US09636288B2

Agents for oxidatively dyeing keratinous fibers include, in a cosmetic carrier, as an oxidation dye precursor of the developer type, at least one compound of formula (I) as set forth herein, in which R1, R2 can stand independently of each other, for a hydrogen atom, different substituted alkyl groups, and/or different substituted acrylic groups, and Y stands for a hydroxyl group, an amino group, or a C1-C6 alkylamino group, with the proviso that at least one of the moieties from the group R1 and R2 does not stand for a hydrogen atom, and/or the physiologically compatible salt thereof.
US09636276B2

An adaptor top for a medicament cartridge, the medicament cartridge including a cylinder having a main body portion, a neck portion at a first end having a radially outwardly directed flange portion, a narrowing shoulder portion connecting the body portion and the neck portion, a cap beaded across the first end thereby to retain a fluid impermeable membrane, and the adaptor top comprising a first cylindrical body portion having a radially inwardly directed flange at one end, in use to be seated over and against the cap and a second cylindrical skirt portion being adapted, in use, to be seated against the shoulder portion of the cartridge, the second skirt portion including a plurality of fingers, the free ends of the fingers in use being adapted to be seated beneath the outwardly directed flange of the medicament cartridge.
US09636272B2

A therapeutic appliance includes a water pack, at least one massaging finger, a recirculating water system and a thermoelectric device. The massaging finger has a vibrator disposed on the water pack to exciting liquid in the water pack for massaging a body portion to be massaged. The recirculating water system has a container and a conduit connecting the container and the water pack such that the liquid is permitted to circulate between the container and the water pack. In addition, the thermoelectric device is disposed in the container of the recirculating water system for heating or cooling the liquid.
US09636268B1

An articulating surgical armrest further includes two (2) elongated plates and a pivot hinge. A distal end of a first plate is pivotally attached to a distal end of a second plate. The plates are attached to form one (1) elongated structure in the same plane. A user rests their arm on the rest and articulates the first plate to provide range of motion for the user's arm while maintaining a muscular relaxed state in that arm.
US09636266B2

An apparatus for transferring a supine patient to a prone position on a patient support structure, and for rotating such a prone patient between prone and supine positions without removing the patient from the patient support structure.
US09636263B2

A method for assembling pre-fastened refastenable absorbent articles includes advancing discrete chassis in a machine direction such that the lateral axis is parallel with the machine direction. The chassis defines a first waist region and a longitudinally opposed second waist region separated by a central region. A first web advances in the machine direction and is combined with a discrete fastener component having a refastenable element. The discrete chassis are combined with the first web in the first waist region of the chassis. The second waist region of the discrete chassis is combined with a second web advancing in the machine direction. The chassis are folded and the first and second webs are joined together. The discrete fastener component is permanently connected with the second web. The absorbent article is cut along the discrete fastener component to create discrete, pre-fastened refastenable absorbent articles.
US09636259B2

Water resistant acoustic ports and electronic hearing protection devices incorporating such ports are described. More specifically, water proof acoustic ports that provide water protection for an internal sealed chamber by providing acoustically transparent inlets that are capable of withstanding external water pressure at given depth due to their volume relation to that of the internal chamber, as well as hearing protection devices incorporating such ports, are described.
US09636254B2

Methods, system and apparatus for relieving pressure in an organ such as, but not limited to, the eye are disclosed. The method includes implanting a bioabsorbable channel into the selected area of the organ using a delivery apparatus.
US09636242B2

A system for deploying a prosthesis over a Carina between an ipsilateral lumen and a contralateral lumen includes a guidewire, a guidewire capture catheter, a self-expanding tubular prosthesis, and a delivery catheter. The guidewire is first placed in the ipsilateral lumen. The guidewire capture catheter is then advanced from the contralateral lumen to a position at or above the ipsilateral lumen. The guidewire is typically advanced through an occlusion, which may be a total occlusion, and captured by a capture element on the guidewire capture catheter. The guidewire capture catheter pulls the guidewire out through the contralateral side, and the guidewire is used to advance a delivery catheter from the ipsilateral side. The delivery catheter delivers a first segment of the tubular prosthesis in the ipsilateral lumen and a second segment of the prosthesis in the contralateral lumen.
US09636240B2

The invention relates to a method for producing an adapted liner for placement on a stump (1), particularly an amputation stump, comprising the following steps: selecting a prefabricated liner (3) as a function of the size of the stump; applying a filling compound (2) onto regions of the stump (1) that deviate from the inside contour of the prefabricated liner; and connecting the filling compound (2) to the prefabricated liner (3).
US09636234B2

A hybrid spinal implant device, and method of making the same are disclosed. The spinal implant device comprises two facing endplates, each having at least one anchoring wall or pin element, and a plastic spacer anchored to and located between the two endplates. The endplates may be manufactured from titanium. The plastic spacer may be manufactured from a radiolucent, and bio-compatible polymer-based material including polyetheretherketone (“PEEK”), polyetherketone, polyetherketoneketone, and/or fiber reinforced plastic. The endplates made of titanium allow for enhanced bone growth, while the plastic/PEEK spacer element allows for improved load absorption and distribution. The spinal implant device, using titanium endplates and a PEEK spacer, provides excellent radiolucency thereby eliminating the need for X-ray markers either intra- or post-operation. The manufacturing method for the hybrid spinal implant device uses injection molding to insert or back injection mold the spacer between the two endplates.
US09636226B2

A hand and/or wrist implant, including a web structure having a space truss with two or more planar truss units having a plurality of struts joined at nodes. The web structure is configured for the repair of traumatic bone fractures.
US09636218B2

Devices and methods of treating sleep disordered breathing are provided herein. The devices are designed capable of preventing collapse of an oral airway tissue during sleep while maintaining normal velopharyngeal functions.
US09636214B2

A method of designing a multifocal ophthalmic lens with one base focus and at least one additional focus, capable of reducing aberrations of the eye for at least one of the foci after its implantation, comprising the steps of: (i) characterizing at least one corneal surface as a mathematical model; (ii) calculating the resulting aberrations of said corneal surface(s) by employing said mathematical model; (iii) modelling the multifocal ophthalmic lens such that a wavefront arriving from an optical system comprising said lens and said at least one corneal surface obtains reduced aberrations for at least one of the foci. There is also disclosed a method of selecting a multifocal intraocular lens, a method of designing a multifocal ophthalmic lens based on corneal data from a group of patients, and a multifocal ophthalmic lens.
US09636213B2

An intraocular lens includes a deformable optic, a rigid optic, and a support structure. The deformable optic is disposed about an optical axis and comprises a solid material and a deformable surface. The rigid optic is disposed about the optical axis and comprises a solid material and a rigid surface. The support structure is operably coupled to at least one of the optics for pressing the deformable surface and the rigid surface together in response to or in the absences of an ocular force, whereby at least a portion of the deformable surface changes shape such that the optical power of the at least a portion of the deformable surface and/or the intraocular lens changes by at least 2 Diopter.
US09636206B2

Systems and methods can remove material of interest, including blood clots, from a body region, including but not limited to the circulatory system for the treatment of pulmonary embolism (PE), deep vein thrombosis (DVT), cerebrovascular embolism, and other vascular occlusions.
US09636201B2

In one embodiment, a medical device includes a first elongate portion and a second elongate portion. The first elongate portion defines a loop and has a first end portion and a second end portion. The first end portion is configured to be removably coupled to an implant. The second elongate portion has a first end portion and a second end portion. The first end portion of the second elongate portion is coupled to the first elongate portion. The second end portion of the second elongate portion is configured to be removably coupled to an insertion tool.
US09636200B2

An implant including a vaginal portion having a length, width, first and second ends with a central region positioned therebetween, and a sacral portion having a length, width, first end and second end. The first end of the sacral portion is coupled to the central region of the vaginal portion so that the width of the first end extends substantially perpendicularly to the length of the vaginal portion. The implant is made of the same substantially flat, planar mesh having an anisotropic knitted or woven structure that has a greater stiffness in a first direction than a second direction. The mesh is aligned such that the first direction is aligned in a longitudinal direction of the sacral portion and the mesh of the vaginal portion is aligned such that the stiffness in a longitudinal direction of the vaginal portion is less than that of the sacral portion.
US09636195B2

An oral hygiene system for cleaning teeth and gums includes a mouthpiece having at least one arcuate channel adapted to receive and surround the teeth. The mouthpiece includes at least two modalities chosen from a mechanical modality, an iontophoretic modality, and a disinfection modality. The mechanical modality brushes the teeth and gums and dislodges food debris, the iontophoretic modality breaks up plaque and tartar buildup, and the disinfection modality removes the food debris, plaque and tartar buildup. A control system coordinates the transmission of modalities, tracks and records utilization, recording completed and failed treatment cycles, and transmits them to a monitoring system. The monitoring system, which links to electronic medical administrating record (eMAR) technology and patient tracking technology (e.g., RFID sensors, electronic tags), facilitates compliance with recommended oral hygiene regimens and review of compliance by medical staff, assisted living staff, and/or caregivers.
US09636194B2

A dental device with dual saliva extractors and dual retractors for the tongue and upper lip and method are connectable to a suction and disposal unit. The device includes a pair of extractors each of which includes a suction tip and a tubular member for connecting the tip to the sources of suction. A first of the tubular members is put into a patient's mouth with a first curved portion inserted in a lower portion of the patient's mouth over the tongue and behind the front teeth and a second curved portion separate from said first portion branched off from where the first portion crosses the lower teeth and is inserted between the upper lip and upper molars under the region of the Stenson's duct.
US09636190B2

A bone pen includes a pen which is coupled to a user's handpiece and comprises a drill section provided at an end portion thereof to drill to an alveolar bone; a cup which has an accommodating space to hold therein bone particles harvested during the drilling operation, has an outer diameter corresponding to a mesiodistal diameter of a patient's tooth targeted for treatment, and coupled to the pen so that the accommodating space can surround the drill section; and a spring which is supported at one side of the pen and elastically supports the cup with regard to the pen, wherein the drill section of the pen is positioned at a central axis line of the cup, maintained as being positioned at a mesiodistal diameter center of the tooth targeted for treatment, and guided for drilling.
US09636186B2

A multi-user medical robotic system for collaboration or training in minimally invasive surgical procedures includes first and second master input devices, a first slave robotic mechanism, and at least one processor configured to generate a first slave command for the first slave robotic mechanism by switchably using one or both of a first command indicative of manipulation of the first master input device by a first user and a second command indicative of manipulation of the second master input device by a second user. To facilitate the collaboration or training, both first and second users communicate with each other through an audio system and see the minimally invasive surgery site on first and second displays respectively viewable by the first and second users.
US09636183B2

A system and a method are disclosed that allow for generation of a model or reconstruction of a model of a subject based upon acquired image data. The image data can be acquired in a substantially mobile system that can be moved relative to a subject to allow for image acquisition from a plurality of orientations relative to the subject. The plurality of orientations can include a first and final orientation and a predetermined path along which an image data collector or detector can move to acquire an appropriate image data set to allow for the model of construction.
US09636178B2

An articulating shaft system includes an elongated shaft and first and second articulating components. The elongated shaft extends along a main axis and has a distal end surface that is not perpendicular to the main axis. The first articulating component is co-axial with the main axis and is positioned adjacent to the distal end surface of the elongated shaft and has a proximal end surface and a distal end surface that are not perpendicular to the main axis. The second articulating component is co-axial with the main axis and is positioned adjacent to the distal end surface of the first articulating component and has a proximal end surface that is not perpendicular to the main axis. Rotating the first articulating component around the main axis positions the first and second articulating components at an angle relative to the main axis.
US09636174B2

Methods and apparatus are provided for treating hypertension, e.g., via a pulsed electric field, via a stimulation electric field, via localized drug delivery, via high frequency ultrasound, via thermal techniques, etc. Such neuromodulation may effectuate irreversible electroporation or electrofusion, necrosis and/or inducement of apoptosis, alteration of gene expression, action potential attenuation or blockade, changes in cytokine up-regulation and other conditions in target neural fibers. In some embodiments, neuromodulation is applied to neural fibers that contribute to renal function. In some embodiments, such neuromodulation is performed in a bilateral fashion. Bilateral renal neuromodulation may provide enhanced therapeutic effect in some patients as compared to renal neuromodulation performed unilaterally, i.e., as compared to renal neuromodulation performed on neural tissue innervating a single kidney.
US09636172B2

A system and method for occluding a pulmonary vein. The device includes a treatment device comprising an inner balloon, an outer balloon, and a space therebetween. Delivery of fluid to the inner balloon inflates the treatment element to a first diameter. If a greater treatment element diameter is required to completely occlude a pulmonary vein, fluid is delivered to the space between the first and second balloons, which expands the second balloon and causes the treatment element to have a second diameter that is greater than the first diameter. The fluid delivered to the inner balloon and fluid delivered to the space between the balloons may be from different sources and may be delivered and exhausted independently. Once the treatment element is caused to have a diameter sufficient to completely occlude the pulmonary vein, the treatment element is activated to cool or heat ostial tissue.
US09636164B2

According to some embodiments, a medical instrument comprises an elongate body having a proximal end and a distal end and a pair of electrodes or electrode portions (for example, a split-tip electrode assembly). Systems and methods are described herein that perform contact sensing and/or ablation confirmation based on electrical measurements obtained while energy of different frequencies are applied to the pair of electrodes or electrode portions. The contact sensing systems and methods may calibrate network parameter measurements to compensate for a hardware unit in a network parameter measurement circuit or to account for differences in cables, instrumentation or hardware used.
US09636160B2

An implant including a screw body composed of pure magnesium or a magnesium alloy and having a male thread, and the implant further including an anodized membrane covering an outer surface of the screw body. The male thread has a clearance flank and a pressure flank. The clearance flank faces forward in a traveling direction and the pressure flank faces rearward in the traveling direction during a screwing process of the screw body. The biodegradation period of the anodized membrane on the clearance flank is shorter than the biodegradation period of the anodized membrane on the pressure flank.
US09636154B2

An anchor-in-anchor fixation system is provided for securing underlying structure, such as bone. The fixation system includes a first bone anchor having a shaft for fixation to underlying bone, and a head that defines an internal bore. A second bone anchor extends through the bore and into underlying bone. A fixation assembly is also provided that includes one or more fixation systems coupled to an auxiliary attachment member configured for long bone fixation, spinal fixation, or fixation of other bones as desired.
US09636141B2

Disposable scalpel blade assembly and supporting reusable handle. The blade assembly includes a blade, blade holder and blade shield. The blade holder has a flexible arm at the rear-end, which has a protrusion-block at the arm end. The blade shield inner wall has clearance opening for the protrusion-block. When the handle is inserted, the protrusion-block extends into the clearance opening with sideward movement, so the blade and blade holder are connected. After the handle is pulled-out, the protrusion-block misaligns with the clearance opening and cannot make sideward movement so the handle cannot connect again. The blade holder first sliding channel is provided with a first front locking channel at its front-end and a deadlock channel is set in front of the first front locking channel. When the handle is pulled-out after use, the first protrusion of the blade shield shall fall into the deadlock channel to enter the deadlocking state.
US09636138B2

A tissue-removing catheter includes a cutter. The catheter also includes a longitudinal force-transmitting member extending along a catheter body and being longitudinally movable relative to the catheter body. A distal end portion of the longitudinal force-transmitting member is operatively connected to a distal longitudinal portion of a cutter housing such that distal movement of the longitudinal force-transmitting member relative to the catheter body and the cutter imparts pivoting of the distal longitudinal portion to its open position to expose the cutter.
US09636132B2

A cutting device for use with a powered surgical tool includes an outer blade and an inner blade. The outer blade includes a tubular body, an end cap, and a cutting window defined by a beveled edge on the tubular body and the end cap. The inner blade includes a cutting tip. The inner blade co-axially disposed within the outer blade such that the cutting tip is rotatably exposed at the cutting window. The cutting tip has castellations extending toward the end cap of the outer blade and opposing teeth extending radially toward one another across an opening of the cutting tip.
US09636130B2

A surgical instrument includes a cutting member with an implement for cutting tissue, and a drive coupled to the cutting member to simultaneously rotate and translate the cutting member in response to a force applied to the drive. A method of cutting tissue includes positioning an outer member such that tissue is located within the outer member, engaging the tissue with an inner member, and simultaneously rotating and translating the inner member to cut the tissue. A tangential cutting force is applied to the tissue with the inner member to mechanically cut the tissue. The inner member is mechanically driven to undergo simultaneous rotation and translation.
US09636123B2

A calculus removing device includes an elongated member and a retrieval part fixed to the elongated member. A discharge force is produced in a lumen in the elongated member to discharge fluid in the lumen into the renal pelvis, and a suction force is produced in the lumen to draw fluid into the lumen from the renal pelvis. An outlet communicates with the lumen, and fluid in the lumen is discharged into the renal pelvis through the outlet in the presence of the discharge force. An inlet communicates with the lumen, and fluid in the renal pelvis is drawn into the lumen through the inlet in the presence of the suction force. The retrieval part includes an interior that communicates with the lumen and the renal pelvis, and the interior is configured to receive the calculus in the renal pelvis in the presence of the suction force.
US09636117B2

The present technology is directed generally to devices, systems, and methods for enclosing anatomical openings. In several embodiments, an aneurysm device is endovascularly deliverable to a site proximate to an arterial aneurysm. The aneurysm device includes a closure structure having a distal-facing aspect configured to at least partially occlude the aneurysm and a proximal-facing aspect configured to arch over lumina of an artery. The device further includes a supplemental stabilizer connected to the closure structure and configured to reside in the artery and press outward against a luminal wall thereof. In some embodiments, the device can also include a barrier spanning at least a portion of the distal-facing aspect of the closure structure and configured to further occlude a neck of the aneurysm. In further embodiments, the closure structure can be configured to restrict and/or divert flow to or from the aneurysm.
US09636113B2

A surgical fastener applying apparatus comprising a cartridge section having a cartridge containing a plurality of fasteners, an anvil section having an anvil for receiving the fasteners when advanced from the cartridge, the cartridge and anvil sections clamping tissue therebetween. The first and second cam members are movable within the cartridge section to fire the fasteners. A cam member supporting member fixed within the cartridge section has an upper surface on which the cam members are slidable. The upper surface of the cam member supporting member has a first upper surface portion on a first plane and a second lower surface portion in a different substantially parallel second plane such that the first and second cam members slide in offset planes on the upper surface to fire the fasteners.
US09636106B2

Devices and methods for locking and/or cutting tethers during a tissue modification procedure are described. In some variations, a tether may be used to tighten tissue by bringing two pieces or sections of the tissue together. The tether, which may be under tension, may be locked to maintain the tension, and excess tether may be severed, using one or more of the devices and/or methods. The devices and/or methods may be used, for example, in minimally invasive procedures.
US09636097B2

A surgical retractor includes a retractor body and a retractor arm. The retractor arm includes a first portion configured to operatively connect to the retractor body, and a control assembly configured to control movement of a retractor blade. The control assembly includes a base member having a first opening and a second opening, and movable between a first position and second position. The retractor arm further includes a regulating member to control rotation of the base member and move through the first opening of the base member, a connecting member cooperatively connected to the regulating member, and a barrel member in operative slidable engagement with the second opening formed in the base member. Rotation of the regulating member in a selected direction moves a stem of the regulating member through the first opening thereby forcing the barrel member to slide along the second opening and the base member to pivot relative to the retractor arm between a first position and second position, thereby rotating a connected retractor blade.
US09636095B2

An occluder for closing an opening in a circuit system can be transferred from a compact manifestation which extends along a longitudinal axis into an expanded manifestation. The occluder has a first expansion unit and a second expansion unit which bear on in each case one side of the opening in the expanded manifestation. Furthermore, the occluder has a first coupling part and a second coupling part which can be brought into engagement with one another, with the result that they fix the occluder in its expanded manifestation. The first coupling part has a region which extends between the first and second expansion units in the expanded manifestation. According to the invention, this region is configured such that it can expand along the longitudinal axis. It is preferably configured such that it can expand counter to a restoring force, that is to say resiliently or elastically. This occluder therefore permits automatic setting of the spacing between two expansion and/or closure units according to the structural conditions at the location of the opening to be closed.
US09636079B2

An x-ray computed tomography system (14) includes a gantry (15), a plurality of elements (18), and one or more processors (28). The gantry (15) moves to different orientations and generates x-ray data which includes image projection data at a plurality of the orientations. The plurality of elements (18) connect to the gantry and cause x-ray attenuation of the generated projection data. The one or more processors (28) are programmed to receive (60) the generated x-ray data and decompose (62) the received image projection data into indications of relative positions of the plurality of elements at different orientations of the gantry.
US09636075B2

Simulation-based estimation of elasticity parameters and use of same for non-invasive cancer detection and cancer staging are disclosed. According to one aspect, a method for simulation-based estimation of elasticity parameters includes constructing a 3D model of an object comprising biological tissue, the model having a first shape and an elasticity value. A simulation iteration is then performed, which includes simulating the application of an external force to the model, causing the model to have a second shape, measuring the difference between the second shape and a target shape, and determining whether the measured difference between the second shape and the target shape is within a threshold of error. If the measured difference is not within the threshold of error, the process performs additional iterations using adjusted elasticity or force values until the measured difference is within the threshold of error, at which time the final elasticity and force values are reported. In one embodiment, the elasticity value is mapped to a diagnostic parameter, such as an indication of the possibility, presence, or stage of cancer.
US09636074B2

A method for calculating a motion vector field (MVF) in a reconstructed CT scan image, comprises: determining a region of interest (ROI) based on a vessel centreline in a first reconstructed CT scan image, wherein a motion vector field (MVF) for the ROI is to be calculated; determining at least two time control points for calculating the MVF; calculating a motion level factor of the ROI; calculating motion amounts of the MVF corresponding to each of the time control points; determining the direction of the MVF of the ROI; and calculating the MVF of the ROI according to the motion level factor, the motion amounts of the MVF corresponding to each of the time control points and the direction of the MVF.
US09636071B2

Provided is an intraoral sensor including an image sensor configured to bendable and to generate an electrical signal by detecting an X-ray; and a case configured to receive the image sensor and to limits a bending level of the image sensor.
US09636070B2

Methods, systems, and devices are provided for monitoring and displaying medical parameters for a patient. In one embodiment, a display screen can include information related to a physiological parameter being measured from a patient. The information can include a current value based on values of the physiological parameter gathered from the patient over a period of time. The display screen can indicate whether or not the current value is within a predetermined normal range for the physiological parameter and whether or not the current value is within a predetermined goal range for the physiological parameter. The goal range can be nested within the normal range. If the current value moves outside the normal range, an alarm can be triggered. A goal alarm can be triggered if the current value is within the normal range but falls outside the goal range.
US09636068B2

An apparatus for insertion of a medical device in the skin of a subject is provided.
US09636065B2

A leakage detecting implant can detect leakage of body fluid from an incision, resection, or other internal surgical site in a subject. The leakage detecting implant can include: one or more biodegradable colorant members having a tissue-contacting inner surface and an opposite outer surface; a resilient member having an inner surface coupled to the outer surface of the one or more colorant members; and a cover member having a body with an internal chamber and an opening on a tissue-contacting side, the internal chamber containing the resilient member and at least a portion of the one or more biodegradable colorant members with the tissue-contacting inner surface exposed through the opening, the cover member having an inner surface of the internal chamber coupled to an outer surface of the resilient member, the tissue-contacting side having one or more affixation surfaces adapted to be affixed to tissue of a subject.
US09636064B2

A system and a method for monitoring subject's eyes are disclosed. In one embodiment, spectral profiles of a frame substantially around a subject's eye are received from an image capturing device. Further, a state of the subject's eye in the frame is detected using the spectral profiles received from the image capturing device.
US09636062B2

Bodily fluid sample collection systems, devices, and method are provided. The device may comprise a first portion comprising at least a sample collection channel configured to draw the fluid sample into the sample collection channel via a first type of motive force. The sample collection device may include a second portion comprising a sample container for receiving the bodily fluid sample collected in the sample collection channel, the sample container operably engagable to be in fluid communication with the collection channel, whereupon when fluid communication is established, the container provides a second motive force different from the first motive force to move a majority of the bodily fluid sample from the channel into the container.
US09636057B2

A sensor for measuring physiological characteristics includes a circuit assembly, at least one material layer, and an adhesive layer that extends beyond an outer edge of the circuit assembly. The at least one material layer forms an adhesive edge around the perimeter of the sensor.
US09636052B2

A glucose sensor comprising an optical energy source having an emitter with an emission pattern; a first polarizer intersecting the emission pattern; a second polarizer spaced a distance from the first polarizer and intersecting the emission pattern, the second polarizer rotated relative to the first polarizer by a first rotational amount Θ; a first optical detector intersecting the emission pattern; a second optical detector positioned proximal to the second polarizer, the first polarizer and the second polarizer being positioned between the optical energy source and the second optical detector, the second optical detector intersecting the emission pattern; a compensating circuit coupled to the second optical detector; and a subtractor circuit coupled to the compensating circuit and the first optical detector.
US09636045B2

Disclosed herein are devices, methods and systems for monitoring and detection of pressure on a part of a body of a user. In an embodiment, a device includes a substrate having a contact surface for contacting a user, one or more sacs associated with the contact surface of the substrate, and one or more sensors in communication with the one or more sacs, the one or more sensors adapted to measure changes in pressure in the one or more sacs. The sacs contain a fluidic material configured to transmit pressure. The fluidic material is further configured to be shock-absorbing and pressure-relieving such that the fluidic material is displaceable by an action of the user contacting the contact surface causing the pressure in the fluidic material to be redistributed.
US09636044B2

A method for extending an effective working range of an analyzer for measuring an analyte in a breath sample. The method includes initiating a reaction in the analyzer that produces an optically discernable reaction product having an optical property that is indicative of a concentration of the analyte in the breath sample, taking a first reading of the optical property at a first time, and comparing the first reading to a reference. If the comparison yields a first state, the method includes determining the concentration using the first reading. If it yields a second state different from the first state, the method includes taking a second reading of the optical property at a second time, and determining the concentration of the analyte using the second reading. Other methods are provided as well.
US09636043B2

A system for sampling exhaled breath and for supply of a gas, the system comprising: a gas delivery cannula comprising at least one nasal prong for insertion into a nostril, the nasal prong comprising a distal end; an exhaled breath sampling cannula for insertion into the nostril, the exhaled breath sampling cannula comprising a distal end; and a connector for coupling the gas delivery cannula to the exhaled breath sampling cannula, such that the distal end of the exhaled breath sampling cannula is disposed deeper in the nostril than the distal end of the nasal prong, to reduce dilution of sampled exhaled breath by delivered gas. The connected is configured to facilitate adjustability of an insertion depth of the exhaled breath sampling cannula into said nostril.
US09636039B2

In a magnetic resonance (MR) imaging method and apparatus, multiple diagnostic scans are obtained of an examination subject during an imaging session. An initial reference scan of the subject is obtained at the beginning of the session and, as the session proceeds, an automatic determination is made before each diagnostic scan is obtained as to whether the immediately preceding reference scan is still valid, primarily be checking whether an amount of patient movement has occurred that renders the immediately preceding reference scan invalid. Either a new reference scan is obtained before the next diagnostic scan, or, if still valid, the immediately preceding reference scan is used for the next diagnostic scan.
US09636034B2

A system for modulating a response signal includes functionalized particles configured to interact with target analytes, a detector configured to detect an analyte response signal transmitted from the body, a modulation source configured to modulate the analyte response signal, and a processor configured to non-invasively detect the one or more target analytes by differentiating the analyte response signal from a background signal, at least in part, based on the modulation. The analyte response signal is related to the interaction of the target analytes with the functionalized particles. In some examples, the system may also include magnetic particles and a magnetic field source sufficient to distribute the magnetic particles into a spatial arrangement in the body. The analyte response signal may be differentiated from the background signal, at least in part, based on modulation of the signals due, at least in part, to the spatial arrangement of the magnetic particles.
US09636030B2

There is provided a portable electronic apparatus including an apparatus main body that includes electronic components built therein, a fixation belt that is used to attach the apparatus main body to a living body surface, a connector that is provided at an end of the fixation belt in a belt longitudinal direction, and has an engagement protrusion that is detachably stored in an engagement recess formed at the apparatus main body, and a biasing body that is provided in the engagement recess, and biases the engagement protrusion stored in the engagement recess so as to maintain an engagement state between the engagement recess and the engagement protrusion.
US09636028B2

A three-dimensional neural probe electrode array system is described. Planar probes are microfabricated and electrically connected to flexible micro-machined ribbon cables using a rivet bonding technique. The distal end of each cable is connected to a probe with the proximal end of the cable being customized for connection to a printed circuit board. Final assembly consists of combining multiple such assemblies into a single structure. Each of the two-dimensional neural probe arrays is positioned into a micro-machined platform that provides mechanical support and alignment for each array. Lastly, a micro-machined cap is placed on top of each neural electrode probe and cable assembly to protect them from damage during shipping and subsequent use. The cap provides a relatively planar surface for attachment of a computer controlled inserter for precise insertion into the tissue.
US09636021B2

Flavonoid compounds that are selective for a protein, a portion or a living cell, or a portion of an organism may be used as biological imaging agents. The flavonoid compounds are useful for methods of imaging organisms such as zebrafish embryos and zebra fish. Flavonoid compounds may also be used to detect protein. Advantageously, flavonoids that selectively bind protein, a portion of a living cell, or a portion of an organism may exhibit a florescence “turn-on” mechanism, where the flavonoids that are selectively bound exhibit a florescence response when excited.
US09636020B2

Analysis of live beings is facilitated. According to an example embodiment of the present invention, a light-directing arrangement such as an endoscope is mounted to a live being. Optics in the light-directing arrangement are implemented to pass source light (e.g., laser excitation light) into the live being, and to pass light from the live being for detection thereof. The light from the live being may include, for example, photons emitted in response to the laser excitation light (i.e., fluoresced). The detected light is then used to detect a characteristic of the live being.
US09636017B2

A modular sensor system is disclosed. The system can include one or more sensors, a mounting unit, and a control unit. The mounting unit can enable the control unit and/or one or more sensors to be securely, but detachably, mounted to a patient's body. The control unit can include electronics and other components configured to interface with, monitor, and record data from the one or more sensors. The control unit can further include a wired bus, transceiver, antenna, or other suitable components to enable wireless communication between the system and a central control or monitor. Some or all of the components included in the control unit can be removable from the system to enable some or all of the electronics of the system to be removed.
US09636014B2

Provided is an ophthalmologic apparatus capable of executing accurate automatic alignment even for an eye having an intraocular lens (IOL) implanted therein. The ophthalmologic apparatus includes: an optical system including a light beam projecting unit for projecting a light beam to an eye to be inspected, and a light receiving unit for receiving a reflection light beam from the eye to be inspected; a detecting unit for detecting a plurality of bright spot images from the reflection light beam received by the light receiving unit; and a calculating unit for calculating an alignment status between the eye to be inspected and the optical system based on the detected plurality of bright spot images. The ophthalmologic apparatus is further provided with a selection unit for selecting bright spot images to be used for the calculation by the calculating unit, from among the plurality of bright spot images.
US09636012B2

Ophthalmic lens assemblies and methods of assembly and use may include a lens assembly including a lens element and a protective cover. The lens element includes a contact lens surface and a faceted optical body including a distal portion and a faceted portion including one or more mirror facets to form a TIR activity pathway. The protective cover includes a contact aperture shaped to receive the contact lens surface, a grip portion, and a facet housing portion including an interior surface. The contact aperture of the protective cover is stretch-fit about a periphery of the contact lens surface to maintain a proximal-side fluid seal. The grip portion of the protective cover is stretch-fit about the distal portion of the lens element to maintain a distal-side fluid seal. One or more TIR-inducing air gaps are defined by the facet housing portion between the interior surface and the mirror facets.
US09636011B2

Systems and methods are presented for acquisition and processing of spectrally dispersed illumination optical coherence tomographic data. Light from a source is distributed spectrally on the sample, and each acquisition simultaneously provides partial spectral interference information from multiple locations in the sample. Thus for a given spatial point, a single observation will be of a partial spectrum A-scan. When multiple partial spectrum A-scan observations are made at the same point by shifting the spectrum of light on to the tissue, the point can be observed by the entire broadband spectrum of the light source, thereby making it possible to create a full axial resolution A-scan.
US09636010B2

An anoscope kit includes an anoscope having a plurality of spaced apart fingers having free ends and a dilator removably positionable within the anoscope to aid insertion of the anoscope. The dilator has a proximal region, an intermediate region and a distal region. The distal region includes an enlarged distal head. A ramped surface extends from the enlarged distal head toward the intermediate region. The intermediate region has an outer surface to contact the fingers of the dilator.
US09636007B2

A method of aiding the diagnosis of otitis media in a patient includes obtaining image data in a processor apparatus of a computing device, the image data being associated with at least one electronic image of a tympanic membrane of the patient, calculating a plurality of image features, each image feature being calculated based on at least a portion of the image data, classifying the at least one electronic image as a particular type of otitis media using the plurality of image features, and outputting an indication of the particular type of otitis media. Also, a system for implementing such a method that includes an output device and a computing device.
US09636002B2

An endoscope includes: an operation portion grasped by an operator; an insertion portion pivotable relative to the operation portion; a switch portion provided on the operation portion and switchable by a grasping hand of the operator; a pulling/relaxing member pulled and relaxed by back and forth movement in the operation portion based on switch operation of the switch portion; and a braking unit that includes a deformation portion deformed by the pulling and the relaxing of the pulling/relaxing member and that restrains or allows rotation of the insertion portion.
US09636000B2

A single port entry surgical instrument has an elongated structure with lumens through which surgical tools and an image capturing device may be inserted and controllably extended out of its distal end for performing a medical procedure, a tubular-shaped balloon disposed around the elongated structure, and an expandable retractor disposed around the balloon so that when the balloon is inflated, the retractor expands and locks in an expanded configuration to retract extraneous tissue. The port entry may be secured using the expandable retractor or sealed using another inflatable balloon disposed around the proximal end of the elongated structure and centered in the port entry.
US09635995B2

Support structures for dishwashers are disclosed. An example dishwasher for treating dishes according to a cycle of operation includes a tub defining a treating chamber with an opening, a frame coupled to and structurally supporting at least a portion of the tub, a dish rack mount coupled to the frame, and a dish rack coupled to the dish rack mount, wherein the weight of the dish rack is substantially borne by the frame.
US09635988B2

A toilet seat cover with a full-directional night lamp includes an upper lid, a seat and two supports. A cylindrical night lamp is locked on the upper lid or locked between two seat shaft sleeves at two sides of the seat. The night lamp comprises at least one electric body and at least one light-pervious tube. The electric body has at least one end thereof defined as a light source end. The light source end of the electric body is axially sleeved on and fixed to the light-pervious tube. The whole night lamp can be detachably mounted on the upper lid or locked between the two seat shaft sleeves at two sides of the seat, thereby attaining a full 360 degree emission of light and allowing the lighting emission to be free of the operation state of the toilet seat cover.
US09635987B2

A hinge assembly for a toilet seat, the hinge assembly comprising a hinge post for pivotally supporting the toilet seat on a toilet bowl, a bolt connectable to the hinge post for securing the hinge post to the toilet bowl, the bolt being configured to extend through an opening in the toilet bowl, and a nut threadable onto the bolt to secure the hinge post to the toilet bowl, the nut having a first segment threadable onto the bolt, a second segment and a shear segment connecting the first and second segments, the shear segment having a lower torque resistance than the first and second segments such that the shear segment breaks when torque applied to the second segment reaches a predetermined amount.
US09635980B2

A fajita meal serving apparatus comprises a thermally-insulative serving platter defining an upper recessed area configured for securely receiving and supporting a serving plate, a two-way drawer disposed in a cavity under the upper recessed area of the serving platter, where the two-way drawer defines a circular recess configured for holding tortillas. The apparatus further includes first and second diametrically opposed handles formed in the serving platter.
US09635977B2

Described herein is a cooking device for foodstuffs that are wrapped in bacon, dough or other food items. The device includes a tray that holds a number of silicone holders that hold bacon-wrapped food items while they cook in an oven or toaster oven, microwave or grill (where made of metal). The cooking holders or assemblies hold bacon wrapped food items upright and in place during the cooking process. The entire cooking holder is made of silicone so the food item slides easily off the cooking apparatus when cooking is complete. The cooking tray is designed to allow grease to flow away from the food into a reservoir located around the edges of the tray.
US09635971B2

The invention concerns a container (1) for storing and dispensing a flowable product comprising a tank (2) and a dispensing closure for dispensing the product from the tank comprising disc member (3, 4) with apertures (31, 41) therein, one of the disc (4) being rotatable and susceptible to cooperate with a rotatable shaft. The invention also concerns a machine susceptible to be fed with a flowable product stored in such a container, said machine comprising disc members (8, 9) with apertures (81, 91) therein, one of the disc (9) being rotatable and cooperating with a rotatable shaft (11).
US09635970B2

A tool (1) for separating flesh from a core and a rind of a fruit, in particular a pineapple, comprising: a corer (10) that, op opposite ends, is provided with a driving member (40) and a cutting edge (12); a flesh cutter (20) extending radially on the corer and having at least one cutting edge (22), wherein the shape of the flesh cutter is such that upon rotation it executes a helical movement with a predetermined pitch; a rind cutter (30), provided at an outer end of the flesh cutter and extending parallel to the corer, said rind cutter including a cutting edge (32). The tool further comprises a section cutter (60), including an annular hub (62) configured to be slidingly received on the corer, an annular rim (66), and one or more spokes (64) radiating from the hub and interconnecting the hub and the rim.
US09635963B2

Embodiments relate generally to washable pillows, particularly washable foam pillows, and methods for assembling such pillows. The washable pillow may comprise one or more cushion element and a fabric cover attached to and possibly enclosing the one or more cushion element. The pillow may also comprise a shell formed by the one or more cushion element, wherein the shell may comprise a cavity therein, and the cavity may contain a filler material.
US09635958B2

The present application provides a shelf assembly for a display case. The shelf assembly may include a shelf, a pair of shelf brackets with a shelf bracket pocket, and a support rail with a pair of tabs. The support rail extends between the pair of shelf brackets and the tabs of the support rail fit with the shelf bracket pockets of the pair of shelf brackets.
US09635954B2

A device is disclosed that provides parasite, dust mite and allergen protection for an encasement used for a mattress or foundation. The device can be part of the original encasement or added as an after-market item to a conventional encasement to prevent the egress of parasites, dust mites and allergens from the gap between the zipper slide and the zipper stop and prevent movement of the zipper slide when the zipper is completely zipped up. The device includes a at least one compressible material that is used. The compressible material is compressed to seal the gap and prevent movement of the zipper slide. In one embodiment of the invention, the device allows the mattress or foundation within the encasement to breathe while blocking parasites, dust mites and allergens from escaping from within the encasement.
US09635953B2

A method and system may include transmitting a signal to a pump of an air mattress to set the pressure of the air mattress to an initial pressure; receiving, at a central controller, a user preference condition for an automatic adjustment of the pressure in the air mattress; receiving, at the central controller, an indication that the air mattress is empty; and based on determining that the user preference condition has been met and receiving the indication: detecting a change in the pressure of the air mattress beyond a threshold value; and based on the detection, adjusting the pressure of the air mattress to the initial pressure.
US09635937B2

A rack mounting kit is configured to allow mounting of a telecommunications equipment chassis into a rack by a single person. The rack mounting kit includes two complimentary brackets that form a shelf-like feature. The complimentary brackets also include a mating latch for interfacing with a chassis to secure the chassis in place. Additionally, a cross brace is provided that is removably installed onto the two complimentary brackets to provide additionally rigidity to a rack while a chassis is being installed. The cross brace can be removed once installation of the chassis is complete.
US09635929B1

A foldable table has a base, a lifting device, an adjusting assembly, and a supporting board. The adjusting assembly is pivotally connected with the lifting device and has an adjusting board, an adjusting rack, an adjusting slider, and a connection arm. The adjusting board is pivotally connected with the lifting device. The adjusting rack is mounted on the adjusting board and has an engaging side provided with multiple teeth. The adjusting slider is moveably mounted on the adjusting board and has an engaging block and two resilient elements. The engaging block is pivotally mounted on the adjusting slider and has an engaging post selectively engaging with one of the teeth on the adjusting rack. The supporting board is pivotally connected with the adjusting board and is pivotally connected with the top end of the connection arm.
US09635927B2

The present invention recognizes that there exists a long felt need for brush heads and brushes having material application and buffing properties. A first aspect of the present invention is a brush head. A second aspect of the present invention is a brush including a brush head of the present invention. A third aspect of the present invention is a method of making a brush head of the present invention. A fourth aspect of the present invention is a method of making a brush of the present invention. A fifth aspect of the present invention is a method of using a brush head of the present invention. A sixth aspect of the present invention is a method of using a brush of the present invention.
US09635926B2

A storage case includes a case body that stores a storage item, a pull-out member that, upon being pulled out from the case body, moves the storage item stored in the case body toward an outside of the case body, and a fold portion that is provided at the pull-out member. The pull-out member is folded at the fold portion and separated from an extraction section of the storage item so as to expose the extraction section in a state in which the extraction section of the storage item is positioned outside the case body.
US09635923B2

A drawing apparatus includes a drawing head to hold at least one drawing tool which performs drawing by applying photocurable fluid material to a drawing target surface of a drawing target object, a light source unit which emits irradiation light including specific light in a specific wavelength region to cure the photocurable fluid material, and a light-blocking member which is disposed between the light source unit and the drawing tool held in the drawing head and blocks the specific light from arriving at the drawing tool when the light source unit emits the irradiation light.
US09635922B2

A humidification assembly includes a housing that has a first end, a second end and a peripheral wall extending therebetween. The first end and the second end are open. The housing is substantially hollow. The peripheral wall is curvilinear such that the housing has a cylindrical shape. The first end may insertably receive a hair dryer. A gasket is coupled to an inside surface of the peripheral wall. The gasket may frictionally engage the hair dryer air outlet to retain the housing on the hair dryer. A reservoir is provided to contain a fluid. The peripheral wall has a fill aperture extending into the reservoir. The fill aperture directs the fluid into the reservoir. A closure removably closes the fill aperture. A valve is movably coupled between the housing and the venturi. The valve selectively releases the fluid into the venturi to humidify the air urged by the hair dryer.
US09635921B2

The present utility model relates to a box body structure of a draw-bar box and the draw-bar box. The draw-bar box comprises a box body and a telescopic draw bar. First extrusion-molded blocks are provided at four corners of an upper end of the box body, and second extrusion-molded blocks are provided at four corners of a lower end of the box body, the first and second extrusion-molded blocks respectively being in threaded connection with the box body. The first extrusion-molded block comprises a first outer corner protector located on the outside of the box body, and a first inner corner protector located on the inside of the box body and mating with the first outer corner protector, the first outer corner protector being in threaded connection with the first inner corner protector. The second extrusion-molded block comprises a second outer corner protector located on the outside of the box body, and a second inner corner protector located on the inside of the box body and mating with the second outer corner protector, the second outer corner protector being in threaded connection with the second inner corner protector. Rollers are provided on at least two of the second extrusion-molded blocks at the lower end of the box body. The present utility model has a simple structure, reasonable design and convenient use, and also has the advantages of low production costs, stronger firmness, and hardly deformed corners.
US09635916B2

In accordance with an embodiment, a hybrid modular furniture and container unit includes a base shell, a base core layer, and a set of base inner panels. The base shell has a shell bottom, a first shell wall, a second shell wall, a third shell wall, a fourth shell wall, and upper flaps associated with each of the respective walls. The base core layer has a core bottom, a first core wall, a second core wall, a third core wall, and a fourth core wall. The core layer is disposed within the base shell. The base inner panels include a first inner panel wall, a second inner panel wall, a third inner panel wall, and a fourth inner panel wall. The inner panel walls disposed within the shell and each upper flap is folded over a respective core wall and inner panel wall.
US09635915B2

Embodiments of the present invention relate to a reconfigurable bag which can form a variety of bags, handbags and purses. With all of the demands of busy lives, women today need to have a variety of bags and purses. Women need a clutch for evening use, a large purse for taking to work, a smaller purse for daytime outings, and a briefcase or computer bag. A reconfigurable bag as disclosed herein would help to eliminate these issues by providing a bag that can be converted to a variety of bags and purses.
US09635913B1

An umbrella comprises a cover and two rod hinges. A canopy is engaged with a rectangular frame for forming a rectangular cover. A left rainproof folding fan and a right rainproof folding fan, each has a pivot at a bottom linked with the bearings of the rectangular frame, respectively. Two sets of Velcro is linked with the rectangular cover, the left rainproof folding fan and the right rainproof folding fan for forming the cover. The two rod hinges is linked with the rectangular frame and attached onto two straps of a backpack through two fasteners, the each rod hinge having a bracket and a rod with a stopper and an outlet connected with the each pin respectively, wherein the cover and the two rod hinges form an umbrella with adjustable coverage which has the rectangular frame fixed with the stoppers when the cover is extended and the two rod hinges are extended and erected.
US09635908B2

The present invention relates to the automated cutting of pliable items. More particularly, the present invention relates to the automatic cutting and/or trimming of pliable items, such as a shoe upper that lacks uniformity. An image of the pliable item is captured having image features and a pattern is retrieved having pattern features, such as a proposed cut path. An image feature is compared to distance tolerances associated with pattern features to adjust the proposed cut path such that it satisfies the distance tolerances while providing a consistently sized and shaped trimmed item.
US09635907B2

A shoe platen to securely hold a shoe so that graphics, including custom graphics, can be printed on the shoe automatically. The platen comprises a shoe plate 102 configured to receive shoes such as high-top shoes or low top shoes. Adjusters 104, 106 can also be used to accommodate shoes of various styles and sizes.
US09635901B1

A shoe may comprise an upper and a sole structure that includes a plurality of support elements located in a plantar region. Each of the support elements may be non-destructively removable from and replaceable into the sole structure. The shoe may comprise a plurality of sensors configured to measure force exerted in a footbed region of the article of footwear, as well as a processor communicatively coupled to the sensors. The processor may be configured to receive input indicative of forces measured by the sensors and to transmit data based on that input. Methods utilizing the article may include removing a support element and replacing the removed support element with a replacement support element.
US09635900B1

Described herein is an improved shoe glove for reversible interchangeable placement upon a footwear item. Most preferably the shoe glove mechanically attaches to a pre-selected modified footwear item in a reversible and interchangeable manner. The shoe glove preferably completely covers the upper portion and sole of the footwear item. The shoe glove most preferably includes a (i) flexible shoe glove cover (ii) composite shoe glove sole and (iii) linear continuous stitched thread within a continuous stitching channel of the composite shoe glove sole. Most preferably the shoe glove attaching devices for attachment to a modified footwear item are hook and loop fastener material segments that reversibly attach a footwear item to the shoe glove. The improved shoe glove is sufficiently flexible that a single shoe glove can interchangeably and reversibly fit a range of footwear item sizes.
US09635895B1

A method for mapping wearer mobility includes identifying common usage patterns and usage positions by the garment wearer, attaching markers used in motion capture photography to the bare skin of a test subject, and recording position and movement data of the test subject with a computer system while the test subject repeats the common usage patterns and usage positions. The position and movement data are processed to create an opportunity map which identifies stretch and compression areas of the test subject. Markers are attached to a garment worn by a test subject, and position and movement data are recorded while the test subject repeats the common usage patterns and usage positions. The data are analyzed to create a problem map which identifies stretch and compression areas of the garment. A mobility map is created based on the opportunity map and problem map that creates a garment design that reduces compression and stretch areas.
US09635891B2

A system and method for identifying areas of a processing plant in which a glove is damaged. The system includes utilizing color-coded sets of gloves in different areas or processing steps within the plant. All the gloves used in a particular plant are provided with a unique identifier. If a piece of a glove is located in the product within the plant, the color of that piece indicates the area or process of the plant in which the glove was used. If a piece of a damaged glove is located in the product at a remote destination, the unique identifier in that piece is matched with a registry to determine the plant in which the glove was used. The color of the piece then helps the plant to identify where the damaged glove was used. The system and method are particularly helpful in the food processing industry, especially meat processing.
US09635882B2

A cigarette paper is shown which has the following properties over at least a part of its surface: no artificial perforation, the air permeability is at least 15 CU, preferably at least 20 CU, and especially preferably at least 25 CU, and for the exponent k, measured with a measuring head with a rectangular opening of 2 mm by 15 mm, in accordance with ISO 2965:2009, which is defined by k = log ⁢ Q 1 Q 2 log ⁢ p 1 p 2 with Q1: air-flow through the paper at a pressure difference p1=1.00 kPa and Q2: air-flow through the paper at a pressure difference p2=0.25 kPa, the following holds k≦0.98, preferably k≦0.95, especially preferably k≦0.93, and k≧0.80, preferably k≧0.85.
US09635880B2

A reduced-size apparatus for applying food coating that includes a belt assembly for conveying food products, having an input end and an output end, and a recycle assembly, capable of receiving excess coating from the output end of the belt assembly and conveying it to the input end, wherein the recycle assembly includes at least one of a base coating distribution passage and a top coating distribution passage for providing coating for application to a food product situated on the belt assembly.
US09635873B2

A product conveying and coating system includes at least first and second, sequentially arranged conveyor belts, with at least the second conveyor belt being a solid belt. Interposed in a gap between the first and second belts is a dispenser head of a coating manifold. The dispenser head spans a gap between upper surface portions of the first and second conveyor belts, with an elongated side wall outlet portion of the dispenser head being exposed, in a downstream direction of the conveyor unit, to the upper surface of the second conveyor belt. The system provides for dispensing of coating material directly onto the second, solid conveyor belt and enrobing at least bottom and partial side portions of food products upon the solid belt. Provisions are made for scraping from the solid belt, removing from the food products and recycling excess coating material.
US09635870B2

Process: providing concentrated milk composition including milk protein; providing plant fat composition including plant fat; combining first amount of concentrated milk composition together with second amount of plant fat composition, forming concentrated milk-plant fat composition having initial pH and having concentration by weight of water being within range of between about 49% and about 57%; combining concentrated milk-plant fat composition together with amount of edible acid, and directly setting concentrated milk-plant fat composition by adjusting initial pH to reduced pH being within range of between about 4.9 and about 4.5; thereby forming uniform non-separating direct-set milk-plant fat product substantially retaining the milk protein. Process also includes providing concentrated milk composition and plant fat composition respectively at first and second temperatures being at least about 20° F. above melting points of respective compositions. Composition: uniform non-separating direct-set milk-plant fat product.
US09635865B1

A device acts to take mixed dough or semi viscous material and feed this material uniformly and progressively to portioning machines that may not have capacity to hold a full batch from the mixer or require to be fed at a required rate so as to maintain a reasonably uniform or stable height or reserve amount of dough in there infeed hopper of dough portioning machine. The device providing two or more selectable output feeds in operation, providing for easy cleaning through detachable components, and compensating in the output feed variable for variations in the volume of dough in the tote.
US09635863B2

A system and method for producing a comestible baked product in complex shapes using cast molding. Embodiments generally include a first part and a second part, the first part being made up of at least two or more component pieces, then, the first part is detachably coupled to the second part creating an outer surface and an inner surface which create a contiguous internal hollow space that extends from the first piece to the second piece in the form of a three dimensional shape, and a means for supporting the unitary mold in a special and beneficial baking orientation. Other embodiments may include a single piece that is attachable to the rim of a cup of a multi-cup baking cup pan or a to a single, stand-alone cup pan. The interior of the mold can receive a baking cup liner.
US09635858B2

A pesticidal composition including at least one substance derived from Azadirachta indica plant, at least one metal salt of a fatty acid and at least one excipient. The present disclosure also relates to a kit including the pesticidal composition. The present disclosure further relates to use of pesticidal composition/kit in controlling a wide variety of pests.
US09635854B2

Methods for controlling weeds in a crop, comprising applying to the weeds a herbicidally effective amount of a composition comprising a p-hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase (HPPD) inhibitor are presented.
US09635851B2

Agrochemical aqueous compositions containing at least one organic, solid agrochemically active ingredient which is insoluble in water and, as dispersing and wetting agent, a water soluble polymer based on one or more ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acids, from 5% to 55% of the carboxylic groups of said water soluble polymer being esterified with a polyalkoxylated polystyrylphenol.
US09635848B2

Spray systems and control systems for use with spray systems are provided. A spray system generally includes a tank configured to hold a product, a conduit in fluid communication with the tank, a pump in fluid communication with the conduit, a flow controller, a plurality of electrically actuated nozzle assemblies in fluid communication with the conduit, and a pressure controller. The flow controller is configured to regulate a flow rate of product through the conduit based on a travel speed of the system. The plurality of nozzle assemblies is configured to dispense the product such that an upstream nozzle pressure is established within the conduit. The pressure controller is configured to control at least one operating parameter of at least one of the nozzle assemblies based at least in part on speed information indicative of the travel speed of the system to maintain a substantially constant upstream nozzle pressure.
US09635847B1

A fishing line tying tool designed to hold an eyelet bearing apparatus in its plier jaws and constrain two sections of fishing line, such that when the sections of line are brought together above the tool, can be quickly wound by rotation of a centralized post located at the bottom of the tool. There are a pair of opposing winder posts formed on the handle of the pliers that have two different sets of hooks for the retention of the fishing line thereon.
US09635840B2

Method for supporting the preservation of the insect population, having the following steps of: determining the lethal effect of a product unit on an insect population, determining a difference in the insect population on the basis of the effect of a particular quantity of product units, determining the actual insect population in a predetermined area, determining a desired insect population in the predetermined area, which desired insect population is derived from the actual insect population in the predetermined area and the difference in the insect population, and creating a basis of life for the desired insect population in the predetermined area by adapting the biological nature of the predetermined area.
US09635836B2

Pet treats and methods of manufacturing pet treats comprising unprocessed meats are disclosed. The unprocessed meats are not extruded, ground, emulsified, liquefied, partially liquefied, or made into a powder. The unprocessed meats may be combined with natural and/or un-natural binding agents and may also be combined with natural and/or un-natural preservatives. The combination may be formed into shapes in which the pieces, bits, and/or parts of the unprocessed meat may, or may not, be visible within the production product, yet contained within.
US09635832B2

A tray lock mechanism for a pet enclosure is disclosed. The tray lock mechanism includes a sliding component that has a camming surface that interacts with a leading-edge of the tray to generate an upward force to move the sliding component out of the way so that the tray can be inserted into an opening and into the pet enclosure. Additionally, in a further embodiment, the tray lock mechanism contemplates a door extension that extends downward and blocks the opening when the door is in the closed position and unblocks the opening, when the door is in an opened position.
US09635827B1

A St. Augustine grass variety designated TBLL is disclosed. The invention relates to the seeds of St. Augustine grass variety TBLL, to the plants of St. Augustine grass variety TBLL, to the plant parts of St. Augustine grass variety TBLL, and to methods for producing progeny of St. Augustine grass variety TBLL. The invention also relates to methods for producing a St. Augustine grass plant containing in its genetic material one or more transgenes and to the transgenic St. Augustine grass plants and plant parts produced by those methods. The invention also relates to St. Augustine grass varieties or breeding cultivars, and plant parts derived from St. Augustine grass variety TBLL. The invention also relates to methods for producing other St. Augustine grass varieties, lines, or plant parts derived from St. Augustine grass variety TBLL, and to the St. Augustine grass plants, varieties, and their parts derived from use of those methods. The invention further relates to hybrid St. Augustine grass seeds, plants, and plant parts produced by crossing cultivar TBLL with another St. Augustine grass variety.
US09635824B1

The present invention provides an inbred corn line designated FA4346, methods for producing a corn plant by crossing plants of the inbred line FA4346 with plants of another corn plant. The invention further encompasses all parts of inbred corn line FA4346, including culturable cells. Additionally provided herein are methods for introducing transgenes into inbred corn line FA4346, and plants produced according to these methods.
US09635821B2

According to the invention, there is provided seed and plants of the corn variety designated CV048362. The invention thus relates to the plants, seeds and tissue cultures of the variety CV048362, and to methods for producing a corn plant produced by crossing a corn plant of variety CV048362 with itself or with another corn plant, such as a plant of another variety. The invention further relates to corn seeds and plants produced by crossing plants of variety CV048362 with plants of another variety, such as another inbred line. The invention further relates to the inbred and hybrid genetic complements of plants of variety CV048362.
US09635817B2

New plants were created from a new and efficient method of intergeneric hybridization between a plant from the group I. versicolor and Glebionis sp. as a female parent and a plant from the genus Argyranthemum as a male parent. The plants were created by rescuing an embryo from the cross-pollination of a plant from the group I. versicolor and Glebionis sp. as a female parent with an Argyranthemum male parent. The invention also describes a method for infecting hybrid plants with a virus and a viroid to modify plant phenotype. In addition to providing the intergeneric hybrid plants and parts thereof, the invention provides methods for making such plants and methods for creating other intergeneric hybrid plants and self plants from normally self-incompatible plants.
US09635815B2

A system for automating the growing of crops, such as grapevines. Combinations of data from sensors local to a vineyard, and from optional remote stations and sensors, is combined with a control system to accurately control the dispensing of water and chemicals such as insecticides, disease prevention fungicides and fertilizers. The materials are dispensed through a multiple channel conduit which allows conflicting, or incompatible, types of materials to be transported through a common assembly. Sensors are attached to the conduit so that the placement of sensors can occur simultaneously with the laying of the conduit. This approach also ensures correct placement and spacing of the sensors with respect to each plant, or plant area, to be monitored and treated.
US09635811B2

An adjustable gathering chain assembly includes a drive unit, a driven unit spaced from and movable with respect to the drive unit and an endless gathering chain extending between the drive unit and the driven unit. An adjustment unit including an idler member in engagement with the gathering chain is operable to move the idler member with respect to the drive unit in order to move the driven unit between first and second positions relative to the drive unit whereby the header may effectively harvest both standing crop and downed or lodged crop depending on harvesting conditions.
US09635808B2

A head for an edge trimmer, comprising a casing (1), destined for comprising at least a cutting wire reel and to be set in rotation about an axis of rotation (X), said casing comprising at least one outlet opening (11), which is so structured as to enable passage of a portion of the cutting wire. The head comprises two bushes (12) which laterally delimit the outlet opening (11) and are rotatable about a respective axis of rotation (Y).
US09635805B2

A fertilizer tube system for efficiently dispensing and placing fertilizer within a furrow to minimize germination injury. The fertilizer tube system generally includes a fertilizer tube having an input opening at an upper end of the fertilizer tube and an output opening at a lower end of the fertilizer tube, a tab attached to the fertilizer tube between the input opening and the output opening and a guard scraper attached to a lower portion of the fertilizer tube. The guard scraper includes a mounting portion having a receiver channel adapted to be removably attachable to a mounting member of a planter shank of a planter implement, wherein the mounting member is comprised of an inverted T-shaped structure.
US09635801B2

A hand-planter for singulation planting of cereal, grain, seed and other crops includes a tapered soil engagement component for striking and penetrating a soil surface. With each planter strike to the soil surface, the planter is actuated to meter a granular material product by reciprocating a drum to rotate, thereby exposing a cavity to a material hopper. As the actuation force is released, the reciprocating drum rotates in an opposite direction to its original location and drops the material that has been metered.
US09635800B1

The apparatus is a tender that removes horse manure from pastures and paddocks by collecting stools of manure, grinding the manure and returning it back to the pasture as fertilizer. The tender can also process collected manure, moving it and distributing it to locations needing biomass. The tender is a specialized sled, which can be towed by small vehicle, such as a golf cart. When towed through a pasture, the tender scrapes up the horse manure, grinds it into small granules without hurting the grass, and then spreads it over a wide elongate area, utilizing a unique knife and a partitioned mesh in a structural frame. The tender has a removable bed liner for that retains some or all materials, such as collected manure, for transporting the materials, where it can be dumped or be distributed as a granular biomass.
US09642295B2

In a component mounting device, a head held by a head holding section is automatically exchanged from one of a pickup head attached with a suction nozzle that holds and releases component, and a dispensing head with a dispensing tool that dispenses adhesive, to the other of the heads. When the pickup head is held, a nozzle camera images the suction nozzles at nozzle positions attached to the pickup head from the side using an optical system unit and acquires suction nozzle image data. When the dispensing head is held, the nozzle camera images a dispensing nozzle positioned at the center axis of the head holding body from the side using the optical system unit and acquires dispensing nozzle image data. Component related inspection is performed based on the suction nozzle image data and dispensing related inspection is performed based on the dispensing nozzle image data.
US09642294B2

A tape feeder, including a tape feeder body and a feeder wagon/linear guide, is used to direct component tape in a linear movement towards a component pick position. The feeder wagon comprises a feeder wagon body slidably mounted to the tape feeder body for movement between a first, pickup position and a second, delivery position. The feeder wagon further comprises a feeder head mounted to the feeder wagon body for movement (1) with the feeder wagon body as it moves along the first path, and (2) along a second path transverse to the first path between a first, tape-engaged position and a second, tape-released position. The feeder head comprises a tape-engaging element engageable with component tape.
US09642293B2

A multilayer casing device for attenuating electromagnetic waves is made of at least one textile material, at least one metal material. The device is made up of a stack provided with at least, consecutively from the inside to the outside: a first diamagnetic metal material layer at least partially made of copper, a second textile layer at least partially made of wool or cotton, a third layer made of a ferromagnetic material, and a fourth textile layer at least partially made of wool and cotton. The device is also made up of a complementary stack of identical layers (the second textile layer, the third ferromagnetic layer and the fourth textile layer) extending symmetrically in relation to the first copper layer.
US09642273B2

A field device for use in an industrial process includes a housing having a cavity formed therein. A humidity-sealed electronics module has a first compartment formed therein and is positioned in the cavity. The humidity-sealed electronics module includes a seal board. The seal board separates the first compartment of the humidity sealed electronics module from a second compartment in the housing. A first electrical component in the first compartment is mounted to the seal board and a second electrical component in the second compartment is electrically connected to the first electrical component.
US09642270B2

An electronic equipment enclosure includes a frame structure, one or more panels attached to the frame structure, at least one vertical mounting rail fastened to the frame structure, and a rail seal attached to the at least one vertical mounting rail. The rail seal includes a generally flat panel portion and a seal along an edge thereof. The seal is adapted to engage at least one of the one or more panels to provide an air dam between the one or more panels and the at least one vertical mounting rail.
US09642262B2

A dummy trace portion is provided in a region between at least a suspension board with circuit on one end side and a support frame of a suspension board assembly sheet with circuits. A base insulating layer is formed on a support substrate in the dummy trace portion. A plurality of conductor traces are formed on the base insulating layer, and a cover insulating layer is formed on the base insulating layer to cover each conductor trace. At least one of the base insulating layer and the cover insulating layer in the dummy trace portion has a groove.
US09642253B2

A degradable polymeric nanotube (NT) dispersant comprises a multiplicity of NT associative groups that are connected to a polymer backbone by a linking group where there are cleavable groups within the polymer backbone and/or the linking groups such that on a directed change of conditions, bond breaking of the cleavable groups results in residues from the degradable polymeric NT dispersant in a manner where the associative groups are uncoupled from other associative groups, rendering the associative groups monomelic in nature. The degradable polymeric nanotube (NT) dispersant can be combined with carbon NTs to form a NT dispersion that can be deposited to form a NT film, or other structure, by air brushing, electrostatic spraying, ultrasonic spraying, ink-jet printing, roll-to-roll coating, or dip coating. The deposition can render a NT film that is of a uniform thickness or is patterned with various thicknesses. Upon deposition of the film, the degradable polymeric nanotube (NT) dispersant can be cleaved and the cleavage residues removed from the film to yield a film where contact between NTs is unencumbered by dispersants, resulting in highly conductive NT films.
US09642252B2

A degradable polymeric nanotube (NT) dispersant comprises a multiplicity of NT associative groups that are connected to a polymer backbone by a linking group where there are cleavable groups within the polymer backbone and/or the linking groups such that on a directed change of conditions, bond breaking of the cleavable groups results in residues from the degradable polymeric NT dispersant in a manner where the associative groups are uncoupled from other associative groups, rendering the associative groups monomelic in nature. The degradable polymeric nanotube (NT) dispersant can be combined with carbon NTs to form a NT dispersion that can be deposited to form a NT film, or other structure, by air brushing, electrostatic spraying, ultrasonic spraying, ink-jet printing, roll-to-roll coating, or dip coating. The deposition can render a NT film that is of a uniform thickness or is patterned with various thicknesses. Upon deposition of the film, the degradable polymeric nanotube (NT) dispersant can be cleaved and the cleavage residues removed from the film to yield a film where contact between NTs is unencumbered by dispersants, resulting in highly conductive NT films.
US09642250B1

An insulating colloidal material and a multilayer circuit structure are provided, wherein the insulating colloidal material includes a resin, trigger particles, and an organic solvent. The trigger particles are selected from any one of the group consisting of organometallic particles and ionic compounds. The ratio of the trigger particles to the insulating colloidal material is between 0.1 wt % and 10 wt %. At least one insulating colloidal layer in the multilayer circuit structure contains the trigger particles.
US09642244B2

An embodiment of a micro-electro-mechanical system of the MEMS type comprising at least one micro-electro-mechanical device of the MEMS type and one junction with a duct suitable to being associated with an external apparatus. Said junction being a printed circuit board PCB comprising at least two layers with juxtaposed faces, a channel being present in at least one face of at least one of said at least two layers suitable for realizing the duct with the juxtaposition of the other face of at least another one of at least two layers.
US09642236B2

A connector component is provided for assembly into a torch. The connector component comprises a body that includes a proximal end and a distal end disposed along a longitudinal axis. At least two thread regions are disposed radially about the longitudinal axis on a surface of the body near the proximal end. Each thread region includes at least two parallel threads disposed on the surface of the body. In addition, at least two smooth regions are each disposed radially about the longitudinal axis between a pair of thread regions on the surface of the body.
US09642235B2

An extreme ultraviolet radiation generating device includes a source operable to generate a first and second entrance beam, and a beam unit operable to modify at least one of a direction and a beam divergence of the first and second entrance beam, in which the beam unit includes: a beam splitter to receive the first and second entrance beam, the beam splitter being configured to reflect the first entrance beam as a first exit beam and to transmit the second entrance beam; and a mirror in the beam path of the transmitted, second entrance beam to reflect the second entrance beam to form a second exit beam that is transmitted by the beam splitter and that is at least partially superposed on the first exit beam, in which the beam unit is configured to modify an angle and/or beam divergence between the first and second exit beam.
US09642233B2

A method and apparatus for generating a pulsed jet of fluid, and transforming the jet into a plasma. The method includes using a high-pressure rapid solenoid valve, and a pipe mounted on an outlet opening of the solenoid valve to produce a pulsed fluid jet which is sub-millimetric in size, and the atomic density of which is more than 1020 cm−3.
US09642231B2

A fingerprint sensor is provided. The fingerprint sensor includes a sensing array sensing fingerprint information of a user, an insulating surface disposed on the sensing array, and a printed circuit board (PCB) disposed under the sensing array. The PCB includes a substrate, a ground plane disposed on the second surface of the substrate, and an electrostatic discharge (ESD) ring disposed on the first surface of the substrate and surrounding the sensing array. The substrate includes a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface. The ESD ring surrounds the sensing array. When an ESD event occurs, ESD energy is discharged from the ESD ring to the ground plane through a plurality of vias in the substrate without passing the sensing array.
US09642229B2

In at least one embodiment, a light source apparatus includes a discharge lamp with a pair of electrodes and a driving unit that supplies a driving current to the pair of electrodes. The driving unit includes an AC supplier that supplies an alternating current to the pair of electrodes and a DC supplier that supplies a direct current to the pair of electrodes. The AC supplier is configured to alternately repeat an AC supply section in which the alternating current is supplied and an AC stop section in which the supply of the alternating current is stopped. The DC supplier is configured to supply the direct current during a period corresponding to the AC stop section. A frequency of the direct current is not lower than 10 Hz and not higher than 1 kHz.
US09642224B2

An illumination controller includes a communication interface circuit configured to communicate with a luminaire via radio waves; an input device configured to obtain a manipulation instruction; and a control processor configured to generate at least a first command and a second command according to a corresponding manipulation instruction obtaining state of the input device, and transmit the command generated to the luminaire via the communication interface circuit, wherein, when the control processor has generated the first command according to the manipulation instruction obtaining state, the control processor is configured to repeatedly transmit the first command, generated to the luminaire at first transmission intervals, and when the control processor has generated the second command according to the manipulation instruction obtaining state, the control processor is configured to repeatedly transmit the second command generated to the luminaire at second transmission intervals different from the first transmission intervals.
US09642222B2

A light bulb adapter is disclosed. The light bulb adapter has a main housing configured to house electronic circuits for wirelessly receiving controlling commands via WiFi from a user through the use of a software application installed in a mobile device. In operation, the user unplug a light bulb from an existing lighting fixture and plugs the light bulb plug of the light bulb adapter into the lighting fixture. A light bulb is inserted to the light bulb receptacle of the light bulb adapter. The user can connect a mobile device to the light bulb adapter over a wireless local area network via an accessory protocol and control the light bulb adapter, and subsequently the light bulb connected to it, using the accessory protocol.
US09642216B1

Systems and methods are provided for synchronizing a plurality of lighting devices. One or more potential-interference-neighbor (PIN) lighting devices are identified near a master lighting device. The master lighting device outputs a first lighting signal and the one or more PIN lighting devices output one or more second lighting signals. One or more time offsets between the first lighting signal and the one or more second lighting signals are determined. The one or more second lighting signals are adjusted based at least in part on the one or more time offsets to synchronize the first lighting signal and the one or more second lighting signals.
US09642213B2

The current subject matter relates to a lighting device that can be installed in an already existing fixture in a structure. The lighting device can include a light emitting diode (LED) lighting segment and a fluorescent lighting segment. The LED lighting segment can include a LED lighting source, and the fluorescent lighting segment can include a fluorescent lighting source. The LED lighting source can be activated. Motion sensors and/or occupancy sensors can detect motion and/or occupancy of an occupant in the structure. If there is motion or if the occupancy is more than a predetermined threshold, the fluorescent lighting source can be activated. After each regular interval of time, the detection of motion or occupancy can be re-performed. If there is no detection of motion and/or occupancy, the fluorescent lighting source can be deactivated, after a period of time. Related apparatus, systems, techniques and articles are also described.
US09642207B2

A light emitting apparatus includes a first light emitting device configured to emit light having a first chromaticity point that falls within a region on a 1931 CIE Chromaticity Diagram defined by points having coordinates (0.32, 0.40), (0.36, 0.48), (0.43, 0.45), (0.42, 0.42), (0.36, 0.38), and at least two second light emitting devices, each of the at least two second light emitting devices emits light having a respective second chromaticity points that that have ccx values greater than 0.4077 and ccy values less than 0.3944 on the 1931 CIE Chromaticity Diagram. A combined light emitted by the first light emitting device and the at least two second light emitting devices has a third chromaticity point that falls within a 7-step MacAdam ellipse around a point on the black body locus having a correlated color temperature between 2700K and 6500K. The third chromaticity may shift to a more reddish chromaticity when power supplied to the light emitting devices is decreased.
US09642206B2

A substrate for an LED emitter includes a body with a recess region formed therein. Bonding pads are disposed within the recess region, including LED bonding pads for LEDs and supporting chip bonding pads for one or more semiconductor chips that provide supporting circuitry (e.g., driver and/or controller circuitry) to support operation of the LEDs. External electrical contacts can be disposed outside the recess region. Electrical paths, disposed at least partially within the body of the substrate, connect the external electrical contacts to a first subset of the supporting chip bonding pads and connect a second subset of the supporting chip bonding pads to the plurality of LED bonding pads such that one or more supporting chips connected to the controller pads can be operated to deliver different operating currents to different ones of the LEDs.
US09642203B2

In one aspect, an integrated circuit (IC) is configured to receive an input signal. The IC includes a boost switch driver configured to provide a switching operation to a boost converter to drive a string of light emitting diodes (LEDs), a current sink driver connected to a current source and configured to provide a current signal to the string of LEDs, and a delay module configured to delay the current signal to the string of LEDs with respect to the input signal.
US09642201B2

A lighting system, which is composed of a redundant power supply and at least one luminaire with a lamp control module contained therein. The lamp control module includes at least one light source and a light control module. The light control module includes a current control unit, at least one switch unit, and a processing unit. The current control unit is to control the DC current. The switch unit is electrically connected to the light source and enables the DC current source to selectively control DC current to at least one light source. The processing unit is used to adjust value of DC current. The luminaire includes the lamp control module, housing and power lines. The redundant power supply contains at least one AC-to-DC converter module, and the redundant power supply provides constant DC power to at least one light control module of the luminaire.
US09642198B2

An LED driver circuit has a rectifier circuit including a first input terminal coupled to a first AC voltage line and a second input terminal coupled to a second AC voltage line. The rectifier circuit is configured to convert a first AC voltage on the first AC voltage line and a second AC voltage on the second AC voltage line to a DC voltage. The driver circuit has a switching circuit coupled to the first AC voltage line and to the second AC voltage line and configured to generate a reference AC voltage based on the first AC voltage and the second AC voltage. The driver circuit has a power management circuit configured to provide a current or power to an LED lamp based on the generated AC reference voltage. The driver circuit has a power supply circuit configured to provide a constant current or power to the power management circuit.
US09642190B2

An embedded turbofan deicer system (ETDS) may eliminate the ingested ice crystal icing problem plaguing high bypass turbofan engines operating at high altitudes near convective tropical storms: icing occurring on the surfaces of the engine's rotating engine spinner, fan blades, low pressure compressor casing and low pressure compressor and causing loss of power and on occasion engine flameouts. The invention supplies electricity to heat these engine parts using at least one reversed permanent magnet electric generator (reversed PMEG) driven by the turbofan's central drive shaft with all parts of the ETDS mounted internal to the engine in presently unused internal spaces without requiring modifications to the existing engine. All electric power produced by the rotating reversed PMEG supplied directly to rotating engine parts requiring heat for deicing. A unique method to deice metal, composite and metal/composite fan blades is included in the invention using electricity from the reversed PMEG.
US09642186B1

In one example, we describe a Stealth Wireless Pole System and Platform. In one example, we describe a system which: Accommodates all antennas, electrical power, fiber backhaul, e.g., to support up to 4 or 5 wireless service providers; Provides Wi-Fi and/or backhaul services managed by our company; Hides all equipment from view in a complete stealth design; Meets most or all zoning and planning, and permitting requirements for telecommunications facilities; Increases wireless capacity and coverage, including for public safety; Enables the Internet of Things environment by enabling device and service integration. Here, one can save money and resources by integrating all the functionalities and multiple carriers in one platform. Other variations and examples are also given here.
US09642184B2

A system includes a hands free mobile communication device. Software stored on a machine readable storage device is executed to cause the hands free mobile communication device to communicate audibly with a field operator performing field operations. The operator receives instructions regarding operations to be performed. Oral communications are received from the operator and are processed automatically to provide further instructions in response to the received oral communications.
US09642181B2

The disclosure relates to methods for improving the DRX operation of a UE by introducing an additional DRX wake-up cycle, which runs in parallel to the short and/or long DRX cycle. The DRX wake-up cycle defines time intervals after which the UE starts monitoring the PDCCH for a wake-up duration of time; the UE does not perform any other operation during the wake-up duration apart from monitoring the PDCCH. The time intervals of the wake-up cycle between the wake-up durations are preferably shorter than the one of the DRX long cycle, and may have the same or a shorter length than the ones of the DRX short cycle. The wake-up duration may be as long as the on-duration of the DRX short/long cycle, or may be preferably much shorter, such as only one or a few subframes.
US09642176B1

Disclosed is an electrical device and method of automatically searching for and connecting to known or unknown available public communication infrastructure and/or devices in the vicinity using a multi-layer communication model. Each layer may include binding information for local available communication methods and shareable hardware devices, a routing table, and, if applicable, one or more logon profiles for service providers. Communication layers may be built by searching for available public communication infrastructure and/or devices in the vicinity by actively sending out connection requests to all addressable destinations along the available transport medium. Each node is able to access and use the communication infrastructure of each other node. Switching between layers as they become inoperable and/or become available without any user interaction required is also possible.
US09642172B2

A mobile communication system that supports Device to Device (D2D) communications, comprises: a base station that notifies a plurality of user terminals of a D2D common RNTI that is a radio network temporary identifier (RNTI) which is common in the plurality of user terminals, and that is used to collectively transmit, to the plurality of user terminals, a D2D control signal for controlling the D2D communications.
US09642168B2

An indirect communication system and a method of indirect communication include a mobile phone as either a calling device or receiving device. The mobile phone calls another device to set up a prospective communication, and then uses Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) to communicate with the other device over the Internet. The receiving device receives a generated signal notifying the receiving device of a proposed communication with the calling device. A server sets up a meeting point channel after the calling device has connected to the server. The server receives outgoing VoIP packets from the calling device and redirects the outgoing VoIP packets to the receiving device.
US09642166B2

An apparatus includes a first amplifier circuit and a second amplifier circuit. The first amplifier circuit has a first output coupled to a first load circuit in a multi-output mode, and the second amplifier circuit has a second output coupled to a second load circuit in the multi-output mode. The apparatus further includes a first divert circuit and a second divert circuit. The first divert circuit is configured to divert a first portion of a first amplified signal from the first amplifier circuit to the second load circuit in the multi-output mode. The second divert circuit is configured to divert a first portion of a second amplified signal from the second amplifier circuit to the first load circuit in the multi-output mode.
US09642164B2

An object is to increase opportunities for starting “Inter-band CA”. A mobile station UE of the present invention includes a transmission unit 14 configured to postpone transmission of a random access preamble in a cell #2 when the mobile station UE in a “RRC_Connected state” in a cell #1 detects a start trigger of a random access procedure in the cell #2, and determines that an uplink signal is being transmitted in the cell #1. The transmission unit 14 performs the postponed transmission of the random access preamble upon completing the transmission of the uplink signal in the cell #1.
US09642161B2

In a random access procedure, a downlink random access response indicates at least a timing advance and an explicit indication identifying one component carrier or cell (CC/Cell) of a plurality of component carriers or cells, or a group of CCs/Cells, to which the timing advance applies. The eNB or UE then operate their radio on the indicated one CC/Cell synchronous with the timing advance. In various embodiments the random access response may also indicate an uplink resource granted to the user equipment, which lies on that same one or group of CCs/Cells. The explicit indication may be a single bit indicating a timing advance group; a CC/Cell/group index whose presence in the response is indicated by a flag bit; a CC/Cell/group index in the response is known from the response's format whether it includes such an index, where the format indication can be via a bit in the response itself or RRC signaling or implicit from the RACH and cross-carrier scheduling being configured.
US09642155B2

The present disclosure relates to resource allocation optimization for dynamic inter-cell interference avoidance in cellular communication networks, such as Cloud Radio Access Networks (C-RANs).
US09642139B1

Embodiments disclosed herein provide systems and methods for providing in-band backhaul from a wireless macrocell. In a particular embodiment, a method is provided for operating a wireless communication system allocated a plurality of frequency resource segments. The method provides receiving communications for wireless transfer from the wireless communication system using a first antenna system and a second antenna system, wherein a gain of the first antenna system is higher than a gain of the second antenna system. The method further provides determining a first subset of the communications that should be transferred over the first antenna system and transferring the first subset of the communications from the first antenna system using a first portion of the frequency resource segments. The method further provides transferring the remaining communications from the second antenna system using frequency resource segments other than the first portion of the frequency resource segments.
US09642136B2

A method for anchor master selection includes: a device receives a NAN Beacon frame, where the NAN Beacon frame carries first AM information and first TSF information, and the first AM information includes: a first AMR, a first HC, and a first AMBTT; if the NAN Beacon frame is used for AM selection, when the first AMR is less than a second AMR and an MR of the device is greater than the first AMR, switching a role of the device to AM, where second AM information recorded in the device includes: the second AMR, a second HC, and a second AMBTT; and if the NAN Beacon frame is used for AM selection, when the first AMR is less than the second AMR, and the MR of the device is less than the first AMR, updating the second AM information and second TSF information according to the NAN Beacon frame.
US09642127B2

The invention relates to a method for relaying a communication in a network, wherein a user equipment (UER) relays a communication between a network node entity (eNB) and a target entity (UET), the method including the steps, generating a logical channel at least between the user equipment relay (UER) and the target entity (UET), and assigning at least one identifier (LC_ID_R) to the logical channel, and upon reception from the network node entity (eNB), at the user equipment relay (UER), of data received with the identifier (LC_ID_R), the user equipment relay (UER) forwards the received data to the target entity (UET).
US09642124B2

The present disclosure relates to a method used in a User Equipment (UE) for reporting Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) acknowledgement (ACK)/non-acknowledgement (NACK) for Physical Downlink Shared Channels (PDSCHs) in dynamic time division duplex (TDD) configurations. In the method, a plurality of PDSCHs are received in DownLink (DL) subframes associated with an UpLink (UL) subframe and indicated by a DL reference TDD configuration. The DL subframes are divided into a first subset of DL subframes and a second subset of DL subframes. The first subset of DL subframes is also indicated by an UL reference TDD configuration. A first set of Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH) resource indices are assigned based on resources used in transmission of Physical Downlink Control Channels (PDCCHs) corresponding to the PDSCHs received in the DL subframes of the first subset of DL subframes. A second set of PUCCH resource indices are assigned based on resources used in transmission of PDCCHs corresponding to the PDSCHs received in the DL subframes of the second subset of DL subframes. For each of the received PDSCHs, HARQ ACK/NACK is reported by using PUCCH resources in an order of the assigned first set of PUCCH resource indices for PDSCHs received in the DL subframes of the first subset of DL subframes and in an order of the assigned second set of PUCCH resource indices for PDSCHs received in the DL subframes of the second subset of DL subframes. The present disclosure also relates to a UE and BS for respectively reporting and receiving HARQ ACK/NACK for PDSCHs in TDD configurations.
US09642120B2

A transmission method and apparatus are provided for use in a wireless communication system in which a cell includes a plurality of sub-cells. A Transmission Point (TP) in the wireless communication system includes a transmitter configured to transmit a signal to each of the plurality of sub-cells through a plurality of antennas; a receiver configured to receive uplink control information from a User Equipment (UE) located within at least one of the plurality of sub-cells; and a controller configured to determine a virtual matrix for each of the plurality of sub-cells, to select a precoding matrix according to the virtual matrices of the plurality of sub-cells, to determine a cooperative transmission mode or a normal transmission mode, based on the received uplink control information, and to control the transmitter to perform downlink transmission on a sub-cell basis through the virtual matrices of the sub-cells according to the determined transmission mode.
US09642117B2

The present invention relates to a method and a network node for selecting transmission mode to a cell providing Multicasting/Broadcasting Multimedia Service, MBMS, which cell is served by the network node in a MBMS single frequency network and comprising at least one user equipment receiving or requesting MBMS data. The network node obtains (601) a first parameter related to a quality of the MBMS experienced by the at least one user equipment and compares Based the first parameter with a predefined first threshold value. Based on the result of comparison the network node selects (604) a transmission mode to the cell.
US09642108B2

Disclosed are methods for carrying out device-to-device (“D2D”) communication. In one implementation, a user equipment (“UE”) communicates D2D with another UE using uplink radio resources. The first UE receives a downlink signal from a base station and determines the reception time. The first UE also receives a timing advance for uplink communication. Based on the reception time and the timing advance, the first UE determines an uplink transmission time. When transmitting to the second UE, however, the first UE does not transmit at the determined UL transmission time. Rather, the first UE delays its D2D transmission for a period of time that is based on the second UE's uplink timing advance.
US09642107B1

This disclosure provides systems, methods and apparatus for multi-channel satellite calibration. In one aspect, a calibration system can provide a transmit calibration signal based on a reference calibration signal to a satellite. The satellite can transmit back a receive calibration signal that can be obtained by the calibration system. Sub-carriers of the receive calibration signal can be compared with sub-carriers of the reference signal to determine adjustments to transmission properties of antennas of the satellite.
US09642102B2

A second transmission power control different from a first transmission power control being performed on a first wireless terminal connected to a wireless base station without a relay station is performed on a second wireless terminal connected to the wireless base station through the relay station.
US09642100B2

A wireless communication device has an aim of specifying, when transmitting data to another communication device, an antenna among antennas that can transmit data at a low transmission power. The wireless communication device switches between a first antenna and a second antenna upon transmission of a request signal to the other communication device, and increases or decreases transmission power for transmitting the request signal when switching between the first antenna and the second antenna.
US09642099B2

A transmit power control rule for device-to-device (D2D) transmissions may not be necessary during periods in which no uplink transmissions are scheduled to be received by an enhanced Node B base station (eNB). When uplink transmissions are not scheduled to be received by the eNB, the eNB may send a transmit power control (TPC) command to a D2D capable user equipment (D2D UE) that instructs the D2D UE to perform a D2D transmission at a pre-defined transmit power level (e.g., maximum transmit power level). When uplink transmissions are scheduled to be received the eNB, the eNB may send a TPC command to the D2D UE that instructs the D2D UE to perform a D2D transmission at a transmit power level defined by a power control rule.
US09642084B2

Embodiments describe arrangements related to offload scanning of large scan lists. Embodiments may comprise logic such as hardware and/or code to facilitate offloading of the scans of large scan lists, e.g., lists on the order of thousands of networks or access points for networks, to network adapters such as wireless network interface cards. Many embodiments provide a network adapter with a compressed representation of a large scan list that may not fit uncompressed in memory of the network adapter. In some embodiments, the compressed representation of the scan list may be lossy, introducing balances related to the memory size on the network adapter, the extent of compression, and the list size, as well as a balance between the memory size and a probability of false positives. In many embodiments, the network adapter may wake the host device upon identifying a network on a scan list.
US09642081B2

[Problems to be Solved]It is an object to provide a wireless system and a control method of the wireless system capable of determining whether a beacon transmission function is accepted.[Solution]A wireless system of the present invention includes a first wireless terminal including wide area wireless communication means connecting to an external network, and first narrow area wireless communication means having a beacon transmission function for transmitting a beacon for communication control, and a second wireless terminal including second narrow area wireless communication means capable of communicating with the first narrow area wireless communication means, wherein the second wireless terminal connects to the external network via the second narrow area wireless communication means, the first narrow area wireless communication means, and the wide area wireless communication means, and when the first narrow area wireless communication means receives, from the second narrow area wireless communication means, a request signal for requesting the beacon transmission function to be transited to the second narrow area wireless communication means, the first narrow area wireless communication means transits the beacon transmission function to the second narrow area wireless communication means.
US09642080B2

Inter-carrier scanning is triggered in a mobile device based at least in part on location thereof. Femto access point (AP) that can serve the mobile device can determine location through cell or sector identifier that is extracted via scan(s) of macro wireless environment of the femto AP. Femto AP can rank extracted sector identifier(s) and establish home macro sector (HMS) identifier(s), and also can generate scanning requirements for idle-mode scan(s) by a mobile device that operates in a HMS and is authorized to access wireless coverage through the femto AP. Scanning requirement(s) can force periodic inter-carrier measurements of a HMS wireless environment, and establish HMS-specific radio link quality threshold(s). Wireless network can receive at least one of HMS identifier(s) and scanning requirement(s) and deliver same to mobile device(s) authorized to exploit wireless coverage through femto AP associated with the HMS ID(s) and the scanning requirement(s).
US09642079B2

A wireless communication device 1 carries out wireless communications using different wireless communication schemes through antennas independent of each other. When it decides that a party on the other end is a wireless communication device using a single antenna system, it switches to a simultaneous operation that carries out wireless LAN and Bluetooth wireless communication in parallel, and when it does not decide that the party on the other end is a wireless communication device using a single antenna system, it switches to a time-division operation that carries out the wireless LAN and Bluetooth wireless communication in time division.
US09642076B2

Techniques for use in selecting a base station transceiver system for communication with a mobile station are described. The mobile station is connected to a first base station transceiver system, and scans to identify a second base station transceiver system for communication. The mobile station further identifies that the second base station transceiver system provides a predetermined communication service, and that the first base station transceiver system fails to provide the predetermined communication service. In response to identifying, the mobile station causes the second base station transceiver system to be selected for communication over the first base station transceiver system even if the signal quality of the second base station transceiver system is worse than that of the first base station transceiver system. Identifying whether the first and second base station transceiver system provide the predetermined communication service is based on parameters transmitted from the first and second base station transceiver systems.
US09642068B2

The present invention discloses a method, a network device, and a user equipment for controlling access to a core network. The method includes: determining that a change occurs in access control information for controlling a user equipment to access a core network; and sending radio resource control signaling to the user equipment through a dedicated control channel, where the radio resource control signaling is used to notify the user equipment that a change occurs in the access control information, so that the user equipment updates the access control information. Therefore, a load of a core network node can be effectively controlled, and system performance is improved.
US09642067B2

The present invention provides a network offloading method, a base station, and a terminal, which solves the problem of low user experience of a terminal. Specific steps may include: receiving access point state information of a wireless local area network; and if it is determined, according to stored state information of a network currently accessed by a terminal, that data offloading needs to be performed for the terminal, and it is determined, according to the access point state information, that the terminal is allowed to access the wireless local area network, sending offloading instruction information to the terminal, where the offloading instruction information includes identification information of the wireless local area network, so that the terminal makes the terminal access the wireless local area network according to the identification information of the wireless local area network, and performs data transmission using the wireless local area network.
US09642065B2

The present disclosure proposes a method for managing a tracking area identity (TAI) list to be used by a user equipment (UE), a user equipment using the same, and a communication system using the same. The present disclosure would include a UE which stores a forbidden TAI list. A mobility management entity (MME) would transmit a first message which includes a TAI List to the UE. The UE would then determine whether the TAI list and the forbidden TAI list contain a first tracking area which is on both the TAI list and the forbidden tracking area list. If that is the case, the UE may either remove the first tracking area from the TAI list or the UE may remove the first track area from the forbidden tracking area list. After the revision of the TAI list is complete, the UE may synchronize the TAI with the MME.
US09642059B2

A method and system for coordinated interference suppression in a communication system. The communication system implements at least a first radio access technology via a first base station and a second radio access technology via a second base station. The first and second radio access technologies differ from one another. Information relating to an interference signal received at the first base station via the first radio access technology is received at the second base station from a first device associated with the first base station. At a second device associated with the second base station, an interfering user equipment accessing the second base station via the second radio access technology is identified. The identification is based on the information received from the first device associated with the first base station. Interference caused by the identified interfering user equipment is suppressed by the second base station.
US09642051B2

A method and apparatus are provided for providing notification of a network access technology switching event. A method may include determining, at a communication device having an established connection to a network via a first network access technology and serving as a gateway to the network for a served device, that the connection between the communication device and the network is to be switched from the first network access technology to a second network access technology. The method may further include, responsive to the determination, causing a notification indicating that the served device will experience a network service disconnection to be provided prior to the connection between the communication device and the network being switched from the first network access technology to a second network access technology. A corresponding apparatus is also provided.
US09642046B2

A communication system in which an availability of communication resources to be used by a first base station module and a second base station module of a communications apparatus is managed. In one embodiment, the communication resources are shared between first and second base station modules such that communication resources that are not being used by the first base station module are available to be used by the second base station module and vice versa.
US09642040B2

With multiple communication channels available and range extenders, a number of paths may be available for communicating traffic in a wireless network. Traffic on paths in the wireless network may be load balanced to improve channel utilization and/or relieve an overloaded communication channel. To load balance the traffic, a first AP may determine candidate paths between a first AP and a client device, wherein at least one of the candidate paths traverses a second AP. The AP may determine available bandwidths of the candidate paths based, at least in part, on availability of communication channels of the candidate paths. The AP may steer a portion of the wireless network traffic of the client device to a first of the candidate paths based, at least in part, on the available bandwidths.
US09642036B2

A wireless local area network, WLAN, comprising: access points arranged to maintain wireless links with terminals each arranged to initiate a wireless link with an access point, and to associate with an access point during a service session. A central association server is connected to each of the access points, and is arranged to gather information from a plurality of the terminals via the wireless links between terminals and access points, determine, based on the gathered information, with which access point a terminal which has initiated a wireless link should associate during its service session, and notify the terminal, via the access point with which the terminal initiated the wireless link, of the access point so determined.
US09642031B2

Embodiments of the present invention provide a data offload method and a user equipment. The data offload method includes receiving offload configuration signaling sent by a base station. The offload configuration signaling indicates to perform wireless network offload configuration. Offload configuration is performed according to the offload configuration signaling and data is offloaded according to the offload configuration.
US09642028B2

Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, are provided for testing of wireless devices. In one aspect there is provided a method. The method may include receiving, at a user equipment, location information provided by a network node (306); generating, by the user equipment, a report including at least one measurement and the received location information linked to the at least one measurement; and sending, by the user equipment, the report to the network node, the report including the at least one measurement and the received location information (320). Related apparatus, systems, methods, and articles are also described.
US09642016B2

There is provided a method for determining an offset to be used to extend the range of a first base station in a mobile communication network, the method comprising determining one or more characteristics of a mobile device; and determining offset to be used to extend the range of the first base station from the one or more characteristics.
US09642015B2

A mobile terminal apparatus checks if a user is a proper user based on the operation of the user and, if the result of authentication is negative, uploads predetermined data, which is part of data stored in a memory, to a predetermined server. After the transmission is completed, the mobile terminal apparatus erases the uploaded data from the memory. It is also possible to instruct the mobile terminal apparatus to upload and erase data from an external source using an electronic mail or a telephone tone signal sequence. This may protect data contained in mobile terminal apparatus that has been lost, from a person who improperly attempts to access the data.
US09642013B2

A mobile communicator network routing decision system communicating with each mobile communicator device of a plurality of mobile communicator devices, the plurality of mobile communicator devices communicating with a network via at least one computerized network gateway server, the system including security risk calculation functionality operable for calculating a calculated malware-associated risk associated with each mobile communicator device, and security risk responsive decision functionality, operating in response to the calculated malware-associated risk, for ascertaining whether to allow the communicating of each mobile communicator device with the network via the computerized network gateway server.
US09642010B2

There is provided a management server including a communication unit configured to communicate with a communication terminal that utilizes a service, and a data processing unit. The data processing unit is configured to receive, from the communication terminal, system configuration information including a memory system configuration of the communication terminal, determine, in accordance with the system configuration information, a memory area in the communication terminal where service data for the communication terminal to utilize the service is recorded or a memory area in the communication terminal from which the service data is read, generate a command to execute a process to access the memory area or service data to be recorded in the memory area, and transmit the command or the service data to the communication terminal via the communication unit.
US09642005B2

A computer-readable medium embodies a computer program for authenticating a user. The computer program comprises computer-readable program code for: generating a first message including an identifier for a session, sending the first message through an interface associated with the session, receiving a response message including the identifier for the session, a user identifier, and at least a portion encrypted using a private key associated with a mobile device associated with the user, and authenticating the user in response to identifying that the response message includes at least the portion encrypted using the private key associated with the mobile device.
US09641998B2

Proposed is a technique for preparing a roaming operation of a User Equipment (UE) between a home network and at least one visited network. A method aspect being performed in a roaming control entity comprises receiving at least one message related to the roaming operation, determining if a roaming attempt from the home network to the at least one visited network is performed, and, if the determining step is affirmative, requesting, from the home network, information relating to the UE so as to evaluate if the UE has access to the home network. The method aspect being performed in the UE comprises transmitting the at least one message about the roaming attempt, and receiving, responsive to the transmitting, deny or grant of access of the UE to the at least one visited network depending on whether the UE has access to the home network or not.
US09641990B2

A system and method for transferring calls without interruption between a cellular network and a WiFi network. The system includes smartphones and other mobile devices (e.g. tablet computers) connected to a network and running an application installed on the mobile devices to perform the functions for making the uninterrupted transfer of calls between a cellular network and a WiFi network or vice versa.
US09641988B2

An exemplary land mobile radio dispatch console and method are provided. In one embodiment, the console has the capability to process and handle Requests To Talk (RTT) and emergencies. In another embodiment, the console has the capability to provide a history. In another embodiment, the console provides the capability for operators to configure and save patches of predefined groups for later use. In another embodiment, the console includes a telephone interconnect interface component, and combinations of features mentioned above.
US09641985B2

There are provided systems and methods for wireless beacon devices for use in tracking user locations during group travel. A user may take a trip on a vehicle, such as a bus, train, cruise ship, or other large travel vehicle. The users may disembark the vehicle in order to visit a location but plan to travel further on the vehicle. Thus, when the vehicle is attempting to leave the location where the users have left the vehicle, the vehicle may be required to again account for each passenger. The vehicle may utilize a wireless beacon located near an entrance and/or onboard the vehicle to account for each passenger. The wireless beacon may connect to a communication device of each user when the communication device is in proximity to the wireless beacon and, thus, inform the vehicle's operator that each user in located on the vehicle.
US09641982B2

The present invention describes a method and system how to get the location information to a mobile device indoors or outdoors. The method and system includes that one or several nodes capable to communicate with short-distance communication network having two or more pieces of location information in their identification are placed into the area where the mobile device capable to communicate with short distance communication network should get the location information. Method and system also includes in the mobile device an application which is able to detect, analyze and deduce the location based on the pieces of location information got from the node or nodes.
US09641975B2

A computer program product comprising a tangible storage medium readable by a processing circuit and storing instructions for execution by the processing circuit for implementing a data analysis method is provided. The data analysis method includes generating first data identifying traversed cellular areas and time spent by a mobile device in each, wherein the mobile device is disposable to be carried by a user from first to second locations and to thereby traverse the cellular areas, generating second data identifying the first and second locations as well as time spent by the mobile device in each and performing, by a processor for output to a wellness professional, a wellness analysis of a user based on medical data and the first and second data.
US09641965B1

Methods, systems, and apparatus include computer programs encoded on a computer-readable storage medium, including a method for providing information. The method includes receiving a prompt from a user operator associated with a first unit. The method further includes determining a location associated with the first unit. The method further includes responsive to the prompt, determining one or more second mobile units within a geographic area associated with the location. The method further includes outputting a communication to the one or more second mobile units. The method further includes enabling a direct communication link between the user operator and an operator associated with a respective one of the one or more second mobile units. The method further includes providing environment information to the one or more second mobile units based at least in part on the prompt.
US09641962B2

Sensor information is received from a set of sensors. First and second sets of machine monitoring data are generated from the sensor information. The first set of machine monitoring data is sent to a control system with a display in an operator compartment of a mobile machine. The second set of machine monitoring data is sent to a processing system that is separate from the control system.
US09641950B2

A die is manufactured using complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) techniques to create transistors, electrical pathways, and microelectromechanical system (MEMS) structures. The MEMS structures include springs, plates, mechanical stops, and structural supports, which can be combined to form complex MEMS structures including microphones, pressure sensors, accelerometers, resonators, gyroscopes, and the like.
US09641940B2

A MEMS microphone package and a method of manufacturing a MEMS microphone package having a lid and a substrate cap. The lid includes a wire bonding shelf that provides a surface internal to the MEMS microphone for connection points for internal wire bonds. One or more conductive traces deposited on the bonding shelf are provided to connect internal electronic components via the wire bonds to a substrate cap. The substrate cap is configured to connect to external devices or components. The internal electronic components include a MEMS microphone die and an application specific integrated circuit. The internal electronic components are configured to transmit signals to external electronics indicative of acoustic energy received by the MEMS microphone die by the configurations described herein.
US09641939B2

An acoustic transducer includes a slit having higher passage resistance than in conventional structures and having a lower rate of decrease in the passage resistance than in conventional structures when, for example, the vibration electrode plate warps. The acoustic transducer includes a stationary electrode plate, and a vibration electrode plate facing the stationary electrode plate with a space between the electrode plates. The vibration electrode plate includes a slit that allows sound to pass through. The vibration electrode plate includes a resistance increasing section including at least one pair of high-resistance surfaces that constitute side surfaces of the slit in a width direction thereof, and are thicker than a middle portion of the vibration electrode plate.
US09641924B2

An electronic device including a sound output module and a housing for the electronic device are provided. The electronic device includes a front case including a display unit, a rear case coupled to the front case and including a mounting space of a battery, a speaker module configured to form at least one side wall of the mounting space of the battery, and a battery cover configured to cover at least the mounting space of the battery.
US09641921B2

A speaker system can include a speaker core and a removable jacket. The speaker core can have a housing and a speaker positioned within the housing. The removable jacket can cover the speaker on an outside surface of the housing, the jacket extending along at least three sides of the housing. Among other features, the speaker core can be used with one of among a number of different jackets to form different speaker systems.
US09641917B2

Embodiments of the present invention provide an optical communications apparatus, where the apparatus includes: an input system, a first optical switch array, and an output system, where the input system includes N input ports that are one-dimensionally arranged on a first plane, a first beam expander, a demultiplexer, and a first optical path changer; the first optical switch array includes N×K first optical switch units that are two-dimensionally arranged on a second plane, and the first optical switch units can rotate in a first axial line direction and a second axial line direction; and the output system includes a second optical path changer, a second beam expander, a second optical switch array, and M output ports that are two-dimensionally arranged.
US09641915B2

In one embodiment, a method comprises receiving, by a broker device in a persistent data network, a request from one or more sensor consumers for sensor data originated by one or more isolated sensor devices, the isolated sensor devices not reachable by any wired or wireless infrastructure; sending, by the broker device via the persistent data network in response to the request, a message to a mobile collector device indicating an instruction for obtaining the sensor data from the one or more isolated sensor devices; and receiving, by the broker device in the persistent data network, the sensor data from the mobile collector device having established a local data connection with the one or more isolated sensor devices, and in response causing sending of a credit for receiving the sensor data to a registered user of the mobile collector device.
US09641907B2

An image transmission system with finite re-transmission function is disclosed. The system of the invention comprises a communication channel, a transmitting device and a receiving device. The transmitting device comprises an encoder, a first coded buffer and a transmitter. The receiving device comprises a receiver, a second coded buffer, a decoder, a decoded buffer and a display control unit. The system of the invention uses line buffers due to its line-based encoding/decoding scheme, to thereby reduce hardware cost. In addition, the image transmission system of the invention conducts a skip-line-encoding mechanism, a stop-retransmitting mechanism and a line-ID-control mechanism, to thereby achieve a real-time transmission/display.
US09641900B2

Methods and systems are disclosed to perform a channel change via an alternate multimedia content delivery system. A particular method includes detecting a request to perform a channel change at a customer premise equipment (CPE) device. The method also includes sending the request to a server of a primary multimedia content delivery system that supports delivery of content to the CPE device. The method further includes receiving a bandwidth limitation message from the server. The method includes generating a notification for display at a display device coupled to the CPE device. The notification prompts a user with respect to delivery of content over one or more alternate multimedia content delivery systems in response to the requested channel change.
US09641898B2

Method and accompanying system for providing an in-video library. A video player presents a video stream to a user. During presentation of the video stream, the video player displays at least a portion of a library of selectable prerecorded video segments, and a selection of one or more of the prerecorded video segments from the library is received from the user. The video player further displays a video segment watch-list that includes the selected prerecorded video segments. The video player then presents the segments in the video segment watch-list as part of the video stream.
US09641896B2

A video-on-demand (VOD) content delivery system has a VOD Application Server which manages a database of templates for presentation of video content elements of different selected types categorized in hierarchical order. A web-based Content Management System receives content uploaded online in file formats with metadata for title and topical area, and automatically converts it into video data format compatible with the VOD content delivery system indexed by title and topical area. A User Interface for the system delivers listings data to the viewer's TV indexed by title and topical area specified by the uploaded metadata.
US09641894B2

To allowed for increased security for selling HDR movies (or at least HDR experiences) even when some of the movie data gets pirated, an image transformation apparatus (201) is arranged to derive a e.g. a high dynamic range image (HDR_PRED) from a low dynamic range image (LDR_CONT) or any dynamic range image (e.g. a display driving image) from any dynamic range input image, wherein the derivation comprises tone mapping of lumas of pixels in the low dynamic range image into lumas of pixels of the high dynamic range image by applying at least one predefined mapping algorithm (gam), the image transformation apparatus comprising: -an input (204) to a data delivery system (205) comprising the low dynamic range image; -a data-secured input (206) to the at least one predefined mapping algorithm (gam) data; and -a control unit (202) arranged to manage access to the predefined mapping algorithm data under control of an owner of artistic content in the low dynamic range image, which allows for better control of the authorized regularity of the content when it is to be rendered, which is possible because of our special HDR image encoding strategy.
US09641889B2

A method for execution by a customer premises receiver, comprising: receiving a signal that carries an original media stream; determining a location of the receiver; obtaining an identifier of an authorized region for the receiver; determining whether said location is contained within said authorized region; if said location is determined to be contained within said authorized region, outputting the original media stream for conveyance to a user; if said location is determined to not be contained within said authorized region, outputting a second media stream that is sufficiently corrupted relative to the original media stream as to degrade the user's viewing experience while being demonstrative of non-malfunctioning of the receiver. Also, a method, comprising a service provider releasing towards a plurality of customer premises receivers information regarding a respective geographic region within which each receiver is authorized to operate, wherein different geographic regions define coverage areas of different sizes.
US09641883B2

A system and method for providing integrated advertising in a television distribution network is disclosed. The system comprises a storage module, a processor in communication with the storage module and a chroma-keying module. The storage module stores one television program and one image to be integrated with the television program. The processor divides a background of the television program into a plurality of frames. The processor identifies the background color of each spatial frame. The chroma-keying module compares the background color of each frame with a pre-selected chroma range for integrating the image into detected frame, when the background color of the frame matches with one key-color in the pre-selected chroma range. The spatial frame is replaced with a preset advertisement based on the type, genre and time of the telecast program on a plurality of channels.
US09641871B1

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for providing a call to action at the end of a resource. In one aspect, a method includes receiving a request for media content to present on a user device, the request including a second request for third-party content to present with the media content, identifying, user device capabilities that describes information about system compatibility for the user device, determining third-party content to present with the media, the third-party content including a first presentation time duration indicative of a length of time the third-party content is presented, determining that an end cap is compatible with the user device and related to the third-party content, the end cap providing an interactive opportunity to request subsequent resources for the user device, and transmitting data to present the third-party content, the end cap, and the media.
US09641867B2

In an earliest vertical synchronization period after sending an encoded image data is restarted, a first reference image determination circuit determines to employ a local decoded image generated in a vertical synchronization period immediately preceding a vertical synchronization period in which an error occurs among multiple local decoded images stored in a first DRAM as a reference image. In an earliest vertical synchronization period after a decoding circuit is reset, a second reference image determination circuit determines to employ a decoded image generated in the vertical synchronization period immediately preceding the vertical synchronization period in which the error occurs among multiple decoded images stored in a second DRAM as a reference image.
US09641862B2

There are disclosed various methods, apparatuses and computer program products for video encoding. In some embodiments pictures are encoded into a bitstream. The bitstream comprises at least two scalability layers and pictures being associated with access units. A first indication and a second indication are encoded into the bitstream. The first indication is configured to indicate an output layer. And the second indication is configured to indicate at least one alternative output layer. A first picture of said at least one alternative output layer is output by a decoding process of the bitstream when no picture of the output layer is in an access unit containing said first picture of said at least one alternative output layer.
US09641857B2

Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture (e.g., physical storage media) to implement power efficient detection of watermarks in media signals are disclosed. Example watermark detection methods disclosed herein include initiating a first search interval in which to attempt to detect watermarks in a media signal. Disclosed example watermark detection methods also initiating a sleep mode upon expiration of the first search interval in response to no valid watermarks being detected during the first search interval. Disclosed example watermark detection methods further include, upon expiration of a first sleep interval after initiation of the sleep mode, initiating a second search interval.
US09641854B2

A count table maintenance apparatus for maintaining a count table referenced to apply a backward adaptation to a probability table. The count table maintenance apparatus includes a count data access interface, at least one buffer, and at least one count data updating circuit. The count data access interface determines a read address and a write address of the storage apparatus. The at least one buffer buffers at least one input count data, wherein the at least one input count data is derived from count data read from the count table according to the read address. The at least one count data updating circuit updates the at least one input count data read from the at least one buffer to generate at least one updated count data, and store the at least one updated count data into the storage apparatus according to the write address.
US09641838B2

The moving image coding apparatus generates at least one motion prediction information for prediction-coding a coding target image of color components, for each color component, determines a correlation relationship of at least one motion prediction information of each of the generated color components, determines a color component which is to be a correction target, on the basis of a result of the determination of the correlation relationship, and corrects at least one motion prediction information of the determined color component using the motion prediction information corresponding to at least one color component among the other color components.
US09641827B2

A controller for a 3D observation apparatus performing 3D observation based on parallax using a plurality of optical systems includes the following sections. A start time acquisition section obtains a start time when energization of the 3D observation apparatus is started. An interrupted time acquisition section obtains an interrupted time when previous energization of the 3D observation apparatus is interrupted. A non-active time calculation section calculates a non-active time which is a period of time between the interrupted time and the start time. A determination section determines whether or not misalignment correction to correct misalignment of optical axes of the optical systems is necessary based on the non-active time.
US09641826B1

A system and method of capturing a stereoscopic pair of images for use in forming a 3-D image of an object at a desired perceived position in a scene projected onto a dome surface. The first one of the stereoscopic pair of images is captured when the object is offset to the right of the desired perceived position in the scene. The second one of the stereoscopic pair of images is captured when the object is offset to the left of the desired perceived position in the scene. In this manner, positive parallax can be captured in front of a viewer, upward in an arc through the zenith of the dome, and beyond to the back of the dome. The system and method allows scenes projected onto a dome surface to contain positive parallax, and therefore allows objects to appear to be located beyond the dome surface.
US09641812B2

A dispensing verification device which is capable of readily verifying the contents of dispensing. The dispensing verification device has a camera capturing a counter with a mark, an image management server storing the image captured by the camera, a determination means determining whether the mark is hidden by a prescription, a timer outputting a time information, a writing control means controlling the writing of the image to the image management server, a display displaying the image stored in the image management server, and a readout control means retrieving a written image and reading out the written image from the image management server and outputting the same to the display. If the determination means determines that the mark is hidden, the writing control means associates the image captured by the camera with the time information and writes the image to the image management server as a still image.
US09641810B2

A method for acquiring images of a photographic target from arbitrary perspectives with an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) equipped with at least one image acquisition device having a fixed acquisition direction with respect to the vehicle, said UAV having automatic navigation means allowing to reach an arbitrary location and automatic attitude control means allowing to transiently reach an arbitrary orientation in space, said photographic target being outside the current field of view of the acquisition device while the UAV flies along a predefined flying path, this method comprising: computing a target UAV position and an orientation in space required to acquire a desired image from a set of parameters, navigating to said target UAV position, modifying an attitude of the UAV in order to modify the acquisition direction to point toward the photographic target, acquiring images, and starting a recovery phase by controlling the UAV back to cruise attitude and navigate back along the predefined flying path.
US09641807B2

A motor vehicle includes a control device and at least one lighting device which is controllable by the control device sequentially in at least two modes which illuminate surroundings of the vehicle differently. At least one camera captures at least two images of the differently illuminated surroundings of the vehicle. The at least two different images are processed by an image processing device for producing a processing result which is transmitted for control of a driver assistance system.
US09641804B2

Aspects of the present invention may be found in a system and method to effectively schedule and configure video and audio conferences. In one embodiment, the system comprises a server and one or more audio/video conferencing devices interconnected through a public or private data network. In one embodiment, a graphical user interface (GUI) provides for an intuitive means to graphically view and configure one or more conferences, participants, and conference call configuration settings.
US09641803B1

In one embodiment, a device in a network identifies delay requirements of each of a plurality of media streams. The device selects a joint forward error correction (FEC) encoding strategy for the plurality of media streams based on the identified delay requirements of the streams and on a burst loss length of a communication channel. The device applies the selected joint FEC encoding strategy to the plurality of media streams, to form a multiplexed packet stream. The device sends the multiplexed packet stream to one or more nodes in the network via the communication channel.
US09641788B2

An image processing apparatus and control method is provided. The image processing apparatus includes a processor including one or more processing modules configured to process data, a power supply configured to supply an operating voltage to the one or more processing modules in a normal operation mode, a sensor configured to detect a temperature of the processor, and a controller configured to change the processor from the normal operation mode to one of a first operation mode and a second operation mode according to the temperature detected by the sensor, control the power supply to supply a lower level operating voltage to at least one of the one or more processing modules when the processor is in the first operation mode, and reset or disable at least one processing module selected from the one or more processing modules when the processor is in the second operation mode.
US09641775B2

During a period in which an electric potential of one node of a holding capacitance shifts from a first electric potential to a second electric potential, the other node of the holding capacitance is in an electrically-floating state.
US09641761B2

A method and device for playing contents in an electronic device are provided. The method includes selecting a setting condition value for playing at least one contents, where the at least one contents includes at least one tag information corresponding to the setting condition value, determining the at least one contents satisfying the setting condition value, and playing the at least one contents in a predefined order.
US09641756B2

An image capturing apparatus comprises an object detection unit configured to detect a predetermined object and a movement amount acquisition unit configured to acquire an amount of movement of the predetermined object. An object tracking unit suppresses the amount of movement of the predetermined object by moving an optical element constituting an image capturing optical system. A motion vector detection unit detects a motion vector indicating an image blur amount. An image blur correction unit corrects image blur based on the motion vector. A switching unit switches whether or not to perform object tracking using the object tracking unit. The image blur correction unit makes effect of the image blur correction in a case of performing the object tracking smaller than effect of the image blur correction in a case of not performing the object tracking.
US09641755B2

One or more systems, devices, and/or methods for emphasizing objects in an image, such as a panoramic image, are disclosed. For example, a method includes receiving a depthmap generated from an optical distancing system, wherein the depthmap includes position data and depth data for each of a plurality of points. The optical distancing system measures physical data. The depthmap is overlaid on the panoramic image according to the position data. Data is received that indicates a location on the panoramic image and, accordingly, a first point of the plurality of points that is associated with the location. The depth data of the first point is compared to depth data of surrounding points to identify an area on the panoramic image corresponding to a subset of the surrounding points. The panoramic image is altered with a graphical effect that indicates the location.
US09641753B2

An image correction apparatus includes a difference computing unit which computes an absolute difference value between corresponding pixels in a first and a second image, a combining ratio computing unit which computes a combining ratio of the second image to the first image so that the combining ratio decreases as the absolute difference value of each pixel contained in a filter region defined around an attention pixel on the first image increases, and a combining unit which produces a corrected image by combining the value of the attention pixel in the first image with the value of the corresponding pixel in the second image in accordance with the combining ratio computed for the attention pixel and by taking the combined value as the value of the corresponding pixel in the corrected image.
US09641747B2

An imaging device comprises a lens barrel including an optical system that collects light from a predetermined viewing area and that defines an optical axis; an imaging unit that receives the light collected by the optical system and generates image data, the image data defining a main image that includes a determined sub area; a ring-shaped operation ring that is provided on an outer circumference of the lens barrel and that is manually rotatable about the optical axis of the optical system; and an area change unit that changes at least one of (A) a size of the determined sub area, or (B) a position of the determined sub area, responsive to a manual operation of the operation ring.
US09641743B2

A device includes circuitry configured to acquire detection signals from at least one sensor device corresponding to an input operation and determine one or more input characters based on one or more characteristics of the detection signals. The circuitry is also configured to activate a timer corresponding to the one or more input characters and issue a control signal to at least one camera to perform an image capture operation when an amount of remaining time on the timer is equal to zero.
US09641734B2

Described is a lens for a camera, the camera having a flash and an image sensor, the lens comprising a flash portion for covering the flash; an image sensor portion for covering the image sensor; and a barrier between the image sensor portion and the flash portion.
US09641731B2

A magnetic reluctance actuator (MRA) comprising an unstable magnetic reluctance motor (MRM) having a strong force-to-position dependency and a nonlinear force-to-current dependency, the unstable MRM operative to move a lens carrier in a given direction, a lens position sensing mechanism, and a control unit configured to obtain an input from the position sensing mechanism and to provide closed loop control to overcome the strong force-to-position dependency and the nonlinear force-to-current dependency, thereby allowing precise lens position control.
US09641730B2

An apparatus for generating, capturing, and/or recording an image having a platform assembly having a top plate coupled to a rod coupled to a base plate; and a recording assembly having a pivoting arm, a balancing arm, and pipe having a bore, wherein the pivoting arm is connected to the pipe, and the balancing arm is connected to the pipe opposite the pivoting arm; wherein the recording assembly rotates independently of the platform assembly is disclosed. Also disclosed herein is a method for generating, capturing and/or recording an image.
US09641719B2

There is provided a non-transitory computer readable medium. An imaging unit captures an image. A search request unit requests a search by using identification information for identifying a person described in the image or a medium having the image printed thereon. A reception unit receives image feature values corresponding to the identification information, as a result of the search. An acquisition unit acquires information for accessing a content or content information when the received image feature values and image feature values extracted from the captured image correspond to each other.
US09641718B2

A copying machine is configured to execute a first scanning process to scan an image on an original sheet and generate image data, which is stored in a storage of the copying machine and an external processing device, a printing process to print the image of the original sheet, a second scanning process to release an image data storing area of the storage, and store the image data in the storage and the external processing device, a transmission process to release the image data storing area of the storage, and transmit the image data from the external processing device to the storage, and a detection process to detect whether a free capacity of the storage becomes less than a particular value.
US09641705B2

An image processing device includes a detector, a recognition unit, an acquisition, unit, and an output unit. The detector detects an image formed on a sheet, and a mark applied to the sheet. The recognition unit recognizes a mark position, which is a position where the mark is formed on the image. The acquisition unit acquires an additional image to be added and formed at the mark position. The output unit forms an output image using the image detected by the detector and the additional image acquired by the acquisition unit.
US09641704B2

An information processing system includes an information processing apparatus that is capable of being remotely operated by a remote operation terminal via a network, an execution unit that executes a job in accordance with operation, a first operation receiving unit that receives operation of the remote operation terminal for the execution unit, a second operation receiving unit that receives operation for the execution unit, a determining unit that determines whether operation is received by the first operation receiving unit or the second operation receiving unit, a charging determining unit that determines whether the job executed by the execution unit is an object for charging in accordance with the result determined by the determining unit, and a storing unit that stores therein the result determined by the determining unit.
US09641703B2

An image forming apparatus has a communication unit that receives a print job from an execution request source computer, a printing unit that executes the print job, a controller, and a storage. The storage stores route information. The controller identifies the execution request source computer, determines a movement route along which a user moves from the execution request source computer to the image forming apparatus, and sets printing speed of the printing unit lower the longer the determined movement route.
US09641701B2

An image output system includes an obtaining unit, a duplication unit, a generation unit, and an execution unit. The obtaining unit obtains image data. The duplication unit stores duplicate data of the image data in a memory. The generation unit generates a log image based on the duplicate data, and generates log data including the log image, the log data indicating a log of an image output process corresponding to the image data. The execution unit executes, in a case where the duplicate data has been stored, an image output process based on the image data before completion of generation of the log data.
US09641695B2

A method for performing policy and charging control (PCC) in a decentralized network architecture includes performing, by a first base station (BS), a procedure of initial network entry of a mobile station (MS), determining, by the first BS, first PCC rules for the MS by using at least one of subscription information and application information regarding the MS, enforcing, by the first BS, control and charging for data communication of the MS based on the first PCC rules, generating second PCC rules to be applied to a second BS and transferring the second PCC rules to the second BS, when detecting a handover of the MS to the second BS, and requesting the MS to connect to the second BS. Other embodiments including a method for performing PCC in the seconds BS, and the first BS and the second BS for performing PCC are disclosed.
US09641694B2

A method for initiating a call in a communications system comprising a mobile communications device connected in a mobile communications network. The mobile communications device is allocated a mobile identifier for a first, mobile communications service provided by a mobile communications service provider and is allocated a second identifier for a second communications service provided by a second communications service provider that is different from the first, mobile communications service. The method comprises receiving over a data connection, at a switch, a request from the mobile communications device, comprising the second identifier, to initiate a call using the second communications service and adding, at the switch, the mobile identifier to the request and forwarding via a further network, the request comprising both the second identifier and the mobile identifier.
US09641689B1

The present disclosure is directed to a method and system for routing communications. A plurality of communication devices are coupled to a communications network. Each communication device has a device identifier. A user-programmable database associates each of a plurality of user identifiers with a device identifier. A call-routing switch arrangement is coupled to the communication network through a portal communication device having a portal identifier. A user designates a destination user identifier when making a communication. The call-routing switches the call, directing the call to a destination device identifier responsive to the user-programmable database association between the destination user identifier and a device identifier. According to certain aspects, communications are directed to users and are routed to associated equipment, a user identifier serving as a virtual extension number. Users remotely program the database to direct their calls to communication devices at various geographic, voice mail and e-mail destinations.
US09641688B2

This disclosure describes a conferencing apparatus with an automatically adapting beamforming microphone array for teleconferencing applications. The conferencing apparatus includes a processor coupled to memory, storage, and a housing. The apparatus further includes a communication element, a plurality of microphones arranged in the housing and configured as a beamforming microphone array, and an orientation sensor. Additionally, the apparatus includes executing a series of steps including: (a) adapting a signal-processing characteristic of the beamforming microphone array responsive to the orientation signal, (b) beamforming to combine the plurality of microphone signals to a plurality of combined signals, (c) performing an acoustic echo cancellation operation on the plurality of combined signals to generate a plurality of combined echo-canceled signals, and (d) selecting one or more of the plurality of combined echo-canceled signals for transmission.
US09641687B2

A communication center has agents operating at workstations and enabled to interact with customers, a router for routing incoming transactions from customers to agents, and routing rule sets associated with specific customers. Individual ones of the rule sets include one or more contact constraints set by the customer associated with the rule set.
US09641686B1

A customer submits a request for assistance to a customer service. Accordingly, the customer service may access a customer database to obtain one or more customer preferences that can be used to select a service representative. If the customer database does not include these preferences, the customer service may utilize one or more customer attributes to calculate these one or more customer preferences. Subsequently, the customer service may access a service representative database and select a service representative based at least in part on the one or more customer preferences. The customer service may transmit the request to the selected service representative to enable the service representative to assist the customer.
US09641675B2

In an approach to caller ID verification by digital signature, a computing device receives authenticating information associated with a caller. The computing device creates a call record based on the authenticating information. The computing device retrieves additional information associated with the caller. The computing device updates the call record based on the additional information. The computing device retrieves a digital signature associated with the caller. The computing device retrieves public key information associated with the caller. The computing device performs a digital signature assessment based on the public key information. The computing device updates the call record based on the digital signature assessment. The computing device adds timestamp information to the call record. The computing device receives a request from a call recipient device. The computing device communicates information based on the call record to the call recipient device. The computing device marks the call record as expired.
US09641666B2

A terminal device includes a detection section for detecting an operation to a display section, a processing section for executing processing in accordance with the detected operation, a display control section for displaying a picto on a first display area in a lock screen and displaying an unlock icon on a second display area, a first judgment section for judging as an unlock operation an operation of performing an operation to the unlock icon and then performing an operation to move the icon from the second display area to a third display area, a screen shift section for shifting the lock screen to a predetermined screen in response to the unlock operation, and a second judgment section for judging that a display picto function execution operation has been performed when a predetermined operation to the display section other than the unlock operation is detected.
US09641665B2

A method and an electronic device are provided herein. The electronic device includes a processor. The processor may execute the method, including detecting, by a sensor, heart rate information while providing a content of the electronic device, determining, by a processor, an emotional quotient based on the detected heart rate information, and mapping the determined emotional quotient to the provided content.
US09641657B1

A system and apparatus which permits an existing communication device, such as a common smart phone, to have satellite communication capabilities. The apparatus can include a transmitter/receiver which can relay communications and data, between the existing communications device and a satellite network. Optionally, the data can be encrypted before being sent over the satellite network. Optionally, the transmitter/receiver can have a distress activation input which can automatically emit an SOS signal along with the transmitter/receiver's current GPS coordinates when a user activates the input.
US09641653B2

A communication system synchronizes subscriptions between a user terminal (UT) and a Subscription Service Host (SSH). The UT conveys, to the SSH, multiple subscription messages associated with a Watcher that each initiates a subscription associated with the Watcher and requests watched entity status information. The UT starts a timer and, in response to an expiration of the timer, conveys a subscription information consolidated status update (SICSU) request to the SSH that requests a consolidated status update of all subscriptions associated with the Watcher. In response, the UT receives an SICSU notification comprising a first one or more SICSU values that indicate a status of multiple subscriptions associated with the Watcher, determines a corresponding second one or more SICSU values based on its own list, compares the first SICSU values to the second SICSU values, and determines whether the UT is out of synchronization with the SSH based on the comparison.
US09641648B2

Disclosed is a method for requesting data from a set of remote units in a network, the method comprising: defining an Asynchronous Ubiquitous Protocol, the Asynchronous Ubiquitous Protocol comprising a schedule of a plurality of time slots, each time slot defined by a distinct start time and end time pair; broadcasting transmitting instructions to the set of remote units, the transmitting instructions comprising the Asynchronous Ubiquitous Protocol and selection instructions for selecting a time slot from the Asynchronous Ubiquitous Protocol to use for data transmission; and, receiving data transmitted from a remote unit in the set of remote units in accordance with the transmitting instructions.
US09641643B2

A computerized method for storing a representation of at least one application in a computerized organization, the method comprising determining a structure of at least one application in a computerized organization; and using a processor for generating, and storing, a skeleton characterization of the structure of the application including storing information, characterizing at least one applicative component identified, that is considered stable over time and not storing information, characterizing at least one applicative component identified, that is considered unstable over time.
US09641642B2

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, determining a deadline for completion of the transfer of the data content item to the mobile device. A set of locations of the mobile device is determined between the first time and the deadline, a candidate plurality of wireless base stations is identified, based on the forecasted plurality of locations, to wirelessly transfer a portion of the data content item to the mobile device during the time period. A utilization of a wireless base station of the candidate set of wireless base stations is forecasted during the time period, a transfer time is determined within the time period based on the forecasted utilization and the deadline, and the transfer time is provided to the mobile device. Other embodiments are disclosed.
US09641640B2

Described herein are systems, devices, and methods for content delivery on the Internet. In certain non-limiting embodiments, a caching model is provided that can support caching for indefinite time periods, potentially with infinite or relatively long time-to-live values, yet provide prompt updates when the underlying origin content changes. Origin-generated tokens can drive the process of caching, and can be used as handles for later invalidating origin responses within caching proxy servers delivering the content. Tokens can also be used to control object caching behavior at a server, and in particular to control how an object is indexed in cache and who it may be served to. Tokens may indicate, for example, that responses to certain requested URL paths are public, or may be used to map user-id in a client request to a group for purposes of locating valid cache entries in response to subsequent client requests.
US09641639B2

Systems, device and techniques are disclosed for modifying a cache value based on an upcoming reduction in connection. A determination be made that a user device is in a travel mode and intended travel data may be received accordingly. Data throughput information corresponding to the intended travel data may be received. A determination that there is an upcoming reduction in connection may be made based on the data throughput information. A cache value (e.g., amount of data received, provided, or cached) may be modified based on the upcoming reduction in connection.
US09641636B2

An information pushing method includes: acquiring target information for issuing a target event; acquiring user characteristics of a plurality of user accounts and selecting a target user account of which a user characteristic meets a preset characteristic from the plurality of user accounts, where the preset characteristic includes a user characteristic of a user account that is expected to participate in the target event; and pushing the target information to the target user account.
US09641632B1

Third party ad servers log a user's web browsing activities. On web pages where the ad server is a third party, the web page's code is configured to provide the ad server read and write access to an advertiser's first party cookie on a user's web browser. The ad server uses this access to read and write a unique user identification number to the cookie. The ad server also maintains a separate copy of the user identification number on a remote server. Correlating the user identification both within the ad server and within the cookies stored in the user's web browser allows the ad server to identify and log the web traffic associated with particular users. This information is useful in a number of contexts, including determining which ad inventory to purchase for which users, and how to value the corresponding ad inventory.
US09641624B2

A service provisioning mediator entity in a communications system is provided with information defining a set of service provisioning triggering messages. In response to receiving a service provisioning triggering message including an identifier associated with a user from a further network entity involved in providing the service to the user, the service provisioning mediator entity triggers service provisioning in the communications system for the user. The service provisioning triggering message may be sent by a controlling network entity upon receiving from an information store a message indicating that a user attempting to register is not recognized. If the user is recognized, trigger information in the information store may be used for directed a session to a network entity configured to handle service provisioning triggering messages. As a further alternative, a user may request service provisioning by sending a service provisioning triggering message from a communication device.
US09641619B2

Social media platforms with gamification of user-generated content, wherein users upload content that other users rate, and a winner is declared based on the ratings. In one embodiment, each user can post only once per day. In one embodiment, a random user is invited each day to create a post for display on the main landing page or “Spotlight” page to the entire community, while the remaining posts are in the “Backstage” area. In some embodiments, users are rewarded with cash or other prizes or rewards as an incentive for posting quality content. In one embodiment, the user who accumulates the most “likes” at the end of each calendar month is deemed the winner for that month.
US09641612B2

A virtualized fusion storage sub-system comprises a first server node; a second server node; and a common storage pool including a hard disk cluster. The first and the second server nodes simultaneously access the common storage pool. Said sub-system has an operation system installed thereon. A storage space unit is defined in the operation system. The first and the second server nodes access the hard disk cluster through the storage space unit so as to carry out synchronization of the first and the second server nodes, thereby assuring a storage redundancy configuration. The operation system has a file server and a virtual server arranged therein. The virtual server is correspondingly connected to the file server on a basis of stacking of application programs of the operation system so as to carry out rapidly match therebetween.
US09641609B2

An system, apparatus, and methods for integrated messaging are disclosed. The apparatus may include a user interface engine, an authorization module and a messaging module. The user interface engine receives input describing a recipient and a message to be received by the recipient. The authorization module generates an authorization signal indicating whether the recipient is authorized to exchange messages via a group messaging engine. The authorization module is coupled to the user interface engine to receive the input describing the recipient. The messaging module selectively transmits the message for dispatch to a user device of the recipient via the group messaging engine or a fallback messaging service based at least in part on the authorization signal. The messaging module is coupled to the authorization module to receive the authorization signal and coupled to the user interface engine to receive the input describing the recipient and the message.
US09641607B2

Some demonstrative embodiments include apparatuses, systems and/or methods of setting up an Application Service Platform (ASP) Peer-to-Peer (P2P) persistent group. For example, an apparatus may include a first ASP to communicate with a second ASP to setup one or more ASP-P2P groups over a wireless communication link, the first ASP is to form each ASP-P2P group only as an ASP-P2P persistent group extendable over a plurality of distinct sessions, the first ASP is to store credentials of the ASP-P2P persistent group for use during the sessions.
US09641603B2

A method for spooling diameter transactions is provided. The method comprises receiving from a Diameter client a Diameter request message; determining based in part on a type of the received request message if the received request message should be spooled; determining if a current transaction rate exceeds a predefined spooling threshold, if the received request message should be spooled; and queuing the received request message if the current transaction rate exceeds the spooling threshold.
US09641602B2

A service provision system comprises a first terminal, a service computer, and a user registration module. The first terminal includes an application management module to which second identification information is assigned, for managing the application to which first identification information is assigned, and an anonymous personal data transmission module for transmitting the anonymous personal data including the first identification information and the second identification information. The user registration module transmits user registration data including the second identification information and third identification information, in a case of inputting third identification information. The service computer stores, in a case of receiving the anonymous personal data, the first identification information, the second identification information, and the anonymous personal data in association with each other, and stores, in a case of receiving the user registration data, the second identification information and the third identification information in association with each other.
US09641601B2

Embodiments relate to methods and apparatuses (200) for synchronizing a first event (202), having associated therewith a first original event timing value based on a common clock signal, and a second event (204), having associated therewith a second original event timing value based on the common clock signal, wherein the first and the second event (202; 204) experience different delays while travelling through different paths of a distributed computing system (300; 700), and wherein at least one output event (206) is to be determined by an event detector (208) based on the first and the second event (202; 204). The apparatus (200) comprises a delay compensator (210) associated to the event detector (208), the delay compensator (210) having an input (212) for receiving the first and the second event (202; 204) and having an output (214) for forwarding relayed versions (202′; 204′) of the received first and second event to the associated event detector (208), wherein the delay compensator (210) is operable to relay the first and the second event (202; 204) to the associated event detector (208) based on the experienced delays and based on the associated first and second original event timing values.
US09641579B2

The present invention concerns a method to control the transmission and transmission data rate between at least two servers and a receiver. The servers being adapted to transmit data representative of an audiovisual content. The audiovisual content being available from each of said at least two servers in at least two versions. The versions corresponding respectively to different transmission bit-rates. The servers being adapted to transmit audiovisual contents in successive parts, each of said successive parts being chosen as one of at least two versions in response to transmission requests sent by the receivers, said transmission requests comprising a transmission parameter.
US09641575B2

A method for sharing multimedia content between at least a first user and a second user using first and second telecommunications terminals, respectively, the content being associated with the second user and being stored in a database hosted by a service platform accessible via a telecommunications network. The method includes: a network-based content-sharing server validating a request to share multimedia content transmitted by the first terminal by authenticating an identifier of the second terminal, which was obtained from a response to the request received from the second terminal; in the content-sharing server, if the sharing request is validated, activating a sharing session and opening a sharing memory space for enabling the sharing of content data between the first and second terminal, and transmitting session activation information to the first terminal; and displaying, in each of the first and second terminals, a sharing window for displaying the data of the sharing space during the sharing session.
US09641571B2

A computer-implemented method, computer program product, and computing system is provided for orchestrating presentations within an electronic meeting. In an implementation, a method may include receiving one or more social scoring inputs associated with a plurality of presentations included within an electronic meeting. The method may also include defining a social score for a first presentation of the plurality of presentations based on, at least in part, the one or more social scoring inputs. The method may further include establishing at least one attribute of the first presentation for the electronic meeting based on the social score for the first presentation.
US09641569B2

A collaboration system for sharing data in a non-destructive testing (NDT) system may include a first computing device that may receive data that has been acquired using one or more NDT inspection devices. The first computing device may then establish a communication connection between itself and some other computing device such that the communication connection may enable the first computing device to share data with the other computing device. After establishing the communication connection, the first computing device may determine location information that corresponds to the data. Using the location information, the first computing device may then determine one or more assets that correspond to the data. The first computing device may then identify information associated with the assets and display the information.
US09641564B2

A communication system extends IETF Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) signaling used by IMS architecture. As a basic use case, initially a first user equipment (UE1) (controller) is in a media session (e.g., audio, video and message session) with a remote UE. To transfer provider of one media component to a controllee UE, the controller UE1 sends a REFER message with a relevant body to trigger the media session operations to a Service Centralization and Continuity Application Server (SCC AS). The SCC AS is able to interpret the contents of the REFER message to perform the media session manipulation on one or multiple UEs (originating UE itself or other UEs). The innovation provides for a REFER message that convey what needs to be done in a separate SIP header carrying target dialog and media line number(s), in a SDP body that REFER carries, or XML body that will be in REFER.
US09641563B1

Techniques related to electronic meeting intelligence are disclosed. An apparatus receives audio/video data including first meeting content data for an electronic meeting that includes multiple participants. The apparatus extracts the first meeting content data from the audio/video data. The apparatus generates meeting content metadata based on analyzing the first meeting content data. The apparatus includes the meeting content metadata in a report of the electronic meeting. If the apparatus determines that the audio/video data includes a cue for the apparatus to intervene in the electronic meeting, the apparatus generates intervention data including second meeting content data that is different from the first meeting content data. During the electronic meeting, the apparatus sends the intervention data to one or more nodes associated with at least one participant of the multiple participants.
US09641561B2

A method, system and computer program product are described for managing network communications to a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) server capable of SIP processing using a SIP stack. A data packet is received from a network device. It is determined, from the data packet, whether the network device is a device recognized by the SIP server. Responsive to this determination, and before SIP processing using the SIP stack, it is determined whether the data packet conforms to a permitted configuration. The permitted configuration includes that data of the data packet indicates an unfragmented User Datagram Protocol (UDP) packet and that data indicative of SIP data in the received data packet matches a parsing rule. If the data packet conforms to the permitted configuration, it is passed to the SIP stack, if not it is discarded.
US09641557B2

Example embodiments provide a method and/or network element capable of joining SIP communication devices into an existing call. According to an example embodiment, a network element may join SIP communication devices by receiving an incoming call from a calling communication device and establishing a connection between the calling communication device and at least one associated communication device in a set of associated communication devices. The set of associated communication devices may be notified of the connection and a conference procedure may be performed in response to an unconnected communication device being activated, such that a multi-way conference connection is established between the calling communication device, the at least one associated communication device, and the at least one unconnected communication device.
US09641556B1

A social analytic system collects signals from different social network accounts. Social metrics are derived for the accounts and the accounts classified as different types of constituents for a company or primary account based on the social metrics. The constituents may include any combination of advocates, detractors, influencers, spammers, employees, partners, and/or market. Some of the social metrics used for classifying the different types of constituents may include a volume of the signals, types of message interactions, number of unique messages, sentiment, number of subscribers, alignment of constituent and company messages, and/or average signal length.
US09641555B1

In one embodiment, a method includes identifying a user-initiated precursor of an anticipated exposure event. The method also includes, in response to the identifying, automatically determining particular content that would be exposed if the exposure event were to occur. In addition, the method includes automatically determining one or more users to which the particular content would be exposed if the exposure event were to occur. Further, the method includes, before the exposure event occurs, publishing a result of the automatically determining to a user associated with the user-initiated precursor. Also, the method includes, in response to a detected occurrence of the exposure event, monitoring a plurality of communications platforms for follow-on exposure events in relation to the particular content which chain from the exposure event.
US09641547B2

Systems and methods for mapping IP addresses to an entity include receiving at least one domain name associated with the entity. Embodiments may further include determining one or more variations of the at least one domain name based on analysis of domain name data collected from a plurality of domain name data sources that mention a variation of the at least one domain name. Some embodiments may also include identifying one or more IP addresses pointed to by the one or more variations of the entity's domain name based on analysis of IP address data collected from a plurality of IP address data sources. Additional embodiments include assigning weights to each of the identified one or more IP addresses and creating a mapping of IP addresses to associate with the entity based on analysis of the weighted one or more IP addresses.
US09641542B2

In one embodiment, a device in a network receives information regarding one or more attack detection service level agreements. The device identifies a set of attack detection classifiers as potential voters in a voting mechanism used to detect a network attack. The device determines one or more parameters for the voting mechanism based on the information regarding the one or more attack detection service level agreements. The device adjusts the voting mechanism used by the potential voters based on the one or more parameters for the voting mechanism.
US09641541B2

A data processing apparatus (30) comprising: a local source of data (4); a first controller (31); and a tamper-resistant second controller (32) configured to communicate with the first controller, the first controller being configured to control and receive data from the local source of data and from a sensing unit connected to the first controller via a communication interface and to perform a series of calculation operations on the data, wherein the second controller is configured to verify the integrity of a selected subset of the operations performed by the first controller.
US09641537B2

A computationally implemented method includes, but is not limited to: intercepting a communiqué that is determined to be affiliated with a source entity and that is addressed to an end user to prevent, at least temporarily, the communiqué from being received by a communication device associated with the end user; and releasing the communiqué to the communication device in response to at least detecting occurrence of one or more environmental aspects associated with the communication device, the releasing of the communiqué being in accordance with one or more conditional directives of the end user to conditionally obfuscate the communiqué determined to be affiliated with the source entity. In addition to the foregoing, other method aspects are described in the claims, drawings, and text forming a part of the present disclosure.
US09641532B2

The approved email generation system described is capable of producing email communications between user and customer by using approved email templates, content and call to action items that have been aligned with customer information. Once the approved email has been generated, the content and call to action items may be verified again for accuracy and validity before being delivered to the customer. When the customer accesses delivered content, the approved email generation system again verifies the content and allows the customer access to only the most current version of the content available. The system provides for control of the content of electronic communications to customers.
US09641527B2

An information processing apparatus, method, and recording medium. The information processing apparatus includes processing circuitry that starts second software stored in a second medium to execute a second maintenance program when a type of a first medium is a maintenance type, and starts a first software stored in the first medium to execute a first maintenance program when the type of the first medium is not the maintenance type, the processing circuitry does not start the second software when the type of the first medium is not the maintenance type.
US09641526B1

A wearable computing device, such as a wearable credit card type device or a wearable identification type device, that provides for location based authentication to verify that a user currently in possession of the wearable computing device is indeed the authorized user. In this aspect, the wearable computing device may detect wireless network signals in range of the wearable computing device, and transmit authentication data and the detected wireless network signals to an authentication service. The wearable computing device may then be authenticated when the authentication data corresponds to the user and the detected wireless network signals correspond to a pre-authorized location for authentication.
US09641525B2

There are provided measures for supporting an authentication to an external packet data network over an untrusted access network, said measures exemplarily comprising authenticating a user equipment to a communication network providing connectivity for the user equipment across an unsecured access network in response to a first authentication request, wherein the authentication request is an authentication request of a key information exchange mechanism and includes authentication data, receiving a second authentication request for authenticating the user equipment towards a packet data network external to the communications network. The measures may further comprise creating a binding update message including the authentication data and identity information of the user received from the user equipment.
US09641520B2

A network user is authenticated to another network entity by using a first program to receive user input validation information, and store a user credential. A second program receives information, such as a random number, from the other entity. The first program receives an input transferring the information to it, transmits the information to the authentication server, and receives an identifier of the other entity, other information, and authentication policy requirements from the authentication server. It then transmits the input validation information corresponding to the received authentication policy requirements to the authentication server, and in response receives a request for a user credential. It signs a message, including the transferred information and the received other information, with the stored user credential, and transmits the signed message to the authentication server to authenticate the user.
US09641514B2

Technologies for distributed single sign-on operable to provide user access to a plurality of services via authentication to a single entity. The distributed single sign-on technologies provide a set of authentication servers and methods for privacy protection based on splitting secret keys and user profiles into secure shares and periodically updating shares among the authentication servers without affecting the underlying secrets. The correctness of the received partial token or partial profiles can be verified with non-interactive zero-knowledge proofs.
US09641509B2

In a computer-implemented authentication method, a first authentication request from a first machine is received at an authentication server. The first authentication request includes an identification of a second machine that is to provide a requested service. An authentication token including client-specific and server-specific portions is generated at the authentication server, responsive to receiving the first authentication request from the first machine. An authentication identifier and the server-specific portion of the authentication token are transmitted from the authentication server to the second machine, responsive to receiving the first authentication request from the first machine. A second authentication request, including the authentication identifier and both the server-specific and the client-specific portions of the authentication token, is received at the authentication server from the second machine. An authentication status for the requested service is determined at the authentication server, responsive to receiving the second authentication request from the second machine.
US09641504B2

The disclosure is generally directed to systems and methods for HTTP header-based authentication. For example, the systems and methods include receiving, at a mobile platform server, a first request message from a client device, the first request message requesting to download an application from the mobile platform server, sending, to the client device, a first response message having a first authentication query within header portions of the first response message, receiving, at the mobile platform server, a second request message having first authentication credentials within header portions of the second request message, sending, to the client device, a second response message having a second authentication query within header portions of the second response message, receiving, at the mobile platform server first device, a third request message having second authentication credentials within header portions of the third request message, and sending, to the client device, the application.
US09641486B1

Systems and methods for performing a data transfer in a data protection system are disclosed. A user interface is provided that includes a workflow. The workflow is effective to configure a data transfer by identifying the source of the data, the destination of the data, and the data itself. A data control process associated with the data protection system is performed to authenticate the requesting user and determine whether the user is authorized to access the data. The data is transferred in accordance with the data control process of the data protection system.
US09641478B2

A networking activity interactive system includes: a creating module for creating networking activity contents; an interactive module for receiving requests for participating the networking activity and participant data submitted by a user, to ensure only participant data in conformity with the networking activity contents is added to the participant user group of the networking activity, and the user is added to the participant user group; a database for storing the networking activity contents, the participant user group of the networking activity, and the participant reply content volume; and a presenting module for presenting the networking activity content and the participant reply content volume of the networking activity. Furthermore, a non-transitory computer readable recording medium, a client terminal and a server for networking activity interactive are also provided.
US09641476B2

Disclosed are a mobile terminal and controlling method thereof, including wireless communication unit configured to transceive mails, touchscreen configured to display at least one first mail previously received through the wireless communication unit, and controller, when a command for a reply or forwarding of the displayed first mail is inputted, displaying a composing window of a second mail including the first mail, the controller, when at least one mail address information included in at least one original text in the first mail is selected from the composing window, automatically setting a mail address matching the selected mail address information as a recipient or carbon copy mail address of the second mail. Accordingly, when a mail address of a recipient or carbon copy of a replied or forwarded mail for a received mail, the mail address can be conveniently set using mail address information included in the received mail.
US09641469B2

A system comprising at least one server computer having at least one processor programmed to: receive, over a network, activity data of a first user measured by an activity monitoring device; process the activity data of the first user to update a value of an activity metric for the first user; responsive to updating the value of the activity metric for the first user, identify a change in an inequality relationship between the value of the activity metric for the first user and a value of the activity metric for a second user; and, responsive to identifying the change in the inequality relationship, trigger, over the network, a first user device to prompt the first user to generate a message to the second user for display on a second user device.
US09641468B2

Methods, servers, clients, and systems for releasing instant messaging key-value data are provided. A server receives a request packet for pulling key-value data sent from a client during a login. The request packet at least contains a full-amount pulling time-stamp, an increased-amount pulling time-stamp, and a data-altering serial number. The server selects a pre-set data releasing mechanism according to parameters contained in the request packet, to release full amount key-value data to the client or to release increased amount key-value data to the client, or not to release the key-value data, such that, according to a returned result from the server, the client updates local cache data to display to a user.
US09641466B2

A method for receiving a packet descriptor including a priority indicator and a queue number indicating a queue stored within a first memory unit, storing a packet associated with the packet descriptor in a second memory, determining a first amount of free memory in the first memory unit, determining if the first amount of free memory is above a threshold value, writing the packet from the second memory to a third memory when the first amount of memory is above the threshold value and the priority indicator is equal to a first value, not writing the packet from the second memory unit to the third memory unit if the first amount of memory is below the threshold value or when the priority indicator is equal to a second value. The priority indicator is equal to a first value for high priority packets and a second value for low priority packets.
US09641464B2

A first-in first-out (FIFO) buffer system includes FIFO control logic and first and second storage partitions. Each storage partition includes a corresponding single-port memory bank and a prefetch buffer. The FIFO control logic alternates processing of PUSH commands between the first and second storage partitions. Additionally, the FIFO control logic anticipates POP commands based on the FIFO order and the alternating PUSH arrangement by initiating prefetches of data so that data to be accessed by a POP command is available at either the prefetch buffer (if the prefetch has completed) or the output of the single-port memory bank (if the prefetch has not yet completed) of the corresponding storage partition at the time the POP command is received, thereby enabling the output of the data for the POP command in the same clock cycle in which the POP command is received.
US09641459B2

Various embodiments relate to a method, network node, and non-transitory machine-readable storage medium including the following: receiving a packet; evaluating a flow processing table comprising a plurality of rules to determine whether a rule of the plurality of rules is applicable to the received packet, wherein: a rule of the plurality of rules includes a matching rule that identifies one or more flows to which the rule applies and at least one action that identifies at least one action to be taken when the rule applies; generating a new rule to be added to the flow processing table when the after failing to identify a rule of the plurality of rules as applicable to a received packet, including: evaluating at least one flow rule generation table to identify a first set of packet header fields and a set of processing actions; installing the new rule in the flow processing table.
US09641455B2

Provided are a method, a system, and a computer program product in which a plurality of switches are maintained in a cascaded configuration. A switch relays a switch fabric internal link services (SW-ILS) to generate a pair of exchanges comprising a first exchange and a second exchange at the switch. In response to a termination of the first exchange of the pair of exchanges, the second exchange of the pair of exchanges is terminated.
US09641452B2

Techniques are disclosed herein for managing network bandwidth in a distributed system having multiple endpoints that upload data to a central server or server cluster. One embodiment provides a computer-implemented method that includes receiving a logical topology of the network that is determined based on network measurements. The method further includes resolving a convex optimization problem over the logical topology to determine a bandwidth allocation scheme for the endpoints uploading data. In addition, the method includes controlling bandwidth consumption by the endpoints based on the determined bandwidth allocation scheme.
US09641448B1

An Island-Based Network Flow Processor (IB-NFP) receives packets of many flows, and classifies them as belonging to an ordering context. These packets are distributed to a set of Worker Processors (WPs), so that each packet of the context is processed by one WP, but multiple WPs operate on packets of the context at a given time. The WPs use an atomic ticket release functionality of a transactional memory to assist in determining when to release packets to another set of Output Processors (OP). The packets are indicated to the set of OPs in the correct order, even though the WPs may complete their processing of the packets in an out-of-order fashion. For a packet that is indicated as to be released, an OP generates a “transmit command” such that the packet (or a descriptor of the packet) is then put into a properly ordered stream for output from the IB-NFP.
US09641447B2

A method is provided for congestion control in a network node (114; 510; 900) of a communication network. The network node handles a plurality of data connections for conveying data packets travelling between a core side and a terminal side of the communication network. The method is performed in the network node and comprises detecting (210) a condition indicative of a congestion for any of the data connections, selecting (220), among the data connections, a data connection (RABdrop) for which a bit-rate reduction is to be caused, and determining (230) a number (Xi) of data packets to be discarded for the selected data connection. The determined number depends on a time-integrated difference between experienced and targeted bit-rates for the selected data connection. Then, the reduction of the bit-rate is initiated (240) for the selected data connection by causing discarding of the determined number of data packets.
US09641442B2

Fixed, differentiated quality of service (QoS) is supplied for packetized traffic (e.g., voice and data) intended for femto cell coverage when transmitted concurrently with external broadband traffic. Quality of Service differentiation is supplied without an external implementation. Femto cell coverage is prioritized over concurrent packetized traffic to deliver a rich user experience for delay and jitter sensitive applications. A passthrough configuration for a femto access point (AP) facilitates supplying hard QoS for data packet streams, or flows, intended for femto cell coverage or non-femto-cell coverage. The femto AP receives a consolidated packet stream through backhaul link(s) and distinguishes flow(s) for femto coverage and flow(s) for auxiliary broadband coverage. The femto AP routes the flow(s) intended for femto with hard QoS according to QoS policy which can be determined by a network operator or a subscriber.
US09641432B2

A medical device communication method that may be implemented within a variety of medical devices including but not limited to infusion pumps. The method may be implemented with a protocol stack for at least intra-device communication. Embodiments provide connection-oriented, connectionless-oriented, broadcast and multicast data exchange with priority handling of data, fragmentation, and reassembly of data, unique static and dynamic address assignment and hot swap capability for connected peripherals or subsystems.
US09641429B2

A method for predicative traffic steering over a software defined network (SDN). The method includes programming network elements in the SDN to forward an incoming traffic flow to an application-layer analysis device; receiving application-layer analysis results from the application-layer analysis device, wherein the application-layer analysis results provide association between at least one network-layer parameter, at least one application-layer parameter, and at least one application-layer service associated with the at least one application-layer parameter; and steering subsequent incoming traffic flows to at least one server configured to provide the at least one application-layer service based on the application-layer analysis results.
US09641427B2

A client interface unit receives a pause frame transmitted from a client device compatible with a relatively low communication rate. A data rate conversion unit generates a plurality of pause frames in accordance with a pause time designated by the received one pause frame and transmits the plurality of pause frames to a frame processing unit compatible with a relatively high communication rate. The frame processing unit stops transmitting a frame destined to the client device in accordance with the plurality of pause frames.
US09641425B2

Various exemplary embodiments relate to a method of routing Diameter requests. The method includes: receiving an initial request from a client, the initial request including a session identifier, an initial destination realm, and request content; determining a Diameter route for the initial request based on the destination realm and the request content; forwarding the initial request according to the Diameter route; receiving a response to the initial request; extracting an origin realm or host from the response; and storing the origin realm or host in association with the session identifier. Various exemplary embodiments relate a Diameter Routing Agent (DRA) configured to perform the above method. Various exemplary embodiments relate to a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium encoded with instructions for performing the method.
US09641422B2

According to an embodiment, a network device coupled to a local base station at a cell site is configured to automatically create a more optimal route for inter-base station traffic between the local base station and a remote base station. The network device automatically discovers a remote Internet Protocol address of the remote base station used for inter-base station traffic based upon traffic transmitted by the local base station to the network device or traffic transmitted between the local and remote base stations. In response, the network device automatically installs the more optimal route entry in a routing table of the network device, which enables the network device to route inter-base station traffic originated from the local base station and destined to the remote base station using a shorter path through the backhaul network instead of routing the traffic through a mobile core network.
US09641407B2

Techniques are presented herein to facilitate the monitoring of occupancy of a buffer in a network device. Packets are received at a network device. Information is captured describing occupancy of the buffer caused by packet flow through the buffer in the network device. Analytics packets are generated containing the information. The analytics packets from the network device for retrieval of the information contained therein for analysis, replay of buffer occupancy, etc.
US09641406B1

Remote computing resource service providers allow customers to execute virtual computer systems in a virtual environment on hardware provided by the computing resource service provider. The virtual computer systems may be suspended for an indeterminate amount of time and saved as images in one or more storage systems of the service provider. Periodically, updates for the virtual computer systems are required. In order to update virtual computer systems that are stored in a suspended state, an offline patch and indirection map is generated and used to update the virtual computer systems.
US09641396B2

Embodiments of the present invention disclose a packet processing method and system. In the method in the embodiment of the present invention, because a root node configures different control VLANs for any two rings that have an adjacent edge in an area, different control VLANs are used to transmit a protocol packet in a ring that has its own control VLAN configured. The method and system may be applied to a ring network of a metro Ethernet to provide multi-path protection and implement rapid convergence of service switchover. In addition, a network topology structure is not limited to a network topology with a single ring or only two intersecting points, and may be applied to all network topology situations.
US09641385B1

An example method of launching a virtual machine in a multi-tenant environment using dynamic configuration may include receiving a customer request to launch a virtual machine in the multi-tenant environment. The multi-tenant environment may include a plurality of host server computers. In response to the customer request, configuration parameters stored in association with an account of the customer may be retrieved in the multi-tenant environment. One or more parameters of a hardware and/or a software resource in the multi-tenant environment may be dynamically configured in accordance with the retrieved configuration parameters. The virtual machine may be launched on one of the plurality of host server computers, using the configured hardware and/or software resource. The configuration parameters may be associated with at least one desired performance characteristic of the virtual machine to be launched.
US09641376B2

A receiver recovers local service data symbols from first Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexed (OFDM) symbols in the presence of second OFDM symbols, the second OFDM symbols carry national broadcast data symbols and modulated on to the sub-carriers of the second OFDM symbols using a first modulation scheme, and the first OFDM symbols carry the national broadcast data symbols and the local service data symbols from a local insertion pipe and modulated on to the sub-carriers of the first OFDM symbols using a second modulation scheme. The receiver comprises an OFDM detector which includes an equalizer for recovering local service modulated sub-carriers of the second modulation scheme by generating an estimate of a combined channel ([Hn(z)+Hl(z)]) via which the first and second OFDM symbols have passed using the pilot sub-carrier symbols of the first and second OFDM symbols; generating an estimate of national broadcast modulation symbols from the modulated data bearing sub-carriers of the first modulation scheme from the second OFDM symbols (Ŝ(z)); generating an estimate of a convolution of the combined channel and the national broadcast modulation symbols (Ŝ(z)[Hn(z)+Hl(z)]); generating an estimate of a component of the received base band signal representing the local service modulation symbols of the first OFDM symbol; generating an estimate of a channel via which the first OFDM symbols were received using the local pilot symbols (Ĥl(z)); and generating an estimate of local service data symbols from a combination of the estimate of the component of the received signal representing the modulation symbols carrying the local service data and the estimate of the channel via which the first OFDM symbols were received ( D ~ ⁡ ( z ) ≈ R ⁡ ( z ) - S ^ ⁡ ( z ) ⁡ [ H n ⁡ ( z ) + H l ⁡ ( z ) ] H ^ l ⁡ ( z ) ) .
US09641372B2

A method for controlling a combined waveform, representing a combination of at least two signals having orthogonal frequency multiplexed signal components, comprising: receiving information defining the at least two signals; transforming the information defining each signal to a representation having orthogonal frequency multiplexed signal components, such that at least one signal has at least two alternate representations of the same information, and combining the transformed information using the at least two alternate representations, in at least two different ways, to define respectively different combinations; analyzing the respectively different combinations with respect to at least one criterion; and outputting a respective combined waveform or information defining the waveform, representing a selected combination of the transformed information from each of the at least two signals selected based on the analysis.
US09641369B2

A digital load side transmission lighting control apparatus has at one least control gear for controlling at least one lighting source. The control gear includes a period timer to establish an inter-transition time period between each transition within each data packet frame. An inter-transition comparator is in communication with the period timer and configured to compare each of the inter-transition periods with valid inter-transition periods between each transition of the bi-phase encoded data for determining if the inter-transition periods represent valid patterns or are an error has occurred. A data extractor is configured to receive valid bi-phase encoded data from the inter-transition comparator for extracting transmitted data from within the data packet frames. A command formatter is configured to receive the extracted frame data from the data extractor for assembling the telegram bit data pattern for transfer for the subsequent processing.
US09641363B2

A system and method effective to trigger precisely timed actions on computing devices. The system may include a transmitting device and a receiving device. The transmitter may modulate binary data into sound waves, and the receiver may demodulate the audio signal into binary data. Signal amplitude across a range of frequencies may be used to demodulate. The received data may be interpreted in order to trigger actions on the computing device. These actions may involve the device's screen, speaker, built-in lights, camera, or vibration function. The actions may change over time based on the time at which the signal was received. More actions may be loaded from the device's storage.
US09641354B2

A method, a system, and an apparatus provide for a cable modem termination system (CMTS). The CMTS may include a virtual machine configured to provide a plurality of virtual CMTSs (vCMTSs). The CMTS may also include a plurality of subscriber groups. Each subscriber group of the plurality of subscriber groups may be assigned to a vCMTS of the plurality of vCMTSs. Additionally, each vCMTS is configured to provide a process.
US09641350B2

A system and method can support a scalable packet forwarding mechanism in a middleware machine environment. The middleware machine environment can comprise one or more network switch instances, wherein each network switch instance is associated with one or more external ports that are adapted to receive data packets from an external network. Furthermore, the middleware machine environment can comprise a plurality of packet dispatching components, each of which is responsible for forwarding a data packet to a virtual machine on a host server that operates to process the data packet. Additionally, a link aggregation component can combine multiple external ports into a logical port, and wherein the bandwidth of the logical port is linearly scaled accordingly to a total number of the multiple external ports.
US09641348B2

Example embodiments are presented herein service session management based on service specific data and a user subscription. Some example embodiments may comprise a user equipment, and corresponding method therein, for monitoring an internet or network access by an identified application. Upon detection, the user equipment may be configured to send service specific data associated with the identified application to an enhanced application server. The enhanced application server may manage a service session based on the service specific data and the user subscription. The management of the service session may allow for a differentiated delivery of service for certain applications.
US09641342B2

Various embodiments include a method of tracking a chain of custody of an item in a supply chain. A computer system implements a computer interface with a distributed consensus network comprised of computing devices configured to verify one or more waiting transaction records for addition into one or more blocks in a block chain representing a cryptographically verifiable ledger. The order of the block chain is cryptographically protected against tampering by the computing devices. The computer system can track provenance of the item by identifying an existing record in the block chain. The existing record can place a first quantity of a first stock keeping unit (SKU) at a first address. The computer system can then unitize the item by publishing a new record to the block chain. The new record indicates the existing record as a source record and associates a new SKU with a destination address.
US09641327B2

Methods and systems are provided for supporting efficient and secure “Machine-to-Machine” (M2M) communications using a module, a server, and an application. A module can communicate with the server by accessing the Internet, and the module can include a sensor and/or an actuator. The module, server, and application can utilize public key infrastructure (PKI) such as public keys and private keys. The module can internally derive pairs of private/public keys using cryptographic algorithms and a first set of parameters. A server can authenticate the submission of derived public keys and an associated module identity. The server can use a first server private key and a second set of parameters to (i) send module data to the application and (ii) receive module instructions from the application. The server can use a second server private key and the first set of parameters to communicate with the module.
US09641321B1

A method and apparatus is provided for the virtualization of cryptographic resources which enables memory speed encryption and decryption that is not bound by the speed at which processor resources can compute the result of a symmetric-key algorithm. This is achieved through a time-memory tradeoff via empty space at provisioning time. When implementing the apparatus, un-initialized memory is filled with the output of a symmetric-key algorithm uniquely keyed for the specific set of data that is going to be written to the provisioned area. Since the provisioning operation stores cryptographically structured data, rather than redundant data, plaintext that is xor'ed into memory is automatically encrypted and ciphertext that xor'ed into memory is automatically decrypted without the need for additional cryptographic computation. This reduced computation requirement enables cryptographic function to be implemented at the ends of communication, rather than the middle, and treated as a virtualized resource.
US09641318B2

Systems and methods for a multiple value packing scheme for homomorphic encryption are described, including at a server, generating a plurality of encrypted payloads, each having a plurality of data values; and at a client, receiving each of the encrypted payloads having the plurality of data values; and multiplying one or more of the data values of one of the encrypted payloads by one or more other data values in one or more of the other encrypted payloads, to generate a product that represents the summation of data values corresponding to the multiplied one or more data values of the encrypted payloads and the one or more of the other data values in the one or more other encrypted payloads.
US09641317B2

A phase rotator corrects the IQ imbalance in a wireless transceiver. The phase rotator is a part of a compensation system that detects and separates reception impairment images from transmission impairment images. The disclosed phase rotator introduces a phase shift between the transmission channel and the reception channel without perturbing the phase mismatch and the gain mismatch in the reception path. The phase rotator includes a first local oscillation (LO) circuit that generates a first LO signal at a first carrier frequency and a second LO circuit that generates a second LO signal at a second carrier frequency that deviates from the first carrier frequency for a phase rotation period. The phase rotation period is sufficiently long such that the frequency deviation can introduce a prescribed phase shift between the first LO signal and the second LO signal.
US09641309B2

The present invention relates to a method for transceiving a signal in a wireless communication system. A method for transceiving a signal in a wireless communication system according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises the steps of: transmitting a downlink signal from a base station to a terminal; receiving an uplink signal transmitted from the terminal; and cancelling a self-interference signal on the basis of the transceived downlink signal or the uplink signal, wherein the transmission periods for the downlink signal and the uplink signal comprise dedicated transmission periods, and in the dedicated transmission period, signal transmission periods of the base station and the terminal are differentiated.
US09641307B2

The present disclosure describes systems and methods for creating and/or deploying access points for a wireless network in a multi-unit building or for a private residential neighborhood. Additionally, described herein are methods for operating a wireless network in a multi-unit building that was either deployed according to the concepts described herein or was pre-existing.
US09641303B2

Embodiments are provided herein for increasing low density signature space for multiplexed transmissions for a plurality of users. The embodiments include generating a virtual signature using a combination operation on a plurality of basic signatures. The generated virtual signatures are provisioned as basic resource units (BRUs) for transmissions for corresponding users. The combination operation is a row-wise or column-wise permutation for combining, in each of the virtual signatures, rows or columns of corresponding basic signatures. The rows or columns represent sequences of frequency bands at one time interval or sequences of allocated time intervals at one frequency band. Alternatively, the combination operation is intra-basic resource unit (BRU) hopping. The embodiments also include generating a plurality of BRU sets comprised of virtual signatures. Each of the BRU sets is provisioned for a corresponding user.
US09641300B2

The present invention provides a method for transmitting and receiving a control channel, a base station, and a user equipment. The method for transmitting a control channel includes: determining m PRB pairs used for transmitting a control channel to be transmitted; when a distributed transmission mode is used for transmission, determining an aggregation level L of the control channel to be transmitted; determining, according to the aggregation level L, a first control channel candidate at the aggregation level L; and placing control information of the control channel to be transmitted, on physical resources to which the first control channel candidate is mapped, and transmitting the control information. The present invention improves multiplexing efficiency of control channels of different modes.
US09641292B2

Disclosed are a load modulation-based beamspace MIMO transmission method and apparatus. The beamspace MIMO transmission apparatus may include a plurality of impedance loading circuits each including a plurality of imaginary impedance devices, a beamspace MIMO control unit calculating loading values of the plurality of imaginary impedance devices, corresponding to a spatial multiplexing orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) sample, and an RF chain unit generating a first signal having a predetermined carrier frequency.
US09641289B2

The disclosed is a data transmission method and apparatus configured to establish a frequency hopping-retransmission mechanism in a CFP of a superframe and switch a channel accordingly. The method provided by an embodiment includes: selecting two channels as a prescribed channel and a spare channel; dividing a CFP of a superframe into three SCFPs, where a second SCFP is used to re-transmit data that a node fails to transmit in a first SCFP, a third SCFP is used to re-transmit data that the node fails to transmit in the second SCFP, and a timeslot position of each node in the first SCFP is the same as in the second SCFP; broadcasting a beacon frame on the prescribed channel in a beacon period of the superframe, where the beacon frame includes channel selection information and timeslot division information; receiving data from the node; and transmitting an acknowledgement frame.
US09641287B2

A method for performing high-integrity data transmission is provided. The method obtains a first set of data at a first transmitter and a second set of data at a second transmitter; develops a first key for the obtained first set of data and a second key for the obtained second set of data; and when the first key matches the second key, provides a receiver indication of validity of the first set of data. In certain embodiments, the method stores the first key and the second key within a predetermined window of time. In some embodiments, when the first key matches the second key, the method also synchronizes operation of the first transmitter and the second transmitter.
US09641279B2

We disclose an optical transport system configured to transport data using a PDM-modulation format, in which each of two orthogonal polarizations is independently amplitude-modulated, and the relative phase between the carrier waves of the two polarizations may also be modulated. This modulation format enables the optical receiver to perform direct optical detection using a Stokes-vector detector to fully recover the encoded data. In an example embodiment, the corresponding signal processing at the optical receiver may include: determining a Stokes-space rotation matrix corresponding to the polarization-state rotation encountered by the PDM signal in the optical transport link; applying the determined Stokes-space rotation matrix to the Stokes sub-vector measured by the Stokes-vector detector to estimate the Stokes sub-vector of the PDM signal at the originating optical transmitter; converting the estimated Stokes sub-vector into the corresponding Jones vector; and recovering the data by decoding the polarization components of the Jones vector.
US09641277B2

An optical signal transmission method includes: obtaining a signal identifier of data to be sent; obtaining corresponding optical frequency slot distribution information according to the signal identifier; and determining a corresponding carrier according to the obtained optical frequency slot distribution information, using the determined carrier to carry the data to be sent to generate an optical signal, and sending the generated optical signal. The optical signal transmission method provided in the present invention does not fix the optical frequency slot distribution into a wavelength identifier, the number of optical frequency slots is not limited by the wavelength identifier field length, and the data to be sent can be transmitted in an optical network by being carried on the carrier determined according to multiple optical frequency slots.
US09641258B2

A receiver that may include a receiver front end arranged to receive (a) a received signal, (b) a reference signal generated by a local oscillator laser, and to output a first intermediate signal; a carrier phase estimator that is arranged to receive the first intermediate signal and to generate a phase estimation signal that represents a phase difference between the received signal and the reference signal; wherein the carrier phase estimator comprises a multi-symbol-differential-detection module and a carrier phase demodulator; and an output circuit arranged to receive the phase estimation signal and to apply a slicing operation to provide an output signal of the carrier phase estimator.
US09641231B2

A method and apparatus for modulating a baseband signal in beam space MIMO are provided. The baseband signal modulation apparatus may calculate a load value of a plurality of antenna elements using a baseband signal. The baseband signal modulation apparatus may change a phase or a magnitude of a baseband signal or a first band signal having a higher frequency than that of the baseband signal to correspond to the calculated load value.
US09641229B2

A method and system for reconfiguring over-indexed antenna arrays in mobile devices are provided. For example, the method includes receiving sensor input that indicates an object blocking a first subset of reconfigurable antenna elements but not blocking a second subset of reconfigurable antenna elements of an over-indexed antenna array. The method also includes configuring, based on the sensor input, a number of the antenna elements in the first subset as non-active for radiating energy and a number of the antenna elements in the second subset as active for radiating energy.
US09641227B2

A transceiver for near field communication may include: a resonance circuit coupled between a first node and a second node, the resonance circuit having a resonance frequency and being configured to emit an electromagnetic wave to communicate data with an external device; a first capacitor coupled between the first node and a third node; a second capacitor coupled between the second node and a fourth node; and/or a filter coupled among a first transmission electrode, a second transmission electrode, the third node, and the fourth node in an asymmetrical structure to provide a first frequency response and a second frequency response to the first transmission electrode and the second transmission electrode, respectively, the first frequency response being different from the second frequency response, the filter being configured to receive the data through the first transmission electrode and the second transmission electrode.
US09641224B2

A transmitting method and receiving method for simultaneous information and energy transfer comprises: determining a first pre-allocated parameter set of a first baseband signal based on a first optimized parameter set and according to a first optimized target and a first constraint condition set; determining a second pre-allocated parameter set of a second baseband signal based on a first optimized result and a second optimized parameter set and according to a second optimized target and a second constraint condition set; and processing the baseband signals into corresponding radio-frequency signals according to the first pre-allocated parameter set and the second pre-allocated parameter set and transmitting the radio-frequency signals through an antenna; the first baseband signal and the second baseband signal each being an information baseband signal or an energy baseband signal. Both the energy transfer efficiency and the information transfer rate are improved by optimizing the information signals and energy signals.
US09641219B2

Systems and methods for routing protocols for power line communications (PLC) are described. In some embodiments, a method performed by a PLC device, such as a PLC meter, may include selecting one or more transmit sub-bands on which to transmit frames, where the transmit sub-bands comprise groups of carrier frequencies. The PLC device then generates a frame comprising a tone map that indicates which transmit sub-bands are used to carry data for the frame. The tone map using two bits per transmit sub-band to indicate a status of each transmit sub-band. The PLC device then transmits the frame on the selected transmit sub-bands. A resolution bit and a mode bit may be used to provide additional information about the transmit sub-bands, such as an amount of power adjustment that has been applied to carrier frequencies and whether dummy bits are transmitted on unused carrier frequencies.
US09641215B2

A transceiver arrangement (200) for a fixed point-to-point radio link. The transceiver arrangement (200) comprising a transceiver (215) connected to a first antenna (210) and to a second antenna (220). The transceiver (215) being arranged to transmit a first transmit signal (211) via the first antenna (210) in a first frequency band (f1), the transceiver (215) also being arranged to receive a first receive signal (212) via the first antenna (210) in a second frequency band (f2), the transceiver (215) further being arranged to transmit a second transmit signal (221) via the second antenna (220) in the second frequency band (f2), the transceiver (215) also being arranged to receive a second receive signal (222) via the second antenna (220) in the first frequency band (f1).
US09641214B2

A portable electronic device includes an antenna unit, a processor, a circuit board and a frequency switching circuit. The antenna unit includes a pin. The processor includes a signal control terminal to output a voltage control signal. The frequency switching circuit is disposed on the circuit board and connected to the signal control terminal and the pin, so as to switch the frequency of the antenna unit according to the voltage control signal. The frequency switching circuit includes a switch unit and an anti-noise unit. The switch unit is connected to the pin, and the anti-noise unit is connected to the signal control terminal and the switch unit.
US09641208B2

A portable electric cigarette lighter or mobile device accessory with integrated portable electric cigarette lighter, the mobile device accessory including: (a) a protective accessory for a mobile device; (b) an electric lighter mechanism integrated into the protective accessory, the lighter mechanism including: (i) a heating element, (ii) a power source, (iii) an actuator, adapted to activate the heating element by operationally coupling the heating element to the power source and (d) a slide shutter adapted to reversibly expose the heating element.
US09641205B1

Antenna structures and methods of operating the same are described. One apparatus includes a processing device that executes an active interference cancellation (AIC) algorithm and radio frequency front-end (RFFE) circuitry coupled to the processing device. The RFFE circuitry includes two RF couplers, and a programmable-delay filter and a vector modulator disposed along electrical path. The AIC algorithm is operable to control the programmable-delay filter to match a delay of the electrical path to a propagation delay in an antenna path. The AIC algorithm is operable to control the vector modulator to adjust a phase, an amplitude or both of a copy of a first RF signal transmitted via the first antenna to generate a second RF signal. The second RF signal is added to a third RF signal via the second RF coupler to remove from the third RF signal interference caused by the first RF signal.
US09641201B2

In accordance with an embodiment, a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC) includes an adjustable capacitance coupled to an input terminal of the RFIC, and a first single-pole multiple-throw (SPMT) radio frequency (RF) switch having an input coupled to the adjustable capacitance and a plurality of output nodes coupled to a corresponding plurality of second output terminals of the RFIC.
US09641198B2

An apparatus and method for interleaving and puncturing are provided. The apparatus includes: an interleaver formed of a plurality of columns and rows, configured to perform interleaving by writing bits input to the interleaver in the plurality of columns and reading the bits from each row of the plurality of columns in which the bits are written; and a puncturer configured to puncture a predetermined number of bits among the bits read from the interleaver.
US09641195B2

A trellis coded modulator and method for generating an encoded word from an input word. The TCM has a first logic branch configured to generate a data portion of the encoded word; and a second logic branch, coupled in parallel with the first logic branch, and configured to generate a corresponding parity portion of the encoded word sequentially after the generation of the data portion of the encoded word.
US09641194B2

A method for encoding multi-modes of BCH codes and an associated encoder is disclosed. The method has the steps of: building a number of encoding matrices; combining the encoding matrices with one side aligned to form a combined matrix; seeking common sub-expressions (CSEs) in the combined matrix, and encoding a message using the combined matrix.
US09641192B1

Various embodiments of the present technology may comprise a method and device for a delta-sigma ADC. The method and device may comprise receiving an input signal to at least two parallel-connected first-stage integrators and corresponding feedback DACs, and simultaneously integrating the input signal by each of the first-stage integrators. The method and device may further comprise a second stage integrator connected in series with the first-stage integrators, a quantizer, and digital to analog converters, coupled between the output of the quantizer and the inputs of the first-stage integrators.
US09641186B2

Apparatus and associated methods are disclosed for digital-to-analog conversion with improved performance. In one exemplary embodiment, an apparatus includes a DAC to convert a digital input signal to an analog output signal. The DAC includes a decoder to decode the digital input signal and to provide first and second sets of control signals. The DAC also includes a resistor DAC (RDAC) to provide first and second voltages in response to the first set of control signals. The DAC further includes an interpolator coupled to receive the first and second voltages and to provide a first analog signal in response to the second set of control signals.
US09641185B1

A digital to time converter (DTC). The DTC includes a lookup table, a divider, a thermometric array and a switched capacitor array. The lookup table is configured to generate one or more corrections based on thermometric bits of an input signal. The divider is configured to generate a plurality of divider signals from an oscillator signal based on the one or more corrections. The thermometric array is configured to generate a medium approximation signal from the plurality of divider signals based on the one or more corrections. The switched capacitor array is configured to generate a digital delay signal from the medium approximation signal based on the one or more corrections and switched capacitor bits of the input signal.
US09641184B2

Automatic digital sensing and compensation of frequency drift caused by temperature, aging, and/or other effects may be provided by including a compensation capacitor array and a sensing logic. The sensing logic may be configured to detect a drift in a first control signal and to provide the compensation capacitor array with a second control signal. The second control signal is configured to cause an adjustment of capacitance in the compensation capacitor array based on the detected drift in the first control signal.
US09641180B2

There is provided a reconfigurable semiconductor device including a plurality of circuit blocks each including a reconfigurable logic unit, and an analog circuit configured to convert an analog signal from the outside into a digital signal to output the digital signal to the reconfigurable logic unit, and convert a digital signal outputted from the reconfigurable logic unit into an analog signal to output the analog signal to the outside. The circuit block has a rectangular shape, is connected to the two adjacent circuit blocks from one side with a plurality of analog lines, and is connected to the other two adjacent circuit blocks from the other side on a side opposite to the one side with a plurality of analog lines.
US09641165B1

A duty cycle correction circuit has a delay line comprising a plurality of current-starved inverters coupled together in series. An input of a first current-starved inverter receives an input clock signal. A relatively weak inverter is coupled in parallel with each of the current-starved inverters. A low pass filter having an operational amplifier has a differential input coupled to the output of the delay line for receiving an output clock signal. A single-ended output of the operational amplifier is coupled to current source and current sink transistors of each of the current-starved inverters to control the amount of delay provided by the delay line. The low pass filter corrects the duty cycle of the input clock signal so that the output clock signal has a 50 percent duty cycle. The relatively weak parallel-connected inverters insure that no clock pulses are skipped if the current-starved inverters fail to transition.
US09641146B2

Apparatus and methods are disclosed related to radio frequency (RF) power detection. One such apparatus includes a directional coupler, an RF switch, and an RF power detector. The RF switch can selectively change coupling between the directional coupler and the RF power detector. This can enable accurate power detection based on a ratio of power levels, without factory calibration or laser trimming.
US09641129B2

A resistor-less amplifying circuit includes a plurality of resistor-less cells. Each cell includes a plurality of MOS transistors. Each cell generates a differential output equal to ΔVGS of two MOS transistors with a magnitude of the differential output controlled by a control voltage generated by a differential amplifier coupled to a feedback loop around a cell. In one embodiment, the resistor-less amplifying circuit is a part of a bandgap voltage reference circuit. In another embodiment, the resistor-less amplifying circuit is part of a temperature sensor circuit.
US09641117B2

A dynamic linear motor is controlled by determining a relative proximity of a moving rotor of the linear motor to a fixed stator segment of the linear motor using a current location of the moving rotor. A current driving characteristic of the linear motor at the current location of the moving rotor is determined. Settings for the fixed stator segment when the moving rotor reaches the fixed stator segment are identified based on the current driving characteristic. The fixed stator segment is driven based on the settings when the moving rotor reaches the fixed stator segment.
US09641116B2

The invention relates to a method for operating an asynchronous machine (1) comprising a rotor (3) and a stator (2), in which a torque of the asynchronous machine (1) is adjusted by specifying a desired magnetic flux of a surrounding magnetic field of the stator (2) and specifying a desired slip between a rotational speed of the rotor (3) and the rotational speed of the surrounding magnetic field. According to the invention, at least in the load condition and when a rotary frequency of the surrounding magnetic field of the stator is equal to zero, the desired magnetic flux and/or the desired slip with constant torque is changed in such a way that an actual rotary frequency of the surrounding magnetic field is not equal to zero.
US09641108B2

Methods and systems for operating a motor having a rotor rotatable relative to a stator include commutating the motor to cause the rotor to rotate to a known position. While the rotor is at the known position, a position of an encoder magnet configured to rotate with the rotor is measured. Subsequent commutation of the motor is adjusted to take into account a difference between the known position of the rotor and the measured position of the encoder magnet.
US09641103B2

Systems and methods provide actuator control. Actuator control is provided via charge control as opposed to voltage control. A driver for driving an actuator can include a charge pump for injecting charge into one or more capacitive elements of the actuator. The driver can further include a capacitance detection aspect for detecting the capacitance of the capacitive elements of the actuator to determine positioning of the actuator.
US09641101B1

A method for controlling output energy of a power system includes following steps: Using a controlling unit to detect a phase offset between voltage and current of an AC power outputted from the power system. When the power system enters an energy-storage cycle, the controlling unit makes a power conversion unit output the AC power having a first preset power factor and store a partial energy of an AC grid in an energy-storage unit when the AC power is in a reactive power area. When the power system enters an energy-release cycle, the controlling unit makes the power conversion unit output the AC power having a second preset power factor and release the energy stored in the energy-storage unit, wherein an average value of the power factor in the energy-storage cycle and the energy-release cycle is the same as a preset average power factor.
US09641100B2

A system for converting a first voltage into a second voltage includes input terminals and output terminals, switching members disposed between the terminals which can convert voltage, and a device for controlling the switching members. The device includes a cell for controlling a switching member, and a member for managing and supplying the control cell. The member is connected to the control cell by a link allowing the simultaneous transmission of a control signal and electrical energy. The member includes a device for generating a pulse, and which includes at least two different control intervals.
US09641099B2

Provided are single phase and multiple phase DC-AC inverters with soft switching, and related methods and uses. The DC-AC inverters comprise at least one voltage source inverter circuit or at least one current source inverter circuit having a DC input and an AC output including a first component at a fundamental frequency and a ripple component at a frequency higher than the fundamental frequency; wherein the ripple component is of a sufficient magnitude that the voltage source inverter circuit output current reverses polarity and allows the at least one inverter circuit to operate with zero voltage switching; or wherein the ripple component is of a sufficient magnitude that the current source inverter circuit output voltage reverses polarity and allows the at least one inverter circuit to operate with zero current switching. The circuits and methods may be used with grid-connected renewable energy sources.
US09641097B2

A vehicle electrical system includes: an active bridge rectifier which is connected to a generator via multiple phase terminals, and having terminals on the direct voltage side; a unit for recognizing load shedding at the active bridge rectifier and short-circuiting the phase terminals in a clocked manner, as the result of which a pulsed current is fed to the vehicle electrical system; a vehicle electrical system capacitor configured for smoothing the pulsed current; and a voltage limiting unit configured for clipping a voltage between the terminals of the bridge rectifier on the direct voltage side to a predefined maximum voltage.
US09641088B2

A current resonant power source apparatus includes a series circuit (Lr, P, C2) connected between switch elements Q1 and Q2 and a capacitor C1, a full-wave rectifying and smoothing circuit (D1, D2, C3) for providing a DC voltage, a control circuit of Q1 and Q2, a voltage detector 11 of the DC voltage, a current detector of the primary winding P, a soft-start time constant setting unit, and an ON time controller. If a voltage generated to a time constant is smaller than a set voltage, the ON time controller sets an ON time for Q1 and Q2 according to the DC voltage and soft-start signal, and if it is equal to or greater than the set voltage, sets one of the first and second ON times according to the current from the current detector.
US09641087B2

A method and a device for detecting conduction mode is disclosed. The method uses an energy-storing element to connect with a synchronous rectifier and a load, and the load connects with the synchronous rectifier. Firstly, energy is discharged from the energy-storing element and applied to the load through the synchronous rectifier to periodically generate a detected voltage signal across the synchronous rectifier, and the detected voltage signal comprises at least one raising waveform, at least one horizontal waveform and at least one descending waveform. Then, an output is generated according to waveform of the detected voltage signal and either of a reference duration or a reference slope, so as to determine that the energy-storing element operates in CCM or DCM.
US09641077B2

Reliability of a buck power stage may be enhanced by extending the maximum input voltage able to be withstood in the disabled (non-switching) state. During device qualification/testing, a power management unit (PMU) in the disabled state may have its input node subjected to greater than a maximum input voltage permitted for reliability (Vmax). Under such conditions, a force voltage (Vforce) may be selectively applied to the PMU switching node in the disabled state. For a given input voltage (VIN), this reduces voltage across the non-switching transistors of the power stage (and hence the resulting stress) to below Vmax. In certain embodiments, the Vforce applied to the switching node is of a fixed magnitude. In other embodiments, the Vforce applied to the switching node is of a magnitude varying with input voltage. Embodiments may be particularly suited to implement power management for a System-On-Chip (SoC).
US09641073B2

A switch-mode power supply is provided that includes a comparator for producing a pulse-width modulated (PWM) controller clock signal for controlling a power switch in the switch-mode power supply. The switch-mode power supply is configured to superimpose a DC-free version of a ramp voltage with an error voltage to produce a combined voltage. The comparator compares the combined voltage to a reference voltage to produce the PWM controller clock signal.
US09641072B2

Systems, methods, and apparatus to drive reactive loads are disclosed. An example apparatus to drive a reactive load includes a reactive component in circuit with the reactive load, a first switching element in circuit with the reactive load to selectively hold the reactive load in a first energy state and to selectively allow the reactive load to change from the first energy state to a second energy state, a second switching element in circuit with the reactive load to selectively hold the reactive load in the second energy state and to selectively allow the reactive load to change from the second energy state to the first energy state, and a controller to detect a current in the reactive load, and to control the first and second switching elements to hold the reactive load in the first or the second energy state when the current traverses a threshold.
US09641071B2

Disclosed is a Ćuk based current source, a control circuit for a Ćuk based current source, and a method for providing a current.
US09641066B2

A current driver is coupled to an inductor; a digital control for regulation of the current driver turns the current driver on or off coupled to the current driver; a comparator output coupled to the input of the digital control for regulation of the driver with inputs to compare a voltage of the inductor to a target voltage, a digital control for selection of one of a set of peaks and valleys of allowable current levels of the current driver, the digital control for selection of one of a set of peaks and valleys coupled to the output of the comparator and an input of the current driver, the digital control for the peak/valley current to monitor the duration of each high and low output state of the comparator output to determine the selection of one of the set of peak and valley of allowable current levels for the current driver.
US09641057B2

A resin portion of an output shaft has a large diameter section, from which one end portion of a rod outwardly projects, and an intermediate diameter section, which extends from the large diameter section in an axial direction and is rotatably supported by a housing. A gear portion is formed in an outer peripheral surface of the large diameter section and is meshed with a final gear. A recess is recessed in the axial direction in the large diameter section and extends in the circumferential direction along an entire circumferential extent of the rod. The intermediate diameter section is continuously filled with resin in a region, which extends from an outer peripheral surface of the rod to an outer peripheral surface of the intermediate diameter section in the radial direction, along the entire circumferential extent of the rod.
US09641053B2

A connecting element between a motor and a control unit includes a flat base plate having contact elements and an, in particular centered, opening. The base plate further includes a shaft around the opening. A first seal is provided at the edge of the base plate and a second seal is provided at the upper edge of the shaft.
US09641050B2

A wind turbine generator comprising a rotor, a stator and an air gap between a gap-delimiting region of the stator and a gap-delimiting region of the rotor; wherein the rotor and/or the stator are deformable under operational loads and configured in such a way that the air gap resulting from the presence of operational loads is more uniform than the air gap in the absence of operational loads. A method for optimizing an air gap between a gap-delimiting region of a stator and a gap-delimiting region of a rotor of a wind turbine generator, said rotor and/or said stator being deformable under operational loads and said optimization consisting in that the air gap resulting from the presence of the set of operational loads is more uniform than the air gap in the absence of the set of operational loads.
US09641048B1

A leverage generator apparatus for generating electricity from energy transferred from a one or more partially rotating levers each operating on one or more triangular weighted swivel devices that are propelled over a center point on the partially rotating lever by one or more piston switches and actuators and each supported by a triangular support structure operating as a fulcrum at a center-point of the one or more partially rotating levers, such that the energy transferred from the leverage generator turns a crankshaft linked to a generator device. A renewable energy vertical leverage generator apparatus generates electricity from energy transferred by one or more pairs of rotating triangular weight car harness structures travelling on a track system operating as a receptacle to capture weighted car devices such that the triangular weight car harness structures rotate three hundred sixty degrees to produce forces sufficient to turn an axel of a generator device.
US09641040B2

Provided is a rotating electric machine capable of preventing an outer race of a bearing from rotating because of a reduction in force for coupling a bearing housing portion and the outer race of the bearing. A resin case (24) uses thermal expansion to fill a clearance between the bearing housing portion and the outer race of a counter-driving side bearing. A hook (25) projecting inward in a radial direction is formed at least at one position on a circumferential edge portion of the resin case (24) on a side opposite to a rotor. The bearing housing portion includes a concave portion to which the hook (25) is to be locked, which is formed on a flange portion inside of which a shaft passes.
US09641039B2

A drive device having an electric drive. A drive device (1) includes at least one housing (15), at least one electric drive, the electric drive having a rotor arrangement with a rotor shaft (7) which is designed for rotation about a rotational axis (17), and a bearing arrangement (14 a, b) for mounting the rotor arrangement. The bearing arrangement (14 a, b) supports the rotor arrangement in relation to the rotational axis (17) radially inwardly, the bearing arrangement (14a, b) supporting the rotor shaft in relation to a support section (15, 16) that is fixed to the housing.
US09641036B2

A U-phase coil that constitutes an armature winding includes four (first through fourth) small coil groups U101, U102, U201, and U202 that make one round circumferentially, that are formed by connecting in series in order of circumferential arrangement winding bodies that are housed in slot pairs that are separated by 360 electrical degrees. The U-phase coil is configured into a parallel circuit in which the first and fourth small coil groups U101 and U202, which are connected in series, and the second and third small coil groups U102 and U201, which are connected in series, are connected in parallel by linking together winding ends within a radially inner winding end group using crossover wires 711 and 721, and by linking together winding ends within a radially outer winding end group using a crossover wire 821.
US09641034B2

A rotary machine includes two sets of three-phase stator winding wires and two sets of inverters connected to the same direct-current power supply. Alternating-current terminals of the inverters are respectively connected to the three-phase stator winding wires. Stator winding wires are housed in a plurality of slots to form a stator. The two sets of three-phase stator winding wires and the stator winding wires in the same phase of the sets are started to be wound from the slot positions, with phases thereof being different from each other by 180 degrees, among the plurality of slots and are finished being wound in the slot positions, with phases thereof different from each other by 180 degrees. Winding end points of the three-phase stator winding wires are respectively connected in common, and alternating-current voltages having the same magnitude and opposite phases are applied to the two sets of three-phase stator winding wire.
US09641031B2

A rotor (1) comprising a plurality of alternating magnetic poles formed by permanent magnets (3) distributed regularly between a circumferential portion (5) and a central portion (6) of the magnetic body (2) of the rotor and defining circumferential pole sections (7). The circumferential portion comprises axial grooves (15) which are arranged between the pole sections facing the magnets and which form openings in recesses (4) containing the magnets. The openings have a pre-determined first width (a) such as to minimize a leakage magnetic flux (PhiL) flowing through the circumferential portion (5) and to maximize a useful magnetic flux (PhiU) flowing radially through each of the pole sections (7).
US09641026B2

The subject specification comprises enhanced communication infrastructure for a multi-tier hierarchical smart distribution grid (SDG). The SDG comprises a specified number of distribution network node controller (DNNC) components employed to desirably control communications and power distribution between respective tiers of the SDG to facilitate efficient power distribution. When communication between the a DNNC in one tier and another DNNC in another tier, is desired, the DNNC can identify available communication channels and respective communication conditions of the available communication channels, and can dynamically select a subset of available data and preferred communication channel, based at least in part on predefined control criteria, to control data transmission loads in the network and facilitate real time control of the SDG. Data can be communicated via the selected communication channel. Respective DNNCs can desirably control power distribution for respective tiers, minimizing upper tier involvement in lower tier power distribution.
US09641020B2

A receiver is provided, wherein the receiver includes an antenna, a band pass filter and a frequency mixer electrically connected in sequence, and a local oscillator electrically connected with the frequency mixer, and further includes: a diplexer for separating and outputting high and low frequency components in a signal outputted by the frequency mixer; and a rectifying unit for converting the high frequency component outputted by the diplexer into direct current energy and storing the direct current energy in a storage battery. The diplexer introduced in the receiver separates a baseband signal and a carrier signal in the same path losslessly, respectively conducts information decoding and energy capture, implements simultaneous information and energy transfer, and does not need to change the present modulation technology, therefor having strong compatibility, being reasonable and simple in structure, and being easy to implement.
US09641018B2

A power receiving apparatus receives power wirelessly transmitted by a power transmission apparatus, and stores the received power. The power receiving apparatus includes a communication unit configured to transmit and receive a control signal in a wireless power transmission system. The power receiving apparatus switches a supply source of power to the communication unit when a power storage capacity is less than a threshold value.
US09641016B2

A wireless power transmission apparatus for high efficiency energy charging, includes a resonator configured to transmit power, and a power supply unit configured to supply power to the resonator. The apparatus further includes a first switching unit configured to connect the resonator to the power supply unit, and disconnect the resonator from the power supply unit, and a controller configured to control the first switching unit based on an amount of current flowing into the resonator.
US09641004B2

Systems and methods for balancing charge of battery cells of a battery pack are disclosed. In one example, battery cell balancing may be improved by balancing battery cells of a battery cell stack simultaneously. The system and method may be particularly useful battery packs that may be constructed with battery cell stacks that vary in a number of series battery cells.
US09641001B2

An electronic apparatus includes a power receiving means for wirelessly receiving power, a detection means for detecting whether the electronic apparatus is in a predetermined state, a load means supplied with power from the power receiving means, and a control means that performs control so a second power is supplied from the power receiving means to the load means if the detection means detects that the electronic apparatus is in the predetermined state and a first power is supplied from the power receiving means to the load means, wherein the second power is lower than the first power, and the control means further performs control so the first power is supplied from the power receiving means to the load means if the detection means detects the electronic apparatus is in a state different from the predetermined state and the supplied power is reduced to a predetermined power value or less.
US09640999B2

A technique with which a change in power frequency can be suppressed. A power system stabilizer issues a control command to a first storage battery among a plurality of first power generators and the first storage battery that are connected to an isolated island system via a first tie-line. The power system stabilizer includes a parameter determination unit and a control block unit. The parameter determination unit obtains, on the basis of operation information, a rate-of-change limit value that indicates a limit to be imposed on a total value of changes in the overall output of first power generators in operation. The control block unit generates a command value to be given to the first storage battery on the basis of an interconnection point power flow value measured on the first tie-line and the rate-of-change limit value obtained by the parameter determination unit.
US09640996B2

Disclosed is an electric power supply system which has: a common power source which stores and supplies a power via a local power grid; and a distributed power source which supplies a power to buildings and a surplus to the common power source. The electric power supply system further includes a first power meter measuring the amount of power supplied from a commercial power source, a second power meter measuring the amount of power received from and supplied to the common power source via the local power grid, and a distribution control device which distributes a power from the common power source to the area based on the amounts of power as measured by the first power meter and the second power meter.
US09640995B2

An apparatus includes a converter having an AC side and a DC side, a switch adapted to be connected to a transmission line on a first side and connected to a load on a second side connected to the AC side, an energy storage device, connected to the DC side. In a first operating mode, the switch is closed, such that an energy storage current flows to/from the energy storage device to charge/discharge the energy storage device, respectively. In a second operating mode, the switch is open, preventing current from flowing from the transmission line to the converter, and the energy storage device supplies a direct current which is converted to an alternating current by the converter. In the first operating mode, the apparatus is configured such that power transfer on the transmission line corresponds to a surge impedance loading of the transmission line, by affecting the energy storage current.
US09640994B2

Three phase power flow analysis of an unbalanced power distribution system decouples voltage changes resulting from nodal admittance matrix into one contribution from a real part, conductance matrix, and other contribution from an imaginary part, and a susceptance matrix. A first voltage change and second voltage change resulting from conductance and susceptance matrices are determined respectively. The voltages of a node of the power distribution system are determined as a combination of first and second voltages.
US09640986B2

A telecommunications system uses a breakout device to connect a primary power cable to different secondary power cables that connect to different remote radio units (RRUs). For example, the breakout device may include a power distribution terminal that connects −48 VDC and return power lines in the primary power cable to different −48 VDC and return power lines in the secondary power cables. In another example, the breakout device may connect a hybrid cable that includes both power lines and fiber optic lines. A surge protection system may be located in the breakout device to protect the RRUs and other electrical device from power surges. Alternatively, the surge protection system may be located in jumper power cables connected between the breakout device and the RRUs.
US09640978B2

A protective circuit for an inverter is disclosed, the protective circuit comprising a safety element, a switching arrangement, and a control circuit, with the safety element being arranged in a feed line to the power element, and the switching device being switched to the safety element such that the switching arrangement bridges the safety element when the switching arrangement is in a conducting state. The control circuit is embodied such that it, upon receipt of one control pulse or several successive control pulses, emits a switching signal to a switching arrangement for a predetermined period of time, with the switching arrangement being switched through in case of periodic receipt of the control pulses and with the absence of the control pulse opening the switching arrangement after a predetermined period of time, and triggering a protection of the inverter by the safety element.
US09640975B2

A circuit interrupting device having an auto-monitoring circuit for periodically testing various functions and structures of the device. The auto-monitoring circuit initiates an auto-monitoring routine which, among other things, generates a self-test fault condition and determines whether the detection mechanisms within the device properly detect the self-test fault. A test fault circuit is configured to generate one or more test pulses that cause the self-test fault condition and the test pulses are generated to occur outside of an active region of the fault detection circuit.
US09640970B2

The present disclosure relates to an overvoltage-protection device for protecting a high-frequency terminal from overvoltage. Overvoltages can be compensated by a coil arrangement, which includes coils electrically in series with different, increasing inductances. The end of the relatively thinner coil is connected to the high-frequency terminal of a circuit.
US09640962B2

A power control system is provided that includes a receptacle and a module. The receptacle is hard-wired to a power distribution system, such as conventional 120 VAC. The module can be removable inserted into the receptacle and can provide desired functionality, such as power deliver, wireless communication and actuation. By providing a receptacle that accepts multiple modules that each can have different functionality and by allowing a user to readily remove replace modules in the receptacle, a useful and flexible control system can be set up.
US09640961B2

A cable management assembly adapted for first and second slide rail assemblies includes first and second cable management brackets which are connected together, a supporting base, and a supporting member pivotally connected to the supporting base. The first slide rail assembly includes first and second rails. The cable management brackets are connectable to the rails respectively. The supporting base is connectable to the second slide rail assembly. The supporting member has a portion located between the cable management brackets. When the second rail is longitudinally displaced relative to the first rail from a retracted position toward an extended position, the first cable management bracket drives the portion of the supporting member and thereby rotates the supporting member relative to the supporting base.
US09640956B2

An electric wire protective member includes a cylindrical electric wire protection tube, an interior of which being an electric wire insertion space, a protection tube end opening provided in the electric wire protection tube and from which electric wires inserted through the electric wire insertion space are led out, and an electric wire fastening member having an electric wire fastening plate on which the electric wires led out through the protection tube end opening are placed. The electric wire fastening plate is molded integrally with a ring-shaped covering portion covering the electric wire protection tube near the protection tube end opening.
US09640946B2

An improved laser safety shutter is provided for the main supply power to the laser diode to be routed through an electronic shutter that prevents the passing of the supply power to the laser diodes to achieve laser shutdown or in the event of a control power failure. The main power is routed through a rectifier to convert the incoming alternating current (AC) feed to direct current (DC) power. A switching array operates in an alternating cycle so as to provide AC power to be transformed and passed along to the laser diode pump on the load side of the transformer. When shut down of the laser is desired or when power to the controller fails, the switches stop operating and the resultant DC power cannot be passed by the transformer effectively cutting the supply power to the laser diodes.
US09640945B2

Method in which, in order to actuate a wavelength-tunable laser diode in a spectrometer, a power-time function is predetermined instead of a current-time function, wherein the laser diode is tuned periodically over a wavelength range in accordance with the power-time function. For this purpose, a current profile (i) with which the laser diode is actuated is determined from the power-time function and measured values of the voltage (u) present at the laser diode.
US09640943B2

Methods, systems, and apparatus, for an external cavity FP laser. In one aspect, an apparatus is provided that includes a FP laser diode; a Faraday rotator (FR) coupled to receive an optical output of the FP laser diode and that rotates a polarization of the optical output; an optical fiber coupled at a first end to receive the output of the FR; a WDM filter coupled to a second end of the optical fiber to receive the optical signal from the optical fiber; and a FRM coupled directly or indirectly to an output of the WDM filter, wherein an optical output of the WDM filter is partially reflected by the FRM such that the polarization of a reflected beam is rotated, and wherein the reflected optical signal then passes through the FR with its polarization being rotated by the FR before it is injected back into the FP laser diode.
US09640940B2

A pulsed laser comprises an oscillator and amplifier. An attenuator and/or pre-compressor may be disposed between the oscillator and amplifier to improve performance and possibly the quality of pulses output from the laser. Such pre-compression may be implemented with spectral filters and/or dispersive elements between the oscillator and amplifier. The pulsed laser may have a modular design comprising modular devices that may have Telcordia-graded quality and reliability. Fiber pigtails extending from the device modules can be spliced together to form laser system. In one embodiment, a laser system operating at approximately 1050 nm comprises an oscillator having a spectral bandwidth of approximately 19 nm. This oscillator signal can be manipulated to generate a pulse having a width below approximately 90 fs. A modelocked linear fiber laser cavity with enhanced pulse-width control includes concatenated sections of both polarization-maintaining and non-polarization-maintaining fibers. Apodized fiber Bragg gratings and integrated fiber polarizers are included in the cavity to assist in linearly polarizing the output of the cavity. Very short pulses with a large optical bandwidth are obtained by matching the dispersion value of the fiber Bragg grating to the inverse of the dispersion of the intra-cavity fiber.
US09640937B2

The invention relates to a laser assembly with a converter designed as a fiber laser for generating a converted output laser beam, and having a pumping source that supplies a pump beam to the converter and includes a plurality of laser diodes that generate the pump beam and are formed by emitters mounted on laser bars, the pumping source including beam forming optics for forming the laser beams supplied by the emitters into the pump beam.
US09640936B1

Rare earth oxides doped multicomponent glass fibers for laser generation and amplification, including a core and a cladding, the core comprising at least 2 weight percent glass network modifier selected from BaO, CaO, MgO, ZnO, PbO, K2O, Na2O, Li2O, Y2O3, or combinations; wherein the mode of the core is guided with step index difference between the core and the cladding, a numerical aperture of the fiber is between 0.01 and 0.04; core diameter is from 60 to 150 micron, and a length of the gain fiber is shorter than 60 cm.
US09640923B2

An electrical receptacle connector includes a receptacle shell, an insulation housing bracket, a receptacle grounding contact, and a grounding member. The insulation housing bracket is disposed inside the receptacle shell. The receptacle grounding contact is held inside the housing base. The grounding member is disposed on a first side of the insulation housing bracket and located between the insulation housing bracket and the receptacle shell. A connecting structure is selectively disposed on the grounding member or on the receptacle grounding contact. The connecting structure penetrates through the insulation housing bracket and mechanically or physically connects the grounding member and the receptacle grounding contact such that the grounding member is electrically connected to the receptacle grounding contact.
US09640917B1

An electrical connector includes an insulating housing, a plurality of terminals located in the insulating housing, a main shielding shell and an auxiliary shell. The insulating housing has a main body, and a tongue portion protruded frontward from a front surface of the main body. The main shielding shell surrounds the main body and the tongue portion of the insulating housing. The main shielding shell has a main plate, a bottom plate and two lateral plates. A middle of the bottom plate defines an avoiding gap. The auxiliary shell has a base plate, and two flanks extended outward from two opposite sides of the base plate. The two flanks are fastened to bottom surfaces of two side walls of the avoiding gap and the base plate is located under the avoiding gap.
US09640911B2

A plug connector includes a plug shell, a housing base and a plug contact. The housing base is combined with the plug shell and includes a main base and a tongue structure. The tongue structure extends from the main base and has a first face and a second face opposite to the first face. The plug contact includes a main body, a foot portion, a first end portion and a second end portion. The main body is mounted in the main base. The foot portion extends from the main body and stretches out of the main base. The first end portion is resiliently connected to the main body and protrudes out of the tongue structure via the first face. The second end portion corresponding to the first end portion is resiliently connected to the main body and protrudes out of the tongue structure via the second face.
US09640908B2

An alignment apparatus is coupled to an accessory module that is rotatably attachable to an electronic device. The alignment apparatus includes a pivot mounting member and a connector retaining member movably coupled to the pivot mounting member. The connector retaining member is rigidly coupled to a connector. The connector retaining member moves the connector with respect to the pivot mounting member to a predetermined angle. The predetermined angle aligns the connector with a connecting mate on the electronic device in an approximately parallel position while the accessory module is rotating for attachment onto the electronic device.
US09640901B2

An electrical connection box (10), including: a relay (20) which has a locking projection (20K); and a connection box main body (30) which has a pressing projection (30K) that is engaged with the locking projection (20K), and which is formed with a storage space (30P) that stores the relay (20), in which a guide wall (30W) which is provided to stand on a boundary of the storage space is formed across the entire circumference of the boundary of the storage space in the connection box main body, and in which the pressing projection (30K) is formed at a narrow linking part (30B) of the guide wall in a direction in which the guide wall is provided to stand.
US09640882B2

A connector including a female pin and a male pin is disclosed, wherein the female pin includes a first elastic sheet seat and an elastic sheet, the first elastic sheet seat is provided with a first seat hole, a pin bar extending-out hole, and a guide transition hole communicated with the first seat hole and the pin bar extending-out hole. The elastic sheet is assembled inside the first seat hole. The male pin includes a base and a pin bar fastened to the base. The pin bar includes a large-diameter part and a small-diameter part, wherein the large-diameter part is used to fit a clamping portion of the elastic sheet, and wherein the small-diameter part is used to fit the pin bar extending-out hole. A guide transition hole and a pin bar extending-out hole of a first elastic sheet seat achieve a guiding function for insertion of a pin bar.
US09640881B2

A contact device for establishing an electrical connection to a contact point of a printed circuit board is insertable into a contact hole arranged at the contact point, so as to establish an electrical connection to the contact point of the printed circuit board. The contact device includes a contact element having a deformation portion and a screw element operable to be screwed into the contact element. The deformation portion is in a longitudinal extension state when in a pre-assembly state and is operable to be deformed out of the longitudinal extension state when in an assembled state by means of the screw element being screwed at least part way into the contact element.
US09640878B2

A terminal block arrangement includes a housing and a plurality of connection terminals, each connection terminal including at least one terminal unit for contacting at least one conductor, which can be received on the connection terminal, and at least one associated actuation unit for actuating the terminal unit in order to selectively transfer the terminal unit between at least two positions. At least one of the positions is an open position and at least one of the positions is a contact position. The terminal block arrangement also includes a blocking device, wherein, in a blocking position, the blocking device is capable of preventing, jointly, the actuation of the actuation units of at least two of the plurality of connection terminals.
US09640872B2

A radar antenna is provided. The radar antenna includes an antenna unit provided with dielectric bodies in a front part thereof in a radio wave radiating direction, a housing unit for supplying a radio wave to the antenna unit, and an antenna supporting unit made of FRP attached between the antenna unit and the housing unit to separate the antenna unit from the housing unit.
US09640867B2

A tunable phase shifter is provided that includes a spatial phase shift element and a conducting sheet. The spatial phase shift element includes a dielectric substrate and a conductive antenna element mounted on the dielectric substrate. The conducting sheet is mounted a distance from the spatial phase shift element and configured to reflect an electromagnetic wave through the spatial phase shift element. The conductive antenna element is configured to radiate a second electromagnetic wave in response to receipt of the reflected electromagnetic wave. The distance between the conducting sheet and the spatial phase shift element can be changed to adjust a phase shift of the reflected electromagnetic wave.
US09640863B2

The disclosure provides a device and a method for antenna impedance matching. The device comprises an application detection module, configured to detect a current state of an antenna of a terminal, and output a matching adjustment signal according to the state; an adaptive control module, configured to perform control over a process of matching adjustment in response to the matching adjustment signal; and a matching adjustable module, configured to, under control of the adaptive control module, perform matching adjustment on impedance of the antenna through an impedance matching network corresponding to the matching adjustment signal. Through the technical solution provided by the disclosure, the problem of single impedance matching mode in the prior art is solved, and further, the effect that differential matching can be performed for various application states of the terminal is achieved.
US09640857B2

A communication module includes a circuit board having electronic components thereon, an insulative molded member encapsulating the electronic components on the circuit board, and an antenna unit on the molded member. The circuit board is electrically connected to the antenna unit through a post terminal. The antenna unit and the molded member define a cavity therebetween.
US09640853B2

Sealing portions of an orthomode transducer or another antenna component is accomplished by forming first and second receptacles or channels in one half or portion of the transducer and inserting first and second type of compressible sealing components into the receptacles. Upon attaching additional portions of the transducer the compressible sealing components may be compressed, but the compression is limited to an amount within a compression range to maintain a seal.
US09640850B2

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a system for generating first electromagnetic waves and directing instances of the first electromagnetic waves to an interface of a transmission medium to induce propagation of second electromagnetic waves having at least a dominant non-fundamental wave mode. Other embodiments are disclosed.
US09640846B2

Implementations and techniques are generally disclosed are generally described for providing a metal air batter comprising, a cathode tube included in the metal air battery, the cathode tube having a conductive outer surface and a hydrophobic inner surface configured to define a tube wall there between, wherein the tube wall includes polymeric material and an anode material that surrounds the cathode tube.
US09640845B2

A temperature-raising device for an in-car battery includes: a battery temperature acquisition unit configured to acquire a temperature of a battery mounted in a vehicle; an environmental temperature acquisition unit configured to acquire an environmental temperature; a heater configured to raise the temperature of the battery; and a controller configured to i) turn ON or OFF the heater based on a result of a comparison between the battery temperature acquired by the battery temperature acquisition unit and a predetermined threshold, and ii) reduce the threshold in accordance with a reduction in the environmental temperature acquired by the environmental temperature acquisition unit.
US09640841B2

A semiconductor device capable of reducing an inter-source electrode resistance RSS(on) and reducing a chip size is provided. A semiconductor device according to the present invention includes a chip partitioned into three areas including a first area, a second area, and a third area, and a common drain electrode provided on a back surface of the chip, in which the second area is formed between the first and third areas, a first MOSFET is formed in the first area and the third area, and a second MOSFET is formed in the second area.
US09640839B2

The present invention relates to an electrolyte composition (A) containing (i) at least one aprotic organic solvent; (ii) at least one conducting salt; (iii) at least one compound of formula (I) and (iv) optionally at least one further additive.
US09640837B2

The present invention is to provide a method for producing such a sulfide solid electrolyte that it has high lithium ion conductivity and the total amount of heat generated by the reaction with the charged anode material that proceeds at around 315° C., is reduced. Disclosed is a method for producing a sulfide solid electrolyte, wherein the method includes: a first step of preparing Li3PS4 having a γ structure, and a second step in which a second step mixture that contains the Li3PS4 having the γ structure obtained in the first step and LiX (where X is halogen) is non-crystallized, and the non-crystallized second step mixture is heated in a temperature range of more than 150° C. and less than 190° C.
US09640835B2

An ion conducting glass-ceramics represented by the general formula (I): Na2S-MxSy—NaSb, wherein M and N are different and selected from P, Si, Ge, B, Al and Ga; x, y, a and b are integers indicating the stoichiometric ratio depending on the species of M and N; and the content of Na2S is more than 60 mol % and less than 80 mol %.
US09640831B2

In the case where a film, which has lower strength than a metal can, is used as an exterior body of a secondary battery, a current collector provided in a region surrounded by the exterior body, an active material layer provided on a surface of the current collector, or the like might be damaged when force is externally applied to the secondary battery. A secondary battery that is durable even when force is externally applied thereto is provided. A region that is easily partly bent and a region that is not easily partly bent owing to a protective material provided in the region are intentionally formed to obtain the durable secondary battery.
US09640829B2

A heater includes a heater housing extending along a heater axis; a fuel cell stack assembly disposed within the heater housing and having a plurality of fuel cells which convert chemical energy from a fuel into heat and electricity through a chemical reaction with an oxidizing agent; an electric resistive heating element disposed within the heater housing and electrically connected to the fuel cell stack assembly; and a first thermal switch located between the fuel cell stack assembly and the electric resistive heating element. The first thermal switch is closed to place the fuel cell stack assembly in electrical communication with the electric resistive heating element when the fuel cell stack assembly is electrochemically active and is open to prevent electrical communication between the fuel cell stack assembly and the electric resistive heating element when the fuel cell stack assembly is not electrochemically active.
US09640825B2

A fuel cell includes an anode, a solid electrolyte layer, a barrier layer, and a cathode. The anode includes a transition metal and an oxygen ion conductive material. In the interface region within 3 micrometers from the interface with the solid electrolyte layer of the anode after reduction, the content rate of silicon is less than or equal to 200 ppm, the content rate of phosphorous is less than or equal to 50 ppm, the content rate of chromium is less than or equal to 100 ppm, the content rate of boron is less than or equal to 100 ppm, and the content rate of sulfur is less than or equal to 100 ppm.
US09640820B2

A power generation system of the present invention includes: a fuel cell unit (101) including a fuel cell (11) and a case (12); a controller (102); a combustion unit (103) provided outside the case (12) and configured to combust a combustible gas to supply heat; and a discharge passage (70) configured to cause the fuel cell unit (101) and the combustion unit (103) to communicate with each other, wherein in a case where an exhaust gas is being discharged to the discharge passage (70) from one of the fuel cell unit (101) and the combustion unit (103) and the controller (102) changes the flow rate of the exhaust gas discharged from the other unit, the controller (102) controls at least the flow rate of the exhaust gas discharged from the other unit such that the flow rate of the exhaust gas discharged from the one unit becomes constant.
US09640819B2

A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell module and a control device. The control device includes a partial oxidation reformer adjuster, a combustion starter, and a power generator. Based on at least any of the reforming state in the partial oxidation reformer, the combustion state in the exhaust gas combustor and the temperature of the fuel cell stack, the partial oxidation reformer adjuster adjusts the temperature of the partial oxidation reformer, the supply amount of raw fuel, and the supply amount of oxygen-containing gas, the combustion starter starts combustion in the exhaust gas combustor, and the power generator starts power generation in the fuel cell stack.
US09640818B2

A method of operating a fuel cell includes the steps of detecting hydrogen peroxide concentration during power generation by a hydrogen peroxide concentration sensor provided directly on a membrane electrode assembly and determining an operating condition of the fuel cell based on the detected hydrogen peroxide concentration.
US09640816B2

Disclosed is a flow battery pack with a monitoring system. The flow battery pack with a monitoring system comprises a battery pack device and a monitoring device. The battery pack device comprises a pole plate, and the pole plate is provided thereon with a measuring port. The monitoring device comprises a measuring probe, and the measuring probe extends to the interior of the battery pack device and is arranged corresponding to the measuring port on the pole plate. The monitoring device is used for monitoring the flow pressure and temperature at the measuring port. According to the technical solution of the present disclosure, a monitoring device is introduced into the interior of a flow battery pack, and the real values of correlative parameters of the interior of the battery pack and the distribution status thereof can be obtained through the monitoring device.
US09640815B2

Provided are air humidification device and method for a fuel cell. The air humidification device and method for the fuel cell may cool an air compressor and air compressed by the air compressor and easily humidify air supplied to the fuel cell by mixing water with air and injecting the mixture into an inlet of the air compressor. In particular, the air humidification device and method may easily humidify air supplied to a cathode of the fuel cell by bypassing a portion of the compressed air from an outlet of an air compressor supplying air to the cathode of the fuel cell and simultaneously by injecting condensed water discharged from a fuel cell system into an inlet of the air compressor using the bypassed compressed air.
US09640814B2

Disclosed is a device for adjusting humidification gas of a membrane humidification device of a fuel cell. In particular, the device is adapted to induce changes in differential pressure and velocity of the wet air for each division module and to improve the humidification efficiency by sequentially mounting the division modules divided into various numbers to the interior of a housing of the membrane humidification device, thereby adjusting the density of the hollow fiber membrane filled in each division module.
US09640795B2

A positive-electrode active material particle for an all-solid battery which includes a sulfide-based solid electrolyte includes an active material core and a reaction-inhibiting layer which contains carbon and with which the active material core is coated.
US09640780B2

An organic electroluminescent element provided with a gas barrier film includes a pair of electrodes and an organic functional layer having at least one light-emitting layer between the electrodes. The gas barrier film includes a base material; a vapor deposition layer that is of a surface-treated silicon compound including at least one element selected from carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and oxygen (O), and has a continuous change in composition from a surface toward a direction of thickness; and a polysilazane modified layer.
US09640775B2

Provided is an organic EL element having a high emission efficiency, a light emission life, and excellent high-temperature preservation stability. This organic electroluminescence element has at least one light-emitting layer between a positive electrode and a negative electrode. The light-emitting layer comprises at least one type of light-emitting dopant and at least three types of non-emitting organic materials represented by general formula (2); of the non-emitting organic materials, the material with the largest molecular weight has a molecular weight of 1,500 or less; and the minimum content of the non-emitting organic materials is 1 mass % or greater.
US09640774B2

A light emitting device is discussed, and includes a first electrode; a hole transporting layer (HTL) on the first electrode; an organic light-emission layer (EML) having a red emission layer (EML) formed in a red sub pixel area Rp, a green emission layer formed in a green sub pixel area Gp, and a blue emission layer formed in a blue sub pixel area Bp; an electron transporting layer (ETL) on the red, green and blue emission layers; and a second electrode on the electron transporting layer, wherein the green emission layer includes a phosphor host material, a second phosphor host material, and a dopant material.
US09640771B2

This invention provides a nanofiber, including: a core, which extends along the axis of the nanofiber, and its main component includes Ag(NH3)2+ or AgNO3; a shell, which extends along the nanofiber and coats the core of the nanofiber, and its main component of the shell structure includes: PVP, TBAP, SDS, grapheme, PMAA or PFBT nanoparticle. Moreover, the invention also provides a photovoltaic device which comprises the patterned nanofibers.
US09640760B2

There is disclosed a slot-die coating method and apparatus, and a substrate having a patterned coating layer. The method comprises controlling an intermittent transfer of the coating fluid from a slot-die coating head onto the substrate surface to provide, by said intermittent transfer, coated areas on the substrate surface separated by uncoated areas. The substrate surface comprises a pre-patterned layer of high surface energy areas and low surface energy areas; wherein a contact angle of the coating fluid on the substrate surface is lower in the high surface energy areas than in the low surface energy areas. Boundaries between the low surface energy areas and high surface energy areas are arranged along a slit direction of the slot die coating head. The method further comprises synchronizing the intermittent transfer with a passage of an outflow opening over the boundaries between the low surface energy areas and high surface energy areas wherein the transfer is enabled when the outflow opening passes over a high surface energy area and wherein the transfer is disabled when the outflow opening passes over a low surface energy area.
US09640758B2

A phase-change memory device and a method of fabricating the same are provided. The phase-change memory device includes a semiconductor substrate in which a word line is arranged, a diode line disposed over the word line and extending parallel to the word line, a phase-change line pattern disposed over the diode line, and a projection disposed between the diode line and the phase-change line pattern and protruding from the diode line. The diode line and the projection are formed of a single layer to be in continuity with each other.
US09640753B2

A sensor and fabrication process are provided for forming reference layers with substantially orthogonal magnetization directions having zero offset with a small compensation angle. An exemplary embodiment includes a sensor layer stack of a magnetoresistive thin-film based magnetic field sensor, the sensor layer stack comprising a pinning layer; a pinned layer including a layer of amorphous material over the pinning layer, and a first layer of crystalline material over the layer of amorphous material; a nonmagnetic coupling layer over the pinned layer; a fixed layer over the nonmagnetic coupling layer; a tunnel barrier over the fixed layer; and a sense layer over the nonmagnetic intermediate layer. Another embodiment includes a sensor layer stack where a pinned layer including two crystalline layers separated by a amorphous layer.
US09640742B2

The present disclosure provides an LED package which includes electrodes, an LED die electrically connected with the electrodes, an encapsulation covering the LED die; and a casing surrounding the encapsulation and the LED die. The casing includes a base, a reflecting cup and a supporting portion. The reflecting cup extends from the base upwards, the reflecting cup surrounds the LED die, and the supporting portion is located inside the reflecting cup and across the electrodes.
US09640731B2

A light-emitting diode structure comprises a first semiconductor layer; a second semiconductor layer under the first semiconductor layer; a light-emitting layer between the first semiconductor layer and the second semiconductor layer for emitting a light; a first electrical pad on the first semiconductor layer for wire bonding; a first extension connecting to the first electrical pad; and a first reflective layer covering the first extension and exposing the first electrical pad, wherein the first electrical pad and the first extension have the same thickness, and the reflectivity of the first reflective layer is higher than that of the first extension.
US09640728B2

An optoelectronic device is provided. The optoelectronic device comprises: an optoelectronic system for emitting light; multiple contact regions on the optoelectronic system and separated from one another; and multiple fingers on the optoelectronic system and opposite to the multiple contact regions; wherein a first contact region in the multiple contact regions is between two adjacent fingers, and a first distance between the first contact region and one of the adjacent fingers is between 5% and 50% of a second distance between the two adjacent fingers.
US09640717B2

An ultraviolet light emitting apparatus may include a chamber, at least one semiconductor light emitting device, an electron beam irradiation source, and first and second connection electrodes configured to apply a voltage from an external power source to the at least one semiconductor light emitting device. The chamber may define an internal space and include a light emission window. The at least one semiconductor light emitting device may be on the light emission window and include a first conductivity type nitride semiconductor layer, an undoped nitride semiconductor layer, and an active layer between the first conductivity type nitride semiconductor layer and the undoped nitride semiconductor layer. The electron beam irradiation source may be in the internal space of the chamber and configured to irradiate an electron beam onto the undoped nitride semiconductor layer.
US09640714B2

A method for manufacturing a light emitting element that includes preparing a wafer having a substrate and a semiconductor structure, the substrate including a plurality of protrusions at positions corresponding to lattice points on a triangular lattice. The method includes forming a plurality of first modified parts in the substrate by irradiating the substrate with a laser beam along first dividing lines, forming a plurality of second modified parts in the substrate by irradiating the substrate with a laser beam along second dividing lines, and dividing the wafer along the first modified parts and the second modified parts to obtain a plurality of light emitting elements.
US09640711B2

A thickness of material may be detached from a substrate along a cleave plane, utilizing a cleaving process controlled by a releasable constraint plate. In some embodiments this constraint plate may comprise a plate that can couple side forces (the “P-plate”) and a thin, softer compliant layer (the “S-layer”) situated between the P-plate and the substrate. In certain embodiments a porous surface within the releasable constraint plate and in contact to the substrate, allows the constraint plate to be secured to the substrate via a first pressure differential. Application of a combination of a second pressure differential within a pre-existing cleaved portion, and a linear force to a side of the releasable constraint plate bound to the substrate, generates loading that results in controlled cleaving along the cleave plane.
US09640704B2

A photodetector including a photoelectric conversion structure made of a semiconductor material and, on a light-receiving surface of the conversion structure, a stack of first and second diffractive elements, the second element being above the first element, wherein: the first element includes at least one pad made of a material having an optical index n1, laterally surrounded with a region made of a material having an optical index n2 different from n1; the second element includes at least one pad made of a material having an optical index n3, laterally surrounded with a region made of a material having an optical index n4 different from n3; the pads of the first and second elements are substantially vertically aligned; and optical index differences n1−n2 and n3−n4 have opposite signs.
US09640699B2

A photovoltaic device includes a crystalline substrate having a first dopant conductivity, an interdigitated back contact and a front surface field structure. The front surface field structure includes a crystalline layer formed on the substrate and a noncrystalline layer formed on the crystalline layer. The crystalline layer and the noncrystalline layer are doped with dopants having a same dopant conductivity as the substrate. Methods are also disclosed.
US09640691B2

A solar module and manufacturing method for the solar module are provided which are able to reduce problems caused by thermal stress. The solar module (1) includes a solar cell (10), a wiring member (11), and an adhesive layer (12). The wiring member (11) is arranged on a surface of the solar cell (10). The adhesive layer (12) is made of resin. The adhesive layer (12) has wide portions (12a) and narrow portions (12b) along the longitudinal direction of the wiring member (11). The solar module (1) has a region at least to the outside of the narrow portions (12b) in which the wiring member (11) and the surface of the solar cell (10) face each other without an interposing adhesive layer (12).
US09640689B2

The invention provides a polyester film for the protection of a back surface of a solar cell which, when applied to a silicon thin film solar cell, exhibits excellent durability even under high-temperature and high-humidity conditions and long term thermal stability. The polyester film (a) contains a polyester, as a main constituent, obtained by polymerization using a polycondensation catalyst containing aluminum and/or its compound as well as a phosphorus compound having an aromatic group in the molecule; (b) has a whiteness degree of 50 or higher; (c) contains 3 to 50% by mass of fine particles with a mean particle diameter of 0.1 to 3 μm; and (d) has an acid value from not lower than 1 (eq/ton) and not higher than 30 (eq/ton).
US09640688B2

A light-absorbing or light-emitting solar cell assembly comprises an electrical insulator disposed on an electrically conductive substrate and that is provided with a metallized surface and at least one solar cell connected to the electrically conductive substrate, wherein the solar cell includes refractive secondary optics and is disposed in a recess in the insulator. The solar cell is connected to the substrate by the side orientated towards the substrate via an electrically conductive connection and the recess is dimensioned such that an interspace is produced laterally between the solar cell and the electrical insulator, the interspace being filled with a coupling medium and the solar cell being connected to the metallized surface by at least one electrical contact.
US09640682B2

A device for emitting electromagnetic radiation includes at least one optical semiconductor element configured to generate electromagnetic radiation, at least one photodiode, and at least one beam splitter. The beam splitter is arranged relative to the optical semiconductor element and the photodiode in such a way that one portion of the electromagnetic radiation generated by the optical semiconductor element passes through the beam splitter and a further portion of the electromagnetic radiation generated by the optical semiconductor element is reflected by the beam splitter and is directed onto the photodiode.
US09640674B2

Disclosed herein is a composition for solar cell electrodes. The composition includes a conductive powder, a glass frit, and an organic vehicle, wherein the glass frit is a bismuth oxide-tellurium oxide-zinc oxide-lithium oxide-based glass frit comprising: 5 wt % to 20 wt % of bismuth oxide; 55 wt % to 80 wt % of tellurium oxide; 0.1 wt % to 15 wt % of zinc oxide; and 0.1 wt % to 10 wt % of lithium oxide. Solar cell electrodes formed of the composition have low serial resistance (Rs) and high open voltage (Voc), thus providing high conversion efficiency and good adhesive strength with respect to a ribbon.
US09640670B2

It is an object to manufacture a highly reliable display device using a thin film transistor having favorable electric characteristics and high reliability as a switching element. In a bottom gate thin film transistor including an amorphous oxide semiconductor, an oxide conductive layer having a crystal region is formed between an oxide semiconductor layer which has been dehydrated or dehydrogenated by heat treatment and each of a source electrode layer and a drain electrode layer which are formed using a metal material. Accordingly, contact resistance between the oxide semiconductor layer and each of the source electrode layer and the drain electrode layer can be reduced; thus, a thin film transistor having favorable electric characteristics and a highly reliable display device using the thin film transistor can be provided.
US09640667B1

Vertical field effect transistor (FET) device with tunable bandgap source/drain regions are provided, as well as methods for fabricating such vertical FET devices. For example, a vertical FET device includes a lower source/drain region formed on a substrate, a vertical semiconductor fin formed on the lower source/drain region, and an upper source/drain region formed on an upper region of the vertical semiconductor fin. The lower source/drain region and vertical semiconductor fin are formed of a first type of III-V semiconductor material. The upper source/drain region is formed of a second type of III-V semiconductor material which comprises the first type of III-V semiconductor material and at least one additional element that increases a bandgap of the second type of III-V semiconductor material of the upper source/drain region relative to a bandgap of the first type of III-V compound semiconductor material of the lower source/drain region and the vertical semiconductor fin.
US09640658B2

A method of fabricating one or more semiconductor devices includes forming a trench in a semiconductor substrate, performing a cycling process to remove contaminants from the trench, and forming an epitaxial layer on the trench. The cycling process includes sequentially supplying a first reaction gas containing germane, hydrogen chloride and hydrogen and a second reaction gas containing hydrogen chloride and hydrogen onto the semiconductor substrate.
US09640657B2

Semiconductor devices and fabrication methods are provided. In an exemplary method, a semiconductor layer including a first opening can be provided. The first opening can be filled with a stress material. The stress material can then be etched to form a second opening having a width less than a width of the first opening to leave a stress material layer in the semiconductor layer and on each sidewall of the second opening. The semiconductor layer can be etched to form a fin structure on a sidewall surface of the stress material layer. A main gate structure can be formed on the sidewall surface of the fin structure. A back gate structure can be formed on the sidewall surface of the stress material layer.
US09640656B2

Some embodiments include a construction having a second semiconductor material over a first semiconductor material. A region of the second semiconductor material proximate the first semiconductor material has strain due to different lattice characteristics of the first and second semiconductor materials. A transistor gate extends downwardly into the second semiconductor material. Gate dielectric material is along sidewalls and a bottom of the transistor gate. Source/drain regions are along the sidewalls of the transistor gate, and the gate dielectric material is between the source/drain regions and the transistor gate. A channel region extends between the source/drain regions and is under the bottom of the transistor gate. At least some of the channel region is within the strained region.
US09640655B2

A semiconductor device is provided with: a first conductivity type contact region; a second conductivity type body region; a first conductivity type drift region of; a trench formed through the contact region and body region from a front surface of the semiconductor substrate, wherein a bottom of the trench is positioned in the drift region; an insulating film covering an inner surface of the trench; a gate electrode accommodated in the trench in a state covered with the insulating film; and a second conductivity type floating region formed at a position deeper than the bottom of the trench, and adjacent to the bottom of the trench. The floating region includes a first layer adjacent to the bottom of the trench and a second layer formed at a position deeper than the first layer, wherein a width of the first layer is broader than a width of the second layer.
US09640645B2

A semiconductor device includes a first type region including a first conductivity type. The semiconductor device includes a second type region including a second conductivity type. The semiconductor device includes a channel region extending between the first type region and the second type region. The semiconductor device includes a first silicide region on a first type surface region of the first type region. The first silicide region is separated at least one of a first distance from a first type diffusion region of the first type region or a second distance from the channel region.
US09640643B2

An insulated gate bipolar transistor having a gate electrode (7) and an emitter electrode (9) is provided in a transistor region. A termination region is arranged around the transistor region. A first N type buffer layer (18) is provided below an N type drift layer (1) in the transistor region. A P type collector layer (19) is provided below the first N type buffer layer (18). A second N type buffer layer (20) is provided below the N type drift layer (1) in the termination region. A collector electrode (21) is directly connected to the P type collector layer (19) and the second N type buffer layer (20). An impurity concentration of the second N type buffer layer (20) decreases as a distance from the collector electrode (21) decreases. The second N type buffer layer (20) does not form any ohmic contact with the collector electrode (21).
US09640642B2

When a transistor having bottom gate bottom contact structure is manufactured, for example, a conductive layer constituting a source and a drain has a three-layer structure and two-step etching is performed. In the first etching process, an etching method in which the etching rates for at least the second film and the third film are high is employed, and the first etching process is performed until at least the first film is exposed. In the second etching process, an etching method in which the etching rate for the first film is higher than that in the first etching process and the etching rate for a “layer provided below and in contact with the first film” is lower than that in the first etching process is employed. The side wall of the second film is slightly etched when a resist mask is removed after the second etching process.
US09640640B1

A method for fabricating a semiconductor device, the method comprises forming a fin on a substrate, forming a dummy gate stack on the fin and the substrate, removing a portion of an exposed portion of the fin, forming a source/drain region on an exposed portion of the fin, forming a conductive contact on the source/drain region, removing the dummy gate stack to expose a channel region of the fin, implanting ions in the channel region of the fin, performing an annealing process, and forming a gate stack on the channel region of the fin.
US09640634B2

Microelectronic structures embodying the present invention include a field effect transistor (FET) having highly conductive source/drain extensions. Formation of such highly conductive source/drain extensions includes forming a passivated recess which is back filled by epitaxial deposition of doped material to form the source/drain junctions. The recesses include a laterally extending region that underlies a portion of the gate structure. Such a lateral extension may underlie a sidewall spacer adjacent to the vertical sidewalls of the gate electrode, or may extend further into the channel portion of a FET such that the lateral recess underlies the gate electrode portion of the gate structure. In one embodiment the recess is back filled by an in-situ epitaxial deposition of a bilayer of oppositely doped material. In this way, a very abrupt junction is achieved that provides a relatively low resistance source/drain extension and further provides good off-state subthreshold leakage characteristics. Alternative embodiments can be implemented with a back filled recess of a single conductivity type.
US09640633B1

A semiconductor device that includes a first fin structure in a first portion of a substrate, and a second fin structure in a second portion of the substrate, wherein the first portion of the substrate is separated from the second portion of the substrate by at least one isolation region. A gate structure present extending from the first fin structure across the isolation region to the second fin structure. The gate structure including a first portion on the first fin structure including a first work function metal having at least one void, an isolation portion that is voidless present overlying the isolation region, and a second portion on the second fin structure including a second work function metal.
US09640632B2

A semiconductor device having improved heat dissipation is disclosed. The semiconductor device includes a semi-insulating substrate and epitaxial layers disposed on the semi-insulating substrate wherein the epitaxial layers include a plurality of heat conductive vias that are disposed through the epitaxial layers with the plurality of heat conductive vias being spaced along a plurality of finger axes that are aligned generally parallel across a surface of the epitaxial layers. The semiconductor device further includes an electrode having a plurality of electrically conductive fingers that are disposed along the plurality of finger axes such that the electrically conductive fingers are in contact with the first plurality of heat conductive vias.
US09640623B2

A transistor device includes a semiconductor body, a spacer layer, and a field plate. The spacer layer is over at least a portion of a surface of the semiconductor body. The field plate is over at least a portion of the spacer layer, and includes a semiconductor layer between a first refractory metal interposer layer and a second refractory metal interposer layer. By including the semiconductor layer between the first refractory metal interposer layer and the second refractory metal interposer layer, the electromigration of metals in the field plate is significantly reduced. Since electromigration of metals in the field plate is a common cause of transistor device failures, reducing the electromigration of metals in the field plate improves the reliability and lifetime of the transistor device.
US09640618B2

A silicon carbide semiconductor device includes a silicon carbide layer 32 of a first conductivity type, a silicon carbide layer 36 of a second conductivity type, a gate trench 20, a gate electrode 79 provided in the gate trench 20, and a protection trench 10 formed to a greater depth than the gate trench 20. A region in the horizontal direction that includes both the gate trench 20 and a protection trench 10 that surrounds only a part of the gate trench 20 in the horizontal direction is a cell region, and a region in the horizontal direction that includes a protection trench 10 and in which a gate pad 89 or a lead electrode connected to the gate pad 89 is disposed is a gate region.
US09640617B2

The present disclosure relates to a power module that has a housing with an interior chamber and a plurality of switch modules interconnected to facilitate switching power to a load. Each of the plurality of switch modules comprises at least one transistor and at least one diode mounted within the interior chamber and both the at least one transistor and the at least one diode are majority carrier devices, are formed of a wide bandgap material system, or both. The switching modules may be arranged in virtually any fashion depending on the application. For example, the switching modules may be arranged in a six-pack, full H-bridge, half H-bridge, single switch or the like.
US09640615B1

The present invention provides a filed effect transistor and the method for preparing such a filed effect transistor. The filed effect transistor comprises a semiconductor, germanium nanowires, a first III-V compound layer surrounding the germanium nanowires, a semiconductor barrier layer, a gate dielectric layer and a gate electrode sequentially formed surrounding the first III-V compound layer, and source/drain electrodes are respectively located at each side of the gate electrode and on the first III-V compound layer. According to the present invention, the band width of the barrier layer is greater than that of the first III-V compound layer, and the band curvatures of the barrier layer and the first III-V compound layer are different, therefore, a two dimensional electron gas (2DEG) is formed in the first III-V compound layer near the barrier layer boundary. Since the 2DEG has higher mobility, the performance of the filed effect transistor improved. Besides, the performance of the filed effect transistor also improved due to the structure is a gate-all-around structure.
US09640607B2

According to an embodiment of the invention there may be provided a die that may include a first capacitor layer that comprises (a) a first capacitor conductive plate, and (b) a first capacitor layer dielectric material that partially surrounds the first capacitor conductive plate; a first conductor; an intermediate metal layer that comprises (a) an intermediate metal layer conductor that is made of Copper, and (b) an intermediate metal layer dielectric material that partially surrounds the intermediate metal layer conductor; wherein the first conductor is positioned between a substrate of the die and the intermediate metal layer; a redistribution layer that comprises (a) a redistribution layer conductor that is electrically coupled to an interface pad of the die, (b) a second capacitor conductive plate, and (c) a redistribution layer dielectric material that partially surrounds the redistribution layer conductor and the second capacitor conductive plate; wherein a certain portion of the intermediate metal layer dielectric material is positioned between the first and second capacitor conductive plates; wherein at least the certain portion of the intermediate metal layer dielectric material, the first capacitor conductive plate and the second capacitor conductive plate form a high voltage capacitor; and wherein the intermediate metal layer conductor is configured to supply power to a group of transistors of the die while the first conductor is configured to supply power only to a sub-group of the transistors of the die.
US09640602B2

A semiconductor device includes a first coil that is monolithically integrated in a first portion of a semiconductor body and that includes a first winding wrapping around a first core structure. A second coil is monolithically integrated in a second portion of the semiconductor body and includes a second winding wrapping around the second core structure. The first and second coils are magnetically coupled with each other. An insulator frame in the semiconductor body surrounds the first portion and excludes the second portion. High dielectric strength between the first and the second coils is achieved without patterning a backside metallization for connecting the turns of the windings and without being restricted to thin substrates.
US09640600B2

A manufacturing method of a display device includes forming a pixel in a display area of a panel, forming a transistor circuit in a peripheral area of the panel, the peripheral area being located in the vicinity of the display area, forming a first pad in a part of the peripheral area, forming a second pad in a peripheral area of another panel adjacent to the part of the panel, the second pad being electrically connected to the transistor circuit, performing a driving inspection on the transistor circuit by use of the second pad, and separating the first pad and the second pad from each other after the driving inspection.
US09640591B2

A method of manufacturing an organic light emitting display device. The method according to one embodiment includes forming a first electrode over a substrate in which red, green, and blue pixel areas are defined; forming a first hole transporting layer on the first electrode; forming a second hole transporting layer in a position corresponding to the red pixel area; forming a first emission common layer; forming a third hole transporting layer on the first emission common layer in a position corresponding to the green pixel area; forming a second emission common layer; forming a fourth hole transporting layer on the second emission common layer in a position corresponding to the blue pixel area; forming a third emission common layer; forming an electron transporting layer on the third emission common layer; and forming a second electrode on the electron transporting layer.
US09640587B2

A semiconductor integrated circuit device having a vertical channel and a method of manufacturing the same are provided. A plurality of active lines are formed in a semiconductor substrate. A gate electrode having a lower height than each active line is formed on a sidewall of the active line. A first insulating layer having a height lower than that of the active line and higher than that of the gate electrode is buried between active lines, and a silicide layer is formed on an exposed upper surface and a lateral surface of the active line.
US09640577B2

Example embodiments relate to an image sensor supporting a global shutter for minimizing image distortion. An example image sensor includes a semiconductor layer having a first surface and a second surface that are opposite to each other; a photosensitive device, which is formed in the semiconductor layer near the first surface and accumulates charges based on light incident via the second surface; a charge storage device, which is formed in the semiconductor layer near the first surface and temporarily stores charges accumulated by the photosensitive device; a first transmission transistor, which transmits charges accumulated by the photosensitive device to the charge storage device and includes a first gate formed on the first surface of the semiconductor layer; and a leakage photogenerated charge drain region, which is formed in the semiconductor layer near the second surface, is apart from the charge storage device, and is arranged above the charge storage device.
US09640575B2

A semiconductor package includes a substrate, an image sensor chip mounted on the substrate, a holder disposed on the substrate and surrounding the image sensor chip, and the holder has an inner surface facing the image sensor chip and an outer surface opposite to the inner surface. The semiconductor package further includes a transparent cover combined with the holder, and the transparent cover is spaced apart from and faces the substrate. The holder includes: a hole penetrating the holder from the inner surface to the outer surface. In addition, the semiconductor package further includes a first stopper disposed in the hole and a second stopper disposed at a position corresponding to the hole on the outer surface of the holder.
US09640571B2

Pixel arrays of an image sensor that include a first pixel and a second pixel adjacent the first pixel are provided. The first pixel may include a first photoelectric conversion device, a first charge storage device, a first floating diffusion node and a first transfer gate. The second pixel may include a second photoelectric conversion device, a second charge storage device, a second floating diffusion node and a second transfer gate. The pixel arrays may also include a storage gate on both the first charge storage device and the second charge storage device. The storage gate may have a unitary structure.
US09640564B2

A thin film transistor substrate including a thin film transistor and a capacitor formed of a pair of electrodes, which includes: a first electrode above a substrate; a first insulating film above the first electrode; a second electrode above the first insulating film; a second insulating film above the second electrode; and a semiconductor layer above the second insulating film, in which the capacitor includes the first electrode as one of the pair of electrodes and the second electrode as the other of the pair of electrodes, and the thin film transistor includes the second electrode as a gate electrode, the second insulating film as a gate insulating film, and the semiconductor layer as a channel layer.
US09640560B2

A light-emitting diode (LED) display panel, a manufacturing method thereof and a display device are disclosed. The LED display panel comprises a thin-film transistor (TFT) backplane, a light-emitting structure and an overcoat (OC) layer (10). The OC layer (10) is disposed between the TFT backplane and the light-emitting structure and configured to cover gate lines (21) and data lines (22) in a display area of the LED display panel. The manufacturing process of the LED display panel adds the process of the OC layer (10) and hence can effectively avoid the scratches onto the TFT backplane caused by an evaporation mask plate when the light-emitting structure is formed and prevent the caused electrostatic problem.
US09640559B2

A low temperature poly-silicon (LTPS) array substrate is disclosed. The array substrate includes a first substrate and a stack structure on the first substrate, where the stack structure includes a first conductive layer, and a second conductive layer. The first and second conductive layers are insulated from each other. The array substrate also includes a polysilicon layer above the first and second conductive layers, an interlayer insulating layer above the polysilicon layer, and a source-drain metal layer on the interlayer insulating layer. The source-drain metal layer includes a source and a drain, the source and the drain are electrically connected with the polysilicon layer through a first via, and one of the source and the drain is electrically connected with the first conductive layer through a second via.
US09640556B2

Provided is a thin film transistor that has high mobility and excellent stress resistance and is good typically in adaptability to wet etching process. The thin film transistor includes a substrate, and, disposed on the substrate in the following sequence, a gate electrode, a gate insulator film, oxide semiconductor layers, source-drain electrodes, and a passivation film that protects the source-drain electrodes. The oxide semiconductor layers have a first oxide semiconductor layer including In, Ga, Zn, Sn, and O, and a second oxide semiconductor layer including In, Ga, Sn, and O. The second oxide semiconductor layer is disposed on the gate insulator film. The first oxide semiconductor layer is disposed between the second oxide semiconductor layer and the passivation film. The atomic ratios in contents of the individual metal elements to all the metal elements constituting the first and the second oxide semiconductor layers are controlled to predetermined ratios.
US09640551B2

In embodiments, a radio frequency (RF) module includes an RF switching device, an RF active device, a passive device and a control device formed on a high resistivity substrate. The passive device can include a shallow trench device isolation region having a plate shape and formed at a surface portion of the high resistivity substrate, deep trench device isolation regions extending downward from a lower surface of the shallow trench device isolation region so as to define at least one isolated region therebetween, at least one insulating layer formed on the high resistivity substrate, and at least one passive component formed on the insulating layer.
US09640546B2

A semiconductor memory array includes a first nonvolatile memory cell having a first charge storage layer and a first gate electrode and a second nonvolatile memory cell, adjacent to the first memory cell in a first direction, having a second charge storage layer and a second gate electrode. The first and second electrodes extend in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, the first electrode has a first contact section extending toward the second electrode in the first direction, and the second electrode has a second contact section extending toward the first electrode in the first direction. The first and second contact positions are shifted in the second direction, respectively, and the first electrode and the first contact section are electrically separated from the second electrode and the second contact section.
US09640529B2

Provided is a method of fabricating a semiconductor device. The method includes providing a substrate including a transistor area and a resistor area, forming dummy gate structures on the substrate in the resistor area, and a lower interlayer insulating layer; forming a resistor structure having a buffer insulating pattern, a resistor element and an etch-retard pattern disposed sequentially on the lower interlayer insulating layer; and forming resistor contact structures configured to pass through the etch-retard pattern and to contact with the resistor element.
US09640524B2

An ESD protection semiconductor device includes a substrate, a gate set formed on the substrate, a source region and a drain region formed in the substrate respectively at two sides of the gate set, at least a first doped region formed in the source region, and at least a second doped region formed in the drain region. The source region, the drain region and the second doped region include a first conductivity type, and the first doped region includes a second conductivity type. The first conductivity type and the second conductivity type are complementary to each other. The second doped region is electrically connected to the first doped region.
US09640523B2

A lateral p-n diode in the center of and surrounded by a vertical Silicon-Controlled Rectifier (SCR) forms an Electro-Static-Discharge (ESD) protection structure. The lateral p-n diode has a cross-shaped P+ diode tap with four rectangles of N+ diode regions in each corner of the cross. A P-well under the P+ diode tap is also an anode of a vertical PNPN SCR that has a deep N-well in a P-substrate. The deep N-well surrounds the lateral diode. Triggering MOS transistors are formed just beyond the four ends of the cross shaped P+ diode tap. Each triggering MOS transistor has N+ regions at the edge of the deep N-well and in the P-substrate that act as the cathode terminals. A deep P+ implant region under the N+ region at the edge of the deep N-well decreases a trigger voltage of the vertical SCR.
US09640521B2

A package structure includes a substrate having a first bond pad layer. A silicon bridge layer having one or more redistribution layers therein. The silicon bridge layer has a second bond pad, and the silicon bridge layer is attached to the substrate by an adhesive layer. A first die is coupled to the substrate and the silicon bridge layer. A second die is coupled to the silicon bridge layer, wherein the first die and the second die communicate with one another by way of the one or more redistribution layers. Power and/or ground connectors are coupled to the first bond pad and the second bond pad for enabling grounding and/or transferring power from the semiconductor substrate to the second die.
US09640517B2

A stacked electronic package includes a substrate and conductive straps each having sides, a top, and a bottom opposite the top. Each conductive strap is coupled along the bottom to an upper surface of the substrate and is separate from others of the conductive straps. A length of at least one of the sides is greater than a width of at least another one of the sides. An encapsulant extends over the upper surface and side surfaces of the substrate and the sides of the conductive straps. A passive electronic component is disposed over the conductive straps, and each conductive strap is coupled along the top to a terminal of the passive electronic component.
US09640516B2

A flexible display includes a plurality of pixel chips, chixels, provided on a flexible substrate. The chixels and the light emitters thereon may be shaped, sized and arranged to minimize chixel, pixel, and sub-pixel gaps and to provide a desired bend radius of the display. The flexible substrate may include light manipulators, such as filters, light converters and the like to manipulate the light emitted from light emitters of the chixels. The light manipulators may be arranged to minimize chixel gaps between adjacent chixels.
US09640510B2

A method for bonding of a first, at least partially metallic contact surface of a first substrate to a second, at least partially metallic contact surface of a second substrate, with the following steps, especially the following progression: application of a sacrificial layer which is at least partially, especially predominantly soluble in the material of at least one of the contact surfaces to at least one of the contact surfaces, bonding of the contact surfaces with at least partial solution of the sacrificial layer in at least one of the contact surfaces.
US09640507B2

A bonding method for bonding a semiconductor chip to an underlying structure includes aligning an electrical contact of a lower surface of the semiconductor chip with an electrical connection member of an upper surface of the underlying structure, the electrical contact at least partially encased by a support material. The method further includes first heating the semiconductor chip and the underlying structure, deforming the electrical contact, and curing the support material encasing the deformed electrical contact. The method still further includes second heating the semiconductor chip and the underlying structure to bond the electrical contact of the semiconductor chip to the electrical connection member of the underlying structure while maintaining the support material in a cured state.
US09640506B2

An embodiment for manufacturing electronic devices is proposed. The embodiment includes the following phases: a) forming a plurality of chips in a semiconductor material wafer including a main surface; each chip includes respective integrated electronic components and respective contact pads facing the main surface; said contact pads are electrically coupled to the integrated electronic components; b) attaching at least one conductive ribbon to at least one contact pad of each chip; c) covering the main surface of the semiconductor material wafer and the at least one conductive ribbon with a layer of plastic material; d) lapping an exposed surface of the layer of plastic material to remove a portion of the plastic material layer at least to uncover portions of the at least one conductive ribbon, and e) sectioning the semiconductor material wafer to separate the chips.
US09640504B2

A semiconductor device is made by providing a sacrificial substrate and depositing an adhesive layer over the sacrificial substrate. A first conductive layer is formed over the adhesive layer. A polymer pillar is formed over the first conductive layer. A second conductive layer is formed over the polymer pillar to create a conductive pillar with inner polymer core. A semiconductor die or component is mounted over the substrate. An encapsulant is deposited over the semiconductor die or component and around the conductive pillar. A first interconnect structure is formed over a first side of the encapsulant. The first interconnect structure is electrically connected to the conductive pillar. The sacrificial substrate and adhesive layers are removed. A second interconnect structure is formed over a second side of the encapsulant opposite the first interconnect structure. The second interconnect structure is electrically connected to the conductive pillar.
US09640502B2

A stacked semiconductor device is provided in the present invention. The stacked semiconductor device includes a first substrate and a second substrate. A first conductive pad is disposed on the first substrate. A conductive pillar contacts the first conductive pad. At least one first barrier layer is disposed inside the conductive pillar. The conductive pillar encapsulates the first barrier layer. The elastic modulus of the first barrier layer is different from the elastic modulus of conductive pillar. A second conductive pad is disposed on the second substrate. A solder bump is disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate. The solder bump electrically connects to the conductive pillar. The conductive pillar can optionally include a truncated cone.
US09640499B2

A semiconductor chip may include a semiconductor substrate, a first central pad, a second central pad, a first peripheral pad, a second peripheral pad, a first pad line and a second pad line. The semiconductor substrate may have an active face. The first central pad and the second central pad may be arranged on a central region of the active face. The first peripheral pad and the second peripheral pad may be arranged on an edge region of the active face. The first pad line may be connected between the first central pad and the first peripheral pad. The second pad line may be connected between the second central pad and the second peripheral pad.
US09640493B2

An integrated circuit includes a substrate with several functional blocks formed thereon. At least two identical functional blocks are respectively disposed at two or more different locations on the integrated circuit. Electrically inactive dummy modules in the neighborhoods and/or inside of the functional blocks are provided, wherein at least two different electrically inactive dummy modules are includes in the respective neighborhoods and/or inside of the at least two identical functional blocks.
US09640491B2

A semiconductor device, including: an intermediate plate; a semiconductor element connected to one of surfaces of the intermediate plate by a brazing filler metal; a main plate connected to the other one of the surfaces of the intermediate plate by a brazing filler metal; and a resin layer, the intermediate plate having an external region extending to an outer side with respect to a region in which the intermediate plate is connected to the brazing filler metal, a first through-hole extending through the intermediate plate in the external region, the resin layer covering at least the brazing filler metal, the intermediate plate and a surface of the main plate in which the main plate faces the intermediate plate, the resin layer being also arranged inside the first through-hole.
US09640489B2

A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate of a first conductivity type having a chip region enclosed by a seal ring region. An insulating layer is on the semiconductor substrate. A seal ring structure is embedded in the insulating layer corresponding to the seal ring region. And, a plurality of doping regions are located beneath the first seal ring structure.
US09640476B2

A driving circuit and a pin output order arranging method are disclosed. The driving circuit includes (M*N) pins and an arranging module. A first pin˜an N-th pin of the (M*N) pins, a (N+1)-th pin˜an 2N-th pin of the (M*N) pins, . . . , a [(M−1)*N+1]-th pin˜a (M*N)-th pin of the (M*N) pins are arranged along a first direction in a specific distance spaced to form a first row of pins˜an M-th row of pins. The first row of pins˜the M-th row of pins are staggered along a second direction in a staggering way or an aligning way. M and N are integers larger than 1. The arranging module correspondingly arranges the pin output order of the (M*N) pins according to different application modes of the driving circuit.
US09640474B1

A semiconductor package includes an output inductor placed over a support substrate, a power semiconductor die having a bottom surface situated on the support substrate and a top surface having an active region, where the output inductor is coupled to the active region on the top surface of the support substrate, and where the support substrate includes a plurality of bar vias. The output inductor is a packaged component having at least two leads in electrical connection with the active region of the power semiconductor die. The support substrate further includes routing conductors in electrical connection with the active region of the power semiconductor die. The power semiconductor die includes a control transistor and a sync transistor connected in a half-bridge.
US09640471B2

Leadless electronic packages for GaN-based half bridge power conversion circuits have low inductance internal and external connections, high thermal conductivity and a large separation between external connections for use in high voltage power conversion circuits. Some electronic packages employ “L” shaped power paths and internal low impedance die to die connections. Further embodiments employ an insulative substrate disposed within the electronic package for efficient power path routing and increased packaging density.
US09640467B2

An electronic chip is disclosed, including at least one electronic circuit and two or more contact-making pins, wherein the chip additionally has at least one fixing pin. A sensor arrangement is also disclosed for detecting at least one physical or chemical variable relating to a carrier. The sensor arrangement has at least one sensor element which is directly or indirectly coupled to the carrier, and also has an electronic interface arrangement with at least one leadframe, at least one electronic circuit connected to the leadframe, and also at least one electrically insulating housing part which is embodied in such a way that it performs at least one of the functions of (i) at least partly enclosing the at least one electronic circuit, and (ii) mechanically supporting at least parts of the leadframe to one another.
US09640459B1

A semiconductor device includes a leadframe and a semiconductor chip including a contact. The contact faces the leadframe and is electrically coupled to the leadframe via solder. The semiconductor device includes a solder barrier adjacent to the first contact and an edge of the chip.
US09640453B2

This invention is provided with: a circuit board which is placed in a package and in which an electric circuit including a power semiconductor element is formed; and a plurality of press-fit terminals each having a wire-bond portion electrically connected in the package to the electric circuit, a press-fit portion for making electrical connection with an apparatus to be connected, and a body portion whose one end portion continuous to the wire bond portion is internally fastened to the package and whose other end portion supports the press-fit portion so as to place the press-fit portion away from the package; wherein in each of the plurality of press-fit terminals, at a portion in the body portion exposed from the package, there is formed a constriction portion that is constricted from both sides in a direction perpendicular to the center line, so as to leave a portion around the center line.
US09640451B2

A wafer processing method is provided. The method includes providing a to-be-processed wafer having a first surface with a plurality of the device regions and dicing groove regions between adjacent device regions and a second surface; and providing a capping wafer having a first surface and a second surface. The method also includes bonding the first surface of the capping wafer with the first surface of the to-be-processed wafer. Further, the method includes performing an edge trimming process onto the to-be-processed wafer to cause a radius of the to-be-processed wafer to be smaller than a radius of the capping wafer; and grinding the second surface of the capping wafer. Further, the method also includes cleaning the second surface of the capping wafer; and etching a portion of the grinded and cleaned capping wafer to expose the dicing groove regions on the first surface of the to-be-processed wafer.
US09640445B1

A method of fabricating a switched-capacitor converter includes providing a semiconductor layer having a top surface and a bottom surface, forming switching elements on the top surface of the semiconductor layer, forming a first insulation layer and first interconnection patterns on the switching elements, forming a second insulation layer over the first insulation layer and the first interconnection patterns, forming a second interconnection pattern over the second insulation layer, forming a third insulation layer over the second insulation layer and the second interconnection pattern, forming third interconnection patterns and a lower interconnection pattern over the bottom surface of the semiconductor layer, forming a capacitor over the lower interconnection pattern, forming a fourth insulation layer over the bottom surface of the semiconductor layer to expose an upper electrode pattern of the capacitor, forming a fifth insulation layer covering the capacitor, and forming pads in the fifth insulation layer.
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