US09363840B2
In accordance with an example embodiment of the present invention, an apparatus, a computer program product and a method is provided for application based connectivity event triggering. The example embodiment comprises determining, at an apparatus, whether an active application satisfies predefined criteria for connectivity event, and triggering a radio module at the apparatus to enter into a device discovery mode for transmitting device discovery messages in response to determining that the apparatus is actively operating an application satisfying the predefined criteria for connectivity event.
US09363836B2
A method for managing radio transmission in an endpoint device in a network includes: receiving, at a first endpoint device, a message requesting wake up of the first endpoint device; establishing a connection between the first endpoint device to a second endpoint device connected to the network; determining, at the first endpoint device, whether a secure command is received from the second endpoint device via the established connection within a predetermined period of time; and based on the received secure command, establishing a connection between the first endpoint device and the network via radio transmission, wherein the first endpoint device is configured to turn off radio transmission if the secure command is not received within the predetermined period of time.
US09363835B2
The disclosure relates to methods and nodes for reducing the signaling load in a communications network. One claim of the disclosure relates to a method in a first network node for handling of service requests. The method comprises the steps of: generating a service request message, transmitting the service request message to a second network node, establishing a radio access bearer, RAB, to the second network node, and transmitting uplink data via said RAB to the second network node.
US09363832B2
A wireless device receives a control command initiating a random access process for a secondary cell. The wireless device transmits a random access preamble on random access resources of the secondary cell. The wireless device aborts the random access process if the secondary cell is deactivated before the wireless device receives a random access response.
US09363830B2
Random access technology is provided for establishing an individual channel between a radio communication terminal device and a base station device in a short time and a radio communication terminal device executing the random access method. A RACH sub-channel allocation unit allocates a transmission packet input from a replication unit to an arbitrary sub-carrier at the RACH arbitrary time slot at random. An allocation unit judges whether an overlap is generated in the allocation result obtained by the RACH sub-channel allocation unit.
US09363818B2
According to embodiments, a base station includes a radio communication unit configured to establish communication with a mobile communication terminal using a plurality of component carriers. The base station further includes a control unit configured to transmit a command to the mobile communication terminal to reduce the plurality of component carriers to one prior to handover of communication between the mobile communication terminal and the base station to another base station.
US09363817B2
Mutual information based signal to interference plus noise ratio estimator for radio link monitoring
An effective SINR mapping based approach can be used to average the MI or RBIR values corresponding to narrowband SINR values in frequency between the resource blocks of the E-UTRA grid structure and then to estimate the downlink radio link quality from the averaged mutual information domain value by mapping it back to wideband SINR value covering the whole or partial E-UTRA system bandwidth. This wideband SINR value can then be further averaged in time and used as a downlink radio link quality estimate for E-UTRA radio link monitoring. Mutual information based effective SINR mapping is one example of an effective SINR mapping based approach.
US09363816B2
Methods of selecting a transport format combination are provided. For example, a method comprises calculating the transmission power of a first physical channel using each of first TFCs, and determines whether a mobile station is in a transmission capable state. The method also comprises calculating the sum of the transmission power of first and second physical channels using first and second TFCs, with respect to each of combinations of first and second TFCs, and determines whether the mobile station is in the transmission capable state. The method also comprises selecting first TFC from the first TFCs wherein the mobile station is in the transmission capable state and selecting a second TFC from the second TFCs which are included in combinations wherein the mobile station is in the transmission capable state among the combinations including the selected first TFC. The data is transmitted using the selected first and second TFCs, respectively.
US09363813B2
A gateway communicating with a base station, includes a receiver that receives an incoming message including identification information of the base station and one or more parameters indicating an environment of the base station. The gateway also includes a memory that stores correspondence information including a cell identifier in association with at least one of the received identification information and the received one or more parameters. The gateway also includes a controller that determines the cell identifier, corresponding to a cell of the base station, based on the correspondence information and the incoming message, and generates an outgoing message, including the determined cell identifier, to be sent to a core network device. The gateway also includes a transmitter adapted to transmit the outgoing message.
US09363809B2
Provided are a method for monitoring a control channel and a wireless device using same. A wireless device decodes downlink control information on a downlink control channel on L number of resource units in an aggregation level L (L>1). The downlink control information comprises a plurality of modulation symbols, and permutations of the plurality of modulation symbols are mapped to the L number of resource units.
US09363808B2
Provided are a method and an apparatus for controlling inter-cell interference in a wireless communication system. A first cell receives control information related to the configuration of a downlink control channel from a second cell, and the first cell determines a transmission resource of the downlink control channel in accordance with the control information.
US09363795B2
A communication system in which an access point and one or more devices communicating through the access point adaptively apply Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA). The access point may assign orthogonal subcarriers to devices as in conventional OFDMA, but the access point senses activity on the subcarriers and selects subcarriers without activity for assignment. In an alternative approach, a device that is configured for OFDMA communication may receive a channel assignment from a device that does not support OFDMA. The OFDMA-capable device may use only a portion of the subcarriers in the assigned channel, which may be communicated to the non-OFDMA device. During the non-OFDMA device may then ignore unused subcarriers in error detection and correction to avoid incorrectly classifying communications as erroneous. Information about OFDMA capabilities, subcarrier assignments and subcarriers in use may be communicated as information elements in network control communications, such as beacons and probe messages.
US09363794B1
A hybrid antenna structure allows the antenna to be used internally or mostly internally in a portable radio communication device operating in the VHF range. The hybrid antenna structure includes a switching circuit that connects an RF circuit to one of several points along the length of a wrapped conductor element, depending on the selected operating frequency. An inductive matching tail element is adjustably tuned to match the selected tap point on the wrapped conductor for the selected operating frequency.
US09363793B2
Methods and apparatus enabling a wireless network to optimize paging channel operation, based on mobile device context information. In one embodiment, the wireless network is a cellular network (e.g., LTE-Advanced), and both base stations and cellular user devices dynamically exchange and maintain a paging agreement. The paging agreement limits the paging channel operation, thereby minimizing unnecessary scanning and usage of irrelevant radio resources. Such paging mechanisms are limited to the air interface between the base station and the mobile device, and are compatible with existing legacy devices and network entities. Networks with appropriately enabled user devices may improve their resource utilization. Base stations may advantageously reclaim freed-up cellular resources to support other services.
US09363792B2
The communication device has three useful data transmission states, where the communication device in the first and in the second state has associated first communication resources and in the third state has associated second communication resources, with the second communication resources being fewer than the first communication resources. Provision is made for there to be state changes from the first state to the second state, from the second state to the third state, from the third state to the first state and from the second state to the first state.
US09363789B2
An apparatus and method for dynamically allocating a multicast path in a broadband wireless access system are provided. A method for an operation of a server providing a multicast service through a wireless access network includes determining to establish multicast paths for a first Base Station (BS) and at least one neighboring BS of the first BS when a terminal receiving the multicast service enters a network through the first BS, and transmitting a control station a message of instructing to establish the multicast path for a BS not holding the multicast path among the first BS and the at least one neighboring BS of the first BS.
US09363784B1
Methods and apparatus relating to use of actual and/or virtual beacons are described. Virtual beacons are virtual in that an actual beacon need not be transmitted but a rather a virtual beacon transmitter at a desired location maybe considered to transmit virtual beacons. In some embodiments a set of beacon transmitter information for one or more beacons is supplied to devices in a communications system. The beacon transmitter information indicates transmission power and location of actual and virtual beacon transmitters as well as information to be communicated by virtual beacons. Devices with access to beacon information can determine based on the location of a wireless terminal whether the wireless terminal is within coverage area of a virtual beacon and report reception of the virtual beacon to the wireless terminal or a component of the wireless terminal which acts upon receiving an indication of beacon reception.
US09363776B2
Methods, systems, and devices are described that provide for high precision synchronization between pairs of APs within a tracking area of a position location network. These tools and techniques may provide for incrementally synchronizing timers and oscillators located at respective APs. An AP may transmit a course frequency and timing acquisition signal that a second AP utilizes to estimate a frequency offset and/or time offset. The AP may transmit a subsequent fine frequency and timing acquisition signal which may be used to accurately adjust the estimated frequency offset and/or time offset of the second AP. The second AP may thus incrementally synchronize its oscillator(s) and/or timer(s). These techniques may be utilized over a multi-hop wireless network. The methods, systems, and devices may be applicable to single- and multi-floor location tracking systems.
US09363774B2
Disclosed is a method for allowing a station to transmit a sounding signal in a multiple-antenna wireless communication system, the method including receiving a group defining information about a group to which the station belongs from an access point (AP); determining a transmission time taken in transmitting a sounding signal by the respective stations, which belong to the group, on the basis of the group defining information; and transmitting a sounding signal to the AP in accordance with the transmission time and preset transmission order when receiving a sounding request signal from the AP.
US09363772B2
A power-saving enabled subscriber device operates in a low-power state in which at least one wireless link is disconnected from a wireless data network and in which the wireless link is periodically temporarily re-established to check for pending transmissions at a first reduced frequency before re-entering the disconnected state in response to finding no pending data transmissions. To reduce delays in setting up a new call to the subscriber device, and responsive to detecting an association, or change in association, of the subscriber device with one of (i) a particular geographic region, (ii) a particular role at a particular geographic region, and (iii) a particular talk group, the subscriber device transitioning the subscriber device to a higher-power state and transmitting data messages over the wireless link at a second increased frequency to cause the subscriber device to remain in a connected state more often compared to the low-power state.
US09363771B2
A method for reporting power headroom value in a wireless access system that supports a carrier aggregation, and a user equipment (UE) for performing the method are discussed. The method according to one embodiment includes receiving a uplink transmission grant allocating uplink resources on a predetermined subframe in an anchor uplink component carrier (UL CC); obtaining power headroom value for the anchor UL CC, if the UE is configured with a simultaneous physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) and physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) transmission; and reporting the power headroom value to a base station. The power headroom value is calculated.
US09363767B2
Provided is a communication control device including a communication unit configured to make communication with one or more secondary communication nodes operating a secondary system using at least one of a frequency channel allocated to a primary system and a frequency channel adjacent to the frequency channel, a determination unit configured to determine an upper limit number of secondary systems or secondary communication nodes to be allocated with transmission power, and a power allocation unit configured to allocate transmission power to each secondary system or each secondary communication node in each secondary system based on the determined upper limit number and the acceptable interference amount of the primary system.
US09363761B2
A system and method for enhancing the performance in heterogeneous wireless access networks employing a distributed antenna system is disclosed. A control unit comprises a distributed antenna system management server which collects load information from each of the carriers. The control unit further comprises a power management decision engine which determines the optimal downlink transmission power level for the carriers based on the collected load information and a set of parameters related to the power for the carriers. Power levels may decrease to baseline parameters when the load on carriers decreases.
US09363760B2
A method and system is provided for dynamic allocation of power required on a number n with n greater than 1 of an HF communication system, comprising an amplifier of maximum total power and at least one step in which the power and/or the modulation is managed on all the n pathways of said system so as to optimize a given probability of error termed the operating point for a maximum bitrate under the constraint of the total power imposed by the operation of said system.
US09363756B2
An electric-power supplying apparatus may include a power supply configured to supply electric power to an electric device via a power supply line, and at least one processor programmed to perform acts including transmitting a command signal to the electric device via the power supply line, receiving a response signal from the electric device via load modulation on the power supply line, and registering setting information for establishing wireless communication between the electric device and the apparatus based on the received response signal. An electric apparatus may include a power plug configured to receive electric power and a command signal from an external device, and an IC chip configured to use load modulation to transmit a response signal, in response to the command signal, to the external device via the power plug.
US09363746B2
A method and apparatus for selecting a wireless Local Area Network (LAN) within a cell to be accessed by a User Equipment (UE) in a mobile communication system are provided. The method includes performing, when a request for information regarding wireless LAN Access Points (APs) within the cell is received, a search for the wireless LAN APs and transmitting a report indicating a search result to a serving Evolved Node B (ENB); receiving, from the serving ENB, updated information on wireless LAN APs based on report indicating the search result; determining whether to perform a re-search for the wireless LAN APs based on the updated information on the wireless LAN APs; and performing, in response to determination to perform the re-search for the wireless LAN APs, the re-search and selecting APs to be accessed based on a result of the re-search.
US09363741B1
Disclosed herein is a method and corresponding system for managing inter-network set up of wireless communication service. For instance, a first RAN may manage inter-network set up of wireless communication service for a first UE that is currently served by a second RAN. One embodiment takes the form of a method. The method may involve in response to receiving a first signal from the second RAN, the first RAN directing each UE of a plurality of UEs to broadcast a respective beacon. And the method may involve in response to receiving a second signal from the second RAN, the first RAN causing a particular UE among the plurality of UEs to function as an intermediary for the first RAN to serve the first UE, and the first RAN serving the first UE with the particular UE functioning as the intermediary.
US09363740B2
A method and system for reducing network load by selectively provisioning services between an access point and a carrier network is disclosed. The access point supports telecommunications services over an IP network. The access point includes a network connection and a telephone connector capable of connecting to a standard landline telephone. The access point also includes at least one detection component that detects whether a landline telephone is plugged in to the telephone connector. The access point is configured to provision a telecommunications services through the IP network when it detects that an identification module is present.
US09363739B2
Methods, apparatuses, and computer program products for network assisted ProSe discovery management are provided. One method includes establishing, by a network element, a discovery context of a user equipment, and transmitting a discovery context establishment request comprising beacon information on at least one other user that a user of the user equipment is interested in discovering.
US09363738B2
An access terminal configured for use in a wireless communication system utilizing discontinuous reception (DRx). To reduce power consumption, a pilot acquisition timeline may be reduced when channel conditions are favorable; and to improve call quality, the pilot acquisition timeline may be increased when channel conditions are poor. Other aspects, embodiments, and features are also claimed and described.
US09363724B2
A method and apparatus for use in a spectrum manager are disclosed herein. A method includes receiving device parameters from a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) in a managed area, transmitting the device parameters to a central television band (TVBD) data base server, wherein the spectrum manager also stores the device parameters in a local database, receiving enabling information from the central TVBD data base server, and transmitting the enabling information to the WTRU in the managed area.
US09363706B2
A method, a device and a system for signal transmission are disclosed in embodiments of the present invention. The method comprises: selecting a multiplexing mode of signals to be transmitted by a cell according to interference strength received by the cell and/or interference strength received by a neighboring cell; notifying a receiver of the multiplexing mode of the signals to be transmitted by the cell; and transmitting the signals to be transmitted by the cell according to the multiplexing mode of the signals to be transmitted by the cell. Through the signal transmission method, device and system provided herein, the multiplexing mode is selected adaptively according to the interference strength. Therefore, the inter-cell interference is reduced, the reliability of channel detection is improved, the system complexity is reduced, and the cost is saved.
US09363704B2
Selecting a physical channel for cellular communication based on application traffic pattern. A radio bearer may be established between a wireless device and a base station. A physical downlink channel may be selected for the radio bearer. The physical downlink channel may be selected based on an application traffic pattern of an application associated with the radio bearer. In some instances, a physical uplink channel may also be selected based on an application traffic pattern of an application associated with the radio bearer.
US09363700B2
There is disclosed method for reporting channel state so as to report channel state based upon CSI-RS. The method includes: a UE detecting configuration information of Channel State Information-Reference Signal (CSI-RS), determining according to detection result the number of ports required to report channel state based upon CSI-RS, the UE determining CSI-RS based PMI feedback scheme to be adopted in preset corresponding relationship between the number of ports and feedback scheme upon determining that the eNB is to map data of Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH) onto P (number) CSI-RS ports for transmission in a codebook-based precoding scheme, wherein the codebook-based precoding scheme is a scheme as represented in the formula of [ y ( 0 ) ⋮ y ( P - 1 ) ] = W · s , wherein W represents a codebook consisted of a precoding matrix, S is PDSCH data consisted of data layers whose quantity is equal to value of Rank Indication (RI) and [ y ( 0 ) ⋮ y ( P - 1 ) ] represents a vector consisted of data on P (number) CSI-RS ports; and the UE calculating and reporting channel state information according to the determination result. The invention further discloses apparatus for performing the method.
US09363697B2
A method of a transceiver arranged to operate in a cellular communication system comprising cells is disclosed. The method comprises receiving a transmission from a first cell; determining an interfering signal and its occupation in time and/or frequency; determining reduced values in the received signal corresponding to the occupation in time and/or frequency of the interfering signal; and measuring a quotient between desired signal and non-desired signal of reference symbols of the received signal. A channel quality index, CQI, is formed taking into account reduction of values performed at the reducing, and the CQI is reported to the communication system. A transceiver and computer program for the same are also disclosed.
US09363696B2
An analyzing device includes a memory and a processor coupled to the memory. The processor is configured to receive an acknowledgement from a wireless communication device for each of a plurality of data which is transmitted through a wired network and transmitted to the wireless communication device by a wireless communication which is capable of retransmitting data, from the wired network, calculate a reception interval of the plurality of acknowledgements, and analyze a retransmission cycle in the wireless communication based on a difference of the calculated reception interval of the plurality of acknowledgements.
US09363693B2
In one embodiment, a radio measurement collection method comprises: a step S11 of transmitting, by a E-UTRAN, a MDT Configuration message including a measurement trigger to the radio terminal UE; a step S14 of setting, by the radio terminal UE, the measurement trigger included in the MDT Configuration message received from the E-UTRAN in the radio terminal, and then performing radio environment measurement when an event corresponding to the measurement trigger occurs in an idle state and recording measurement data including a result of the measurement and location information; a step of S16 of transmitting, by the radio terminal UE, trigger type information indicating the measurement trigger to the E-UTRAN when the radio terminal UE is transitioned to a connected state from the idle state; and a step S17 of determining, by the E-UTRAN, whether to request the radio terminal UE to transmit the measurement data on the basis of the trigger type information from the radio terminal UE.
US09363683B2
A method, an apparatus, and a computer program product for operating a user equipment (UE) are provided. The apparatus establishes a wireless communication link with a millimeter-wave base station (mm W-BS) based on a transmit beam from the mm W-BS. The transmit beam has a transmit beam direction. In addition, the apparatus receives beamforming capability information indicating one of at least a digital, analog, or hybrid beamforming capability associated with the mm W-BS. Further, the apparatus scans N transmit beams from the mm W-BS for each of M receive beam directions of the UE based on the beamforming capability information and the transmit beam associated with the wireless communication link.
US09363676B2
One or more wireless communications device may include one or more domains that may be owned or controlled by one or more different owners. One of the domains may include a security domain having ultimate control over the enforcement of security policies on the one or more wireless communications devices. Another one of the domains may include a system-wide domain manager that is subsidiary to the security domain and may enforce the policies of one or more subsidiary domains. The system-wide domain manager may enforce its policies based on a privilege level received from the security domain. The privilege level may be based on the level of trust between an external stakeholder, such as an owner of a domain that is subsidiary to the system-wide domain manager, and the security domain.
US09363675B2
A low-cost security management system for a wireless network utilizes client software having one component that runs on trusted access points and another that runs on wireless client cards on a client PC and/or laptop that enables an administrator to log in and check the status of network security from any client pc. The software monitors the state of the wireless network and reports on unauthorized connections or hacking attack, denial of service attack and potential threats to the security of the network.
US09363674B2
The mobile application system and method increases the overall level of efficiency in communication. In an embodiment, a chat room may be created based on a specific location of a user. The chat room may be for a couple or a group of users, it may be of different detection diameter based on the location of certain users in different nearby locations, or their location in the same specific location. In operation, any time that a mobile application is activated and detecting a private singular or group chat room is generated by the user and different features may be applied to sent information.
US09363672B2
A method and network node device control the run of technology specific Push-Button Configuration sessions within a heterogeneous or homogeneous wireless network as well as a heterogeneous or homogeneous wireless network detecting a session overlap within the network. The session is related to a configuration session (bootstrapping session, setup session) that establishes a security configuration for encrypted communication over a wireless link it is proposed an enhanced mechanism for controlling the run of technology specific Push Button Configuration sessions within a heterogeneous or homogeneous wireless network and a plurality of network node devices interconnected to each other via at least one interface and/or over multiple hops and authenticated or unauthenticated for the network by using a piece of information, e.g. a “Configuration Setup Session Identifier (CSSID),” for identifying a technology specific Push Button Configuration setup session.
US09363661B2
A method of pairing mobile devices 102,104 is disclosed herein. In a described embodiment, the method includes (i) receiving pairing parameters from the mobile devices 102,104 to be paired, the pairing being initiated by shaking movement of the mobile devices 102,104 and the pairing parameters including respective shaking directions of the mobile devices 102,104; (ii) verifying the pairing parameters with pairing conditions to determine the two mobile devices 102,104 for pairing; (iii) determining if the shaking directions are to be used in the verification step (ii); and (iv) if the pairing conditions are satisfied, pairing the mobile devices 102,104. An apparatus for pairing mobile devices and other pairing methods are also disclosed.
US09363660B2
Measures for processing data in a telecommunications network. At a cache, a subscriber configuration data request requesting subscriber configuration data for a subscriber device is received from a network node in a cluster of network nodes. In response to receipt of the subscriber configuration data request, it is determined that a shared cache store does not contain subscriber configuration data for the subscriber device. In response to the determination, subscriber configuration data for the subscriber device is retrieved from a subscriber configuration network node. The subscriber configuration data for the subscriber device retrieved from the subscriber configuration network node is transmitted to the network node.
US09363659B2
The embodiments herein relate to a method in a location information node (327) for providing location information associated with a home base station (345) to a PCRF (350). The node (327) is dedicated to handling the location information. When the home base station (345) sets up an IPSec tunnel with a SeGW (332), the node (327) receives the information from the AAA server (330). The node (327) transmits the information to the PCRF (350) via the MME/SGSN (325, 340) using an interface between the MME/SGSN (325, 340) and the PCRF (350), or to the PCRF (350) via the MME/SGSN (325, 340) and a SGW/PGW (343, 348) using a S11/S4 interface, a S5/S8 interface and a Gx/Gxx interface, or directly to the PCRF (350) using an interface between the node (327) and the PCRF (350).
US09363643B1
A method and apparatus of monitoring a mobile station's activity to determine user behavior is disclosed. One example method may include determining a location of the mobile station, and determining data that is accessible to the mobile station based on its location. The method may also include transmitting the data to the mobile station, tracking the movement of the mobile station over a specified time interval, and compiling a report of the mobile station's activity within the specified time interval.
US09363640B2
An electronic system includes a control unit configured to determine a physical configuration based on a sensor reading; determine a device location for establishing a device proximity to a target device; generate an operational mode based on the physical configuration and the device proximity; and a communication unit, coupled to the control unit, configured to send an input signal for interacting with the target device through a client device.
US09363636B2
Methods and apparatus are directed to geofencing-related heuristics for computing devices. A computing device with a plurality of sensors can receive a plurality of heuristics. Each heuristic can be configured to generate command(s) for the sensors based on one or more heuristic inputs. The heuristic input(s) can include an input related to a geofence. The computing device can receive a plurality of signals from the sensors. The computing device can determine, based on the plurality of signals, an activity class for the computing device. The activity class can specify an activity associated with the computing device. The computing device can select a heuristic from the plurality of heuristics at least based on the activity class. The computing device can execute the selected heuristic to generate the command(s) for the sensors.
US09363634B1
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for predicting context-relevant information based on large-scale aggregations of data. One of the methods includes receiving a user context of a user, wherein the user context specifies a location of a user device being used by the user. Data that represents counts of websites visited by users matching the user context is obtained. Data that represents counts of websites visited by users in general is obtained. Using the obtained counts, one or more likely websites visited by users matching the user context more frequently than by users in general is determined. Information identifying the one or more likely websites in response to receiving the user context is provided.
US09363633B2
Method, apparatus, and computer program product example embodiments are disclosed for improving the speed and sensitivity of position determination by wireless communication devices using assisted Global Navigation Satellite Systems (A-GNSS). Example embodiments include multi-SIM mobile wireless devices having an A-GNSS location detection capability, with one or more RF modems that may communicate with one or more wireless carriers.
US09363630B2
Provided is an information processing system which facilitates data communication between an information processing apparatus and another apparatus. Position data indicative of a position, at which the information processing apparatus which makes up the information processing system automatically performs short-distance wireless communication, is transmitted to a server. The server accumulates and stores the position indicated by the position data transmitted from each information processing apparatus. The position data accumulated and stored at the server is transmitted to an information processing apparatus when the server receives the request therefrom.
US09363628B2
An example method for adjusting the range of transmission of advertising packets is disclosed. In particular, method includes receiving, from an application executing on a mobile computing device, a request. The request may include a request to transmit an advertisement packet via a short-range wireless device of the computing device. Additionally, the request may include a power level for the transmission of the advertisement packet via the short-range wireless device. Additionally, the method may include causing the transmission, via the short-range wireless device, of the advertisement packet. The short-range wireless device may be configured to transmit the advertisement packet at a transmission power level less than or equal to the requested power level. Further, the requested power level may be less than or equal to a nominal power level for the short-range wireless device.
US09363620B2
The system comprises a master controller and an audio plug connected to the master controller. The audio plug includes at least four contacts electrically connected to corresponding poles of an audio frequency interface. Electrical coupling devices are disposed on circuits which respectively connect a first contact and a second contact with the master controller. The circuits between each electrical coupling devices and the correspondent contact are short circuits.
US09363616B1
A test system for testing directional capabilities of an audio device includes a horizontal linear actuator and a vertical linear actuator. The horizontal linear actuator supports a rotary actuator upon which the audio device is placed. The vertical linear actuator supports a sound source. To test the device, the actuators are controlled to establish multiple relative positions of the audio device and the sound source. A test sound is emitted at each of the relative positions. The audio device is configured to provide data generated in response to the test sound at each of the relative positions. The test system receives and records the data along with coordinates indicating the relative positions to which the data corresponds.
US09363614B2
In a method of fitting a hearing aid system, a hearing aid user's hearing loss is classified and the hearing aid fitting is adapted in response to this classification. The hearing loss classification is, in one example, classified by determining an audiogram for the user, testing the user's hearing function under conditions that, for a user with that audiogram, would result in a predicted intelligibility, and comparing the measured intelligibility to the predicted intelligibility. Also disclosed is a hearing aid fitting system (100, 200) adapted to carry out the method.
US09363607B2
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.
US09363606B2
An acoustic generator according to an embodiment includes a vibrating body and an exciter. The exciter is provided on the vibrating body, and vibrates by an input of an electrical signal. The exciter includes a protrusion or a recess on/in a surface of a side of the vibrating body.
US09363605B2
A focused acoustic transducer suitable for use in a downhole environment is disclosed. At least some embodiments employ a disk of piezoelectric material with low planar coupling and low Poisson's ratio mounted on a backing material and sealed inside an enclosure. The piezoelectric material disk has a pattern of electrodes deposited on an otherwise smooth, ungrooved surface. Despite the lack of grooves, the material's low planar coupling and low Poisson's ratio enables the electrodes to operate in a phased relationship to provide and receive focused acoustic pulses. Moreover, the elimination of deep cuts offers a much lower cost of construction. The electrode material may be any conductive material, though silver and silver alloys are contemplated. The patterning of electrodes can occur during the deposition process (e.g., using a silk-screen or other printing technique) or afterwards (e.g., mechanically or chemically with an etch technique that uses a pre- or post-deposition photoresist layer).
US09363601B2
An example implementation involves a first playback device receiving audio content to be played by the first playback device and a second playback device. The first playback device may be configured to play respective portions of the audio that are respectively below and above a first crossover frequency. The playback device determines a first limiting result that represents playback of the second portion of the audio content by applying, to the second portion of the audio content, a pre-determined volume-limiting function that is associated with the second playback device, where the first limiting result indicates frequencies at which a playback volume of the second playback device is limited. The playback device determines a second crossover frequency based on the indicated frequencies at which the playback volume of the second playback device is limited and plays a third portion of the audio content that is below the second crossover frequency.
US09363599B2
In accordance with these and other embodiments of the present disclosure, systems and methods may include a controller configured to be coupled to an audio speaker, wherein the controller receives an audio input signal, and based on a displacement transfer function associated with the audio speaker, processes the audio input signal to generate an output audio signal communicated to the audio speaker, wherein the displacement transfer function correlates an amplitude and a frequency of the audio input signal to an expected displacement of the audio speaker in response to the amplitude and the frequency of the audio input signal.
US09363587B2
A speaker or microphone module includes an acoustic membrane and at least one pressure vent. The pressure vent equalizes barometric pressure on a first side of the acoustic membrane with barometric pressure on a second side of the acoustic membrane. Further, the pressure vent is located in an acoustic path of the speaker or microphone module. In this way, differences between barometric pressures on the different sides of the acoustic membrane may not hinder movement of the acoustic membrane. In one or more implementations, the pressure vent may be acoustically opaque. As the pressure vent is located in the acoustic path of the speaker or microphone module, being acoustically opaque may ensure that the pressure vent itself does not interfere with the operation of the speaker or microphone module.
US09363583B2
System, apparatus, and method embodiments are provided for suppressing the stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) crosstalk in multiple wavelength channel signals propagating in fiber links, such as in WDM/DWDM or other optical communications systems. The SRS is reduced or suppressed by separating the channels into two sets of different channels, such as even and odd channels, and then performing subtraction of signal amplitudes between the two sets of channels. The channels are separated by an interleaver into the two sets. Alternatively, a wavelength selective switch (WSS) is used to separate the channels into the two sets on which the subtraction of signal amplitudes is then performed. In an embodiment, the signals are low frequency modulation signals used for channel monitoring for optical communications systems.
US09363574B1
A communication interface is configured to send video frames of a video sequence for delivery to a plurality of clients, wherein the video frames include key frames, and to receive feedback from a delayed client of the plurality of clients indicating that the delayed client requires a slower transmission rate for the video frames. A processing system is configured to, in response to the feedback from the delayed client, direct the communication interface to send subsequent video frames to the plurality of clients except to the delayed client, determine whether the delayed client can receive a next full key frame, and if the delayed client can receive the next full key frame, direct the communication interface to resume transmission of the video sequence to the delayed client starting with the next full key frame in the subsequent video frames that are presently being sent to the other clients.
US09363572B2
A method includes receiving a media request for a target device. The signaling information may be received from the target device and a media server. At least one attribute of the target device and the media server may be identified using the signaling information. At least one attribute of the target device and the media server may be evaluated against a service level objective to select a media format. The service level objective may include consideration of the target device and available bandwidth over a provider network. The media may be provided in the selected media format over the provider network to the target device.
US09363569B1
The disclosure includes a system and method for receiving viewing data that describes a location of a first user's gaze while viewing virtual reality content. The method also determining an object of interest in the virtual reality content based on the location of the first user's gaze. The method also includes generating a social network that includes the first user as a member of the social network. The method also includes performing an action in the social network related to the object of interest.
US09363563B2
A media distribution system provides controlled distribution of media owned by various parties hosted on a local media access device. The media access device may store temporary media, such as rented or leased media, on a separate provider controlled storage partition. This gives the media provider control over rented or leased media even though it is locally hosted. The media access device can download media from providers at various predefined times so as to limit its use of bandwidth.
US09363561B1
A method and system for filtering content streamed over HLS and other streaming technologies are disclosed. A Streaming Filtering Solution may generate a content map for a movie or other content, identifying filterable elements associated with vulgarity, sex/nudity, violence, etc. A filterable element may identify a category and subcategory of content (e.g., “vulgarity”: “f---” word), a begin time and end time, and other characteristics. The Streaming Filtering Solution may generate media segment files based on the filterable elements. The Streaming Filtering Solution may obtain a filter with categories and sub-categories of content to exclude or retain when the content is played. When content is requested, the Streaming Filtering Solution may apply the filter to the media segment files to determine that some media segment files should be dynamically generated based on the filter. The Streaming Filtering Solution may dynamically generate one or more filtered media segment files and provide those files to a requester. Depending on the filter, and the characteristics of a particular filterable element, a filtered media segment file may have fully or partially muted audio, or may have fully or partially cropped video, or may be entirely omitted, or may have other filtering effects applied.
US09363558B2
Methods and apparatus are disclosed to generate a cross device panel by determining that a first panelist associated with a first panel data and a first device is also associated with a non-paneled device. Example methods and apparatus disclosed herein match, via a processor, a second panelist associated with second panel data to the first panelist based on (1) the second panelist having demographics matching the first panelist and (2) the second panelist being associated with a second device corresponding to the non-paneled device of the first panelist, and generate a cross device panelist profile for the first panelist, the cross device panelist profile comprising at least some of the first panel data and at least a portion of the second panel data.
US09363557B2
Future media viewership is forecast based on time ordered analysis of historical viewership information from an individual or combination of a plurality of data sets. Forecast models having coefficients derived from comparisons of time series representations of data sets across a plurality of time periods and data sources join together disparate data sets. Individual data sets from disparate data sources may be compared to identify possible untrustworthy data or data that requires further investigation. Organizing viewership information in a time series allows for imputing missing data in a respective data set.
US09363555B2
There is provided a receiving apparatus including a position detection unit configured to detect a position at which same information as predetermined synchronous information is present from an acquired stream, and a boundary determination unit configured to determine positions at which the same information as the synchronous information detected by the position detection unit appears N times, where N>1, again and again in N cycles each of which is equal to a packet length, as a packet boundary position of the stream. The boundary determination unit determines the packet boundary position on the basis of a packet-boundary-position likelihood of the positions of the same information as the synchronous information in a case where the packet boundary position is unable to be uniquely located.
US09363552B2
A control method of a display apparatus is provided. The control method includes: detecting performance information of a communication service by the display apparatus; generating a plurality of home screens comprising an integrated communication service home screen, using the detected performance information the of the communication service; and when a predetermined user manipulation is received, displaying a display screen which displays the integrated communication service home screen and some regions of a home screen other than the integrated communication service home screen altogether.
US09363551B2
A method for retrieving and playing a TV program uses a mobile terminal. The mobile terminal obtains one or more images of a TV program currently played on a TV using the image sensor and sends the images to a remote server. The remote server determines an identity of the TV program using the images by comparing them with images in an image library and then generates an information record for the TV program and returns the TV program information record to the mobile terminal, the TV program information record including a hyperlink to the TV program. After receiving the TV program information record from the remote server, the mobile terminal displays the hyperlink on the display of the mobile terminal. In response to a user selection of the hyperlink, the mobile terminal plays the TV program on the display.
US09363535B2
This disclosure describes techniques for coding 3D video block units. In one example, a video encoder is configured to determine a first real-world depth range for a first depth view component comprising a reference view component, determine a second real-world depth range for a second depth view component comprising a current view component, wherein the current view component is predicted relative to the reference view component, determine a predictive block for a portion of the current view component from the reference view component, adjust values of the predictive block based on a difference between the first real-world depth range and the second real-world depth range, and predict the portion of the current view based on the adjusted values of the predictive block.
US09363533B2
Provided is a scalable video-decoding method based on multiple layers. The scalable video-decoding method according to the present invention comprises: a step of predicting first filter information of a video to be filtered using the information contained in an object layer and/or information contained in another layer, and generating second filter information in accordance with the prediction; and a step of filtering the video to be filtered using the second filter information. According to the present invention, the amount of information being transmitted is reduced, and video compression performance is improved.
US09363527B2
To reduce noise or the like generated at a boundary of tiles introduced in a video coding method. In a motion vector detection unit, a first tile video signal and a second tile video signal included in one picture are supplied to a first detection unit and a second detection unit, and a reference image is supplied from a frame memory to the first detection unit and the second detection unit. The first detection unit performs processing, by inter prediction, on the video signal positioned on or in the vicinity of a tile boundary between a first tile and another tile among many video signals included in the first tile. In this processing, the first detection unit generates a motion vector so as to preferentially refer to the reference image included in another tile different from the first tile among the reference images read out from the frame memory.
US09363526B2
An apparatus, computer readable medium, and method of compressing images generated on an image generating device, the method including responsive to a generated image and position and orientation data associated with an image generating device which generated the image, selecting a previously generated image having a similar position and a similar orientation as the generated image; and if a comparison between the selected previously generated image and the generated image indicates the difference between one of the previously generated images and the generated image is less than a threshold difference, then compressing the generated image using the previously generated image. The method may include generating the generated image from light incident to the image generating device, and generating the position and orientation associated with the image generating device.
US09363520B2
The present invention discloses a method and apparatus for encoding or decoding a video signal. The method for processing a video signal according to the present invention uses a merging mode in which prediction information on a neighbor unit is used instead of transmitting prediction information on the present unit, so as to improve coding efficiency. In this case, the number of available candidate units for merging among the units in a predetermined position is determined, and information for the merging mode is acquired on the basis of the number of the available candidate units for merging. The unit to be merged is determined using the information for the merging mode, and prediction information on the unit to be merged is acquired. The prediction value for the present unit is acquired using the prediction information on the unit to be merged, and the present unit is restored using the acquired prediction value.
US09363516B2
A video coding device is configured to obtain an array of sample values. The sample values may be formatted according to a 4:2:0, 4:2:2, or 4:4:4 chroma format. The video coding device determines whether to apply a first filter to rows of chroma sample values associated with defined horizontal edges within the array. The video coding device determines whether to apply a second filter to columns of chroma sample values associated with defined vertical edges. The horizontal and vertical edges may be separated by a number of chroma samples according to a deblocking grid.
US09363513B2
A sequence of encoded data associated with a block of video is assessed to determine if: quantized coefficients of transformed residual pixel data associated with the block are equal to zero, the block was encoded using a temporal compression process, a slice that includes the block is configured to be encoded using only one reference picture list or two reference picture lists, the block is unpartitioned or was encoded in direct mode, a reference picture used to encode the block is the reference picture associated with a lowest index value on the one reference picture list, and an actual motion vector associated with the block is equal to a predicted motion vector associated with the block.
US09363512B2
Methods of encoding and decoding for video data for encoding or decoding motion vector difference components for inter-coded video are described. The sign of one of the components is hidden within the parity of the sum of the magnitudes of the horizontal and vertical difference components. The sign of the other of the components is explicitly signaled in the bitstream. The hidden sign may be assigned to the larger in magnitude of the two components. In other cases, the hidden sign may always be assigned to the horizontal or vertical component. In another case, the hidden sign may always be assigned to one component, unless that component is zero, in which case the hidden sign is assigned to the other component. In another case, both components may have their signs hidden, in which case the sign hiding is based on their respective parity, rather than the parity of their sum.
US09363510B2
A video coding process that includes defining a context derivation neighborhood for one of a plurality of transform coefficients based on a transform coefficient scan order. The process also includes determining a context for the one of the plurality of transform coefficients based on the context derivation neighborhood. The process also includes coding the one of the plurality of transform coefficients based on the determined context.
US09363506B2
A method of processing image data comprises storing image frame data in a first memory, repetitively reading the image frame data stored in the first memory to output high frequency image frame data and correcting the high frequency image frame data based on previous frame data.
US09363498B2
First and second views of a stereoscopic image are received. In response to determining that the stereoscopic image has a predominance of foreground features, a convergence plane of the stereoscopic image is adjusted to improve a depth resolution of at least one foreground feature within the stereoscopic image for display to a human by a display device. In response to determining that the stereoscopic image has a predominance of background features, the convergence plane is adjusted to position at least most of the stereoscopic image as background features for display to the human by the display device.
US09363497B2
Systems and methods for self-configuring portable electronic devices are provided. In one embodiment, the portable device includes carrier circuitry that receives compressed data streams of information and application circuitry that decompresses the received data stream in accordance with a specific CODEC. The device includes the capability for the carrier circuitry to provide the specific CODEC required to decompress the data stream to the application circuitry. The transfer of the specific CODEC can be done as a default action or it can be done based on a queue received from the application circuitry.
US09363496B2
Provided is a moving image generation device, which is configured to: render a frame image including a plurality of image elements; output rendering position information specifying a rendering position within the frame image of a confidential element whose viewing is to be restricted among the plurality of image elements; and generate a moving image by using the frame image while performing display restriction processing on a target region within the frame image which is specified by the rendering position information.
US09363480B2
Presented herein are techniques for receiving media at a participant device for a conference session. The media may be transmitted to the participant device using a first transport mechanism. A command is received from a user of a participant device in a conference session to playback a portion of the conference session. A request is sent to the conference server to retransmit a recording of the portion of the conference session requested for playback. Data is received for the recording of the portion of the conference session transmitted from the conference server using a second transport mechanism, wherein the second transport mechanism is a higher reliability transport mechanism than the first transport mechanism.
US09363479B2
Methods and systems for voice and video messaging are provided here. In some embodiments a method for voice and video messaging may include establishing a telecommunication session with a calling device associated with a first user in response to an indication that a call request from the calling device directed to a called identifier associated with a second user failed, providing to the calling device an option to leave a video message and an option to leave an audio message, receiving a selection from the calling device indicating the selection of the option to leave a video message, disconnecting the established telecommunication session, and receiving a video message from the calling device.
US09363478B2
Providing high availability multi-way conferencing. Separate signaling and media components may be provided within an MCU or among a cluster of MCUs. A signaling server may control signaling aspects of a conference while a media server may provide media support for the conference. In the event of media server failure, the signaling server may assign a new media server to provide media support for the conference. A backup signaling server may also monitor the signaling server and may provide signaling support for the conference in the event of signaling server failure.
US09363474B2
The present disclosure discloses a method and system for sending media data in telepresence technology. By collecting audio or video data corresponding to a spatial area, the collected data is processed respectively to acquire multiple streams of data distinguished by a collecting spatial area and corresponding collecting spatial information; the multiple streams of data are encoded, encoded multiple streams of audio data and the collecting spatial information are packed together, and/or encoded multiple streams of video data and the collecting spatial information are packed together, and a packet including multiple streams of audio or video data is sent, respectively. The present disclosure also discloses a method and system for playing media data in telepresence technology. With the methods and systems, it is possible to directly identify the corresponding collecting spatial area, i.e., a corresponding playing location in the process of data transmission, which enables a conferee at a receiving end to experience auditory positioning and an immersive sensation. Further, the problem of synchronization among the multiple streams of audio or video data is solved effectively.
US09363473B2
Methods and systems may provide for invoking instances of a hardware video encoder, wherein the instances include a first encoder instance and a second encoder instance. Additionally, the first encoder instance may be used to make a scene change determination and a motion level determination with respect to the video content. In one example, the second encoder instance is used to encode the video content based on the scene change determination and the motion level determination.
US09363468B2
A vehicle display system and methods of controlling the same. In certain embodiments, an image processing module receives video signals from a video camera and generates first video data in a first format. A system management mode (SMM) program is stored in a memory. When executed at a processor, the SMM program reads the first video data from a first area of the memory, converts the first video data to second video data in a second format, and writes the second video data to a second area of the memory. A PCI express switch forwards the first video data in the first format to a memory controller for storing in the first area of the memory, and forwards the second video data in the second format from the second area of the memory to the graphic controller.
US09363465B2
A data processing apparatus which transmits a clock signal to a recording medium, transmits a command to the recording medium and receives data output from the recording medium in response to a timing signal obtained by delaying the clock signal. The apparatus transmits to the recording medium a transmission command in a predetermined data string including a predetermined pattern and receive the predetermined data output from the recording medium. The apparatus adjusts a delay amount of the timing signal based on a reception result of the predetermined data string in a first mode or second mode. The reception result is based on timing signals each including a delay amount, in a first range in the first mode and in a second range narrower than the first range in the second mode.
US09363464B2
Various embodiments facilitate history-based decision making in television receivers, such as set-top boxes. In one embodiment, a history-based decision facilitator (“HBDF”) is provided. The HBDF facilitates decision making in a television receiver based on device history data received from the television receiver. In one embodiment, the HBDF receives an indication of an operation to be performed by the television receiver, the operation including one or more parameters. In response, the HBDF determines values for the one or more parameters, based on device history data received from the television receiver. The HBDF then provides the determined parameter values to the television receiver. In one example application, the HBDF can determine a tuner of the television receiver to utilize for recording a program, based on the history of the television receiver, such as that the determined tuner is typically idle during the scheduled recording time period.
US09363462B2
A master-slave video playback interface in which a master video player is time based, and a slave video player displays a second video georeferenced to the first, e.g., the georeferenced frames of the second video in closest proximity to those being shown on the master player. The invention allows more efficient simultaneous viewing of multiple geo-tagged videos acquired at a singular geographical location, to compare videos, for example, collected on an oil or gas pipeline Right Of Way (ROW) at different times to monitor encroaching threats to pipeline integrity.
US09363455B2
There is provided a solid-state image pickup device including a pixel area in which a plurality of pixels are arranged. The pixels include an accumulation section accumulating a charge acquired by photoelectric conversion, a plurality of detection sections detecting the charge accumulated in the accumulation section, a connection separation control section controlling connection or separation of the detection sections, an output section outputting a first signal corresponding to a potential of each detection section in a separation state in which the connection separation control section separates the detection sections, or outputting a second signal corresponding to a potential of each detection section in a connection state in which the connection separation control section connects the detection sections, and an output selection section selecting whether to output the first signal from the output section or output the second signal from the output section, based on a value of the first signal.
US09363454B2
A solid-state imaging unit includes: a pixel section including a plurality of pixels each including a photoelectric conversion section, a charge-voltage conversion section, and a transfer transistor transferring charge accumulated in the photoelectric conversion section to the charge-voltage conversion section; and a storage section storing information about an optimum value of an intermediate voltage to be applied to a gate of the transfer transistor at time of an intermediate transfer operation when a signal charge accumulated in the photoelectric conversion section is divided to be read in a predetermined times of the intermediate transfer operations and a complete transfer operation.
US09363448B2
Disclosed is system and method to generate coordinated presentation, and that includes: a curating content module to curate content selected by a user for inclusion in the coordinated presentation; an audio/visual input module to capture, at least via a camera, a plurality of images for inclusion in the coordinated presentation; a display module to display, via a display coupled to the computing device, a first arrangement of all of the curated content. Moreover, a user interface module can be provided that comprises a touch-screen interface to enable user-based selection and manipulation of a portion of the curated content and a video mixer module to integrate the plurality of images captured by the camera together with a portion of the curated content via a user selection from the touch-screen interface. The coordinated presentation is configured to enable respective interaction with the portion of the curated content at each of the remote devices.
US09363443B2
A processing control apparatus controls mask processing for an image sensed by an image sensing unit with a variable image sensing position. A storage unit stores a mask setting. A control unit controls the image sensing unit. An obtaining unit obtains, from the control unit, exposure time information representing a progression of exposure by the image sensing unit, and obtains an image sensing position of the image sensing unit. A determination unit determines whether the exposure time information reaches a predetermined value, and determines a position on the image to which the mask processing is performed, based on (i) the image sensing position of the image sensing unit obtained by the obtaining unit and (ii) the mask setting, when the exposure time information reaches the predetermined value.
US09363440B2
An imaging device includes an imaging unit which outputs captured image data corresponding to a pixel signal, a plurality of image processing units which generate any one of first image data being performed first image processing on the captured image data and second image data being performed second image processing on the captured image data, a display processing unit which causes an image corresponding to the second image data to be displayed on a display device which displays an image corresponding to image data input at a predetermined timing of a second synchronization signal, and a control unit which changes a setting of a phase difference between the first synchronization signal and the second synchronization signal and switches between the first image processing and the second image processing to be executed by each of the plurality of image processing units.
US09363439B2
A photographing apparatus includes: an image pickup section picking up an object image to acquire a picked-up image; a display section capable of showing a display based on the picked-up image; a touch panel generating a signal corresponding to a predetermined operation; and a control section detecting a direction of a slide operation on the touch panel and performing control to select one of multiple items displayed on the display section on the basis of the direction of the slide operation; and the control section sets a display position of each of the multiple items to correspond to an operation direction for selecting the item on a one to one basis and selects one of the multiple items corresponding to the direction of the slide operation in the selection.
US09363421B1
An apparatus (e.g., a computer device) includes an image coding system and/or an image decoding system. A method of decoding an encoded image includes positioning a first pixel and a second pixel at a midpoint of the first pixel and the second pixel, the midpoint being associated with two colors of a first color space, repositioning the first pixel to a first position, the first position being on a boundary of a second color space and having a value, in the second color space, corresponding to a third color of the first color space, and repositioning the second pixel to a second position, the second position being rotationally symmetric with the repositioned first pixel around the midpoint.
US09363416B1
An example embodiment may involve obtaining an m×n pixel cell from an input image. Each of the m×n pixels in the m×n pixel cell may be associated with at least one color value. An m×n attribute cell may be determined, elements of which may be associated in a one-to-one fashion with respective pixels in the m×n pixel cell. The m×n pixel cell may be compressed in a lossy fashion, and the m×n attribute cell may be compressed in a lossless fashion. Compression of the m×n pixel cell may be based on at least part of the m×n attribute cell. An interleaved representation of the compressed m×n pixel cell and the compressed m×n attribute cell may be written to an output medium.
US09363412B2
An accelerator circuit for an image processing apparatus includes a buffer circuit that temporarily stores image data obtained from N (N>1) data sources and an arithmetic circuit that performs a predetermined arithmetic operation on pixel data. The buffer circuit includes N buffer memories and N 2D registers associated with the respective N data sources, a control circuit, and a selector. Each buffer memory temporarily stores image data obtained from a corresponding one of the N data sources. Each 2D register temporarily stores pixel data, which is a part of image data stored in a corresponding one of the N buffer memories, of an area of a predetermined size. The selector is controlled by the control circuit so as to select, when pixel data is stored in one of the N 2D registers, the pixel data and send the pixel data to the arithmetic circuit.
US09363411B2
A data certification system includes a proof information generation unit that generates certification information for certifying non-falsification of raw data, and generates proof information including the certification information and time information representing the time of the generation of the certification information. A server transmission unit transmits the proof information which is received by a client reception unit. A time information acquisition unit acquires the time information representing the time of the generation of the certification information from the proof information. A report generation unit generates report data in which the time information and publishing destination information representing a publishing destination are included in the raw data. A transfer unit transfers the raw data, the proof information, and the report data to a publishing server which releases the report data. An output unit outputs the report data.
US09363407B2
In an image sensor unit including a plurality of sensor chips mounted in a line on a sensor substrate, image signals from the sensor chips are sequentially read according to a reading order among the sensor chips, a current consumption circuit that consumes set current is arranged, and the current consumption circuit starts consuming the set current in response to a signal indicating end of reading of the image signals by all of the sensor chips and ends consuming the set current in response to a signal indicating start of reading of the image signals first by the sensor chip after a start signal to thereby reduce variation in the current consumption of the image sensor unit.
US09363400B2
An image forming apparatus includes a registration roller configured to adjust a starting time point of conveying a paper sheet; a printing unit configured to form a color image or a monochrome image on a photosensitive drum, and transfer the image to the paper sheet at a downstream side with respect to the registration roller in a conveyance direction to print; a line sensor configured to detect a conveyance position at an upstream side with respect to the printing unit in the conveyance direction; and a control unit configured to obtain a displacement amount with respect to a preset reference position based on the conveyance position, correct an image formation position according to the displacement amount to correct a printing position on the paper sheet, and change a correction method for the printing position according to whether any of the color image and the monochrome image is formed.
US09363397B2
An image processing portion determines that a black stripe is present when among a plurality of main scanning lines included in a back end side range from a last back end position of the reading image data in a sub-scanning direction to a predetermined position, a main scanning line in which a density value of a pixels in a predetermined position is higher than a first threshold density is present, sets, at a reference line, a main scanning line farthest from the last back end position among the main scanning lines in which the density value of the pixel in the predetermined position is higher than the first threshold density and replaces density values of all pixels included in a range from a position of the reference line in the sub-scanning direction to the last back end position with a density value corresponding to white.
US09363390B2
A method for classifying use of a mobile device is provided. The method includes defining a list of telephone numbers, area codes, states, countries or geographic designations and detecting a plurality of communications to the mobile device or from the mobile device. The method further includes determining which of the plurality communications correspond to the list, classifying the plurality of communications into a classification based on whether they correspond to the list, and reporting the classifying of the plurality of communications.
US09363389B2
A method is provided that creates signaling climate data records (CDR) via and a mobile communication system on a network, in order to charge signaling messages sent by user equipment (UE). The invention proposes two embodiments of the method for creating signaling CDR where an MME which has received signaling messages from UE notifies a PGW with a signaling CDR creation function of the message reception, and the PGW creates the signaling CDR. The MME can charge for the signaling message transmitted from the UE, without the additional components.
US09363385B2
A telephone network access device switchable between a VOIP service and a PSTN service includes an RJ-11 port, a voice splitter, a first relay, a second relay, a SLIC chip, a CPU, and a ring detection unit. The ring detection unit outputs a first switch signal in response to detecting a ring signal of a PSTN communication. The second relay connects the telephone to the VOIP network in response to a power on event. The CPU controls the first relay and the second relay to connect the telephone to the PSTN network in response to the CPU receiving the first switch signal, and controls the second relay to reconnect the telephone to the VOIP network when the PSTN communication ends.
US09363378B1
Various methods, systems, and computer-program products are provided for indicating a message characteristic indicator (“MCI”) in conjunction with a stored voice message. In various applications where voice messages may be received, a speech analytics system processes the voice message to ascertain a non-semantic speech-related characterization of the message. An indication of a corresponding MCI, such as an emoticon, is associated with the stored message, which can be used to display the corresponding MCI on a user interface. In one embodiment, the stored voice message is a voice mail message received in conjunction with a call to a wireless user. A voice mail storage system utilizes a speech analytics system to process the voice data and ascertain the non-semantic speech-related characterization of the message and a message is sent to the subscriber's mobile phone indicating the appropriate MCI to display in conjunction with the meta-data of the voice mail message.
US09363376B2
Methods, systems, and products route communications according to schedules. When an incoming communication is detected, a schedule is retrieved that is associated with a recipient's address. A time associated with the communication is compared to entries in the schedule. If a match is determined, then an alternate destination may be chosen.
US09363373B2
Providing to a public-safety answering point emergency information associated with an emergency call
Users store information relevant to first responders in the event of an emergency. When a user later places an emergency call, the user's emergency information is automatically made available to the public-safety answering point operator handling the call. Hotel personal are notified of the call and may listen to and break in to the ongoing call in order to assist. A reverse 9-1-1 broadcast enables hotel personnel to quickly notify guests of an emergency situation via in-room and mobile phones. In the event that police need to conduct surveillance on a target location, the onsite PBX server reconfigures phones within the vicinity of the target location to operate in an open mode and records the audio/visual information received. An incoming call to a hotel room from the PSAP is automatically connected to the in-room phone even if other incoming calls not from the PSAP are being screened by front desk.
US09363370B2
Embodiments of the invention provide novel solutions, including systems, methods and/or software, for providing handoffs between cellular providers and VoIP providers. In some cases, for example, upon the initiation of a call from a dual-mode cellular phone, the cellular network (and/or a component thereof) may be configured to store the dialed number and/or substitute a predetermined number for the dialed number. The predetermined number may be associated with a VoIP provider's system. Hence, in a particular embodiment, the call may be routed (e.g., via the PSTN) to the VoIP provider's system, which may be configured to obtain (perhaps from an application server) the original dialed number and/or to route the call (e.g., via the PSTN) to the original dialed number. If the dual-mode phone subsequently obtains IP access, a VoIP connection may be established between the VoIP system and the phone and/or a handoff may be performed (e.g., in the VoIP system) to transfer the call from the cellular connection to the VoIP connection. Optionally, the cellular connection may be terminated.
US09363369B2
Included are embodiments for providing an interface. At least one embodiment of a method includes receiving communications data associated with a communications session, the communications session facilitated in an Internet Protocol environment and providing an interface for facilitating recording of at least a portion of the communications session, the interface being facilitated in an Internet Protocol format.
US09363367B2
A system and method for providing assistance to a customer of a computing device. In one aspect, an incoming call is received from a device of a customer; a check for identification of the customer is done; an event history of the device is obtained; and a solution is provided to the customer using the event history. In another aspect, a method includes: receiving a code from a mobile computing device; and in response to receiving the code, calculating at least one set of data for use in guiding a request of a customer for service to a resource that can provide a suggested remedy. In another aspect, a method includes: identifying a user associated with a mobile computing device; determining an event history of the mobile computing device; and providing guidance to resolve an issue based on the event history.
US09363358B2
A wireless Bluetooth apparatus with intercom and broadcasting functions and operating method thereof are disclosed. The wireless Bluetooth apparatus receives a voice message from a first user, divides it into a first partial voice message and a second partial voice message, and transmits them to a first electronic apparatus corresponding to the wireless Bluetooth apparatus through wireless Bluetooth technology. The first electronic apparatus uses a communication application program to transmit the second partial voice message to a second electronic apparatus corresponding to a second user corresponding to the first partial voice message. The second electronic apparatus uses the communication application program to receive the second partial voice message and transmits the second partial voice message to another wireless Bluetooth apparatus corresponding to the second electronic apparatus through wireless Bluetooth technology.
US09363355B2
Provided is a wireless terminal and method therefor, configured to play a broadcast program (TV and/or radio) in a broadcast mode thereof. A display unit displays, during the broadcast mode, at least one icon dedicated to automatically controlling an external device to output the same broadcast as that of a current channel in the broadcast mode. A controller is configured to detect selection of the at least one icon and in response, to transmit via a wireless communication unit at least one command to the external device to automatically tune to a corresponding channel of the current channel and output the same broadcast thereof. The external control by the wireless terminal can enable uninterrupted switching of the broadcast from the wireless terminal to the external device.
US09363353B1
According to embodiments of the invention, systems, methods and devices are directed to a docking assembly for recharging a number of docking phones. The docking phones are complementary to each other to act as dynamic IP cameras with each position of the phones being automatically adjusted in view of obstructing objects moving in front of the docking assembly. As a result, images are produced having the widest field of view angles, thereby eliminating blocking effects from the obstructing objects. The docking assembly may have additional features such as using a round base structure having docking connectors disposed on a circular track around the base structure such that any docking phones, when connected, can be moved freely along the circular track. The phones may work in unison to produce a flat, stitched image by connecting individual images produced by the connected phones.
US09363349B1
Disclosed is a telephone accessible system that stores one or more messages for a subscriber. The subscriber is given a card with their subscriber number and an access code. In one embodiment, a first responder or other user needing to access the recorded messages, finds the card, calls the system and enters the subscriber number and access code to retrieve one or more of the messages. In one embodiment, the messages are digital audio recordings that contain medical information useful to a first responder before treating the subscriber. The messages can only be changed upon submission of a password that is unique to the subscriber. In one embodiment, the first responder can record an alert message that is transmitted to individuals or entities previously designed by a subscriber to receive an alert message.
US09363346B2
A Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) phone comprises a network interface that communicates with a medium. A control module communicates with the network interface and controls operation of the VOIP phone. A coder/decoder module communicates with the control module. A microphone outputs audio signals to the coder/decoder module. An audio output device receives audio signals from the coder/decoder module. An input/output interface receives user input. The control module and the network interface transmit the user input as packets to a network appliance to adjust an operating parameter of the network appliance.
US09363345B2
The cover for a mobile electronic device includes at least: a cover body formed of an elastic body capable of transmitting vibration, and attached to a mobile electronic device with a plurality of surfaces, so as to at least partially cover two or more of the plurality of surfaces; a vibrating element that is attached to the cover body and that vibrates the cover body by vibration thereof upon receiving an electrical signal; and a connector that is used to connect the vibrating element to the mobile electronic device such that transmission of an electrical signal is possible, and the mobile electronic device employing the same are provided.
US09363343B2
An electronic device enclosure that includes a housing and a frame and an integrally formed connector shell. The connector shell includes a first portion integrally formed with the housing and a second portion integrally formed with the frame. The first and second portions of the connector shell are joined at first and second mating surfaces, respectively, forming a cavity therebetween in which a plurality of receptacle connector contacts are positioned.
US09363334B2
In server/client architectures, the server application and client applications are often developed in different languages and execute in different environments specialized for the different contexts of each application (e.g., low-level, performant, platform-specialized, and stateless instructions on the server, and high-level, flexible, platform-agnostic, and stateful languages on the client) and are often executed on different devices. Convergence of these environments (e.g., server-side JavaScript using Node.js) enables the provision of a server that services client applications executing on the same device. The local server may monitor local events occurring on the device, and may execute one or more server scripts associated with particular local events on behalf of local clients subscribing to the local event (e.g., via a subscription model). These techniques may enable development of local event services in the same language and environment as client applications, and the use of server-side code in the provision of local event service.
US09363322B1
Methods and systems for processing machine accelerated and augmented customer data using a Web-Scale Data Fabric (WSDF). According to embodiments, the data may be received as data transfer objects from a set of business operations client applications. The data transfer objects may be analyzed using complex event processing (CEP) and, based on the analyzing, rules specific to the business operations client application may be applied. The methods and systems may semantically classify text specific to the business operations client application. A federated database (FD) may archive the receive data transfer objects as well as analysis data specific to the business operations client application.
US09363320B2
A first device and a second device are each assigned an IP address that is used to exchange messages with the other device. The first device stores the IP address for the second device. A new IP address may be assigned to the first device when it reestablishes a network connection following a location change or other network reconnection. The first device detects when a new IP address has been assigned. The first device then sends a hello message directly to the second device comprising the new IP address assigned to the first device. The new IP address allows the second device to find the first device without requiring network location services such as DNS. The first device may further include authentication credentials in the hello message to verify the new IP address.
US09363319B2
Systems and methods of transferring a message in a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP)-based communications network, from a first node to a third node using a second node are provided. In one exemplary embodiment, a method of registering in an Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) communications network, a User Agent (UA) using a Proxy Call Session Control Function (P-CSCF) entity with a Serving Call Session Control Function (S-CSCF) entity may include determining a first group identifier associated with a plurality of P-CSCF entities. Based on the first group identifier, the method may include selecting a network address corresponding to one of the plurality of P-CSCF entities. Further, the method may include storing subscriber data in a repository associated with the selected P-CSCF entity. Also, the method may include synchronizing, by the selected P-CSCF entity, the subscriber data stored in the repository associated with the selected P-CSCF entity to the remaining P-CSCF entities of the plurality of P-CSCF entities. The UA may be ready to establish and receive SIP sessions through any of the plurality of P CSCF entities.
US09363317B2
A method for writing data to a storage pool. The method includes receiving a virtual identifier (ID) and an offset for an object, extracting a node identifier (ID) that identifies a first storage server in the storage pool from the virtual ID, obtaining an object layout (OL) for the object from the first storage server, hashing an object ID and an offset ID to obtain a hashed value, where the virtual ID comprises the object ID and where the as offset ID is generated from the offset, identifying a second storage server in the storage pool using a global namespace layout (GL), the OL, and the hashed value hashed value, and issuing a write request to write data to the object in the second storage server, where the write request comprises the object ID and the offset.
US09363315B2
An integrated networked storage and switching apparatus comprises one or more flash memory controllers, a system controller, and a network switch integrated within a common chassis. The integration of storage and switching enables the components to share a common power supply and temperature regulation system, achieving efficient use of available space and power, and eliminating added complexity of external cables between the switch a storage devices. Additionally, the architecture enables substantial flexibility and optimization of network traffic policies for both network and storage-related traffic.
US09363305B2
Methods, systems, and techniques for remote contextual access to an operating system desktop are provided. Example embodiments provide a desktop state agent the harvests information from a user's desktop regarding state of various objects such as open documents, recent documents, links, shared links, bookmarks, upcoming events, and/or recent emails. The harvested information is translated to html or other web browser recognized language where possible and uploaded to be accessible to a web server configured to respond to requests for desktop state using a web address. In one embodiment, the RCAS allows access to a user's desktop transparently—without the user needing to take explicit action. Further, a remote mobile device can render the desktop data without using a session or connection to the user's desktop machine and without use of a remote desktop protocol.
US09363301B2
A multi-tenant media communication platform system and methods. The platform system includes media communication micro-services and micro-service configuration for a plurality of entities configured for use of the platform system. Enrolling an entity in the platform system includes setting entity configuration for use of the platform system by the entity. A micro-service request is processed according to the entity configuration. The micro-service request is a request for use of at least one micro-service of the platform system on behalf of the entity. Use of each micro-service is accounted for on behalf of the entity. Billing information for the entity is generated based on the accounting for the use of each micro-service on behalf of the entity. Entity configuration includes micro-service configuration, and micro-service configuration specifies at least one of: an endpoint mapping to at least one application logic URI, an event callback URI, and an event application logic URI.
US09363299B2
A unified communications (UC)-based video conference call method and system, and a device, where receiving, by a first UC client, a request for querying call information of a second video conference terminal (VCT), where the request includes an identifier of a called contact; sending the query request to a UC server, and receiving the call information of the second VCT; and sending, by the first UC client, the call information of the second VCT to a first VCT, hence the first VCT initiates a video conference call to the second VCT according to the call information of the second VCT. By integrating a personal computer (PC)-based UC system with a hardware video conference system that is based on a digital signal processor (DSP) and embedded software, a high-quality video conference can be initiated and held using a UC client, thereby boosting user experience and enhancing product competitiveness.
US09363297B2
A method and apparatus for delivering IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) services is disclosed. An apparatus that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a system having an aggregator element that aggregates a number of IMS services, and a presentation element that presents a web page with the aggregated IMS services. Additional embodiments are disclosed.
US09363296B1
A digital broadcast communication system includes a transceiver configured to receive a digital packet containing a payload having voice content and to add a user's voice to the received voice content to create a combined voice content signal. The combined voice signal packet is then forwarded upstream to the network master wherein other similar devices may combine additional voice inputs. The system includes a buffer for canceling previously transmitted voice from a packet produced by the network master and adding a current most voice input from playback through a speaker.
US09363292B2
The present invention is directed towards systems and methods for establishing and applying a policy group to control a user's access to an identified resource. A policy group representing an aggregate of one or more access configurations for a user to access one or more identified resources may be established via a policy manager. The policy group may include a login point component representing an entry point to access the identified resource. The login point may be configured via the policy manager to specify a uniform resource locator for the entry point. One or more authentication and authorization methods may be selected for the login point component. The device may receive a request to access the uniform resource locator. The device may initiate the policy group for evaluation. The device may initiate, with the user, one or more authentication and authorization methods specified by the login point component.
US09363291B2
This disclosure facilitates managing lost devices. In some embodiments, a system receives a first device type from a first agent on a first device, and a different second device type from a second agent on a second device. The system receives a first group associated with the first device and a different second group associated with the second device. The system determines that the first device and the second device are lost and accesses a database storing first and second configuration classes associated with the first and second devices, respectively. The system creates first and second device-dependent classes based on the first and second device types and the first and second configuration classes, respectively. The system melds the first device-dependent class into a first melded profile and the second device-dependent class into a second melded profile, using the respective groups, and applies the melded profiles to the corresponding device.
US09363288B2
A method, system, and computer-readable memory containing instructions include requesting a tokenizing authority to provide a tokenized string that represents a domain name, using the tokenized domain name string to perform a lookup against a database of registered tokenized domain name strings, determining whether the tokenized domain name string exists in the database, and returning results based on the existence of tokenized domain name strings and optionally variants thereof. The method, system, and computer-readable memory may further include returning an encryption key corresponding to an encrypted record of information related to the domain name corresponding to the tokenized domain name string.
US09363287B2
The present invention is directed towards systems and methods for providing multiple modes of a zone for DNSSEC by an intermediary device. The method includes providing, by a device intermediary to a plurality of clients and a plurality of servers, a plurality of modes of a zone for Domain Name Service. The device receives a selection of a first mode of the zone of the plurality of modes of the zone. The device receives information identifying to enable DNS Security for the selected first mode. The device establishes the zone for DNS in accordance with the selected first mode and with DNS Security enabled.
US09363283B1
Systems and methods of the present disclosure are directed to providing a digital reputation score. The server can generate a first reputation score of a user based on the user's online activity, identity verification, and online transaction history. The server can identify, from the user's online account, a first set of online accounts with which the user established a unidirectional trust relationship from the user to the first set of online accounts. The server can identify, from the user's online account, a second set of online accounts with which the user established a unidirectional trust relationship from the user to the second set of online accounts. The server can generate a second reputation score based on the first number and second number of trust relationships from the first set and second set of online accounts respectively. The server can generate a third reputation using the first and second reputation scores.
US09363279B2
Apparatus configured to determine predicted threat activity based on stochastic modelling of threat events capable of affecting at least one computer network in which a plurality of systems operate.
US09363275B2
In one embodiment, a method includes sampling text in a received packet at a network device and analyzing the sampled text using a sampled deterministic finite automata (DFA) to identify matches between a set of regular expressions and the text. The sampled DFA is created with the regular expressions sampled at a sampling rate calculated for the regular expressions using operations including selecting a minimum sampling rate from sampling rates computed for each of the regular expressions based on a minimum length of the text that can match the regular expression. An apparatus and logic are also disclosed herein.
US09363273B2
The present disclosure provides a secure one-step IEEE 1588 clock using either a symmetric or asymmetric protection scheme. Clocks of mission-critical or highly-available devices in industrial automation systems connected to a communication network are synchronized by sending, by a master clock, a synchronization message, e.g., a single message of the one-step-clock type according to IEEE 1588, including a time stamp, and by receiving and evaluating, by a slave clock, the synchronization message. A synchronization component or module of the master clock prepares, or composes, prior to a projected send time, a synchronization message including a time stamp of the projected send time, and secures the synchronization message in advance of the projected send time. Securing the synchronization message occurs by suitable cryptographic means allowing for authentication of the time stamp at a receiving slave clock. At the projected send time, the secured synchronization message is transmitted.
US09363272B2
Systems and methods for managing a user identity on a mobile device are provided. The system comprises the mobile device comprising a user agent and a client application, the user agent and the client application in communication with each other. The system further comprises an identity provider in communication with the mobile device, and a client service in communication with the mobile device. The user agent is configured to communicate with the identity provider and retrieve the user identity for the client application, and the client application is configured to transmit the user identity to the client service.
US09363270B2
A user management construct, referred to as a persona, is provided to enable a flexible mechanism that grants elevated or administrative privileges to users, such as application developers. Developers may utilize the privileges bestowed by a persona to execute tasks that normally requires access by traditional information (IT) roles, such as IT administrators, to deploy applications in a cloud computing environment. The tasks may include the provisioning of virtual or physical computing resources and/or the configuration of compute, storage, and networking resources.
US09363269B2
A method in a cloud-based security system includes operating a Domain Name System (DNS) resolution service, proxy, or monitor in the cloud-based security system; receiving DNS records with time-to-live (TTL) parameters; checking the TTL parameters for indication of a fast flux technique; and detecting domains performing the fast flux technique based on the DNS records. A cloud-based security system includes a plurality of nodes communicatively coupled to one or more users; and a Domain Name System (DNS) service providing a resolution service, proxy, or monitor in the cloud-based security system; wherein the DNS service is configured to receive DNS records with time-to-live (TTL) parameters; check the TTL parameters for indication of a fast flux technique; and detect domains performing the fast flux technique based on the DNS records.
US09363266B2
Methods, systems, and apparatus for communicatively pairing and securing an electronic device to a vehicle based electronic system. The pairing can enable the electronic device to seamlessly communicate with the electronic device and can provide infotainment to users of the vehicle.
US09363263B2
Methods, systems, apparatuses, and computer-readable media for utilizing just-in-time polymorphic authentication techniques to secure information are presented. In one or more embodiments, a computing platform may receive, from a computing device, a request to access a user account. In response to receiving the request to access the user account, the computing platform may dynamically select, based on one or more polymorphic authentication factors, an authentication method for authenticating a user of the computing device, and the authentication method may be selected from a plurality of predefined authentication methods. Subsequently, the computing platform may generate one or more authentication prompts based on the selected authentication method. The computing platform then may provide the one or more authentication prompts to the user of the computing device. The authentication prompts that are selected for and presented to a particular user during a given access attempt may vary across different attempts.
US09363262B1
A method and system for authenticating an account holder using multi-factor authentication. An account holder is associated with a token device configured to supply the account holder with a dynamic password. The dynamic password has a current value that is synchronously stored at an aggregator service and at the token device. The dynamic password is changed periodically. The aggregator service also associates the account holder with at least one account maintained by the account providers. The aggregator service receives an authorization request from either the user or from one of the account providers. The aggregator service performs an authorization operation for determining if a proffered dynamic password submitted by the user during an attempt to login matches the current value of the dynamic password stored at the aggregator service.
US09363257B2
Federated identity is the means of linking a person's electronic identity and attributes, such that the user can be authenticated with a single sign-on, across multiple systems and organizations. A system and a method is proposed to provide a unique user digital identifier which is different for each security identity services subscriber.
US09363255B2
An example implementation may involve a computing system receiving, from a media playback system, a request for an indication of a playhead pointer for a particular queue of media items. The implementation may also involve the computing system identifying a position of a playhead pointer within the particular queue of media items. Each position in the queue may correspond to a media item. The implementation may further involve the computing system sending, to the media playback system, an indication of the playhead pointer. The indication of the playhead pointer indicates the assigned position of the playhead pointer.
US09363251B2
Embodiments are provided for managing user credentials that enable access to secure websites. According to certain aspects, a browser device connects (230) to a website server that hosts a secure website. The browser device initiates (236) a credential request and enters (238) a discovery routine with a mobile device. After establishing (240) a secure channel with the mobile device, the browser device sends (248) an identification of the secure website to the mobile device, which identifies (250) corresponding user credentials and sends (252) the user credentials to the browser device. The browser device populates (254) a login page with the user credentials and accesses (256) the secure website.
US09363249B2
Methods, systems, and apparatus are disclosed for generating one or more device identifiers based on a public key associated with a respective device. Various embodiments include condensing and/or hashing a device public key to generate the corresponding device identifier. By using the relationship between a device public key and its device identifier, public key exchanges are implemented to verify this relationship and facilitate device enrollment into one or more networks. The embodiments further describe enrolling one or more devices into networks and/or authorizing devices to enroll one more devices into networks based on public key exchanges and verification that the one or more device identifiers match the respective public keys. Embodiments for authorizing other devices describe a first device enrolling a second device in a first network and authorizing a third device to enroll the second device in a second network using an exchange of public keys and/or messages.
US09363246B2
Distribution of a certificate and a private key via a network includes a certificate/private key storage unit by which a certificate and a private key prepared for distribution to one or more devices are stored; a security level storage unit by which a security level for each device belonging to a device group is stored; and a display/instruction unit by which a selection screen prompting a user to select one or more devices from the device group is displayed. An instruction for the selection made by the user is received; and a certificate/private key distribution unit by which, via the network, the certificate and the private key for each device are distributed to the one or multiple devices for which the instruction for selection was made. For each device, the selection screen displays the device security level.
US09363244B2
A method of authorization in a cryptographic system that provides separate authorization for a plurality of different input message groups using a single cryptographic key, including: receiving, by the cryptographic system, a first input message from a first input message group; performing, by the cryptographic system, a keyed cryptographic operation mapping the first input message into a first output message, wherein the keyed cryptographic operation produces a correct output message when the cryptographic system is authorized for the first input message group, wherein the keyed cryptographic operation does not produce a correct output when the cryptographic system is not authorized for the first input message group, and wherein each of the plurality of input message groups has an associated set of input messages wherein the sets of input messages do not overlap.
US09363238B2
Using uniquely generated identifiers in a network-based ecosystem in which a plurality of client devices request media content and software applications from online distribution system and additionally request invitational content from invitational content providers. Separating users' demographic data from a device-specific identifier in favor of uniquely generated identifiers and using the client device to enforce the substation of uniquely generated identifiers in favor of a device identifier, thereby using the client device to serve as a proxy in creating a firewall to exclude system partners from access to a device identifier.
US09363234B2
A method may include defining a filter for a network device, the filter including a rule and a particular number of prioritized fields, where at least one of the prioritized fields is formatted to accept input as a range of values. The method may also include receiving a rule modification for the filter, the rule modification including at least one input as a range of values, and performing a check for conflicts of the rule modification with the rule in the filter. The method may further include expanding the input range of values to form multiple rules equivalent to the rule modification with the input range of values, establishing backtracking links to integrate the multiple rules with the existing rule, and adding the multiple rules to the filter.
US09363232B1
A security device may receive a response associated with a request. The response may include original session information. The request may be associated with a user device. The security device may modify the original session information to create modified session information. The security device may store information associated with the modified session information. The security device may provide the response, including the modified session information, to the user device. The security device may receive another request. The other request may include the modified session information. The security device may determine that the modified session information is not current session information based on the information associated with the modified session information. The security device may provide the other request without including the original session information.
US09363231B2
A method of monitoring network communications originating in monitored jurisdictions includes a step of identifying a monitored jurisdiction within a computer network based on predetermined criteria. The computer network includes at least one monitored jurisdiction and at least one unmonitored jurisdiction. A database is queried to identify at least one communication identifier associated with the monitored jurisdiction. The method also includes a step of storing a list including the at least one communication identifier. Only network communication having communication identifiers included in the list are monitored.
US09363229B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide a method, system and computer program product for domain name resolution for a hybrid cloud cluster. In an embodiment of the invention, a method for domain name resolution for a hybrid cloud cluster includes receiving a request for name resolution in a DNS name server proxy executing in memory of a host computer in a public cloud. Thereafter, it can be determined whether or not the request for name resolution implicates a domain name within an Intranet coupled to the proxy over a communications network. Finally, the request for name resolution can be resolved in a DNS name server disposed in the Intranet in response to determining the request to implicate a domain name within the Intranet.
US09363222B2
Approaches for facilitating selective user moderation of social media channels are disclosed. In certain implementations, one or more posts from a user for submission to a channel directed to a topic may be received. An event relating to the topic may be identified. A predetermined time period associated with the event may be identified. At least some access privileges of the user for the channel may be disabled for at least a portion of the predetermined time period based on a determination that the one or more posts are indicative of one or more undesired characteristics. In some implementations, the predetermined time period may include a first time period before the event begins, a second time period during which the event occurs, a third time period after which the event ends, or other time period associated with the event.
US09363221B1
A system, method, and computer program product are provided for receiving a selection of at least one contact from a user. In operation, a selection of at least one time criteria from the user is received. Additionally, a temporary social network including the user and the at least one contact is managed, based on the selection of the at least one contact and the at least one time criteria.
US09363218B2
An information processing device of the present invention includes a connecting section which connects application modules capable of performing application processing, a receiving section which receives an electronic mail including a command transmitted from a terminal device, an interpreting section which interprets the command included in the electronic mail received by the receiving section, a designating section which designates, from among the application modules connected by the connecting section, an application module corresponding to the command interpreted by the interpreting section as the execution destination of the command, an acquiring section which acquires a processing result of processing performed by the application module designated by the designating section, and a transmitting section which creates a response electronic mail with the processing result acquired by the acquiring section as a response, and transmits the response electronic mail to the terminal device.
US09363212B2
A method, system and computer program product for instant message communication in a wireless and non-wireless environment. A message is sent from a mobile unit device over a wireless communication network. The message includes a destination address, information associated with the mobile unit device's user, message content and message address. If, according to information previously stored for the mobile unit device's user at the instant message system, the destination address is associated with an instant message function, the associated instant message function is executed at the instant message system using the information contained in the message content, if required as determined by the associated instant message function. If, according to information previously stored for the mobile unit device's user at the instant message system, the destination address is associated with an instant message name, an instant message is created according to the message content and is sent to the user with the associated instant message name. For instant messages sent or received by a mobile unit device with known buddies, the instant message is optimized by tagging the instant message with a routing phone number that is unique to the mobile unit device and buddy combination, whose identity is stored both in the mobile unit device address book and in the instant message routing server.
US09363208B1
The deployment and scaling of a network of electronic devices can be improved by utilizing one or more network transpose boxes. Each transpose box can include a number of connectors and a meshing useful for implementing a specific network topology. Different tiers of a network can be connected to one or more of the network transpose boxes, and operated as a logical switch. A control server can be used to manage the control plane operations of the logical switch.
US09363199B1
A bandwidth manager associated with a local network may comprise memory that stores network load data for the local network and one or more processors. The processors can be configured to: receive a request for bandwidth from a first data service operating on a first computing device on a local network; determine available bandwidth for the first computing device based on the network load data for the local network; allocate a first bandwidth to the first computing device based in part on the available bandwidth; and adjust the allocated first bandwidth based in part on network load during a data transmission by the first computing device.
US09363193B2
A method and a system embodying the method for dynamically allocating context for Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) reassembly, comprising providing a fixed plurality of global common TCP contexts; reserving for each of one or more virtual network interface card(s) one or more TCP context(s) out of the fixed plurality of the global common TCP contexts; and allocating to a virtual network interface card from the one or more virtual network interface card(s) a TCP context from the reserved one or more TCP contexts when a reassemble able TCP packet is received by the virtual network interface card, is disclosed.
US09363190B2
Improving the utilization of physical resources and reducing energy consumption in a cloud data center includes providing a plurality of virtual machines in the cloud data center; periodically reallocating resources of the plurality of virtual machines according to a current resource demand of the plurality of virtual machines in order to minimize a number of active physical servers required to handle a workload of the physical servers; maximizing a mean inter-migration time between virtual machine migrations under the quality of service requirement based on a Markov chain model; and using a multisize sliding window workload estimation process for a non-stationary workload to maximize the mean inter-migration time.
US09363189B2
In one embodiment, a system includes a hardware processor and logic integrated with and/or executable by the processor or media access control (MAC) functionality of a network port. The logic is configured to negotiate a credit aging duration during initialization of a link between a receiving endpoint and a sending endpoint, the receiving and sending endpoints being connected in a network fabric. The link includes at least one virtual link. The logic is also configured to receive an a Count of available flow credits from the receiving endpoint. The amount of available flow credits are used to determine a capacity to process packets at the receiving endpoint. The exchange of flow credits is performed on a per virtual link basis. Other systems, methods, and computer program products are presented according to more embodiments.
US09363181B1
A network device activates an alternative path flow control for spanning tree protocol. The network device includes a receiver that receives first network traffic from a first transmitter of the first network traffic, the first network traffic being destined for a first receiver along a first network path, and receives second network traffic from the first receiver, the second network traffic being destined for at least the first transmitter along a second network path. The network device also has a pause frame detector configured to detect in the second network traffic a pause frame for controlling a flow of the first network traffic. The network device, furthermore, has an alternative network path activator configured to activate, a third network path that is different from the first network path, for transmitting the first network traffic to the first receiver.
US09363169B2
An apparatus may include a processor and a control plane that directs the processor to (1) detect that at least a portion of an initial branch path of a point-to-multipoint label-switched path has failed over to a failover route that rejoins the initial branch path at a merge-point device and (2) establish an alternate branch path that merges with the initial branch path at the merge-point device. The apparatus may also include a network interface and a data plane that uses the network interface to transmit data via the alternate branch path while data is still being transmitted via the initial branch path, where after the data plane begins transmitting data via the alternate branch path, the control plane instructs the merge-point device to forward data from the alternate branch path rather than from the failover route. Various other apparatuses, systems, and methods are also disclosed.
US09363167B2
A network switch suitable for receiving packets of information from and the packets of information to a communications network includes a plurality of physical ports, packet processing functionality and memory. The packet processing functionality operates on information stored in memory to determine the LAG, from among two or more LAGs, over which a packet received by the switch should be correctly forwarded. The switch memory stores a plurality of LAG tables, each one of which can include one or more entries comprising a physical port number and a packet parameter that are used by the packet processing functionality to determinately identify the correct LAG over which to forward a packet.
US09363161B2
Virtual connection route selection apparatus and techniques are disclosed. At a communication traffic routing apparatus, metric information associated with multiple different routes for a virtual connection, such as a PseudoWire, toward a destination is collected. The metric information may be collected from one or more remote route computation elements capable of computing routes for virtual connections between the routing apparatus and other routing apparatus over an underlying communication system, or during actual establishment of the virtual connections, for example. An initial or re-optimized route for a virtual connection can then be selected at the routing apparatus based on the collected metric information. In some embodiments, although the virtual connection routes are paths computed by Path Computation Elements (PCEs), actual path selection decisions are distributed to routers.
US09363156B2
A network-based production service is configured to process client requests for the production service via a network, capture production request data defining the requests and store the production request data in a data store. A test system comprising one or more controllers creates test jobs according to a test plan for testing the production service. The test plan creates a test profile for using specified production request data to simulate a load on the production service. Each job created by the test plan specifies a portion of production request data. A job queue receives and queues test jobs from one or more controllers configured to add test jobs to the job queue according to the test plan. Workers access jobs from the job queue and the production request data from the data store as specified in each job and replay the production request data to the production service.
US09363155B1
Non-intrusive user identification to provide personalized media content is provided. Using one or more sensors, a user or a combination of users may be identified. If the user or combination of users is known, user information may be retrieved and rules may be applied for providing content personalized to the identified person or group of people. User behavior may be monitored and changes in the audience composition may be monitored so that personalized content may be adjusted accordingly.
US09363141B1
A method and computer program product for defining a first subnet for a first end portion of a physical network. The first subnet includes: a first NIC IP address, a first gateway IP address, and a first logical path connecting the first NIC IP address and the first gateway IP address. A second subnet is defined for a second end portion of the physical network. The second subnet includes: a second NIC IP address, a second gateway IP address, and a second logical path connecting the second NIC IP address and the second gateway IP address. A supernet is defined for a central portion of the physical network. The first subnet is coupled to the second subnet via the supernet to enable point-to-point routing of data through the physical network.
US09363131B2
A device can include a stream builder configured to encode media data at a plurality of different coding rates and to generate a plurality of streams encapsulating the encoded media data. Each of the plurality of streams can have an associated protection level that corresponds to an ability of packet reconstruction and a bandwidth cost. The system can also include a stream replicator configured to transmit each of the plurality of streams to a content receiver via N number of networks. The system can further include an adapter configured to control the coding rate and the protection level of each of the plurality of streams based on a feedback signal transmitted from the content receiver. The feedback signal can characterize a packet loss rate of each of the plurality of streams.
US09363127B1
An optimum time domain windowing scheme for orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM)-based waveforms in the sense of spectral concentration is proposed. Instead of evenly suppressing the sidelobes along the frequency, the sidelobe power is concentrated within a guard band while maximally suppressing the power for a desired frequency range. This is achieved by employing optimum finite duration pulses, prolate spheroidal wave functions (PSWF), to shape the OFDM transmit pulse. Also with per-subcarrier windowing scheme, the effect of inner subcarriers on sidelobes is diminished by utilizing the concentration bandwidth versus out-of-band power trade-off in PSWF and the multicarrier nature of the OFDM.
US09363126B2
A method and receiver for processing a composite signal (112) in a wireless communication system (100) is provided. The method includes receiving a composite signal (112) within a channel bandwidth, wherein the composite signal comprises one or more symbol streams (108, 110, 116) from a plurality of communication units (103, 104). The method also includes sampling the composite signal at a sampling rate, wherein the sampling rate comprises one of equal to a symbol rate of the composite signal or larger than the symbol rate of the composite signal. In addition, the method includes selecting a symbol sampling phase for each of the symbol streams from a plurality of communication units. The symbol streams from each of the communication units are aligned to produce an aligned composite signal by separating the symbol streams for each of the plurality of communication units and orthogonal recombining the symbol streams for each of the plurality of communication units based on the selected symbol sampling phase for each of the plurality of signals. The symbol streams are also separated based on the aligned composite signal.
US09363121B2
Techniques for header encoding include encoding a plurality of bits using a forward error correction code, generating an FEC codeword comprising a plurality of encoded bits, and concatenating a first copy of the FEC codeword with a second copy of the FEC codeword, wherein the concatenating comprises cyclically shifting by two bits the second concatenated copy of the FEC codeword relative to the first concatenated copy of the FEC codeword, wherein the encoded bits of the first and second copies of the FEC codewords are modulated on at least one OFDM symbol. techniques for header decoding include receiving a plurality of encoded bits comprising at least two concatenated copies of an FEC codeword, decoding a first copy of the FEC codeword to generate a first plurality of decoded bits, and decoding a second copy of the FEC codeword to generate a second plurality of decoded bits.
US09363117B2
A method (100) for providing a baseband signal comprises monitoring (102) a disparity between a first magnitude of a first signal component (202) and a second magnitude of a second signal (204) component. If the disparity is below a threshold, the first signal component (202), the second signal component (204) or a combination of the first signal component (202) and the second signal component (204) is modified to provide a first modified signal component and a second modified signal component to increase the disparity between the magnitudes of the modified signal components above the threshold. The first modified signal component (202) and the second modified signal component (204) are combined to provide the baseband signal.
US09363108B2
In one embodiment, an apparatus may include a memory and a processor. The processor may be operable to create a wireless connection to a wireless device. The processor may be operable to form a pairing with the wireless device based on a unique identifier of the wireless device. The unique identifier may be received from the wireless device. The unique identifier may identify the wireless device in the pairing. The processor may be operable to receive user data associated with the unique identifier from a database. The processor may be operable to initiate configuration of an IP telephony service, where the configuration based, at least in part, on the user data.
US09363107B2
A mechanism for accessing and processing monitoring data resulting from customized monitoring of system activities. A method of embodiments of the invention includes invoking, via a Command-Line Interface (CLI) shell console, a performance monitor at a host computer system to perform monitoring of activities of a plurality of system components of one or more computer systems. The CLI shell console provides an abstraction layer for interfaces and further provides host performance information via a common interface independent of operating systems, monitoring use-cases, monitoring tools, or programming languages employed at the host computer system. The method further includes accessing monitoring data generated from monitoring of the activities by the performance monitor.
US09363106B2
A method and an apparatus for providing a contact through interworking with a Social Network Service (SNS) are provided. The method includes receiving, by a client using the other service through SNS interworking, a contact provided in the SNS, determining whether the other party's client having subscribed to the same service as that of the client is present in the received contact, and informing a user of the determination results. Based on the determination results, the client may determine subscription/non-subscription of the other party's client to the service, and may send an invite request for the service if the other party's client has not subscribed to the same service as that of the client. By doing so, the number of targets, subscription/non-subscription of which to a specific service can be determined, may be extended.
US09363102B1
Methods and apparatus for implementing anycast flow stickiness in stateful sessions are described. For the first packet from a source device to an anycast group, a destination anycast endpoint is selected from the anycast group by a routing process via an algorithm that is specified for the anycast group. A record of the mapping of the source device to the destination anycast endpoint may be stored. Additional packets in the flow are routed to the same anycast endpoint as the first packet according to the stored information. Alternatively, a hashing technique may be used to route packets to an anycast endpoint. The packets may be encapsulated in an encapsulation format that includes network substrate routing information to the destination anycast endpoint; anycast forwarding decisions are made at the overlay network level and not at the network substrate level, and thus flow stickiness can be maintained.
US09363101B2
The invention relates to an information processing apparatus, which comprises a plurality of communication units connected to a bus in a ring shape. At least one of the plurality of communication units extends a transmission interval when it is determined that the processing unit, which is to execute the next process for received data, is the processing unit, which executes the process after the processing unit corresponding to the at least one of the plurality of communication units, and when it is detected that the process for the received data is suspended.
US09363091B2
An interface device is configured for interfacing one or more external devices to Ethernet Power Source Equipment PSE. The interface device includes a jack for connection to the PSE, and first and second output jacks. The first output jack provides an Ethernet power and data connection for an external device. The second output jack provides a DC power connection for an external device. A power extractor circuit provides a signature to the PSE, and provides a predefined output signal in response to receiving a power signal from the PSE. At least one delay element electrically connects the network connection jack and the first output jack, after a predefined delay from a time at which the power extractor circuit provides the output signal.
US09363085B2
Systems and methods are disclosed for performing data sanitization at a data storage device (DSD). In an embodiment, a controller may direct a memory device to sanitize data by securely erasing the data, generate an attestation confirming that the data was successfully sanitized, and sign the attestation using an authentication key to create a signed attestation. In another embodiment, a circuit may direct a memory device to sanitize data based on the data sanitization instruction, generate a sanitization confirmation indicating that the data was successfully sanitized, and provide the sanitization confirmation including a first thumbprint and a second thumbprint to another device. Generating the sanitization confirmation may include processing a first storage encryption key to produce the first thumbprint, directing the memory device to obliterate the first storage encryption key, and processing a second storage encryption key to produce the second thumbprint.
US09363083B1
The present invention provides a method and apparatus for the production and labeling of objects in a manner suitable for the prevention and detection of counterfeiting. Thus, the system incorporates a variety of features that make unauthorized reproduction difficult. In addition, the present invention provides an efficient means for the production of labels and verification of authenticity, whereby a recording apparatus which includes a recording medium, having anisotrophic optical domains, along with a means for transferring a portion of the recording medium to a carrier, wherein a bulk portion of the recording medium has macroscopically detectable anisotrophic optical properties and the detecting apparatus thereon.
US09363068B2
A processor is provided having an instruction set with a sliding window non-linear convolution function. A processor obtains a software instruction that performs a non-linear convolution function for a plurality of input delayed signal samples. In response to the software instruction for the non-linear convolution function, the processor generates a weighted sum of two or more of the input delayed signal samples, wherein the weighted sum comprises a plurality of variable coefficients defined as a sum of one or more non-linear functions of a magnitude of the input delayed signal samples; and repeats the generating step for at least one time-shifted version of the input delayed signal samples to compute a plurality of consecutive outputs. The software instruction for the non-linear convolution function is optionally part of an instruction set of the processor. The non-linear convolution function can model a non-linear system with memory, such as a power amplifier model and/or a digital pre-distortion function.
US09363067B2
Interface circuitry and method for transmitting and receiving downstream and upstream data signals simultaneously via a common conductor pair. The composite signal containing the downstream and upstream data signal components being conveyed by the common conductor pair is isolated, e.g., via signal filtering or buffering, and combined with an appropriately scaled inverse replica of the outgoing upstream data signal to subtract out upstream data signal components and thereby provide the downstream data signal substantially free of any upstream data signal components.
US09363066B2
Methods and systems are disclosed for communicating in a wireless communications system utilizing a plurality of frequency bands for downlink (DL) transmission and a plurality of frequency bands for uplink (UL) transmission. In an embodiment, a mobile device receives a DL signal via a DL frequency band. The DL signal contains DL-UL frequency-band association information. The DL signal is decoded to obtain the DL-UL frequency-band association information which is used to determine a UL frequency band for UL transmission. The mobile device configures its radio-frequency (RF) circuitry to operate in the UL frequency band for UL transmission.
US09363061B2
A method of communicating a plurality of transmission layers from at least one cell which is under the control of at least one base station to a user equipment. The plurality of transmission layers includes a data layer and an interference layer which are spatially multiplexed. The data layer includes user data for the user equipment and the interference layer interferes with the data layer. The method includes determining interference layer information relating to the interference layer, transmitting the data layer, the interference layer and a control channel message to user equipment. The control channel message includes a first information field and a second information field.
US09363058B2
A reference signal transmission method in a downlink MIMO system is disclosed. The downlink MIMO system supports a first UE supporting N transmission antennas among a total of M transmission antennas (where M>N) and a second UE supporting the M transmission antennas. The method includes transmitting, by a base station (BS), subframe-associated information which designates a first subframe in which data for the first UE and the second UE is transmitted and a second subframe in which data only for the second UE can be transmitted within a radio frame having a plurality of subframes, and transmitting the first subframe and the second subframe. Reference signals corresponding to antenna ports ‘0’ to ‘N−1’ of the N antennas are mapped to the first subframe, and reference signals corresponding to antenna ports ‘0’ to ‘M−1’ of the M antennas are mapped to the second subframe.
US09363052B2
Disclosed are a wireless transmitting and receiving unit for supporting an AP-based social communication service or activity, and a communication method thereof. A communication method of a wireless transmitting and receiving unit (WRTU), according to one embodiment disclosed in the present invention, includes the steps of: receiving a beacon signal, which contains service or activity identification information and information on a communication scheme, from an access point (AP); selecting the service or activity on the basis of the identification information; and performing an operation corresponding to the communication scheme when the service or activity is selected, wherein the communication scheme is designated to a first scheme for transmitting data frames to and receiving data frames from another wireless transmitting or receiving unit, which has selected the service or activity, or to a second scheme for receiving data frames from the access point.
US09363040B2
Apparatus for transmitting and receiving a signal and method for transmitting and receiving a signal
A method for transmitting and receiving a signal and an apparatus for transmitting and receiving a signal are disclosed. The method includes receiving the signal from a first frequency band in a single frame including at least one frequency band, demodulating the received signal by an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) method and parsing the signal frame, acquiring a symbol stream of a service stream from the at least one frequency band included in the parsed signal frame, demapping symbols included in the symbol stream and outputting the demapped symbols to sub streams, multiplexing the output sub streams and outputting one bit stream, and deinterleaving and error-correction-decoding the output bit stream.
US09363037B2
Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a link adaptation feedback method, including: receiving, by a device, a link adaptation feedback frame sent by a communication peer end, where the link adaptation feedback frame includes a modulation and coding scheme request sequence identifier (MSI), where the MSI is configured to indicate space-time block coding type information.
US09363035B2
A method for determining a channel quality for the transmission of data in the channel by a test device. The test device transmits the data with the determined channel quality to a device to be tested which determines one or more pieces of decision information. The device to be tested forwards the piece(s) of decision information to the test device as a response signal and the test device reads the piece(s) of decision information from the response signal. The piece(s) of decision information from the response signal is/are uniquely attributed to a transmission mode to be adjusted. The initially determined channel quality is also uniquely attributed to an expected transmission mode. The expected transmission mode is compared with the transmission mode to be adjusted in a comparative unit in the evaluation unit, thereby allowing a statement regarding the correctness of the transmission mode to be adjusted.
US09363029B2
A transceiver for use in a wireless access network comprising a plurality of base stations, each of the plurality of base stations capable of bidirectional time division duplex (TDD) communication with wireless access devices disposed at a plurality of subscriber premises in a corresponding cell site of the wireless access network. The transceiver is associated with a first base station and comprises transmit path circuitry associated with a beam forming network for transmitting directed scanning beam signals in a sector of a cell site of the first base station. The transmit path circuitry transmits at a start of a TDD frame a broadcast beam signal comprising a start of frame field and subsequently transmits downlink data traffic in a downlink portion of the TDD frame to at least one of the wireless access devices using at least one directed scanning beam.
US09363024B2
A system for reception of electromagnetic waves in spectrum in which interference occurs comprising at least one transmitter; at least one receiver configured to receive the received signal; a first memory portion configured to store data relating to a point target response; a spectrum estimator configured to estimate the frequencies at which interfering signals occur; at least one processor configured to generate an estimation of the interfering signals at the frequencies estimated by the spectrum estimator; a second memory portion operatively connected to the at least one processor configured to store the estimation of the components of the interfering signals; the at least one processor configured to substantially reduce or eliminate radio frequency interfering signals from the received signal utilizing the point target response and the estimation of the interfering signals; and a method to substantially reduce or eliminate radio frequency interfering signals from for image data.
US09363018B2
An LED light and communication system in communication with a broadband over power line communications system. The LED light and communication system includes at least one optical transceiver. The optical transceiver includes a light support having a plurality of light emitting diodes and at least one photodetector attached thereto, and a processor. The processor is in communication with the light emitting diodes and the at least one photodetector. The processor is constructed and arranged to generate a communication signal. The at least one optical transceiver is engaged to a clock, and the clock is in communication with the broadband over power line communications system.
US09363012B2
A transceiver card for a telecommunications box for transmitting data over a first optical fiber and receiving data over a second optical fiber. The card has transmitter for transmitting data over the first optical fiber, the transmitter having a laser and a modulator, a fiber output optically connected to the laser for connecting the first optical fiber to the card, a fiber input for connecting the second optical fiber to the card, a receiver optically connected to the fiber input for receiving data from the second optical fiber, and an OTDR optically connected between the transmitter and the fiber output or between the receiver and the fiber input. An energy level detector is also provided between the receiver and the fiber input.
US09363006B2
A method, wireless device and computer program product for expanding the coverage of a cellular network. A wireless device (e.g., cellular telephone) is able to communicate with a base station in a cell of the cellular network over a non-cellular interface via another wireless device in a cell through the use of multi-hopping. A wireless device may request permission to communicate with the base station over a non-cellular interface via hopping off another wireless device when its signal strength is below a threshold. Alternatively, a wireless device may receive a request to communicate with the base station over a non-cellular interface via hopping off the wireless device that sent the request when that wireless device has excess capacity in its bandwidth with the base station. By enabling wireless devices to communicate with a base station in such a manner, the effective capacity of the cellular network is expanded and the effective capacity of the cellular network is improved.
US09362995B2
A transmitter apparatus to transmit to a plurality of receiver apparatuses a data signal at the same timing and on the same frequency, includes a transmitter unit that transmits a demodulation reference signal addressed to a first receiver apparatus and a demodulation reference signal addressed to a second receiver apparatus different from the first receiver apparatus at the same timing and on the same frequency.
US09362994B2
A communication method and apparatus using analog and digital hybrid beamforming are provided. The method includes receiving a first message including a measurement and selection condition for hybrid beamforming from a Base Station (BS), measuring channels of a plurality of BS transmission beams, selecting at least one BS transmission beam based on channel measurements, transmitting report information about the selected at least one BS transmission beam to the BS, receiving from the BS a second message, estimating an effective channel matrix for the selected final BS transmission beam according to the measurement and report condition, determining feedback information for digital beamforming of the BS based on the effective channel matrix, transmitting the determined feedback information to the BS, and receiving a data burst from the BS according to a Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) mode and/or a configuration scheduled based on the feedback information.
US09362950B2
A cyclic redundancy check (CRC) can be determined with fewer resources within a communication system. A CRC interface component is configured to receive an array of bits as an input via an N-bit data pathway, and receive a CRC previous output from a feedback component coupled to a CRC output, in which N can comprise an integer greater than one. A parallel CRC component can be configured to generate a CRC current output from a plurality of parallel processing pipelines that are configured to concurrently process at least a part of the array of bits and the CRC previous output with a set of parallel CRC logic operations. The set of CRC logic operations can include a masking operation and a parity operation.
US09362949B2
The present invention describes a method and an arrangement for coding transform coefficients in picture and/or video coders and decoders and a corresponding computer program and a corresponding computer-readable storage medium, which can particularly be employed as a novel efficient method for binary-arithmetic coding transform coefficients in the field of video coding.For this, it is suggested that, for blocks of (video) pictures containing significant transform coefficients, coding of the transform coefficients takes place in such a way that, for each block in a scan process, the positions of significant transform coefficients in the block and subsequently, in a reverse scan order—starting from the last significant transform coefficient within the block—the values (levels) of the significant transform coefficients are determined and coded.
US09362948B2
A system, method, and computer program product are provided for saving and restoring a compression-decompression state. In operation, data is processed, the processing including compressing or decompressing the data. Additionally, a state of the processing is saved. Further, the state of the processing is restored.
US09362946B2
A method, a computer program product, and a computer system for determination of encoding based on received code point classes are provided. The computer implemented method includes transferring data in a text form. The computer implemented method includes, in response to determining that decoding the data in text form passes, transferring some or all of the data in a binary form. The computer implemented method includes calculating code point class proportions for the data in the text form and the data in the binary form and determining a best form for transferring the data, based on comparison of the code point class proportions.
US09362935B2
Parallel analog to digital converted (ADC) architectures that can be used to replace single path ADC architectures. The parallel ADC architecture can comprise N branches and one ADC per branch. These ADCs can be identical. However each branch can have a different path adjustments applied to the ADC. The path adjustments can be biases and/or gains and each ADC receives a different combination of biases and/or gain to generate multiple adjusted input signals. These are then combined to generate a quantized output signal. Using these parallel architectures a range of weighting and offset combining schemes can be employed to achieve improvements in signal to noise ratio and to reduce the impact of clipping as compared to a single path ADC architecture.
US09362933B1
The present disclosure includes apparatus, systems, and techniques relating to noise-predictive detector adaptation. A described technique includes operating a decoder to decode a received encoded signal based on estimation parameters to produce paths including a first path and a second path, the second path being an alternate to the first path, determining a decoded path based on at least a portion of the paths, determining a winning path of the first path and the second path based on whether the decoded path matches the first path or the second path, and updating the estimation parameters based on one or more error terms and the winning path to favor selection of the winning path by the decoder and to disfavor selection of a losing path of the first and second paths by the decoder in a subsequent iteration.
US09362925B2
Disclosed are circuits and method for reducing or eliminating reference spurs in frequency synthesizers. In some implementations, a phase-locked loop (PLL) such as a Frac-N PLL of a frequency synthesizer can include a phase frequency detector (PFD) configured to receive a reference signal and a feedback signal. The PFD can be configured to generate a first signal representative of a phase difference between the reference signal and the feedback signal. The PLL can further include a compensation circuit configured to generate a compensation signal based on the first signal. The PLL can further includes a voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) configured to generate an output signal based on the compensation signal. The compensation signal can include at least one feature for substantially eliminating one or more reference spurs associated with the PLL.
US09362922B2
The present invention relates to an oscillator circuit, comprising a switched capacitor circuit comprising a parallel circuit with a current input to be supplied with a reference current on one side and being connected to a reference terminal on the other side. The parallel circuit further comprises a first capacitor in a first branch and, in a second branch, a second capacitor connected in-between a first and second switch. A switch control unit comprises a first input coupled to the current input of the parallel circuit and a second input to be supplied with a reference voltage as well as an oscillator output for providing an oscillator signal. The switch control unit is being designed to operate the first and second switch such that, in a charging phase, the first and second capacitor is charged to a respective level depending on the reference voltage and, in a discharging phase, the charge stored on the first capacitor is discharged using the charge stored on the second capacitor.
US09362902B2
We describe a fault-tolerant power semiconductor switching device control system (100), the control system comprising: a coordinating control system (110); and a plurality of switching device controllers (120) each coupled to said coordinating control system and each configured to control a respective power semiconductor switching device (130); wherein said coordinating control system is configured to send real time switching control data to said switching device controllers to control switching of said power semiconductor switching devices, and to receive real time acknowledgement data from said switching device controllers; wherein a said switching device controller is configured to receive said real time switching control data from said coordinating control system, to control a said power semiconductor switching device responsive to said real time switching control data, and to provide said real time acknowledgement data confirming said switching device control to said coordinating control system; and wherein said coordinating control system is further configured to control further switching of said power semiconductor switching devices responsive to said real time acknowledgement data.
US09362901B2
A method for controlling the in-rush current to a hot plug device. The method includes providing a series of turn on pulses to the gates of a plurality of turn on FETs on a hot plug device coupled to a direct current power source, wherein each pulse causes the plurality of FETs to pass current from the direct current power source to a subsystem of the hot plug device, and wherein each pulse has a duration that ends before the impedance of the turn on FETs falls below a safe operating region. The method further includes providing a steady turn on signal to the FETs in response to the output voltage from the FETs to a subsystem of the hot plug device exceeding a predetermined voltage threshold.
US09362897B2
An integrated oscillator circuit has a plurality oscillator stages including a first oscillator stage, an odd number of intermediate oscillator stages, and a last oscillator stage arranged in series. Each of the oscillator stages has a reverse-biased diode device and a transistor coupled in series between a power supply and a ground. Each diode device has an anode and a cathode, and each transistor has a control terminal for controlling a current flow from a first terminal to a second terminal. In each oscillator stage, the anode of the diode is coupled to the first terminal of the transistor at an internal node. The control terminal of the transistor in each oscillator stage is coupled to the internal node of a proceeding oscillator stage. Further, the control terminal of the transistor in the first oscillator stage is coupled to the internal node of the last oscillator stage.
US09362896B2
Provided is a chip including a plurality of unit cells; a scanning circuit adapted to scan the plurality of unit cells, thereby making each of the plurality of unit cells output a signal; a voltage-to-current conversion circuit; a current-to-voltage conversion circuit; an output terminal; and an input terminal. The current-to-voltage conversion circuit is adapted to convert a first current signal input into the input terminal, into a first voltage signal, the scanning circuit starts scanning in response to the first voltage signal output from the current-to-voltage conversion circuit, and the voltage-to-current conversion circuit is adapted to convert a second voltage signal output from the scanning circuit into a second current signal, and to output the second current signal from the output terminal.
US09362895B2
A first and second hybrid envelope detector and full-wave rectifier is provided. The first hybrid envelope detector and full-wave rectifier includes a first P-channel Field Effect Transistor (PFET); a second PFET; a first N-channel Field Effect Transistor (NFET); a second NFET; a third NFET; a fourth NFET; a fifth NFET; a controller; a variable transistor; and a variable capacitor. The second hybrid envelope detector and full-wave rectifier includes a first N-channel Field Effect Transistor (NFET); a second NFET; a first P-channel Field Effect Transistor (PFET); a second PFET; a third PFET; a fourth PFET; a fifth PFET; a controller; a variable transistor; and a variable capacitor.
US09362894B1
A clock generator includes a diagnostic circuit that includes first and second muxes, first and second comparators, a logic gate, and a counter. The first mux receives first and second voltage signals and outputs a first intermediate signal based on a control signal. The second mux receives third and fourth voltage signals and outputs a second intermediate signal based on the control signal. The first and second comparators compare the intermediate signals with a first signal that is indicative of a DC value of the clock signal for generating first and second comparison signals. The logic gate receives the first and second intermediate signals and generates a control signal. The counter receives the clock signal and the control signal and generates a clock ready signal that is indicative of stability and quality of the clock signal.
US09362891B2
A system that incorporates teachings of the subject disclosure may include, for example, method for initiating a mode of operation of a communication device, measuring a signal to determine an adverse operational effect on the communication device, determining a tuning state from the signal to compensate for the adverse operational effect, tuning a circuit of the communication device having a variable reactance according to the tuning state, storing the tuning state in a memory of the communication device, and tuning the circuit according to the tuning state retrieved from the memory responsive to detecting a reoccurrence of the mode of operation of the communication device. Other embodiments are disclosed.
US09362886B2
An electronic component includes: an oscillation circuit that is electrically connected to a resonator element; and a substrate that includes a first surface on which the oscillation circuit and wiring that is electrically connected with the resonator element and the oscillation circuit to form an oscillation loop are disposed, and a second surface opposite to the first surface. The substrate includes a conductor layer between the first surface and the second surface. The conductor layer overlaps the wiring in a plan view. A distance between the wiring and the conductor layer in a thickness direction as a direction along a direction intersecting the first surface and the second surface is from 0.35 mm to 0.7 mm.
US09362878B1
In accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure, a system may include an audio speaker and a controller coupled to the audio speaker. The controller may receive a current signal indicative of an electrical current associated with the audio speaker and a voltage signal indicative of an electrical voltage associated with the audio speaker. In response to the current signal and the voltage signal, the controller may estimate modeled characteristics for the audio speaker, and based on the modeled characteristics, control an audio signal communicated from the controller to the audio speaker wherein the modeled characteristics are based on discrete-time domain information and displacement domain information and the discrete-time domain information and the displacement domain information are used to update the modeled characteristics.
US09362877B2
An electronic component includes: a first amplifier configured to amplify one of differential signals; a second amplifier configured to amplify another one of the differential signals; a sensor configured to measure voltages of a first output signal outputted from the first amplifier and a second output signal outputted from the second amplifier; and a controller configured to control, based on the voltages measured by the sensor, either one or both of a current and a resistance value of the first amplifier so that a common voltage of the first output signal and a common voltage of the second output signal are approximate to each other.
US09362871B2
A Doherty amplifier is disclosed, being adapted to receive an RF input signal and to output an RF output signal and comprising a main amplifier and a peak amplifier, each comprising: a first amplifier (T1, T1′) and a second amplifier (T2, T2′), each amplifier having a respective input terminal and a respective output terminal, the first amplifier and the second amplifier being adapted to amplify a respective input signal derived from the RF input signal and received at the respective input terminal and to deliver a first output signal and a second output signal, respectively; a first phase shifter (14, 14′) and a second phase shifter (15, 15′) coupled to the output terminal of the first amplifier and to the output terminal of the second amplifier, respectively; a third phase shifter (16, 16′); and a fourth phase shifter (17, 17′); wherein the Doherty amplifier further comprises a first combining node (A) and a second combining node (B) and, wherein each third phase shifter is coupled between the respective first phase shifter and the first combining node; each fourth phase shifter is coupled between the respective second phase shifter and the second combining node, and the third phase shifter of each of the main amplifier and the peak amplifier is adapted to be electrically coupled to the respective fourth phase shifter the output RF signal being obtained from a signal obtained in the first combining node and a signal obtained in the second combining node. An associated PCB is also disclosed.
US09362860B2
A control device for a multiple motor comprises: a drive unit constituted by a pair of upper and lower arm switching elements for driving the multiphase motor; a single current detection circuit for detecting a current value; a PWM signal generation unit for generating a plurality of first phase PWM signals within two control cycles on the basis of the current value and a carrier signal; a phase shift control unit for shifting a first PWM signal with a prescribed phase generated by the PWM signal generation unit by gradually changing the amount of phase shift within the two control cycles, and outputting the shifted first PWM signal to the drive unit; and a current detection observer for estimating a current value for the multiphase motor on the basis of the current value. The PWM signal generation unit generates a plurality of second phase PWM signals within two control cycles on the basis of the estimated current value and carrier signal. When the phase shift amount in a prescribed phase in the control cycle immediately before the present control cycle is zero and the phase shift amount in a prescribed phase in the present control cycle is not zero, the phase shift control unit gradually increases the shift amount from zero in the present control cycle and the next control cycle to thereby use the second phase PWM signals in the next control cycle.
US09362854B2
A motor system and a method of operating an electric motor that includes monitoring a voltage of power supplied to the motor by a mircrocontroller located in the motor; storing energy within the motor; detecting if the voltage drops below a nonzero threshold; and if the voltage drops below the threshold, immediately operating the microcontroller with the stored energy to store a state of the motor in non-volatile memory located within the motor, and ceasing operation of the motor. This motor operation may be employed with multiple motors in vehicles where voltage drop may occur during an engine start of a vehicle stop/start event.
US09362853B2
A plate, a transducer, a method for making a transducer, and a method for operating a transducer are disclosed. An embodiment comprises a plate comprising a first material layer comprising a first stress, a second material layer arranged beneath the first material layer, the second material layer comprising a second stress, an opening arranged in the first material layer and the second material layer, and an extension extending into opening, wherein the extension comprises a portion of the first material layer and a portion of the second material layer, and wherein the extension is curved away from a top surface of the plate based on a difference in the first stress and the second stress.
US09362840B2
A control section for controlling a 3-level power conversion circuit. The control section calculates ON voltage error based on time ratios of three potentials in a predetermined certain period and a current value from a current detection section for detecting current outputted from the 3-level power conversion circuit, corrects a voltage command value based on a voltage correction amount for correcting the ON voltage error, and performs ON/OFF control for semiconductor switching elements of the 3-level power conversion circuit based on the corrected voltage command value.
US09362833B2
The present invention discloses CVCC circuits and methods with improved load regulation for an SMPS. In one embodiment, the CVCC can include: a voltage feedback circuit to generate an output voltage feedback signal; a current feedback circuit to generate an output current feedback signal; a control signal generating circuit that receives the output voltage feedback signal and the output current feedback signal, and generates a constant voltage/constant current control signal; a first enable signal generating circuit that compares a first reference voltage and the constant voltage/constant current control signal to generate a first enable signal; and a PWM controller that generates a PWM control signal based on the constant voltage/constant current control signal to control a main switch of the flyback SMPS.
US09362824B2
A constant on-time control switching converter with DC calibration is disclosed. A current flowing into a capacitor of a DC calibration circuit is reduced by introducing a transconductance amplifier and a resistor. Thus, the equivalent capacitance of the capacitor is magnified, which allows the user to integrate a capacitor with smaller capacitance to realize DC calibration.
US09362822B2
An average load current detector for a multi-mode switching converter is disclosed. The average load current detector includes a sense voltage generator that generates an average sense voltage that is proportional to an average load current delivered by the multi-mode switching converter. Also included is a duty voltage generator that generates an average duty voltage that is proportional to a duty cycle of a pulse width modulation (PWM) signal that controls switching of the multi-mode switching converter. Further included is a comparator adapted to output a detector signal that indicates an operational mode for the multi-mode switching converter to operate in for predetermined load current ranges. A controller receives the detector signal and in response maintains an efficient energy transfer from one supply voltage level to another by transitioning the multi-mode switching converter from the PWM mode to a pulse frequency modulation (PFM) mode or vice versa if necessary.
US09362820B2
A DCDC converter includes a control circuit, a transistor in which switching is controlled by being supplied voltage output from the control circuit to a gate electrode of the transistor, a voltage conversion portion in which supply of input voltage is controlled by the switching of the transistor and output power commensurate with duty ratio of the switching of the transistor, and a detection circuit detecting the output power. Further, the control circuit includes a control signal generation circuit generating a control signal with a pulse voltage waveform and a selection circuit applying voltage of the control signal to the gate electrode in the case where current detected by the detection circuit is the same as or exceeds the threshold value and applying voltage for turning on the transistor to the gate electrode in the case where the current detected by the detection circuit falls below the threshold value.
US09362812B2
A shaft coupling apparatus, a rotary fluid damper, and a deployable device are provided herein. In an embodiment, the shaft coupling apparatus includes a chamber having a non-magnetic diaphragm delimiting at least a portion of the chamber. A first shaft is disposed in the chamber and is rotatable about a first axis. A second shaft is disposed outside of the chamber and is rotatable about the first axis. The diaphragm is disposed between the first and second shafts and separates the first and second shafts from direct physical contact. A magnetic coupling mechanism includes a first magnetic coupler attached to the first shaft and a second magnetic coupler attached to the second shaft, with the first and second magnetic couplers separated by the diaphragm. Magnetic coupling forces are generated between the first and second magnetic couplers to transfer rotational energy from the first magnetic coupler to the second magnetic coupler.
US09362811B2
An electromagnetic driver with lead-out structure for coil includes at least one coil holder and at least one coil disposed on the coil holder. The coil holder has a plurality of metal connecting member, and the two lead-out ends of the coil are electrically connected to the first connecting terminals of the metal connecting members. The second connecting terminal of the metal connecting member is electrically connected to a conductive member, such as spring, and the coil of the electromagnetic driver can be independently and automatically manufactured and then assembled with the other conductive member. The coil of the electromagnetic driver can be directly replaced at maintenance.
US09362809B2
One embodiment provides a stator for an electric rotary machine, the stator including: a stator core having plural slots; segmented coils of plural phases; and a pair of base plates provided at both ends of the stator core, wherein the segmented coils have plural substantially-straight coil bars which are respectively inserted in the slots in the stator core and plural connection coils which are disposed on the base plates so as to connect together the coil bars of the same phase, and wherein the stator core and the coil bars make up a stator core assembly and the base plates and the connection coils make up base plate assemblies, so that the stator is made up of the stator core assembly and the base plate assemblies.
US09362800B2
A flywheel is described having a rotor constructed of wire wound onto a central form. The wire is prestressed, thus mitigating stresses that occur during operation. In another aspect, the flywheel incorporates a low-loss motor using electrically non-conducting permanent magnets.
US09362797B2
A generator motor connected to an output shaft of an engine mounted in a work machine includes a terminal box that houses a connector for connecting an exterior electric-power-supplying cable to the generator motor. While the terminal box is provided to the generator motor, the connector is provided facing downward and the electric-power-supplying cable is connectable to the connector from underneath the connector.
US09362793B2
A stator for an electric rotary machine includes: a stator core having a plurality of slots; and segmented coils of a plurality of phases (for example, coils 50 in the embodiment), wherein: the segmented coils of a plurality of phases have pluralities of coil bars which are inserted individually in the plurality of slots in the stator core and which extend substantially in a straight line and pluralities of connection coils which connect together the coil bars of the same phase to thereby make up extending portions; the connection coils each comprise an inner connection coil and an outer connection coil which are disposed in different axial positions; and the inner connection coil faces an outer connection coil of a different phase in an axial direction and the outer connection coil faces the inner connection coil of a different phase in the axial direction.
US09362790B2
A permanent magnet embedded rotor disposed coaxially with a cylindrical stator having a plurality of coils in the circumferential direction includes a rotor core that includes a columnar body made of a magnetic metal and a spacer made of a nonmagnetic material, and has an even number of insertion grooves, a cylindrical body that is made of a nonmagnetic metal with good electrical conductivity and externally inserted on the rotor core, permanent magnets embedded in the insertion grooves so that their N poles and S poles alternately come into contact with the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical body, and a rotary shaft made of stainless steel fit into a rotation center of the rotor core.
US09362785B2
A permanent magnet motor, generator or the like that is constructed with a concentrated winding using a separate tooth. This tooth is preloaded in such a way to achieve high structural rigidity and good magnetic performance.
US09362780B2
The present disclosure relates to a piezoelectric charging system, which has two operational modes: a vibration mode and a charging mode. The system includes a piezoelectric vibrator, a driving module, a switch selecting module, a rectifying and processing module and a charging control module. The present disclosure can make full use of the mechanical energy from human beings and the ambient environment to provide the electronic device with an important energy source. Furthermore, energy can be charged to the electronic devices in real time. Furthermore, the present disclosure provides a terminal device using the piezoelectric charging system.
US09362778B2
A wireless charging system includes a power receiving antenna that also functions as a communication antenna. The wireless charging system includes a transmitter having a first antenna configured to transmit radio-frequency energy and a first electronic device. The first electronic device includes a second antenna, a first communication circuit operably connected to the second antenna, and a first power converter operably connected to the second antenna. The second antenna is configured to receive the radio frequency energy transmitted by the first antenna.
US09362775B1
A wearable electronic device may be inductively charged during regular operation of a computing device when the electronic device is within a proximity zone of a charging component. The electronic device may be charged in a seamless manner such that the charging occurs when a user uses or operates a computing device in a regular manner. The electronic device and/or the computing device may contain an indicator that indicates a charging value for the electronic device.
US09362769B2
The present invention provides a method and an apparatus for power supply control as well as an electronic device. The method comprises: detecting that the first device is connected with the second device via the first physical interface, when the first device is in the unconnected state; determining whether the connection between the first and second devices satisfies a first predetermined condition or not, so as to obtain a first determination result; switching the first device from the unconnected state to the first connected state when the first determination result indicates that the connection satisfies the first predetermined condition; obtaining power supply requirement information of the second device that indicates whether the first device is required to supply power to the second device or not; and controlling the power supply to the second device via the first physical interface based on the power supply requirement information.
US09362766B2
A charging device includes a body having a rechargeable energy storage device and a housing, an interface pivotally coupled to the housing, the interface including a first conductor and a second conductor and configured to transmit power between the rechargeable energy storage device and a device connected to the interface, a first rigid post, a first pin, a first compressible element positioned to press the first pin against the first rigid post, a second rigid post, a second pin, and a second compressible element positioned to press the second pin against the second rigid post. The interface is configured to pivot about an axis defined by the first pin and the second pin.
US09362756B2
A primary side wireless power transmitter inductively couplable to a secondary side wireless power receiver for receiving communications from the secondary side wireless power receiver through the inductive coupling having a primary side tank circuit receiving a signal from the secondary side wireless power receiver. A phase delay or time delay circuit generates a fixed delay clock signal from a signal utilized to excite the primary side tank circuit. A sample and hold circuit samples a tank circuit voltage utilizing the fixed phase or time delayed clock signal. A comparator is coupled to an output of the sample and hold circuit for extracting data or commands from the signal stream. A method of operating a primary side wireless transmitter inductively coupled to a secondary side wireless power receiver for supplying power to the wireless power receiver to power a load coupled to the receiver is also disclosed.
US09362749B2
A system and method of controlling aggregated thermostatically controlled appliances (TCAs) for demand response is disclosed. A targeted load profile is formulated and a forecasted load profile is generated. The TCAs within an “on” or “off” control group are prioritized based on their operating temperatures. The “on” or “off” status of the TCAs is determined. Command signals are sent to turn on or turn off the TCAs.
US09362743B2
A circuit for combining direct current (DC) power including multiple direct current (DC) voltage inputs; multiple inductive elements. The inductive elements are adapted for operatively connecting respectively to the DC voltage inputs. Multiple switches connect respectively with the inductive elements. A controller is configured to switch the switches periodically at a frequency sufficiently high so that direct currents flowing through the inductive elements are substantially zero. A direct current voltage output is connected across one of the DC voltage inputs and a common reference to both the inputs and the output.
US09362740B1
Apparatus for electrical water heater air entrapment detection includes two electrodes residing at opposite ends of a heater housing. The electrodes are part of a circuit and if either electrode is surrounded by air, the circuit is opened and entrapped air is sensed. The temperature sensors are located at opposite ends of the heater housing, the electrodes may be integrated into the temperature sensors. When entrapped air is sensed, a heater relay is opened preventing powering a heater element(s). A spa pump is operated to clear the entrapped air, and when a variable speed pump is present, the pump is turned to high speed to clear the entrapped air.
US09362739B2
Provided is a method of driving a protective circuit, the protective circuit including a first clamp section and a second clamp section, the first clamp section including a first device, the first clamp section being configured to protect an entire protected circuit of a predetermined area when the first device is driven, the second clamp section including a second device, the second clamp section being configured to protect a predetermined device of the protected circuit when the second device is driven, the method comprising: connecting a predetermined spot of the first clamp section and the gate of the second device of the second clamp section; and causing the gate voltage of the second device to be the potential of the predetermined spot.
US09362734B2
An apparatus for limiting a current of a line or breaking a current, and a control method thereof are disclosed. The apparatus includes a current breaking branch (29) and a bridge branch. The bridge branch includes two bridge arms formed by four identical current commutation branches. Every two of the four current commutation branches are connected in series, and the formed two bridge arms are then connected in parallel. The two bridge arms are both connected in parallel to the current breaking branch, and middle points of the two bridge arms are separately connected to two ends of a line. Each current commutation branch includes at least one high-speed isolation switch (6) and at least one bidirectional power semiconductor switch (10) that are connected in series. The apparatus can turn off currents in two directions.
US09362732B2
A corrugated tube with a path-maintaining member is provided with a corrugated tube having annular convex portions and annular concave portions alternately formed along a longitudinal direction, and a path-maintaining member attached to the corrugated tube along the longitudinal direction thereof. The path-maintaining member is formed as a long member die-molded to maintain a shape at least a portion of which is bent in the longitudinal direction and includes an arc-shaped portion in which a lateral-direction cross section exhibits an arc shape.
US09362730B2
The present disclosure is directed to a bracket and electrical assembly including such bracket for mounting or securing to a concrete masonry unit (CMU).
US09362726B2
It is aimed to provide a wiring harness protection member and a wiring harness having good protection performance even when being used under high temperature and high humidity. A wiring harness 3 is formed by covering a wire bundle 4 with wiring harness protection members 2 obtained by molding nonwoven fabrics 1 made of mixed fibers containing 10 to 90 mass % of polypropylene resin fibers and 90 to 10 mass % of polyethylene terephthalate resin fibers into a predetermined shape.
US09362725B2
An electromagnetic shielded sleeve containing a multilayer composite material formed in such a way as to define at least one longitudinal channel configured to enclose and carry a cable. The multilayer composite material contains a first textile, an electromagnetic shielding material, and a second textile, where the electromagnetic shielding material is located between the first textile and the second textile.
US09362719B2
A III-nitride based quantum dot (QD) laser is formed of InGaN/GaN quantum dots and capable emitting at a single wavelength within the visible region, including the violet wavelength region (400-440 nm), the blue wavelength region (440-490 nm), the green wavelength region (490-570 nm), the yellow wavelength region (570-590 nm), the orange wavelength region (590-620 nm), and the red wavelength region (620-700 nm), with varying composition as described.
US09362716B2
An optical crystal can be mounted to a mounting block configured to receive the crystal. A base portion on the mounting block utilizes two walls forming a corner and a single biasing spring clip to secure the crystal. The spring clip applies forces in two different directions substantially orthogonal to the two walls. The spring clip is based off a symmetrical geometry which applies nearly the same force application in both directions. The spring also features rounded bend regions that contact the crystal in such a way as to reduce the presence of point loads or stress risers. The length of contact along the crystal is maximized, allowing for proper force distribution and a sufficient surface are contact for static holding capabilities.
US09362707B2
A fiber-based supercontinuum system including: a pump laser; a ZBLAN or other fluoride-based microstructured glass fiber; and control electronics; wherein the control electronics control the pump laser to generate laser pulses into the ZBLAN or other fluoride-based microstructured glass fiber. The fabrication of a ZBLAN photonic crystal fiber with sub-micron features and large air-filling fraction and the use of the fiber to generate a stable supercontinuum (200 to 2500 nm) from 140 fs, 1 nJ pulses at 1042 nm are disclosed.
US09362706B2
A laser machine includes a laser oscillator, a cooler for cooling the laser oscillator, and a control unit for controlling the laser oscillator and the cooler. The control unit includes a controller that stops base discharge of the laser oscillator at a time when a specified time has elapsed from a stop of laser light emission by the laser oscillator. According to the laser machine, since base discharge of the laser oscillator is stopped after the specified time has elapsed from the stop of laser light emission, wasteful energy (power) consumption of the laser oscillator in a standby state can be restricted.
US09362704B2
The invention relates to a laser resonator for generating frequency-converted laser radiation, comprising a laser-active solid-state medium and a wavelength conversion crystal. A transmissive optical element having a concavely curved surface for generating collimated laser radiation is arranged in the laser resonator.
US09362700B2
A terminal crimping device includes crimp tooling defining a crimp zone configured to receive a wire and a terminal. The terminal is configured to be crimped to the wire by the tooling during a crimp stroke of the crimp tooling to form a crimped terminal. The crimp tooling includes an ultrasound module ultrasonically coupled to the crimp tooling and the wire and the crimped terminal when present. The ultrasound module transmits acoustic signals through the crimped terminal and the wire. The ultrasound module also receives echo acoustic signals being reflected back to the ultrasound module. The ultrasound module generates echo signals based on the echo acoustic signals. The terminal crimping device also includes a crimp quality module that receives the echo signals from the ultrasound module and determines a crimp height of the crimped terminal based on the reflected echo acoustic signals received by the ultrasound module.
US09362699B2
A terminal crimping device includes crimp tooling including an anvil and a ram movable toward the anvil. A crimp zone is defined between the anvil and the ram that receives a wire and a terminal configured to be crimped to the wire by the crimp tooling. An ultrasonic transducer assembly is held by at least one of the anvil and the ram. The ultrasonic transducer assembly is ultrasonically coupled to the terminal and is ultrasonically isolated from the crimp tooling. The ultrasonic transducer assembly may directly engage the terminal. The terminal crimping device may include an isolation member ultrasonically isolating the ultrasonic transducer assembly from the crimp tooling.
US09362649B2
A receptacle connector includes a receptacle contact capable of coming into contact with a receptacle contact of a plug connector, and a receptacle housing having a contact insertion hole into which the receptacle contact is inserted. The receptacle contact includes a held portion that is accommodated in the contact insertion hole and is held by the receptacle housing, and an orthogonal portion projecting in a direction substantially orthogonal to an insertion direction. The orthogonal portion has a bolt hole formed therein. The receptacle connector further includes a displacement regulating mechanism that regulates displacement of a proximal end portion relative to the receptacle housing in a width center direction.
US09362648B2
An electrical connector comprises an insulative housing and a plurality of conductive terminals fixed to the insulative housing. The insulative housing includes a pair of longer walls and a pair of short walls bounding a plug-receiving cavity with an insertion direction. The conductive terminals include plate portions partly embedded in inner surfaces of the longer walls and welded portions extending out of the insulative housing. The inner surface of the longer walls define Positioning grooves between every adjacent terminals. Each of the plate portion of the conductive terminal defines a contacting surface faced to the plug-receiving cavity and two side edges intersecting with the opening edge of corresponding Positioning groove. The structure of the connector contributes to an insert molding of the connector. It is convenient not only to terminal implant and but also to a precise positioning of two directions of the terminals during the insert molding process.
US09362642B2
Disclosed herein is a connector for contacting a flexible cable with a printed circuit board (hereinafter “PCB”) that enables the connector to contact the flexible cable directly to the PCB without using a terminal as a medium. The connector includes a housing that is fixed to a PCB and forms an insertion space between it and the PCB, where into a flexible cable is inserted; and an actuator mounted rotatably on the housing that pushes downward on the top of the flexible cable inserted into the insertion space so as to put the conductor part of the flexible cable in direct contact with the conductor part of the top of the PCB.
US09362636B2
Electrical wiring connector assemblies, devices, systems, apparatus, and methods for establishing circuit connections between insulated wire conductors without removing the insulation from the conductors, such as attaching a power conductor cable to multiple lights such as those used with pathway and landscape lights, and the like. The connector can include two legs hinged together with placement and penetrating members on the insides of the legs which when pushed together by squeezing the legs can penetrate the insulated layer of the insulated wire conductor to establish an electrical connection. Pivotable wire lead ports allow for wire leads to other lights to be hooked to the insulated wire conductor.
US09362635B2
A grounding clamp is provided that includes a grounding wire having two ends that are each configured to extend out an opening in a coaxial cable. The grounding clamp includes a housing configured to receive both ends of the extending wire in an inner chamber through a first opening, the housing including a second opening configured to receive a lug, wherein the lug is configured to secure both ends of the grounding wire within the inner chamber. A method of installing a grounding clamp includes attaching a fishline to a grounding wire and inserting the fishline through an opening of a corrugated coaxial cable in a valley located between an outer conductor and an outer jacket of the coaxial cable, wherein the fishline is rigid enough that it does not buckle or deform significantly under the pressure of the outer conductor and the outer jacket, wherein the fishline is flexible enough that it bends around the corrugated coaxial cable. A drill bit for creating an opening in a coaxial cable is also contemplated, along with a tool for fishing the grounding wire through the coaxial cable.
US09362632B2
A termination structure for high-speed transmission line includes a high-speed transmission line including a signal line configured to transmit a signal, an insulation which covers the signal line and an external conductor disposed at an outer periphery of the insulation, and a termination terminal disposed at a terminal of the high-speed transmission line. The termination terminal includes a holder disposed sandwiching the external conductor exposed at the terminal of the high-speed transmission line from both sides. The holder includes a holding part to hold the high-speed transmission line and is electrically connected to the external conductor. The holding part is formed so as to have a shape along an outer shape of the external conductor.
US09362631B2
A shield sleeve is disclosed having a sleeve member. The sleeve member has a first end, and at least one radially protruding contact finger. Each contact finger has a cantilevered end connected to the first end, and at least one contacting protrusion positioned proximate to an opposite free end and protruding outward in a radial direction with respect to the sleeve member.
US09362630B2
A terminal includes two crimp sections, one that engages a bare conductor and one that engages an insulated conductor. The terminal includes two legs that are configured located in apertures in a support circuit board. Thus a wire can be electrically connected the circuit board in a low-profile manner.
US09362626B2
Equipment for the reduction of the radar marking of an aircraft V, can be applied to at least one hot portion H of the aircraft, chosen from the following: a piloting cabin or cockpit, including at least one transparent portion; a first frame of the fuselage; a plurality of junction edges of components, including wings, tail veilings and engine air intakes; at least one motor face. Said equipment comprises at least one device for dissipating incident radar waves, which can be removably applied to at least one hot portion H of the aircraft without affecting the aerodynamic characteristics of the aircraft V.
US09362616B2
A dipole antenna comprises a hollow dielectric whip, a coaxial center feed extending therethrough, and a pair of conductive dipole elements comprising an upper element and a lower element. The dipole antenna further comprises an upper element lead connecting the upper element to a first portion of the coaxial center feed at a feed point and a lower element lead connecting the lower element to a second portion of the coaxial center feed at the feed point. The dipole antenna further comprises a feed point strengthening means to mechanically strengthen the feed point against disconnection when the whip is impacted. Additionally, the dipole antenna may be a dual dipole antenna.
US09362614B1
A minimum depth spiral antenna includes a fiberglass circuit board with two spiraling conductive radiator arms that are etched on the fiberglass circuit board. A metallic ring is formed around the two spiraling conductive radiator arms and is mounted on the outward edge of the fiberglass circuit board. An antenna cavity cone and antenna cavity cone cap are mounted inside the antenna cavity. A tapered microstrip balun circuit is electrically-connected to the two spiraling conductive radiator arms on its proximal end and to a connector cap on its distal end. The connector cap is mounted on the lower side of a bottom plate, which forms the base of the antenna. The antenna cavity cone has a bottom lip. A wall ring is positioned between the bottom plate and the metallic ring. The wall ring connects the bottom plate to the metallic ring.
US09362613B2
An antenna structure includes a substrate having at least one first pad for wire bonding. A chip is mounted on the substrate, and the chip has at least one second pad for wire bonding. At least one bond wire connects the at least one first pad and the at least one second pad. The at least one bond wire is configured to transmit or receive an electromagnetic wave signal in at least one specified frequency for data communication.
US09362604B2
An adjustable radiofrequency filter in planar technology comprises at least one dielectric substrate and n resonators R1, R2, . . . Ri, . . . Rj, . . . Rk, . . . Rn integrated into the substrate, and each resonator comprises, on a principal plane PL of the substrate, a succession of segments t1, t2, . . . tq, . . . tp of planar transmission lines each having two ends, p being the number of segments of planar transmission lines of the resonator Ri considered, p being equal to or greater than 2, q being the rank of the segment, an end of a segment tq of a resonator Ri being opposite and separated by a distance d from an end of the next segment t(q+1) of the same resonator Ri, the opposite ends of the successive segments of a resonator Rq being linked by an electrical link which locally raises the characteristic impedance of the resonator Ri considered.
US09362601B2
A parallel plate waveguide structure may be configured to suppress spurious propagating modes by including a lossy frequency selective surface (FSS) formed from a resistive film. The electromagnetic material properties of individual layers disposed between the conductive plates of the waveguide may be engineered to extend the suppression band of the fundamental TE mode up to the cutoff frequency of the second TE mode, and to simultaneously create a multi-octave TM mode suppression band. Applications include, for example, cavity mode suppression in microwave and millimeterwave assemblies at the board, package, and chip level.
US09362600B2
A cell and method for simultaneous electrochemical and EPR measurements, including a disposable assembly, allows for a single device to produce data for both electroanalysis and EPR spectroscopy by generating a Redox reaction to form free radicals. The cell includes first and second hollow tubes, with the second tube being removably insertable into the first hollow tube. The interior of the first tube contains an insulating material, an electro-conductive material, and a wire connector extending from the electro-conductive material and out the first tube. The interior of the second tube contains an electrolytic solution, an analyte, a working electrode, and insulating material surrounding the working electrode. The second tube is inserted into the first tube and a reference electrode is placed into the second tube. The cell is placed within an EPR spectrometer. A potential is applied to the reference electrode to generate the Redox reaction of the analyte.
US09362599B2
A lithium-air cell includes a negative electrode; an air positive electrode; and a non-aqueous electrolyte which includes an anion receptor that may be represented by one or more of the formulas.
US09362593B2
A method for forming a solvo-ionic liquid suitable for use as an electrolyte in an electrochemical cell is provided. The solvo-ionic liquid, a mixture including a multidentate ethereal solvent and magnesium borohydride, can be a liquid, a gel or a solid at room temperature and generally has high thermal stability including virtually no volatility at a typical cell operating temperature. An electrochemical cell having a solvo-ionic liquid as electrolyte is also disclosed. The electrochemical cell will typically be a rechargeable magnesium battery, having an anode suitable to accommodate magnesium oxidation during battery discharge.
US09362588B2
An object of this present invention is to provide: a lithium-ion secondary battery 1 constructed to easily interpose an electrical insulating protection film 41 between a battery container 2 and an electricity-generating element 3, to facilitate automatic mounting of the insulating protection film 41, and thus to be highly producible; and a method of manufacturing the battery. The lithium-ion secondary battery 1 of the invention is characterized in that the battery is electrically insulated between the battery container 2 and the electricity-generating element 3, and in that the insulating protection film 41 of a sheet-like form is wrapped around the electricity-generating element 3.
US09362570B2
A battery assembly for a medical device includes an elongate cathode, an elongate anode, an electrolyte, and an elongate housing assembly encapsulating the cathode, the anode, and the electrolyte. The battery assembly also includes a first electrode exposed from and electrically insulated from the housing assembly. One of the anode and the cathode is electrically coupled to the first electrode, and the other of the anode and the cathode is electrically coupled to the housing assembly. Respective axes of the cathode and the anode are substantially parallel to an axis of the housing assembly, and the cathode and anode each include a flat portion that face each other.
US09362568B2
Aspects of the present disclosure are directed to electrodes and implementations such as batteries. As may be implemented in accordance with one or more embodiments, an apparatus includes a nanocarbon substrate having at least one of graphene and carbon nanotubes, and a hybrid electrode including a cobalt oxide/carbon nanotube (CoO/CNT) catalyst and a Ni—Fe-layered double hydride (LDH) catalyst. The catalysts and substrate facilitate transfer of charge carriers. Various aspects are directed to a battery type device having an anode and a single or split cathode with the respective catalysts on the cathode to facilitate oxygen reduction and oxygen evolution reactions for discharging and charging the battery type device.
US09362563B2
The present invention provides a highly reliable energy storage device capable of preventing a reaction current from flowing in a carbon nanotube electrode by ionizing a catalyst metal or a substrate metal to cause the metal to flow out to an electrolytic solution. An energy storage device of the present invention includes: at least a pair of electrode bodies that are a cathode and an anode; and an electrolytic solution. At least one of the electrode bodies is configured such that a layer of carbon nanotubes is formed on an electric conductor. A coupling region where one ends of the carbon nanotubes are coupled to and electrically connected to the electric conductor and a non-coupling region where ends of the carbon nanotubes are not coupled to the electric conductor are formed on a surface of the electric conductor. The carbon nanotubes having one ends connected to the coupling region are toppled to cover a surface of the non-coupling region.
US09362557B2
A negative electrode active material for an electric device includes an alloy containing silicon in a range from 27% by mass to 100% by mass exclusive, aluminum in a range from 0% by mass to 73% by mass exclusive, niobium in a range from 0% by mass to 58% by mass exclusive, and inevitable impurities as a residue. The negative electrode active material can be obtained with a multi DC magnetron sputtering apparatus by use of, for example, silicon, aluminum and niobium as targets. An electric device using the negative electrode active material can achieve a high cycle property while keeping a high discharge property.
US09362551B2
The gravimetric and volumetric efficiency of lithium ion batteries may be increased if high capacity materials like tin and silicon may be employed as the lithium-accepting host in the negative electrode of the battery. But both tin and silicon, when fully charged with lithium, undergo expansions of up to 300% and generate appreciable internal stresses which have potential to spall off material from the electrode on each discharge-charge cycle, resulting in a progressive reduction in battery capacity, also known as battery fade. A method of reinforcing such electrode materials by incorporating within them fiber reinforcements or shaped, elongated reinforcements fabricated of shape memory alloy is described. Electrode materials incorporating such reinforcements are less prone to damage under applied stress and so less prone to battery fade.
US09362550B2
Provided is a negative electrode for lithium ion secondary batteries, which can enhance the penetration of non-aqueous electrolyte, and can improve the input-output characteristics. The negative electrode includes a negative electrode core material sheet, and a negative electrode material mixture layer supported thereon. The negative electrode material mixture layer includes negative electrode active material particles, and a binder. The negative electrode material mixture layer has a plurality of pores interspersed on the surface and in the interior of the negative electrode material mixture layer. The pores have an average maximum diameter R of 45 to 125 μm. The pores have a number density of 8 to 17 pores per 1 cm2 of the surface of the negative electrode material mixture layer or per 1 cm2 of a cross section in the plane direction of the negative electrode material mixture layer.
US09362549B2
A novel hybrid lithium-ion anode material based on coaxially coated Si shells on carbon nanofibers (CNF). The unique cup-stacking graphitic microstructure makes the CNFs an effective Li+ intercalation medium. Highly reversible Li+ intercalation and extraction were observed at high power rates. More importantly, the highly conductive and mechanically stable CNF core optionally supports a coaxially coated amorphous Si shell which has much higher theoretical specific capacity by forming fully lithiated alloy. Addition of surface effect dominant sites in close proximity to the intercalation medium results in a hybrid device that includes advantages of both batteries and capacitors.
US09362547B2
The present technology is able to provide a solid electrolyte cell that uses a positive electrode active material which has a high ionic conductivity in an amorphous state, and a positive electrode active material which has a high ionic conductivity in an amorphous state. The solid electrolyte cell has a stacked body, in which, a positive electrode side current collector film, a positive electrode active material film, a solid electrolyte film, a negative electrode potential formation layer and a negative electrode side current collector film are stacked, in this order, on a substrate. The positive electrode active material film is made up with an amorphous-state lithium phosphate compound that contains Li; P; an element M1 selected from Ni, Co, Mn, Au, Ag, and Pd; and O, for example.
US09362543B2
Disclosed is a battery pack that makes it possible to decrease a lead time of an insulating tape attaching process, and re-attach an insulating member. The battery pack includes a plurality of battery cells, a protection circuit module that controls charging and discharging of the battery cells, a first connecting plate electrically connecting the battery cells to each other, a second connecting plate electrically connected to the first connecting plate, and bent from the first connecting plate; and an insulating member disposed between the battery cell and the first and second connecting plates. The insulating member includes a first region placed between neighboring ones of the battery cells, and a plurality of second regions that are bent from the first region and are placed on outer surfaces of the neighboring battery cells, respectively.
US09362540B2
Provided is a method for producing a propylene-based resin microporous film capable of forming a high-performance lithium ion battery. The method for producing a propylene-based resin microporous film includes an extrusion step of melt-kneading a propylene-based resin in an extruder, and extruding the resin to obtain a propylene-based resin film; a first stretching step of uniaxially stretching the propylene-based resin film at a surface temperature of −20 to 100° C.; second stretching step of repeating, a plurality of times, a stretching basic step in which the propylene-based resin film after the first stretching step is uniaxially stretched at a surface temperature that is equal to or lower than a temperature lower than the melting point of the propylene-based resin by 10 to 100° C., wherein between successive stretching basic steps, the stretching ratio in the forward-side stretching basic step is adjusted so as to be lower than that of the backward-side stretching basic step; and an annealing step of annealing the propylene-based resin film after the second stretching step.
US09362531B2
An organic light emitting display device and manufacturing method thereof are disclosed. One inventive aspect includes a first substrate, a second substrate, a pixel unit, a circuit unit, a sealing member and a radiation unit. The pixel unit is formed on the first substrate and comprises an organic light emitting device and a thin-film transistor (TFT). The radiation unit includes radiation fins formed in the sealing member and a radiation layer contacting first ends of the radiation fins.
US09362530B2
Methods of making an integrated barrier stack and optical enhancement layer for protecting and improving the light out coupling of encapsulated white OLEDs are described. The method includes optimizing the thickness of various layers including one or more of the plasma protective layer, the initial organic layer, the initial inorganic barrier layer, and the inorganic barrier layer and polymeric decoupling layer for the barrier stack. The thickness is optimized for at least one of total efficiency, or intentional color point shift so that the encapsulated OLED has enhanced light outcoupling compared to the bare OLED.
US09362529B2
The present invention relates to an OLED device and a corresponding display apparatus, which includes a metal cathode; an organic emitter layer which is disposed on the metal cathode; a transparent cathode which is disposed on the organic emitter layer; and a reflective layer which is disposed between the metal cathode and the organic emitter layer. The reflective layer is an Ag—Mg—Cu alloy layer. The OLED device and the corresponding display apparatus of the present invention have low production cost and high light outputted efficiency.
US09362523B2
An encapsulation structure of OLED device, comprising an upper substrate and a lower substrate that are disposed in opposition to each other. An OLED device is provided on the lower substrate, and an encapsulating thin film is provided on the OLED device. An edge of the lower substrate and an edge of the upper substrate are hermetically coupled through an obstruction wall, and there is a recess at the edge of the lower substrate on the side facing the upper substrate. One end of the obstruction wall that is coupled to the lower substrate is positioned within the recess of the lower substrate, and configured to seal the periphery of the encapsulating thin film within the recess of the lower substrate. With the encapsulation structure, the effect of water vapor and oxygen on the OLED device can be reduced, and service life of the OLED device is prolonged.
US09362522B2
An object is to improve productivity related to a laser light irradiation step in a bonding technique of substrates using glass frit. A highly airtight sealing structure or a highly airtight light-emitting device, which can be manufactured with high productivity, is provided. When a glass layer by melting glass frit or a sintered body by sintering glass frit is irradiated with laser light, in order to increase the efficiency, a light-absorbing material is attached to a surface of the glass layer. The laser light irradiation is performed on the light-absorbing material and the glass layer. The substrates are fixed with the glass layer therebetween.
US09362519B2
Two-photon polymerization is used to embed a quantum dot structure in an electro-optical component. The electro-optical component can be a polymer component, LED, OLED, LEC, or graphene component, for example. The efficiency and characteristics of the components are improved or influenced. The quantum dot structure can emit light, convert light from other layers of the component, or influence the conductivity in the component, for example. A method of producing an electro optical fractal antenna by two-photon polymerization is also disclosed.
US09362508B2
The present invention relates to oligomers of the formula (I), and their use as organic semiconductor in organic devices, especially in organic photovoltaics (solar cells) and photodiodes, or in a device containing a diode and/or an organic field effect transistor. High efficiency of energy conversion, excellent field-effect mobility, good on/off current ratios and/or excellent stability can be observed, when the oligomers according to the invention are used in organic field effect transistors, organic photovoltaics (solar cells) and photodiodes.
US09362499B2
A method of forming a non-volatile memory device. The method forms a vertical stack of first polysilicon material and a second polysilicon material layer isolated by a dielectric material. The polysilicon material layers and the dielectric material are subjected to a first pattern and etch process to form a first wordline associated with a first switching device and a second wordline associated with a second switching device from the first polysilicon material layer, and a third wordline associated with a third switching device and a fourth wordline associated with a fourth switching device from the second polysilicon material. A via opening is formed to separate the first wordline from the second wordline and to separate the third wordline from the fourth wordline. An amorphous silicon switching material is deposited conformably overlying the via opening. A metal material fills the via opening and connects to a common bitline.
US09362496B2
A resistive memory cell, e.g., CBRAM or ReRAM cell, may include a top electrode an a trench-shaped bottom electrode structure defining a bottom electrode connection and a sidewall extending from a first sidewall region adjacent the bottom electrode connection to a tip region defining a tip surface facing generally away from the bottom electrode connection, and wherein the tip surface facing away from the bottom electrode connection has a tip thickness that is less than a thickness of the first sidewall region adjacent the bottom electrode connection. An electrolyte switching region is arranged between the top electrode and the bottom electrode sidewall tip region to provide a path for the formation of a conductive filament or vacancy chain from the bottom electrode sidewall tip surface of the top electrode, via the electrolyte switching region, when a voltage bias is applied to the resistive memory cell.
US09362494B2
An array of cross point memory cells comprises spaced elevationally inner first lines, spaced elevationally outer second lines which cross the first lines, and a multi-resistive state region elevationally between the first and second lines where such cross. Individual of the multi-resistive state regions comprise elevationally outer multi-resistive state material and elevationally inner multi-resistive state material that are electrically coupled to one another. The inner multi-resistive state material has opposing edges in a vertical cross-section. The outer multi-resistive state material has opposing edges in the vertical cross-section that are laterally offset relative to the opposing edges of the inner multi-resistive state material in the vertical cross-section. Methods are also disclosed.
US09362493B2
The present invention provides a phase-change storage unit for replacing DRAM and FLASH and a manufacturing method thereof, and the phase-change storage unit includes a phase-change material layer and a cylindrical lower electrode being in contact with and located below the phase-change material layer, where the phase-change material layer is formed by connecting a side wall layer and a round bottom layer, forms a hollow cylinder or hollow inverted conical frustum having an opening at an upper part, and the hollow cylinder or hollow inverted conical frustum is internally filled with a medium layer. The present invention adopts the means of preparing a phase-change material layer with a vertical side wall layer and a phase-change material layer with a slant side wall layer, in which a medium material is filled, and adopts the means of a small electrode, so as to reduce the thickness of the phase-change material layer, thereby reducing the phase-change region during the operation, improving the heat stability and the phase-change speed of the phase-change material layer, and finally achieving purposes of reducing the operating power consumption, improving the device data holding capability, increasing the operating speed of the device, and increasing the number of times of cyclic operating of the device.
US09362490B1
A method of removing a damaged magnetic layer at the sidewall of MTJ edge is provided to form damage-free MRAM cell. In this method, the MTJ film stack outside the Ta hard mask protected area is first etched by high-power magnetic reactive ion etch (RIE) using methanol (CH3OH) or Co & NH3 as etchant gases. Then a very mild chemical vapor trimming (CVT) process is used to remove a damaged layer (by the high power RIE) from the MTJ sidewall followed by an in-situ edge passivation with Si nitride (SiN) layer formed by PECVD. The MRAM cell formed by such method will have higher magnetoresistance with good device performance and better reliability.
US09362483B2
A vibration gyro device has a base part and a pair of drive vibrating arms and a pair of detection vibrating arms respectively extended from both ends in a Y-axis direction of the base part. Further, adjustment vibrating arms extended from respective ends of connecting parts respectively extended from both ends in an X-axis direction of the base part in parallel to the drive vibrating arms are provided. At the end sides of the respective adjustment vibrating arms, spindle parts as wider parts are provided. On principal surfaces of the respective adjustment vibrating arms, adjustment electrodes as membranes for adjustment of leakage output of the vibration gyro device are provided.
US09362478B2
A method of producing an electromechanical transducer element includes forming a first, common electrode on one of a substrate and an undercoat layer; forming an electromechanical transducer film on the first electrode; forming a second electrode on the electromechanical transducer film; forming a first protective film on an upper surface of the second electrode, the electromechanical transducer film, and a side wall of the second electrode, and selectively forming a second protective film on a portion of the first protective film protecting the electromechanical transducer film and the side wall of the second electrode.
US09362475B2
A thermoelectric material includes a substrate particle and a plurality of conformal oxide layers formed on the substrate particle. The plurality of conformal oxide layers has a total oxide layer thickness ranging from about 2 nm to about 20 nm. The thermoelectric material excludes oxide nanoparticles. A method of making the thermoelectric material is also disclosed herein.
US09362473B2
A lead frame for mounting LED elements includes a frame body region and a large number of package regions arranged in multiple rows and columns in the frame body region. The package regions each include a die pad on which an LED element is to be mounted and a lead section adjacent to the die pad, the package regions being further constructed to be interconnected via a dicing region. The die pad in one package region and the lead section in another package region upward or downward adjacent to the package region of interest are connected to each other by an inclined reinforcement piece positioned in the dicing region.
US09362466B2
A method for manufacturing an optoelectronic semiconductor component, comprising: providing a semiconductor chip in a composite wafer, comprising an active side for emitting a primary radiation and a contact terminal which is arranged on the active side; depositing a coupling element on the active side; attaching a luminescence conversion element, for converting part of the primary radiation into a secondary radiation, to the coupling element.
US09362463B2
A phosphor is provided which is represented by the general formula MxCeyPrzSi6N8+w. M is at least one element selected from the group consisting of La, Y, Tb and Lu. And x, y, z and w satisfy 2.0
US09362451B2
A light emitting diode is disclosed. The disclosed light emitting diode includes a light emitting structure including a first-conductivity-type semiconductor layer, an active layer, and a second-conductivity-type semiconductor layer. The first-conductivity-type semiconductor layer, active layer, and second-conductivity-type semiconductor layer are disposed to be adjacent to one another in a same direction. The active layer includes well and barrier layers alternately stacked at least one time. The well layer has a narrower energy bandgap than the barrier layer. The light emitting diode also includes a mask layer disposed in the first-conductivity-type semiconductor layer, a first electrode disposed on the first-conductivity-type semiconductor layer, and a second electrode disposed on the second-conductivity-type semiconductor layer. The first-conductivity-type semiconductor layer is formed with at least one recess portion.
US09362448B2
There is provided a nanostructure semiconductor light emitting device including a base layer formed of a first conductivity-type nitride semiconductor and a plurality of light emitting nanostructures disposed to be spaced apart from one another on the base layer. Each of the plurality of light emitting nanostructures includes a nanocore formed of the first conductivity-type nitride semiconductor, a stress control layer disposed on a surface of the nanocore and including a nitride semiconductor containing indium, an active layer disposed on the stress control layer and including a nitride semiconductor containing indium, and a second conductivity-type nitride semiconductor layer disposed on the active layer.
US09362442B2
A modular assembly of solar panels is held together in a rigid fashion through the use of two J-channels arranged on either side thereof in oppositely facing directions. Brackets hold these J-channels to flanges on the underside of the solar panels. In the argot of solar panel installation, the J-channels extend in the north-south direction. Between each solar panel there is disposed a liquid collecting pan extending in the east-west direction. This collecting pan also acts as a clip providing both a structural and electrical connection between adjacently disposed solar panels in a column assembly which is rendered capable of installation as a single unit from the ground.
US09362438B2
The invention relates to a semi-conductor component, comprising a semi-conductor chip (1) which has an active layer (1a) suitable for generating radiation and suitable for emitting radiation in the blue wavelength range. A first converter (3a) comprising a Ce doping is arranged downstream of the semiconductor chip (1) in the emission direction. In addition, a second converter (3b) comprising a minimum Ce doping of 1.5% is arranged downstream of the semiconductor chip (1) in the emission direction. The invention further relates to a module with a plurality of such components.
US09362433B2
Photovoltaic modules may include multiple flexible thin film photovoltaic cells electrically connected in series by a substantially transparent top sheet having an embedded conductive wire grid pattern. Methods of manufacturing photovoltaic modules including integrated multi-cell interconnections are provided.
US09362432B2
An apparatus (10) for radiant energy transfer has at least one radiant energy transfer panel (20) having a light-energy transfer surface (21) and a back surface (23). The back surface has a panel electrode (42) for an electrical connection with the at least one radiant energy transfer panel. The panel electrode is conductively coupled to a first member of a separable flexible conductive fastener. A second member of the separable flexible conductive fastener has a power connection electrode. The power connection electrode is conductively coupled to a power device (12). Mechanically engaging the first and second members of the separable flexible conductive fastener connects the panel electrode on the at least one radiant energy transfer panel to the power connection electrode.
US09362421B2
In a semiconductor device, a support wall is formed between storage nodes to more effectively prevent leaning of a capacitor, and the storage nodes are formed using a damascene process, which may increase a contact area between each storage node and a storage node contact.
US09362419B2
A variable resistance device includes a parallel structure. The variable resistance device is formed using a silicon (Si) substrate. In the variable resistance device, a conductive line arranged in a current direction is formed over an impurity region, and a resistance value of the resistance device is precisely adjusted by adjusting a level of a voltage applied to the conductive line. The variable resistance device includes a first impurity region formed in a substrate, a second impurity region formed in the substrate and arranged parallel to the first impurity region, a conductive line formed over the first impurity region, and electrode terminals formed at both longitudinal ends of the second impurity region to be coupled to the second impurity region.
US09362418B2
Semiconductor structures that include bodies of a semiconductor material spaced apart from an underlying substrate. The bodies may be physically separated from the substrate by at least one of a dielectric material, an open volume and a conductive material. The bodies may be electrically coupled by one or more conductive structures, which may be used as an interconnect structure to electrically couple components of memory devices. By providing isolation between the bodies, the semiconductor structure provides the properties of a conventional SOI substrate (e.g., high speed, low power, increased device density and isolation) while substantially reducing fabrication acts and costs associated with such SOI substrates. Additionally, the semiconductor structures of the present disclosure provide reduced parasitic coupling and current leakage due to the isolation of the bodies by the intervening dielectric material.
US09362417B2
To provide a highly reliable semiconductor device in which a transistor including an oxide semiconductor film has stable electric characteristics. The semiconductor device includes a gate electrode layer over a substrate, a gate insulating film over the gate electrode layer, an oxide semiconductor film over the gate insulating film, a drain electrode layer which is over the oxide semiconductor film so as to overlap with the gate electrode layer, and a source electrode layer provided so as to cover part of an outer edge portion of the oxide semiconductor film. An outer edge portion of the drain electrode layer is on an inner side than an outer edge portion of the gate electrode layer.
US09362410B2
A multi-gate structure is used and a width (d1) of a high concentration impurity region sandwiched by two channel forming regions in a channel length direction is set to be shorter than a width (d2) of low concentration impurity regions in the channel length direction. Thus, a resistance of the entire semiconductor layer of a TFT which is in an on state is reduced to increase an on current. In addition, a carrier life time due to photoexcitation produced in the high concentration impurity region can be shortened to reduce light sensitivity.
US09362403B2
A method includes forming a raised isolation structure with a recess above a substrate, forming a gate structure above the fin, forming a plurality of spaced-apart buried fin contact structures within the recess that have an outer perimeter surface that contacts at least a portion of an interior perimeter surface of the recess and forming at least one source/drain contact structure for each of the buried fin contact structures. One device includes a plurality of spaced-apart buried fin contact structures positioned within a recess in a raised isolation structure on opposite sides of a gate structure. The upper surface of each of the buried fin contact structures is positioned below an upper surface of the raised isolation structure and an outer perimeter surface of each of the buried fin contact structures contacts at least a portion of an interior perimeter surface of the recess.
US09362400B1
A finFET semiconductor device includes a semiconductor-on-insulator (SOI) substrate including a buried insulator layer, a plurality of semiconductor fins on the buried insulator layer, and a gate structure covering the semiconductor fins, at least one buried stressor element embedded in the buried insulator layer, and a source/drain element on an upper surface of the at least one buried stressor element and integrally formed with at least one semiconductor fin among the plurality of semiconductor fins, the at least one buried stressor element applying a stress upon the source/drain element from therebeneath.
US09362392B2
To provide a vertical SIC-MOSFET and IGBT capable of having low ON-resistance without destruction of gate oxide films or degradation of reliability even when a high voltage is applied, and a fabrication method thereof, a vertical mosfet has a semiconductor layer and a base layer joined instead of a well region 6 so as to include, as a joining portion, a point that is farthest and equidistant from centers of all the source regions facing each other and that is closest and equidistant from end portions farthest from the centers of the source regions in a planar view.
US09362389B2
A nitride-based field effect transistor (FET) comprises a compositionally graded and polarization induced doped p-layer underlying at least one gate contact and a compositionally graded and doped n-channel underlying a source contact. The n-channel is converted from the p-layer to the n-channel by ion implantation, a buffer underlies the doped p-layer and the n-channel, and a drain underlies the buffer.
US09362386B2
FETs and methods for forming FETs are disclosed. A structure comprises a substrate, a gate dielectric and a gate electrode. The substrate comprises a fin, and the fin comprises an epitaxial channel region. The epitaxial channel has a major surface portion of an exterior surface. The major surface portion comprising at least one lattice shift, and the at least one lattice shift comprises an inward or outward shift relative to a center of the fin. The gate dielectric is on the major surface portion of the exterior surface. The gate electrode is on the gate dielectric.
US09362385B2
A method for manufacturing a metal gate structure includes forming a high-k dielectric layer in a gate trench; forming an etch stop over the high-k dielectric layer; forming a work function adjusting layer over the etch stop by forming a tri-layer by an atomic layer deposition (ALD) operation with a sequence of a grain boundary engineering layer configured to allow a dopant atom to penetrate there through, a doping layer configured to provide the dopant atom to the grain boundary engineering layer, and a capping layer configured to prevent the doping layer from oxidation; and filling metal to level up the gate trench. The grain boundary engineering layer is prepared by the ALD operation under various temperatures such as from about 200 to about 350 degrees Celsius.
US09362382B1
A method for forming a semiconductor device, includes steps of: providing a substrate; forming a first seal layer over the substrate; forming a second seal layer atop the first seal layer; forming a patterned photoresist layer on the second seal layer; implanting a dopant into the substrate by using the patterned photoresist layer as a mask; executing a first removing process to remove the patterned photoresist layer, wherein the first seal layer has a higher etch rate than that of the second seal layer in the first removing process; and removing the second seal layer after removing the patterned photoresist layer.
US09362379B2
A field effect transistor includes a substrate, a first graphene (Gr) layer on the substrate, a second graphene (Gr) layer on the substrate, a fluorographene (GrF) layer on the substrate and between the first and second graphene layers, a first ohmic contact on the first graphene layer, a second ohmic contact on the second graphene layer, a gate aligned over the fluorographene layer, and a gate dielectric between the gate and the fluorographene layer and between the gate and the first and second ohmic contacts.
US09362378B2
Methods for fabricating a piezoelectric device are provided. The methods can include providing a substrate and forming a nanocrystalline diamond layer on a first surface of the substrate. The methods can also include depositing a piezoelectric layer on a first surface of the nanocrystalline diamond layer.
US09362374B2
Embodiments of a simple and cost-free multi-time programmable (MTP) structure for non-volatile memory cells are presented. A non-volatile MTP memory cell includes a substrate, first and second wells disposed in the substrate, a first transistor having a select gate and a second transistor having a floating gate adjacent one another and disposed over the second well and sharing a diffusion region. The memory cell further includes a control gate disposed over the first well. The control gate is coupled to the floating gate and the control and floating gates include the same gate layer extending across the first and the second wells.
US09362364B2
A method of manufacturing one or more graphene devices is disclosed. A thin film growth substrate is formed directly on a device substrate. Graphene is formed on the thin film growth substrate. A transistor is also disclosed, having a device substrate and a source supported by the device substrate. The transistor also has a drain separated from the source and supported by the device substrate. The transistor further has a single layer graphene (SLG) channel grown partially on and coupling the source and the drain. The transistor also has a gate aligned with the SLG channel, and a gate insulator between the gate and the SLG channel. Integrated circuits and other apparati having a device substrate, a thin film growth substrate formed directly on at least a portion of the device substrate, and graphene formed directly on at least a portion of the thin film growth substrate are also disclosed.
US09362359B2
A semiconductor device in an embodiment includes a first region of a second conductivity type between a first electrode and a second electrode and a second region of a first conductivity type between the first region and the second electrode. a third region of the second conductivity type is between the second region and the second electrode. A fourth and fifth region of the first conductivity type are between the third semiconductor region and the second electrode. The fourth and fifth regions are adjacent to each other. A dopant concentration in the fifth region is less than a dopant concentration in the fourth region. A third electrode contacts the second region, the third region, the fourth region, and the fifth region via an insulating film.
US09362358B2
A method of fabricating a spatial semiconductor structure includes steps as follows. Firstly, a semiconductor substrate is provided. Then, a first mask layer is formed above the semiconductor substrate. Then, at least a first opening is formed in the first mask layer and exposes a portion of a surface of the semiconductor substrate. Then, a first semiconductor pattern is formed in the first opening. Then, a second mask layer is formed over the first semiconductor pattern and the first mask layer. Then, at least a second opening is formed through the second mask layer to the first mask layer and exposes another portion of the surface of the semiconductor substrate. And, a second semiconductor pattern is formed in the second opening.
US09362342B2
A light-emitting element display device includes: a thin film transistor substrate including transistors respectively controlling the amounts of light emission of a plurality of sub-pixels arranged in a display region; and a color filter substrate arranged to overlap with the thin film transistor substrate. The thin film transistor substrate includes a light-emitting organic layer covering the entire display region and emitting light in respective light-emitting regions in the plurality of sub-pixels, an insulating bank formed of an insulating material around each of the light-emitting regions, including an inclined surface being closer to the color filter substrate according to increasing in thickness with increasing distance from the light-emitting region, and a fluorescent layer formed on the inclined surface and excited by light of the light-emitting region to thereby emit light.
US09362341B2
There is set forth herein a method for making an apparatus for use in X ray detection comprising fabricating a first layered assembly 10 comprising a scintillator and first electrode layer, and laminating the first layered assembly 10 onto a second layered assembly 20 wherein the second layered assembly has a thin film transistor (TFT) array, wherein the TFT array includes a second electrode layer, wherein at least one of the first layered assembly and the second layered assembly includes an organic photodiode (OPD) absorber layer and wherein the laminating is absent use of an adhesive.
US09362337B1
A non-volatile storage device adopt memristors to store data and uses fewer transistors to realize the same circuit function, whereby to decrease the chip area and reduce the time and energy spent in initiating the device. Further, the non-volatile storage device disposes appropriate electronic elements in the spacing between adjacent memristors to meet the layout design rule and achieve high space efficiency in the chip lest the space between memristors be wasted.
US09362332B1
A method of selectively etching a semiconductor device and manufacturing a BSI image sensor device includes etching a doped silicon substrate with an HNA solution for a predetermined time duration to obtain an etching solution having a concentration C1 of nitrite ions, etching the semiconductor device using the obtained etching solution. Etching the semiconductor device requires an initial concentration C0 of nitride ions that is lower than C1. The HNA solution comprises a hydrofluoric acid (HF), a nitric acid (HNO3), and a acetic acid (CH3COOH). The BSI image sensor device will have a uniform thickness when etched using the thus obtained etching solution.
US09362331B2
A method for forming image sensors includes providing a substrate and forming a plurality of photo diode regions, each of the photo diode regions being spatially disposed on the substrate. The method also includes forming an interlayer dielectric layer overlying the plurality of photo diode regions, forming a shielding layer formed overlying the interlayer dielectric layer, and applying a silicon dioxide bearing material overlying the shielding layer. The method further includes etching portions of the silicon dioxide bearing material to form a plurality of first lens structures, and continuing to form each of the plurality of first lens structures to provide a plurality of finished lens structures.
US09362330B2
Methods for forming backside illuminated (BSI) image sensors having metal redistribution layers (RDL) and solder bumps for high performance connection to external circuitry are provided. In one embodiment, a BSI image sensor with RDL and solder bumps may be formed using a temporary carrier during manufacture that is removed prior to completion of the BSI image sensor. In another embodiment, a BSI image sensor with RDL and solder bumps may be formed using a permanent carrier during manufacture that partially remains in the completed BSI image sensor. A BSI image sensor may be formed before formation of a redistribution layer on the front side of the BSI image sensor. A redistribution layer may, alternatively, be formed on the front side of an image wafer before formation of BSI components such as microlenses and color filters on the back side of the image wafer.
US09362323B2
An image sensor includes first to fourth microlenses. A first height difference between a first valley between the first and second microlenses and tops of the first and second microlenses is larger than a second height difference between a second valley between the third and fourth microlenses and tops of the third and fourth microlens, a first angle formed by a tangent in an outermost portion of the first microlens, which contacts the first valley and a plane perpendicular to the normal is equal to or smaller than a second angle formed by a tangent in an outermost portion of the third microlens, which contacts the second valley and the plane.
US09362322B2
In one embodiment, a light-sensing apparatus includes a light-sensing pixel array that has a plurality of light-sensing pixels arranged in rows and columns; and a gate driver configured to provide the light-sensing pixels with a gate voltage and a reset signal that have inverted phases. Each of the light-sensing pixels includes a light sensor transistor configured to sense light and a switch transistor configured to output a light-sensing signal from the light-sensor transistor. The gate driver includes a plurality of gate lines connected to gates of the switch transistors, a plurality of reset lines connected to gates of the light sensor transistors, and a plurality of phase inverters each connected between a corresponding reset line and a gate line. Thus, when a gate voltage is applied to one of the plurality of gate lines, a reset signal with an inversed phase to the gate voltage may be applied to a corresponding reset line.
US09362319B2
An image pickup device according to the present invention is an image pickup device in which a plurality of pixel are arranged in a semiconductor substrate. Each of the plurality of pixels includes a photoelectric conversion element, a floating diffusion (FD) region, a transfer gate that transfers charges in the first semiconductor region to the FD region, and an amplification transistor whose gate is electrically connected to the FD region. The photoelectric conversion element has an outer edge which has a recessed portion in plan view, a source region and a drain region of the amplification transistor are located in the recessed portion, and the FD region is surrounded by the photoelectric conversion region or is located in the recessed portion in plan view.
US09362313B2
Provided is an oxide-semiconductor-based thin film transistor having satisfactory switching characteristics and stress resistance. Change in threshold voltage through stress application is suppressed in the thin film transistor. The thin film transistor of excellent stability comprises a substrate and, formed thereon, at least a gate electrode, a gate insulating film, oxide semiconductor layers, a source-drain electrode, and a passivation film for protecting the gate insulating film, and oxide semiconductor layers, wherein the oxide semiconductor layers are laminated layers comprising a second oxide semiconductor layer consisting of In, Zn, Sn, and O and a first oxide semiconductor layer consisting of In, Ga, Zn, and O. The second oxide semiconductor layer is formed on the gate insulating film. The first oxide semiconductor layer is interposed between the second oxide semiconductor layer and the passivation film.
US09362306B2
According to example embodiments, a three-dimensional semiconductor device including a substrate with cell and connection regions, gate electrodes stacked on the cell region, a vertical channel structure, pads, a dummy pillar, and first and second semiconductor patterns. The vertical channel structure penetrates the gate electrodes on a lowermost gate electrode and includes a first gate dielectric pattern. The pads extend from the gate electrodes and are stacked on the connection region. The dummy pillar penetrates some of the pads on a lowermost pad and includes a second gate dielectric pattern. The first semiconductor patterns are between the vertical channel structure and the substrate. The second semiconductor patterns are between the dummy pillar and the substrate. The first and second gate dielectric patterns may be on the first and second semiconductor patterns, respectively. The second gate dielectric pattern may cover a whole top surface of the second semiconductor pattern.
US09362305B2
A nonvolatile memory device includes a substrate including a plurality of active regions which are constituted by a P-type semiconductor; first and second vertical strings disposed over each active region, wherein each of the first and second strings includes a channel vertically extending from the substrate, a plurality of memory cells, and a select transistor, wherein the plurality of memory cells and the select transistor are located along the channel; and a bottom gate being interposed between a lowermost memory cell and the substrate, contacting the channel with a first gate dielectric layer interposed therebetween, and controlling connection of the first vertical string with the second vertical string.
US09362297B2
Integrated circuits are provided. An exemplary integrated circuit includes a source/drain region in a semiconductor substrate. The integrated circuit includes a charge storage structure overlying the semiconductor substrate and having a first sidewall overlying the source/drain region. The integrated circuit also includes a control gate overlying the source/drain region. Further, the integrated circuit includes a first select gate overlying the semiconductor substrate and adjacent the first sidewall. A first memory cell is formed by the control gate and the first select gate.
US09362294B2
The semiconductor device according to the present invention includes a ferroelectric film and an electrode stacked on the ferroelectric film. The electrode has a multilayer structure of an electrode lower layer in contact with the ferroelectric film and an electrode upper layer stacked on the electrode lower layer. The electrode upper layer is made of a conductive material having an etching selection ratio with respect to the materials for the ferroelectric film and the electrode lower layer. The upper surface of the electrode upper layer is planarized.
US09362293B2
Providing for a non-volatile semiconductor memory architecture that achieves high read performance is described herein. In one aspect, an array of memory transistors arranged electrically in serial is configured to control a gate voltage of a pass transistor. The pass transistor, in turn, enables current flow between two metal bitlines of the semiconductor memory architecture. Accordingly, a relative voltage or relative current of the two metal bitlines can be measured and utilized to determine a program or erase state of a transistor of the serial array of transistors. In a particular aspect, a transistor with small capacitance is chosen for the pass transistor, resulting in a fast correspondence of the pass transistor gate voltage/current relative to transistor array current. This can equate to fast read times for the transistor array, based on differential sensing of the two metal bitlines.
US09362288B2
One semiconductor device includes an active region extending in a first direction, and first, second, and third semiconductor pillars which are provided upright relative to a main surface of the active region and disposed side by side in succession in the first direction; and between the first semiconductor pillar and the second semiconductor pillar, a first gate insulating film in contact with a side surface of the first semiconductor pillar, a first gate electrode in contact with the first gate insulating film, a second gate insulating film in contact with a side surface of the second semiconductor pillar, a second gate electrode in contact with the second gate insulating film, and a first embedded insulating film located between the first and second gate electrodes; and between the second and third semiconductor pillars, a second embedded insulating film in contact with the side surfaces of the second and third semiconductor pillars.
US09362282B1
An electrical device that includes a substrate including a first region of a type III-V semiconductor material and a second region of a type IV germanium containing semiconductor material. An n-type planar FET is present in the first region of the substrate. A p-type planar FET is present in a second region of the substrate. A gate structure for each of the n-type planar FET and the p-type planar FET includes a metal containing layer including at least one of titanium and aluminum atop a high-k gate dielectric. An effective work function of the gate structure for both the n-type and p-type planar FETs is a less than a mid gap of silicon.
US09362276B2
Semiconductor devices and fabrication methods are provided. A semiconductor substrate is provided having dummy gate structures formed thereon. A stress layer is formed in the semiconductor substrate between adjacent dummy gate structures. A first dielectric layer is formed on the semiconductor substrate, the stress layers, and the sidewall spacers of the dummy gate structures, exposing dummy gate electrode layers. Gate structures are formed in the dielectric layer to replace the dummy gate structures. The gate structures include functional gate structures and at least one non-functional gate structure. The at least one non-functional gate structure is removed to form at least one second opening in the first dielectric layer. At least one third opening is formed in the semiconductor substrate at a bottom of the at least one second opening. A second dielectric layer is formed in the at least one second opening and the at least one third opening.
US09362274B2
A high-K/metal gate semiconductor device is provided with larger self-aligned contacts having reduced resistance. Embodiments include forming a first high-k metal gate stack on a substrate between source/drain regions, a second high-k metal gate stack on an STI region, and a first ILD between the metal gate stacks, forming an etch stop layer and a second ILD sequentially over the substrate, with openings in the second ILD over the metal gate stacks, forming spacers on the edges of the openings, forming a third ILD over the second ILD and the spacers, removing the first ILD over the source/drain regions, removing the etch stop layer, the second ILD, and the third ILD over the source/drain regions, adjacent the spacers, and over a portion of the spacers, forming first trenches, removing the third ILD over the second high-k metal gate stack and over a portion of the spacers, forming second trenches, and forming contacts in the first and second trenches.
US09362261B2
The purpose of the present invention is to reduce the wiring inductance of a power semiconductor module. It comprises a first power semiconductor device, a second power semiconductor device, a first conductor unit which is opposed to the first power semi conductor device, a second conductor unit which is opposed to the first conductor unit across the first power semiconductor device, a third conductor unit which is opposed to the second power semiconductor device, a fourth conductor unit which is opposed to the third conductor unit across the second power semiconductor device, a first intermediate conductor unit which extends from the first conductor unit, a second intermediate conductor unit which extends from the fourth conductor unit and, a positive electrode side first terminal, and a positive electrode side second terminal which project from the first intermediate conductor unit, and a negative electrode side first terminal and a negative electrode side second terminal which project from the second intermediate conductor unit. The negative electrode side first terminal is arranged in a position adjacent to the positive electrode side first terminal. The negative electrode side second terminal is arranged in a position adjacent to the positive electrode side second terminal.
US09362260B2
A device is disclosed which includes a first packaged integrated circuit device, a second packaged integrated circuit device positioned above the first packaged integrated circuit device and a plurality of planar conductive members conductively coupling the first and second packaged integrated circuit devices to one another. A method is also disclosed which includes conductively coupling a plurality of extensions on a leadframe to each of a pair of stacked packaged integrated circuit devices and cutting the leadframe to singulate the extensions from one another.
US09362259B2
Discontinuous bonds for semiconductor devices are disclosed herein. A device in accordance with a particular embodiment includes a first substrate and a second substrate, with at least one of the first substrate and the second substrate having a plurality of solid-state transducers. The second substrate can include a plurality of projections and a plurality of intermediate regions and can be bonded to the first substrate with a discontinuous bond. Individual solid-state transducers can be disposed at least partially within corresponding intermediate regions and the discontinuous bond can include bonding material bonding the individual solid-state transducers to blind ends of corresponding intermediate regions. Associated methods and systems of discontinuous bonds for semiconductor devices are disclosed herein.
US09362257B2
The invention provides a micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) module, which includes a MEMS die stacked on an electronic circuit die. The electronic circuit die includes a substrate, the substrate including at least one through-silicon via (TSV) penetrating through the substrate; and at least one electronic circuit. The electronic circuit includes a circuit region, and a signal transmission layer directly connecting the TSV. At least one wire is connected between a middle part of the MEMS die and the TSV. There is no signal communication at the interfacing location where the MEMS die is stacked on and bonded with the electronic circuit die.
US09362256B2
A bonding process for a chip bonded to a thin film substrate is disclosed. The thin film substrate has a thickness of about less than 500 um. Curvature occurs in the thin film substrate due to Coefficient of Temperature Expansion (CTE) mismatch for different materials between the dielectric material and the embedded circuitry, where cooling and heating is applied during fabrication. A temporary carrier is prepared for the thin film substrate to paste, a flatten process is applied by a roller thereon so that the curvature of the thin film substrate can be eliminated and facilitated for of chips to be bonded thereto.
US09362253B2
The present disclosure relates to the field of integrated circuit package design and, more particularly, to packages using a bumpless build-up layer (BBUL) designs. Embodiments of the present description relate to the field of fabricating microelectronic packages, wherein a first microelectronic device having through-silicon vias may be stacked with a second microelectronic device and used in a bumpless build-up layer package.
US09362251B2
An antioxidant gas blow-off unit includes: a base portion configured as a hollow plate having an antioxidant gas flow passage formed therein; a hole that is provided in the base portion to allow a capillary to be inserted therein or removed therefrom and that communicates with the antioxidant gas flow passage; and a heater mounted on an outer surface of the base portion. The antioxidant gas flow passage includes a first flow passage provided in the vicinity of the outer surface of the base portion on which the heater is mounted. This antioxidant gas blow-off unit to be installed in a wire bonding apparatus heats free air balls effectively with a compact structure.
US09362249B2
The silver-gold alloy bonding wire of the present invention includes an alloy composed of not lower than 10% and not higher than 30% of gold (Au) and not lower than 30 ppm and not higher than 90 ppm of calcium (Ca) with the remainder of silver (Ag) at purity relative to a metallic element except for elements Au and Ca of 99.99% or higher, in mass percentage; a layer enriched with oxygen (O) and calcium (Ca) formed as a surface layer on the surface of the alloy; and a gold-enriched layer formed immediately below the surface layer.
US09362240B2
An electronic device includes multiple semiconductor chips in a single housing. Such semiconductor chips may comprise different semiconductor materials, for example they may comprise GaN. Using bonding clips instead of bonding wires is an efficient way of connecting such semiconductor chips to a substrate.
US09362236B2
A packaging structure and a method of forming a packaging structure are provided. The packaging structure, such as an interposer, is formed by optionally bonding two carrier substrates together and simultaneously processing two carrier substrates. The processing includes forming a sacrificial layer over the carrier substrates. Openings are formed in the sacrificial layers and pillars are formed in the openings. Substrates are attached to the sacrificial layer. Redistribution lines may be formed on an opposing side of the substrates and vias may be formed to provide electrical contacts to the pillars. A debond process may be performed to separate the carrier substrates. Integrated circuit dies may be attached to one side of the redistribution lines and the sacrificial layer is removed.
US09362235B2
A semiconductor package includes a substrate in which a plurality of wires are formed; at least one semiconductor chip electrically connected to portions of the plurality of wires; and a shielding can mounted on the substrate, surrounding the at least one semiconductor chip, electrically connected to at least one wire of the plurality of wires and including a soft magnetic material. The semiconductor package can prevent or substantially reduce electromagnetic interference (EMI).
US09362231B2
Methods for sealing a porous dielectric are presented including: receiving a substrate, the substrate including the porous dielectric; exposing the substrate to an organosilane, where the organosilane includes a hydrolysable group for facilitating attachment with the porous dielectric, and where the organosilane does not include an alkyl group; and forming a layer as a result of the exposing to seal the porous dielectric. In some embodiments, methods are presented where the organosilane includes: alkynyl groups, aryl groups, fluoroalkyl groups, heteroaryl groups, alcohol groups, thiol groups, amine groups, thiocarbamate groups, ester groups, ether groups, sulfide groups, and nitrile groups. In some embodiments, method further include: removing contamination from the porous dielectric and a conductive region of the substrate prior to the exposing; and removing contamination from the conductive region after the forming.
US09362230B1
Electrically conductive structures and methods of making electrically conductive structures. The methods include providing a dielectric layer of a material having a top surface and a dielectric constant of less than 3; rastering a gas cluster ion beam to form a patterned modified surface region of the top surface of the dielectric layer; and selectively forming an electrically conductive thin film on the patterned modified surface region using atomic layer deposition.
US09362229B2
Semiconductor devices with enhanced electromigration performance and methods of manufacture are disclosed. The method includes forming at least one metal line in electrical contact with a device. The method further includes forming at least one staple structure in electrical contact with the at least one metal line. The at least one staple structure is formed such that electrical current passing through the at least one metal line also passes through the at least staple structure to reduce electromigration issues.
US09362225B2
Provided are data storage devices and methods of manufacturing the same. The device may include a plurality of cell selection parts formed in a substrate, a plate conductive pattern covering the cell selection parts and electrically connected to first terminals of the cell selection parts, a plurality of through-pillars penetrating the plate conductive pattern and insulated from the plate conductive pattern, and a plurality of data storage parts directly connected to the plurality of through-pillars, respectively. The data storage parts may be electrically connected to second terminals of the cell selection parts, respectively.
US09362216B2
In one embodiment, a device includes a first conductive pad disposed over a substrate, and a etch stop layer disposed over a top surface of the first conductive pad. The device further includes a solder barrier disposed over the etch stop layer.
US09362212B1
A packaged integrated circuit device includes a substrate module, leads, an IC die having first and second sets of die contact pads, and an encapsulant. The substrate module has upper and lower sets of conductive contacts on its upper and lower surfaces, respectively. The upper set of conductive contacts is electrically connected to the lower set of conductive contacts. The first set of die contact pads is electrically connected to the upper set of conductive contacts. The second set of die contact pads is electrically connected to the leads. Certain embodiments are a multi-form packaged device having both leads and conductive balls supporting different types of external connections, such as BGA and QFN.
US09362210B2
Metal leadframes, semiconductor packages made using the leadframes, and methods of making the leadframes and packages are disclosed. In one embodiment, the leadframe includes a rectangular frame. A chip pad and a plurality of leads are within the frame. The lower side of the chip pad and the leads includes one or more vertically recessed horizontal surfaces. The upper side of the chip pad may include a groove around a chip mounting region. In a package, the chip pad supports a semiconductor chip electrically connected to the leads. The lower side of the chip pad and leads are exposed at an exterior surface of the package body. Encapsulant material underfills the recessed lower surfaces of the chip pad and leads, thereby locking them to the encapsulant material. A wire may be reliably bonded to the chip pad within the groove formed in the upper side thereof.
US09362203B2
A method of fabricating a semiconductor assembly can include providing a semiconductor element having a front surface, a rear surface, and a plurality of conductive pads, forming at least one hole extending at least through a respective one of the conductive pads by processing applied to the respective conductive pad from above the front surface, forming an opening extending from the rear surface at least partially through a thickness of the semiconductor element, such that the at least one hole and the opening meet at a location between the front and rear surfaces, and forming at least one conductive element exposed at the rear surface for electrical connection to an external device, the at least one conductive element extending within the at least one hole and at least into the opening, the conductive element being electrically connected with the respective conductive pad.
US09362200B2
A semiconductor package includes a support substrate arranged with a first aperture reaching a semiconductor device on a rear side, the semiconductor device is bonded via an adhesive to a surface of the support substrate, an insulating layer covering the semiconductor device, and wiring for connecting the semiconductor device and an external terminal through the insulating layer. The adhesive may form a part of the first aperture. In addition, a heat dissipation part may be arranged in the first aperture and a metal material may be filled in the first aperture.
US09362198B2
An embodiment of a semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate that includes a host substrate and an upper surface, an active area, a substrate opening in the semiconductor substrate that is partially defined by a recessed surface, and a thermally conductive layer disposed over the semiconductor substrate that extends between the recessed surface and a portion of the semiconductor substrate within the active area. A method for fabricating the semiconductor device includes defining an active area, forming a gate electrode over a channel in the active area, forming a source electrode and a drain electrode in the active area on opposite sides of the gate electrode, etching a substrate opening in the semiconductor substrate that is partially defined by the recessed surface, and depositing a thermally conductive layer over the semiconductor substrate that extends between the recessed surface and a portion of the semiconductor substrate over the channel.
US09362195B2
Provided is a semiconductor device including a package having a hollow portion, which can meet the need of reduction in size and thickness. The semiconductor device includes: a resin molded member (1) including a hollow portion (10) having an inner bottom surface on which a semiconductor chip (6) is mounted, a surrounding portion (1b) that surrounds the hollow portion (10), and a bottom surface portion (1a); an inner lead (2e, 2f); and an outer lead (2a, 2b) exposed from the resin molded member (1). The inner lead buried in the molded member (1) includes an L-shaped lead extending portion having a through hole formed therethrough.
US09362192B2
According to one embodiment, the connector includes a first portion and a second portion. The first portion is provided on the second surface of the semiconductor chip and bonded to the second electrode. The first portion has a bonding surface, a heat dissipation surface, and a side surface. The bonding surface is bonded to the second electrode of the semiconductor chip. The heat dissipation surface is opposite to the bonding surface and exposed from the resin. The side surface is tilted with respect to the bonding surface and the heat dissipation surface, and covered with the resin. The second portion protrudes from the first portion toward the second leadframe side. The second portion is thinner than the first portion and bonded to the second leadframe.
US09362186B2
A method of controlling polishing includes storing a base measurement, the base measurement being an eddy current measurement of a substrate after deposition of at least one layer overlying a semiconductor wafer and before deposition of a conductive layer over the at least one layer, after deposition of the conductive layer over the at least one layer and during polishing of the conductive layer on substrate, receiving a sequence of raw measurements of the substrate from an in-situ eddy current monitoring system, normalizing each raw measurement in the sequence of raw measurement to generate a sequence of normalized measurements using the raw measurement and the base measurement, and determining at least one of a polishing endpoint or an adjustment for a polishing rate based on at least the sequence of normalized measurements.
US09362185B2
A method for patterning a wafer includes performing a first patterning on a wafer, and after performing the first patterning, calculating a simulated dose mapper (DoMa) map predicting a change in critical dimensions of the wafer due to performing a second patterning on the wafer. The method further includes performing the second patterning on the wafer. Performing the second patterning includes adjusting one or more etching parameters of the second patterning in accordance with differences between the simulated DoMa map and desired critical dimensions of the wafer.
US09362176B2
The use of two different materials for shallow trench isolation and deep structural trenches with a dielectric material therein (e.g., flowable oxide and a HARP oxide, respectively) causes non-uniform heights of exposed portions of raised semiconductor structures for non-planar semiconductor devices, due to the different etch rates of the materials. Non-uniform openings adjacent the exposed portions of the raised structures from recessing the isolation and dielectric materials are filled with additional dielectric material to create a uniform top layer of one material (the dielectric material), which can then be uniformly recessed to expose uniform portions of the raised structures.
US09362174B2
A device wafer processing method includes, a groove forming step in which grooves with a predetermined depth are formed in the front side of a device wafer; a plate attaching step in which a plate is attached to the front side of the wafer through an adhesive; a grinding step in which the wafer is held by a holding table through the plate so as to expose the back side of the wafer, and the back side is ground to expose the grooves at the back side of the wafer, thereby dividing the wafer to form a plurality of chips. The method further includes: a film attaching step in which a film is attached to the back side of the wafer; and a dicing step in which the film is diced along division lines from the side of the back side of the wafer.
US09362156B2
The present invention provides a dicing tape-integrated film for semiconductor back surface, which includes: a dicing tape including a base material and a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer provided on the base material; and a film for flip chip type semiconductor back surface provided on the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer, in which the film for flip chip type semiconductor back surface contains a black pigment.
US09362155B2
A supporting device includes a main body and a ring-shaped glue layer. The main body includes a top surface and a bottom surface opposite to the top surface. The top surface defines a first groove. The first groove is substantially ring-shaped. The glue layer is arranged in the top surface and surrounds the first groove. A plurality of glass-fits is distributed in the glue layer.
US09362152B2
Each of a pair of support members includes a lightweight-article support portion that is inserted into an insertion space of a lightweight article and supports a support-target portion of the lightweight article from below and a heavyweight-article support portion that is inserted into an insertion space of a heavyweight article and supports a support-target portion of the heavyweight article from below. The heavyweight-article support portion is formed to be thick in the vertical direction compared with the lightweight-article support portion. The lightweight-article support portion is provided at a position that is located in the insertion space of the heavyweight article when the heavyweight-article support portion is inserted into the insertion space of the heavyweight article, and formed integrally with the heavyweight-article support portion.
US09362150B2
A substrate processing apparatus includes a housing, a mounting table provided in the housing and configured to mount a substrate thereon, a drive mechanism provided below the mounting table so as to move the mounting table in a front-back direction between a delivering/receiving location for the substrate and a processing chamber, an ultraviolet irradiation unit configured to irradiate the substrate in the processing chamber with ultraviolet rays, a partition member provided to partition the processing chamber and a drive chamber with the drive mechanism positioned therein up and down, the partition member having a slit for allowing movement of a support supporting the mounting table, first exhaust ports formed in the drive chamber to exhaust an atmosphere in the drive chamber, and second exhaust ports formed along a lengthwise direction of the slit so as to face the slit.
US09362147B2
A substrate treatment method employs a substrate holding unit, a gas ejection nozzle, and a gas supply unit. The substrate holding unit is configured to hold a substrate. The gas supply unit is configured to supply a gas to the gas ejection nozzle. The gas ejection nozzle is disposed to be positioned adjacent a center portion of the substrate held by the substrate holding unit. The gas ejection nozzle has a gas ejection port. The gas ejection nozzle is configured to eject the gas radially from the gas ejection port over the substrate held by the substrate holding unit to form a gas-flow for covering the substrate.
US09362135B2
A semiconductor device manufacturing method, the method including: forming an insulation layer having a protruding portion, the insulation layer having a surface and a rising surface that protrudes upward from the surface, on a semiconductor substrate; forming a conductive layer to cover the insulation layer having the protruding portion; and removing a predetermined region of the conductive layer by patterning the predetermined region according to an etching process using microwave plasma, which uses a microwave as a plasma source, while applying bias power of 70 mW/cm2 or above on the semiconductor substrate, under a high pressure condition of 85 mTorr or above.
US09362134B2
A fabrication method of a chip package includes the following steps. A wafer structure having a wafer and a protection layer is provided. The first opening of the wafer is aligned with and communicated with the second opening of the protection layer. A first insulating layer having a first thickness is formed on a conductive pad exposed from the second opening, and a second insulating layer having a second thickness is formed on a first sidewall of the protection layer surrounding the second opening and a second sidewall of the wafer surrounding the first opening. The first and second insulating layers are etched, such that the first insulating layer is completely removed, and the second thickness of the second insulating layer is reduced.
US09362133B2
Methods and apparatuses for multiple patterning using image reversal are provided. The methods may include depositing gap-fill ashable hardmasks using a deposition-etch-ash method to fill gaps in a pattern of a semiconductor substrate and eliminating spacer etching steps using a single-etch planarization method. Such methods may be performed for double patterning, multiple patterning, and two dimensional patterning techniques in semiconductor fabrication.
US09362131B2
An etch process gas is provided to a main process chamber having an electron beam plasma source, and during periodic passivation operations a remote plasma source provides passivation species to the main process chamber while ion energy is limited below an etch ion energy threshold. During periodic etch operations, flow from the remote plasma source is halted and ion energy is set above the etch threshold.
US09362119B2
The present disclosure provides a method of patterning a target material layer over a semiconductor substrate. The method includes steps of: forming a plurality of first features over the target material layer using a first sub-layout, with each first feature having sidewalls; forming a plurality of spacer features, with each spacer feature conforming to the sidewalls of one of the first features and having a spacer width; and forming a plurality of second features over the target material layer using a second sub-layout. The method further includes steps of removing the plurality of spacer features from around each first feature and patterning the target material layer using the plurality of first features and the plurality of second features. Other methods and associated patterned semiconductor wafers are also provided herein.
US09362118B2
A vertical super junction MOSFET and a lateral MOSFET are integrated on the same semiconductor substrate. The lateral MOSFET is electrically isolated from the vertical super junction MOSFET by an n-buried isolating layer and an n-diffused isolating layer. The lateral MOSFET is formed of a p-well region formed in an n−semiconductor layer bounded by the n-buried isolating layer and n-diffused isolating layer, an n-source region and n-drain region formed in the p-well region, and a gate electrode that covers a portion of the p-well region sandwiched by the n-source region and n-drain region. As the n-buried isolating layer is formed at the same time as an n-layer (3) of the vertical super junction MOSFET, it is possible to reduce cost. Also, it is possible to suppress parasitic action between the elements with the n-buried isolating layer.
US09362111B2
Implementations described herein generally relate to methods for forming dielectric films in high aspect ratio features. In one implementation, a method for forming a silicon oxide layer is provided. A silicon-containing precursor gas is flown into a processing chamber having a substrate having a high aspect ratio feature disposed therein. Then a high frequency plasma is applied to the silicon-containing precursor gas to deposit a silicon-containing layer over the surface of the high aspect ratio feature. The processing chamber is purged to remove by-products from the silicon-containing layer deposition process. An oxygen-containing precursor gas is flown into the processing chamber. A high frequency plasma and a low frequency plasma are applied to the oxygen-containing precursor gas to form the silicon oxide layer.
US09362104B2
Provided is a short arc discharge lamp that includes: a body including therein a reflection surface and having a front opening; a cathode and an anode opposed to each other in discharge space defined by the reflection surface surrounding the discharge space; a window member provided in front of the body and covering the front opening; and a window supporting member including an inner ring section, an outer ring section, and a coupling section. The inner ring section is configured to allow a circumferential side surface of the window member to be fixed thereto, the outer ring section is larger in diameter than the inner ring section, and the coupling section connects the inner ring section and the outer ring section together. The inner ring section includes, in front of the window member, a front edge section having a shape bent in a radial direction of the window member.
US09362100B2
The present invention relates to a non-thermal plasma jet device as spatial ionization source for ambient mass spectrometry of the type which allows a free adjustment of the geometry of the plasma beam, wherein the device comprises a double dielectric barrier probe of non-thermal plasma or NTP probe, which generates a non-thermal plasma jet; a high voltage and high frequency transformer circuit that connects an outer electrode through which it is possible to perform a discharge for the ionization of a gas which produces plasma, and wherein said plasma generator circuit is in turn connected to a source of AC power; an inner electrode which is grounded and allows to perform the discharge for the production of plasma; a storage tank of a gas serving as discharge gas; a test sample on which the non-thermal plasma jet is applied; and a ion transfer adapter to direct the ions produced by the device from the vacuum-free sample into a mass analyzer. The device described allows to directly analyzing live samples (plants, for example) without causing any damage to them.
US09362089B2
Systems, methods and apparatus for regulating ion energies in a plasma chamber and chucking a substrate to a substrate support are disclosed. An exemplary method includes placing a substrate in a plasma chamber, forming a plasma in the plasma chamber, controllably switching power to the substrate so as to apply a periodic voltage function (or a modified periodic voltage function) to the substrate, and modulating, over multiple cycles of the periodic voltage function, the periodic voltage function responsive to a defined distribution of energies of ions at the surface of the substrate so as to effectuate the defined distribution of ion energies on a time-averaged basis.
US09362087B2
The present invention provides apparatuses to inspect small particles on the surface of a sample such as wafer and mask. The apparatuses provide both high detection efficiency and high throughput by forming Dark-field BSE images. The apparatuses can additionally inspect physical and electrical defects on the sample surface by form SE images and Bright-field BSE images simultaneously. The apparatuses can be designed to do single-beam or even multiple single-beam inspection for achieving a high throughput.
US09362078B2
An ion source for use in a radiation generator tube includes a back passive cathode electrode, a passive anode electrode downstream of the back passive cathode electrode, a magnet adjacent the anode, and a front passive cathode electrode downstream of the passive anode electrode. The front passive cathode electrode and the back passive cathode electrode define an ionization region therebetween. At least one field emitter array (FEA) cathode is configured to electrostatically discharge due to an electric field in the ion source. The back passive cathode electrode and the passive anode electrode, and the front passive cathode electrode and the passive anode electrode, have respective voltage differences therebetween, and the magnet generating a magnetic field, such that a Penning-type trap is produced to confine electrons from the electrostatic discharge to the ionization region. At least some of the electrons in the ionization region interact with an ionizable gas to create ions.
US09362075B2
A cover assembly for a circuit breaker includes a cover, the cover including a first portion and a second portion. The first portion is configured to at least partially cover a current sensing element within the circuit breaker, and has an interior surface and a cover opening. The second portion extends from the interior surface of the first portion, and has a terminal pocket opening aligned with the cover opening. The cover is configured to receive a load terminal through the terminal pocket opening and cover opening.
US09362073B2
A switch apparatus may include a switch body to which a connector of an electronic unit is connected and in which a relay board is provided, a conductive coupling section provided at a lower end of the switch body to be coupled to a vehicle body, and a conductive ground member having a base provided at a lower portion in an internal space of the switch body to be coupled to an upper end of the coupling section, and a clamping bar extending upwards from one side of the base to be coupled to a ground terminal provided at a lower end of the relay board.
US09362071B2
A circuit breaker monitoring system may monitor both at least one gas characteristic of a gas surrounding the circuit breaker and at least one fault arc energy characteristic. The monitored characteristics may be used to forecast maintenance events. The monitored characteristics may be used to control the operation of the circuit breaker.
US09362070B2
The present invention relates to an arc extinguishing chamber of an electric protection apparatus comprising an arc formation chamber containing a stationary contact and a movable contact which, when they separate, form an arc between them, said arc formation chamber communicating with the inlet of a second chamber, called arc extinguishing chamber. This chamber comprises a wall called balancing wall, substantially solid at least on its central part, said wall being located downstream from the arc extinguishing chamber and being formed and arranged with respect to the arc extinguishing chamber in such a way as to slow down the exhaust flow of the breaking gases on the side of the arc extinguishing chamber where the gases go first, and enhancing flow of the exhaust gases on the opposite side, the exhaust gases being stopped by the central part of the wall and escaping via the edges of the wall.
US09362068B2
A switching arrangement for detection of displacement of a movable member (80, 62, 86) of a household appliance comprises: (a) a switch (76, 84) having an control element (78, 116) which is movable between a first position in which the switch assumes a first switching condition and at least one second position in which the switch assumes a second switching condition; and (b) an actuation member (68, 82) adapted for connection to said movable member (80, 62, 86) and having a cam surface engaging said control element (78, 116).
US09362066B2
A space where a member is disposed is ensured in a central portion without changing dimensions of an appearance. In a push-button switch, a movable contact portion is disposed while bent in an outer peripheral space between an insertion pipe and sidewalls constituting a quadratic-prism lower case, and the sidewall closest to a position where a projected terminal portion is disposed differs from the sidewall closest to a position where an abutment portion is disposed.
US09362062B1
An ultra-thin keyboard switch includes a base, a static contact plate, a support plate, a movable contact plate, a lower frame, an upper frame, and a keyboard cap. The static contact plate and the support plate are separated from each other and disposed on the base. The upper frame and the lower frame are intersected and pivotally connected with each other to form an X-shaped configuration to bring the movable contact plate to move. The thickness of the product can be reduced to be thin. No matter where the user's finger is at any position of the keyboard, the upper frame and the lower frame are linked to bring the movable contact plate to move. The present invention can be pressed stably, so that the connection of the static contact plate and the movable contact plate is more sensitive and the product can be used more conveniently.
US09362060B2
A touch electrode device includes a substrate, at least one electrode layer and a conductive ink pattern. The electrode layer is disposed above a surface of the substrate, and the electrode layer includes non-transparent conductive material. The conductive ink pattern is printed on two sides of a surface of the electrode layer.
US09362058B2
The invention relates to a safety vehicle capacitor. It includes a box-shaped capacitor shell, lead-out electrode sheet, capacitor core accommodated inside capacitor shell and epoxy resin used to encapsulate the capacitor core. Said lead-out electrode sheet comprises of an inner connection end, an intermediate connection portion and outer connection, where the intermediate connection portion is in a shape of ‘n’ or ‘v’, one end of said intermediate connection portion being connecting to inner end of outer connection end horizontally, while the other end of intermediate connection portion being connected to up end of inner connection end with an angle; the inner wall of said capacitor shell is provided with inner mounting slot for the lead-out electrode sheet, and said inner connection end of said lead-out electrode sheet is inserted in to said inner mounting slot for fixing; the capacitor shell containing the inner mounting slot has a corresponding outer wall provided with a fixing pillar for the lead-out electrode sheet, and said outer connection end of the lead-out electrode sheet is fixed to the fixing pillar through a fixing element; said intermediate connection portion of the lead-out electrode sheet locates above the epoxy resin surface.
US09362055B2
There is provided a method to provide a capacitor element including a porous body of a valve metal, and a dielectric layer of an oxide layer of the valve metal. The method includes a first sequential process, and a second sequential process. The first sequential process includes: immersing the capacitor element in a first liquid of dispersion of a conductive polymer obtained by means of oxidation polymerization of thiophene or its derivative in the presence of a dopant of a polymer anion; taking out the capacitor element from the first liquid; and drying the capacitor element. Subsequent second sequential process includes: immersing the capacitor element in a second liquid which dissolves a cyclic organic compound having at least one hydroxyl group; taking out the capacitor element from the second liquid; and drying the capacitor element.
US09362052B2
A electronic device is provided. In one configuration, the electronic device includes a first electrode formed in a first layer; a second electrode formed in the first layer, wherein the first electrode and the second electrode are reflection symmetrically disposed; and a first floating metal ring formed in the first layer and enclosing the first electrode and the second electrode. The shape of the first electrode is the same shape as the second electrode.
US09362040B2
A coldplate for use in cooling electrical components may include first and second coldplate members, each having a pocket and a secondary portion. The pocket of each member is configured to receive an electrical component and sized to substantially surround the component when received in the pocket to provide physical integration of the component in the coldplate member. The first and second coldplate members are adapted to be joined together to form a manifold therebetween for receiving a fluid for use in cooling the electrical components. The secondary portion of each coldplate member is arranged substantially opposite the pocket of the other coldplate member when the coldplate members are joined together.
US09362039B2
A buffer material protects a microelectronic device in space constrained environments, for improved efficiency with respect to magnetostrictive materials therein, and includes a gas filled polymer shell microsphere carried in an elastomeric polymer binder. Expanded Expancel microspheres being less than 20 microns in diameter form 80% of the composition by volume. The polymer binder is a low viscosity dimethyl silicone with a hardness of less than 25. Coating thicknesses may be based upon the overall expected dimensional changes of the encapsulation material, due to its coefficient of thermal expansion and an expected operating temperature range of the component, plus the expected shrinkage of that encapsulation material during polymerization and the overall mass which shall be exerting a force upon the magnetic core, plus the dimensional changes of the component as a result of the flux density resulting in magnetostriction of the magnetic core.
US09362028B2
A method and system for a combination insulator cover configured to fit a plurality of insulator cable clamp devices are provided. The cover includes a dome configured to receive an insulator top and a plurality of cable cavities that extend orthogonally away from the dome in opposite directions. The plurality of cable cavities are configured to permit passage of a cable therethrough, the cable cavities include a first cylindrically shaped portion and a second cylindrically-shaped portion, first cylindrically shaped portion being larger than a diameter of second cylindrically-shaped portion. The cover also includes a lower extension that extends along a bottom edge of said cover from a distal end of said second cylindrically-shaped portion to a distal end of the opposite second cylindrically-shaped portion, said lower extension is split parallel to the plurality of cable cavities.
US09362027B2
A method for making a cable jacket that includes the steps of providing at least one shielding tape having a substrate formed of a substrate material, said substrate including at least one conductive segment; inserting the at least one shielding tape between first and second jacket layers of the cable jacket, each of said first and second jacket layers being formed of a jacket material; and co-extruding the at least one shielding tape with the first and second jacket layers, wherein the substrate material of the at least one shielding tape and the jacket material of the first and second jacket layers are the same such that during the co-extrusion step, the substrate and first and second jacket layers bond together into a single layer wherein the at least one conductive segment is embedded in the single layer.
US09362026B2
An oxide superconductor wire including: a superconductor laminate including a tape-shaped substrate, an interlayer, an oxide superconductor layer, and a protection layer which are formed on the substrate; a metal stabilization layer covering the periphery of the superconductor laminate; a first electrically conductive joint material arranged between the superconductor laminate and the metal stabilization layer; and a sealing member formed from a metal foil, connected to a terminal of the superconductor laminate, and extending in the longitudinal direction of the superconductor laminate, wherein the metal stabilization layer includes an extension part formed so as to cover the periphery of the sealing member, and wherein the first electrically conductive joint material includes an extension part arranged between the extension part of the metal stabilization layer and the sealing member and formed so as to cover the periphery of the sealing member.
US09362023B2
An edge insulated electrical cable including an electrical cable having opposing uppermost and lowermost surfaces and a conductive material near a longitudinal edge of the cable. The conductive material is susceptible to making electrical contact at the longitudinal edge. An edge insulation structure is applied to the electrical cable covering the edge and portions of the upper most and lowermost surfaces.
US09362021B2
Electrical cables for the transmission of electricity between power poles or towers with at least one of a cooling feature and a fail safe feature and methods of producing the same.
US09362011B2
A boiling water reactor assembly includes a bayonet plate closure between a control rod guide tube and a drive housing pipe. The bayonet plate closure has a bayonet plate constructed in two parts including a central bayonet ring mounted rotatably about its longitudinal axis and an outer ring completely surrounding the bayonet ring. The outer ring is mounted on the periphery of the bayonet ring and reaches inwards under the bayonet ring periphery. The ring is furthermore permanently supported in the axial direction on the drive housing pipe by spring pressure acting on the control rod guide tube, in order to produce a frictional connection. The spring pressure can be released unhindered from the reactor side by tools.
US09362009B2
An isotope production target rod for a power generating nuclear reactor is provided. The isotope production target rod can include at least one rod central body including an outer shell that defines an internal cavity and a plurality of irradiation targets within the internal cavity. The irradiation targets can be positioned in a spatial arrangement utilizing a low nuclear cross-section separating medium to maintain the spatial arrangement.
US09362005B2
A semiconductor device includes a plurality of memory chips and a plurality of signal selection units respectively corresponding to the plurality of memory chips, and suitable for commonly transferring test data signals from an external to a corresponding one of the plurality of memory chips during a common test mode, wherein one or more of the plurality of signal selection units may transfer the test data signals from the external to corresponding ones of the plurality of memory chips during an individual test mode, and wherein the semiconductor device may be set to the common test mode when a common test signal is enabled, and set to the individual test mode when both the common test signal and a test control signal are enabled.
US09361987B2
Systems and processes may use a first memory, a second memory, and a memory controller. The second memory is at least as large as a block of the first memory. Data is received and stored in the second memory for further writing to the second memory.
US09361985B2
An operating method of a nonvolatile memory device is provided which includes receiving a command sequence; detecting whether the input command sequence accompanies an impedance calibration operation; and if the input command sequence accompanies the impedance calibration operation, simultaneously performing an operation corresponding to the input command sequence and the impedance calibration operation.
US09361982B2
A non-volatile memory includes a plurality of memory cells arranged in a plurality of rows and columns. Each memory cell includes a read portion and a control portion. The read portion and the control portion share an electrically floating layer of conductive material defining a first capacitive coupling with the read portion and a second capacitive coupling with the control portion. The first capacitive coupling defines a first capacity greater than a second capacity defined by the second capacitive coupling. The control portion is configured so that an electric current injects or extracts charge carriers into or from the electrically floating layer to store of a first logic value or a second logic value, respectively, in the memory cell.
US09361975B2
Structures and methods of operating a resistive switching memory device are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a resistive switching memory device can include: (i) a plurality of resistive memory cells, where each of the resistive switching memory cells is configured to be programmed to a low resistance state by application of a first voltage in a forward bias direction, and to be erased to a high resistance state by application of a second voltage in a reverse bias direction; and (ii) a sensing circuit coupled to at least one of the plurality of resistive memory cells, where the sensing circuit is configured to read a data state of the at least one resistive memory cell by application of a third voltage in the forward bias direction or the bias reverse direction.
US09361974B2
A method of operating a memory device includes determining a value of an operating current flowing through a selected first signal line, to which a selection voltage is applied, from among a plurality of first signal lines; dividing an array of memory cells into n blocks, n being an integer greater than 1, based on the value of the operating current; and applying inhibit voltages having different voltage levels corresponding to the n blocks to unselected ones of second signal lines included in the n blocks. Each of the unselected second signal lines is a pathway through which leakage current may potentially flow due to the operating current flowing through the selected first signal line and a memory cell addressed by the unselected second signal line and the selected first signal line.
US09361964B1
A boosted supply voltage generator is selectively activated and deactivated to allow operations that are sensitive to variations on the boosted voltage to be performed with a stable boosted voltage. Techniques for deactivating and reactivating the voltage generator are also disclosed that enable more rapid recovery from deactivation such that subsequent operations can be commenced sooner. Such techniques include storing state information corresponding to the voltage generator when deactivated, where the stored state information is used when reactivating the voltage generator. Stored state information can include a state of a clock signal provided to the voltage generator.
US09361960B2
A memory device has a storage array having a plurality of accessible memory banks and a configurable first set of memory segments. The plurality of accessible memory banks include a second set of memory segments. During a first mode of operation, the first set of memory segments is configured to be an additional accessible memory bank. During a second mode of operation, a pair of memory segments in the first set of memory segments are configured to be an additional set of memory segments in each of the plurality of accessible memory banks.
US09361958B2
A semiconductor device may include: a plurality of data pads; a plurality of data buffers each suitable for buffering a signal inputted through a first input node using a voltage inputted through a second input node, and outputting the buffered signal; and a calibration control unit suitable for generating a test signal in a calibration mode, adjusting the level of the test signal, receiving outputs of the plurality of data buffers while adjusting the level of the test signal, and adjusting offsets of the data buffers such that the logical values of the outputs of the data buffers transit when the test signal has a target level.
US09361950B1
A semiconductor device with reduced leakage current and a method of manufacturing these reduced leakage current semiconductor devices are disclosed. The reduced leakage current semiconductor devices may be used for both static circuits and dynamic circuits. The reduced leakage current semiconductor devices reduce leakage current in the device when the node is not transitioning which occurs more than 95% of the time.
US09361946B2
A vibration isolating hard disk drive carrier for isolating the transfer of vibration from one hard disk drive to another comprising a carrier body and one or more isolation hangers is disclosed. The carrier has a first surface configured to couple to inherent features of a first external surface of a hard disk drive, and a second surface configured to couple to inherent features of a second external surface hard disk drive. One or more isolation hangers configured to support the hard disk drive in a vertical orientation are coupled to the carrier body.
US09361943B2
A system and process for attaching tags to panoramic video. Tags provide information when viewing panoramic images, serve as references to specific actions and serve as reference for outside systems into a panoramic image database. Objects in a video can be tagged. It defines tags through 4-D time-space curves, which specify the 3-D location of a tagged object over time. It provides a user-friendly mechanism for defining said curves in panoramic video, which rely on curve fitting techniques to minimize the number of images to be labeled. It provides a mechanism for annotating tags with further information. When displaying tagged panoramic video, tags are graphically superimposed on the panoramic video feed using projective projection techniques. From this visualization, a user can then select a given tag and invoke an associated action. Additionally a mechanism whereby tags and associated user-provided information are used as index into panoramic image databases is provided.
US09361939B1
A data storage device is disclosed comprising a head and a disk comprising servo information and a reference pattern comprising a plurality of magnetic transitions. The servo information on the disk is processed to actuate the head over the disk, and a read signal is sampled from the head as the head moves across a width of the reference pattern at a substantially constant velocity to generate signal samples. The signal samples are processed to characterize a geometry of the magnetic transitions.
US09361925B2
An enlarged substrate for a magnetic recording medium used in a data storage device such as a hard disc drive (HDD). In some embodiments, a data storage device has a housing member for a 3½ inch form factor storage device or a 2½ inch form factor storage device. A rotatable data recording disc is supported by the housing member. The disc has a plurality of tracks formed thereon. At least one track of the plurality of tracks has an average radius of greater than 47.5 mm for the 3½ inch form factor storage device or greater than 32.5 mm for the 2½ inch form factor storage device. A data read/write transducer is configured to be controllably advanced across a recording surface of the data recording disc and to record data to the plurality of tracks.
US09361924B2
A thermally-assisted magnetic recording medium or a microwave-assisted magnetic recording medium includes: an orientation control layer (104) that is formed on a substrate (101); an underlayer (10) that is formed on the orientation control layer (104); and a magnetic layer (108) that is formed on the underlayer (10) and contains an alloy having an L10 type crystal structure as a main component, in which the underlayer (10) includes an MgO underlayer (107) that contains MgO and has a (100) orientation and a nitride underlayer (106) that contains at least one nitride selected from the group consisting of TaN, NbN, and HfN and has a (100) orientation.
US09361922B1
Techniques for determining a relative spacing between a read head and a surface of a magnetic data storage device may use at least two magnetic spacing measurement patterns. A first magnetic spacing measurement pattern may be offset from a center of a data track by a first offset value and a second magnetic spacing measurement pattern may be offset by a second, different, offset value. A processor may determine a first harmonic tone and a second harmonic tone from each of the first and second magnetic spacing measurement patterns. The processor also may determine respective ratios between amplitudes of the first and second harmonic tones for each of the first and second magnetic spacing measurement patterns. The processor may determine which ratio is greater, and may utilize the greater ratio when determining relative spacing between the read head and the surface of the magnetic data storage device.
US09361921B2
Recording a servo write head spacing for writing servo tracks on a magnetic tape in a manufacturing environment. One or more environmental condition measurements of the manufacturing environment are received by a computer. A pair of servo tracks is written on a magnetic tape by a pair of servo write heads at a nominal spacing. The one or more environmental condition measurements of the manufacturing environment and information pertaining to the spacing of the servo tracks on the magnetic tape are recorded in one or more data stores.
US09361917B2
In certain embodiments, a method of fabricating a base plate for piezoelectric actuation, comprises providing a plate having a major surface; striking a first removable portion of the plate in a first direction substantially normal to the major surface to shear the first removable portion relative to the plate by a shear distance that is less than the plate thickness; striking the first removable portion in a second direction substantially opposite the first direction to reduce the shear distance by a reduction in shear that is less than the plate thickness; and leaving the first removable portion in place rather than removing the first removable portion. In other embodiments, the removable portion may be created by lancing one or more portions spanning at least one opening through a base plate adjacent a first side of at least one opening and adjacent a second side of the at least one opening.
US09361909B2
The embodiments disclose an alternating current (AC) erase process configured to cancel out existing polarity of stack magnetic features on both sides of the stack and an AC reset process configured to initialize the polarity of the device stack magnetic features of both sides of a stack configured to create a uniform polarity.
US09361900B2
The present technology relates to an encoding device and method, a decoding device and method, and a program, which enable improvement of audio quality.A QMF sub-band power calculation unit calculates power of a QMF sub-band signal of a high frequency QMF sub-band among a plurality of the QMF sub-bands constituting an input signal. A high frequency sub-band power calculation unit carries out an operation to weight more a QMF sub-band power having larger power as for a sub-band including a number of the high frequency QMF sub-bands to calculate high frequency sub-band power of the sub-band. The multiplexing circuit multiplexes high frequency encoded data and low frequency encoded data for outputting. The high frequency encoded data is selected based on the high frequency sub-band power and obtained by encoding information used for obtaining a high frequency component of the input signal by estimating, and the low frequency encoded data is obtained by encoding low frequency components of the input signal. The present technology can be applied to encoding devices.
US09361899B2
The present disclosure is directed towards a process for estimating the signal to noise ratio of a speech signal. The process may include receiving, at a computing device, a speech signal having a bitstream and a signal-to-noise ratio (“SNR”) associated therewith. The process may further include estimating the SNR directly from the bitstream or using a partial decoder that is configured to extract one or more parameters, the parameters including at least one of a fixed codebook gain, an adaptive codebook gain, a pitch lag, and a line spectral frequency (“LSF”) coefficient.
US09361896B2
A selected channel of a multi-channel signal which is represented by frames composed from sampling values having a high time resolution can be encoded with higher quality when a wave form parameter representation representing a wave form of an intermediate resolution representation of the selected channel is derived, the wave form parameter representation including a sequence of intermediate wave form parameters having a time resolution lower than the high time resolution of the sampling values and higher than a time resolution defined by a frame repetition rate. The wave form parameter representation with the intermediate resolution can be used to shape a reconstructed channel to retrieve a channel having a signal envelope close to that one of the selected original channel. The time scale on which the shaping is performed is shorter than the time scale of a framewise processing, thus enhancing the quality of the reconstructed channel. On the other hand, the shaping time scale is larger than the time scale of the sampling values, significantly reducing the amount of data needed by the wave form parameter representation.
US09361893B2
Provided are, among other things, systems, methods and techniques for detecting whether a transient exists within an audio signal. According to one representative embodiment, a segment of a digital audio signal is divided into blocks, and a norm value is calculated for each of a number of the blocks, resulting in a set of norm values for such blocks, each such norm value representing a measure of signal strength within a corresponding block. A maximum norm value is then identified across such blocks, and a test criterion is applied to the norm values. If the test criterion is not satisfied, a first signal indicating that the segment does not include any transient is output, and if the test criterion is satisfied, a second signal indicating that the segment includes a transient is output. According to this embodiment, the test criterion involves a comparison of the maximum norm value to a different second maximum norm value, subject to a specified constraint, within the segment.
US09361888B2
A machine-readable medium and a network device are provided for speech-to-text translation. Speech packets are received at a broadband telephony interface and stored in a buffer. The speech packets are processed and textual representations thereof are displayed as words on a display device. Speech processing is activated and deactivated in response to a command from a subscriber.
US09361881B2
Disclosed are systems, methods, and computer readable media for identifying an acoustic environment of a caller. The method embodiment comprises analyzing acoustic features of a received audio signal from a caller, receiving meta-data information based on a previously recorded time and speed of the caller, classifying a background environment of the caller based on the analyzed acoustic features and the meta-data, selecting an acoustic model matched to the classified background environment from a plurality of acoustic models, and performing speech recognition as the received audio signal using the selected acoustic model.
US09361880B2
Disclosed herein are systems, computer-implemented methods, and computer-readable media for recognizing speech. The method includes receiving speech from a user, perceiving at least one speech dialect in the received speech, selecting at least one grammar from a plurality of optimized dialect grammars based on at least one score associated with the perceived speech dialect and the perceived at least one speech dialect, and recognizing the received speech with the selected at least one grammar. Selecting at least one grammar can be further based on a user profile. Multiple grammars can be blended. Predefined parameters can include pronunciation differences, vocabulary, and sentence structure. Optimized dialect grammars can be domain specific. The method can further include recognizing initial received speech with a generic grammar until an optimized dialect grammar is selected. Selecting at least one grammar from a plurality of optimized dialect grammars can be based on a certainty threshold.
US09361879B2
In one aspect, a method for processing media includes accepting a query. One or more language patterns are identified that are similar to the query. A putative instance of the query is located in the media. The putative instance is associated with a corresponding location in the media. The media in a vicinity of the putative instance is compared to the identified language patterns and data characterizing the putative instance of the query is provided according to the comparing of the media to the language patterns, for example, as a score for the putative instance that is determined according to the comparing of the media to the language patterns.
US09361865B2
An electronic guitar pick, system, system and method may include an enclosure forming a cavity, the enclosure having a first end that is substantially pointed and a second end opposite the first end that is substantially flat, the enclosure having a thickness proximate the cavity greater than a thickness proximate the first end. The electronic guitar pick, system, and method may further include a sensor contained, at least in part, within the cavity and configured to generate a sensor output based on an interaction with the enclosure and a sensory output device, communicatively coupled to the sensor, configured to output a sensory output based, at least in part, on the sensor output.
US09361857B2
Disclosed herein is a light emitting period setting method for a display panel wherein the peak luminance level is varied through control of a total light emitting period length which is the sum total of period lengths of light emitting periods arranged in a one-field period, including a step of setting period lengths of N light emitting periods, which are arranged in a one-field period, in response to the total light emitting period length such that the period lengths of the light emitting periods continue to keep a fixed ratio thereamong, N being equal to or higher than 3.
US09361856B2
In one embodiment, a method for controlling a liquid crystal display (LCD) is provided. The method receives a first light from a light source structure at a light emitting layer and emits from the light emitting layer a first color component, a second color component, and a third color component. The method then receives a second light through a first polarizer layer of a first polarization state positioned above the light emitting layer, a liquid crystal layer positioned above the first polarizer layer, and a second polarizer layer of a second polarization state positioned above the liquid crystal layer and converts the second light into the first color component, the second component, and the third color component in the light emitting layer. An intensity of the first light is dynamically controlled based on the converting of the second light.
US09361854B2
A method for stabilization for use in a display system is provided. The method is performed in a first electronic device comprising a first display and a gaze tracking unit configured to track a gaze of a user of the first device. The first device is arranged to send an image signal to the second device. The second device comprises a second display. The method comprises sending the image signal from the first device to the second device, controlling the image signal by the first device, depending on the tracked gaze of the user, displaying the controlled image signal on the second display such that, when the user focuses on an object of a view of the first display, the object of the view on the second display is cropped and stabilized.
US09361852B2
A media reproduction device that compresses and decompresses images for display on the media reproduction device.
US09361849B2
A data driving apparatus for a liquid crystal display device includes an output buffer for buffering and outputting a data voltage input from a digital-analog converter, wherein the output buffer includes an input amplifier for amplifying and outputting current proportional to the data voltage, an outputter for supplying a data voltage corresponding to the input data voltage to an output channel using charging and discharging current proportional to output current from the input amplifier, a control switch unit connected between the input amplifier and the outputter, for driving the outputter in a switching mode to precharge the output channel in a precharge period prior to a data supplying period in which the outputter outputs the data voltage, and a mode controller for controlling the control switch unit in response to an input control signal.
US09361842B2
A display panel driving apparatus, including a gate driving part configured to output a gate signal to gate lines of a display panel, and a data driving part configured to output a data signal to a data line of the display panel, including a digital-analog converter, wherein the digital-analog converter is configured to convert a common voltage control data of digital format to a common voltage control voltage of analog format.
US09361841B2
A pixel unit and a display device are proposed. The pixel unit includes a primary subpixel, a white subpixel, a display data line, a display scanning line, a common line and a mode scanning line. When the display device is in a 2D display mode, the white subpixel appears bright under the control of the display mode signal. Ehen the display device is in a 3D display mode, the white subpixel appears dark under the control of the display mode signal. Owing to the design of the present invention, power which the convention pixel and display device consumes is obviously reduced. Besides, crosstalk occurring in the conventional display device is successfully solved.
US09361838B2
A system and method are disclosed to utilize Gray code in order to reduce the power consumption of column drivers in a display system. Binary source data is received from a timing controller. A Gray code digitizer converts and encodes the binary source data into a binary portion of data and a Gray code data. The binary portion data and the Gray code data are transmitted through a shift register to a digital-to-analog converter. The shift register consumes less power processing the converted binary portion of data and Gray code data than the corresponding binary source data. The digital-to-analog converter decodes the Gray code and generates corresponding gamma voltage levels for display use.
US09361835B2
In the present liquid crystal display device, an LED output value correction section (513) included in an area-active drive processing section (5) corrects LED data Dbl obtained by an LED output value calculation section (512) with reference to a luminance correction LUT (13), such that the luminance in the area from an intermediate value to near a maximum value shifts to a higher degree. Thus, even if the backlight luminance is low (typically, the mean luminance of an input image is low), contrast ratio is enhanced, thereby preventing a tone jump (insufficient luminance) at high tone levels due to an insufficient backlight luminance.
US09361834B2
The present application relates to a method and apparatus for adjusting the brightness of a display, and a display system. The method for adjusting the brightness of a display comprises: acquiring a brightness adjusting signal, wherein the brightness adjusting signal includes a position value indicative of a desired brightness of the display; comparing the position value with a first threshold, wherein an adjusting scale is defined according to a variable range of transparency of an object displayed on the display if the position value is smaller than the first threshold; generating a brightness value of the object according to the position of the position value in the adjusting scale; and applying the brightness value to the object displayed on the display. The method can adjust the transparency of the displayed object through the graphical system in an electronic device, thereby further lowering the brightness of the display.
US09361833B2
Systems, apparatus, articles, and methods are described including operations for eye tracking based selective backlighting of a display.
US09361829B2
In a display apparatus including a switching transistor, a correction voltage for eliminating an effect of a variation in a characteristic of a driving transistor is stored in a storage capacitor. The switching transistor is disposed between one current terminal of the driving transistor and a light emitting element. The switching transistor turns off during the non-light emission period thereby to electrically disconnect the light emitting element from the one current terminal of the driving transistor thereby preventing a leakage current from flowing through the light emitting element during the period in which the correction unit operates, and thus preventing the correction voltage from having an error due to the leakage current.
US09361817B2
A removable personalized seat marker assembly that is temporarily installed on the user's seat at an event to personalize the user's seat. The user may easily remove the seat marker assembly and keep it as memorabilia of the event. The removable seat marker assembly comprises a personalized marker that enhances the experience of attending an event by allowing the user to customize their seat at the event by choosing from a variety of templates, personal user information, or event information, such as user's name, and/or the event name, date, and/or place. The seat marker assembly comprises a body having a front panel and a rear panel forming at least one enclosed compartment therein. The body comprises one or more attachment portions for installing the seat marker assembly to a seat. The front panel of the body comprises a clear window for displaying a personalized marker printed with information about the user and the event. The personalized marker may further comprise a machine-readable medium, wherein upon scanning the machine-readable medium at the event with a communication device of the user, the user may access, via a mobile phone application or website, information associated with the event, the user, the personalized marker, or any combination thereof.
US09361814B2
A backlit sign exhibiting a uniform illumination intensity pattern is achieved in a structure having a light transmissive front panel, a back panel, and a plurality of backlight modules disposed on a surface of the back panel that faces the front panel, wherein the backlight modules are spaced apart in an array, and each module includes at least one LED and a lens member having a lens portion that collects light from the LED and redirects the light into a generally square illumination pattern on the front panel.
US09361813B1
A recessed lighting device includes an electrical component housing that has a cavity. The recessed lighting device also includes a plaster ring that includes a plaster plate that has an opening therethrough. The plaster ring also includes a body extending substantially orthogonally from a perimeter of the opening towards the electrical component housing. The recessed lighting device further includes an illuminated panel that includes an electrical component assembly inserted through the opening and into the cavity, where the electrical component assembly is positioned within the electrical component housing.
US09361811B2
A label includes a first section and a second section that is attached to the first section. The first section includes a panel. The panel includes one or more sides that are detachable from the first section.
US09361809B1
The present system and method related to simulating medical procedures. The system and method comprise a body cavity simulator and at least one camera. The body cavity simulator comprises a channel having a proximal end, a distal end, and an inner longitudinal passage extending between the proximal end and the distal end. The channel is partially made of a material comprised of one of the following: a transparent material, a translucent material, a semi-transparent material. The channel receives at least one simulated medical instrument through the proximal end. The at least one camera is adapted for capturing through the material of the channel a pattern of a tracking device of the at least one simulated medical instrument inserted in the channel. The camera transmits data corresponding to the captured pattern of the tracking device to a processing unit.
US09361784B1
The primary objective of the invention is to provide a computer-implemented method for sending one or more alerts from a mobile alerting system stored in the non-transitory storage medium of an electronic device like mobile phones or smart phones etc. In one embodiment of the invention, the method of sending one or more alerts from a mobile alerting system stored in the non-transitory storage medium comprises of a centralized server and a plurality of mobile devices. Further in the same embodiment of the invention, the processor in the centralized server computes a plurality of instructions stored in the memory of the centralized server. Furthermore, the centralized server receives a primary alert initiation request comprising metadata generated from the primary mobile device, wherein the centralized server extracts the metadata of the alert. The alert is further delivered to a plurality of secondary mobile devices capable of telecommunication.
US09361780B2
The present invention is a container cap sensors, chips, transmitters, and receiver, to record, transmit, and receive data regarding the time intervals between when the container cap was last placed on or taken off of a container. The container cap is for use with pharmaceutical and other health care related vials, bottles and containers. The data transmission is used to monitor a patient's drug administration times and intervals, and allows the patient and/or the patient's caregiver to review the administration data. The container cap of the present invention is streamlined, easy to use, reliable, and inexpensive.
US09361777B2
The present invention relates to a gate system which uses overlapping radiation patterns to deduce when an item is entering a warehouse and when an item is leaving a warehouse, for example, for loading onto a truck. The present invention stores information relating to the direction the item moved and actuates an alarm if the item is moved in an unexpected direction. The radiation patterns of the gates are angled such that one radiation pattern from a first antenna is directed towards the loading dock, while another radiation pattern from a second antenna is directed towards the interior of the building. Overlapping the radiation patterns allows the logic circuitry to account for the item as it moves from one side of the gate system to the other.
US09361772B2
An activity monitor which can be pre-programmed at the factory, the doctor's office or the pharmacist, or that can be programmed by the user. The activity monitor is affixed to a medicine bottle or container and activity associated with the bottle or container, such as movement, opening, volume changes, etc. are monitored in view to the schedule. If the schedule indicates that a dose of medicine should be taken at a particular time, but the monitored activity does not determine that the medicine has been taken, an alert signal will be issued to alert the user that it is time to take the medicine. In addition, if the monitored activity indicates that the medicine bottle has been opened prior to a scheduled time, then a tamper alert can be triggered.
US09361769B2
A method and system for advanced patient communication have been disclosed. According to one embodiment, a computer-implemented method comprises providing a patient communication device through which a patient communicates a first message from a hospital bed. The first message is received at a central processing server. The first message is processed to identify an urgency level of the message. One or more additional messages are generated based on the first message. The one or more additional messages are transmitted to specific health care provider devices of specific health care providers who are expected to respond to the patient.
US09361768B2
An information gauge apparatus and method for providing both visual and audio readings of pressure within a pressure vessel. The information gauge apparatus includes a digital display coupled to a printed circuit board in communication with a pressure sensor. The digital display illustrates indicia relating gas pressure levels provided by the pressure sensor to the printed circuit board during use. The gauge further comprises an audible indicator coupled to the printed circuit board, the audible indicator provides an audible signal relating to gas pressure levels sensed by the pressure sensor to the printed circuit board during use. The gauge also includes a mechanical sensor providing a mechanically sensed reading value to a visual indicia display on the information gauge apparatus relating to gas pressure levels during use.
US09361767B2
A banking system is controlled responsive to data read from data bearing records. The banking system includes an automated banking machine. The machine is operable to carry out a financial transaction for a person responsive to a determination that the person is an authorized user of the machine based on correspondence between identifying data read by a reader of the machine and data store information. The machine includes a check acceptor that is operative to receive checks from authorized machine users. The check acceptor is operable to continuously move a received check along its transport path while simultaneously rotationally orienting the check into alignment with the transport path. A check determined not to have at least one property of an acceptable check is returned to the machine user. Acceptable checks are processed and stored in the machine.
US09361766B2
A gaming system for conducting a wagering game includes a display for displaying a base game of the wagering game in response to receiving a wager input from a player and a controller coupled to the display. The controller is programmed to randomly increment during game play a bonus-time eligibility counter for a community bonus game, decrement the bonus-time eligibility counter as real time progresses, and render a player eligible to play the community bonus game if the bonus-time eligibility counter is greater than zero when a community bonus game is triggered.
US09361763B1
A gaming system has a plurality of reels. Each reel has a plurality of symbol locations. The gaming system is in communication with one or more processors. The gaming system involves the selection of a symbol location on a first reel of the plurality of reels. The selected symbol location is associated with a first type of symbol. At least one additional symbol location is added to the first reel at a location adjacent to the selected symbol location. Each additional symbol location is filled with the first type of symbol to create a first clump of the first type of symbols. Alternatively, the gaming system determines a number of additional symbol locations that are added to the first reel adjacent to the selected first symbol location. The gaming system then fills the additional symbol locations with symbols.
US09361762B2
Disclosed herein is a fantasy video gaming system having a server and including a processor for executing computer program instructions and having a memory coupled to the processor for storing the computer program instructions, the programming instructions comprising: establishing at least one online video gaming tournament; accepting participants entry into the online fantasy video gaming tournament. The fantasy video gaming system may be capable of taking and distributing compiled player statistics and metrics to third-party subscribers, wherein the player statistics and metrics represent the overall performance of a single player, group of players, or a team of players across multiple online video games for use in a large-scale fantasy game scoring.
US09361756B2
A gaming machine is provided, which awards loyalty points to players playing the game who have identified themselves to the machine. The machine is arranged to award loyalty points to the player and to play two game means wherein, the first or base game may be provided by the slot machine game as a stand alone function with no dependence upon a supporting communications network, the second game may be linked game in which a plurality of network connected machines participate with control of the game being provided by a central game controller, while the communications network is controlled by a network controller. A first game mode is available to all players and a second enhanced game mode is made available to players who have reached a predetermined threshold of loyalty points.
US09361745B2
A bagged ice vending machine where a drive motor is energized causing conveyors to move, the conveyors are designed to move in opposite directions so that the product will move to the end of that conveyor and drop to the conveyor below, which will force the last bag on the bottom conveyor to fall into the vending chute, activating the ice vended sensor, and slide into the vending hopper, the product can then be accessed by the customer through the vended product access door. A drive chain is configured on each conveyor chain sprocket so that when the drive motor is energized the conveyors will move in opposing directions. This movement indexes the product so that as each item reaches the end of the conveyor it will fall to the conveyor below. Each conveyor will only move the product one position for each product dispense cycle.
US09361727B2
Methods, systems, and computer readable media for generating autostereo three-dimensional views of a scene for a plurality of viewpoints are disclosed. According to one system, a display is configured to display images from plural different viewpoints using a barrier located in front of the display, where the barrier has a pseudo-random arrangement of light ports through which images on the display are viewable. A renderer coupled to the display simultaneously renders images from the different viewpoints such that pixels that should appear differently from the different viewpoints are displayed in a predetermined manner. The pseudo-random arrangement of the light ports in the barrier smoothes interference between the different viewpoints as perceived by viewers located at the different viewpoints.
US09361717B2
According to some embodiments, there is provided a method of creating an interlaced composite image. The method comprises receiving a plurality of images selected for interlacing, generating an interlaced composite image by interlacing a plurality of image strips from each the image and a plurality of separating strips in alternating manner, and outputting the interlaced composite image. At least some of pixel color values of each of the plurality of separating strips are calculated as a function of respective pixel color values of each of a first and second of the plurality of image strips which are interlaced to its left and to its right in the interlaced composite image.
US09361711B2
A method, a control unit and a system for image reconstruction and visualization of a tomosynthesis volume. Different region of interests are detected in the volume and specific types of lesions are determined. Based on the type of lesion, different reconstruction parameters and different reconstruction algorithms are applied in order to reconstruct a sub-volume or a region in a projection. After displaying the digital breast tomosynthesis volume, a user selection signal is received, in order to identify a selection area. The selection area identifies a region in the volume which should be reconstructed differently from the remaining volume and typically with higher resolution, because it refers to a region of specific interest. After having received the user selection signal the selection area is defined and a pre-computed or online-computed reconstruction of the selection area is visualized. The reconstruction is executed according to the determined lesion type specific reconstruction parameters.
US09361709B2
A portable pervasive device includes a combined visual and thermal display. The user is able to detect texture of displayed objects visually and through touching the combined display. A software application pre-defines color codes and temperature settings for a plurality of textures on a graded scale including smooth, soft, and rough. The object is then shown on the display using the color codes and temperature settings for at least one surface of the object.
US09361707B2
Systems and methods for estimation of compression noise in an image or in a video sequence are provided. Difference values in a first direction are computed, and a plurality of statistical feature values for the difference values are computed in association with a plurality of offsets. At least one feature value is computed using the plurality of statistical feature values, and a compression-noise estimate may be determined in accordance with a criterion based on a comparison of the at least on feature value and an associated threshold and an additive noise estimate.
US09361701B2
The present invention is a set of algorithms or calculations that may be applied to efficiently use atlas-based segmentation using QBinary (binary and/or quasi-binary) representations of images and/or their ROIs. A QBinary representation of an image or a part of an image (for example, such as a ROD may be a binary image (for example, such as a code with 1 bit) and or a quasi-binary image (for example, such as a code with more than 1 and less than 8 bits) that serves to represent that image and/or ROI in an atlas. Two-dimensional QBinary codes may be used to both construct QBinary atlases and QBinary-controlled atlases with or without QB-Codes registration. Additionally, the present invention may offer a set of algorithms to sequentially auto-contour (or auto-segment) individual slices of a volume set of digital images without or without QB-Codes registration, provided one slice is semi-automatically contoured by a human operator.
US09361698B1
A system and method for determining depth information of an object is provided. The system projects dots on an object and captures an image of the object with captured dots. The system identifies the captured dots based on a brightness of the captured dots and identifies coordinates of the captured dots. The system processes the captured image by removing brightness information of pixels outside of the captured dots. The system processes the captured dot by overlaying synthesized dot image on the captured dot. The system divides the processed captured image into captured sections and compares the captured sections to reference sections. The system selects individual reference sections having a highest correlation score for each of the captured sections and correlates a captured dot from each of the captured sections to a reference dot in respective corresponding reference sections. Depth information may be calculated based on coordinates of the captured dots and correlated reference dots.
US09361697B1
A graphic processing circuit with binning rendering and associated pre-depth processing method is provided. Firstly, a first depth data of a first primitive corresponding to a specified tile is received. Then, the pre-depth data corresponding to the specified tile is read from a pre-Z buffer. If the first depth data is not larger than the pre-depth data and the first primitive is an opaque primitive, the pre-depth data is updated with the first depth data. If the first depth data is not larger than the pre-depth data and the first primitive is a translucent primitive, an uncertainty ordering range is defined according to the first depth data and the pre-depth data, and the pre-depth data is updated with the uncertainty ordering range.
US09361676B2
Disclosed are embodiments for a system, method, and computer program product for performing an process on an original image, the process being implemented by a computer system performs a comprising the at least one computer: performing an process on an image that renders the processed image legible than then the original image, wherein the analysis segregates dark pixels of the image from light pixels of the image. The method can comprise: first converting the image into a grayscale image. The method comprises processing a pixel area for each pixel of the image is a dark pixel or a light pixel and determining if a pixel is proximate to an edge.
US09361673B2
An image interpolation apparatus includes: a first processing unit which calculates an error on image data between a patch to be interpolated that overlaps with a masked region and a reference patch that does not overlap with the masked region; a second processing unit which calculates, based on the image data, feature quantities indicating the degrees of flatness of the respective patch regions; a third processing unit which calculates an error between their feature quantities; a fourth processing unit which selects a reference patch that has produced a least significant error based on results obtained by the first and third processing units; and a fifth processing unit which pastes pixel data of the reference patch that the fourth processing unit has selected onto the patch to be interpolated. The third processing unit calculates an error between the feature quantities by comparing the feature quantity of the patch to be interpolated outside of the masked region to that of the entire reference patch.
US09361669B2
A blurring process is performed on an addition area including a point light source area detected in an image to be processed so that the nearer to the circumference of the addition area, the higher the luminance value while an addition coefficient is being increased according to a distance from the center.
US09361668B2
There is provided an apparatus for generating a disparity map. According to the apparatus, an image acquisition section acquires a right-camera image and a left-camera image which are picked up from mutually different viewpoints by cameras. A disparity map generation section generates a disparity map that includes disparity expressed in terms of a difference in pixel positions between each of pixels and a corresponding one of pixels in the right-camera image and the left-camera image, respectively, as acquired. A weight determination section determines a weight that serves as a degree of contribution to disparity correction, for each of weight-calculation-target pixels composed of surrounding pixels. The weight-calculation-target pixels include a correction-target pixel or surrounding pixels that are present around the correction-target pixel in the disparity map. A disparity map correction section corrects the disparity of the correction-target pixel, using weighted average based on the determined weight.
US09361664B2
There are provided a data processing apparatus which makes an I/F for data processing modules (processors) versatile to facilitate addition/modification on a data processing module basis in accordance with processing contents, an image processing apparatus, and a method for the apparatuses. A data processing module (3) includes a read address generator (11), read FIFO (7), write address generator (13), write FIFO (9), and arbiter (10) and is connected to a host arbiter (4) through a 1-channel port. The read address generator (11) and write address generator (13) generate interrupts upon acceptance of final access requests so as to control activation of each data processing module (8-1- 8-m) in accordance with the state of each data processing module in interrupt processing. Note that data transfer among the respective data processing modules is performed on a RAM (6).
US09361654B2
Various embodiments provide for dynamically and automatically managing activities of two parties (e.g., friends, business associates, family members) based on a change in relationship (e.g., no longer friends, break-up, divorce, no longer working together) between the two parties in a network (e.g., a social network implemented using a social networking website). In one specific example, mechanisms are provided for dynamically and automatically adjusting privacy control (e.g. removing, hiding, scraping, deleting, obscuring) of past activity data (e.g. social network wall posts, social network wall re-posts, pictures, forum posts, blog posts, blog comments, documents, files, videos, tags etc.) of the two parties upon detecting a change in relationship between the two parties in the social network.
US09361653B2
Methods, systems, apparatus, and computer programs encoded on computer storage medium, for integrating business data and social data in execution of a business process, implementations including actions of receiving user input, the user input being associated with a task of the business process and being received during interaction with an application, determining that a social query is triggered, querying business data based on a business query, the business query being generated based on the user input, querying social networking data based on the social query, the social query being generated at least partially based on the user input, receiving business data in response to the business query, receiving social data in response to the social query, and providing at least a portion of the business data and at least a portion of the social data for display to a user that provided the user input.
US09361650B2
A method includes receiving and storing sensor data including a first plurality of data points indicative of a plurality of respective states of the environment external to a vehicle at a plurality of respective times, operational data including a second plurality of data points indicative of a plurality of respective states of an operational parameter of the vehicle at a plurality of respective times, and synchronization data. The method also includes generating a virtual model of an event involving the vehicle using the stored data, at least by generating a first visual representation of the plurality of respective states of the external environment, generating a second visual representation of the plurality of respective states of the operational parameter, and using the synchronization data to cause the first visual representation to be displayed simultaneously with, and in a time-aligned manner with, the second visual representation.
US09361641B2
Disclosed is a system and method for modifying a tire inventory database in a tire inventory server using a computer, a table, or a mobile communication device, comprising: obtaining an image of tread pattern on a selected tire using an imaging device; measuring tread depth on the selected tire to obtain a tread depth reading; and transmitting the image of tread pattern and the tread depth reading to the tire inventory server.
US09361637B2
A request to diagnose a problem with an appliance is provided to a diagnostic system whereupon the diagnostic system functions to interpret the information indicative of the problem with the appliance to thereby normalize the information indicative of the problem with the appliance. The normalized information indicative of the problem with the appliance is then used to select from a knowledge base in which is maintained a plurality of solutions each having associated tags that function to identify concepts and values in a domain model a set of possible solutions for the problem with the appliance. As necessary, information within the set of possible solutions for the problem with the appliance is used to dynamically generate additional questions to thereby obtain further information indicative of the problem with the appliance. The further information indicative of the problem with the appliance may then be used to identify from with the set of possible solutions for the problem with the appliance a subset of best possible solutions for the problem with the appliance. This subset of best possible solutions for the problem with the appliance may then be presented to an end user to thereby allow the end user to perform the repair(s) needed to correct the problem.
US09361629B2
Methods and arrangements for managing execution of multiple campaigns. At least two campaigns are directed to a target. A monitor is associated with the target, and the at least two campaigns are delivered to the monitor, wherein at least one campaign is in a run mode and at least one campaign is in a wait mode.
US09361628B2
A shelving system and method are disclosed. The shelving system includes: a plurality of shelves; at least one display screen; at least one camera, for optically detecting the contents of each one of the shelves; and at least one computing device in communication with the display screen and the at least one camera for presenting sales and promotional information on the display screen in dependence on the contents of the compartments as sensed by the sensors.
US09361624B2
Systems and methods are provided for determining an affinity score of a source entity and a target entity without consideration of data that directly links the source entity and the target entity. An intermediate entity that is relatable to a source entity is identified. A target entity is identified that is relatable to an intermediate entity. A similarity score is calculated identifying a degree of similarity between the source entity and the intermediate entity, or the target entity and the intermediate entity. An affinity score is calculated of the source entity and the intermediate entity, or the target entity and the intermediate entity. An affinity score of the source entity and the target entity is determined based on the similarity score and the affinity score.
US09361614B2
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for modulating card information between a card reader and a user device. One of the methods includes receiving, from a read head of the card reader, card information associated with a card. The card information is encoded in a first format to be sent to the user device at a first data rate. The card information is encoded in a second format to be sent to the user device at a second data rate lower than the first data rate. The card information is sent to the user device encoded in the first format and the second format.
US09361608B2
The present invention provides a method and apparatus for providing transaction information to a user of a Self-Service Terminal (SST). The method comprises aborting a user initiated transaction at an SST subsequent to an error occurring during the transaction; and displaying an optical device-readable code in a display of a user interface of the SST for identifying at least one parameter associated with the aborted transaction.
US09361605B2
System for updating filtering rules for messages received by a plurality of users including a filtering rules database storing filtering rules for the users; means for distributing the filtering rules to the users; a user reputation database comprising a reputation weight for each user; and means for receiving and processing of user reports that indicate that a message belongs to a particular category. The means for receiving (i) calculates a message weight in its category based on a number of reports received from multiple users and a reputation weights of those users, (ii) decides whether the message belongs to the particular category if the message weight exceeds a predefined threshold, (iii) updates the filtering rules in the filtering rules database based on the deciding, and (iv) distributes the updated filtering rules from the filtering rules database to the users using the means for distributing.
US09361601B2
Embodiments of the present invention relate generally to a modular system for facilitating automated transactions. Specifically, in some embodiments a modular system includes a plurality of lock modules that are controlled by one or more primary lock control boards. The lock modules control access to products or services through one or more daughter boards.
US09361597B2
The invention provides systems and methods for risk assessment using a variable risk engine. A method for risk assessment may comprise setting an amount of real-time risk analysis for an online transaction, performing the amount of real-time risk analysis based on the set amount, and performing an amount of time-delayed risk analysis. In some embodiments, the amount of real-time risk analysis may depend on a predetermined period of time for completion of the real-time risk analysis. In other embodiments, the amount of real-time risk analysis may depend on selected tests to be completed during the real-time risk analysis.
US09361593B2
A system and method for using business services within a customer relationship management (CRM) application. Business services are objects that encapsulate and simplify the use of some set of functionality. The CRM application includes an object manager that manages business objects as well as business services. Business objects are associated with data stored in the application database. Business services operate or act upon business objects to achieve a particular goal. Business services include methods that can be invoked and properties that maintain information about the state of a process during execution.
US09361591B2
An apparatus and method for building a map of probability distribution are provided. The apparatus for building the map of probability distribution includes: a sensor information collector configured to collect sensor information from a plurality of sensors; as object recognizer configured to recognize an object by integrating and inferring the sensor information, and to acquire object information; and a probability distribution creator configured to determine whether to apply an object property model including at least one of kinematic properties, shape properties, and probabilistic properties in correspondence to the object information, to acquire object properties corresponding to the object information, and to create a probability distribution based on foe object properties. Accordingly, it is possible to build a map with high reliability.
US09361590B2
There is provided an information processing apparatus including a manipulation model learning unit configured to learn a manipulation model regarding manipulation of a first object by a second object, by use of an actual image that is an actually observed image including the first object and the second object, the manipulation model associating a position and a change in state of the second object, when a state of the second object changes at a position in an object reference coordinate system with the first object regarded as a reference, with a change in state of the first object caused by the change in state of the second object.
