restitution device a command for restitution of the multimedia content, intended for triggering a restitution by the restitution device of the multimedia stream.
US09332041B2
A method is provided for identifying a device during an emergency for callback. The method includes storing an address of a user agent (UA) during initiation of an emergency call by the UA, associating an E.164 number with the stored address of the UA that placed the emergency call, and routing the emergency call containing the E.164 number.
US09332036B2
Methods, systems, and computer readable media for providing user receptivity driven policy in a communications network are disclosed. The method includes storing subscriber preference information indicating a willingness of a subscriber to receive a first type of content as well as policy and charging enhancement information associated with the subscriber preference information. Content is received from a content provider. Based on the subscriber preference information, it is determined whether the subscriber is willing to receive the content. In response to determining that the subscriber is willing to receive the content, the content is communicated to the subscriber and a policy and charging rules function (PCRF) is communicated with for temporarily enhancing a network or charging policy of the subscriber based on the policy charging enhancement information.
US09332035B2
Methods and apparatus to measure exposure to streaming media are disclosed. An example method includes detecting an ID3 tag associated with streaming media presented at a client device. A first request is sent from the client device to a first internet domain, the first request identifying the streaming media. A redirection message is received from the first internet domain. In response to the redirection message, a second request is sent to a second internet domain specified by the redirection message. A cookie is provided identifying the client device to the second internet domain.
US09332025B1
A computer-implemented method for detecting suspicious files may include (1) detecting a file within incoming file traffic directed to a file recipient, (2) identifying a type of the file within the incoming file traffic directed to the file recipient, (3) determining a frequency with which the type of the file appears within the incoming file traffic directed to the file recipient, and (4) performing a security action on the file in response to the frequency of the type of the file within the incoming file traffic falling below a predetermined threshold. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.
US09332018B2
A method and system for accessing a resource associated with a resource control entity that includes receiving, by a ledger, a request, corresponding to a user, to access the resource; obtaining, in response to the request, user metadata; sending to the user a ledger authentication token, which a credential application uses to verify that the ledger is a valid ledger; receiving, from the credential application, a public key encrypted payload including signature entries; decrypting, by the ledger, the encrypted payload using a payload secret key to obtain the signature entries and other user data; obtaining results of a verification by successively verifying each of the signature entries until a scoring threshold associated with the resource is met, and transmitting, to the resource control entity, a notification including the results of the verification, which the resource control entity uses to determine whether to grant the user access to the resource.
US09332015B1
An example method is provided and may include receiving a DIAMETER-based error over an SWm interface by a first evolved packet data gateway (ePDG) for a user equipment (UE) attempting to connect to the first ePDG; determining an Internet Key Exchange version two (IKEv2) error type corresponding to the DIAMETER-based error; and communicating the IKEv2 error type to the UE over an SWu interface. In some cases, the IKEv2 error type can be included in a notify payload or in a vendor ID payload for an IKE authentication response (IKE_AUTH_RESP) message. By distinguishing the IKEv2 error type, the UE can determine whether the error is a temporary or a permanent type and can determine whether to attempt to connect again to the first ePDG after a period of time or attempt to connect to another ePDG, which can help to reduce unnecessary signaling and provide better connectivity and user experience.
US09332014B2
A system for receiving satellite radio signals and/or internet content and extracting a plurality of channels from the satellite radio signals and/or internet content is disclosed. The content of the channels is converted to IP packets and streamed across an Ethernet network. In one embodiment, each of the channels is associated with an IP address or port. Users receive the content of the channels by selecting the IP address or port associated with the desired content. An administrator may control the channels that are available to the users. In one embodiment, the users each have a subscription to access the content, and the subscription may control the channels that the user access.
US09332004B2
A network- and/or client-side digital content acquisition system facilitates automatic and simplified transactions, between a user of a consumer electronic device (“CED”) and a digital content source, for authorizing access to digital content items (“DCIs”). Computer-readable visual symbols are associated with DCIs. A particular computer-readable visual symbol has a visual symbology, presented on a surface, which encodes information regarding DCIs, sources responsible for authorizing access to the DCIs, and consideration (if any) due from a user. A user of a particular CED identifies, and uses the CED to reproduce and decode, a particular computer-readable visual symbol. Upon reproduction and/or decoding, the CED automatically requests access to the DCI, and provides a security token that links the user and the CED, and automatically authorizes transfer of consideration (if any) due from the user. Upon authentication of the security token, the user automatically receives access to the DCI.
US09332001B2
Techniques are described for providing customizable sign-on functionality, such as via an access manager system that provides single sign-on functionality and other functionality to other services for use with those services' users. The access manager system may maintain various sign-on and other account information for various users, and provide single sign-on functionality for those users using that maintained information on behalf of multiple unrelated services with which those users interact. The access manager may allow a variety of types of customizations to single sign-on functionality and/or other functionality available from the access manager, such as on a per-service basis via configuration by an operator of the service, such as co-branding customizations, customizations of information to be gathered from users, customizations of authority that may be delegated to other services to act on behalf of users, etc., and with the customizations that are available being determined specifically for that service.
US09331998B2
The disclosure presents systems, methods and computer program products relating to an overlay network in a cloud environment. A management machine may manage an overlay network. Machine(s), which may be provided by cloud provider(s), may be added to or removed from the overlay network. Data relating to a machine may be gathered and configuration data may be determined, for example when the machine is being added to the overlay network. A device associated with a user authorized for the overlay network may connect to the overlay network. The overlay network may include one or more secure tunnels wherein a private IP address or public IP address may encapsulate an overlay IP address.
US09331995B2
Secure configuration of a mobile application (“app”) includes sending the required configuration data for the app to the user's mobile computing device in a communication, for example an email with an attachment. A verification value is included in the attachment to protect the authenticity and integrity of the configuration data. A challenge code is issued to the user (or group of users). The challenge code is used to verify the configuration data.
US09331993B2
A communication device comprising a central processing unit (CPU) and a memory device is disclosed. The CPU is configured to send a first attach request including a first subscription identity (FSI) to the network apparatus, receive an authentication request including a random number and an authentication token from the network apparatus as a response to the first attach request. Further, the CPU is configured to authenticate the authentication token using the random number and a first key associated with the FSI, obtain a second key and a second subscription identity (SSI) in response to authentication of the authentication token failing, where SSI is obtained from the authentication request. The CPU is further configured to send an authentication failure to the network apparatus. The second key and SSI are stored in the memory device such that the second key is associated with SSI.
US09331978B2
A method for tracking a user's movements between network addresses can include, subsequent to a request for a (current) network address from a user, receiving the network address and an identifier for a region associated with the network address. The method can also include locating a record that contains the identifier for the region and a time that immediately precedes the request for the network address from the user. The record may further contain a prior network address. The method can further include generating an entry for a table that includes the identifier for the region, the current network address, and the prior network address. A server computer or a client computer can generate the entry. Improved accountability and improved user profile accuracy can be obtained with the method. A data processing system readable medium can comprise code that includes instructions for carrying out the method.
US09331972B2
An exemplary method is implemented by an electronic device for transmitting a data message to at least a first end-user communication device. Data that forms a user message for conveyance to a first end-user communication device and a first value are received under the control of an enhanced services application program. A digital packet is formed with a header segment and a user data segment. The user data segment is formed under the control of the enhanced services application program and contains a first command and the user message, the first command representing that the user message is to be automatically deleted by the recipient first end-user communication device. The first command includes the first value that represents how long until the user message will be automatically deleted by the first end-user communication device. The digital packet is transmitted to the first end-user communication device.
US09331969B2
Described are computer-based methods and apparatuses, including computer program products, for allowing a user to switch between interfacing with a service through a network or through short message service (SMS). A chat service is executed through which a first user at a first computer can communicate directly with a second user at a second computer. A request is received from the first computer to enable the first user to interface with the chat service through a mobile device of the first user using SMS instead of through the network using the first computer. The chat service is configured to interface with the mobile device through SMS, including communicating chat information through SMS to the first user's mobile device, and communicating control information through SMS to the first user's mobile device such that the first user can control a full functionality of the chat service using SMS.
US09331965B2
Systems and methods for automatically generating e-mail subject lines are provided. A method for automatic generation of subject lines for electronic mail (email), comprises extracting topics from an email message, computing a sender relevance score for each topic, computing a receiver relevance score for each topic, ranking the topics based on the sender and receiver relevance scores, extracting syntactic units from the email message, ranking the extracted syntactic units from the email message based on the topic ranking, and assigning one or more subject lines to the email message based on the ranking of the syntactic units.
US09331958B2
A cluster compute server includes nodes coupled in a network topology via a fabric that source routes packets based on location identifiers assigned to the nodes, the location identifiers representing the locations in the network topology. Host interfaces at the nodes may be associated with link layer addresses that do not reflect the location identifier associated with the nodes. The nodes therefore implement locally cached link layer address translations that map link layer addresses to corresponding location identifiers in the network topology. In response to originating a packet directed to one of these host interfaces, the node accesses the local translation cache to obtain a link layer address translation for a destination link layer address of the packet. When a node experiences a cache miss, the node queries a management node to obtain the specified link layer address translation from a master translation table maintained by the management node.
US09331956B2
The disclosure discloses a processing method for a stateful Path Computation Element (PCE) and a stateful PCE. The method includes: the stateful PCE completes path computation of the stateful PCE, and reserves or locks resources needed by a computed path; the stateful PCE receives a first notification message, wherein the first notification message is used for notifying the stateful PCE of a path which is unsuccessfully established during a Resource Reservation Protocol (RSVP) signalling procedure or a path which is successfully deleted during an RSVP signalling procedure; and the stateful PCE releases resources needed by the path notified by the first notification message. The disclosure improves the real-time property and accuracy of the resource information which the stateful PCE is aware of, and the accuracy of the path computation of the PCE, so as to avoid resource conflict.
US09331952B2
Provided are a computer program product, system, and method for modifying an assignment of nodes to roles in a computing environment. There are a plurality of resource thresholds for each of a plurality of roles, wherein each role defines a type of operations and node resource usage for the nodes, and a measurement of node resource usage for the nodes. For at least one of the node, operations are performed comprising: determining at least one of the roles assigned to the node; determining a role resource threshold for each role assigned to the node; determining whether the measured node resource usage at the node exceeds the determined role resource thresholds for each role assigned to the node, wherein the role having the determined resource threshold exceeded by the node resource usage comprises a role to adjust; and determining a modification of the assignment of nodes to the role to adjust.
US09331942B2
A network switch includes a memory configurable to store alternate table representations of an individual trie in a hierarchy of tries. A prefix table processor accesses in parallel, using an input network address, the alternate table representations of the individual trie and searches for a longest prefix match in each alternate table representation to obtain local prefix matches. The longest prefix match from the local prefix matches is selected. The longest prefix match has an associated next hop index base address and offset value. A next hop index processor accesses a next hop index table in the memory utilizing the next hop index base address and offset value to obtain a next hop table pointer. A next hop processor accesses a next hop table in the memory using the next hop table pointer to obtain a destination network address.
US09331934B2
A packet distribution system includes: a first transfer device that is placed on a boundary of a core network and near first and second terminal devices; a second transfer device that is placed on the boundary of the core network and near a content distribution device; and a control device that, when a first content packet is distributed to the first terminal device, a distribution request packet is transmitted from the second terminal device, and a second content packet newly distributed from a content distribution device to the second terminal device is detected by the second transfer device, causes the second transfer device to abandon the second content packet based on control information included in the second content packet, and causes the first transfer device to copy the first content packet distributed to the first terminal device, to the second terminal device.
US09331933B2
A method of redirecting network traffic from a first, uncontrolled network to a second, controlled network by rewriting the Type of Service field in the header information of an Internet Protocol (IP) packet so as to include a service code indicating that the IP packet cannot access the uncontrolled network, thereby redirecting the network traffic to a second network element.
US09331924B2
A distribution route construction method includes: transmitting, in a data distribution system, at least one check packet to a plurality of terminals within a network from a check packet transmission terminal; checking a reply packet from the plurality of terminals; grouping the plurality of terminals into a first terminal group including a first terminal whose reply packet reaches the check packet transmission terminal and a second terminal group including a second terminal whose reply packet does not reach the check packet transmission terminal; changing a designation terminal for data communication to reduce communication data traffic between the first terminal group and the second terminal group; and reconstructing distribution routes based on the checking and the changing.
US09331909B2
The invention relates to a system, device and method for handling a configuration request. The system comprises a plurality of auto-configuration servers and an auto-configuration server management device communicatively coupled to the plurality of auto-configuration servers. The auto-configuration server management device is arranged for communication over the network with a manageable electronic device, and is arranged for receiving the configuration request from the manageable electronic device. One or more auto-configuration servers that can handle the configuration request are identified based on the identification of the manageable electronic device. The load of the one or more identified auto-configuration servers is analyzed, and based on the load analysis, an auto-configuration server is selected as destination address for the configuration request. The invention improves the configuration of customer premises devices.
US09331905B1
Examples disclosed herein provide systems, methods, and software to establish service configurations via Ethernet Local Management Interface. In one example, a method of operating a communication system to configure Ethernet elements includes, in a request Ethernet element, determining identification data based on a media access control (MAC) address and a virtual local area network (VLAN) for the requesting Ethernet element. The method further provides, in the requesting Ethernet element, transferring, via Ethernet Local Management Interface (E-LMI), the identification data to a receiving Ethernet element. The method also includes, in the receiving Ethernet element, receiving the identification information, transferring a service configuration request based on the identification information to a configuration management system, and receiving a service configuration from the configuration management system.
US09331899B2
Certain aspects of the present disclosure are directed to a baseboard management controller (BMC) managing a computer system including N computer nodes. The BMC has: (a) a processor, (b) a physical network interface controller, (c) a first communication interface controller, (d) a memory having firmware stored. The firmware can: (a) initiate N virtual BMC stacks each managing at least one health or performance related aspect of a respective one of the N computer nodes, and (b) initiate N virtual network interface controllers each communicating with the physical network interface controller. Each of the virtual BMC stacks has a network interface configured to communicate with a respective virtual network interface controller, and each of the N virtual BMC stacks is configured to communicate with a network connected to the physical network interface controller through a virtual network interface controller.
US09331898B2
The present invention provides an alarm method for a multi-mode base station. The method includes generating, by the multi-mode base station, alarm information in a first operation mode in a first multi-mode operation mode. The multi-mode base station determines that the alarm information is applicable to all operation modes in the first multi-mode operation mode. The multi-mode base station sends the alarm information as public alarm information of the first multi-mode operation mode to a network management system. The present invention further provides a multi-mode base station and a communication system. The present invention is capable of determining a scope of operation modes related to alarm information generated in the multi-mode base station, which is used to manage the alarm information.
US09331892B2
Systems, apparatuses and methods are disclosed for creating and managing sub-panels. Device data may be received in the system from each of a plurality of user devices, wherein the device data includes device usage data, device configuration data, demographic data and the like. Data collection rules are created or loaded into a central processing apparatus, where the device data is processed in the central processing apparatus to determine if device data related to one or more user devices complies to the data collection rules. Sub-panels may be defined in accordance with the processing, wherein the sub-panel may include one or more devices determined to be compliant with the data collection rules. Modification instructions may be generated in the central processing apparatus for the sub-panel, wherein the modification instructions are configured to be transmitted to at least some of the devices in the sub-panel, and wherein the modification instructions include data enabling each device in the sub panel to modify or enable at least one of (i) data collection operations and (ii) data reporting relating to future device data.
US09331890B1
Receiving a WebSocket frame is disclosed. The WebSocket frame is received. It is determined whether the WebSocket frame includes a control byte sequence in a payload data portion of the WebSocket frame. In the event the WebSocket frame includes in the payload data portion, the control byte sequence and other data, the WebSocket frame interpreted as including a control message. In the event the WebSocket frame does not include in the payload data portion, the control byte sequence, the WebSocket frame interpreted as not including the control message.
US09331888B1
In one of many possible embodiments, a system includes a gateway located at a subscriber premises. The gateway is configured to bridge, at the subscriber premises, a voice communication between an Internet Protocol (“IP”) network and a voice communication service available at the subscriber premises. In certain embodiments, the gateway is configured to bridge the voice communication from the IP network to at least one of a Public-Switched Telephone Network (“PSTN”) service, a Voice over Internet Protocol (“VoIP”) service, and a video phone service at the subscriber premises. In certain embodiments, a registration server communicatively coupled to the gateway by the IP network is configured to maintain registration information associated with the gateway.
US09331883B1
A wireless access point (WAP) including: a station grouping module, a transmit selector, a spatial mapper, an output injector, and an input injector. The station grouping module selects a group of station nodes for concurrent MIMO communications. The transmit selector determines whether all station nodes in the group support a multi-user (MU) protocol. The spatial mapper precodes concurrent transmissions to the group using a precode matrix “Q” which spatially separates the concurrent MIMO transmissions to each station node in the group. The output injector injects preambles for synchronizing timing of the MIMO transmissions at the output of the spatial mapper, responsive to an affirmative determination by the transmit selector. The input injector injects preambles before precoding in the spatial mapper, responsive to a negative determination by the transmit selector; whereby transmission preambles are precoded when at least one station node in the group doesn't support the MU protocol.
US09331881B2
Disclosed herein are methods and systems for embedding a supplementary data channel in OFDM-based communication systems. One embodiment takes the form of a process that includes obtaining a primary data signal that includes a given symbol, where the given symbol includes primary payload data prepended with a given cyclic prefix. The process also includes obtaining supplementary payload data. The process also includes identifying an available portion of the given symbol. The process also includes generating a modified primary data signal at least in part by replacing the available portion of the given symbol with a subset of the supplementary payload data. The process also includes outputting the generated modified primary data signal for transmission via an air interface.
US09331865B2
Various aspects are directed to communications, as may be implemented in an automotive network. An input transistor has a gate coupled to an input port and to a voltage-limiting circuit, connected between the gate and a power rail. The voltage-limiting circuit presents a voltage to the gate corresponding to a voltage on the input port and less than the supply voltage level, and clamps a gate-source voltage of the transistor. In a power-saving mode, current is blocked on the current path when the input port is at the supply or ground voltage levels. When the input port transitions away from the threshold voltage, the apparatus transitions to a wake-up mode in which current is no longer blocked in the current path and in which a wake-up signal is provided based on the voltage at the input port and a bias voltage.
US09331860B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide a method, system and computer program product for virtual world integration with a collaborative computing application. In an embodiment of the invention, a method for virtual world and collaborative computing application integration can be provided. The method can include loading a virtual world, detecting a posting in a collaborative application, and creating an object with the posting in the virtual world. The method further can include detecting a creation of an object in the virtual world including content, and creating a posting in the collaborative application with the content from the object in the virtual world. In one aspect of the embodiment, creating an object with the posting in the virtual world can include determining a topic for the posting, identifying a place in the virtual world corresponding to the topic, and creating the object in the identified place.
US09331857B2
The present invention discloses an application charging method. The method includes receiving, by a CTF device, a charging rule of an application from a PCRF device, wherein the charging rule of the application carries an application identifier and charging rule parameters of the application, executing the charging rule of the application, and detecting, according to an application identifier, a flow of the application transmitted on one or more bearers, sending, by the CTF device according to charging rule parameters of the application, a charging session establishment request to a charging system and establishing a charging session of the application, collecting charging information about the detected flow of the application, and sending the collected charging information about the flow of the application to the charging system by using the charging session of the application.
US09331845B2
A system and method is disclosed for adjusting for timing variations between a data signal and an associated data read signal being transmitted from a first chip and received on a second chip.
US09331839B2
The receiver includes a first buffer configured to buffer a data to generate a first internal data, a first delay unit configured to retard the first internal clock signal by a first delay period to generate a first delayed internal clock signal, and a second buffer configured to buffer the first internal data to generate a first input data.
US09331836B2
The present disclosure relates to de-multiplexing at least one RF input signal feeding RF power amplifier circuitry to create multiple de-multiplexed RF output signals, which may be used to provide RF transmit signals in an RF communications system. Output transformer circuitry is coupled to outputs from the RF power amplifier circuitry to provide the de-multiplexed RF output signals, which may support multiple modes, multiple frequency bands, or both. The de-multiplexed RF output signals may be used in place of RF switching elements in certain embodiments. As a result, RF front-end switching circuitry in the RF communications system may be simplified, thereby reducing insertion losses, reducing costs, reducing size, or any combination thereof. Additionally, the output transformer circuitry may provide load line transformation, output transistor biasing, or both to the RF power amplifier circuitry.
US09331827B2
A method in a first radio node is described for adapting a receiver type in the first radio node. The first radio node includes a first and a second receiver types. The first radio node is included in a wireless communications network, which further includes a second radio node and at least one third radio node. The method includes determining a Cyclic Prefix, CP, length of at least one radio signal transmitted by the second radio node, and a CP length of at least one radio signal transmitted by the at least one third radio node. The first node then adapts, the receiver type to be one of the first type and the second types. This is done based on a relation between the CP length of the radio signal transmitted by the second radio node, and the CP length of the radio signal transmitted by the third radio node.
US09331821B2
The present invention discloses a data retransmission method, apparatus, and system, and relates to the field of communications. In a data retransmission method, a special codeword is determined according to a difference between a number of layers selected by a transmitter and the number of layers that need to be occupied for retransmitting a codeword. The number of layers that need to be occupied by the codeword to be retransmitted is smaller than the number of layers selected by the transmitter and no new data needs to be transmitted and wherein the number of transport blocks comprised in the special codeword is equal to the difference. The codeword that needs to be retransmitted and the special codeword are allocated to each transport layer through a layer mapping.
US09331820B2
The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for controlling an uplink (UL) scheduling and Hybrid Automatic Repeat reQuest (HARQ) timing supported in a TDD-FDD CA environment. The method includes receiving, on a first serving cell, at least one of a first UL grant and a first Physical HARQ Indicator Channel (PHICH) about a second serving cell through a cross-carrier scheduling, and receiving, on the second serving cell, at least one of a second UL grant and a second PHICH about the second serving cell through a self scheduling. According to aspects of the present invention, in a TDD-FDD carrier aggregation deployment environment, an efficient UL scheduling/HARQ operation may be performed for a UE in which a cross-carrier scheduling is configured. Further, in order to satisfy high data rate required by a UE, data transmission efficiency may be enhanced in accordance with the purpose of carrier aggregation.
US09331817B2
The present invention relates to a method for configuring a retransmission protocol on the uplink between a network node and a relay node in a mobile communication system, the configuration being performed at a network node or at a relay node, and to the corresponding relay node apparatus and network node apparatus capable of configuring the retransmission protocol. In particular, the number of transmission processes is determined based on the position of time intervals available for the transmission and may be selected in order to control the round trip time of the retransmission protocol. Once the number of transmission processes has been configured, the transmission processes are mapped on the available time intervals in a predefined order and repetitively.
US09331814B2
In one embodiment, a method for data communication may include receiving a first set of soft bit values in a Hybrid Automatic Repeat-Request (HARQ) buffer using a first bit width. The method may also include soft combining the first set of soft bit values with a second set of soft bit values to obtain a set of combined soft bit values. The method may also include transforming the set of combined soft bit values from the first bit width to a decoder input bit width to obtain a set of transformed soft bit values.
US09331804B2
A method and system are provided for improving maintenance of timing information when a node enters holdover due to a lost connection between a sub-network and a reference clock. Each node within the sub-network sends information concerning the drift of its local oscillator to a single node, and the single node uses this information to determine timing information for the entire sub-network. The single node may also use knowledge of the characteristics of the local oscillators. In this way, drift from the reference clock can be minimized without incurring significant added hardware costs.
US09331803B2
Disclosed is a synchronization system including a control apparatus and a plurality of terminals connected via a network. The control apparatus includes a transmitting unit that transmits first waiting time information to each of the terminals, where the first waiting time information is synchronization waiting time for a predetermined signal transmitted from the control apparatus to the terminals. Each of the terminals receives the first waiting time information from the control apparatus and receives second waiting time information from another of the terminals. The second waiting time information has been calculated by the other terminal based on the first waiting time information as received by the other terminal. Each terminal calculates a synchronization time for the predetermined signal based on both of the first waiting time information from the control apparatus and the second waiting time information from the other terminal.
US09331801B2
As viewed from the front of an operation panel, adjustment sections for individual input channels are positioned on the operation panel close to a human operator, and a display, a control section for setting an equalizer process, compressor process etc. for one selected channel and a signal delivery control section for setting signal delivery to mixing buses for the selected channel are positioned in a horizontal row remotely from the human operator. Operators in the delivery control section are varied in function in accordance with a selected operation mode. For example, in a mix send mode, a plurality of rotary operators are set to function as send level adjustment operators for the respective input channels so as to adjust send levels to a given mixing bus, while, in a mix master mode, the rotary operators are set to function as output gain adjustment operators for the respective mixing buses.
US09331798B2
A system and method for determining the location of a mobile device in a communications network having one or more proximity sensors. A request to locate the mobile device may be received and at least one of the proximity sensors tasked to receive a signal transmission from the mobile device. One or more signal characteristics of the signal transmission from the mobile device may be measured by each tasked proximity sensor, and a location of the mobile device determined as a function of the measured characteristics. This may be accomplished by associating a fixed location with each tasked proximity sensor, and then determining the location of the mobile device as a function of one of the associated fixed locations.
US09331794B1
A method of measuring signal impairments is disclosed for use in an asynchronous Digital Signal Processing (DSP) based data and timing recovery circuit including an interpolator circuit. The method includes: calculating amplitude values for data and timing recovery; calculating an interpolation index for the interpolator circuit; and overriding the interpolation index. In another implementation, a method of measuring signal impairments in an asynchronous DSP-based data and timing recovery circuit including an interpolator circuit includes: calculating amplitude values for data and timing recovery; calculating a timing control signal; and overriding the timing control signal.
US09331792B2
A receiver of the present invention includes a microphone, an unnecessary signal remover, and an FM detector. The microphone receives a transmission signal generated by frequency modulating a signal in a frequency band that is receivable by the microphone, on the basis of transmission data. The unnecessary signal remover removes unnecessary signal components by processing the received signal from the microphone. The FM detector restores transmission data by performing FM detection of the received signal from which unnecessary signal components were removed by the unnecessary signal remover.
US09331788B2
A communication device includes a signal correcting unit that performs signal correction on an electric signal indicating information to be transmitted to reduce signal deterioration occurring in transmission of the electric signal; a conversion unit that converts the electric signal subjected to the signal correction into a digital signal on which information indicating the signal correction performed by the signal correcting unit is superimposed; and a light-emitting element that emits light in accordance with the digital signal converted by the conversion unit.
US09331786B2
An OLT comprising an optical port configured to couple to an optical distribution network, a processor coupled to the optical port and configured to generate a DL-MAP based on non-broadcast downstream bandwidth allocations for a plurality of network units, wherein each of the downstream bandwidth allocations is not assigned to all of the network units, generate an EPON MPCP downstream gate message comprising the DL-MAP, and embed the DL-MAP in the EPON MPCP downstream gate message, and a transmitter coupled to the processor and the optical port, wherein the transmitter is configured to transmit the EPON MPCP downstream gate message to the network units via the PON.
US09331784B2
A dynamic tunable chromatic dispersion compensator with low latency is provided that includes a chirped fiber Bragg grating in a compensating optical fiber core. The chirped fiber Bragg grating includes wavelength gratings spaced at distances varying with respect to the length of the compensating optical fiber core to compensate for differential delay in a synchronous time protocol for a bidirectional computer data communication link. The dynamic tunable chromatic dispersion compensator also includes one or more controllable elements to modify the length of the compensating optical fiber core in response to one or more commands, and an optical junction to optically couple the chirped fiber Bragg grating to an optical fiber of the bidirectional computer data communication link.
US09331778B2
A portable terminal sends to a second server sound contents request information comprising a tag ID corresponding to light received from an illumination device, the light-receiving position on the light-receiving surface, and the area ratio of the light-receiving range to the light-receiving surface in order to acquire sound contents. The second server 700 combines individual sound contents corresponding to the tag ID in the sound contents request information, first basic sound contents corresponding to the light-receiving position, and second basic sound contents corresponding to the area ratio. Then, the second server creates sound contents for giving information about the object present at the location where the illumination device emitting the light corresponding to the tag ID is installed and the direction and distance of the object when seen from the portable terminal and sends the sound contents to the portable terminal.
US09331772B2
An RF shielded room (14) which houses a magnetic resonance scanner (12) also houses a patient monitor (20) which includes a plurality of sensors (18) which collect physiological data about a patient undergoing a magnetic resonance examination. The monitor includes a transmitter (46) which transmits the physiological data on at least two frequency channels of a broadband frequency spectrum. A communication unit (26) located outside the RF shielded room includes first and second receivers (54, 58) which receive the physiological data from the monitor on the first and second frequency channels, respectively. A processor (62) combines physiological data received by the first and second receivers to. A display (32) displays the combined physiological data. A switch (56) switches antenna connections of the receivers (54, 58) responsive to detection of multipath fade.
US09331768B2
Methods are disclosed for improving communications on feedback transmission channels, in which there is a possibility of bit errors. The basic solutions to counter those errors are: proper design of the CSI vector quantizer indexing (i.e., the bit representation of centroid indices) in order to minimize impact of index errors, use of error detection techniques to expurgate the erroneous indices and use of other methods to recover correct indices.
US09331747B2
Systems, devices and methods described herein provide or possess functionality that enables providing enhanced device configuration. In one implementation, one or more communication stations are provided. A wireless communication device in close proximity may be configured to communicate with the one or more communication stations. Once a communication session is established between the wireless communication device and the one or more communication stations, configuration particulars, such as configuration data, may be provided to the wireless communication device via the one or more communication stations.
US09331732B2
A protective structure and an electronic device using the same are disclosed. The electronic device includes a first housing member, a second housing member, a blocking unit, and an operating module. The second housing member faces the first housing member, wherein a slit is located at the periphery of an enclosure disposed between the first and second housing members. The blocking unit, having a shape compatible with the shape of the slit, is disposed therein and includes a sealing member and a first foamable material. The sealing member is compressed by the first and second housing members, and the first foamable material is formed in the slit along an extending direction of the sealing member.
US09331731B2
A wireless charge wristband-type mobile communication device includes a base. The base has an engaging trough. A power supply coil and a first charge coil are embedded in the base. The base is provided with two wristbands. Each wristband is provided with at least one first battery therein. The coil of the base is electrically connected with the first battery. The engaging trough is provided with a display. A second charge coil and a second battery electrically connected with the second charge coil are embedded in the display. The display is coupled by the engaging trough. The electrical energy can be transmitted in the way of electromagnetic induction to the display anytime and anywhere. During electrical energy transmission, the user can take the display along at will. Besides, through a wireless power supply device, the display can be charged wirelessly to enhance the convenience of the display.
US09331716B2
The present inventions are related to systems and methods for data processing, and more particularly to systems and methods for data encoding.
US09331705B2
A timing adjustment circuit includes a detection unit to generate a detection signal in response to a first clock having a duty cycle of 50% and a first frequency, a second clock having a duty cycle of 50% and a second frequency that is half the first frequency, and a third clock having a duty cycle of 50%, the second frequency, and a phase displacement of 90 degrees relative to the second clock, the detection signal indicating timing relationship between the first clock and the second and third clocks, a low-pass filter to receive the detection signal, and a variable-delay circuit to adjust relative timing relationship between the first clock and the second clock in response to an output of the low-pass filter such that a center point of a pulse of the first clock is aligned with a center point of a pulse of the second clock.
US09331703B1
Techniques and mechanisms implement a sample rate converter for resampling data, such as audio data. The resampling may be based on a resampling clock. As the frequency of the resampling clock varies (e.g., due to jitter, rate adjustment, etc.), a control loop feedback mechanism can detect the variations and gradually correct the sampling rate of the resampled data.
US09331699B2
Level shifters, memory systems, and level shifting methods are described. According to one arrangement, a level shifter includes an input configured to receive an input signal in a first voltage domain, an output configured to output an output signal from the level shifter in a second voltage domain different than the first voltage domain, a plurality of pull-down devices, and wherein one of the pull-down devices is coupled with the input and the output, a plurality of cross-coupled devices coupled with the pull-down devices and configured to provide transitions in the output signal as a result of transitions in the input signal, a plurality of current limiting devices coupled with the cross-coupled devices and configured to limit a flow of current from a source to the cross-coupled devices, and a plurality of dynamic devices configured to selectively provide charging current from the source to the cross-coupled devices.
US09331696B2
A signal sensing circuit is provided. The signal sensing circuit comprises a first current-to-voltage circuit, a second current-to-voltage circuit and an impedance shifting circuit. The first current-to-voltage circuit converts a first input current into a first voltage that is directly proportional to a first impedance. The second current-to-voltage circuit converts a second input current into a second voltage that is directly proportional to a second impedance. The impedance shifting circuit generates a third voltage according to the first voltage, wherein the first impedance/the second impedance=K(first voltage/third voltage), where K is a real number.
US09331693B2
A touch display device including a substrate, a display medium layer disposed above the substrate, first side electrodes and a sensing electrode disposed above the substrate is provided. The display medium layer includes charged particles and micro-structures connected to each other. Each of the micro-structures holds a portion of the charged particles, and has a first side wall which is not parallel to the substrate. Each of the first side electrodes is disposed above the first side wall of each of the micro-structures. The micro-structures are disposed between the substrate and the first side electrodes. A touch sensing unit is composed by the sensing electrode and the first side electrodes.
US09331688B2
A modular electronic detection device comprises a mechanical actuator connected to a target through a front surface of a panel. The device further comprises a plurality of sensors for detecting the position of the target, which are connected to a printed circuit board. The modular detection device of the present invention can be incorporated into an aircraft and can be used in aircraft assembly.
US09331686B2
A circuit is provided having a core circuit for sinking a first current from a first internal power supply node, a power bouncing reduction circuit for receiving power from a second internal power supply node and sourcing a second current to the first internal power supply node in accordance with a change of voltage at the first internal power supply node, and a package for coupling the first internal power supply node and the second internal power supply node to a first external power supply node and a second external power supply node, respectively. A corresponding method is also provided.
US09331685B2
A comparator system includes: a clock node configured to supply a clock signal; a comparator configured to compare a signal of a first input node with a signal of a second input node in synchronization with the clock signal; and a first variable capacitance coupled between the first input node and the clock node.
US09331672B2
A generator circuit is coupled to apply a control signal the gate terminal of a power transistor driving an output node. A reference voltage is generated having a first voltage value as the reference for the control signal and having a second, higher, voltage value for use in stress testing. A clamping circuit is provided between the reference voltage and the power transistor gate to function in two modes. In one mode, the clamping circuit applies a first clamp voltage to clamp the voltage at the gate of the power transistor when the generator circuit is applying the control signal. In another mode, the clamping circuit applies a second, higher, clamp voltage to clamp the gate of the power transistor during gate stress testing.
US09331669B2
Filter devices and duplexer devices are disclosed. A filter device includes two or more surface acoustic wave resonators, including at least a first shunt resonator, formed on a surface of a substrate. A ground conductor formed on the surface of the substrate connects the first shunt resonator to a ground pad. At least a portion of an edge of the ground conductor is shaped as a plurality of serrations.
US09331661B2
An integrated circuit (IC) electromagnetic interference (EMI) filter with electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection incorporating inductor-capacitor (LC) resonance tanks is disclosed. The filter comprises at least one circuit composed of a diode and an inductor connected in series, wherein the diode induces a parasitic capacitance and the circuit is grounded. When a number of the circuit is two, a passive element is coupled between the two inductors and cooperates with them to induce two parasitic capacitances connected with the circuits. When a number of the circuit is one, two diodes respectively connect with the inductor through two passive elements. Each diode can induce a parasitic capacitance. The two passive elements and the inductor can induce a parasitic capacitance connected with the circuit.
US09331648B2
An amplifier circuit for improved slew rate consists of three main sections, which are the common mode rejection stage, primary gain stage and the output stage. The main circuit is a modified version of the fully differential operational amplifier circuit. The modifications done to this said circuit, enhances impedance which results in improved slew rate. In addition to the modifications in the primary gain stage, there's a cascade configuration to prevent systematic offset. The common mode rejection stage is primarily used due to the narrow common mode input range resulting from the cascade configuration. Additionally, another primary gain stage is included in the design prior to the output, since the output from the primary gain stage is narrow. This structure results in producing an improved slew rate.
US09331647B2
An amplifier is provided having a first mixed-length MOS device set for receiving an input signal and outputting an output signal, and a first load for providing termination for the output signal, wherein the first mixed-length MOS device set comprises a parallel connection of a plurality of MOS devices having different channel lengths including at least a short channel length MOS device and a long channel length MOS device. In one configuration, a threshold voltage of the short channel length MOS device is greater than a threshold voltage of the long channel length MOS device. A related method is also provided.
US09331638B2
Disclosed is a Doherty power amplifier apparatus, including: a drive amplifier circuit, a power splitter circuit and a power combiner circuit, wherein the power splittercircuit is connected to the drive amplifier circuit, the apparatus further comprising: a carrier amplifier circuit and a peak amplifier circuit connected in parallel between the power splitter circuit and the power combiner circuit, wherein the carrier amplifier circuit comprises one or more parallel carrier amplification branches, wherein each carrier amplification branch comprises a multi-stage carrier amplifier apparatus, the multi-stage carrier amplifier apparatus is used for achieving multi-stage carrier amplification; and the peak amplifier circuit comprises one or more parallel peak amplification branches, wherein each peak amplification branch comprises a multi-stage peak amplifier apparatus, the multi-stage peak amplifier apparatus is used for achieving multi-stage peak amplification.
US09331636B2
The invention relates to a method of calibrating an envelope path and an input path of an amplification stage including an envelope tracking power supply, the method comprising: generating input signals having a known relationship for each of the input and envelope paths; and varying an amplitude and a delay of the signal in one of the envelope and input paths in order to reduce the variation in the power detected in a signal at the output of the amplification stage.
US09331634B2
Apparatus and methods concern down-converting a radio frequency (RF) signal. As an example, one apparatus includes a first mixer and a second mixer. The first mixer down-converts an RF signal to produce a first intermediate frequency (IF) signal. The second mixer down-converts the first IF signal to produce a second IF signal having a plurality of phase components. The down-converter also includes a plurality of summing circuits. Each of the summing circuits is configured to combine various ones of the phase components of the second IF signal to produce a respective phase component of a third IF signal. The number of phase components in the third IF signal is different from the number of phase components in the second IF signal.
US09331631B2
Thin film photovoltaic devices that include at least one lead bar extending through a connection aperture defined in the encapsulation substrate are provided. The photovoltaic device can include: a transparent substrate; a plurality of photovoltaic cells on the transparent substrate; a first conductive ribbon electrically connected to a first photovoltaic cell; an encapsulation substrate laminated to the transparent substrate such that the plurality of photovoltaic cells and the conductive ribbon are positioned between the transparent substrate and the encapsulation substrate; and, a first lead bar extending through a first connection aperture defined in the encapsulation substrate. The first lead bar is electrically connected to the first conductive ribbon. For example, a meltable conductive material can be connected to the first lead bar and to the first conductive ribbon to establish an electrical connection therebetween. Methods are also provided for electrically connecting a lead to a thin film photovoltaic device.
US09331629B2
A photovoltaic frame fastener is provided. In one aspect, a photovoltaic frame attachment apparatus includes a strut or rail defining a generally U-shaped channel and a snap-in clip or fastener. In another aspect, a single-piece fastener includes a strut-engaging surface, at least one flexible wing matable with an opening in a strut, a flexible tongue internally projecting in a central manner from a top wall of a body, and a slot adapted to receive a portion of a photovoltaic panel frame. Yet another aspect of a photovoltaic frame fastener includes laterally projecting tabs abutting against a top of a strut.
US09331623B2
The present invention provides a brushless motor in which the voltage utilization ratio can be increased and the torque and output of the motor can thereby be increased, and also provides a drive method for a brushless motor. The brushless motor includes an armature constituted by an armature core having armature windings of a plurality of phases, and a field pole constituted by a field pole core having a plurality of permanent magnets. A voltage, in which at least a 5th order harmonic component is superimposed on a 1st order fundamental wave of a voltage under predetermined phase difference condition and amplitude condition in order to increase a 1st order fundamental wave peak of the applied voltage over an applied voltage peak, is applied to the armature windings.
US09331618B2
A magnetic pole position detector includes, a voltage command unit that generates high-frequency voltage command in a dq coordinate system, a three-phase transformation unit that transforms the high-frequency voltage command in the dq coordinate system to high-frequency voltage command in a three-phase coordinate system by using an estimated magnetic pole position, a current detection unit that detects three-phase current fed from a power converter for generating drive power, a dq transformation unit that transforms the detected three-phase current to current in the dq coordinate system by using the estimated magnetic pole position, an estimated magnetic pole position calculation unit that calculates a new estimated magnetic pole position to be used in three-phase dq transformations, and a magnetic pole position confirmation unit that confirms that, when converging on a certain position, the estimated magnetic pole position is the magnetic pole position at the time when the synchronous motor is started.
US09331605B2
In the present invention, a half-value width of a rocking curve, an average roughness of a surface, and an average grain diameter are all specified at one time with respect to a Pt layer that constitutes a lower electrode for a piezoelectric element, thereby stably film-forming the Pt layer having excellent characteristics, and stably forming, on the Pt layer, a piezoelectric thin film having excellent characteristics.
US09331602B2
A MEMS vibrator includes: a substrate; a base portion which is disposed on the substrate; and a plurality of vibration portions which extends in a direction that intersects with a normal line of the substrate from the base portion. In a planar view, when a length of the vibration portion in a direction in which the vibration portion extends from the base portion is L, and a length of the vibration portion in a direction that intersects with a direction in which the vibration portion extends from the base portion is W, a dimension ratio (L/W) of the vibration portion satisfies a relationship in which 0.2≦(L/W)≦7.0.
US09331598B2
There is provided a power factor correction device including, a first switch switching input power to adjust a phase difference between a current and a voltage of the input power, a second switch switched on before the first switch is switched on to form a transfer path for residual power in the first switch, a first inductor charging and discharging energy according to switching of the first switch, and a second inductor adjusting an amount of current flowing through the second switch according to switching of the second switch, wherein the first inductor and the second inductor are inductively coupled.
US09331576B2
A dual-polarity multiple-output boost converter that includes an inductor coupled in series between a high-side switch and a low-side switch. A first terminal of the inductor is coupled to an output of the high-side switch and the second terminal of the inductor is coupled to an input of the low side switch, with an output of low-side switch being coupled to a reference terminal. A plurality of outputs provide a plurality of output voltages, including a first plurality of outputs to provide a first plurality of different output voltages having a first polarity and at least one second output to provide at least one second output voltage having a second polarity opposite the first polarity. A control circuit is coupled to the high-side switch and the low-side switch to control an on-time of the high-side switch and the low-side switch.
US09331561B2
Disclosed is a method for the improvement of the line quality in a system, in which a common feeding (1), via at least one distribution transformer (3), feeds at least two non-linear loads (11) drawing non-sinusoidal currents from the common feeding (1), wherein between the common feeding (1) and the distribution transformer (3) there is at least one primary side transformer line (2) and between the at least one distribution transformer (3) and the loads (11) there is at least one lower voltage secondary side transformer line (22), wherein at least one active filter (24) attached to at least one lower voltage secondary side transformer line (22) is used for the attenuation or elimination of higher order harmonics experienced by the common feeding (1). Furthermore a high power distribution system for use of such a method is disclosed, in particular for the operation of an electrostatic precipitator.
US09331557B2
A method for cleaving a plate-shaped workpiece formed with two or more linear recesses into three or more parts includes: a first positioning step of holding the workpiece by a positioning unit in place to position a first linear recess; a first clamping step of clamping one side of the first linear recess by a fixing clamp and the other side by a rotating clamp; a first cleaving step of moving back the positioning unit and rotationally separating the rotating clamp; a second positioning step of releasing the clamps and causing the positioning unit to position a second linear recess; a second clamping step of clamping one side of the second linear recess by the fixing clamp and the other side by the rotating clamp, and a second cleaving step of moving back the positioning unit and rotationally separating the rotating clamp.
US09331543B2
Some embodiments of the invention provide an electric machine module including a housing that defines a machine cavity. A coolant jacket can be at least partially defined by the housing. In some embodiments, a plurality of coolant apertures can be disposed through portions of the housing to fluidly connect the coolant jacket and the machine cavity. One or more solenoid assemblies can be at least partially supported by the housing and positioned substantially adjacent to at least some of the coolant apertures. The solenoid assemblies can be configured to regulate passage of a coolant into the machine cavity from the coolant jacket.
US09331542B2
The electric motor is the electric motor that includes a shaft part that rotates around a rotation shaft and a casing that accommodates at least part of the shaft part. A through hole is formed in the casing at a position that overlaps with the rotation shaft. A set screw is screwed into the through hole so as to close the through hole. An O-ring is interposed between the casing and the set screw so as to suppress intrusion of water and dust into the casing.
US09331536B2
A rotator coil is provided that includes a coil conductor and a mica tape wound a plurality of times around an outer periphery of the coil conductor. The mica tape includes mica paper and a reinforcing member, and has an adhesive resin layer containing an acryloyl-based component and a cyanate ester-based component between the mica paper and the reinforcing members. The reinforcing member, the mica paper, or both, are impregnated with a thermosetting resin composition, and hardened.
US09331535B1
An energy conversion system includes rotor, stator and shell components configurations for increasing power efficiency and improving replacement and repair efficiency. The system harvests environmental energy for lower power generation and accounts for non-mechanical sources of rotational resistance within the generator.
US09331534B2
An improved magnetic generator has been developed that is particularly suitable for creating modular micro wind turbines, although other power generation applications are contemplated. The generator utilizes a series of rotors with axially aligned magnets on each side of the rotor face. As a drive shaft rotates the rotors in proximity to stators, a magnetic flux and electricity is generated. In certain embodiments, the rotors utilize magnet pockets to stabilize the magnets. In the preferred embodiments, layers of magnets are placed in each magnet pocket to achieve magnetic amplification by having multiple magnets, and their respective fluxes, influence the stators.
US09331528B2
In one aspect, a three-phase axial flux stator is provided. The stator includes a plurality of stator modules oriented in an axial direction, and each of the stator modules includes a pair of teeth connected by a yoke section. The stator also includes a plurality of windings, each of the windings wound around one of the stator modules. The stator modules and the windings produce a three-phase flux in an axial direction.
US09331526B2
An inductive power transfer system comprises a primary unit operable to generate an electromagnetic field and at least one secondary device, separable from the primary unit, and adapted to couple with the field when the secondary device is in proximity to the primary unit so that power can be received inductively by the secondary device from the primary unit without direct electrical conductive contacts therebetween. The system detects if there is a substantial difference between, on the one hand, a power drawn from the primary unit and, on the other hand, a power required by the secondary device or, if there is more than one secondary device, a combined power required by the secondary devices. Following such detection, the system restricts or stops the inductive power supply from the primary unit. Such a system can detect the presence of unwanted parasitic loads in the vicinity of the primary unit reliably.
US09331521B2
An energy storage apparatus includes an input unit connected to a solar cell to receive a DC power, a sensing unit for sensing and outputting a voltage of the solar cell, a signal generating unit for generating a periodic signal whose magnitude is periodically changed, a voltage generating unit for variously generating a reference voltage corresponding to the periodic signal, a control signal generating unit for generating a duty control signal by using regions in which the periodic signal has a magnitude lower than or higher than the reference voltage, a charging unit for performing a charging operation by means of an on/off switching operation according to the duty control signal, a battery unit for charging an energy by means of the charging operation of the charging unit, and a main control unit configured to control so that the charging operation is initiated with a reference voltage.
US09331520B2
A device includes a charge controller to regulate a battery output voltage based on an input voltage and an input current received from a charging circuit. A loop controller monitors the input voltage and the input current to generate a feedback signal to adjust the input voltage to the charge controller.
US09331514B2
A charging apparatus is provided, and relatively high charging efficiency is still maintained when a charging current changes. The charging apparatus includes: a voltage regulator; a charging power tube, where a source electrode of the charging power tube is connected to an output end of the voltage regulator and a drain electrode of the charging power tube is connected to a positive electrode of a battery, and the charging power tube is configured to generate a charging current; a charging controller, where an output end of the charging controller is connected to a gate electrode of the charging power tube, and the charging controller is configured to control the charging power tube to adjust the charging current; and a reference voltage module, configured to obtain the charging current and a battery voltage and output a reference voltage.
US09331506B1
A battery recharger and heating apparatus, which is positioned within an insulated and weather proof chest, is disclosed. Electrical power is supplied to the apparatus to enable batteries to be charged in the insulated and weather proof chest and to remain in the insulated and weather proof chest until time of use. The interior of the insulated and weather proof chest is heated with a heating element such as a light bulb or heating pad.
US09331488B2
An enclosure design is disclosed to accommodate and support the unique features and capabilities of the Smart and Scalable Power Inverters or Mini-Inverters that have multiple input channels to easily connect to multiple solar PV panels, invert the DC power to AC power, and daisy chain together to generate AC power to feed the power grid or supply power to electrical devices. Further disclosed is a message system using LEDs (light-emitting diodes) mounted on the enclosure to indicate the system status and the status of each input channel of the Smart and Scalable Mini-Inverters.
US09331475B2
A magnetic fault current limiter core (10a) comprising at least one first magnetic element (12) and at least one second magnetic element (14), the magnetic elements (12,14) being arranged to define a substantially parallel array of magnetic elements (12,14), the or each first magnetic element (12) including a soft magnetic material and the or each second magnetic element (14) including a hard magnetic material, wherein the or each soft magnetic material in a non-saturated state has a higher magnetic permeability than the or each hard magnetic material.
US09331466B2
A protective device for an electric power adapter/charger includes a trumpet-shaped support member having an inner passage along a longitudinal axis for receiving and supporting a cable of the adapter/charger to prevent bending the cable at sharp angles and an enclosure for enclosing at least a portion of the support member and at least a portion of a body of the adapter/charger to secure to the support member to the adapter/charger. The support member includes first and second portions connectable about a parting plane containing the longitudinal axis so that the support member can be laterally connected about the cable. The enclosure includes first and second portions connectable about a parting plane containing the longitudinal axis so that the enclosure can be secured about the body of the adapter/charger and clamping the first and second portions of the support member together.
US09331459B2
A generator coupling kit is provided. In exemplary embodiments, the generator coupling kit may comprise a wire adapted to couple with a generator on a first end, the wire adapted to couple with an outdoor box on a second end; the outdoor box adapted to couple with the wire; an indoor electrical panel adapted to couple with the outdoor box via a generator breaker; and the generator breaker adapted to couple with indoor electrical panel, the generator breaker adapted to couple with the outdoor box via internal wiring, the generator breaker comprising a circuit breaker.
US09331456B2
A method of manufacturing a semiconductor laser according to an aspect of the present invention includes (a) sequentially epitaxially growing a first cladding layer, an active layer and a second cladding layer on a semiconductor substrate composed of InP or GaAs and having a plane index of (100), (b) forming a plurality of growth start surfaces having a plane index greater than (100) in an upper surface of the second cladding layer, and (c) epitaxially growing a third cladding layer containing zinc in the plurality of growth start surfaces of the second cladding layer.
US09331437B2
A high definition multimedia interface (HDMI) socket for fastening on a metallic chassis includes a main body, a connecting member and a plastic piece. The connecting member includes a slot portion and a bent portion. The slot portion has a first and a second ends. The first end is connected with the main body. The bent portion is connected with the second end and has a first abutting surface abutting against the inner surface. The plastic piece is connected with the main body and has two second abutting surfaces. When the first abutting surface abuts against the inner surface before the plastic piece is fastened on the metallic chassis, a gap exists between the second abutting surfaces and the inner surface. When the plastic piece is fastened on the metallic chassis, the plastic piece is deformed and the second abutting surfaces abut against the inner surface.
US09331430B2
Power outlets adapted for installation within an enclosure are provided. Power outlets are provided having a safety interlock adapted to prevent the creation of a hazardous condition within the enclosure as a result of the continued operation of an electrical device within the enclosed space. The safety interlock may include current limiting circuitry and hardware, hazard sensing devices interconnected with such current limiting circuitry and hardware or other circuit breaker switches, and combinations of such safety interlocks. The power outlets may also be adapted for installation within a movable enclosure, such as, for example, a drawer.
US09331429B2
A shield and locking type board to board connector functioning to connect a first board and a second board to each other, the connector including: a first connector unit having both a first base and a first terminal; a second connector unit having a second base and a second terminal; two shield members each having a shell shape, the shield members respectively provided on front and rear bases facing the second base such that the shield members arrest EMI (electromagnetic interference) noise; and a locking member provided in the second connector unit so as to prevent the first connector unit from being removed outward by an outward movement thereof after the first connector unit is combined with the second connector unit in a close contact state.
US09331427B2
Electrical connecting device including an insulating body with parallel longitudinal seats and, respectively adapted to accommodate a connecting element with spring terminal and an actuator pin with profile cam facing a spring of the terminal to cause the opening and closing of said terminal by means of sliding in the corresponding seat, said spring being a ring-shaped spring with a curved lower portion, a back ascending portion engageable by a protruding portion of said cam profile of the actuator pin and an upper portion with a slot adapted to receive at least one electrical conductor, characterized in that in said actuator pin a hollow seat delimited by two lateral walls is provided adapted to receive the aforementioned ascending leg of the spring-shaped ring in condition of maximum extroversion of the spring, i.e. upon empty closed terminal.
US09331415B2
An electrical connector allowing a housing and a contact portion to be displaced relative to a mounting circuit board, parallel to a board surface, without a reinforcing plate separate from a contact member. A basal portion of a contact member is present along an upper surface of a base portion of a housing. A mounting-side elastic portion of the contact member is present along a lower surface of the base portion of the housing. A folding-back portion of the contact member is located at a rear of the base portion of the housing to connect the basal portion to the mounting-side elastic portion. First and second connecting leg portions extend downward from the mounting-side elastic portion. Each tip side of the leg portions acts as a mounting portion for a circuit board at positions different from each other in a front-back direction.
US09331402B2
The present disclosure describes a conductive fastener assembly, system, and method, wherein the fastener assembly comprises a fastener, a fastener sleeve, a nut, and a lubricant coating. The lubricant coating is deposited on a distal portion of a fastener shank and is omitted from the rest of the fastener. To overcome the stresses placed on the fastener sleeve by the insertion of the fastener shank largely devoid of a lubricant coating, the fastener sleeve is reinforced by one or more of an increased thickness, a high-strength alloy, and a soft metal coating.
US09331401B2
A piercing connector includes a connector body, a piercing insert, and a piercing cover. The connector body has a plurality of conductor apertures and a piercing aperture. The piercing insert has a plurality of piercing teeth and is inserted into the piercing aperture. The piercing cover is inserted into the piercing aperture and removably attached to the connector body. The piercing cover removably secures the piercing insert in the connector body. The piercing connector receives and electrically connects two or more conductors.
US09331399B2
It is aimed to enable a heat shrinkable tube to be mounted on a connected part of a core exposed portion of a wire and a terminal with high positioning accuracy. A terminal-fitted wire manufacturing method is for mounting a heat shrinkable tube on a connected part of a core exposed portion of a wire and a terminal. After the wire is inserted into the heat shrinkable tube, the terminal is connected to the core exposed portion. Thereafter, the heat shrinkable tube is moved to a position for covering the connected part of the core exposed portion and the terminal, and a part of the heat shrinkable tube is temporarily fixed to at least parts of the wire and the terminal. Thereafter, the heat shrinkable tube is mounted by being heated and thermally shrunk.
US09331398B2
The disclosure discloses a dual-mode terminal antenna, comprising a main antenna comprising a main antenna of a first mode and a main antenna of a second mode, an auxiliary antenna comprising an auxiliary antenna of the first mode and an auxiliary antenna of the second mode, and an antenna bracket. The main and auxiliary antennas are fixed on a same antenna bracket, each of which is configured with a spring lea. When the antenna bracket is clasped on a main board, four spring leaves of the main and auxiliary antennas contact with four antenna feeding points on the main board respectively, An LC resonant circuit is disposed ahead of each antenna feeding point, and four LC resonant circuits resonate at a working frequency band of the antenna corresponding to the antenna feeding point with which each said LC resonant circuits connects, respectively. The disclosure also discloses a signal processing method, which solves signal interference and loss problems existed in an antenna of the prior art in a reception mode, through high impedance of the LC resonant circuit to the signal at different frequency bands. Furthermore, the dual-mode terminal antenna of the disclosure simplifies the layout of the Printed Circuit Board (PCB).
US09331392B1
An apparatus includes an antenna element and a curved ground plane positioned beneath the antenna element. The antenna element has a height h and a first end with a tapered width, where h is approximately equal to the distance of a width-wise cross-sectional curve of the curved ground plane. The width of the curved ground plane is less than or equal to ½ h. A load may be positioned on top of a second end of the antenna element. The second end of the antenna element has a thickness greater than the first end and less than a thickness of the load. The curved ground plane may be substantially hemispherical in shape or may have a tapered height and increase in width from a first end to a second end.
US09331383B2
An antenna structure is provided. The antenna structure includes a radiating portion having an approximately quadrangular body, wherein the quadrangular body has a first side, a second side opposite to the first side, a third side, and a fourth side opposite to the third side; and a ground portion surrounding an entire length of the first side, an entire length of the fourth side, and at most a half of a length of the second side.
US09331373B2
Disclosed is a directional coupler including a first hollow portion that is disposed in a first ground conductor and is arranged directly above a first signal conductor and a second signal conductor, and that is constructed of a discontinuous structure that has a function of delaying the phase and that is small with respect to the one-quarter wavelength of an operating frequency.
US09331371B2
There is provided a waveguide connecting structure, including first, second, third and fourth waveguides. A first coupling window at one of magnetic field planes of the third waveguide couples the first and third waveguides in such a manner that the electric field planes of both are in parallel. A second coupling window formed at one of the electric field planes of the third waveguide couples the second and third waveguides in such a manner that the electric field planes of the second waveguide is in parallel with the magnetic field planes of the first waveguide. A third coupling window formed at the other one of the electric field planes couples the fourth and third waveguides in such a manner that the electric field planes of the fourth waveguide is in parallel with the magnetic field planes of the first waveguide.
US09331370B1
Integrated circuit packages with stripline structures are provided. An integrated circuit package substrate may include a core layer having top and bottom surfaces and dielectric layers formed on the top and bottom surfaces of the core layer. Stripline structures may be formed in at least some of the dielectric layers. A stripline trace may include signal routing conductors sandwiched between top and bottom ground planes. In particular, a dielectric layer may be formed between the signal conductors and the bottom ground plane to support the signal conductors, whereas a localized air region may be formed over the signal routing conductors separating the signal conductors from the top ground plane. If desired, the region above the signal routing conductors between the top ground plane and the signal routing conductors may be filled using other types of material having low loss and/or a dielectric constant that is frequency independent.
US09331367B2
Disclosed herein is a middle- or large-sized battery pack including a module assembly constructed in a structure in which a plurality of battery modules, each of which includes a plurality of battery cells or unit modules mounted in a module case while the battery cells or unit modules are connected in series to each other, are arranged such that the battery modules are disposed in contact with each other in the lateral direction, and a coolant flow channel is vertically formed, a plurality of support members for supporting opposite sides and the bottom of the module assembly and maintaining the arrangement state of the module assembly, and a pack housing for surrounding the module assembly and the support members.
US09331365B2
A battery pack can include a temperature sensor that can provide an output that is indicative of a temperature associated with the battery pack. A battery management unit can directly measure the temperature sensor when the battery pack is by itself or engaged with a tool. A charger can directly read the temperature sensor when the battery pack is engaged with the charger. Thus, the temperature sensor can be shared by the battery pack and the charger. The battery pack can utilize a same terminal that provides access to the temperature sensor to indicate a stop-charge signal. The charger can read the stop-charge signal on the same terminal used to directly access the temperature sensor.
US09331362B2
The battery includes an electrode having an active medium on a current collector. The active medium includes one or more active materials. The current collector includes or consists of carbon nanotubes. The electrical conductivity and weight of carbon nanotubes permit the weight of the battery to be reduced while the energy density and the power density of the battery are increased.
US09331358B2
The disclosed embodiments provide a battery cell which includes a set of jelly rolls enclosed in a pouch. Each jelly roll includes layers which are wound together, including a cathode with an active coating, a separator, and an anode with an active coating. The battery cell also includes a first set of conductive tabs and a second set of conductive tabs. Each of the first set of conductive tabs is coupled to the cathode of one of the jelly rolls, and each of the second set of conductive tabs is coupled to the anode of one of the jelly rolls. At least one of the first set and one of the second set of conductive tabs extend through seals in the pouch to provide terminals for the battery cell.
US09331356B2
Provided are an electrolyte for a redox flow battery, the electrolyte allowing suppression of generation of precipitate and suppression of generation of hydrogen during a battery reaction; and a redox flow battery including the electrolyte. In the electrolyte for a redox flow battery, the total concentration of impurity element ions contributing to generation of precipitate during a battery reaction is 220 mass ppm or less, and the total concentration of platinum-group element ions is 4.5 mass ppm or less. In a case where the impurity element ions contributing to generation of precipitate include metal element ions, the total concentration of the metal element ions may be 195 mass ppm or less.
US09331350B2
A diagnostic system for determining whether a rotor shaft of a compressor is unbalanced. The compressor includes a displacement sensor that measures the displacement of the rotor shaft as it is rotating. The sensor dynamic frequency signal is sent to a bandpass filter that filters out an eigen-frequency frequency that is a function of shaft elasticity and rotor dynamics. The filtered frequency signal is then rectified by a rectifier to make the filtered frequency signal positive. The rectified signal is then passed through a low pass filter that converts the rectified signal to a DC signal. The DC signal is then sent to a controller that determines if the amplitude of the signal is above a predetermined threshold, which indicates a problem with the balance of the compressor.
US09331348B2
To provide a fuel cell device capable of extending the years of service life of a reformer by suppressing thermal runaways. The present invention is a solid oxide fuel cell device, including a fuel cell module having multiple fuel cell units; a reformer disposed above the fuel cell units, for producing hydrogen by a partial oxidation reforming reaction and a steam reforming reaction; a vaporizing chamber disposed adjacent to the reformer; a combustion chamber for heating the vaporization chamber; a water supply device; a supply device for oxidant gas for electrical generation; and a controller for raising the fuel cell unit to a temperature at which electrical generation is possible; wherein fuel electrodes in each individual fuel cell unit are constituted to act as catalysts for a shift reaction, and the controller executes only the ATR step and SR step in the reformer.
US09331345B2
A bonded sheet to be applied to a membrane electrode assembly includes gaskets serving as a first sheet member and an electrolyte membrane serving as a second sheet member stacked on the gaskets. The gaskets each include a first bonded portion where grooves provided in a sheet surface direction at least partly face sheet end portions, and a second bonded portion having no groove. The electrolyte membrane is stacked on the gaskets in the first bonded portion and the second bonded portion.
US09331340B2
A catalytic ink preparation method comprises mixing a first ion conducting body and a catalyst, preparing a first ink, and concentrating the first ink. The method is characterized by further comprising a step of adding a second ion conducting body to the concentrated first ink. With such a catalytic ink preparation method, the quantity of solvent in the first ion conducting body is reduced by concentration. In other words, the first ion conducting body adheres to the catalyst, and re-dissolution is not prone to occurring with the first ion conducting body when the second ion conducting body is added. Thus, it is possible to efficiently manufacture an electrode catalyst in which a significant part of the surface of the catalyst is covered with two ionomer layers, and there is almost no portion which is covered with only one ionomer layer.
US09331336B2
Provided is a lithium-ion secondary battery that uses a non-carbonaceous negative electrode active material capable of exhibiting capacitance properties. The lithium-ion secondary battery includes a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and a non-aqueous electrolyte solution. The negative electrode includes a mica group mineral having at least one transition metal in its composition as a negative electrode active material.
US09331335B2
A solid solution lithium-containing transition metal oxide includes a compound represented by chemical formula (1): Li1.5[NiaCobMnc[Li]d]O3, where a, b, c and d satisfy relationships: 0
US09331332B2
According to one embodiment, there is provided a nonaqueous electrolyte battery including a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and a nonaqueous electrolyte. The negative electrode includes a first negative electrode active material containing a monoclinic β-type titanium composite oxide and a second negative electrode active material. The second negative electrode active material causes insertion and release of lithium ion in a potential range from 0.8 V to 1.5 V (vs. Li/Li+).
US09331328B2
A prosthetic stented heart valve which includes a compressible and expandable stent structure having first and second opposite ends, an expanded outer periphery, and a compressed outer periphery that is at least slightly smaller than the expanded outer periphery when subjected to an external radial force. The valve further includes a valve segment comprising a dual-layer sheet formed into a generally tubular shape having at least one longitudinally extending seam, and a plurality of leaflets formed by attachment of an outer layer of the dual-layer sheet to an inner layer of the dual-layer sheet in a leaflet defining pattern. The valve segment is at least partially positioned within the stent structure. The valve may further include at least one opening in the outer layer of the dual-layer sheet that is spaced from both the first and second ends of the stent structure.
US09331326B2
A battery pack includes a plurality of battery cells including an electrode portion; a holder case accommodating the plurality of battery cells; and a printed circuit module (PCM) mounted to an outer surface of the holder case, the holder case including a fastening portion fixing the PCM to the holder case, the fastening portion being at a region of the holder case corresponding to an edge portion of the PCM.
US09331317B2
A battery apparatus including a case, a battery cell, a battery-side terminal, and an engaging piece. The case has a width, a thickness, and a length. The battery cell is housed in an inside of the case. The battery-side terminal is disposed on a side surface at one end of the case in a length direction and electrically connected to the battery cell. The engaging piece is disposed at the one end of the case at which the battery-side terminal is positioned such that the engaging piece extends in a length direction a same distance as the case at the one end portion. The engaging piece is at an edge of the case in a width direction.
US09331314B2
An electrochemical cell includes a housing and a lid coupled to the housing. The electrochemical cell also includes a first member conductively coupled to the housing and configured to act as a first terminal for the electrochemical cell. The electrochemical cell further includes a second member electrically insulated from the lid and configured to act as a second terminal for the electrochemical cell. A first portion of the second member extends through the lid and a second portion of the second member extends in a direction generally perpendicular to the first portion.
US09331302B2
A blue light emitting device includes an electrode layer, a first metal layer, a second metal layer formed between the electrode layer and the first metal layer, and an organic material layer formed between the first metal layer and the second metal layer and including a blue shift light emitting sub-layer. A peak of a first light-emitting spectrum of the blue shift light emitting sub-layer, which ranges within 490-550 nm, is shifted to a peak of a second light-emitting spectrum, which is less than 510 nm, by the surface plasmon coupling between the first metal layer and the second metal layer. A light emitting device is further provided, which is sequentially stacked with a first metal layer, an organic material layer having a blue shift light emitting sub-layer, a second metal layer having a metal portion and an opening portion, an electrode layer, and a light emitting layer doped with a dopant material, to emit white light.
US09331300B2
A thin film transistor includes a semiconductor formed on a substrate and having a source region, a first drain region spaced apart from the source region by a first current channel, and a second drain region spaced apart from the source region by a second current channel which has the different length from that of the first current channel, a gate electrode insulated from the semiconductor by a gate insulating layer, a source electrode connected to the source region of the semiconductor, a first drain electrode connected to the first drain region of the semiconductor, a second drain electrode connected to the second drain region of the semiconductor, and a bypass line electrically connecting the first drain region and the second drain region.
US09331297B2
An organic EL display device comprising: an anode; a cathode that is a metal film; a light-emitting layer between the anode and the cathode; and a sealing layer that covers a side of the cathode opposite a side on which the light-emitting layer is provided. An oxidation inhibiting layer and a cathode protecting layer are stacked between the cathode and the sealing layer. The oxidation inhibiting layer is closer to the light-emitting layer than the cathode protecting layer is.
US09331287B2
The present invention relates to an organic light emitting diode and a method of manufacturing the same. An organic light emitting diode according to the present invention comprises an exciton blocking layer comprising a compound represented by Formula 1 to confine an exciton to a light emitting layer to prevent light emitting leakage, and thus there is an effect of implementing an organic electroluminescence diode having excellent light emitting efficiency. Accordingly, it is possible to implement an organic light emitting diode having a simple and economical manufacturing process, a low voltage, high efficiency, and a long life span as compared to the related art.
US09331285B2
An aromatic amine derivative represented by the following formula (1): wherein at least one of R1 to R8 is a group other than a hydrogen atom, Ar1 to Ar4 are a substituted or unsubstituted aryl group having 6 to 30 ring carbon atoms.
US09331282B2
The objective of the present invention is to provide a photovoltaic device which has high photoelectric conversion efficiency and an electron-donating organic material which comprises a conjugate polymer having a structure of a thieno[3,4-b′]thiophene skeleton with an alkoxycarbonyl group in which a specific alkyl group part is a straight chain alkyl group or an alkanoyl group in which the alkyl group part is a straight chain alkyl group and a benzo[1,2-b:4, 5-b′]dithiophene skeleton with a heteroaryl group.
US09331278B2
Forming memristors on imaging devices can include forming a printhead body comprising a first conductive material, forming a memory on the printhead body by performing an oxidation process to form a switching oxide material on the first conductive material, and forming a second conductive material on the switching oxide material.
US09331277B2
The present disclosure provides a resistive random access memory (RRAM) cells and methods of making the same. The RRAM cell includes a transistor and an RRAM structure. The RRAM structure includes a bottom electrode having a via portion and a top portion, a resistive material layer on the bottom electrode having a width that is same as a width of the top portion of the bottom electrode; a capping layer over the bottom electrode; a spacer surrounding the capping layer; and, a top electrode on the capping layer having a smaller width than the resistive material layer. The RRAM cell further includes a conductive material connecting the top electrode of the RRAM structure to a metal layer.
US09331272B2
Provided are 3D non-volatile memory devices and methods of fabricating the same. A 3D non-volatile memory device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a plurality of conductive lines, which are separated from one another in parallel; a plurality of conductive planes, which extend across the plurality of conductive lines and are separated from one another in parallel; and non-volatile data storage layer patterns, which are respectively arranged at regions of intersection at which the plurality of conductive lines and the plurality of conductive planes cross each others.
US09331271B2
A STT-RAM MTJ is disclosed with a MgO tunnel barrier formed by natural oxidation and containing an oxygen surfactant layer to form a more uniform MgO layer and lower breakdown distribution percent. A CoFeB/NCC/CoFeB composite free layer with a middle nanocurrent channel layer minimizes Jc0 while enabling thermal stability, write voltage, read voltage, and Hc values that satisfy 64 Mb design requirements. The NCC layer has RM grains in an insulator matrix where R is Co, Fe, or Ni, and M is a metal such as Si or Al. NCC thickness is maintained around the minimum RM grain size to avoid RM granules not having sufficient diameter to bridge the distance between upper and lower CoFeB layers. A second NCC layer and third CoFeB layer may be included in the free layer or a second NCC layer may be inserted below the Ru capping layer.
US09331270B2
A memory element includes a layered structure: a memory layer having a magnetization direction changed depending on information, the magnetization direction being changed by applying a current in a lamination direction of the layered structure to record the information in the memory layer, including a first ferromagnetic layer having a magnetization direction that is inclined from a direction perpendicular to a film face, a bonding layer laminated on the first ferromagnetic layer, and a second ferromagnetic layer laminated on the bonding layer and bonded to the first ferromagnetic layer via the bonding layer, having a magnetization direction that is inclined from the direction perpendicular to the film face, a magnetization-fixed layer having a fixed magnetization direction, an intermediate layer that is provided between the memory layer and the magnetization-fixed layer, and is contacted with the first ferromagnetic layer, and a cap layer that is contacted with the second ferromagnetic layer.
US09331269B2
Spin transfer torque memory cells and methods of forming the same are described herein. As an example, spin transfer torque memory cells may include an amorphous material, a storage material formed on the amorphous material, wherein the storage material is substantially boron free, an interfacial perpendicular magnetic anisotropy material formed on the storage material, a reference material formed on the interfacial perpendicular magnetic anisotropy material, wherein the reference material is substantially boron free, a buffer material formed on the reference material and a pinning material formed on the buffer material.
US09331258B2
Solar thermoelectric generators (STEGs) are solid state heat engines that generate electricity from concentrated sunlight. A novel detailed balance model for STEGs is provided and applied to both state-of-the-art and idealized materials. STEGs can produce electricity by using sunlight to heat one side of a thermoelectric generator. While concentrated sunlight can be used to achieve extremely high temperatures (and thus improved generator efficiency), the solar absorber also emits a significant amount of black body radiation. This emitted light is the dominant loss mechanism in these generators. In this invention, we propose a solution to this problem that eliminates virtually all of the emitted black body radiation. This enables solar thermoelectric generators to operate at higher efficiency and achieve said efficient with lower levels of optical concentration. The solution is suitable for both single and dual axis solar thermoelectric generators.
US09331255B2
A method can be used to produce a housing for an optoelectronic semiconductor device. A reflector part, which has an inner area configured to reflect electromagnetic radiation, is encased in places with a housing material using an injection molding method. The inner area of the reflector part remains free of the housing material at least in places. The reflector part is formed with a first plastic material and the housing material is formed with a second plastic material that is different than the first plastic material. The first plastic material and the second plastic material differ from one another with regard to at least thermal stability or resistance to electromagnetic radiation.
US09331253B2
A light emitting diode (LED) component comprises an LED having a dominant wavelength in a range of from about 425 nm to about 475 nm, and a first phosphor and a second phosphor are in optical communication with the LED. The first phosphor has a peak emission wavelength in the range of from about 600 nm to about 700 nm, and the second phosphor has a peak emission wavelength in the range of from about 500 nm to about 600 nm. An excitation spectrum of the first phosphor includes, at excitation wavelengths longer than 530 nm, no intensities greater than about 60% of a maximum intensity of the excitation spectrum.
US09331248B2
According to one embodiment, a semiconductor light emitting device includes a first semiconductor layer of a first conductivity type, a second semiconductor layer of a second conductivity type and a light emitting layer provided between the first semiconductor layer and the second semiconductor layer. The device also includes a first electrode layer having electrical continuity with the first semiconductor layer and a second electrode layer provided on the second semiconductor layer, the second electrode layer including a metal portion having a thickness not less than 10 nanometers and not more than 100 nanometers along a direction from the first semiconductor layer to the second semiconductor layer. A plurality of apertures penetrates the metal portion along the direction, each of the apertures viewed along the direction having equivalent circle diameters of not less than 10 nanometers and not more than 5 micrometers, and a Schottky barrier is provided between the second semiconductor layer and the metal portion.
US09331242B2
An optoelectronic device comprises a substrate; pads on a surface of the substrate; semiconductor elements, each element resting on a pad; a portion covering at least the lateral sides of each pad, the portion preventing the growth of the semiconductor elements on the lateral sides; and a dielectric region extending in the substrate from the surface and connecting, for each pair of pads, one of the pads in the pair to the other pad in the pair. A method of manufacturing an optoelectronic device is also disclosed.
US09331232B2
A process for annealing photovoltaic polymer encapsulation film (3), the film comprising polymer molecules substantially oriented along a machine direction, characterized in that the film is heated, supported on a support surface of support means (12), with heating means to a relaxation temperature to increase the isotropy of the polymer molecules such that the film is at least partly annealed, the support means (12) comprising a fluid (13) between the film (3) and the support surface.
US09331228B2
A solar cell module to convert light to electricity. The module may include a housing with a first side and an opposing spaced-apart second side. A plurality of lenses may be positioned on the first side of the housing, and a plurality of solar cell receivers may be positioned on the second side of the housing. Each of the plurality of solar cell receivers may include a III-V compound semiconductor multifunction solar cell. Each may also include a bypass diode coupled with the solar cell. At least one optical element may be positioned above the solar cell to guide the light from one of the lenses onto the solar cell. Each of said solar cell receivers may be disposed in an optical path of one of the lenses. The lens and the at least one optical element may concentrate the light onto the respective solar cell by a factor of 1000 or more to generate in excess of 25 watts of peak power.
US09331226B2
A photovoltaic device is provided having a semiconductor substrate, an i-type amorphous layer formed over a front surface of the semiconductor substrate, a p-type amorphous layer formed over the i-type amorphous layer, an i-type amorphous layer formed over a back surface of the semiconductor substrate, and an n-type amorphous layer formed over the i-type amorphous layer. The i-type amorphous layer and the i-type amorphous layer have oxygen concentration profiles in which concentrations are reduced in a step-shape from regions near interfaces with the semiconductor substrate and along a thickness direction, and an oxygen concentration in the step-shape portion of the i-type amorphous layer is higher than an oxygen concentration in the step-shape portion of the i-type amorphous layer.
US09331220B2
A photovoltaic device and method include forming a plurality of pillar structures in a substrate, forming a first electrode layer on the pillar structures and forming a continuous photovoltaic stack including an N-type layer, a P-type layer and an intrinsic layer on the first electrode. A second electrode layer is deposited over the photovoltaic stack such that gaps or fissures occur in the second electrode layer between the pillar structures. The second electrode layer is wet etched to open up the gaps or fissures and reduce the second electrode layer to form a three-dimensional electrode of substantially uniform thickness over the photovoltaic stack.
US09331219B2
Disclosed is an integrated circuit comprising a substrate having a major surface; a directional light sensor, the directional light sensor comprising a plurality of photodetectors on a region of said major surface, said plurality of photodetectors comprising a set of first photodetectors for detecting light from a first direction and a set of second photodetectors for detecting light from a second direction, wherein a first photodetector is located adjacent to a second photodetector; and a light blocking structure comprising a first portion extending from said major surface in between the first photodetector and the second photodetector; and a second portion extending from the first portion and at least partially overhanging at least one of the first photodetector and the second photodetector. A device including such an IC and a method of manufacturing such an IC are also disclosed.
US09331218B2
Provided are a solar cell module and a method of manufacturing the same. The solar cell module including: a substrate; a bottom electrode layer discontinuously formed on the substrate; a light absorbing layer formed on the bottom electrode layer and including a first trench that exposes the bottom electrode layer; and a transparent electrode layer extending from the top of the light absorbing layer to the bottom electrode layer at the bottom of the first trench, and including a first oxide layer, a metal layer, and a second oxide layer, all of which are staked on the light absorbing layer and the bottom electrode layer.
US09331215B2
A transparent, fireproof thermoplastic composition which is free from halogen compounds and includes a polyamide-block graft copolymer formed by a polyolefin backbone and, on average, at least one polyamide graft. The grafts are attached to the backbone by the radicals of an unsaturated monomer (X) that has a function capable of reacting with a polyamide, and the radicals of the unsaturated monomer (X) are attached to the backbone by grafting or co-polymerisation from the double bond thereof. The composition includes, as a weight percentage of the total composition: 90 to 99 wt % of the polyamide-block graft copolymer, and 1 to 10 wt % of metal salts of phosphoric acid.
US09331212B2
A semiconductor device having a transistor gate length greatly reduced as a result of promotion of semiconductor integrated circuit miniaturization where leakage current generation in a gate insulating film can be inhibited to enhance the transistor function. The semiconductor device includes: a semiconductor substrate having a main surface; a pair of source/drain regions formed over the main surface of the semiconductor substrate; a gate insulating film formed, over a region between the pair of source/drain regions, to be in contact with the main surface; and a gate electrode formed to be in contact with the upper surface of the gate insulating film. In the semiconductor device, the gate electrode has a length of less than 45 nm in a direction from a first one of the pair of source/drain regions to a second one of the pair of source/drain regions, and the gate insulating film has an antiferroelectric film.
US09331205B2
A thin film transistor includes a post on a substrate. The post has a height dimension extending away from the substrate to a top, and an edge along the height dimension. A cap covers the top of the post and extends to a distance beyond the edge of the post to define a reentrant profile. A conformal conductive gate layer is located on the edge of the post in the reentrant profile and not over the cap, and includes a portion that extends along the substrate. A conformal insulating layer is on the gate layer in the reentrant profile. A conformal semiconductor layer is on the insulating layer in the reentrant profile. First and second electrodes are located in contact with a first portion of the semiconductor layer over the cap and a second portion of the semiconductor layer not over the post, respectively.
US09331203B2
Disclosed are methods, systems and devices, including a method that includes the acts of forming a semiconductor fin, forming a sacrificial material adjacent the semiconductor fin, covering the sacrificial material with a dielectric material, forming a cavity by removing the sacrificial material from under the dielectric material, and forming a gate in the cavity.
US09331202B2
One illustrative method disclosed herein includes, among other things, forming a fin protection layer around a fin, forming a sacrificial gate electrode above a section of the fin protection layer, forming at least one sidewall spacer adjacent the sacrificial gate electrode, removing the sacrificial gate electrode to define a gate cavity that exposes a portion of the fin protection layer, oxidizing at least the exposed portion of the fin protection layer to thereby form an oxidized portion of the fin protection layer, and removing the oxidized portion of the fin protection layer so as to thereby expose a surface of the fin within the gate cavity.
US09331198B2
We have demonstrated controlled growth of epitaxial h-BN on a metal substrate using atomic layer deposition. This permits the fabrication of devices such as vertical graphene transistors, where the electron tunneling barrier, and resulting characteristics such as ON-OFF rate may be altered by varying the number of epitaxial layers of h-BN. Few layer graphene is grown on the h-BN opposite the metal substrate, with leads to provide a vertical graphene transistor that is intergratable with Si CMOS technology of today, and can be prepared in a scalable, low temperature process of high repeatability and reliability.
US09331192B2
Group III nitride semiconductor device structures are provided that include a silicon carbide (SiC) substrate and a Group III nitride epitaxial layer above the SiC substrate. The Group III nitride epitaxial layer has a dislocation density of less than about 4×108 cm−2 and/or an isolation voltage of at least about 50V.
US09331188B2
Systems, circuits, and methods for protecting an Insulated-Gate Bipolar Transistor (IGBT) from short-circuit events are provided. A short-circuit protection circuit is described that includes a switch, a resistor, a capacitor, and an optional current buffer that provide a strong pull-down to the IGBT in response to detecting a short-circuit event and then controls a rate at which turn-off current is decreased, thereby minimizing a peak voltage for the IGBT.
US09331186B2
The present invention provides a semiconductor with a multilayered contact structure. The multilayered structure includes a metal contact placed on an active region of a semiconductor and a metal contact extension placed on the metal contact.
US09331183B2
A semiconductor device including a first gate structure and a second gate structure immediately adjacent to each other with a spacer therebetween. Line width of the top of the second gate structure is not less than that of the bottom thereof. A fabrication method thereof is also disclosed. A transient first gate structure and a temporary gate structure are formed by etching through a first hard mask. A second gate structure is formed between a first spacer and a second spacer opposite to each other and disposed respectively on the transient first gate structure and temporary gate structure. The second gate structure is covered with a second hard mask. An etch process is performed through a patterned photoresist layer to remove exposed first hard mask and temporary gate structure and to partially remove exposed portion of first hard mask and transient first gate structure to form the first gate structure.
US09331181B2
A memory device and a method of making a memory device that includes a semiconductor channel, a tunnel dielectric layer located over the semiconductor channel, a floating gate located over the tunnel dielectric layer, the floating gate comprising a continuous layer of an electrically conductive material and at least one protrusion of an electrically conductive material facing the tunnel dielectric layer and electrically shorted to the continuous layer, a blocking dielectric region located over the floating gate, and a control gate located over the blocking dielectric layer.
US09331177B2
Diodes and resistors for integrated circuits are provided. Deep trenches (DTs) are integrated into the diodes and resistors for the purposes of thermal conduction. The deep trenches facilitate conduction of heat from a semiconductor-on-insulator substrate to a bulk substrate. Semiconductor fins may be formed to align with the deep trenches.
US09331158B2
The present disclosure includes transistor devices and methods. In one embodiment, a transistor includes a gate, a source, and a drain. According to one aspect of the disclosure, different resistive paths in the drain are compensated using different gate-to-drain capacitances. According to another aspect of the disclosure, current enters a drain at a center tap point and flows symmetrically outward under two adjacent gates to two adjacent sources.
US09331155B2
Disclosed is a semiconductor device comprising at least one active layer (14, 16) on a substrate (10) and a first contact (24, 26, 28) to the at least one active layer, the first contact comprising a metal in contact with the at least one active layer and a titanium tungsten nitride (TiW(N)) layer (30) on the metal. A method of manufacturing such a semiconductor device is also disclosed.
US09331144B2
A semiconductor device includes, on one semiconductor substrate: a first element isolation region having a first width, wherein a liner oxide film, a liner nitride film and a silicon dioxide film are provided in succession from an outer peripheral side of an upper surface of the first element isolation region; and a second element isolation region having a second width that is larger than the first width, wherein a liner oxide film and a silicon dioxide film are provided in succession from an outer peripheral side of an upper surface of the second element isolation region.
US09331138B2
A semiconductor device includes a first storage electrode, a second storage electrode that is arranged above the first storage electrode, a first landing pad that is arranged between a top surface of the first storage electrode and a bottom surface of the second storage electrode, the first landing pad connecting the first storage electrode and the second storage electrode, the first landing pad having a first landing surface, the first landing surface being larger than the bottom surface of the second storage electrode, and the second storage electrode being placed on the first landing surface, a capacitive insulating film that is laminated on the first and second storage electrodes and on an outer circumferential surface of the first landing pad, and a plate electrode that contacts the capacitive insulating film.
US09331137B1
An integrated circuit may include interconnects formed from alternating metal interconnect layers and inter-metal dielectric layers. A metal-insulator-metal capacitor may be formed within a selected inter-metal dielectric layer. The metal-insulator-metal capacitor may include first and second capacitor electrodes. The first capacitor electrode may contact a first conductive interconnect line in an underlying metal interconnect layer. The second capacitor electrode may overlap the first capacitor electrode and a portion of a second conductive interconnect line in the underlying metal layer. A via may be formed between the underlying metal interconnect layer and an additional metal interconnect layer. The via may simultaneously contact the second capacitor electrode and the second conductive interconnect line.
US09331136B2
An integrated circuit and a method of fabricating the integrated circuit are provided. In various embodiments, the integrated circuit includes a substrate and a polysilicon resistor. The polysilicon resistor is disposed on the substrate. The polysilicon resistor has at least one positive TCR portion and at least one negative TCR portion. The positive TCR portion is adjacent to the negative TCR portion, and the positive TCR portion is in direct contact with the negative TCR portion.
US09331132B2
A multiple layer pixel architecture for an active matrix display is provided in which a common bus line is formed on a metal level which is separate from that on which the gate electrodes of the thin-film transistors (TFTS) are formed. A multilayer electronic structure adapted to solution deposition, the structure includes a TFT for driving a pixel of an active matrix optoelectronic device and a capacitor for storing charge to maintain an electrical state of said active matrix pixel, wherein the structure includes a substrate bearing at least four conducting layers separeted by at least three dielectric layers, first and second ones of said conducting layers defining drain/source electrodes and a gate electrode of said transistor respectively, and third and fourth ones of said conducting layers defining respective first and second plates of said capacitor, and wherein said capacitor and said transistor are laterally positioned such that they overlap in a vertical direction.
US09331128B2
A display device, includes: a first substrate; an organic planarizing film that is made of an organic insulating material, and arranged on the first substrate; an electrode that comes in contact with a part of a surface of the organic planarizing film opposite to the first substrate side; an inorganic bank that is made of an inorganic insulating material, covers an end of the electrode, and comes in contact with a part of a surface of the organic planarizing film opposite to the first substrate side; an OLED layer that covers a side of the electrode and the inorganic bank opposite to a side that comes in contact with the organic planarizing film, and partially comes in contact with the organic planarizing film; and a sealing film that is configured to cover a side of the OLED layer opposite to the organic planarizing film side.
US09331123B2
A logic unit for security engines or content addressable memory including Magnetic Tunnel Junction (MTJ) elements connected in series to form a NAND-type string, where each MTJ element includes a storage layer and a sense layer having different anti-ferromagnetic materials respectively having higher and lower blocking temperatures. During write/program, the string is heated above the higher blocking temperature, and magnetic fields are used to store bit values of a confidential logical pattern in the storage layers. The string is then cooled to an intermediate temperature between the higher and lower blocking temperatures and the field lines turned off to store bit-bar (opposite) values in the sense layers. During a pre-compare operation, the MTJ elements are heated to the intermediate temperature, and an input logical pattern is stored in the sense layers. During a compare operation, with the field lines off, a read current is passed through the string and measured.
US09331112B2
A solid-state image sensor which holds a potential for a long time and includes a thin film transistor with stable electrical characteristics is provided. When the off-state current of a thin film transistor including an oxide semiconductor layer is set to 1×10−13 A or less and the thin film transistor is used as a reset transistor and a transfer transistor of the solid-state image sensor, the potential of the signal charge storage portion is kept constant, so that a dynamic range can be improved. When a silicon semiconductor which can be used for a complementary metal oxide semiconductor is used for a peripheral circuit, a high-speed semiconductor device with low power consumption can be manufactured.
US09331107B2
A fabrication method of a pixel structure includes the following steps. A first metal layer is patterned to form a source electrode and a drain electrode. A semiconductor material layer is patterned to form a channel layer and a pixel pattern. A first insulation layer is formed to cover the channel layer, the source electrode, the drain electrode and the pixel pattern. A gate electrode is formed on the first insulation layer located above the channel layer. A second insulation layer is formed to cover the gate electrode and the first insulation layer. A pixel opening is formed in the first insulation layer and the second insulation layer to expose a partial region of the pixel pattern. The partial region of the pixel pattern exposed by the pixel opening is modified so as to form a pixel electrode electrically connected to the drain electrode.
US09331105B2
The invention discloses an array substrate, a manufacturing method thereof and a display device. The array substrate includes a gate, an active layer, a source and a drain on a substrate, and a pixel electrode located above the drain and lapped with the drain, and a part of the pixel electrode lapped with the drain is a lapping part of the pixel electrode; the array substrate further includes a first insulation layer located below the pixel electrode and in contact with the drain, the first insulation layer extends along the edge of the lapping part towards a direction away from the lapping part, part of the drain to be in contact with the lapping part is exposed from the first insulation layer, and the plane where the upper surface of the first insulation layer is located is lower than the plane where the upper surface of the drain is located.
US09331103B1
A liquid crystal display includes a substrate, a gate line disposed on the substrate and including a bottom gate electrode, a first insulating layer covering the gate line, an active member including a channel which is disposed on the first insulating layer and overlaps the bottom gate electrode and a source electrode and a drain electrode at both end sides of the channel, a pixel electrode on the same layer as the active member, a second insulating layer covering the active member and the pixel electrode, a data line on the second insulating layer and connected to the active member, a passivation layer covering the data line, where the active member and the pixel electrode include an oxide semiconductor and the first insulating layer is a silicon nitride layer which includes a fluorine atom in the range of about 10 atm % to about 35 atm %.
US09331100B2
A transistor including an oxide semiconductor layer can have stable electrical characteristics. In addition, a highly reliable display device including the transistor is provided. The display device includes a multi-layer film including an oxide layer and an oxide semiconductor layer; a gate insulating film in contact with the multi-layer film; and a gate electrode overlapping with the multi-layer film with the gate insulating film provided therebetween. The oxide semiconductor layer contains indium, and is in contact with the oxide layer. The oxide layer contains indium, and has a larger energy gap than the oxide semiconductor layer.
US09331099B2
An element substrate is provided with a substrate; a pixel electrode; a light shielding layer which is disposed between the substrate and the pixel electrode and has an opening in an area overlapping with the pixel electrode; a TFT that is disposed between the light shielding layer and the pixel electrode has a channel area which is disposed in an area overlapping with the light shielding layer; a light shielding layer that is disposed between the TFT and the pixel electrode and has an opening in an area overlapping with the pixel electrode; a micro lens that is disposed between the substrate and the light shielding layer and disposed in an area overlapping with the pixel electrode; and a micro lens that is disposed between the light shielding layer and the pixel electrode and disposed in an area overlapping with the pixel electrode.
US09331097B2
High speed bipolar junction transistor switches for high voltage operations. An example switch includes a bipolar junction transistor including a collector region positioned over a buried insulator region. The collector region includes dopants of a first conductivity type. A field effect transistor includes a source region also positioned over a buried insulator region. The source region electrically is coupled to the collector region such that all current passing the collector region enters the source region.
US09331089B2
The semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate having a first active area defined by a first isolation layer; a gate insulating layer formed on the semiconductor substrate; a first conductive layer formed on the gate insulating layer; a dielectric layer formed on the first conductive layer; at least one first contact hole passing through the dielectric layer; a second conductive layer, formed on the dielectric layer, the second conductive layer filling the at least one first contact hole to contact the first conductive layer; and at least one first contact plug connected to the second conductive layer in the first active area, wherein the at least one first contact plug is offset from the at least one first contact hole to overlap the dielectric layer.
US09331087B2
A method of manufacturing a nonvolatile memory device comprises forming a gate insulating layer and a first conductive layer over a semiconductor substrate that defines a first area in which selection lines will be formed and a second area in which word lines will be formed, performing an etch process to lower a height of the first conductive layer in the first area, forming a dielectric layer and a second conductive layer over the first conductive layer with a height that is different from the height of the first conductive layer, and performing a gate patterning process to form the selection lines and the word lines.
US09331081B2
The present disclosure provides a method of manufacturing a semiconductor structure. The method includes forming a first mask on a substrate; defining a first doped region through an opening of the first mask; forming a second mask on the first mask and filling in the opening of the first mask with the second mask; defining a second doped region through an opening of the second mask; and stripping the first mask and the second mask from the substrate. The present disclosure provides a semiconductor structure, including a substrate having a top surface; a first doped region having a first surface; and a second doped region having a second surface. The first surface and the second surface are coplanar with the top surface of the substrate. Either of the doped regions has a monotonically decreasing doping profile from the top surface of the substrate to a bottom of the doped region.
US09331079B2
A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device is provided. The method includes providing a semiconductor substrate, forming a plurality of fins on the semiconductor substrate, forming a plurality of shallow trench isolation (STI) structures on the semiconductor substrate on opposite sides of the fins, forming a dummy gate on the fins, forming gate spacers on opposite sides of the dummy gate, etching a first portion of the STI structures disposed outside a gate region, the first portion having a first predetermined thickness, forming an interlayer dielectric over the semiconductor substrate, removing the dummy gate, etching a second portion of the STI structures disposed in the gate region, the second portion having a second predetermined thickness, and forming a high-k dielectric layer and a metal gate in an area where the dummy gate is removed.
US09331078B2
According to one embodiment, provided is a thin film transistor device with further improved area efficiency. First contact regions of a first semiconductor layer portion are formed with the first channel region therebetween in a predetermined direction and doped with an N-type impurity, one of the first contact regions electrically connected with a shared electrode, while the other electrically connected with a first electrode. Second contact regions of a second semiconductor layer portion are formed with the second channel region therebetween in the predetermined direction and doped with a P-type impurity, one of the second contact regions electrically connected with the shared electrode, while the other electrically connected with a second electrode. The first and second contact regions are partially disposed alternately and adjacently in a direction intersecting with the predetermined direction.
US09331068B2
A hybrid semiconductor bipolar switch in which a normally-on high-voltage wide-bandgap semiconductor bipolar switch and a normally-off field effect transistor are connected in a cascode (Baliga-pair) configuration. The switch may be constructed as a stacked hybrid device where a discrete transistor is bonded on top of a bipolar switch. Power systems may use plural switches paired with anti-parallel diodes.
US09331067B2
Embodiments of an electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection device and a method of operating an ESD protection device are described. In one embodiment, an ESD protection device includes a bigFET configured to conduct an ESD pulse during an ESD event. The bigFET includes a backgate terminal, a source terminal, and a current distributor connected to the backgate terminal and the source terminal and configured to homogeneously activate a parasitic bipolar junction transistor of the bigFET in response to a current that is generated in the bigFET during the ESD pulse. Other embodiments are also described.
US09331066B2
A method of detecting a parasitic transistor detecting is provided. The method includes extracting several diodes from a selected area, selecting at least one diode pair from the diodes in accordance with signals connected to the diodes, and filtering the at least one diode pair in accordance with a threshold distance to determine whether at least one parasitic transistor is obtained.
US09331064B2
A fin diode structure includes a doped well formed in a substrate, a plurality of fins of first conductivity type and a plurality of fins of second conductivity type protruding from the doped well isolated from ins of first conductivity type by STIs, at least one doped region of first conductivity type in the substrate between the fins of first conductivity type, the STIs and the doped well and connecting with the fins of first conductivity type, and at least one doped region of second conductivity type in the substrate between the fins of second conductivity type, the STIs and the doped well and connecting with the fins of second conductivity type. The doping concentration of the fins of first conductivity type is greater than that of the doped region of first conductivity type whose doping concentration is greater than that of the doped well of first conductivity type.
US09331061B2
Parallel transistor circuits with reduced effects from common source induction. The parallel transistors include physical gate connections that are located electrically close to one another. The parallel circuits are arranged such that the voltage at the common gate connection resulting from transient currents across common source inductance is substantially balanced. The circuits include switching circuits, converters, and RF amplifiers.
US09331052B2
Embodiments of the present disclosure provide an electronic package assembly comprising a solder mask layer, the solder mask layer having at least one opening, and a plurality of pads coupled to the solder mask layer, wherein at least one pad of the plurality of pads includes (i) a first side, (ii) a second side, the first side being disposed opposite to the second side, (iii) a terminal portion and (iv) an extended portion, wherein the first side at the terminal portion is configured to receive a package interconnect structure through the at least one opening in the solder mask layer, the package interconnect structure to route electrical signals between a die and another electronic device that is external to the electronic package assembly, and wherein the second side at the extended portion is configured to receive one or more electrical connections from the die.
US09331041B2
A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor chip, and a terminal connected with the semiconductor chip. The terminal has a first surface and a second surface spaced from each other in a thickness direction. The semiconductor device also includes a sealing resin covering the semiconductor chip and the terminal. The sealing resin is so configured that the first surface of the terminal is exposed from the sealing resin. The terminal is formed with an opening to be filled with the sealing resin.
US09331036B2
In a semiconductor device, a conductor pattern is disposed in a position overlapped by a semiconductor chip in a thickness direction over the mounting surface (lower surface) of a wiring board. A solder resist film (insulating layer) covering the lower surface of the wiring board has apertures formed such that multiple portions of the conductor pattern are exposed. The conductor pattern has conductor apertures. The outlines of the apertures and the conductor apertures overlap with each other, in a plan view, respectively.
US09331030B1
An integrated antenna package including a laminated structure and a multi-layered substrate is provided. The laminated structure includes at least a chip embedded therein and at least a plated through-hole structure penetrating the laminated structure. The multi-layered substrate is stacked on the laminated structure. The multi-layered substrate includes at least a metal layer located on one side of the multi-layered substrate away from the laminated structure and the metal layer includes at least an antenna pattern located above the chip. The multi-layered substrate includes at least a plated via and through-hole structure penetrating the multi-layered substrate and electrically connected to the chip, so that the antenna pattern is electrically connect with the chip. Also, the manufacturing method of the integrated antenna package is provided.
US09331028B2
Substrate material is oxidized around side walls of a set of channels. A shielding structure means there is more oxide growth at the top than the bottom with the result that the non-oxidized substrate material area between the channels forms a tapered shape with a pointed tip at the top. These pointed substrate areas are then used to form cathodes.
US09331027B2
An integrated circuit includes active circuitry disposed at a surface of a semiconductor body and an interconnect region disposed above the semiconductor body. A thermoelectric material is disposed in an upper portion of the interconnect region away from the semiconductor body. The thermoelectric material is configured to deliver electrical energy when exposed to a temperature gradient. This material can be used, for example, in a method for detecting the repackaging of the integrated circuit after it has been originally packaged.
US09331025B2
Die structures for electronic devices and related fabrication methods are provided. An exemplary die structure includes a diced portion of a semiconductor substrate that includes a device region having one or more semiconductor devices fabricated thereon and an edge sealing structure within the semiconductor substrate that circumscribes the device region. In one or more embodiments, the edge sealing structure includes a conductive material that contacts a handle layer of semiconductor material, a crackstop structure is formed overlying the sealing structure, wherein the crackstop structure and the edge sealing structure provide an electrical connection between the handle layer and an active layer of semiconductor material that overlies a buried layer of dielectric material on the handle layer.
US09331022B2
A pattern from a patterning device is applied to a substrate by a lithographic apparatus. The applied pattern includes product features and metrology targets. The metrology targets include large targets and small targets which are for measuring overlay. Some of the smaller targets are distributed at locations between the larger targets, while other small targets are placed at the same locations as a large target. By comparing values measured using a small target and large target at the same location, parameter values measured using all the small targets can be corrected for better accuracy. The large targets can be located primarily within scribe lanes while the small targets are distributed within product areas.
US09331010B2
A chip (2, 3) is arranged above a top side of a flexible support (1) and mechanically decoupled from the support. Electrical connections (8, 11) of the chip are embodied using a planar connection technique. The chip can be separated from the support by an air gap or a base layer (7) composed of a soft or compressible material.
US09331006B2
A semiconductor device includes a substrate that is made of a semiconductor material and has a main surface formed with a recess. The semiconductor device also includes a wiring layer formed on the substrate, an electronic element housed in the recess, and a sealing resin covering at least a part of the electronic element.
US09330990B2
Disclosed is a method for determining an endpoint of an etch process using optical emission spectroscopy (OES) data as an input. Optical emission spectroscopy (OES) data are acquired by a spectrometer attached to a plasma etch processing tool. The acquired time-evolving spectral data are first filtered and demeaned, and thereafter transformed into transformed spectral data, or trends, using multivariate analysis such as principal components analysis, in which previously calculated principal component weights are used to accomplish the transform. A functional form incorporating multiple trends may be used to more precisely determine the endpoint of an etch process. A method for calculating principal component weights prior to actual etching, based on OES data collected from previous etch processing, is disclosed, which method facilitates rapid calculation of trends and functional forms involving multiple trends, for efficient and accurate in-line determination of etch process endpoint.
US09330970B2
The present disclosure provides an integrated circuit structure. The integrated circuit structure includes a substrate having an IC device formed therein; a first dielectric material layer disposed on the substrate and having a first trench formed therein; and a first composite interconnect feature disposed in the first trench and electrically coupled with the IC device. The first composite interconnect feature includes a first barrier layer disposed on sidewalls of the first trench; a first metal layer disposed on the first barrier layer; and a first graphene layer disposed on the metal layer.
US09330967B2
A method of fabricating a semiconductor device with reduced leak paths is disclosed. The method comprises etching a void in non-conductive material in the semiconductor device to provide a conduction path between isolated material, forming a non-conductive surface layer on an unintended conductive item adjacent to the void, and filling the void with a conductive material. Forming a non-conductive surface layer may comprise oxidizing a surface surrounding the void. Forming a non-conductive surface layer may comprise oxidizing a side wall of the void. Forming a non-conductive surface layer may comprise oxidizing a surface surrounding the void using plasma oxidation operations. Forming a non-conductive surface layer may comprise oxidizing a side wall of the void using plasma oxidation operations. The unintended conductive item may comprise a conductive impurity or conductive residue. The void may comprise a trench or a hole for a via.
US09330962B2
A metal layer is deposited over a material layer. The metal layer includes an elemental metal that can be converted into a dielectric metal-containing compound by plasma oxidation or nitridation. A hard mask portion is formed over the metal layer. A plasma impermeable spacer is formed on at least one first sidewall of the hard mask portion, while at least one second sidewall of the hard mask portion is physically exposed. Plasma oxidation or nitridation is performed to convert physically exposed surfaces of the metal layer into the dielectric metal-containing compound. A sequence of a surface pull back of the hard mask portion, cavity etching, another surface pull back, and conversion of top surfaces into the dielectric metal-containing compound are repeated to form a hole pattern having a spacing that is not limited by lithographic minimum dimensions.
US09330954B2
Wafer to carrier adhesion without mechanical adhesion for formation of an IC. In such formation, an apparatus has a bottom surface of a substrate abutting a top surface of a support platform without adhesive therebetween. A material is disposed around the substrate and on the top surface of the support platform. The material is in contact with a side surface of the substrate to completely seal an interface as between the bottom surface of the substrate and the top surface of the support platform to retain abutment of the top surface and the bottom surface.
US09330950B2
A substrate processing apparatus includes a processing unit performing a predetermined processing on a substrate; a transfer chamber; and a substrate accommodation unit including a substrate accommodation chamber communicating with the transfer chamber via a transfer opening, a gate provided at the transfer opening to separate the substrate accommodation chamber from the transfer chamber, and a gas supply unit supplying a gas into the substrate accommodation chamber. The substrate accommodation chamber accommodates therein substrates that have been processed by the processing unit, and the gas supply unit provides a gas flow suppressing an atmosphere of the transfer chamber from being introduced into the substrate accommodation chamber, thereby preventing undesired reaction between moisture in the atmosphere of the transfer chamber and deposits adhered on the processed substrates accommodated in the substrate accommodation chamber.
US09330940B2
There are provided a structure of a semiconductor device in which low power consumption is realized even in a case where a size of a display region is increased to be a large size screen and a manufacturing method thereof. A gate electrode in a pixel portion is formed as a three layered structure of a material film containing mainly W, a material film containing mainly Al, and a material film containing mainly Ti to reduce a wiring resistance. A wiring is etched using an IPC etching apparatus. The gate electrode has a taper shape and the width of a region which becomes the taper shape is set to be 1 μm or more.
US09330914B2
A method including forming a line pattern in a substrate includes using a plurality of longitudinally spaced projecting features formed along respective guide lines as a template in forming a plurality of directed self-assembled (DSA) lines that individually comprise at least one of (a): the spaced projecting features and DSA material longitudinally there-between, and (b): are laterally between and laterally spaced from immediately adjacent of the guide lines. Substrate material elevationally inward of and laterally between the DSA lines may be processed using the DSA lines as a mask.
US09330904B2
Provided are a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device and a substrate processing apparatus. The method includes: forming a first layer including a first element on a substrate by supplying a gas containing the first element; forming a second layer including first and second elements by supplying a gas containing the second element to modify the first layer; and forming a thin film having a predetermined thickness by setting the forming of the first layer and the forming of the second layer to one cycle and repeating the cycle at least once. Pressure, or pressure and a gas supply time in one process of the forming of the first layer and the forming of the second layer are controlled to be higher or longer, or lower or shorter than pressure, or pressure and a time in the one process when the thin film having a stoichiometric composition is formed.
US09330901B2
A method of forming a nitrogen-containing oxide film is disclosed. The method comprises (a) exposing a substrate to a first gas pulse having one of an oxygen-containing gas and a metal-containing gas; (b) exposing the substrate to a second gas pulse having the other of the oxygen-containing gas and the metal-containing gas to form an oxide film over the substrate; and (c) exposing the oxide film to a third gas pulse having a nitrogen-containing plasma to form a nitrogen-containing oxide film, wherein the nitrogen-containing oxide film has a nitrogen concentration between about 0.1 and about 3 atomic percent (at %).
US09330900B2
Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to methods of forming carbon-doped oxide films. The methods generally include generating hydroxyl groups on a surface of the substrate using a plasma, and then performing silylation on the surface of the substrate. The hydroxyl groups on the surface of the substrate are then regenerated using a plasma in order to perform an additional silylation. Multiple plasma treatments and silylations may be performed to deposit a layer having a desired thickness.
US09330899B2
A method for forming a silicon germanium oxide thin film on a substrate in a reaction space may be performed using an atomic layer deposition (ALD) process. The process may include at least one cycle comprising a germanium oxide deposition sub-cycle and a silicon oxide deposition sub-cycle. The germanium oxide deposition sub-cycle may include contacting the substrate with a germanium reactant, removing excess germanium reactant, and contacting the substrate with a first oxygen reactant. The silicon oxide deposition sub-cycle may include contacting the substrate with a silicon reactant, removing excess silicon reactant, and contacting the substrate with a second oxygen reactant. The films of the present disclosure exhibit desirable etch rates relative to thermal oxide. Depending on the films' composition, the etch rates may be higher or lower than the etch rates of thermal oxide.
US09330892B2
An inorganic mass spectrometer capable of measuring a relevant and large or the full mass spectral range simultaneously may include a suitable ion source (e.g., an ICP mass spectrometer with an ICP ion source), an ion transfer region, ion optics to separate ions out of a plasma beam, a Mattauch-Herzog type mass spectrometer with a set of charged particle beam optics to condition the ion beam before an entrance slit, and a solid state multi-channel detector substantially separated from ground potential and separated from the potential of the magnet.
US09330888B2
The present invention discloses a dry etching method. The dry etching method comprises: etching a first medium layer; introducing a second reaction gas in a reaction chamber, and exciting the second reaction gas into plasmas with a second radiofrequency power, so that the plasmas formed from the second reaction gas are combined with particulate pollutants in the reaction chamber, and in this case the reaction chamber is vacuumized to perform conversion processing; and etching a second medium layer. The technical solution of the present invention is capable of effectively preventing particulate pollutants from falling onto the glass substrate in the procedure of executing conversion processing, meanwhile, the effect of chamber purifying through vacuumizing is improved, and the amount of the particulate pollutants in the reaction chamber is effectively reduced.
US09330887B2
Correction of skew in plasma etch rate distribution is performed by tilting the overhead RF source power applicator about a tilt axis whose angle is determined from skew in processing data. Complete freedom of movement is provided by incorporating exactly three axial motion servos supporting a floating plate from which the overhead RF source power applicator is suspended.
US09330886B2
To control of an irradiation installation, a particle beam is generated with a beam intensity, and a beam quality of the particle beam is monitored with a beam monitoring device. One of several adjustable measurement ranges is selected, wherein the measurement range of the beam monitoring device is set depending on the beam intensity of the particle beam and/or depending on a particle count to be applied.
US09330883B2
Provided is a charged particle beam device with high sensitivity, capable of detecting charged particles emitted from a sample at high resolution. An absorption current detector arranged to contact with the sample makes an absorption current generated in the sample by an irradiated charged particle beam flow through the detector, thereby to detect the current. The charged particle beam scans the sample and the charged particle beam device acquires an absorption current image. In case the absorption current detector is arranged separated from the sample, the absorption current detector detects the incident charged particle beam as a signal current dependent on an angle θ formed in a direction from the irradiation position on the sample toward the absorption current detector relative to at least one of the normal line direction of the front surface of the sample and the incident direction of the charged particle beam.
US09330881B2
A blanking device for multi-beams includes a substrate, a dielectric film formed on the substrate, plural first electrodes, at positions each exposed in a corresponding opening, to be applied with a first deflection potential, plural second electrodes, at positions each opposite to a corresponding first electrode with respect to the corresponding opening, to be applied with a second deflection potential, including a ground potential, for deflecting a corresponding beam of the multi-beams by a difference between the first and second deflection potentials, and a conductive film arranged in, other than plural first regions on the dielectric film each along a corresponding first electrode and being shaded by each first electrode in a case of being viewed from a position where a corresponding beam passes through a corresponding opening, a second region on the dielectric film, wherein insulation is provided between the plural first and second electrodes.
US09330866B2
Electrical switching device having a housing, at least two switching chambers within the housing with contacts to interrupt at least one current path, an arc extinguishing device for each switching chamber, and at least one guide channel within the housing, which directs the arc gas exiting the arc extinguishing device towards at least one of the exhaust openings to allow the arc gases to exit the housing, whereby each switching chamber has a guide channel, and whereby the guide channels of the different switching chambers are separated from each other.
US09330862B2
The present invention discloses a keyboard device. The keyboard device includes a sheet, a membrane switch, an actuating component, and a protrusion keycap structure. The membrane switch is disposed on a side of the sheet. The actuating component is disposed on a side of the membrane switch far away from the sheet and is for pressing the membrane switch to actuate the membrane switch. The protrusion keycap structure is disposed on a side of the actuating component far away from the membrane switch and is for driving the actuating component to actuate the membrane switch upon being pressed. The protrusion keycap structure includes a mylar film.
US09330857B2
A safety switch may be mountable proximate to the floor and may include a switch that may be actuated by vertical movement of a generally horizontally-extending switch operator plate as by pivoting about a horizontal axis at one side thereof. The safety switch may further include a blocking arm pivotable about a horizontal axis, the axis being perpendicular to the pivotal axis of the switch operator plate, wherein the blocking arm is normally biased into a vertical blocking position to prevent vertical movement of the switch operator plate. The switch may be actuated by the switch operator plate by pivoting the blocking arm into a vertical orientation and then moving the switch operator plate vertically into actuating contact with the switch.
US09330856B2
A method of forming at least one Micro-Electro-Mechanical System (MEMS) includes forming a beam structure and an electrode on an insulator layer, remote from the beam structure. The method further includes forming at least one sacrificial layer over the beam structure, and remote from the electrode. The method further includes forming a lid structure over the at least one sacrificial layer and the electrode. The method further includes providing simultaneously a vent hole through the lid structure to expose the sacrificial layer and to form a partial via over the electrode. The method further includes venting the sacrificial layer to form a cavity. The method further includes sealing the vent hole with material. The method further includes forming a final via in the lid structure to the electrode, through the partial via.
US09330854B2
A method for producing a dye-sensitized solar cell includes: preparing a first electrode comprising a transparent substrate and a transparent conductive film, and a second electrode comprising a metal substrate that is formed of a metal capable of forming a passivation film; forming an oxide semiconductor layer on the first electrode; supporting a photosensitized dye on the oxide semiconductor layer; disposing an electrolyte on the oxide semiconductor layer; facing the first electrode and the second electrode, and sealing the electrolyte by a sealing section; and fixing a connection member formed of a metal having lower resistance than the metal substrate, onto the surface of the metal substrate, with the surface being on the opposite side of the first electrode, in which method in fixing the connection member, the connection member is bonded to the metal substrate by resistance welding, and thereby the connection member is fixed onto the metal substrate.
US09330848B2
An electronic component includes a body and first and second external electrodes arranged on an external surface of the body. An edge portion of the first external electrode and an edge portion of the second external electrode face each other on the body. The first and second external electrodes each include a copper-metal-containing layer and a protective copper oxide layer covering the copper-metal-containing layer within the edge portion of the first and second external electrodes, respectively.
US09330841B2
The present invention provides a base metal combination electrode of electronic ceramic component and manufacturing method thereof, wherein said base metal combination electrode comprises a first base metal electrode layer covering on two sides of said electronic ceramic chip and a second base metal electrode layer covering on said first base metal electrode layer, the manufacturing method for base metal combination electrode of electronic ceramic component comprises using thermal spray equipment to spray the electrode material to the surface of electronic ceramic chip. Comparing with using silver paste or copper paste only, it reduces the cost of electrode material without destroying the function of the electrode. The manufacturing method for base metal combination electrode of the present invention has simple technological process, high preparation efficiency and low cost, and it reduces the production cost of electrode of the electronic ceramic component on the whole.
US09330839B2
A grain oriented electrical steel sheet is subjected to magnetic domain refining treatment by electron beam irradiation and exhibits excellent low-noise properties when assembled as an actual transformer, in which a ratio (Wa/Wb) of a film thickness (Wa) of the forsierite film on a strain-introduced side of the steel sheet to a film thickness (Wb) of the forsierite film on a non-strain-introduced side of the steel sheet is 0.5 or higher, a magnetic domain discontinuous portion in a surface of the steel sheet on the strain-introduced side has an average width of 150 to 300 μm, and a magnetic domain discontinuous portion in a surface of the steel sheet on the non-strain-introduced side has an average width of 250 to 500 μm.
US09330831B2
A common mode filter and a power supply device having the same are provided. The common mode filter includes a first inductor having a first winding number, a second inductor facing the first inductor and having a second winding number, a first intermediate terminal branching from an intermediate portion of a coil of the first inductor, and a second intermediate terminal branching from an intermediate portion of a coil of the second inductor. The effects of two filters are obtained from one common mode filter and the volume is reduced, so that a light, thin, short, and short module is provided.
US09330830B2
The present disclosure provides a semiconductor device. The semiconductor device includes a first inductor formed on a first substrate; a second inductor formed on a second substrate and conductively coupled with the first inductor as a transformer; and a plurality of micro-bump features configured between the first and second substrates. The plurality of micro-bump features include a magnetic material having a relative permeability substantially greater than one and are configured to enhance coupling between the first and second inductors.
US09330817B2
An enameled flat wire includes a flat wire and an enamel coating. The difference in thickness of the enamel coating on flat surfaces between a maximum thickness and a minimum thickness is equal to or less than 25% of the predetermined thickness. The enamel coating prior to baking includes a maximum surface curvature on each of the rounded corners of the wire, and a depression on at least one of the flat surfaces of the wire, the depression has a maximum surface curvature. The maximum surface curvature of the depression is larger than the maximum surface curvature of the enamel coating prior to baking on at least one of the rounded corners thereof.
US09330815B2
Cable structures with insulating tape and systems and methods for making the same are provided. In some embodiments, a cable may include a first group of conductors extending along a length of the cable, a tape wrapped directly around the first plurality of conductors along the length of the cable, and a second group of conductors extending along the length of the cable, where the tape electrically isolates the first group of conductors from the second group of conductors. The second group of conductors may extend around the tape or the tape may be wrapped directly around the second group of conductors. The tape may be a polymeric tape that may or may not include an adhesive.
US09330811B2
There is provided a transparent electrode comprising a supporting substrate, a first transparent electrically-conductive film provided on the supporting substrate, a transparent insulating film provided on the first transparent electrically-conductive film, and a second transparent electrically-conductive film provided on the transparent insulating film. In the transparent electrode of the present invention, all of the first transparent electrically-conductive film, the second transparent electrically-conductive film and the transparent insulating film provided therebetween comprise a metal compound, and the first transparent electrically-conductive film and the second transparent electrically-conductive film have a crystalline structure, whereas the transparent insulating film has an amorphous structure.
US09330810B2
A dielectric fluid composition for electrical apparatus comprises a functionalized methyl-12-carboxy methyl stearate having desirable properties including a pour point less than −30° C. and a fire point greater than 250° C. It may be prepared by a process wherein methyl-12-hydroxy methyl stearate is transesterified by reaction with a C3-C20 alcohol to form the hydroxy methyl ester, followed by reaction with a linear or branched C4-C20 carboxylic acid selected from free acid chlorides, fatty acids, carboxylic acid anhydrides, and combinations thereof. The second step serves to end-cap the hydroxyl groups, thereby producing the functionalized methyl-12-carboxy methyl stearate compound that exhibits improved thermoxidative stability and low temperature flowability, as well as increased fire point.
US09330806B2
There is provided a semiconductive ceramic sintered compact that has a conductivity high enough to attain static electricity removal and antistatic purposes and, at the same time, has excellent mechanical properties or stability over time. The semiconductive ceramic sintered compact includes at least a main phase and first and second phases contained in the main phase observed as a result of observation of any face of the sintered compact, the main phase being a ceramic sintered phase containing Al2O3 particles, the first phase being a grain boundary phase including a conductive substance-containing conductive phase and Al2O3 particles, the Al2O3 particles being present in an island-sea form in the conductive phase, the second phase being a grain boundary phase containing a conductive phase having the same composition as the conductive phase in the first phase and having a structure that electrically connects the first phases three-dimensionally to each other.
US09330785B1
In a static random access memory (SRAM), such as an SRAM cache in a processor or system-on-a-chip (SoC) device, an aging sensor is provided for testing degradation of SRAM cells comprising p-channel metal oxide semiconductor (PMOS) transistors. The minimum power supply voltage VDDMIN for the SRAM may be dynamically scaled up as the SRAM ages by performing read tests with and without the wordline overdrive voltage VWLOD.
US09330784B2
Methods and apparatus to provide dynamic window to improve NAND (Not And) memory endurance are described. In one embodiment, a program-erase window associated with a NAND memory device is dynamically varied by starting with a higher erase verify (TEV) voltage and lowering the TEV voltage with subsequent cycles over a life of the NAND memory device based on a current cycle count value. Alternatively, the program-erase window is dynamically varied by starting with a higher erase verify (PV) voltage and erase verify (TEV) voltage and lowering the PV and TEV voltages with subsequent cycles over a life of the NAND memory device based on the current cycle count value. Other embodiments are also disclosed and claimed.
US09330783B1
Identifying word-line-to-substrate and word-line-to-word-line short-circuit events in a memory block
An apparatus includes a memory and a memory controller. The memory includes a memory block that includes memory cells connected by word lines. The memory controller is configured to store data in the memory cells, and to identify a suspected short-circuit event in the memory block by recognizing a deviation of a performance characteristic of at least a given word line in the memory block relative to the performance characteristic of remaining word lines in the memory block.
US09330780B1
A semiconductor device and method of operating the same are provided. The semiconductor device may include a memory block including drain select transistors connected to bit lines, source select transistors connected to a common source line, and memory cells connected between the drain select transistors and the source select transistors. The semiconductor device may include an operation circuit configured to repeatedly perform a program operation and a program verifying operation to increase threshold voltages of the drain select transistors to a target level. The operation circuit may be configured to apply a level lower than a verifying voltage initially applied to the drain select transistors for the program verifying operation. The level being lower than a normal level. The operation circuit may be configured to increase the verifying voltage to the normal level whenever the program verifying operation is repeated.
US09330776B2
A high voltage step regulator, such as would be used to provide a regulated low voltage (on the order of a few volts) from a high voltage external supply (e.g. 12V), is presented. To protect the output transistor, through which the output is provided from the input, from breakdown, a depletion type device is connected between the supply and the output transistor. The control gate of the depletion device is then connected to the output level of the regulator. This reduces the voltage drop across the output transistor, helping to avoid violating design rules (EDR) on how great a voltage differential can be placed across the output transistor. Examples of applications for such a circuit are for various operating voltages on a non-volatile memory chip operating with a high voltage power supply.
US09330775B2
A flash memory, a flash memory system, and an operating method thereof. The method of operating a flash memory includes counting the number of memory cells having threshold voltages included in a first adjacent threshold voltage range (defined by a first reference read voltage for distinguishing between initially separated adjacently located threshold voltage distributions and a first search read voltage having a first voltage difference from the first reference read voltage), and a second adjacent threshold voltage range (defined by the first reference read voltage and a second search read voltage having a second voltage difference from the first reference read voltage), and setting a first optimal read voltage based on the difference between the first and second counted numbers of the memory cells.
US09330770B2
Nonvolatile memory devices, operating methods thereof, and memory systems including the same. A nonvolatile memory device may include a memory cell array and a word line driver. The memory cell array may include a plurality of memory cells. The word line driver may be configured to apply word line voltages to a plurality of word lines connected to the plurality of memory cells, respectively. Magnitudes of the word line voltages may be determined according to locations of the plurality of word lines.
US09330764B2
A device, such as an integrated circuit including memory, includes an array of memory cells on a substrate. A row/column line, such as a local word line or local bit line, is disposed in the array. The row/column line includes a pass transistor structure comprising a semiconductor strip in a first patterned layer over the substrate. The semiconductor strip includes a semiconductor channel body, a contact region on one side of the semiconductor channel body, and an extension on another side of the semiconductor channel body, which reaches into the memory cells in the array. A select line in a second patterned layer crossing the semiconductor channel body is provided. The pass transistor structure can be implemented in a fanout structure for row/column lines in the array.
US09330749B1
In an example, a memory control device includes an output circuit, an output delay unit, and a write-levelization controller. The output circuit is coupled to provide an output signal comprising a data signal or data strobe signal for a synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM) system having a plurality of ranks. The output delay unit is coupled to apply an output delay to a bitstream to be transmitted to generate the output signal. The output delay includes an aggregate of a de-skew delay and a write-levelization delay. The write-levelization delay controller is coupled to adjust the write-levelization delay for each write transaction to the SDRAM system of a plurality of write transactions based on a selected rank of the plurality of ranks. The de-skew delay is the same across the plurality of ranks for each of the plurality of write transactions.
US09330748B2
A match-in-place-type compare operation utilizes a string of Magnetic Tunnel Junction (MTJ) elements including storage layers and sense layers having different anti-ferromagnetic structures respectively having higher and lower blocking temperatures. Confidential data is written into the storage layers of the MTJ elements by heating the elements above the higher blocking temperature, and then orienting the storage and sense layers in first storage magnetization directions using field lines. The elements are then cooled to an intermediate temperature between the higher and lower blocking temperatures, and the field lines are turned off, setting the sense layers to preliminary storage magnetization directions opposite to the first directions. During a pre-compare phase, an input logic pattern is written into the sense layers by heating to the intermediate temperature. During a compare operation, with the field lines turned off, resistance of the MTJ string is detected by passing a read current through the string.
US09330747B2
Described is an apparatus of a non-volatile logic (NVL), the apparatus comprises: a sensing circuit to sense differential resistance; a first magnetic-tunneling-junction (MTJ) device coupled to the sensing circuit; a second MTJ device coupled to the sensing circuit, the first and second MTJ devices operable to provide differential resistance; and a buffer to drive complementary signals to the first and second MTJ devices respectively.
US09330746B2
A circuit that includes a current source module, a current sink module and a memory bank is disclosed. Each of the current source module, the current sink module and the memory bank is connected to the first bit/source line and the second bit/source line. The memory bank is bounded by the current source module and the current sink module. When the current source module and the current sink module receive a triggering pulse from the first bit/source line and a select signal with a first state, the current source module is activated to generate an operating current to the first bit/source line that transmits through a conducted memory cell of the memory bank and the current sink module is activated to drain the operating current from the second bit/source line.
US09330727B1
A method of determining whether a data object is stored on a storage device such as a disk includes a write operation that partitions the data object into sub-objects according to a random sequence of control bits, by (a) assigning a first block of the data object to an initially selected sub-object, and (b) assigning successive blocks to a currently selected sub-object or to a next selected sub-object based on the value of the corresponding control bit. The sub-objects are written to distinct physical regions of the storage device so that differential read latencies are experienced depending on the pattern of block access. An object read/verify operation includes reading the blocks of the data object sequentially, recording respective latencies, constructing a result word to record latency values, and calculating a difference between the control word and the result word.
US09330724B2
The objective of the present invention is to manage reference movies using an index file, without causing the user to be perplexed. The reference movies are generated because of, for instance, the upper limit of the file size. The index file manages sets of information regarding the files being managed. Examples of these sets of information are information for determining whether or not a file is presented to the user, information for determining whether or not a file is original, and information indicating whether or not nondestructive editing has been done. Based on such information, the erasure, displaying a list, and so on are carried out. Thus, it is possible to manage the reference movies using the index file, without causing the user to be perplexed.
US09330718B2
Techniques are disclosed for adding interactive features to videos to enable users to create new media using a dynamic blend of motion and still imagery. The interactive techniques can include allowing a user to change the starting time of one or more subjects in a given video frame, or only animate/play a portion of a given frame scene. The techniques may include segmenting each frame of a video to identify one or more subjects within each frame, selecting (or receiving selections of) one or more subjects within the given frame scene, tracking the selected subject(s) from frame to frame, and alpha-matting to play/animate only the selected subject(s). In some instances, segmentation, selection, and/or tracking may be improved and/or enhanced using pixel depth information (e.g., using a depth map).
US09330717B2
An editing device for connecting first and second streams containing variable length coded parameters, includes a decision unit operable to compare an encoded first parameter contained in the first stream with an encoded second parameter contained in the second stream, and decide whether at least one of the first parameter and the second parameter is to be changed, and a replacing unit operable to replace at least one of the first and second parameters with the other code word of the same length as the code words assigned to the first and second parameters, when the decision unit decides that at least one of the parameters is to be changed.
US09330714B2
A supplemental module that includes one or more read elements periodically engages a magnetic recording medium, and the read elements generate an electrical signal corresponding to transitions written to the magnetic recording medium by a write element. A computer receives information representative of the electrical signal and determines if a quality metric of the magnetic recording medium derived from the electrical signal is within a defined range. If the quality metric is not within the defined range, a defined action is performed by the computer.
US09330708B2
Techniques for reducing the time required for erasing specific data recorded on a tape medium. A specific group of records is erased without preliminarily locating the erasure end position. This is carried out by simultaneously utilizing three heads, that is, two read heads and one write head, to detect the erasure end position during data erasure. Various embodiments are applicable to tape media as well as other storage media. Various embodiments are not only applicable as a file system cooperating as a combination of hardware (H/W) and software (S/W), but also applicable in systems, such as databases, that directly use storage without an intermediary file system.
US09330681B2
Modulating a voice signal is provided. The voice signal corresponding to a voice communication is received from a sending voice communication device via a network. Voice signal features corresponding to the voice communication are extracted. A set of voice signal filters are selected to modulate the extracted voice signal features corresponding to the voice communication to an average voice signal associated with a geographic area where the voice communication is destined for. The voice signal features corresponding to the voice communication are modulated by applying the selected set of voice signal filters to generate the average voice signal associated with the geographic area where the voice communication is destined for.
US09330680B2
A system and method for the automatic, procedural generation of musical content in relation to biometric data. The systems and methods use a user's device, such as a cell phone to capture image data of a body part, and derive a biometric signal from the image data. The biometric signal includes biometric parameters, which are used by a music generation engine to generate music. The music generation can also be based on user-specific data and quality data related to the biometric detection process.
US09330677B2
A method and apparatus for generating a noise reduced output signal from sound received by a first and second microphone arranged as a microphone array. The method includes transforming sound received by the first microphone into a first input signal and sound received by a second microphone into a second input signal and calculating, for each of the frequency components, a weighted sum of at least two intermediate signals calculated from the input signals by means of complex valued transfer functions and real valued Equalizer functions. The method includes a weighing function with range between zero and one, with quotients of signal energies of the intermediate functions as arguments of the weighing function, and generating the noise reduced output signal based on the weighted sum of the intermediate functions and based on the weighted sum of the first and second intermediate function at each of the frequency components.
US09330674B2
Disclosed are a voice communication system and a voice communication method which set a subtraction weight for each of a plurality of frequency subbands split based on a particular frequency response characteristic set to the system, calculate a gain function for each frequency subband according to the particular frequency response characteristic based on the subtraction weight for each of the frequency subbands, and improve sound quality of a voice signal by reflecting the calculated gain function.
US09330672B2
A frame loss compensation method and apparatus for audio signals are disclosed. The method includes: when a first frame immediately following a correctly received frame is lost, judging a frame type of the first lost frame, and when the first lost frame is a non-multi-harmonic frame, calculating MDCT coefficients of the first lost frame by using MDCT coefficients of one or more frames prior to the first lost frame; obtaining an initially compensated signal of the first lost frame according to the MDCT coefficients of the first lost frame; and performing a first class of waveform adjustment on the initially compensated signal of the first lost frame and taking an adjusted time-domain signal as a time-domain signal of the first lost frame. The apparatus includes a frame type judgment module, an MDCT coefficient acquisition module, an initial compensation signal acquisition module and an adjustment module.
US09330669B2
A system and method is presented for performing dual mode speech recognition, employing a local recognition module on a mobile device and a remote recognition engine on a server device. The system accepts a spoken query from a user, and both the local recognition module and the remote recognition engine perform speech recognition operations on the query, returning a transcription and confidence score, subject to a latency cutoff time. If both sources successfully transcribe the query, then the system accepts the result having the higher confidence score. If only one source succeeds, then that result is accepted. In either case, if the remote recognition engine does succeed in transcribing the query, then a client vocabulary is updated if the remote system result includes information not present in the client vocabulary.
US09330665B2
Automatically adjusting confidence scoring functionality is described for a speech recognition engine. Operation of the speech recognition system is revised so as to change an associated receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve describing performance of the speech recognition system with respect to rates of false acceptance (FA) versus correct acceptance (CA). Then a confidence scoring functionality related to recognition reliability for a given input utterance is automatically adjusted such that where the ROC curve is better for a given operating point after revising the operation of the speech recognition system, the adjusting reflects a double gain constraint to maintain FA and CA rates at least as good as before revising operation of the speech recognition system.
US09330663B2
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, receiving audio data; determining that an initial portion of the audio data corresponds to an initial portion of a hotword; in response to determining that the initial portion of the audio data corresponds to the initial portion of the hotword, selecting, from among a set of one or more actions that are performed when the entire hotword is detected, a subset of the one or more actions; and causing one or more actions of the subset to be performed.
US09330659B2
A development system is described for facilitating the development of a spoken natural language (SNL) interface. The development system receives seed templates from a developer, each of which provides a command phrasing that can be used to invoke a function, when spoken by an end user. The development system then uses one or more development resources, such as a crowdsourcing system and a paraphrasing system, to provide additional templates. This yields an extended set of templates. A generation system then generates one or more models based on the extended set of templates. A user device may install the model(s) for use in interpreting commands spoken by an end user. When the user device recognizes a command, it may automatically invoke a function associated with that command. Overall, the development system provides an easy-to-use tool for producing an SNL interface.
US09330652B2
In one aspect, multiple adaptive W filters and associated adaptive filter controllers are provided that use multiple reference microphone signals to produce multiple, “component” anti-noise signals. These are gain weighted and summed to produce a single anti-noise signal, which drives an earpiece speaker. The weighting changes based on computed measures of the coherence between content in each reference signal and content in an error signal. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.
US09330648B2
An electronic keyboard musical instrument includes a storage device, a musical tone generation unit, a resonating sound generation unit, and an adding unit. The musical tone generation unit reads out corresponding musical tone waveform data from the storage device according to key depression information to generate a musical tone waveform signal and a first register resonating sound waveform signal. The resonating sound generation unit receives the musical tone waveform signal to cause the resonating sound generation circuit to generate a second register resonating sound waveform signal according to damper pedal operator manipulation information and the key depression information, and outputs the second register resonating sound waveform signal. The adding unit is configured to add the musical tone waveform signal and the resonating sound waveform signal from the musical tone generation unit and the resonating sound generation unit respectively, and outputting a resulting signal.
US09330644B2
A pitched percussion idiophone instrument comprising first and second support members (12, 14) which interconnected, a plurality of hollow tubes (20), the tubes being parallel and having a pair of apertures (26, 28) towards each end (22, 24), first and second strings (34, 36) extending through the apertures (26, 28), pins (30) located on each of the first and second support members (12, 14) intermediate the hollow tubes (20) such that the strings (34, 36) are supported by pins (30), the arrangement being such that the hollow tubes (20) are suspended above said support members (12, 14) by the first and second strings (34, 36).
US09330640B2
A stringed instrument playing assistance implement which can be altered and mounted on a finger, can be adjusted and make a perfect fit of a location, an angle, and a size for any sort of player's finger for preventing slippage or falling off said finger. The stringed instrument playing assistance implement can be altered and used for a variety of string picking techniques. The stringed instrument playing assistance implement is employed when playing a stringed instrument by picking the strings thereof and includes a wire-shaped member, which can be altered and mounted on a finger and which is capable of retaining a shape.
US09330637B1
A bi-directional clamping device for string musical instruments includes a forward end closer the nut and a rearward end further the nut fashioned to be operable to receive a string inserted essentially unimpeded in a first direction, the first direction extending in the direction of the strings typically from the rearward end of the clamping device towards the nut and further fashioned to be operable to optionally receive a string inserted essentially unimpeded in a second direction, the second direction extending in the direction of the strings typically towards the rearward end of the clamping device from the nut. The arrangement further allows for larger diameter strings with taper cores, etc. to be clamped in order to meet requirements for extended range instruments.
US09330634B2
Techniques for presenting changing visual content, including video, animation and so on, as an overlay are discussed. Changing visual content, included in a visual presentation, may be identified from other visual elements included in the visual presentation. The changing visual content may be manipulated based on available resources associated with presenting the changing visual content as an overlay for a client.
US09330632B2
Embodiments of the invention generally provide an input device with display screens that periodically update (refresh) the screen by selectively driving common electrodes corresponding to pixels in a display line. In general, the input devices drive each electrode until each display line (and each pixel) of a display frame is updated. In addition to updating the display, the input device may perform capacitive sensing using the display screen as a proximity sensing area. To do this, the input device may interleave periods of capacitive sensing between periods of updating the display based on a display frame. For example, the input device may update the first half of display lines of the display screen, pause display updating, perform capacitive sensing, and finish updating the rest of the display lines. Further still, the input device may use common electrodes for both updating the display and performing capacitive sensing.
US09330630B2
Elements of the present invention relate to systems and methods for modifying or adjusting a display source light illumination level based on power consumption goals. In some embodiments, a rate control parameter may be used to limit the rate at which the illumination level is varied. In some embodiments, image content analysis may be used to determine the value of the rate control parameter.
US09330617B2
There is provided a method of driving a display panel. In the method, it is determined whether a driving mode is a two-dimensional image mode or a three-dimensional image mode. A first gate driving control signal and a second gate driving control signal are generated by converting an input control signal inputted in accordance with the driving mode. A first gate signal is outputted to an odd-numbered gate line connected to a first sub-pixel within a unit pixel of the display panel based on the first gate driving control signal. A second gate signal is outputted to an even-numbered gate line connected to a second sub-pixel within the unit pixel of the display panel based on the second gate driving control signal.
US09330616B2
An automatic correction function determining apparatus includes an output unit and a determining unit. The output unit sequentially outputs a first display image and a second display image to a display. The first display image includes a target area being a colorimetric target and formed of a first image and a non-target area not being a colorimetric target and formed of a second image. The second display image includes the target area formed of the first image and the non-target area formed of a third image different in mean gradation value from the second image. The determining unit determines that an automatic correction function is active on the display, if a colorimetric measurement result of the target area in the first display image displayed on the display is different from a colorimetric measurement result of the target area in the second display image displayed on the display.
US09330608B2
A power management method a display device utilizes the same are disclosed. The power management method, adopted by the display device, includes: increasing, by a control circuit, brightness of a lighting device, wherein the lighting device is configured to illuminate a display panel device; detecting, by an overload detection circuit, whether an overload has been triggered by the increased brightness; and when the overload has been triggered by the increased brightness, recording, by a power capacity determination circuit, a maximal predetermined brightness that is used prior to the overload is triggered, while showing an on-screen-display (OSD) warning message on a display of the display device for reminding the user. When the brightness of the lighting device reaches the maximal predetermined brightness and the power capacity determination circuit detects no overload, this indicates the power capacity is sufficient for supplying power to the display device.
US09330603B2
Discussed is an OLED display device that can compensate for the deviation of a threshold voltage and also prevent deterioration of an OLED, and a method of driving the same, wherein the OLED display device includes first to fifth transistors, a driving transistor including gate, source and drain electrodes, a capacitor for sensing a threshold voltage of the driving transistor, and an OLED.
US09330600B2
The present disclosure relates to a field of display technology, and provides an AMOLED pixel circuit, a method for driving the same, and a display device, which can improve an integration of an in-cell touch control circuit with an AMOLED driving circuit. The AMOLED pixel circuit comprises a light-emitting module, a touch control module, a control module, and a driving and amplifying module. The MOLED pixel circuit provided in embodiments of the present disclosure can be used in the manufacture of the AMOLED display device.
US09330596B2
A pixel capable of displaying an image with uniform brightness. The pixel includes an organic light emitting diode (OLED), a first transistor for controlling an amount of current supplied from a first power source coupled to a first electrode to the OLED, a second transistor coupled between a gate electrode of the first transistor and an initial power source to be turned on when a second scan signal is supplied to a second scan line, a first capacitor coupled between the gate electrode of the first transistor and the first power source, and a second capacitor whose first terminal is coupled to a first electrode of the first transistor.
US09330586B2
A display apparatus including a plurality of pixels arranged in association with a plurality of gate lines and a plurality of data lines crossing the gate lines, a data driver configured to drive the data lines, a gate driving unit configured to drive the gate lines in synchronization with a gate control signal, and a timing controller configured to control the data driver and the gate driving unit in response to an image signal and a control signal from an exterior. The timing controller outputs the gate control signal including a plurality of pulses respectively corresponding to the gate lines and an enable time of each pulse of the gate control signal is set according to a position of a corresponding gate line of the gate lines.
US09330578B2
An intelligent tissue mimicking ultrasonic phantom, which is a temperature-sensitive polymer gel having the following characteristics: acoustic velocity: 1500-1550 m/s; acoustic impedance: (1.50-1.60)×106 Pa·s/m; density: 1.01-1.06 g/cm3; and a denaturation temperature around which there is a reversible phase transformation between the opaque phase and the transparent phase. Said gel can be a polymer of isopropylacrylamide (NIPA). Said ultrasonic phantom has a transparent appearance, and an adjustable thermal denaturation temperature; the thermal denaturation region of the ultrasonic phantom is distinct and has a well-defined boundary; the material of the phantom is stable and deterioration-resistant, and can ensure the consistency of the quality; the phantom is thermal denaturable with the appearance thereof turning white, while the phantom recovers when the heat is removed, such that it can be used repeatedly.
US09330575B2
Embodiments of the present invention pertain to a computer program product and processor based computing system that provides processing means for executing coded instructions and input means for interacting with said processing means to create a virtual welding environment. The system establishes an objective to change a functional or operational state of a virtual article, and directs the end user to perform at least one virtual welding operation for changing its functional state. The system trains new users and inexperienced welders on the fundamental aspects of welding and other technical aspects.
US09330574B1
A on-aircraft computer device predicts aircraft states (e.g., altitude, speed, flight path angle, and fuel consumption) at any given time, while utilizing a Deterministic Genetic Algorithm to search 4-D flight path candidates that can comply with all path constraints to produce a feasible 4-D path candidate as a final OPD flight path to arrive at a metering waypoint in a specified time window.
US09330572B2
A warning control device is provided with a detection device for detecting a mobile body moving in a direction intersecting with the path of the host vehicle. The warning control device performs a warning operation when the host vehicle and the mobile body approach each other. The warning control device calculates the intersecting distance, which is the distance to the host vehicle from a predicted intersecting position between the path of the host vehicle and the path of the mobile body. The shorter the calculated intersecting distance, the earlier becomes the timing of the warning operation executed by the warning control device.
US09330570B2
An image assisted parking space availability searching and reservation method and system. An image capturing unit can be deployed onsite (e.g., parking lot, street side parking, etc.) to monitor parking spaces/spots. A parking space detection and reservation module can be configured in association with a mobile communications device to assist in the detection and selection of particular spaces. A destination street(s) can be located via a web browser installed associated with the mobile communications device. An IP address of the image-capturing unit monitoring the parking space can be obtained and a snapshot image/video of the street can be displayed. The captured video can be processed in real-time to report parking availability with respect to the street(s) and a parking space reserved.
US09330568B2
Parking occupancy detection methods, systems and processor-readable media. A laser device unit includes a laser range finder, and a programmable pan-tilt unit is deployable on site to monitor one or more parking spaces. A laser emitting and receiving unit associated with the laser range finder determines the distance of an object by estimating a time difference between an emitted laser and a received laser. The laser range finder is controllable by the programmable pan-tilt unit and scans the parking spaces. A signal-processing unit can convert the measured distance profile to a parking occupancy data to provide continuous parking space estimation data for use in parking occupancy detection.
US09330562B2
Systems and methods for local wireless network remote control of ancillary railway implements are described herein. In one implementation, a portable computing module uses a wireless module to control an ancillary railway implement. In one implementation, the portable computing module connects through ancillary railway implement to control one or more nodes, where the nodes are additional ancillary railway implements.
US09330557B2
Implementations for a system to receive a message indicating that an ambient light level measured by an ambient light sensor within a container exceeds a first threshold value or falls below a second threshold value; in response to the message indicating that the ambient light level exceeds the first threshold value, activate a cargo sensor; and in response to the message indicating that the ambient light level falls below the second threshold value, de-activate the cargo sensor.
US09330552B2
The invention relates to a method for adapting the signal processing of at least one sensor device arranged behind a window in a motor vehicle, wherein the adaptation of the signal processing comprises changing at least one detection threshold value if a probability of ice being on the window is detected on the basis of a determined temperature, characterized in that a temperature signal of at least one temperature sensor integrated in the sensor device is used to detect the probability of ice on the window.
US09330544B2
A system of the present disclosure may include a sensor configured to detect user interaction with a touch surface and transmit a sensor signal associated with the user interaction; a processor in communication with the sensor, the processor configured to: determine a position of the user interaction based on the sensor signal, determine a feature associated with the position of the user interaction, control a device associated with the feature, modify a display signal based in part on the user interaction, select a haptic effect to generate based at least in part on user interaction and the position, the haptic effect selected to simulate the feature, and transmit a haptic signal to generate the haptic effect, and a haptic output device in communication with the processor and coupled to the touch surface, the haptic output device configured to receive a haptic signal and output a haptic effect.
US09330541B1
An apparatus for locating misplaced keys and other objects designed with a signal transceiver and equipped with a GPS tracking chip. During use, when the user has lost an object, such as a set of keys, or any other object to which the tracking device is attached, the user may transmit signal to the tracking device on a smartphone or tablet belonging to the user via a downloadable mobile application synced for use with the tracking device in order to easily guide the user to the lost object.
US09330530B2
System and method are disclosed for conducting a group-wagering game in which players at several gaming terminals may play wagering games and win together. The method and system of the invention involves connecting a bank of gaming terminals to a bank server. The bank server automatically plays a group-wagering game on a periodic basis in which players at the gaming terminals in the bank of gaming terminals may participate. Depending on the outcome of the group-wagering game, eligible players may be awarded prizes outright, or they may be granted a group-bonus game. The prizes and awards won may depend on the amounts wagered at the gaming terminal.
US09330526B2
A gaming machine according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a display panel configured to display images of a game, the display panel including a screen facing downward; a partial mirror disposed under the display panel and inclined with respect to the screen to partially reflect the images from the display panel into a forward direction; a background member disposed rear to the partial mirror such that an image of the background member passes through the partial mirror into the forward direction to overlap the images from the display panel; and a controller configured to execute the game and to control the display panel.
US09330519B2
The present invention relates to an automatic dispensing machine having an elevator for transporting the products from the tray area to the collection box, which increases the capacity of the products that can be dispensed, in addition to increasing the machine's capacity due to the fact that it can store a larger number of products for being subsequently dispensed, due to the fact that the elevator comprises a rotatable upper lid which allows the rotating shaft of the product collection door to be disposed at a greater height than the upper lid of the elevator, thereby increasing the capacity of the elevator and that of the products that can be dispensed, as well as the number of tray rows.
US09330509B2
A feedback system for a motor vehicle infotainment system is disclosed in which information about the state of the motor vehicle, including the infotainment system, and the mobile device may be collected and sent to a remote server that is responsible for receiving and/or organizing such feedback. A user may initiate a feedback process by pressing a dedicated button, issuing a voice command, performing a specific gesture, or other input action. The feedback system may collect a variety of data and create a notice on the mobile device so that a user may submit feedback at a time during which the user will not be operating the motor vehicle.
US09330503B2
The use of visual cues associated with rendered visual items to cue a user on whether a rendered visual item has interactive capability and/or what type of interaction is possible with that visual item. The visual items may be rendered in a data driven way with each constructed using a corresponding parameterized view component. The parameter(s) are populated by data, perhaps by model variables obtained from an analytical model. The parameters then drive logic associated with the view component to thereby construct a visual item which may then be rendered. The rendering engine then renders the visual item with the visual cue. The user may then interact with the rendered visual item. Such interaction might cause some external action to occur, might change which visual items are displayed, and/or might change a value of the input parameters of one or more view components used to generate displayed visual items.
US09330500B2
An image into which one or more objects are to be inserted is obtained. Based on the image, both a 3-dimensional (3D) representation and a light model of the scene in the image are generated. One or more objects are added to the 3D representation of the scene. The 3D representation of the scene is rendered, based on the light model, to generate a modified image that is the obtained image modified to include the one or more objects.
US09330490B2
Methods and systems for visualization of 3D parametric data in a 2D image. The set of 3D parametric data includes a plurality of voxels in 3D space each associated with at least one parametric value, and the set of 2D image data includes information about a known camera position and a known camera orientation at which the 2D image was obtained. A graphical representation is generated of the parametric values of the voxels corresponding to a viewing surface in 3D space. A virtual 2D view of the viewing surface is determined. The 2D image is displayed registered with the graphical representation of the parametric values of the voxels corresponding to the virtual 2D view.
US09330481B2
A medical image processing apparatus is configured as follows. Namely the apparatus is provided with a first image generation unit which executes reconfiguration processing based on X-ray transmission data to generate a contrast blood vessel figure three-dimensional image data including a figure of a blood vessel in a subject having a contrast media injected thereto, a second image generation unit which executes reconfiguration processing based on the X-ray transmission data to generate a human anatomy figure three-dimensional image data including a figure of a human anatomy in the subject having no contrast media injected thereto, a black-and-white reverse processing unit which executes black-and-white reverse processing with respect to the contrast blood vessel figure three-dimensional image data to generate black-and-white reversed three-dimensional image data, and a combination processing unit which combines the human anatomy figure three-dimensional image data with the black-and-white reversed three-dimensional image data to generate combined image data.
US09330476B2
An image is displayed in a computer system. The image includes contents having a feature visible therein. The contents have a region thereof defined to be provided with additional content in generating a modified image. An input is received comprising a semantic mark to be placed on the image. The semantic mark indicates an inside-region part inside the region and an outside-region part outside the region. The additional content for the region is determined using a patch-based optimization algorithm applied to the image. The patch-based optimization algorithm (i) identifies the additional content for the inside-region part based on the outside-region part and not on an area of the image that the semantic mark does not indicate, and (ii) identifies the additional content for a remainder of the region without being restricted to the outside-region part. The modified image having the additional content in the region is stored.
US09330472B2
The invention provides an image processing method for processing a sequence of images, comprising the steps of: obtaining, from a visual sensor, at least two images of the sequence of images, detecting whether the images include a distortion, determining an image warping function at least partially compensating the distortion, applying the determined warping function to the image(s) including the distortion, and calculating by a processing unit, and outputting, an optical flow as a displacement vector field form the images.
US09330470B2
A method for modeling and tracking a subject using image depth data includes locating the subject's trunk in the image depth data and creating a three-dimensional (3D) model of the subject's trunk. Further, the method includes locating the subject's head in the image depth data and creating a 3D model of the subject's head. The 3D models of the subject's head and trunk can be exploited by removing pixels from the image depth data corresponding to the trunk and the head of the subject, and the remaining image depth data can then be used to locate and track an extremity of the subject.
US09330466B2
Methods and apparatus for three-dimensional (3D) camera positioning using a two-dimensional (2D) vanishing point grid. A vanishing point grid in a scene and initial camera parameters may be obtained. A new 3D camera may be calculated according to the vanishing point grid that places the grid as a ground plane in a scene. A 3D object may then be placed on the ground plane in the scene as defined by the 3D camera. The 3D object may be placed at the center of the vanishing point grid. Once placed, the 3D object can be moved to other locations on the ground plane or otherwise manipulated. The 3D object may be added as a layer in the image.
US09330459B2
A non-touch thermometer that includes a first circuit board that has a microprocessor, a battery operably coupled to the microprocessor and a single button operably coupled to the microprocessor, the non-touch thermometer also includes a camera operably coupled to the microprocessor that provides at least two images to the microprocessor, the non-touch thermometer also includes a second circuit board that has a digital infrared sensor operably coupled to the microprocessor with no analog-to-digital converter operably coupled between the digital infrared sensor and the microprocessor, the digital infrared sensor having only digital readout ports, the digital infrared sensor having no analog sensor readout ports, the microprocessor is operable to receive from the digital readout ports a digital signal that is representative of an infrared signal detected by the digital infrared sensor and the microprocessor is operable to determine a temperature from the digital signal that is representative of the infrared signal.
US09330455B2
The diagnostic support apparatus includes a feature quantity calculation unit vectorizing a test image into shift-invariant feature quantities, a base representation unit transforming the shift-invariant feature quantities of the test image into a linear combination of base vectors with first coefficients, the base vectors being calculated from a plurality of vectors representing shift-invariant feature quantities of a plurality of normal structural images including no lesion site, a lesion determination unit determining that the test image includes a lesion site when a difference between the first coefficients and second coefficients is greater than a determination threshold value, the second coefficients being used to transform shift-invariant feature quantities calculated from one of the normal structural images into a linear combination of the base vectors, and an output unit outputting a result of the determination by the lesion determination unit.
US09330452B2
Electromagnetic energy is deposited into a volume, an acoustic return signal from energy deposited in the volume is measured, and a parametric map that estimates values of at least one parameter as spatially represented in the volume is computed. A reference level of a region of interest is determined, and upper and lower color map limits are specified, with at least one of them being determined in relation to the reference level. The parametric map is then rendered in the palette of a color map by mapping the estimated values of the parametric map onto the color map according to the color map limits. Two wavelengths of energy can be applied to the volume, and the parametric map computation can be adapted by applying an implicit or explicit model of, or theoretical basis for, distribution of electromagnetic energy fluence within the volume pertaining to the two wavelengths. The actual electromagnetic energy fluence caused by each wavelength has a propensity, due to variability within the volume, to differ from the modeled or theoretical electromagnetic energy fluence.
US09330451B2
According to embodiments of the invention, there are disclosed a method and an apparatus for detecting defect of a backlight module. Images that show components in the backlight module are acquired with a plurality of preset angles relative to a surface of the backlight module. The acquired images that show the components in the backlight module are analyzed, so as to determine whether a defect presents in the components in the backlight module.
US09330449B2
A ground based wind turbine blade inspection system and method consists of a thermal imaging camera configured to detect propagating defects by acquiring thermal imaging data from a wind turbine blade when it is substantially at thermal equilibrium with respect to surrounding air and analyzing the thermal imaging data with a processor to identify thermal effects associated with latent defects caused by internal friction due to cyclic gravitational stresses and wind loads during normal turbine operation. The system permits latent defects to be identified using a ground-based in situ inspection before they become visually apparent, which allows repairs to be made economically while the blade is in place.
US09330448B2
The present invention provides an adaptive feature recognition tool that can be used to determine the location and/or count discrete features on an object being manufactured in a relatively quick time fashion. The tool can include an elongated rigid member that has a first end with a generally planar surface, the generally planar surface having a plurality of contrast targets thereon. The elongated rigid member can also have a second end for placement at a desired location, for example placement on a plurality of features whose number and/or location(s) on the object is desired. In addition, an exposure device that is operable to expose specific subsets of the plurality of contrast targets to a line-of-sight digital imaging device can be included.
US09330446B2
Provided are a monitoring system and an operating method thereof, and more particularly, an image processing method and apparatus for removing a motion blur of a wide dynamic range (WDR) image by using a machine learning algorithm. The image processing method includes: generating an overlap image by overlapping a first image having a predetermined exposure time and a second image having an exposure time different from that of the first image; detecting a region of interest (ROI) in which a motion blur occurs in the overlap image; and performing a motion blur removing operation of changing an image in the ROI to any one of the first image and the second image by applying a first machine learning algorithm.
US09330442B2
Provided are methods and apparatuses for reducing noise in an image, in which a kernel that gives a weight to a pixel value with respect to determination of a similarity between patches is adaptively changed according to a reference patch, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium for recording the same, and an image processing apparatus using the same, in which noise in an image is removed according to a noise removal algorithm based on non-local means.
US09330432B2
Techniques are disclosed relating to arbitration of requests to access a register file. In one embodiment, an apparatus includes a write queue and a register file that includes multiple entries. In one embodiment, the apparatus is configured to select a request from a plurality of requests based on a plurality of request characteristics, and write data from the accepted request into a write queue. In one embodiment, the request characteristics include: whether a request is a last request from an agent for a given register file entry and whether the request finishes a previous request. In one embodiment, a final arbiter is configured to select among requests from the write queue, a read queue, and multiple execution pipelines to access banks of the register file in a given cycle.
US09330428B2
A watermark encoder receives a current video image together with current metadata associated with the current image. A metadata delay also makes available to the watermark decoder delayed metadata associated respectively with four or more of the preceding. Then the watermark encoder modifies pixel values of the current image not only to encode the current metadata but also the delayed metadata. At a decoder, if metadata for the current image is corrupted or missing, it can be recovered from one of the succeeding images.
US09330427B2
Arrangements involving portable devices (e.g., smartphones and tablet computers) are disclosed. One arrangement enables a content creator to select software with which that creator's content should be rendered—assuring continuity between artistic intention and delivery. Another utilizes a device camera to identify nearby subjects, and take actions based thereon. Others rely on near field chip (RFID) identification of objects, or on identification of audio streams (e.g., music, voice). Some technologies concern improvements to the user interfaces associated with such devices. Others involve use of these devices in connection with shopping, text entry, sign language interpretation, and vision-based discovery. Still other improvements are architectural in nature, e.g., relating to evidence-based state machines, and blackboard systems. Yet other technologies concern use of linked data in portable devices—some of which exploit GPU capabilities. Still other technologies concern computational photography. A great variety of other features and arrangements are also detailed.
US09330413B2
Methods and apparatus are disclosed provide various enhancements and/or improvements to the conventional shopping process used by brick-and-mortar stores. In some embodiments, a customer may use a mobile computing device, such as a smart phone, to select and pay for items in a brick-and-mortar store. Such shopping process may permit the customer to purchase numerous items without the using of shopping basket or a wheeled shopping cart. The shopping process may further permit the customer to pay for items and leave the store with such items without waiting in a checkout line.
