Document	Document Title
US09312390B2	Remote control system Provided is a remote control system with which leakage current flowing in a switch can be reduced so that power consumption can be reduced. The remote control system includes a portable information terminal, a server, and an electric device. The on/off of the switch included in the electric device is controlled using information transmitted from the portable information terminal to the server. The switch includes a transistor formed using a semiconductor whose band gap is larger than that of single crystal silicon in a channel formation region.
US09312387B2	Methods of forming FinFET devices with alternative channel materials Disclosed are methods and devices that involve formation of alternating layers of different semiconductor materials in the channel region of FinFET devices. The methods and devices disclosed herein involve forming a doped silicon substrate fin and thereafter forming a layer of silicon/germanium around the substrate fin. The methods and devices also include forming a gate structure around the layer of silicon/germanium using gate first or gate last techniques.
US09312385B2	Semiconductor device and manufacturing method of semiconductor device A technique for improving characteristics of a semiconductor device (DMOSFET) is provided. A semiconductor device is configured so as to include: an n-type source layer (102) disposed on an upper portion of a first surface side of an SiC substrate (106); a p body layer (103) which surrounds the source layer and has a channel region; an n−-type drift layer (107) which is in contact with the p body layer (103); a gate electrode (116) which is disposed on an upper portion of the channel region via a gate insulating film; and a first p+ layer (109) which is disposed in the p body layer (103), extends to a portion below the n+ source layer (102), and serves as a buried semiconductor region having an impurity concentration higher than that of the p body layer (103). In this manner, since the first p+ layer (109) is formed in the middle of the p body layer (103), it is possible to reduce the diffusion resistance of the p body layer (103). Thus, it is possible to make a parasitic bipolar transistor harder to turn on.
US09312383B1	Self-aligned contacts for vertical field effect transistors Semiconductor devices having vertical field effect transistors with self-aligned source and drain contacts are provided, as well as methods for fabricating vertical field effect transistors with self-aligned source and drain contacts.
US09312378B2	Transistor device Various embodiments provide transistors and fabrication methods. An exemplary transistor can include a silicon nitride layer disposed between a gate dielectric layer and a gate electrode layer. The silicon nitride layer can have a first surface in contact with the gate dielectric layer and a second surface in contact with the gate electrode layer. The second surface can include silicon atoms having a concentration higher than the first surface. A sidewall spacer can be formed on the semiconductor substrate along sidewalls of each of the gate electrode layer, the silicon nitride layer, and the gate dielectric layer. The disclosed transistor can have a reduced turn-on voltage with reduced power consumption.
US09312372B2	Semiconductor device A semiconductor device in which an element region including at least an IGBT region is formed on a semiconductor substrate is presented. The IGBT region including: a collector layer; a drift layer; a body layer; a gate electrode placed inside a trench extending from the front surface of the semiconductor substrate to the drift layer; an emitter layer; and a contact layer having a higher impurity concentration than the body layer. In the semiconductor device, assuming that an x direction is a direction in which the trench extends along the front surface of the semiconductor substrate and that a y direction is a direction orthogonal to the x direction along the front surface of the semiconductor substrate, a distance from the contact layer to the emitter layer in the x direction is larger than a distance from the contact layer to the trench in the y direction.
US09312370B2	Bipolar transistor with extrinsic base region and methods of fabrication The present disclosure relates to integrated circuit (IC) structures and methods of forming the same. An IC structure according to the present disclosure can include: a doped substrate region adjacent to an insulating region; a crystalline base structure including: an intrinsic base region located on and contacting the doped substrate region, the intrinsic base region having a first thickness; an extrinsic base region adjacent to the insulating region, wherein the extrinsic base region has a second thickness greater than the first thickness; a semiconductor layer located on the intrinsic base region of the crystalline base structure; and a doped semiconductor layer located on the semiconductor layer.
US09312369B2	Bipolar transistor structure and a method of manufacturing a bipolar transistor structure According to various embodiments, a bipolar transistor structure may include: a substrate; a collector region in the substrate; a base region disposed over the collector region, an emitter region disposed over the base region; a base terminal laterally electrically contacting the base region, wherein the base terminal includes polysilicon.
US09312364B2	finFET with dielectric isolation after gate module for improved source and drain region epitaxial growth A method forming a semiconductor device that in one embodiment includes forming a gate structure on a channel region of fin structures, and forming a flowable dielectric material on a source region portion and a drain region portion of the fin structures. The flowable dielectric material is present at least between adjacent fin structures of the plurality of fin structures filling a space between the adjacent fin structures. An upper surface of the source region portion and the drain region portion of fin structures is exposed. An epitaxial semiconductor material is formed on the upper surface of the source region portion and the drain region portion of the fin structures.
US09312360B2	FinFET with epitaxial source and drain regions and dielectric isolated channel region A semiconductor device is provided that includes a pedestal of an insulating material present over at least one layer of a semiconductor material, and at least one fin structure in contact with the pedestal of the insulating material. Source and drain region structures are present on opposing sides of the at least one fin structure. At least one of the source and drain region structures includes at least two epitaxial material layers. A first epitaxial material layer is in contact with the at least one layer of semiconductor material. A second epitaxial material layer is in contact with the at least one fin structure. The first epitaxial material layer is separated from the at least one fin structure by the second epitaxial material layer. A gate structure present on the at least one fin structure.
US09312358B2	Partially-blocked well implant to improve diode ideality with SiGe anode A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device is disclosed. A p-type substrate is doped to form an N-well in a selected portion of a p-type substrate adjacent an anode region of the substrate. A p-type doped region is formed in the anode region of the p-type substrate. The p-type doped region and the N-well form a p-n junction.
US09312357B1	Semiconductor device and method for manufacturing the same A semiconductor device and a method for manufacturing the same. The method includes steps hereinafter. A substrate is provided with a first dielectric layer thereon. The first dielectric layer is provided with a trench. Then, a metal layer is formed to fill the trench and to cover the surface of the first dielectric layer. The metal layer is partially removed so that a remaining portion of the metal layer covers the first dielectric layer. A treatment process is performed to transform the remaining portion of the metal layer into a passivation layer on the top portion and a gate metal layer on the bottom portion. A chemical-mechanical polishing process is performed until the first dielectric layer is exposed so that a remaining portion of the passivation layer remains in the trench.
US09312352B2	Field-effect transistor and fabricating method thereof A method for fabricating a field-effect transistor is provided. The method includes: forming a gate dielectric layer and a barrier layer on a substrate in sequence; forming a first silicon layer on and in contact with the barrier layer; performing a thermal treatment to form a silicide layer between the barrier layer and the first silicon layer; and forming a second silicon layer on and in contact with the first silicon layer.
US09312351B2	Floating gate flash cell with extended floating gate Provided is a floating gate flash cell and method for forming the same. The flash includes two floating gate transistors and a common source area therebetween. Each floating gate transistor includes a floating gate having a central portion disposed over a substrate surface and opposed lateral edges that extend into trenches and below the substrate surface. A control gate is disposed over said floating gate with a control gate dielectric between the floating gate and the control gate. The floating gates have side edges that are orthogonal to the opposed lateral edges and a common source area which is a substrate diffusion area, is positioned between respective facing side edges of the floating gates.
US09312349B2	Semiconductor device and method for manufacturing semiconductor device To provide a semiconductor device in which the threshold value is controlled. Furthermore, to provide a semiconductor device in which a deterioration in electrical characteristics which becomes more noticeable as a transistor is miniaturized can be suppressed. The semiconductor device includes a first semiconductor film, a source electrode and a drain electrode electrically connected to the first semiconductor film, a gate insulating film, and a gate electrode in contact with the gate insulating film. The gate insulating film includes a first insulating film and a trap film, and charge is trapped in a charge trap state in an interface between the first insulating film and the trap film or inside the trap film.
US09312345B2	High-resistive silicon substrate with a reduced radio frequency loss for a radio-frequency integrated passive device The application relates to a high-resistivity silicon substrate (100) with a reduced radio frequency loss for a radio frequency integrated passive device. The substrate comprising a bulk zone (110) comprising high-resistivity bulk silicon and a preserved sub-surface lattice damage zone (120b) comprising fractured silicon above the bulk zone. The lattice damage zone is processed into the substrate and the preserved lattice damage zone is configured to achieve the RF loss reduction of the substrate by suppressing a parasitic surface conduction.
US09312338B2	Semiconductor device containing chalcogen atoms and method of manufacturing A semiconductor device includes a single crystalline semiconductor body with a first surface and a second surface parallel to the first surface. The semiconductor body contains chalcogen atoms and a background doping of pnictogen and/or hydrogen atoms. A concentration of the chalcogen atoms is at least 1E12 cm−3. A ratio of the chalcogen atoms to the atoms of the background doping is in a range from 1:9 to 9:1.
US09312334B2	Semiconductor component A semiconductor component is disclosed. One embodiment provides a semiconductor body having a cell region with at least one zone of a first conduction type and at least one zone of a second conduction type in a rear side. A drift zone of the first conduction type in the cell region is provided. The drift zone contains at least one region through which charge carriers flow in an operating mode of the semiconductor component in one polarity and charge carriers do not flow in an operating mode of the semiconductor component in an opposite polarity.
US09312327B2	Semiconductor device A semiconductor device having a capacitor which includes a first electrode electrically coupled to a transistor and a second electrode separate from the first electrode and covered with an interlayer insulating film, in which a plurality of coupling holes are formed in the interlayer insulating film and are in contact with the second electrode at the lower ends; and, when the capacitance of the second electrode is represented by C [nF] and the total area of the lower ends of the coupling holes is represented by A [μm2], the following expression (1) is satisfied. C/A≦1.98 [nF/μm2] (1) The elution of the second electrode constituting the capacitor at the lower ends of the coupling holes is suppressed.
US09312323B2	Light emitting device having insulator between pixel electrodes and auxiliary wiring in contact with the insulator To provide a light emitting device high in reliability with a pixel portion having high definition with a large screen. According to a light emitting device of the present invention, on an insulator (24) provided between pixel electrodes, an auxiliary electrode (21) made of a metal film is formed, whereby a conductive layer (20) made of a transparent conductive film in contact with the auxiliary electrode can be made low in resistance and thin. Also, the auxiliary electrode (21) is used to achieve connection with an electrode on a lower layer, whereby the electrode can be led out with the transparent conductive film formed on an EL layer. Further, a protective film (32) made of a film containing hydrogen and a silicon nitride film which are laminated is formed, whereby high reliability can be achieved.
US09312314B2	Light apparatus for generating light The invention relates to a light apparatus (1) for generating light. The light apparatus includes a light emission structure (2) including light emission material (9), a capacitor structure (3) including at least two capacitor electrode films (11, 12) and a dielectric film (14) between the capacitor electrode films, and a film encapsulation (30) including at least one film for encapsulating and thereby protecting at least the light emission material. The capacitor structure is integrated in the light apparatus such that the capacitor electrode films and the dielectric film are at least partly arranged in parallel to the light emission structure. Since films, in particular, thin films, are used for the capacitor structure and the encapsulation and since the capacitor structure is integrated in the light apparatus, the light apparatus can be relatively thin.
US09312310B2	Display panel, fabricating method thereof and display device A display panel, a fabricating method thereof and a display device. The display panel, including: a transparent substrate; a plurality of display pixels, provided on the transparent substrate, wherein each of the plurality of display pixels includes: a plurality of first transparent self-luminous sub-pixels, provided on a light exiting surface of the transparent substrate; and a plurality of second self-luminous sub-pixels, provided on a surface of the transparent substrate opposite to the light exiting surface, and a light exiting direction of each of the second sub-pixels a direction towards the light exiting surface of the transparent substrate.
US09312308B2	Organic lighting device and lighting equipment An organic luminous means and an illumination device comprising such a luminous means are specified. An optical display apparatus, emergency lighting, motor vehicle interior lighting, an item of furniture, a construction material, a glazing and a display comprising such a luminous means and, respectively, comprising an illumination device having such a luminous means are furthermore specified.
US09312299B2	Image sensor with dielectric charge trapping device An image sensor pixel includes a photosensitive element, a floating diffusion region, a transfer gate, a dielectric charge trapping region, and a first metal contact. The photosensitive element is disposed in a semiconductor layer to receive electromagnetic radiation along a vertical axis. The floating diffusion region is disposed in the semiconductor layer, while the transfer gate is disposed on the semiconductor layer to control a flow of charge produced in the photosensitive element to the floating diffusion region. The dielectric charge trapping device is disposed on the semiconductor layer to receive electromagnetic radiation along the vertical axis and to trap charges in response thereto. The dielectric charge trapping device is further configured to induce charge in the photosensitive element in response to the trapped charges. The first metal contact is coupled to the dielectric charge trapping device to provide a first bias voltage to the dielectric charge trapping device.
US09312297B2	Semiconductor apparatus and electronic apparatus A semiconductor apparatus includes a first semiconductor chip, a second semiconductor chip, and a flare prevention plate. On the first semiconductor chip, a photoelectric conversion unit configured to perform photoelectric conversion on light received in a light receiving area is formed. The second semiconductor chip is electrically connected to the first semiconductor chip, the second semiconductor chip being disposed on a surface of the first semiconductor chip on a side of the light receiving area. The flare prevention plate is disposed on the second semiconductor chip, the flare prevention plate being configured to block light, the flare prevention plate being in contact with the second semiconductor chip.
US09312295B2	Semiconductor device and a manufacturing method thereof A semiconductor device has a chip region including a back-side illumination type photoelectric conversion element, a mark-like appearance part, a pad electrode, and a coupling part. The mark-like appearance part includes an insulation film covering the entire side surface of a trench part formed in a semiconductor substrate. The pad electrode is arranged at a position overlapping the mark-like appearance part. The coupling part couples the pad electrode and mark-like appearance part. At least a part of the pad electrode on the other main surface side of the substrate is exposed through an opening reaching the pad electrode from the other main surface side of the substrate. The mark-like appearance part and coupling part are arranged to at least partially surround the outer circumference of the opening in plan view.
US09312293B2	Range modulated implants for image sensors Image sensors may include a plurality of photodiodes. The photodiodes may be isolated from each other using isolations regions formed from p-well or n-well implants. Deep and narrow isolation regions may be formed using a multi-step process that selectively places implants at desired depths in a substrate. If desired, the multi-step process may include only one photolithographic patterning step, which in turn can help reduce costs, fabrication time, and alignment errors. The process may include passing ions through a stack of alternating layers of material such as alternating layers of oxide and nitride. After each implant, a layer in the stack may be removed and ions may be passed through the layers remaining in the stack to form an implant at a different depth in the substrate.
US09312286B2	Display device having bypass electrode on common electrode in peripheral circuit of color filter substrate A display device includes an array substrate and a color filter substrate. The array substrate including data lines in a periphery circuit area, and the color filter substrate including a common electrode. A portion of the common electrode of the color filter substrate corresponding to the periphery circuit area of the array substrate includes a plurality of stripe electrodes separated from each other, extending in a length direction of the data lines and overlapped with the data lines. For each data line, two adjacent stripe electrodes among the plurality of stripe electrodes overlapped with the data line are connected through a bypass electrode which is substantially not overlapped with the data line. In case of the data lines being broken or shorted with the common electrode, the data line can be repaired by using a separate stripe electrode, thereby enabling normal operation of the circuitry.
US09312284B2	Active device array substrate An active device array substrate includes a substrate, first signal lines, second signal lines, pixel units, selection units, an insulating layer, and a driving unit. The second signal lines and the selection lines are electrically connected with the driving unit. The insulating layer is disposed among the first signal lines, the second signal lines and the selection lines and has contact holes. The contact holes are disposed corresponding to the first signal lines, and a portion of the selection lines are electrically connected with the first signal lines via the contact holes. The selection line corresponding to the contact hole the farthest from the driving unit and the closest to a reference axis of the substrate and the selection line corresponding to the contact hole the closest to the driving unit and the reference axis respectively receive a start signal and a terminal signal provided by the driving unit.
US09312281B2	TFT array substrate, LCD panel and wiring repairing method A TFT array substrate includes a pixel region and a wiring region disposed outside the pixel region. The wiring region has a wiring layer including scan or data wirings. A repair wiring layer including repair wiring is disposed insulatedly below or above the wiring layer. A scan or data wiring has a first intersection and a second intersection with a repair wiring section of the repair wiring. When the scan or data wiring is broken, a repair wiring section is cut off the repair wiring by a first cut-off point and a second cut-off point, and the broken scan or data wiring is electrically connected to the repair wiring section through soldering the first intersection and the second intersection. Thus, products that would otherwise be rejected in the manufacturing process of LCD panels can be repaired, which decreases the reject ratio, increases the yield and saves the production cost.
US09312280B2	Semiconductor device A semiconductor device capable of retaining data for a long time is provided. The semiconductor device includes first to third transistors, a fourth transistor including first and second gates, first to third nodes, a capacitor, and an input terminal. A source of the first transistor is connected to the input terminal. A drain of the first transistor and a source of the second transistor are connected to the first node. A gate of the second transistor, a drain of the second transistor, and a source of the third transistor are connected to the second node. A gate of the third transistor, a drain of the third transistor, the capacitor, and the second gate of the fourth transistor are connected to the third node.
US09312272B2	Implementing buried FET utilizing drain of finFET as gate of buried FET A method and circuit for implementing an enhanced transistor topology with a buried field effect transistor (FET) utilizing the drain of a FinFET as the gate of the new buried FET and a design structure on which the subject circuit resides are provided. A drain area of the fin area of a FinFET over a buried dielectric layer provides both the drain of the FinFET as well as the gate node of a second field effect transistor. This second field effect transistor is buried in the carrier semiconductor substrate under the buried dielectric layer.
US09312271B2	Non-volatile memory device and method for manufacturing same According to an embodiment, a non-volatile memory device includes electrodes, an inter-layer insulating film between the electrodes and at least one semiconductor layer extending through the electrodes and the inter-layer insulating film. The device includes a charge storage layer between the semiconductor layer and each electrode, a first insulating film between the charge storage layer and the semiconductor layer, and a second insulating film. The second insulating film includes a first portion between the charge storage layer and each electrode, a second portion between each electrode and the inter-layer insulating film, and a third portion that links the first portion and the second portion. In a cross-section of the third portion parallel to the first direction and a second direction toward each electrode from the charge storage layer, a curved surface on the charge storage layer side has a curvature radius larger than a surface on the electrodes side.
US09312260B2	Integrated circuits and manufacturing methods thereof An integrated circuit includes a first diffusion area for a first type transistor. The first type transistor includes a first drain region and a first source region. A second diffusion area for a second type transistor is separated from the first diffusion area. The second type transistor includes a second drain region and a second source region. A gate electrode continuously extends across the first diffusion area and the second diffusion area in a routing direction. A first metallic structure is electrically coupled with the first source region. A second metallic structure is electrically coupled with the second drain region. A third metallic structure is disposed over and electrically coupled with the first and second metallic structures. A width of the first metallic structure is substantially equal to or larger than a width of the third metallic structure.
US09312258B2	Strained silicon structure A strained silicon substrate structure includes a first transistor and a second transistor disposed on a substrate. The first transistor includes a first gate structure and two first source/drain regions disposed at two sides of the first gate structure. A first source/drain to gate distance is between each first source/drain region and the first gate structure. The second transistor includes a second gate structure and two source/drain doped regions disposed at two side of the second gate structure. A second source/drain to gate distance is between each second source/drain region and the second gate structure. The first source/drain to gate distance is smaller than the second source/drain to gate distance.
US09312257B2	Semiconductor device A semiconductor device is described, which includes a first transistor, a second transistor, and a capacitor. The second transistor and the capacitor are provided over the first transistor so as to overlap with a gate of the first transistor. A semiconductor layer of the second transistor and a dielectric layer of the capacitor are directly connected to the gate of the first transistor. The second transistor is a vertical transistor, where its channel direction is perpendicular to an upper surface of a semiconductor layer of the first transistor.
US09312250B2	Chip, chip arrangement and method for producing a chip Various embodiments provide a chip. The chip has a carrier, an integrated circuit formed above the carrier, and an energy storage element. The energy storage element has a first electrode and a second electrode and is used to supply the integrated circuit with electrical energy. The carrier, the integrated circuit and the energy storage element are monolithically formed, the first electrode being formed from the carrier.
US09312244B2	Multiple die stacking for two or more die A microelectronic package can include a substrate having first and second opposed surfaces, and first and second microelectronic elements having front surfaces facing the first surface. The substrate can have a plurality of substrate contacts at the first surface and a plurality of terminals at the second surface. Each microelectronic element can have a plurality of element contacts at the front surface thereof. The element contacts can be joined with corresponding ones of the substrate contacts. The front surface of the second microelectronic element can partially overlie a rear surface of the first microelectronic element and can be attached thereto. The element contacts of the first microelectronic element can be arranged in an area array and are flip-chip bonded with a first set of the substrate contacts. The element contacts of the second microelectronic element can be joined with a second set of the substrate contacts by conductive masses.
US09312233B2	Method of forming molded panel embedded die structure Methods of forming molded panel coreless package structures are described. Those methods and structures may include fabrication of embedded die packages using large panel format and use of molding to improve rigidity of the panel, as well as to embed the die in a non-sacrificial mold material. The methods and structures described include methods for manufacturing thin, coreless substrate architectures which possess low warpage.
US09312228B2	Semiconductor device and method for manufacturing semiconductor device An inventive semiconductor device includes a semiconductor chip having a passivation film, and a sealing resin layer provided over the passivation film for sealing a front side of the semiconductor chip. The sealing resin layer extends to a side surface of the passivation film to cover the side surface.
US09312218B2	Semiconductor device and method of forming leadframe with conductive bodies for vertical electrical interconnect of semiconductor die A semiconductor device has a semiconductor die mounted to a substrate. A leadframe has a base plate and integrated tie bars and conductive bodies. The tie bars include a down step with an angled surface and horizontal surface between the conductive bodies. The leadframe is mounted to the semiconductor die and substrate with the base plate disposed on a back surface of the semiconductor die and the conductive bodies disposed around the semiconductor die and electrically connected to the substrate. An encapsulant is deposited over the substrate and semiconductor die and into the down step of the tie bars. A conductive layer is formed over the conductive bodies to inhibit oxidation. The leadframe is singulated through the encapsulant in the down step and through the horizontal portion of the tie bars to electrically isolate the conductive bodies. A semiconductor package can be mounted to the substrate and semiconductor die.
US09312210B2	Semiconductor device with air gap and method for fabricating the same A method for fabricating a semiconductor device includes forming, over a substrate, a plurality of first conductive structures which are separated from one another; forming multi-layered dielectric patterns including a first dielectric layer which covers upper ends and both sidewalls of the first conductive structures; removing portions of the first dielectric layer starting from lower end portions of the first conductive structures to define air gaps, and forming second conductive structures which are filled between the first conductive structures.
US09312209B2	Semiconductor device A method for bypassing a defective through silicon via x in a group of n adjacent through silicon vias, includes receiving a plurality of relief signals to identify the defective through silicon via x, activating x−1 switch circuits to connect x−1 data circuits to through silicon vias 1 to x−1 in the group of n adjacent through silicon vias, activating n−x switch circuits to connect n−x data circuits to through silicon vias x+1 to n in the group of n adjacent through silicon vias, and activating a switch circuit to connect a data circuit to an auxiliary through silicon via which is adjacent through silicon via n in the group of n adjacent through silicon vias.
US09312204B2	Methods of forming parallel wires of different metal materials through double patterning and fill techniques An integrated circuit and a method of forming an integrated circuit including a first dielectric layer including a surface, a plurality of first trenches defined in the dielectric layer surface, and a plurality of first wires, wherein each of the first wires are formed in each of the first trenches. The integrated circuit also includes a plurality of second trenches defined in the dielectric layer surface, and a plurality of second wires, wherein each of the second wires are formed in each of the second trenches. Further, the first wires comprise a first material having a first bulk resistivity and the second wires comprise a second material having a second bulk resistivity, wherein the first bulk resistivity and the second bulk resistivity are different.
US09312197B2	Support base-attached encapsulant, encapsulated substrate having semiconductor devices mounted thereon, encapsulated wafer having semiconductor devices formed thereon, semiconductor apparatus, and method for manufacturing semiconductor apparatus Support base-attached encapsulant for collectively encapsulating a semiconductor device mounting surface of a substrate or semiconductor device forming surface of a wafer, containing a support base having one fibrous film or a plurality of the fibrous films being laminated, the fibrous film subjected to surface treatment with an organosilicon compound, and a resin layer of thermosetting resin formed on one surface of the support base. The support base-attached encapsulant inhibit the substrate or wafer from warping and semiconductor devices from peeling away from the substrate, and collectively encapsulate the semiconductor device mounting surface of the substrate or the semiconductor device forming surface of the wafer even when a large-diameter wafer or large-area substrate is encapsulated. The support base-attached encapsulant has uniformity and homogeneity without opening or tangle of fiber, and is excellent in reliability such as heat resistance, electrical insulation property, moisture resistance, excellent in versatility, economical efficiency, and mass-productivity.
US09312186B1	Method of forming horizontal gate all around structure This disclosure provides a horizontal structure by using a double STI recess method. The double STI recess method includes: forming a plurality of fins on the substrate; forming shallow trench isolation between the fins; performing first etch-back on the shallow trench isolation; forming source and drain regions adjacent to channels of the fins; and performing second etch-back on the shallow trench isolations to expose a lower portion of the fins as a larger process window for forming gates of the fins. Accordingly, compared to conventional methods limited by fin height from the STI, the double STI recess method provides greater fin height, which is a larger process window for HGAA nanowire formation, to easily produce multi-stack HGAA nanowires with high current density. The number of layers used in the multi-stack HGAA nanowires is not limited and may vary based on different designs.
US09312174B2	Method for manufacturing contact plugs for semiconductor devices A method for manufacturing contact plugs for semiconductor devices includes the following steps. A substrate is provided. The substrate includes a plurality of transistor and a first dielectric layer filling spaces between the transistors formed thereon. The transistors respectively include a gate and a source/drain. A patterned sacrificial layer is formed on the first dielectric layer. The patterned sacrificial layer includes a plurality of first openings corresponding to the gates of the transistors. A second dielectric layer filling up the first openings in the patterned sacrificial layer is formed and followed by removing the sacrificial layer to form a plurality of second openings in the second dielectric layer. The second openings are formed correspondingly to the sources/drains of the transistors. An etching process is performed to etch the first dielectric layer through the second openings to form a plurality of first contact holes exposing the sources/drains of the transistors.
US09312173B2	Self-limiting silicide in highly scaled fin technology A method of forming a metal semiconductor alloy on a fin structure that includes forming a semiconductor material layer of a polycrystalline crystal structure material or amorphous crystal structure material on a fin structure of a single crystal semiconductor material, and forming a metal including layer on the semiconductor material layer. Metal elements from the metal including layer may then be intermixed metal elements with the semiconductor material layer to provide a metal semiconductor alloy contact on the fin structure. A core of the fin structure of the single crystal semiconductor material is substantially free of the metal elements from the metal including layer.
US09312159B2	Transport apparatus and exposure apparatus A substrate is transported between a first space and a second space, which are separated by a partition wall, through an opening portion formed in the partition wall. A transport apparatus includes a support device having a support portion which supports the substrate, the support device being provided so as to block the opening portion while a clearance between the partition wall and the support device is formed, the support device moving the support portion from a state where the support portion faces the first space to a state where the support portion faces the second space; and an adjustment device which adjusts an amount of the clearance, thereby suppressing the movement of fluid from the first space to the second space.
US09312149B2	Method for forming chip-on-wafer assembly A device includes a bottom chip and an active top die bonded to the bottom chip. A dummy die is attached to the bottom chip. The dummy die is electrically insulated from the bottom chip.
US09312148B2	Method of packaging a semiconductor device A method of packaging a semiconductor device includes forming an insulating layer over a semiconductor device, wherein the semiconductor device has a contact pad, and a thickness of the contact pad is greater than a thickness of the insulating layer. The method further includes forming a molding compound to cover the semiconductor device and a space between the semiconductor device and a neighboring semiconductor device, wherein both semiconductor devices are on a carrier wafer. The method further includes planarizing a surface of the semiconductor device by removing the molding compound and the insulating layer over the contact pad.
US09312146B2	Manufacturing method of a thin film transistor Embodiments of the invention provide a thin film transistor and a manufacturing method thereof and a display device. The thin film transistor includes a gate electrode, a gate insulation layer, an active layer, an ohmic contact layer, a source electrode and a drain electrode, and the source electrode and the drain electrode are connected to the active layer by the ohmic contact layer. The ohmic contact layer is provided at a lateral side of the active layer and contacts the lateral side of the active layer.
US09312144B2	Composition for forming a silicon-containing resist under layer film and patterning process A composition for forming a silicon-containing resist under layer film includes a silicon-containing compound which is obtained by hydrolysis, condensation or hydrolysis-condensation of a second silicon compound containing one or more compounds represented by the following general formula (1), wherein R represents an organic group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms, Ra, Rb and Rc each represents a substituted or unsubstituted monovalent organic group having 1 to 30 carbon atoms, w=0 or 1, x=0, 1, 2 or 3, y=0, 1 or 2, z=0, 1, 2 or 3; when w=0, 5≧x+z≧1, and the case where (x, z)=(1, 1), (3, 0) or (0, 3) are not included; and when w=1, 7≧x+y+z≧1, and the case where (x, y, z)=(1, 1, 1) is not included. The composition forms a resist under layer film with extremely less number of coating defects, and excellent adhesiveness in fine pattern and etching selectivity.
US09312142B2	Chemical mechanical polishing method and apparatus Methods for polishing a semiconductor wafer using a pad resurfacing arm and an apparatus therefor are disclosed. Embodiments may include providing a semiconductor wafer on a chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) tool, the CMP tool including a polish pad and a pad resurfacing arm which includes a pad cleaning part, a pad conditioning part, and a slurry dispensing part, dispensing a slurry to the polish pad utilizing the pad resurfacing arm, and polishing the semiconductor wafer utilizing the polish pad.
US09312140B2	Semiconductor structures having low resistance paths throughout a wafer A semiconductor structure with low resistance conduction paths and methods of manufacture are disclosed. The method includes forming at least one low resistance conduction path on a wafer, and forming an electroplated seed layer in direct contact with the low resistance conduction path.
US09312137B2	Reduction of native oxides by annealing in reducing gas or plasma Native oxide growth on germanium, silicon germanium, and InGaAs undesirably affects CET (capacitive equivalent thickness) and EOT (effective oxide thickness) of high-k and low-k metal-oxide layers formed on these semiconductors. Even if pre-existing native oxide is initially removed from the bare semiconductor surface, some metal oxide layers are oxygen-permeable in thicknesses below about 25 Å thick. Oxygen-containing species used in the metal-oxide deposition process may diffuse through these permeable layers, react with the underlying semiconductor, and re-grow the native oxide. To eliminate or mitigate this re-growth, the substrate is exposed to a gas or plasma reductant (e.g., containing hydrogen). The reductant diffuses through the permeable layers to react with the re-grown native oxide, detaching the oxygen and leaving the un-oxidized semiconductor. The reduction product(s) resulting from the reaction may then be removed from the substrate (e.g., driven off by heat).
US09312131B2	Selective epitaxial formation of semiconductive films Epitaxial layers are selectively formed in semiconductor windows by a cyclical process of repeated blanket deposition and selective etching. The blanket deposition phases leave non-epitaxial material over insulating regions, such as field oxide, and the selective etch phases preferentially remove non-epitaxial material while deposited epitaxial material builds up cycle-by-cycle. Quality of the epitaxial material improves relative to selective processes where no deposition occurs on insulators. Use of a germanium catalyst during the etch phases of the process aid etch rates and facilitate economical maintenance of isothermal and/or isobaric conditions throughout the cycles. Throughput and quality are improved by use of trisilane, formation of amorphous material over the insulating regions and minimizing the thickness ratio of amorphous:epitaxial material in each deposition phase.
US09312126B2	Method for processing gate dielectric layer deposited on germanium-based or group III-V compound-based substrate The present invention discloses a method for processing a gate dielectric layer deposited on a germanium-based or Group III-V compound-based substrate, belonging to a semiconductor device field. The method comprises the steps of depositing a high-K gate dielectric layer on the germanium-based or Group III-V compound-based substrate, and then performing a plasma process to the high-K gate dielectric layer by using fluorine plasma, wherein during the plasma process, a guiding electric field is applied so that fluorine ions, when being accelerated to a surface of the gate dielectric layer, has an energy of 5-50 eV and the fluorine plasma drifts into the high-K gate dielectric layer, a ratio of a density of the fluorine ions in the high-K gate dielectric layer and a density of oxygen atoms in the high-K gate dielectric layer being 0.01-0.15:1.
US09312124B2	Methods of fabricating gate insulating layers in gate trenches and methods of fabricating semiconductor devices including the same A method of fabricating a semiconductor device may include: forming a field region defining an active region in a substrate; forming a gate trench in which the active and field regions are partially exposed; forming a gate insulating layer on a surface of the active region; conformally forming a gate barrier layer including metal on the gate insulating layer and partially exposed field region; forming a gate electrode layer including metal on the gate barrier layer; and/or forming a gate capping layer. Forming the gate insulating layer may include forming a first gate oxide layer by primarily oxidizing the active region's surface, and forming a second gate oxide layer between the active region's surface and the first gate oxide layer by secondarily oxidizing the active region's surface. The gate capping layer may be in contact with the gate insulating layer, gate barrier layer, and/or gate electrode layer.
US09312116B2	Mass distribution spectrometry method and mass distribution spectrometer The present invention provides a mass distribution spectrometry which reduces an influence of the dispersion in the times at which ionizing beams irradiate a sample, on a mass spectrometry result, and can measure the mass distribution with high reliability. The mass distribution spectrometry is a mass spectrometry which includes irradiating the sample with a primary ion beam and detecting generated secondary ions, wherein this primary ion beam has a spread toward a direction perpendicular to a travelling direction, has a path length of each primary ion contained in the primary ion beam between a primary ion source and a surface of the sample adjusted by deflecting a trajectory, and is obliquely incident on the surface of the sample.
US09312109B2	High pressure ion chamber enclosure support mount A radiation detection assembly includes an ionization chamber for detecting radiation. An exterior enclosure houses the ionization chamber within an interior volume. A pair of support structures support the ionization chamber with respect to the exterior enclosure. The support structures are disposed opposite each other at a surface of the ionization chamber such that the ionization chamber is symmetric with respect to an axis extending between the support structures. A method of supporting the radiation detection assembly is also provided.
US09312106B2	Digital phase controller for two-phase operation of a plasma reactor Phase angle between opposing electrodes in a plasma reactor is controlled in accordance with a user selected phase angle. Direct digital synthesis of RF waveforms of different phases for the different electrodes is employed. The synthesis is synchronized with a reference clock. The address generator employed for direct digital synthesis is synchronized with an output clock signal that is generated in phase with the reference clock using a phase lock loop. The phase lock loop operates only during a limited initialization period.
US09312103B2	Self-aligned dynamic pattern generator device and method of fabrication A dynamic pattern generator (DPG) device and method of making a DPG device are disclosed. The DPG device is used in semiconductor processing tools that require multiple electron-beams, such as direct-write lithography. The device is a self-aligned DPG device that enormously reduces the required tolerances for aligning the various electrode layers, as compared to other design configurations including the non-self-aligned approach and also greatly simplifies the process complexity and cost. A process sequence for both integrated and non-integrated versions of the self-aligned DPG device is described. Additionally, an advanced self-aligned DPG device that eliminates the need for a charge dissipating coating or layer to be used on the device is described. Finally, a fabrication process for the implementation of both integrated and non-integrated versions of the advanced self-aligned DPG device is described.
US09312101B2	Endpoint detection for photolithography mask repair A method includes scanning a lithography mask with a repair process, and measuring back-scattered electron signals of back-scattered electrons generated from the scanning. An endpoint is determined from the back-scattered electron signals. A stop point is calculated from the endpoint. The step of scanning is stopped when the calculated stop point is reached.
US09312089B2	Method for making field emission cathode The disclosure relates to a method for making field emission cathode. A microchannel plate is provided. The microchannel plate includes a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface. The microchannel plate defines a number of holes extending through the microchannel plate from the first surface to the second surface. The plurality of holes are filled with a carbon nanotube slurry. The carbon nanotube slurry is adhered on inner walls of the plurality of holes. The carbon nanotube slurry in the plurality of holes is solidified.
US09312088B2	Solenoid actuated circuit breaker A circuit breaker includes a breaker handle that is remotely operated using a modular actuator mechanism. The actuator mechanism may be a solenoid or other electromechanical actuator that converts an electrical signal to a mechanical force which is applied to the breaker handle. The actuator mechanism is mechanically connected to the circuit breaker in a removable fashion, such as by a tab-and-slot connection, and electrically connected to the circuit breaker in a removable fashion using a plug, edge connector, or other suitable mechanism such that the electrical connection is made when the actuator mechanism is installed, and without the need for additional wiring or other installation steps.
US09312086B2	Proximity switch with snap lock A proximity switch (20, 20A) that snaps quickly and locks between first and second positions of movable electrical contacts (32). A magnet (42) moves a first shaft (26) toward a magnetic target (62) when the target is proximate a sensor end (43) of the switch housing (22). A spring (44) urges the first shaft (26) away from the sensor end. Movement of the first shaft causes a second spring (64) to urge a second shaft (28) in the direction of the first shaft. Next the second shaft is released (52) to move in the direction urged by the second spring. The switch may be adapted to a client cable pin configuration via an adapter plug (80) in the housing with a flexible interconnection circuit (82) folded in a chamber between the adapter plug and leads from fixed electrical contacts (38) of the switch.
US09312083B1	Threaded rod-and-spacer switch handle tie A switch coupling assembly is configured for coupling switch handles to provide simultaneous actuation and deactivation of an electrical device. The switch handles are arranged in a side by side configuration and have passages are aligned. A coupling rod is inserted through the passages in the handles. A spacer is positioned between the switch handles and receives the coupling rod therethrough. An outside surface of the coupling rod is threaded to interact with either or both of the inner surface of the spacer or the inner surface of the handles in order to prevent inadvertent axial motion of the rod relative to the spacer or the switch handles.
US09312073B2	Nonaqueous electrolyte solution, and lithium ion secondary battery having the same The exemplary embodiment has an object to provide a nonaqueous electrolyte solution having a flame retardancy over a long period and having a good capacity maintenance rate. The exemplary embodiment is a nonaqueous electrolyte solution containing a lithium salt, at least one oxo-acid ester derivative of phosphorus selected from compounds represented by a predetermined formula, and at least one disulfonate ester selected from a cyclic disulfonate ester and a linear disulfonate ester represented by the predetermined formulae.
US09312067B2	Sheet formed inductive winding Inductive devices are disclosed. Multiple partial windings may be created relative to a core, where each of the partial windings is initially discontinuous. Multiple printed conductors may be created on a substrate, where the multiple printed conductors are arranged to electrically connect the multiple partial windings. The multiple partial windings may be electrically connected to the multiple printed conductors to create a complete winding around the core.
US09312062B2	Common mode choke coil In a common mode choke coil, electrodes of input/output terminals are located on a bottom surface of a bottom layer. First linear conductors and second linear conductors are located on base material layers. A primary coil includes the first linear conductors and via hole conductors. A secondary coil includes the second linear conductors and via hole conductors. In a plan view as seen from a direction of winding axes of the primary coil and the secondary coil, as for a plurality of first linear conductors and second linear conductors which are adjacent in a plan direction, there are provided a first region in which the second linear conductors are located between the first linear conductors, and a second region in which the first conductors are located between the second linear conductors.
US09312058B2	Electromagnetic linear actuator An electromagnetic linear actuator has a frame (stator) and an armature each at least partially formed of soft magnetic material. The armature can be moved relative to the frame along a longitudinal axis, they form a gap therebetween in an open position and lie against each other in a closed position with the gap closed. A first armature coil is connected to the armature so that a force acting on the first armature coil is transferred to the armature. An excitation magnetic field is generated and guided at least partially by the frame and the armature and acts with a force on the first armature coil when current flows through the first armature coil, to close the gap. The frame, the armature, and the excitation magnetic field are configured so that a retaining force takes effect when the gap between the frame and the armature is closed.
US09312057B2	Contoured-field magnets Apparatus and methods for manufacturing magnets, and magnets, having magnetically oriented grains, and apparatus including such magnets. The field of a permanent magnet may be shaped by applying an external field to the material from which the magnet is made in such a way as to magnetize different regions of the material in different directions. The apparatus may include, and the methods may involve, a metal-powder press that may press metal powder in the presence of a magnetic field. The press may compress the powder in an axial direction. The field may have flux lines that are transverse to the axial direction. The field may have flux lines that are along the axial direction.
US09312049B2	Electrical contact element with a cover layer having a chemical reducing agent, electrical contact arrangement and methods for manufacturing an electrical contact element and for reducing oxidization of a contact section of an electrical contact element The invention relates to an electrical contact element, an electrical contact arrangement and methods for manufacturing an electrical contact element and for reducing oxidization of a contact section of an electrical contact element. In order to avoid that the durability of the contact element and therefore of the contact arrangement is negatively influenced by growing oxide layers on contact surfaces, the contact element is provided with a cover layer with a chemical reducing agent that can be activated by frictional forces.
US09312048B2	Electroconductive sheet and touch panel An electroconductive sheet and a touch panel having a first electroconductive section and a second electroconductive section, the second electroconductive section being disposed on the display-panel side. The first electroconductive section has a plurality of first electroconductive patterns arranged in the x-direction, a plurality of first large grids being respectively connected to the first electroconductive patterns. The second electroconductive section has a plurality of second electroconductive patterns arranged in the y-direction, a plurality of second large grids being respectively connected to the second electroconductive patterns. The area occupied by thin metal wires in the second electroconductive patterns is larger than the area occupied by thin metal wires in the first electroconductive patterns. The area occupied by thin metal wires in the second large grids is larger than the area occupied by thin metal wires in the first large grids.
US09312045B2	Conductive paste composition for solar cells and solar cell A conductive paste composition for a solar cell contains a conductive powder, a glass frit, and a vehicle. The glass fit includes glass containing SO2 within a range of 0.05 to 5.0 (mol %) in terms of oxide.
US09312044B2	Semiconducting fused thiophene polymer ink formulation A formulation including: an organic semiconducting polymer selected from the diketopyrrolopyrrole (DPP) and fused thiophene co-polymer structures of the formulas (I), (II), or combinations thereof, or salts thereof, in an amount of from 0.1 to 5 wt % based on the total weight of the formulation: formulas (I) and (II), respectively, where m is an integer from 1 to 2, n is an integer from 4 to 80, X and Y are independently selected from a divalent heteroaryl, such as a thiophene, R1, R2, R3, and R4 is each a hydrocarbylene substituent as defined herein, a first solvent is selected from a cyclic aliphatic in an amount of from 2 to 98 wt %; and a second solvent selected from an aromatic in an amount of from 98 to 2 wt %. Also disclosed are method of making and using the disclosed formulations, for example, for use in electronic devices.
US09312041B2	Photolabile pro-fragrances Fragrances having a fresh character are usually very volatile and therefore not very economical in typical applications such as washing or cleaning processes for example. For that reason they have to be used in relatively large amounts in order to bring about appropriate effects. The present invention describes photolabile pro-fragrances of formula (I) that allow for a greatly improved persistence of the fragrance impression, in particular one having a fresh character, in typical applications. Said pro-fragrances attach very readily to target substrates, such as textiles for example. A more economical use of the fragrances in question can be ensured in this way.
US09312031B2	Semiconductor device and test method thereof A semiconductor chip includes a memory array including a plurality of memory cells, a plurality of terminals including a plurality of test terminals to output a result of a specific test, and a circuit that outputs the result to a selected one of the plurality of test terminals based on a chip identification data.
US09312027B2	Method of operating nonvolatile memory device controlled by controlling coupling resistance value between bit line and page buffer A method of operating a nonvolatile memory device includes determining whether a program operation is performed on even memory cells coupled to even bit lines of a selected page, setting a coupling resistance value between odd bit lines of the selected page and page buffers depending on whether the program operation for the even memory cells is performed, performing a program operation on the odd memory cells coupled to the odd bit lines, and coupling the odd bit line to the page buffer based on the set coupling resistance value and performing an verification operation for verifying whether threshold voltages of the odd memory cells on which the program operation is performed are a target voltage or more.
US09312025B2	Information processing apparatus, non-transitory computer-readable storage medium and refresh control method Provided are an information processing, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a refresh control program, and a refresh control method. An information processing apparatus which can work in a plurality of operation modes, includes: a flash memory; and a control section. The control section is configured to acquire an operating time period of each of the operation modes. The control section is further configured to calculate a weighted time period of each of the operation modes by weighting the operating time period of each of the operation modes by using a weighting coefficient of the corresponding operation mode. The control section is further configured to perform refresh processing of the flash memory when an integrated weighted time period exceeds a refresh threshold value which has been determined previously, where the integrated weighted time period is calculated by adding up the weighted time periods of the operation modes.
US09312024B2	Flash memory device having efficient refresh operation Provided is a flash memory device capable of efficiently performing a refresh operation. The flash memory device includes a normal memory array including a plurality of normal memory cells arranged in a matrix of word lines and bit lines, wherein the plurality of normal memory cells are divided into a plurality of memory blocks and are programmable and erasable; a refresh address generation unit configured to generate a refresh block address, wherein the refresh block address is sequentially increased in response to activation of a refresh driving signal; and a refresh driving unit driven to refresh a memory block specified by the refresh block address among the memory blocks of the normal memory array in a unit refresh frame, and generate the refresh driving signal. In the flash memory device, a refresh operation may be efficiently performed to fix a data disturbance.
US09312022B1	Memory timing self-calibration Methods for memory input timing self-calibration, apparatuses for input timing self-calibration, and systems are disclosed. One such method includes sequentially programming a plurality of delay trim settings into a delay circuit of a data path. The data path can include a data latch coupled to the delay circuit. A clock is coupled to the data latch to clock data into the data latch. Transitions of the data are substantially aligned with transitions of the clock. An output of the data latch is read after each delay trim setting is programmed. A boundary is determined between a first output state of the data latch and a second output state of the data latch wherein the boundary is associated with a particular delay trim setting of the plurality of delay trim settings. The particular delay trim setting is programmed into the delay circuit.
US09312019B1	Memory device and method for operating the same According to an embodiment, an operation method for a memory device which has a first memory element and a second memory element respectively provided on both sides of a semiconductor member includes applying a first voltage to a second word line, the first voltage being negative for a voltage of a cell source line, and applying a second voltage to a first word line, the second voltage being positive for the voltage of the cell source line when reading out a data from the first memory element.
US09312002B2	Methods for programming ReRAM devices A programming technique for a set of resistance-switching memory cells such as ReRAM cell involves programming the low resistance cells to the high resistance state (in a reset process) early in a programming operation, before programming the high resistance cells to the low resistance state (in a set process), to minimize losses due to leakage currents. The reset process can be performed in one or more phases. In some cases, a current limit is imposed which limits the number of cells which can be reset at the same time. Initially, the cells which are to be reset and set are identified by comparing a logical value of their current resistance state to a logical value of write data. If there is a match, the cell is not programmed. If there is not a match, the cell is programmed.
US09311997B2	Resistive memory device with word lines coupled to multiple sink transistors A resistive memory device includes memory cell array blocks, a reference cell array block, two first and second sink transistors, and a word line. Each of the memory cell array blocks includes a row line, and the reference cell array block includes a reference row line. One of the first sink transistors is disposed between one end of the row line and a ground and the other of the first sink transistors is disposed between an opposite end of the row line and the ground. One of the second sink transistors is disposed between one end of the reference row line and the ground and the other of the second sink transistors is disposed between an opposite end of the reference row line and the ground. The word line is coupled to gates of the first and second sink transistors.
US09311996B2	Semiconductor storage device having resistance-change storage elements A semiconductor storage device according to an embodiment includes a plurality of resistance-change storage elements. A plurality of bit lines are connected to the storage elements, respectively. A voltage control circuit controls a decreasing rate of an absolute value of a voltage of a selected bit line among the bit lines when data is written to one of the storage elements.
US09311993B2	Nonvolatile semiconductor memory device A nonvolatile semiconductor memory device comprises a memory cell array including a plurality of memory cells, and a control circuit for the memory cell array. The control circuit is configured to perform a pre-read operation to read pre-selected memory cells before a read operation on target memory cells is performed and to change a read voltage to be applied to the target memory cells during the read operation based on a result of the pre-read operation.
US09311992B2	Decoding system and method for electronic non-volatile computer storage apparatus Methods are systems for calculating log-likelihood ratios for a decoder utilized in an electronic non-volatile computer storage apparatus are disclosed. A log-likelihood ratio handler is configured to provide an input log-likelihood ratio to the decoder, wherein the input log-likelihood ratio is one of: a uniform input log-likelihood ratio for all bits calculated based on an estimated raw bit error rate for a particular data unit, or a bit-based input log-likelihood ratio for each bit calculated based on a confidence value for a cell containing said each bit. The decoder of the electronic non-volatile computer storage apparatus is configured to decode encoded data at least partially based on the input log-likelihood ratio from the log-likelihood ratio handler.
US09311989B2	Power gate for latch-up prevention In an embodiment of the invention, power is provided to an SRAM array without causing latch-up by charging the positive voltage node in the SRAM array and the Nwell regions in the SRAM at approximately the same rate.
US09311987B2	Semiconductor memory device controlling refresh cycle, memory system, and method of operating the semiconductor memory device A semiconductor memory device includes a memory cell array, a refresh control circuit, an address counter and an address converter. The memory cell array includes a plurality of memory cells. The refresh control circuit is configured to receive a refresh command and output m refresh control signals during one refresh cycle for refreshing all the memory cells of the semiconductor memory device. The address counter is configured to generate counting signals for refreshing memory cells in response to the m refresh control signals. The address converter is configured to receive the counting signals and output refresh addresses by converting the counting signals in response to a cycle select signal. The address converter is configured to output refresh addresses such that the number of m refresh control signals during one refresh cycle is variable.
US09311986B2	Semiconductor memory device A semiconductor memory device includes a control signal generator suitable for generating a control signal corresponding to temperature information, a refresh controller suitable for enabling a refresh signal for a smart refresh operation at a predetermined moment in response to a refresh command signal and enabling the refresh signal for a normal refresh operation at a moment corresponding to the control signal in response to the refresh command signal, and a data storage suitable for storing a data and performing the smart refresh operation and the normal refresh operation in response to the refresh signal of the refresh controller.
US09311984B1	Smart refresh device A smart refresh device includes an address control block configured to determine whether a specific row address is a row hammer address, and invert a first row hammer address and perform an addition/subtraction of an address; a repair control block configured to determine whether the row hammer address is a repaired address and output a stored repair address as a second repair control signal; a repair address storage block configured to store an output address of the address control block and output a stored address as a latch address; a fuse block configured to output a repair signal representing information on a repair address to the repair control block, and output a decoding signal according to the latch address; and an operator configured to add and subtract the decoding signal according to an addition signal and a subtraction signal.
US09311980B1	Word line supply voltage generator for a memory device and method therefore A word line supply voltage generator is selectively activated and deactivated to allow internal memory operations that are sensitive to variations on word line voltages to be performed with a stable word line voltage. Techniques for deactivating and reactivating the voltage generator are also disclosed that enable more rapid recovery from deactivation such that subsequent operations can be commenced sooner.
US09311977B2	Event controlled decoding circuit A waveform generator circuit includes a memory with address locations storing output waveform defining data bits. An address counter generates an address for sequentially addressing the address locations in the memory. The memory responds by sequentially outputting the output waveform defining data bits at the addressed locations. An output circuit receives the waveform defining data bits output from the memory and operates to generate an output signal waveform having logic state values dependent on the sequentially output waveform defining data bits.
US09311972B2	Semiconductor memory device for conducting monitoring operation to verify read and write operations A semiconductor memory device includes, in part, a first data I/O block and a second data I/O block. During a write operation, the first data I/O block transmits input data supplied through a first pad to a first global I/O line, and further generates a write internal signal. The second data I/O block transmits the write internal signal to a second pad in response to a monitor enable signal. During a read operation, the first data I/O block supplies data from the first global I/O line to a first pad, and further generates a read internal signal. The second data I/O block transmits the read internal signal to the second pad in response to a monitor enable signal.
US09311967B2	Configurable voltage reduction for register file A system, a memory device and a method are contemplated in which the apparatus may include a plurality of memory cells, a plurality of voltage reduction circuits, and control circuitry. The plurality of voltage reduction circuits may be configured to reduce a voltage level of a power supply coupled to the plurality of memory cells. The control circuitry may be configured to select one of the voltage reduction circuits based on one or more operating parameters. The control circuitry may be further configured to activate the selected voltage reduction circuit upon receiving a write command directed towards the memory cells. The control circuitry may be further configured to execute the write command. Upon completion of the write command, the control circuitry may be further configured to de-activate the selected one of the voltage reduction circuits.
US09311963B2	Recording apparatus and control method thereof An apparatus, comprises an obtaining unit which obtains moving image data; a recording unit which records the obtained moving image data on first and second media; and a control unit which controls the recording unit to, in accordance with an instruction to start recording on the second medium during recording of the moving image data on the first medium, start recording of the moving image data on the second medium, and in accordance with an instruction to stop recording on the second medium during recording of the moving image data on the first medium, stop recording of the moving image data on the second medium and record, on the first medium, additional information about positions in the moving image data recorded on the first medium that correspond to the start and stop instructions.
US09311961B2	Image extracting device, image extracting method, and recording medium The image processing device includes an image data input unit for receiving data of moving images and still images; an image grouping unit for classifying the moving images and the still images into groups; an image analyzer for analyzing the moving images and the still images classified by group, and obtaining analysis information of the images, and information on relationship between the moving images and the still images; a frame image extractor for extracting frame images from the moving images according to at least one of the analysis information and the relationship information; a layout determining unit for determining a layout of the still images and the frame images according to at least one of the analysis information and the relationship information; and an image arranging unit for arranging the still images and the frame images according to the layout.
US09311956B2	Information processing device, information processing method, and program An information processing device includes: a data processing unit that executes a process of reproducing content recorded in a medium, wherein the data processing unit acquires a token from the medium, the token being management data corresponding to content recorded in the medium, compares a server ID recorded in the acquired token with a server ID recorded in a server certificate acquired from a server from which the management data is acquired, and halts reproduction of content when the two server IDs are not identical.
US09311953B2	Recording layer, information recording medium, and target The present invention relates to an information recording medium that has good enough recording characteristics even without containing Pd. The information recording medium has a recording layer including an oxide of Mn in which Mn atoms are partially or fully present as Mn with a valence of +4.
US09311949B2	Magnetic powder and method of manufacturing the same An aspect of the present invention relates to a method of manufacturing magnetic powder, which comprises adding an alkali metal salt compound comprising a substituent selected from the group consisting of an alkali metal salt of a carboxyl group and an alkali metal salt of a hydroxyl group to a water-based magnetic liquid comprising magnetic particles dispersed in an acidic water-based solvent to cause the magnetic particles to aggregate in the water-based magnetic liquid; and collecting the aggregated magnetic particles to obtain the magnetic powder.
US09311947B2	Metal magnetic powder and process for producing the same, magnetic coating material, and magnetic recording medium A metal magnetic powder having a metal magnetic phase mainly composed of ferromagnetic elements, and composed of particles containing one or more kinds of elements selected from rare earth elements including Y, and Al, Si. And the method for producing the metal magnetic powder, including the steps of: eluting the non-magnetic components in the particles under an action of a reducing agent acting on the metal magnetic powder, in a solution containing a complexing agent capable of forming the complex with the non-magnetic components; and forming an oxide layer on the particles in the solution after eluting the non-magnetic components into the solution, without drying the particles.
US09311936B2	Magnetic recording head and disk drive provided therewith According to one embodiment, a magnetic recording head includes a main pole configured to apply a recording magnetic field to a recording layer of a recording medium, a trailing shield opposed to the main pole with a write gap therebetween, and a high-frequency oscillator between the main pole and the trailing shield in a range of a width of the main pole in a track width direction, and configured to generate a high-frequency magnetic field. The high-frequency oscillator includes a spin injection layer, an intermediate layer, and an oscillation layer, and at least the oscillation layer comprises divided oscillation regions.
US09311935B2	Method and apparatus for magnetic recording head having a waveguide A method of forming a wave guide for a heat assisted magnetic recording slider of a disk drive includes depositing a layer of waveguide material onto a substrate, and depositing a layer of a hard mask material onto the waveguide material. The method then includes depositing a layer of photoresist onto the hard mask material, and exposing the photoresist to produce a hard mask pattern that includes a waveguide pattern. The method also includes stripping the photoresist material leaving the hard mask pattern having a first line edge roughness. The method also includes removing the waveguide material not covered by the hard mask, the waveguide having sidewalls which having a line edge roughness which is substantially equal to the first line edge roughness. Also disclosed is an apparatus for accomplishing the method.
US09311921B2	Audio decoder and decoding method using efficient downmixing A method, an apparatus, a computer readable storage medium configured with instructions for carrying out a method, and logic encoded in one or more computer-readable tangible medium to carry out actions. The method is to decode audio data that includes N.n channels to M.m decoded audio channels, including unpacking metadata and unpacking and decoding frequency domain exponent and mantissa data; determining transform coefficients from the unpacked and decoded frequency domain exponent and mantissa data; inverse transforming the frequency domain data; and in the case M
US09311917B2	Machine, system and method for user-guided teaching of deictic references and referent objects of deictic references to a conversational command and control system A machine, system and method for user-guided teaching of deictic references and referent objects of deictic references to a conversational system. The machine includes a system bus for communicating data and control signals received from the conversational system to the computer system, a data and control bus for connecting devices and sensors in the machine, a bridge module for connecting the data and control bus to the system bus, respective machine subsystems coupled to the data and control bus, the respective machine subsystems having a respective user interface for receiving a deictic reference from a user, a memory coupled to the system bus for storing deictic references and objects of the deictic references learned by the conversational system and a central processing unit coupled to the system bus for executing the deictic references with respect to the objects of the deictic references learned.
US09311916B2	Apparatus and method for improving voice recognition An apparatus and method for improving voice recognition are disclosed herein. The apparatus includes a standard voice transmission unit, a Mel-frequency cepstrum coefficient (MFCC) generation unit, and an MFCC compensation unit. The standard voice transmission unit generates a standard voice. The MFCC generation unit generates voice feature data (MFCC) based on the utterance of the standard voice before voice recognition. The MFCC compensation unit stores a gain value generated based on the standard voice, and compensates for the distortion of the voice feature data based on the utterance of a user using the gain value during the voice recognition.
US09311908B2	Diaphragm and process for producing a diaphragm for an ultrasonic transducer The invention relates to a diaphragm (1) for an ultrasonic transducer having a diaphragm body (2) which is made of metallic material and is provided on an outer surface region (5; 8) with a coating (10). In order to make it possible for the diaphragm surface to be provided with a particularly damage-resistant coating, the coating (10) has a transparent form such that the surface region (5; 8) of the diaphragm body (2) is visible through the coating (10).
US09311906B2	Electronic organ with free-combined keys and a method to realize free combination The present invention discloses a kind of electronic organ with free-combined keys and the method to realize free combination of key groups. The electronic organ comprises host processor and key groups. The method includes steps: S1, Connect freely combined key groups to the electronic organ; S2, The host processor obtains the number of the key groups, address information and locations of keys in key groups; S3, The host processor sets the function or scale for each key according the number of key groups, address information and locations of keys in key groups. The present invention realizes free combination and disassembly of key groups by a method recognizing the free-combined key groups. It makes miniaturization and portability of electronic organ possible and strengthens user experience. Its structure is simple and it brings good economic and social benefits. The present invention can be applied to a variety of electronic organs.
US09311904B2	Woodwind instrument and airflow adjuster A woodwind instrument such as a clarinet includes a main tube including an upper tube and a lower tube and a correcting tone hole used solely for interval correction is formed in the lower tube. An airflow adjuster is installed in the correcting tone hole. The airflow adjuster is formed in an M shape by bending a film member at three positions. The airflow adjuster can properly arrange a turbulent airflow in the correction tone hole during performance and can reduce undesired sound generated from the correcting tone hole.
US09311896B2	Glyph rendering Among other things, one or more techniques and/or systems are disclosed for rendering a glyph. Rendering data for the glyph can be received, such as size, shape, color, etc., along with first sub-pixel position for initially rendering the glyph on a display. A first rendering quality can be identified for the first sub-pixel position and second rendering quality can be identified for a second sub-pixel position, which may comprise an alternate rendering position. A sub-pixel position shift can be selected for the glyph based at least upon a comparison of the first and second rendering qualities. The sub-pixel position shift can comprise a difference between the first sub-pixel position and the second sub-pixel position, where the second rendering quality is selected/preferable over the first rendering quality. The glyph can be rendered by applying the selected sub-pixel position shift.
US09311888B2	Image processing device, image processing method and program An image processor includes a input converter converting an input image into linear first image data of a first color gamut; a color gamut converter converting first image data into second image data expressing a second color gamut narrower than the first color gamut; a blend coefficient selector selecting a first blend coefficient when hue and saturation belong to a first color domain range, a second blend coefficient, having a reduced synthesis ratio of second image data compared with the first blend coefficient, when hue and saturation belong to a second color domain range, and a third blend coefficient, between the first and second blend coefficients, when hue and saturation belong to a color domain between the first color domain range and the second color domain range; and a color synthesis unit synthesizing first image data and second image data according to the decided blend coefficient.
US09311882B2	Display device A display device includes a data driver having i data output terminals (i being a natural number greater than 1) and outputting data voltages to the i data output terminals in accordance with a source output enable signal provided from a timing controller, an output controller connected between the i data output terminals and i data lines, and i garbage switches respectively connected to the i data lines and connecting the i data lines to a ground terminal at a power input timing when a power supply voltage is applied to the display device, and interrupting the connection between the i data lines and the ground terminal at a timing later than an output timing of a first source output enable signal provided from the timing controller after the power input timing.
US09311879B2	Liquid crystal display device and driving method thereof Disclosed is an LCD device. The LCD device comprises a panel, a data driver configured to output a data voltage to a data line; a gate driver configured to sequentially output a scan signal to a plurality of gate lines, a common electrode formed at the panel in correspondence with each of the pixels, a common voltage generator configured to generate a common voltage to be supplied to the common electrode, a timing controller configured to output a first selection signal or a second selection signal, and a selector configured to output a correction common voltage corresponding to a negative liquid crystal driving voltage or the common voltage to the common electrode by using the scan signal, the first selection signal, or the second selection signal.
US09311869B2	Display system The present invention discloses a display system, comprising at least one jointed screen which is composed of a plurality of liquid crystal display panels jointed with each other, in which, each liquid crystal display panel is provided with a first polarizer only at a light entering side thereof, so that a visible angle at which contents displayed by the liquid crystal display panel can be seen from a light exiting side thereof is an obtuse angle; two adjacent jointed liquid crystal display panels are jointed with each other at their adjacent sides, and a joint angle formed at the light exiting side is greater than a right angle, such that the light exiting side of each display panel is located in a region covered by an angle range of the visible angle of at least one display panels other than said display panel.
US09311868B2	Liquid crystal display device having a kickback detector A liquid crystal display device that can reduce picture quality deterioration due to a kickback voltage and can accurately detect a kickback voltage is provided. The liquid crystal display device includes: a liquid crystal panel including a detector configured to generate a kickback voltage detection signal, a detection line for supplying the kickback voltage detection signal, and a ground pattern along and adjacent to one side of the detection line; and a common voltage generator connected to the detection line and configured to generate a common voltage corresponding to the kickback voltage detection signal and to supply the generated common voltage to the liquid crystal panel.
US09311867B2	Devices and methods for reducing power consumption of a demultiplexer The present disclosure relates to devices and methods for reducing power consumption of a display. One electronic display includes a first switch coupled between a first gate of a first transistor and a second gate of a second transistor to selectively connect the first gate to the second gate. The display includes a second switch coupled between the second gate of the second transistor and a third gate of a third transistor to selectively connect the second gate to the third gate. The display also includes driving circuitry that controls the first switch to connect the first gate to the second gate to share a first charge between the first and second gates. The driving circuitry also controls the second switch to connect the second gate to the third gate to share a second charge between the second and third gates. Accordingly, power consumption of the display may be reduced.
US09311863B2	Dimming method and dimming device for backlight module A dimming method and dimming device for a backlight module are provided. The dimming method includes the following steps. Light distribution information of a plurality of light sources of the backlight module corresponding to a display panel is provided. According to the light distribution information of each of the light sources, a plurality of light contribution ratios of the light sources corresponding to a plurality of different positions of the display panel are obtained respectively. According to the light contribution ratios corresponding to the different positions, the needed intensity of each of the light sources is determined respectively.
US09311861B2	Display device in which feature data are exchanged between drivers A display device includes a display panel including a display region and first and second drivers. Feature data indicating feature values of first and second images displayed on first and second portions of the display region are exchanged between the first and second drivers, and the first and second drivers drive the first and second portions of the display region in response to the feature data.
US09311860B2	Liquid crystal display using backlight intensity to compensate for pixel damage A computer program product (CPP) for controlling a liquid crystal display (LCD) includes code for applying a test voltage to each liquid crystal element (LCE) disposed in an addressable array forming the LCD, and code for detecting an amount of light received by photosensors while applying the test voltage to the LCEs, wherein each photosensor is aligned behind and logically associated with one of the LCEs. The CPP further includes code for applying selected voltage levels to each LCE to display an image, and code for controlling an amount of backlight produced by backlighting elements in an addressable array while the image is displayed. Each backlighting element is aligned behind and logically associated with one LCE, and at least one backlighting element is controlled to compensate for a difference between the amount of light detected by the photosensor logically associated with at least one LCE and the other photosensors.
US09311852B2	Pixel circuit and organic light-emitting display comprising the same Provided are a pixel circuit and an organic light-emitting display. The pixel circuit comprises a driving thin film transistor and a light-emitting diode which is connected between a low level input terminal and a high level input terminal of a driving power supply in series, the pixel circuit further comprises a first capacitor and a driving control unit, a first terminal of the first capacitor is electrically connected with a first electrode of the driving thin film transistor through the driving control unit, a second terminal of the first capacitor is connected with a gate of the driving thin film transistor, a second electrode of the driving thin film transistor is electrically connected with the gate of the driving thin film transistor through the driving control unit, the driving control unit is connected with a gate line and a data line. Since respective pixel circuits may output uniform currents, the brightness of light-emitting diodes in the pixel circuits is uniform, and in turn the display brightness of the organic light-emitting display comprising the pixel circuits is uniform.
US09311849B2	Inverter, AMOLED compensation circuit and display panel An inverter is disclosed. The disclosed inverter includes first, second, third, and fourth transistors, where each of the first, second, third, and fourth transistors is a P-type thin film transistor. The inverter also includes a first capacitor. The inverter allows for wide voltage output swing performance and low power consumption.
US09311845B2	Method and apparatus for gray-scale gamma correction for electroluminescent displays A circuit and method of driving a display panel requiring gray scale control wherein the voltage applied to a row of pixels is equal to the sum of voltages of opposite sign with respect to ground applied respectively to the row electrode and column electrodes whose intersection with the row defines the pixels. Gray scale is realized through modulation of the voltage applied to the column electrodes. Typically for video application, 256 individual gray levels are required corresponding to luminance levels ranging from zero (no emissive luminance) to full luminance. The required luminance for each gray level is not a linear function of the gray level number but rather corresponds to an approximate quadratic function of this number. The present invention facilitates generation of luminance values for each gray level that approximates this functional dependence (i.e. Gamma corrected) with a non-linear voltage ramp terminated by a digital clock having 256 (8 bit) resolution. The voltage at the ramp termination is held at a constant value and fed to the output buffer of the gray scale drivers for the display columns.
US09311836B1	Suspended segmented display array A suspended segmented display array in one embodiment includes multiple cables offset from a wall via standoff members. Adjacent display panels attach to cables via finger releasable clamps and present varied and unique visual displays. A versatile and cost-effective display system thus is established that accommodates a wide range of content which can readily be changed out.
US09311831B2	Decorative detectable warning panel having improved grip The present invention relates to detectable warning panels, and in particular to detectable warning panels that display text and/or other graphic information such as commercial messages, trademarks, logos, directions, slogans, pictures, names, product illustrations, emblems, promotional information related to a product or service, Quick Response Codes, matrix code, two-dimensional bar code, optical machine-readable labels, and combinations thereof.
US09311829B2	Point of sale manufacture of products with a general decal and personalized label including security code A method for personalized labeling of decal decorated item at a point of sale for consumer by laminating a personal label on or adjacent a preexisting decal applied to the item. The personal label may comprise an access code to a secure information source, identification information or a greeting.
US09311825B2	Biometric sensing and processing apparatus for mobile gaming, education, and wellness applications An apparatus for interoperably utilizing multiple biosensor data obtained from a finger of the user. A biometric sensor board is retained in a housing adapted for retaining a finger of the user and maintaining multiple sensors in contact with the skin thereof. Implementations are described for fingertip and ring mounted sensor boards. In one implementation, these sensors can be sensors electrodermal response (EDR), or photoplethysmograph (PPG) signals, or temperature, or acceleration in three axes, and combinations thereof. The biometric sensor board registers and processes the signals from the sensors and communicates them to a mobile device which interoperably utilizes multiple sensor information to determine aspects of user emotional state within an application to generate results which are displayed on the mobile device.
US09311824B2	Method of learning an isolated track from an original, multi-track recording while viewing a musical notation synchronized with variations in the musical tempo of the original, multi-track recording The teachings described herein are generally directed to a system, method, and apparatus for separating and mixing tracks within music. The system can have components that include a processor, an input device, a database, a transformation module, an emulation recording module, an integration engine, an output module, and an output device, wherein each component is operable in itself to perform it's function in the system and operable with other system components to provide a system to a listener of music.
US09311820B2	Configurability options for information, airspace, and property utilized by an unmanned aerial vehicle platform A device receives aviation information associated with aviation in a geographical region, and receives configurability options associated with the aviation information. The device analyzes the aviation information based on the configurability options to generate analyzed information, and receives a request for a flight path for a UAV to travel from a first location to a second location in the geographical region. The device calculates the flight path from the first location to the second location based on the analyzed information and capability information associated with the UAV, and generates flight path instructions for the flight path. The device provides the flight path instructions to the UAV to permit the UAV to travel from the first location to the second location via the flight path.
US09311819B1	Visualization of traffic patterns using GPS data Maps are created that display representations of GPS data generated from a plurality of GPS devices. The GPS data received from the GPS devices is embodied as a representation having descriptive features that visually indicate the location, direction of travel, and speed of travel of the GPS device, and the representation is associated with a road segment on the map. The display of the GPS data from a plurality of GPS devices can be used for editing information about roads on maps and determining preferred routes.
US09311818B2	Dymanic fusion method and device of images A dynamic fusion method of images includes: receiving broadcast information from surrounding vehicles of a host vehicle; determining whether at least one of the surrounding vehicles travels in the same lane as the host vehicle to become a neighboring vehicle of the host vehicle according to the broadcast information; determining whether the neighboring vehicle is too close to the host vehicle and blocks the view of the host vehicle; and performing a transparentization or translucentization process on the neighboring vehicle in an image captured by the host vehicle when the neighboring vehicle blocks the view of the host vehicle.
US09311815B2	Key fob dongle Disclosed herein is an improvement of methods and systems used to configure electronic components and modules to a vehicle. A low cost programmer tool, or key fob dongle, may manage devices coupled to a vehicle communication network. The system is designed for on-board management of multiple vehicle network protocols to support configuration of various electronic modules to a vehicle. A method for using a key fob dongle is disclosed herein. The method includes inserting the key fob dongle into an on-board diagnostic (OBD)-II connector of a vehicle, transmitting a communication detection request to the OBD-II connector, and beeping a predetermined amount of times in response to the communication detection request, wherein the beeping a predetermined amount of times identifies a vehicle communication protocol.
US09311812B2	Transmitter and transceiver having the same in an RFID system A transmitter in an RFID system, the transmitter includes a signal generator which has a PIN diode and generates a first signal, a directional unit connected to a cathode of the PIN diode; and an antenna connected to the directional unit, wherein the signal generator has a first terminal configured to receive a first control signal to control a frequency band of the first signal and a second terminal configured to receive a second control signal to control a modulation depth of the first signal.
US09311791B2	Tactile feel control device A tactile feel control device is disclosed. The tactile feel control device can include an electric motor configured to be mechanically coupled to a manual control interface that is movable by a user. The tactile feel control device can also include a bias module operable to generate a bias to be applied by the electric motor. The bias can be configured to provide a desired tactile feel to the user at the manual control interface. In addition, the tactile feel control device can include a control module operable to output a drive signal to the electric motor configured to apply the bias. The bias can be insufficient, alone, to cause movement of the manual control interface.
US09311790B2	Systems and methods for locating a public facility In an exemplary method of locating a public facility, a public facility is provided at a fixed location and includes a facility locating module. A wireless signal is generated from the facility locating module. Software code accessible to the portable electronic device is provided. The software code causes the portable electronic device to detect the wireless signal and to generate a location indicating output from the portable electronic device to identify at least one of a location of the public facility, a distance to the public facility from the portable electronic device, and a direction from the portable electronic device to the public facility.
US09311786B2	Electronic gaming device with platform gaming functionality Examples disclosed herein relate to systems and methods, which may receive wagers on one or more paylines. The systems and methods may utilize one or more objects in a platform based game. The systems and methods may determine one or more payouts based on the one or more objects in a platform based game. The systems and methods may display one or more presentations based on the one or more platform results.
US09311783B2	Gaming system and method for offering simultaneous play of multiple games Gaming apparatus and methods of conducting a wagering game of chance. A gaming machine is disclosed which is configured for mutually concurrent play of a plurality of games of chance on a single display screen. A method of conducting a wagering activity includes providing a player with a plurality of differing games of chance, at least some of which are mutually concurrently playable on a single screen display of a gaming device and enabling mutually concurrent play of the plurality of differing games of chance on the single screen display. Various other gaming machine configurations and methods of play related to multiple differing games of chance on a single display screen are also disclosed herein. Networked gaming machines are also disclosed.
US09311782B2	Gaming system and method for offering simultaneous play of multiple games Gaming apparatus and methods of conducting a wagering game of chance. A gaming machine is disclosed which is configured for mutually concurrent play of a plurality of games of chance on a single display screen. A method of conducting a wagering activity includes providing a player with a plurality of differing games of chance, at least some of which are mutually concurrently playable on a single screen display of a gaming device and enabling mutually concurrent play of the plurality of differing games of chance on the single screen display. Various other gaming machine configurations and methods of play related to multiple differing games of chance on a single display screen are also disclosed herein. Networked gaming machines are also disclosed.
US09311777B2	Systems, methods and devices for configuring wagering game systems and devices Gaming devices, gaming systems, methods of configuring gaming devices, and computer programs for configuring gaming devices are featured. A gaming system for playing a wagering game is disclosed which includes a processor(s), an input device(s), a gaming device(s), and a memory device(s) storing instructions that, when executed by at least one of the processors, cause the gaming system to: receive, via at least one of the input devices, a desired value for a player-performance variable and/or a game-configuration variable for at least one of the gaming devices; based on the desired value, output a recommended value for a configuration parameter for the gaming device(s); and, responsive to a confirmation input received via at least one of the input devices, configure the gaming device(s) in accordance with at least the recommended value for the first configuration parameter.
US09311774B2	Gaming machine with externally controlled content display A gaming system including a number of host devices each coupled to one or more gaming machines, wherein content provided by the host device is output on the gaming machine. To output the content provided by the remote host, a host-controlled process that is authenticated by the gaming machine and executed in a secure memory location such that it is isolated from other processes executing on the gaming machine may be utilized. The host-controlled processes may be decoupled from the process used to execute the game of chance played on the gaming machine such that the content output by the host-controlled process doesn't alter the play of game of chance.
US09311772B2	Jackpot interfaces and services on a gaming machine A disclosed a player tracking unit provides a touch screen display with a touch screen controller integrated into the touch screen sensor assembly. Game service interfaces may be presented on the touch screen display that allow a user to obtain one or more game services. With the touch screen sensor, a user may navigate through the game service interface and supply information required to obtain a game service. Types of interfaces provided with the gaming machine include a jackpot interface for displaying one or more jackpots selected by the player or one or more jackpots that the player is eligible to win.
US09311766B2	Wireless communicating radio frequency signals The present disclosure is directed to a system and method for wirelessly communicating Radio Frequency (RF) signals. In some implementations, a microSD payment system includes an antenna element and a card element. The antenna element affixes to a surface of a mobile device and includes antenna for wireless communicating RF signals with retail terminals and a connection to a microSD card element. The card element includes a shape and dimensions approximately equal to a standard microSD card and wirelessly executes transactions with the retail terminals using the antenna of the antenna element.
US09311748B2	Method and system for generating and storing data objects for multi-resolution geometry in a three dimensional model Methods and systems for generating data objects for multi-resolution geometry in a three-dimensional model are provided. A region of high resolution geometry in the three-dimensional model having a level of detail that is higher than a level of detail associated with geometry data surrounding the region of high resolution geometry can be identified. A boundary of the region of high resolution geometry can be extended and high resolution geometry can be generated within the extended boundary. The high resolution geometry can be spatially partitioned into a plurality of geospatial data objects according to a hierarchical spatial partitioning scheme. The geospatial data objects can be selectively stored in a memory. For instance, geospatial data objects associated with the extended boundary can be identified and excluded from a hierarchical tree data structure storing geometry data associated with the three-dimensional model.
US09311746B2	Systems and methods for generating a 3-D model of a virtual try-on product A computer-implemented method for generating a three-dimensional (3-D) model of a virtual try-on product. At least a portion of an object is scanned. The object includes at least first and second surfaces. An aspect of the first surface is detected. An aspect of the second surface is detected, the aspect of the second surface being different from the aspect of the first surface. A polygon mesh of the first and second surfaces is generated from the scan of the object.
US09311737B1	Temporal voxel data structure Systems and methods can be used to store data in a temporal voxel buffer. A first voxel array is stored in association with a first voxel in a voxel grid. The first voxel array includes a plurality of time values. A parameter value is stored in association with each time value of the first voxel array. A second voxel array is stored in association with a second voxel in the voxel grid. The second voxel array stores at least one time value. At least one parameter value is stored in association with the at least one time value of the second voxel array. At least one of the time values stored in the first voxel array is different from each of the at least one time value included in the second voxel array.
US09311734B1	Adjusting a digital image characteristic of an object in a digital image Methods and systems for highlighting portions of digital images. In one aspect, a digital image including an object is received. A user selection of a portion of the digital image including at least a portion of the object is received, and the selected portion of the digital image is highlighted. User selected tagging information associated with the selected portion of the digital image is received and transmitted to a computing system.
US09311730B2	Aggregating graph structures The present invention provides a display apparatus adapted to display a plurality of graph structures each of which is made up of a plurality of elements, by aggregating the plurality of graph structures into a single graph structure as well as provides a display method of the display apparatus and a program used for the display apparatus, the display apparatus including: an acquisition hardware unit adapted to acquire a plurality of graph structures; a distinguishing hardware unit adapted to distinguish the plurality of elements between unchanged elements which have not changed in the plurality of graph structures and changed elements which have changed with transition between/among the plurality of graph structures; an aggregating hardware unit adapted to aggregate the plurality of graph structures; and a display hardware unit adapted to display the aggregated graph structure such that the unchanged elements and the changed elements will be identifiable.
US09311729B2	Information processing apparatus, information processing method, and program An information processing apparatus that tests independence among a multiplicity of variables includes an execution section and a determination section. The execution section executes a test for conditional independence between two variables in a graphical model that are at least not independent in the case where a condition variable serving as a condition for independence between the two variables is provided on a path between the two variables. The determination section determines whether or not a V-shaped structure is present on a path between the two variables, the V-shaped structure being a graph structure in which first and second variables that are independent are each not independent of a third variable. The execution section does not execute a test for conditional independence between the two variables in the case where the condition variable is provided only on a path determined to have the V-shaped structure.
US09311725B2	Systems and methods for creating an electronic signature Systems and methods for creating an electronic signature that looks like a handwritten signature.
US09311722B2	Imaging systems featuring waveguiding compensation In certain embodiments, the invention relates to systems and methods for altering an image to compensate for variation in one or more physical and/or supervenient properties (e.g., optical absorption and/or scattering) in heterogeneous, diffuse tissue, thereby attenuating the effects of tissue waveguiding. The methods enable the proper identification of emission image regions that evidence waveguiding of electromagnetic radiation, and enables compensation of emission images for such waveguiding. The methods preserve the depth localization accuracy of the FMT approach and improve optical reconstruction in the targeted areas while eliminating spurious components of fluorescence from the acquired data set. Calibration methods for probe concentration mapping are also presented.
US09311710B1	Method for measuring width of gap of display module A method for measuring a width of a gap of a display module includes the following steps. A sample image of the display module is captured from a viewpoint, the sample image includes a frame region corresponding to a frame part of the display module, an inner region corresponding to a display part of the display module, and a gap region corresponding to the gap between the frame and the display parts. A first line and a second line segments are determined in the sample image, the first line segment is a part of a boundary between the frame and the gap regions, and the second line segment is a part of a boundary between the gap and the inner regions. A distance between the first line and the second line segments is calculated to obtain the width of the gap.
US09311703B2	Method and system for categorizing heart disease states A method, system and computer program for categorizing heart diseases is presented. An example method includes receiving a series of cardiac images of a heart, the cardiac images including a myocardium, and interior fibrous muscles of the heart. Cardiac images are segmented, into a myocardium segmentation showing an anatomical shape and a motion of the myocardium, and an interior fibrous muscles segmentation showing an anatomical shape and a motion of the interior fibrous muscles. The myocardium segmentation is converted into a regional characterization of the anatomical shape and motion of the myocardium. The interior fibrous muscles segmentation is converted to a regional characterization of the anatomical shape and motion of the interior fibrous muscles. Heart conditions are characterized based on the regional characterizations of the anatomical shape and the motion of the myocardium and the interior fibrous muscles.
US09311700B2	Model-based registration and critical dimension metrology A method and system for performing model-based registration and critical dimension measurement is disclosed. The method includes: utilizing an imaging device to obtain at least one optical image of a measurement site specified for a photomask; retrieving a design of photomask and utilizing a computer model of the imaging device to generate at least one simulated image of the measurement site; adjusting at least one parameter of the computer model to minimize dissimilarities between the simulated images and the optical images, wherein the parameters includes at least a pattern registration parameter or a critical dimension parameter; and reporting the pattern registration parameter or the critical dimension parameter of the computer model when dissimilarities between the simulated images and the optical images are minimized.
US09311687B2	Reducing watermark perceptibility and extending detection distortion tolerances The present disclosures relates generally to digital watermarking and data hiding. One claim recites an apparatus comprising: means for storing a watermark signal; means for embedding a watermark signal in a first portion of a video signal; means for preconditioning the watermark signal in a first manner to allow expanded detection of said preconditioned watermark signal in the presence of first distortion; means for embedding the watermark signal preconditioned in the first manner in a second portion of the video signal; means for preconditioning the watermark signal in a second manner to allow expanded detection of said preconditioned watermark signal in the presence of second distortion; and means for embedding the watermark signal preconditioned in the second manner in a third portion of the video signal. Of course, other claims are provided too.
US09311681B2	Claiming conversations between users and non-users of a social networking system Users of a social networking system initiate conversations between other users and additional users who may not be registered to use the social networking system. Each additional user is identified by an item of contact information, and conversation messages are sent to an additional user using the contact information. The conversations are associated with the item of contact information and saved in the social networking system. A user of the social networking system may subsequently claim the item of contact information. The claiming user is given access to the associated conversations if the social networking system can verify that the item of contact information belongs to the claiming user.
US09311677B2	Computer system for interactions with a user device and third party computers Described are computer systems for interactions with a user device and third party computers. In an embodiment, a computer system for determining and displaying total loss calculations includes accessing third party computer systems for a plurality of data items. The computer system may include data storage devices, computer processors, a communications device, and a memory coupled to the computer processors. The memory may store program instructions which are operative with the computer processors to provide to a user device for display a total loss calculator graphical interface, receive inputs from the user device, request data from third party computers based on the received inputs, determine whether the data needed to perform a total loss calculation has been received, and perform a total loss calculation based on the requested data from the third party computer and the user inputs received from the graphical interface provided to the user device.
US09311665B2	Methods and apparatus for product price verification and information display Systems and techniques for automated customer display of product information. A price verification and product information station broadcasts a radiofrequency identification (RFID) interrogation signal and receives an RFID return message from an RFID tag affixed to a product in the immediate vicinity of the station. The station relays the return message to a server, which generates information responsive to the return message, for example, by decoding the RFID return message to extract product information included in the RFID return message. The server organizes and formats the product information extracted from the return message, and the retrieved information, and transmits it to the station, which displays the information.
US09311659B2	Remote transaction processing at a server from a list using a payment method A method and system for conducting an online payment transaction through a point of sale device. The method includes receiving input from a user selecting an item for purchase through the point of sale device; calculating a total purchase amount for the item in response to a request from the user to purchase the item; and sending payment authorization for the total purchase amount from the point of sale device to a payment entity, in which the payment authorization is sent to the payment entity via a mobile communication device of the user. The method further includes receiving a result of the payment authorization from the payment entity through the mobile communication device; and completing the payment transaction based on the result of the payment authorization.
US09311657B2	Provisioning of location-based content during a customer service session The disclosed embodiments relate to a system or method of providing location-based content during a customer service session between a mobile device of a customer service requestor and a communication device associated with a customer service provider via a communication channel. The disclosed method includes establishing the customer service session between the customer service provider and the mobile device of the customer service requestor. The method also includes determining, by a processor, a geographic location of the mobile device. The method further includes providing, by the processor, during or after the customer service session, to the customer service requestor via the mobile device, content based on the determined geographic location of the mobile device.
US09311655B2	Display of location-related promotional message with search query results Briefly, embodiments of methods or systems for display of a location-related promotional message with search query results are disclosed.
US09311654B1	System and method for a mobile wallet A computer-implemented method includes capturing an image by a mobile computing device and determining a geographic location and a direction of the mobile computing device while capturing the image. The method includes generating a display that includes the image and that identifies the locations of merchants that have at least one offer available for a user of the mobile device based on the geographic location and the direction of the mobile computing device and generating the at least one offer based on the past transactions of the user.
US09311649B2	System and method for managing media advertising enterprise data A system and method for managing media advertising enterprise data. An enterprise data management (EDM) module can be configured to include a set of rules at an enterprise level to manage disparate and disconnected records. A scoring function with respect to each record can be computed based on the rules to determine the highest priority. The rules in association with the scoring function can be stored locally in an EDM database. A matching process can then be performed to accurately match similar records regardless of manual input, location, and format of the records in a distributed system. Each record can then be assigned with a parent enterprise advertiser. Such an optimization mechanism can interactively manage and report records at the enterprise level in a simple and efficient manner.
US09311640B2	Methods and arrangements for smartphone payments and transactions The disclosure relates to digital signal processing such as digital watermarking, and the utilization of portable devices (e.g., smartphones) for such signal processing. One claim recites a smartphone comprising: a touch screen display; memory for storing a payload and for storing a digital image depicting a virtual card; means for processing the payload with an erasure code generator, in which the erasure code generator produces a plurality of outputs corresponding to the payload; means for embedding a first of the plurality of outputs in a first version of the digital image and proceeding with embedding until each of the plurality of outputs are respectively embedded in one of a plurality of versions of the digital image; and means for displaying embedded versions of the digital image so that a receiver analyzing captured image data representing the touch screen display can recover the payload. Of course, other claims and combinations are disclosed too.
US09311638B1	Apparatus, system and method for pre-authorizing international use of a credit card using an electronic card case The present invention is directed to an apparatus, system and method for pre-authorizing international use of an electronic credit or debit card (collectively “payment card”) using an electronic card case with biometric verification means for validating the card holder's biometric sample. Card holder may select a payment card housed within the electronic card case, which releases the selected payment card for use upon validation of the biometric sample and also causes the activation of the locator unit positioned within to determine location information for the electronic card case and by extension the selected payment card. The electronic card case's processor transforms the geographical location information into pre-authorized location information for the selected payment card, to now include the geographical location and identifying card account information and the electronic card case communication means transmit the pre-authorized location information to the issuing bank for pre-authorization of the international financial transaction.
US09311635B2	Wireless financial transaction systems and methods A system operates to carry out financial transfers in response to data read from data bearing records. A cell phone having a camera stores in memory indicia corresponding to account data from a plurality of magnetic stripe cards. A user can operate the phone to select one of the accounts stored in the memory. The memory further includes a scanned user-identifying written signature. The user can use the phone during an item purchase to wirelessly transmit each of an item's identifier captured by the camera, selected account data, and the user signature.
US09311632B1	Proximity-based notification of a previously abandoned and pre-queued ATM transaction Proximity-triggered notifications/alerts are communicated to bank customers as a result of a previously abandoned/canceled ATM transaction that has subsequently been pre-queued for completion. In this regard, the present invention recognizes when the customer is proximate in location to a financial institution channel suitable for completing the transaction and sends the customer an alert, which is typically received by the customer via a mobile communication device. The alert indicates that the previous abandoned ATM transaction has been pre-queued for completion and provides the customer with the location of the nearest financial institution channel suitable for completing the transaction. In specific embodiments of the invention, pre-queuing of the transaction for completion provides for the customer to complete the transaction from the last existing point in the transaction completed by the customer.
US09311630B2	Secure payment service and system for interactive voice response (IVR) systems A secure payment method includes receiving, by a merchant, a purchase request from a purchaser in a transaction. The merchant requests a payment that is in a specified medium and that is uniquely identified by a unique identification. A merchant computer controlled by the merchant receives the payment that is in the specified medium and that is uniquely identified by the unique identification. The transaction is authorized by the merchant in response to receiving the payment that is in the specified medium and that is uniquely identified by the unique identification. The specified medium is issued by a private third party.
US09311629B2	Information management problem initiative system A system and method manages information relating to a problem definition initiative in order to communicate some or all the information users. The method includes providing an interface users at workstations accessible by one or more of the users, receiving information comprising a plurality of messages from users communicating via the workstations during a problem definition initiative session, initiating display of at least one of the plurality of messages to the users via the interface, logging event data related to a plurality of events associated with the problem definition initiative session, and initiating display of at least some of the event data to the users via the interface.
US09311627B1	Mail processing and delivery within a controlled-environment facility An incoming physical mail item addressed to a resident of a controlled-environment facility is converted to a digital format mail item, which is associated with the resident and archived in an electronic database. A determination may be made whether the resident is allowed to receive the physical mail item. If so, the digital format mail item may be delivered to the resident as an electronic message If an electronic message service is not available to the resident, the digital format mail item is printed for distribution to the resident within the controlled-environment facility via a commissary provisioning system, print station, or print kiosk. Delivery via commissary provisioning system may be made at a commissary point-of-sale within the facility, or printed mail items may be included in a commissary order for the resident, and delivered to the resident at the facility with the order.
US09311625B2	System and method for supporting collaborative activity A system for supporting collaborative activity in a network includes a storage component storing data related to the network and a model of the network; a processor that accesses the stored data and the model to process the data according to the model, where the stored data relates to the collaborative activity including user-defined data created by interaction of a user and the model, and context data related to the user, where the user-defined data and the context data, as metadata, are stored in the storage component; and a user interface, provided by the processor, that presents the user-defined data, the context data, and the model in a form readable by the user, the interface permitting the user to define a set of arbitrary domains, relate the user-defined data to the domains, and view relationships between the user-defined data and the context data, and the domains.
US09311623B2	System to view and manipulate artifacts at a temporal reference point One or more artifact drafts may be associated with each of a plurality of artifacts, each of the artifact drafts representing a state of the associated artifact at a point in time and one or more commands in a command stack that transformed the artifact draft's parent into the artifact draft. Multiple traceability links and traceability vertices represent connections between the artifact drafts of the artifacts. A traceability link includes an edge between an artifact draft of an artifact and an artifact draft of another artifact. A module is operable to navigate through said one or more artifacts of the plurality of artifacts from a reference temporal point via the plurality of traceability links.
US09311620B2	System and process for ranking content on social networks such as twitter A system and process for ranking at least one of the quality and importance of content on a social network is disclosed. The system and process include monitoring one of actions and information of social network users, determining whether the actions or information of the social network users fits a predefined definition of a game between at least two social network users, determining the results of the game between the at least two social network users, applying a sports ranking algorithm to the results between the at least two social network users, and determining a rank of at least one of the quality and importance of content of the social network users based on an outcome of the sports ranking algorithm.
US09311619B2	Systems and methods for consumer-generated media reputation management A computing system configured to gather social media content includes a memory; a content collection and ingestion system, stored in the memory and configured, when executed on a computer processor, to communicate with one or more computing systems to direct a search of a content source using a received collection request and to ingest the results of the directed search into a data store; and a content management system, stored in the memory and configured, when executed on a computer processor, to display the ingested results on a display.
US09311606B2	Quantum computer and quantum memory According to one embodiment, a quantum computer includes a crystal, an optical resonator, and a light source. A host crystal included in the crystal satisfying three conditions a first condition that maximum phonon energy of the host crystal is low, and so that a homogenous broadening of a 3F3(1) level of the Pr3+ ion resulting from relaxation due to phonon emission is smaller than respective hyperfine splits of a 3H4(1) level and the 3F3(1) level of the Pr3+ ion, a second condition that a site of the Pr3+ ion does not have inversion symmetry, and the Pr3+ ion has a Stark level in which the 3H4(1) level and the 3F3(1) level of the Pr3+ ion are not degenerate, and a third condition that each atom in the host crystal has no electronic magnetic moment.
US09311604B2	Rejection notification to the UICC Registration rejections are reported to a universal integrated circuit card (UICC). Remote access can be provide to registration rejection data stored in the UICC, the registration rejection data can be transmitted to a service provider, one or more UICC applications can be executed based on the registration rejection data, and/or the registration rejection data can be logged or tracked. In addition, action taken by the UICC can be automated based on the registration rejection using artificial intelligence.
US09311600B1	Method and system for mapping states and actions of an intelligent agent A method and system comprise providing means and method for producing, modifying, and/or exploiting the structure of a policy manifold. Each of the policies at least comprises information for mapping state and/or sensory information as input to action preferences as output. One or more processing units assign each of the policies a policy coordinate on a policy manifold. The policy coordinate may in part be determined by a dissimilarity matrix or other means for organizing the coordinates of the policies on the policy manifold according to the properties of the policies and the topology of the policy manifold. The policy manifold comprises a dimensionality that is lower than a combined dimensionality of the input and the output, wherein the policy manifold at least in part determines a behavior of the intelligent artificial agent.
US09311588B2	Secure portable object The invention relates to a secure portable object of the smart card type comprising (a) an object body and (b) a micro-module comprising a processor and at least one memory in which a first application executed by a first execution engine in a first execution space is stored. The invention is characterized in that a second application is further stored in the said at least one memory, where the said second application is executed by a second execution engine distinct from the first execution engine, in a second execution space distinct from the first execution space. The invention particularly applies to smart cards.
US09311577B2	Image forming apparatus for changing sheet information associated with sheet cassette, control method therefor, and storage medium storing control program therefor An image forming apparatus that is capable of decreasing the stopping time during which the image forming apparatus stops and of increasing productivity. An image forming unit executes print jobs in order. An operation unit receives an instruction inputted by a user. A generation unit generates a setting job concerning a device setting based on a user's instruction inputted through the operation unit. A setting unit sets execution timing of the setting job generated by the generation unit based on a user's instruction inputted through the operation unit. A control unit stops an operation of the image forming unit and to execute the setting job generated by the generation unit at the execution timing set by the setting unit, and resumes the operation of the image forming unit after the setting job finishes.
US09311575B2	Information processing apparatus, information processing method, and computer-readable storage medium storing program, for generating drawing data An information processing apparatus for generating drawing data by using a print job including setting information and print data. The information processing apparatus includes a plurality of drawing data generation units that generate drawing data; a selection unit that selects one of the plurality of drawing data generation units that is compliant with a print instruction for the print data; and a print job output unit that outputs the print job to the drawing data generation unit selected by the selection unit.
US09311563B2	Method and apparatus for generating hierarchical saliency images detection with selective refinement A method of generating a saliency image, which includes: converting an input image into an input image of the first size and an input image of the second size; applying a saliency extraction scheme to the input image of the first size to generate a first saliency image; converting the first saliency image to the second size; extracting an area that satisfies a first condition from the converted first saliency image; determining an area of the input image of the second size that corresponds to the extracted area; and generating a second saliency image by multiplying an image generated by applying the saliency extraction scheme to the determined area, and the converted first saliency image.
US09311553B2	Image capture and identification system and process A digital image of the object is captured and the object is recognized from plurality of objects in a database. An information address corresponding to the object is then used to access information and initiate communication pertinent to the object.
US09311549B2	Using surfaces with printed patterns for identification of imaging and data processing activities Identifying at least one object in data for photographed images includes detecting a reference pattern in the data, locating the reference pattern in a table of patterns, and identifying the at least one object according to the reference pattern. The pattern may be located on the at least one object. The at least one object may be a greeting card. The pattern may categorize the greeting card by season and/or occasion. The pattern may identify a sender of the greeting card. The pattern may be provided on an item that is separate from the at least one object. The table of patterns may include a record for at least some of the patterns and the record may include additional information associated with the pattern. The additional information may include tasks that are performed in connection with the pattern. The additional information may include geometric and color parameters of the pattern.
US09311542B2	Method and apparatus for detecting continuous road partition A method and an apparatus for detecting a continuous road partition with a height that includes obtaining disparity maps having the continuous road partition, and U-disparity maps corresponding to the disparity maps; obtaining an intermediate detection result of the continuous road partition detected from the U-disparity maps of first N frames; and detecting the continuous road partition from the U-disparity map of a current frame, based on the obtained intermediate detection result.
US09311537B2	Method, apparatus and system for detecting a supporting surface region in an image A method of detecting a supporting surface region in an image captured by a camera is disclosed. An object in the image is detected. One or more regions of the image in which a lower part of the detected object exists are determined. A degree of confidence for each of the regions is determined. The degree of confidence indicates likelihood of a corresponding region being a supporting surface region. One or more of the regions are selected based on each corresponding degree of confidence. Similarity of other regions in the image to at least one of the selected regions is determined. The supporting surface region is detected based on the determined similarity.
US09311535B2	Texture features for biometric authentication One aspect comprises obtaining one or more image regions from a first image of an eye. Each of the image regions may include a view of a respective portion of the white of the eye. The aspect may further comprise applying several distinct filters to each of the image regions to generate a plurality of respective descriptors for the region. The several distinct filters may include convolutional filters that are each configured to describe one or more aspects of an eye vasculature and in combination describe a visible eye vasculature in a feature space. A match score may be determined based on the generated descriptors and based on one or more descriptors associated with a second image of eye vasculature.
US09311534B2	Method and apparatus for tracking object A method and an apparatus for tracking an object are disclosed. The method includes determining a first position by a first tracking template and determining a second position by a second tracking template, the first and second tracking templates being formed based on first and second feature sets, respectively, the first feature set being different from the second feature set, and the first feature set and the second feature set including one or more features; and determining a final position based on the first position and the second position, wherein the first tracking template is updated for each of a predetermined number of frames, the second tracking template is updated based on a predetermined rule, the second tracking template and the first tracking template are independently updated, and the update frequency of the second tracking template is lower than the first tracking template.
US09311530B1	Summarizing a photo album in a social network system Embodiments generally relate to summarizing a photo album in a social network system. In one embodiment, a method includes grouping photos into a plurality of groups of photos, and selecting a plurality of representative photos, where each representative photo represents a respective group from the plurality of groups, where the selecting is based on a quality score of each of the photos, and where each quality score is based on different types of attributes. The method also includes enabling the plurality of representative photos to be shared.
US09311520B2	Method and apparatus for performing and quantifying color changes induced by specific concentrations of biological analytes in an automatically calibrated environment Methods and electronic devices for performing color-based reaction testing of biological materials. The method includes capturing and interpreting digital images of an unexposed and later exposed paddle at various delay times within an automatically calibrated environment. The test paddle includes a unique identification mechanism (UID), a Reference Color Bar (RCB) providing samples of standardized colors for image color calibration, compensation and corrections, and several test-specific sequences of Chemical Test Pads (CTP). The method further includes locating the paddle in the image, extracting the UID and validating the paddle, extracting the RCB and locating the plurality of CTP in each image. The method further reduces image noise in the CTP and calibrates the image automatically according to lighting measurements performed on the RCB. To determine test results, the method further determines several distances between the CTP and its possible trajectory in the color space described by the Manufacturer Interpretation Color Chart.
US09311512B2	Apparatus and method to harden computer system In some embodiments, a processor-based system may include a processor, the processor having a processor identification, one or more electronic components coupled to the processor, at least one of the electronic components having a component identification, and a hardware security component coupled to the processor and the electronic component. The hardware security component may include a secure non-volatile memory and a controller. The controller may be configured to receive the processor identification from the processor, receive the at least one component identification from the one or more electronic components, and determine if a boot of the processor-based system is a provisioning boot of the processor-based system. If the boot is determined to be the provisioning boot, the controller may be configured to store a security code in the secure non-volatile memory, wherein the security code is based on the processor identification and the at least one component identification. Other embodiments are disclosed and claimed.
US09311511B2	Electronic device of board protection mechanism An electronic device of a board protection mechanism includes: a substrate, a first shell, a first protection area, a second shell, a second protection area, and an adhesive piece, where the first protection area is located between a first surface of the substrate and the first shell and uses a structure between an operation board and the substrate for protection, the second shell is located at a second surface of the substrate and includes a groove and a feed inlet that are connected; the second protection area is located at the groove of the second shell and includes a wire mesh, surrounding the electronic element area and is electrically connected to the substrate; and the adhesive piece is filled into the feed inlet to cover the groove and fixed to the first shell, the second shell, the wire mesh, and the electronic element area.
US09311508B2	Processors, methods, systems, and instructions to change addresses of pages of secure enclaves A processor of an aspect includes a decode unit to decode a user-level instruction. The user-level instruction is to indicate a page of a secure enclave and is to indicate a linear address. An execution logic is coupled with the decode unit. The execution logic is operable, in response to the user-level instruction, to change an initial linear address of the page of the secure enclave. The initial linear address is to be stored in an enclave page storage metadata unit. The initial linear address is to be changed by the execution logic to the linear address that is to be indicated by the user-level instruction. The change to the linear address is performed without contents of the page of the secure enclave being lost.
US09311506B1	Storing and transmitting sensitive data A method for storing and transmitting data across a computer network to one or more destinations is disclosed including storing source data on a secure data storage of a secondary device connected to a computing device. The computing device is configured to operate via an operating system and the secure data storage is adapted to receive input unilaterally from the computing device and store it as source data. Receiving one or more of routing, scheduling, and prioritization information for one or more destinations including other network-connected storage mediums or network-connected computing or peripheral devices, and transferring the source data from the secure data storage to the one or more destinations through a communications interface component connected to the computer network are also performed. The transferring is implemented via the secondary device while bypassing the central processor and in accordance with the one or more of routing, scheduling, and prioritization information.
US09311499B2	Data security system and with territorial, geographic and triggering event protocol The method, program and information processing system secures data, and particularly security sensitive words, characters or data objects in the data, in a computer system with territorial, geographic and triggering event protocols. The method and system determines device location within or without a predetermined region and then extracts security data from the file, text, data object or whatever. The extracted data is separated from the remainder data and stored either on media in a local drive or remotely, typically via wireless network, to a remote store. Encryption is used to further enhance security levels. Extraction may be automatic, when the portable device is beyond a predetermined territory, or triggered by an event, such a “save document” or a time-out routine. Reconstruction of the data is permitted only with security clearance and within certain geographic territories. An information processing system for securing data is also described.
US09311495B2	Method and apparatus for associating data loss protection (DLP) policies with endpoints A method of policy management in a Data Loss Prevention (DLP) system uses a policy model that associates a user with one or more DLP endpoints. When an endpoint is added to the system, a set of policies for that endpoint are determined using an identity of the user that is associated with the endpoint and a list of roles or groups for that user. At policy distribution time, the method determines a set of endpoints to which the policy is to be distributed.
US09311494B2	Secure search method and secure search device In search that uses searchable code, the search query and the secure index is collated in round-robins fashion, registering the required secure index and a characteristic quantity of deposited data in a database server to realize the searchable code. The server uses the characteristic quantity to perform clustering on the secure index. For search, collation is first performed only for representative data of a cluster. For a hit, the collation priority is raised for all the data included in the cluster. When there is no hit, the priority is lowered. After calculating the priority, collation is performed sequentially for all the data on the basis of the priority.
US09311490B2	Delivery of contextual data to a computing device while preserving data privacy A method, device, system, or article of manufacture is provided for improved delivery of contextual data to a computing device while preserving data privacy. In one embodiment, a method comprises sending, from a first computing device, to a second computing device, first communication data; receiving, at the first computing device, from the second computing device, second communication data; in response to determining that a data privacy attribute of the second computing device is the same as a predetermined data privacy attribute, determining to protect the second communication data, including: converting the first communication data to a first set of text; converting the second communication data to a second set of text; and applying a privacy filter to the first set of text to generate a first set of filtered text, wherein the privacy filter removes any text that is associated with the second set of text; determining a first keyword from the first set of filtered text; sending, from the first computing device, to a computer, the first keyword; and receiving, at the first computing device, from the computer, contextual data associated with the first keyword.
US09311486B2	Network based firmware feature configuration and firmware image generation A computer-implemented method for modeling a configuration of components connected directly or indirectly to a baseboard of a computer system includes: (a) defining a group of device description files at a network based firmware generator, each device description file describing a component in a set of components which is selectively included in the configuration, and each device description file specifies the identification information associated with the component to which the device description file is associated, (b) providing, at a remote computing device in communication with the firmware generator via a network, a graphical user interface configured to allow a user to visually generate a configuration instruction of baseboard firmware and send the configuration instruction to the firmware generator, and (c) constructing a firmware image at the firmware generator in accordance with the configuration instruction.
US09311467B2	Composite propensity profile detector Detecting propensity profile for a person may comprise receiving artifacts associated with the person; detecting profile characteristics for the person based on the artifacts; receiving a plurality of predefined profiles comprising a plurality of characteristics and relationships between the characteristics over time, each of the plurality of predefined profiles specifying an indication of propensity; matching the profile characteristics for the person with one or more of the plurality of predefined profiles; and outputting one or more propensity indicators based on the matching, the propensity indicators comprising at least an expressed strength of a given propensity in the person at a given time.
US09311464B2	Authentication via accelerometer Authentication via accelerometer may be provided. Upon receiving a request to unlock a device, a user may perform an authentication movement that may be detected by an accelerometer on the device. If the authentication movement is determined to match an approved movement, the device may be unlocked.
US09311458B2	Secure direct memory access Examples are disclosed for establishing a secure destination address range responsive to initiation of a direct memory access (DMA) operation. The examples also include allowing decrypted content obtained as encrypted content from a source memory to be placed at a destination memory based on whether destination memory addresses for the destination memory fall within the secure destination address range.
US09311457B1	Platform for cloud application software Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for determining distributing web applications. One of the methods includes associating at least one user account and at least one developer account with an application execution system, the at least one user account including user data. A web application is transferred from the developer account into a shared area accessible by the at least one user account. A request is received to associate the web application with the user account from the shared area. The web application is associated with the user account, wherein the web application is configured to access the user data of the user account, and wherein access to the user data of the user account is based on authentication associated with the user account. The installed web application is executed using the user data to create user results based on the user data.
US09311454B2	Trial use of a collection of media files Embodiments of the present disclosure provide systems and methods for sharing media files. One embodiment of the system, among others, can be implemented as follows. The system includes a file sharing application configured to initiate a communication session with a file server, where the file server that manages download requests for a collection of media files, where the collection of media files are subject to a trial period. The system further includes media file selection logic configured to prompt a user to select a subset of media files from the collection of media files that was downloaded from the file server after the trial period is detected to have expired. In accordance with this embodiment, the user selects a subset of media files that the user would like to keep for continued use and the remaining media files not selected by the user are then configured to be inaccessible by the user after the trial period has expired. Other systems and methods are also provided.
US09311449B2	Hospital unit demand forecasting tool An embodiment in accordance with the present invention provides a method of forecasting a demand for a particular hospital unit. The method can be executed by programming the steps into a computer readable medium. One step includes logging a total number of beds in the particular hospital unit and available nursing slots to determine a capacity for the particular hospital unit. The method also includes analyzing data for patients scheduled to stay in the particular hospital unit data to predict stochastic arrivals in order to estimate a total inflow. A length of stay of a patient in the particular hospital unit is predicted using a survival analysis based on physician orders to estimate a total outflow. Additionally, the method includes executing an algorithm designed to use the capacity, total inflow, and total outflow to determine the demand for the particular hospital unit.
US09311433B2	Systems and methods for improving the execution of computational algorithms A system for solving equations of a given scientific code for a large dataset represented as a mesh includes first computing circuitry, second computing circuitry, and communication circuitry. The first computing circuitry includes software to arrange the mesh in a sequential order, and a memory to store the mesh data and the results obtained in the execution of the scientific code. The second computing circuitry includes software to execute the scientific code for one vertex of the mesh, and a cache memory to store all the neighboring vertices to the one vertex. The communication circuitry is between the first and second computing circuitry so that the first computing circuitry fed the second computing circuitry with the vertices of the mesh following the sequential order, and the scientific code is executed for all the vertices of the mesh and its results are returned to the first computing circuitry.
US09311430B2	Log-linear dialog manager that determines expected rewards and uses hidden states and actions A dialog manager receives previous user actions and previous observations and current observations. Previous and current user states, previous user actions, current user actions, future system actions, and future observations are hypothesized. The user states, the user actions, and the user observations are hidden. A feature vector is extracted based on the user states, the system actions, the user actions, and the observations. An expected reward of each current action is based on a log-linear model using the feature vectors. Then, the current action that has an optimal expected reward is outputted.
US09311424B2	HTTP request pipeline optimization A computing device comprising a transmitter/receiver adapted to communicate with a network and an application adapted to send a plurality of object requests through the transmitter/receiver, wherein, the plurality of object requests are placed in an order dependent upon at least one of an object size and an object type.
US09311422B2	Dynamic simulation of a responsive web page Techniques are disclosed for dynamically simulating a web page as it would appear on various different types of media devices. A user request is received, through a user interface, to render a structured document in a web browser. The web browser can execute on a first type of device to render the structured document in a layout specific to a second type of media device having a different display requirement than the first type of media device. The second type of media device can be selected from a list of predefined types of media devices. A set of presentation semantics is associated with the structured document. A media-dependent style rule encoded in the set of presentation semantics is identified. If the display requirement of the second type of media device satisfies the rule, the structured document is laid out in accordance with a style property associated with the satisfied rule.
US09311419B2	System for data card emulation An improved system for data card emulation involves a watch that can emulate any one of multiple data cards corresponding to multiple entities. The watch includes a memory for storing bar code information corresponding to data cards of the multiple entities. It provides an interface for identifying an entity and a display for displaying a bar code corresponding to a data card of the entity. The interface may include at least one of a bar code reader or a bar code emulator. The interface may include at least one of a magnetic stripe reader or a magnetic stripe emulator. The interface may receive a transmission such as a pulsed light transmission or a radio frequency transmission.
US09311414B2	Systems and methods of selecting content based on aggregate entity co-occurrence The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for refining content selection criteria to facilitate content selection via a computer network. In some embodiments, a tool identifies a first entity used to select content of a first content provider. The first entity can correspond to a canonical stable identifier in a database. The tool can identify a plurality of sets of entities that each comprise the first entity and an additional entity different from the first entity. Each of the plurality of sets of entities can be associated with content of a corresponding content provider. The tool can determine a performance metric for the additional entity. The tool can compare the performance metric with a performance threshold. The tool can associate the additional entity with the content of the first content provider based on the comparison.
US09311412B2	Automatically notifying a computer user of internet content In a method for automatically notifying a computer user of Internet content, a computer reads a user-created rule on the computer. A current version of a web page named in the user created rule is requested from another computer. The current version of the web page is searched for specific content, which is defined in the user-created rule. A determination is made that the specific content meets a target condition, and the computer user is notified that the target condition has been met.
US09311411B2	Processing social search results Techniques are described herein for processing social search results. Such social search results may be included in a relatively higher-ranked (e.g., a highest-ranked) subset of a user's search results and/or selected from a relatively lower-ranked subset of the user's search results in response to a determination that the relatively higher-ranked subset includes social search result(s). In one example, the social search results (or a subset thereof) may be annotated to include publicly available rich metadata. Such metadata may be extracted from user profiles on social networking domains from which the social search results are received. In another example, the social search results (or a subset thereof) may be clustered such that they are consecutively ranked. In yet another example, the social search results (or a subset thereof) may be configured to be displayed in a designated arrangement (e.g., in a grid having multiple columns).
US09311403B1	Hashing techniques for data set similarity determination Methods, systems and computer program product embodiments for hashing techniques for determining similarity between data sets are described herein. A method embodiment includes, initializing a random number generator with a weighted min-hash value as a seed, wherein the weighted min-hash value approximates a similarity distance between data sets. A number of bits in the weighted min-hash value is determined by uniformly sampling an integer bit value using the random number generator. A system embodiment includes a repository configured to store a plurality of data sets and a hash generator configured to generate weighted min-hash values from the data sets. The system further includes a similarity determiner configured to determine a similarity between the data sets.
US09311400B2	Method and system for providing time-dependent search results for repetitively performed searches A software tool allows a computer user to view only search results that have become available since he last performed the same search. A user enters a search term by way of an input/output device, and the CPU performs the requested search. The computer system identifies and displays only the new results. The user can toggle this feature on and off.
US09311394B2	Speech recognition for internet video search and navigation Speech representing a desired video site or video subject is detected and digitized at a TV remote, and then sent to a TV. The TV or in some embodiments an Internet server communicating with the TV use speech recognition principles to recognize the speech, enter a database using the recognized speech as entering argument, and return a link to an Internet site hosting the desired video. The link can be displayed on the TV for selection thereof by a user to retrieve the video.
US09311393B1	System and method for aggregating artist-specific content Disclosed is a system and method for creating and managing artist-specific applications (ASAs) that each relate to an individual artist, integrates content related to the artist, and connects fans with the artist through multimedia experiences provided through the ASA. An ASA may include a unified player interface that displays a selectable plurality of songs that are associated with the ASA. The ASA may search for other music (such as locally stored music, music associated with other ASAs, and/or streaming music) and display the other music in the unified player interface for selection as well. Upon selection of the other music, the unified player interface may play the selected music, delivering a seamless experience for users who have locally downloaded music (or other music) and an ASA.
US09311392B2	Document analysis apparatus, document analysis method, and computer-readable recording medium A document analysis apparatus comprises: a feature expression acquisition unit acquiring a feature expression appearing during an attention period in an analysis object document collection; a document collection acquisition unit acquiring a feature expression containing document (FECD) collection in which a feature expression appears, from an analysis population including an analysis object document collection; a context determination unit specifying an analysis/FECD corresponding to an analysis object document among a FECD collection for every feature expression, and specifies a context in which the feature expression appeared in multiple analysis/FECDs; a context comparison determination unit specifying a non analysis/FECD not corresponding to an analysis object document among a FECD collection, and within that, compares a context in which the feature expression has appeared and a context specified previously; and a feature degree setting unit performing giving or the like of a feature degree to a feature expression from the comparison.
US09311388B2	Semantic and contextual searching of knowledge repositories A method for semantic and contextual searching over a knowledge repository. The method includes creating a search query for each concept related to the target concept to form a search context, wherein the search query for each related concept comprises at least one word derived from a record of that concept previously authored in the project, running the search query on a search index of a knowledge repository to identify a record of the related concept for which the search query is created, and fetching the record of the target concept from the repository as a search result such that the fetched record of the target concept is linked in the knowledge repository to a record of the related concept returned as a result of running the search query on at least one record of the at least one related concept.
US09311387B1	Automatic parser generation Automatically generating a parser is disclosed. Raw data is received from a first remote device. A determination that the raw data does not, within a predefined confidence measure, conform to any rules included in a set of rules is made. A clustering function is performed on the raw data. At least one parser rule is generated based on the clustering.
US09311386B1	Categorizing network resources and extracting user interests from network activity A method for network resource classification and identifying user interests based on the classification. The method uses a provided hierarchy of categories for classifying network resources, wherein each category is assigned a text item describing the category and the method includes obtaining resource description data collections corresponding to the network resources, and generating, using a semantic correlation algorithm, a category score vector of a network resource by comparing the resource description data collection to the text item assigned to each category in the hierarchy of categories, wherein the category score vector comprises a category score for each category in the hierarchy of categories, wherein the category score is determined based on at least a semantic correlation measure between the resource description data collection and the text item assigned to a corresponding category, wherein the plurality of network resources are classified based at least on the category score.
US09311385B2	Indicating level of confidence in digital content Rating content of a digital file includes analyzing, by a computer, data associated with content of the digital file based on predetermined criteria defining a confidence level in the content of the digital file. Each predetermined criterion includes a range of values and at least one threshold delineating a lower confidence level and a higher confidence level. Different confidence ratings are assigned to different segments of the content based on determining that the different segments correspond to different thresholds of the predetermined criteria. The computer associates the different confidence ratings to the different segments.
US09311380B2	Processing spatial joins using a mapreduce framework Techniques, systems, and articles of manufacture for processing spatial joins using a MapReduce framework. A method includes partitioning a spatial data domain based on a distribution of spatial data objects across multiple nodes of a cluster of machines, defining at least one operation to be performed on the partitioned spatial data domain based on one or more predicates of a query, and executing the at least one defined operation on the partitioned spatial data domain to determine a response to the query.
US09311378B2	Data synchronization between a data management system and an external system A method, a system and a computer program of synchronizing data between a data management system and an external system are disclosed. The method includes creating a first database instance and a second database instance using an integration data model. The method further includes synchronizing data between the second database instance and the external system. A services framework is created and the first database instance and the second database instance are interfaced using the services framework which includes an entity definition repository, a change tracking repository, and a data export element. Also disclosed are a system and a computer program for synchronizing data between a data management system and an external system.
US09311371B2	Data cell cluster identification and table transformation Various embodiments may operate to access individual lines of information included in a file stored in an electronic storage medium, to detect the existence of data clusters in the file based on neighboring cell content in a horizontal direction (corresponding to the individual lines), and in a vertical direction (orthogonal to the horizontal direction), to identify at least some of the data clusters as being associated with predefined table types (comprising vertical tables, horizontal tables, or cross tables), to merge some of the data clusters into section tables having common properties, and to transform the tables resulting from the merging activity, as well as remaining un-merged data clusters, into a single flat table. The stored file may comprise a spreadsheet file.
US09311370B2	Virtual attribute federation system The present invention may comprise a system and method for a Virtual Attribute Federation System (VAFS) and may be composed of a Virtual Attribute Federation Manager (VAFM) and a system of Virtual Attribute Enabled Directories (VAED) modified to accept federation of virtual attributes. The VAFM produces signed and trusted calculation methods and coordinates a synchronized dispersal of these methods to the VAEDs. The VAEDs may have local mappings which allow for federation-time configuration of the calculation methods.
US09311365B1	Music identification A system and method for managing music associated with a user account of an online music provider including receiving a request from a client device to add a song to the user account. A first match search is performed for the corresponding hash pair in a matching pipeline. Each hash pair in the matching pipeline includes a logical link corresponding to a song in a master repository. A second match search is performed when the first match search determines that the song is missing from the master repository. The second match search includes fingerprint matching. The song is associated with the user account when either first or second match search identifies the song to be in the master repository. An upload of the song to the online music provider is requested when the first and second match search determines that the song is missing from the master repository.
US09311361B1	Algorithmically determining the visual appeal of online content A system and a computer-implemented method for automatically determining the visual appeal of online content are provided. The method includes storing a plurality of software implemented algorithms in the memory device, receiving one or more generated items of online content, determining graphics and textual content parameters of the received items of online content, comparing the determined parameters to the set of desired parameters, ranking the items of online content based on the comparisons, and outputting the ranked items of online content. Each algorithm includes one or more rules capable of recognizing graphic content parameters, recognizing textual content parameters, and relating the graphic content parameters and the textual content parameters to a set of desired parameters accessible to the rules.
US09311360B2	Association of data to a biological sequence A method for associating data with a target biological sequence includes identifying, in a network, one or more references to data, where the data has a relevance level greater than a predetermined threshold. The method includes associating the one or more references to one or more probe sequences corresponding to a segment of a biological sequence to which the data pertains The one or more probe sequences are ranked based on one or more criteria and the probe sequences are assigned a level of affinity to a segment of the target biological sequence based at least on the ranking of each reference.
US09311357B2	Generating reports based on materialized view Systems and methods for generating a report for a resource are described. The report is generated from databases comprising data sets related to a plurality of resources. An example method includes dynamic generation of a first query upon selection of at least one attribute by a user. The first query includes instructions for being performed on the data sets. The method further includes determining that the first query is stored in a table schema. The table schema is associated with a first trigger. The method also includes invoking the first trigger based on the determining. The first trigger is configured to execute the first query to generate a materialized view upon execution of the first query. The method may include generating the report by executing a second query on the materialized view. The second query may be created based on materialized view data.
US09311353B2	Control elements of graphical user interfaces Various aspects of this disclosure are directed to displaying, by a computing device, a plurality of components of a graphical user interface. Each of the plurality of components may display one or more members of at least one dimensional level of a database having a plurality of dimensions. Each dimension of the plurality of dimensions may include one or more dimensional levels. The computing device may determine a first dimensional level of a first dimension of the plurality of dimensions having one or more members displayed in two or more of the plurality of components, and may display a control element including an indication of the dimensional level having the one or more members displayed in each of the two or more components.
US09311340B2	Multiple partial-image compositional searching Multiple partial-image selections are received. Each of the multiple partial-image selections includes a user-selected portion of one of a group of images. Partial-image search criteria are derived from a combination of the multiple partial-image selections. A search is performed for images that correspond to the partial-image search criteria derived from the combination of the multiple partial-image selections. Visual search results are returned. The visual search results include at least one identified image that includes features that correspond to the partial-image search criteria derived from the combination of the multiple partial-image selections.
US09311338B2	Method and apparatus for analyzing and associating behaviors to image content A computer implemented method and apparatus for analyzing image content and associating behaviors to the analyzed image content. The method comprises accessing a digital image; determining one or more patterns in the digital image; associating, based on the one or more determined patterns, a set of pre-defined behaviors with each determined pattern; and storing interactions with the digital image, wherein the interactions are associated with the behaviors.
US09311334B2	Geospatial database integration using business models A mechanism is provided for automatically performing join operations. Source data is received and a metadata model is received. The metadata model includes a hierarchical structure. The source data is aligned to the hierarchical structure in the metadata model to form a source data hierarchy. Based on the source data hierarchy, the source data is joined to geocoded information.
US09311333B1	Managing files of file systems A method is used in managing files of file systems. A group transaction record for an indirect data block of a file of a file system is created. The indirect data block of the file includes a set of data blocks of the file. A set of transaction entries is added to the group transaction record. Each transaction entry of the set of transaction entries includes information regarding an operation performed on a data block of the set of data blocks. The group transaction record is stored in a journal. The journal includes metadata transactions upon a plurality of files of a plurality of file systems.
US09311332B2	Cluster shared volume replication Systems and methods for replicating input-output (I/O) events of a cluster shared volume (CSV) are presented. Such systems may include a cluster device or node (in a cluster of devices), a coordinator node, and a replica server. Replication techniques disclosed herein may include capturing, using a processor operatively associated with a cluster device, a direct I/O event generated at the cluster device (e.g., by a virtual machine). A legacy file system filter driver of the cluster device may be used and enabled to perform the capturing of the direct I/O event. The legacy file system filter driver may be different than a CSV filter driver associated with the CSV, and may be enabled after the CSV filter driver is enabled. The captured direct I/O event may then be transmitted to the replica server using, e.g., a replication filter, to maintain a backup copy of the event at the replica server.
US09311330B1	Method and system for performing full backup in a failover cluster This disclosure relates to a method, article of manufacture, and apparatus of performing backup in a failover cluster. In some embodiments, this includes determining whether a repository is part of a failover cluster, based on a determination that the repository is part of the failover cluster, analyzing a role associated with the repository, upon a determination that the role indicates the repository is a failover candidate within the failover cluster, triggering a secondary backup of the repository, and upon a determination that the role indicates the repository is a primary repository within the failover cluster, triggering a primary backup of the repository.
US09311323B2	Multi-level inline data deduplication Technologies are presented for data deduplication that operates at relatively high throughput and with relatively less storage space than conventional techniques. Building upon content-dependent chunking (CDC) using Rabin fingerprints, data may be fingerprinted and stored in variable-size chunks. In some examples, data may be chunked on multiple levels, for example, two levels, variable size large chunks in the first level and fixed-size sub-chunks in the second level, in order to prevent sub-chunks common to two or more data chunks from not being deduplicated. For example, at a first level, a CDC algorithm may be employed to fingerprint and chunk data in content-dependent sizes (variable sizes), and at a second level the CDC chunks may be sliced into small fixed-size chunks. The sliced CDC chunks may then be used for deduplication.
US09311321B2	Automated encoding of increment operators In one example a method includes: receiving a first input value associated with a first data field; responsive to determining that the first data field is associated with an increment operation, selecting a second input value associated with a corresponding second data field of a previously transmitted message; comparing the first input value and second input value to determine if the first input value includes a sum of the second input value and an increment value; when the first input value includes the sum of the second input value and increment value, generating a message that omits the first input value for the first data field, and providing an operator symbol indicating the increment operation to specify that the first data field of the message is to be associated with the sum of the increment value and second input value of the second data field in the previously transmitted message.
US09311312B2	Process for electronic archiving of data objects and computer program product The application relates to a method for the electronic archiving of data objects by means of a data processing device, wherein the method comprises the following steps: receipt of a hash value tuple comprising one or a plurality of hash values, wherein each hash value is assigned to a data object, receipt of time information on the hash value tuple indicating a time period within which the hash values of the hash value tuple should be electronically archived and comparison of the time information with a predetermined time specification, wherein archiving steps are carried out if the time information specifies a time period for electronic archiving that is shorter than the predetermined time specification. The application furthermore relates to a computer program product.
US09311311B2	Archival management of database logs A method for preventing suspension of transactions in a database computing system by monitoring active database logs of the database computing system is provided. The method comprises switching archive units of the database computing system due to full database log condition occurring during system operations of the database computing system. The method further comprises maintaining a database log history table, wherein the database log history table captures a threshold count of the active database logs generated by system threads of the database computing system. The method further comprises defining a temporary location for archiving the active database logs based on the switched archive units of the database computing system, and the maintained threadhold count of active database logs in the database log history table due to full database log condition occurring during system operations of the database computing system.
US09311306B2	Information processing apparatus, information processing method and storage medium in which program thereof is recorded An information processing apparatus uses unique IDs to manage items, such as electronic files and folders, to be operated and includes: an information share window ID managing section managing, in a share window ID management DB, information of the window Ids corresponding to windows of Web browsers that are to share information; an item storing processing section storing item information in an item information DB when a first operation for the item is instructed from a first Web browser; a stored item processing section executing a second operation based on the item information stored in the item information DB and the information of the window Ids stored in the share window ID management DB when the second operation is instructed from a second Web browser; This apparatus enables collaborative operations between two windows of Web browsers.
US09311298B2	Building conversational understanding systems using a toolset Tools are provided to allow developers to enable applications for Conversational Understanding (CU) using assets from a CU service. The tools may be used to select functionality from existing domains, extend the coverage of one or more domains, as well as to create new domains in the CU service. A developer may provide example Natural Language (NL) sentences that are analyzed by the tools to assist the developer in labeling data that is used to update the models in the CU service. For example, the tools may assist a developer in identifying domains, determining intent actions, determining intent objects and determining slots from example NL sentences. After the developer tags all or a portion of the example NL sentences, the models in the CU service are automatically updated and validated. For example, validation tools may be used to determine an accuracy of the model against test data.
US09311272B1	System and method for faster division A system and method for reducing central processing unit usage when inverting or dividing multiple floating point numbers is disclosed. An example system may receive a plurality of floating point numbers to be inverted as denominator values. The denominator values may be grouped into pairs and multiplied. Products of pairs may be multiplied to produce combinations of products of denominator values until all denominator values have been multiplied together. The product of all denominator values may be inverted using a single division. The combinations of products of denominator values from the multiplications achieved before the division may be multiplied with the inverted product from the division to compute inversions of all denominator values. In some embodiments, an example system may receive a plurality of floating point numbers as numerator values that each correspond to a denominator value. Numerator values may be multiplied with corresponding inversion denominator values to produce division results.
US09311258B2	Method, apparatus and cable for enabling two types of HDMI communication An electronic apparatus includes a first communication unit configured to perform I2C bidirectional communication with an external apparatus using two signal lines included in a transmission path as I2C communication lines, a second communication unit configured to perform bidirectional differential communication with the external apparatus using the two signal lines as high-speed data communication lines, a switching unit configured to select a first communication state in which the first communication unit is connected to the two signal lines or a second communication state in which the second communication unit is connected to the two signal lines, and a controller configured to control operation of the switching unit.
US09311256B2	Storage device A storage device includes a non-volatile memory having a plurality of storage areas. Received data is encrypted with a first cryptographic key and stored in one of the storage areas. Upon receiving an request from a host, a key processor replaces the first cryptographic key used to encrypt data stored on a specified one of the non-volatile memories with a different cryptographic key not previously used for any of the storage areas by generating a second cryptographic key, converting the previously used keys into first value by an operation, converting the candidate key into a second value by the same operation. The first and second values are compared, and when the first information is not the same as the second information, the second cryptographic key replaces the first cryptographic key, and when not, the second cryptographic key is discarded and a new second cryptographic key generated.
US09311253B2	Thinly provisioned flash cache with shared storage pool For data processing in a computing storage environment by a processor device, the computing storage environment incorporating at least high-speed and lower-speed caches, and managed tiered levels of storage, a Solid State Device (SSD) tier is variably shared between the lower-speed cache and the managed tiered levels of storage such that the managed tiered levels of storage are operational on large data segments, and the lower-speed cache is allocated with the large data segments, yet operates with data segments of a smaller size than the large data segments and within the large data segments.
US09311251B2	System cache with sticky allocation Methods and apparatuses for implementing a system cache within a memory controller. Multiple requesting agents may allocate cache lines in the system cache, and each line allocated in the system cache may be associated with a specific group ID. Also, each line may have a corresponding sticky state which indicates if the line should be retained in the cache. The sticky state is determined by an allocation hint provided by the requesting agent. When a cache line is allocated with the sticky state, the line will not be replaced by other cache lines fetched by any other group IDs.
US09311236B2	Out-of-memory avoidance in dynamic virtual machine memory adjustment An unused free memory shortage relative to an adjusted heap maximum size associated with a memory heap of application memory is detected. The adjusted heap maximum size is set to a heap size smaller than a maximum heap allocation size. An increase to the adjusted heap maximum size that resolves the unused free memory shortage is calculated. The adjusted heap maximum size is increased by the calculated increase to the adjusted heap maximum size.
US09311229B2	System and method for managing flash memory A system and method for flash memory management is provided. In particular, the system and methods herein provide for management of flash memory, particularly NAND flash memory, in a manner that potentially reduces the number of write/erase cycles typically experienced by a data storage device. When unsecure data records are to be written to the flash memory, the new or updated unsecure data records are stored in the first available location in the flash memory (e.g. a block) providing a best fit for the data records. Where the data records are updates, the updated version is stored with an incremented version number to indicate that the updated version is the current version. Older versions of the data records are deleted during garbage collection. When secure data records are to be written to the flash memory, new or updated secure data records are stored in the location in the flash memory with the most available space. Any older versions of secure data records are immediately deleted.
US09311218B2	Method and apparatus for the determination of a quality assessment of a software code with determination of the assessment coverage In a method for determining a quality assessment of a software code, the coverage is concomitantly calculated when determining the assessment. In order to increase the coverage, additional measurement results and assessments may be taken into account. Following changes to the software base, it is determined which of the additional measurements and assessment results should be renewed in order to provide or ensure the defined coverage.
US09311215B2	Defining multi-channel tests system and method A method, computer program product, and computer system for defining, at a computing device, one or more channels for executing one or more test scenarios. One or more keyword keywords, each with one or more associated keyword implementations for at least one channel of the one or more channels, are defined. One or more test scenarios is defined, wherein at least one test scenario of the one or more test scenarios includes at least one keyword implementation of the one or more keywords.
US09311214B2	System and methods for tracing individual transactions across a mainframe computing environment A performance management system is provided for monitoring performance of an application across a distributed computing environment, including within one or more mainframe computers. In the mainframe environment, a transaction manager is configured to receive a transaction request from an application executing remotely from the mainframe computer. An event agent is invoked via a user exit by the transaction manager and operates to detect events caused by the handling of the transaction by the transaction manager. Upon detecting such events, the event agent generates event messages for select events associated with the transaction, where the event message includes identifying information for the transaction. A translator agent is configured to receive the event messages from the event agent and transmit the event data record to a server located remotely from the mainframe computer, where the event data record includes the identifying information for the transaction.
US09311213B2	Module database with tracing options A database of module performance may be generated by adding tracing components to applications, as well as by adding tracing components to modules themselves. Modules may be reusable code that may be made available for reuse across multiple applications. When tracing is performed on an application level, the data collected from each module may be summarized in module-specific databases. The module-specific databases may be public databases that may assist application developers in selecting modules for various tasks. The module-specific databases may include usage and performance data, as well as stability and robustness metrics, error logs, and analyzes of similar modules. The database may be accessed through links in module description pages and repositories, as well as through a website or other repository.
US09311209B2	Associating energy consumption with a virtual machine Associating processor and processor core energy consumption with a task such as a virtual machine is disclosed. Various events cause a trace record to be written to a trace buffer for a processor. An identifier associated with a task using a processor core of the processor is read. In addition, one or more values associated with an energy consumption of the processor core are read. In response to the event, the one or more values associated with the energy consumption of the processor core and the identifier are written to the trace buffer memory.
US09311206B2	Method and apparatus for monitoring general purpose input output, GPIO, signals An apparatus and method for monitoring general purpose input output, GPIO, signals at GPIO pins of a GPIO port of a system on chip, SoC. The apparatus comprises a first checksum generation unit adapted to generate a first checksum on the basis of GPIO bits stored in GPIO registers of the SoC, being connected via corresponding input output, IO, pad circuits to provide analog GPIO signals at the GPIO pins. A second checksum generation unit is adapted to generate a second checksum on the basis of the analog GPIO signals at the GPIO pins representing the GPIO bits. Checker logic is adapted to compare the first checksum generated by the first checksum generation unit with a second checksum generated by the second checksum generation unit.
US09311201B2	Real-time rule engine for adaptive testing of integrated circuits A method of testing a device is disclosed. Test data is obtained for a device testing program that tests the device. An adaptation command for testing the device is determined at an adaptive testing engine using obtained test data. The adaptation command is sent from the adaptive testing engine to a tool control application. The tool control application uses the adaptation command to control an operation related to the testing of the device.
US09311198B2	Active hot standby redundancy for broadband wireless network In embodiments of the present disclosure systems and methods implementing active-hot standby redundancy in server architectures are described. In an active-hot standby redundancy architecture, two matching service instances are installed in a network on different host computers. A standby service instance may maintain state information for every session maintained at an active service instance that it is poised to replace using a publish-subscribe communications network. When a failure occurs in the active instance, the standby instance may promote itself to active, and assume all aspects of the service identity and role of the Active instance it is replacing. Service to user entities continues without interruption, although transactions that are ongoing just as the failure occurs may be lost.
US09311190B1	Capturing post-snapshot quiescence writes in a linear image backup chain Capturing post-snapshot quiescence writes in a linear image backup chain. In one example embodiment, a method for capturing post-snapshot quiescence writes in a linear image backup chain may include taking a first snapshot of a source storage at a first point in time, identifying a first set of block positions of blocks that are allocated in the source storage at the first point in time, identifying a second set of block positions of blocks that are written to the first snapshot during post-snapshot quiescence of the first snapshot, resulting in a first quiesced snapshot, copying the blocks in the first set of block positions from the first snapshot to a full image backup, and copying the blocks in the second set of block positions from the first quiesced snapshot to a first incremental image backup.
US09311188B2	Minimizing data recovery window A computer-based system includes a backup server, a production server, a recovery agent that executes on the production server, a database on the production server, a backup database on the backup server, and a meta data file on the backup server. The meta data file includes file names, a file directory, and file attributes. The system is configured to copy the metadata file from the backup server to a production server. When the copying of the metadata file from the backup server to the production server is complete, and before or during a time period in which backup data is copied from the backup server to the production server, the system is configured to receive a request from the production server to restore a file from the backup server with a higher priority than other files on the backup server.
US09311186B2	Dispersed storage network slice name verification A method begins by a processing module dispersed storage error encoding data to produce a plurality of sets of encoded data slices in accordance with dispersed storage error coding parameters. The method continues with the processing module determining a plurality of sets of slice names corresponding to the plurality of sets of encoded data slices. The method continues with the processing module determining integrity information for the plurality of sets of slice names and sending the plurality of sets of encoded data slices, the plurality of sets of slice names, and the integrity information to a dispersed storage network memory for storage therein.
US09311170B2	System, method and program tool to reset an application Deleting objects used or managed by an application or application or application instance is disclosed. Second program instructions identify the objects. Second program instructions write an executable program to delete the objects which were identified. Objects than can be deleted include local queues, alias queues, remote queues, security objects, channel objects, process objects, etc. The first program instructions identify a queue object and determine whether the queue object contains a work item. If so, the second program instructions write into the executable program a command to clear the work item. Deleting a queue object managed by an application or application instance is also disclosed. Channels used by other applications or other application instances to lock and access a queue defined by the queue object are identified. Then, the channels are stopped. Afterwards, the work item(s) on the queue are cleared and then the queue object is deleted.
US09311166B2	Remote user interface proxy apparatus and method of processing user interface components thereof Provided is a proxy apparatus having an embedded remote user interface client (RUIC) and an embedded remote user interface server (RUIS) that transmits a UI component received from an external RUIS or session information of the UI component to an external RUIC. Thus, a user can use contents of a remote user interface server (RUIS) with a new RUIC while maintaining a session state between the external RUIS and an existing RUIC. Since the UI components, prohibited from being forwarded by the external RUIS, are not forwarded to the new RUIC, the contents policy, which corresponds with the business needs of contents providers, can be ensured.
US09311164B2	System and method for ballooning with assigned devices A system and method for ballooning with assigned devices includes inflating a memory balloon, determining whether a first memory page is locked based on information associated with the first memory page, when the first memory page is locked unlocking the first memory page and removing first memory addresses associated with the first memory page from management by an input/output memory management unit (IOMMU), and reallocating the first memory page. The first memory page is associated with a first assigned device.
US09311154B2	Detecting deployment conflicts in heterogenous environments Techniques are disclosed for managing deployment conflicts between applications executing in one or more processing environments. A first application is executed in a first processing environment and responsive to a request to execute the first application. During execution of the first application, a determination is made to redeploy the first application for execution partially in time on a second processing environment providing a higher capability than the first processing environment in terms of at least a first resource type. A deployment conflict is detected between the first application and at least a second application.
US09311148B2	Pseudo-random hardware resource allocation through the plurality of resource controller based on non-repeating sequence of index list entries Methods and apparatus for pseudo-random hardware resource allocation through a plurality of hardware elements. In an embodiment, resource list entries are configured to each identify one hardware element of the plurality of hardware elements. Index list entries are configured to each identify one resource list entry. An index list pointer is set to identify a first index list entry of the plurality of index list entries, and hardware resources are requested from a first hardware element of the plurality of hardware elements by identifying, using the index list pointer, the first index list entry; identifying, using the first index list entry, a first resource list entry; selecting the hardware element identified by the first resource list entry as the first hardware element; and sending a request for hardware resources to the first hardware element.
US09311126B2	System and method for virtual partition monitoring A method is provided in one example embodiment that includes rebasing a module in a virtual partition to load at a fixed address and storing a hash of a page of memory associated with the fixed address. An external handler may receive a notification associated with an event affecting the page. An internal agent within the virtual partition can execute a task and return results based on the task to the external handler, and a policy action may be taken based on the results returned by the internal agent. In some embodiments, a code portion and a data portion of the page can be identified and only a hash of the code portion is stored.
US09311121B2	Archiving virtual machines in a data storage system The data storage system according to certain aspects can manage the archiving of virtual machines to (and restoring of virtual machines from) secondary storage. The system can determine whether to archive virtual machines based on usage data or information. The usage information may include storage usage, CPU usage, memory usage, network usage, events defined by a virtual machine software or application, etc. The system may archive virtual machines that are determined to have a low level of utilization. For example, a virtual machine can be archived when its usage level falls below a threshold level. The system may create a virtual machine placeholder for an archived virtual machine, which may be a “light” or minimal version of the virtual machine that acts as if it is the actual virtual machine. By using a virtual machine placeholder, a virtual machine may appear to be active and selectable by the user.
US09311112B2	Event recognition An electronic device executes one or more software elements. Each software element is associated with a particular view, which includes one or more event recognizers. Each event recognizer has one or more event definitions based on one or more sub-events, and an event handler. The event handler is configured to send an action to a target in response to the event recognizer detecting an event corresponding to a particular event definition. The electronic device detects a sequence of sub-events, and identifies actively involved views. The electronic device delivers a respective sub-event to event recognizers for actively involved views. At least one event recognizer for actively involved views has a plurality of event definitions, one of which is selected in accordance with an internal state of the electronic device. The at least one event recognizer processes the respective sub-event in accordance with the selected event definition.
US09311108B2	Orchestrating wireless network operations A wireless communication system is disclosed. A data store stores for each of a plurality of nodes, each node comprising a wireless communication system element, a node image data comprising metadata about or otherwise associated with the node. In various embodiments, the data store has the capability to create and support an organically changing schema, and provides a mechanism to propagate changes to the schema or data, but only as necessary. A processor receives an indication of an objective and uses node image data stored in the data store to identify programmatically from among the plurality of nodes a node to help achieve the objective and to determine the configuration of the node.
US09311107B2	Booting devices via the cloud Methods, systems, and computer program products are provided for automatically installing an operating system on a computing device that does not have an operating system pre-installed. Identifying information for the computing device is collected from a resource of the computing device. The identifying information is transmitted to a remote service. An indication is received of an operating system for the computing device selected by the remote service based on the identifying information. The selected operating system is downloaded for installation on the computing device.
US09311103B2	Apparatus for switching a plurality of ALUs between tree and cascade configurations An arrangement of at least two arithmetic logic units carries out an operation defined by a decoded instruction including at least one operand and more than one operation code. The operation codes and at least one operand are received and corresponding executions are performed by the arithmetic logic units on a single clock cycle. The result of the execution from one arithmetic logic unit is used as an operand by a further arithmetic logic unit. The decoding of the instruction is performed in an immediately preceding single clock cycle.
US09311096B2	Local instruction loop buffer utilizing execution unit register file A method and circuit arrangement utilize a register file of an execution unit as a local instruction loop buffer to enable suitable algorithms, such as DSP algorithms, to be fetched and executed directly within the execution unit, and often enabling other logic circuits utilized for other, general purpose workloads to either be powered down or freed up to handle other workloads.
US09311088B2	Apparatus and method for mapping architectural registers to physical registers An apparatus and method are provided for performing register renaming. Available register identifying circuitry is provided to identify which physical registers form a pool of physical registers available to be mapped by register renaming circuitry to an architectural register specified by an instruction to be executed. Configuration data whose value is modified during operation of the processing circuitry is stored such that, when the configuration data has a first value, the configuration data identifies at least one architectural register of the architectural register set which does not require mapping to a physical register by the register renaming circuitry. The register identifying circuitry is arranged to reference the modified data value, such that when the configuration data has the first value, the number of physical registers in the pool is increased due to the reduction in the number of architectural registers which require mapping to physical registers.
US09311083B1	Machine interface configuration system for coerced inconsistencies on different machine platforms A method of operating a machine includes receiving via a network machine interface a schema defining a hierarchy of page objects for application logic on a plurality of different machine platforms. The schema is applied to operate shell logic specific to a particular machine platform including the network machine interface via which the schema was received to provide a look and feel for application logic native to the particular machine platform. Layout logic and navigation logic of the shell logic are operated cooperatively to cause the look and feel of the application logic native to the particular machine platform as defined by the hierarchy of page objects to be inconsistent on the plurality of different machine platforms.
US09311082B2	System and method for processing graph objects A system and method for generating object graph data and transmitting the object graph over a network. For example, a computer-implemented method according to one embodiment comprises: analyzing relationships between objects within a network of objects to determine an object network structure; generating object graph data representing the object network structure; serializing the object graph data and transmitting the object graph data over a network to a requesting computer; and interpreting the object graph data to render a view of the object network structure in a graphical user interface.
US09311081B2	Generating and employing operational abstractions of transforms Methods and arrangements for employing a software model transform. A software model transform is accepted, and the transform is manipulated to obtain a transform representation. At least one functional path is explored with respect to the transform representation. A trace is conducted of at least one explored path, and an abstraction of the transform is produced via utilizing the trace, the abstraction comprising a simplified semantic view of the transform.
US09311080B2	Instrumented file deployment Systems, methods, and machine-readable and executable instructions are provided for instrumented file deployment. Instrumented file deployment can include identifying a number of changes between a first artifact and a second artifact. Instrumented file deployment can also include identifying a number of class names and a number of method names within the second artifact where the changes reside. Instrumented file deployment can include creating an instrumented file from the identified number of class names and the identified number of method names. Instrumented file deployment can include deploying the second artifact and the instrumented file together.
US09311077B2	Identification of code changes using language syntax and changeset data A computer retrieves a first changeset that is associated with a program. The computer identifies a first set of changes included in the first changeset based on a time stamp of a change, textual matching, and syntactical matching. The computer identifies a first area of interest within a source code of the program based, at least in part, on the first set of changes. The computer searches for a second set of changes based, at least in part, on the first area of interest. The computer generates a result that includes, at least in part, the first set of changes.
US09311075B2	Electronic apparatus and BIOS updating apparatus thereof An electronic apparatus including a central processing unit (CPU), a chipset, a first interface circuit, a temporary memory, a BIOS (basic input/output system) memory, a second interface circuit and a first switcher is provided. The chipset is coupled to the CPU and the first switcher. The temporary memory is coupled to the first switcher and the first interface circuit. The first interface circuit is coupled to the electronic apparatus and an extended storage including a first BIOS. The second interface circuit is coupled to the first switcher and the BIOS memory. If the first BIOS is stored in the temporary memory, the temporary memory is coupled to the chipset by the first switcher; if the first BIOS is not stored in the temporary memory, the second interface circuit is coupled to the chipset by the first switcher. The electronic device can safely updates the BIOS.
US09311056B2	Automated analysis of code developer's profile The automated analysis of a code developer's profile comprises gathering data relating to code repository updates by a developer, analyzing the gathered data to determine profile attributes of the developer to provide a behavior analysis of the developer and analyzing, using a microprocessor, the profile attributes of the developer with respect to role descriptions.
US09311054B2	Method and system for specifying and enforcing extensibility of software applications The method includes generating at least one base object, and generating at least one extendable object associated with the base object, the extendable object defining an insertion point and is configured to enable addition of new functionalities to an application including the at least one base object.
US09311050B2	Conversion apparatus for a residue number arithmetic logic unit Methods and systems for conversion of binary data to residue data, and for conversion of residue data to binary data, allow fully extensible operation with related methods and systems for residue number based ALUs, processors and other hardware. In one or more embodiments, a residue to binary data converter apparatus comprises a mixed radix to fixed radix conversion apparatus. In one or more embodiments, a mixed radix converter apparatus assists internal processing of a related residue number based ALU, processor or other hardware.
US09311037B2	Image forming apparatus and image forming system An image forming apparatus includes: a communication unit that communicates with a print server, the print server providing, when the image forming apparatus is registered with the print server, a service of receiving and storing a print job for the image forming apparatus and sending the stored print job to the image forming apparatus, the communication unit receiving the print job sent from the print server; a printing unit that prints the print job received by the communication unit; a reception unit that receives an instruction to remove the registration of the image forming apparatus; and a controller that, when the reception unit receives the instruction, sends, via the communication unit to the print server, a request to send the print job, and then sends, via the communication unit to the print server, a request to remove the registration of the image forming apparatus from the print server.
US09311029B2	POS system, data processing device, and control method of a POS system A receipt printer sends print data received from a POS terminal and identification information of the receipt printer to a control server. The control server acquires layout information related to the identification information based on relation information linking the identification and layout information, and analyzes the print data by a method appropriate to the acquired layout information.
US09311028B2	Print job management apparatus A print job management apparatus includes a storage unit in which a plurality of print jobs are stored, a holding condition managing unit, and a print controlling unit. The holding condition managing unit determines whether any of the print jobs satisfy a holding condition. The print controlling unit transmits each print job that is determined to satisfy the holding condition through a communication unit to an image forming apparatus.
US09311022B2	System and method for improved communication in a storage network A system and method of improved communication in a storage network includes a storage node. The storage node includes a control unit and a plurality of local ports coupled to the control unit and configured to couple the storage node to a storage network. The control unit is configured to discover port addresses of other storage nodes in the storage network, select a first port pair including a first source port selected from the local ports and a first destination port selected from remote ports associated with the port addresses of a first one of the other storage nodes, open a first connection between the first source port and the first destination port, determine whether a less desirable notice associated with the first port pair is received, and when the less desirable notice is received, record the first port pair as being less desirable.
US09311016B2	Storage system capable of managing a plurality of snapshot families and method of operating thereof There is provided a storage system and a method of identifying delta-data therein between two points-in-time. The method comprises: generating successive snapshots Si and Si+1 corresponding to the two points-in-time; upon generating the snapshot Si+1, searching the cache memory for data blocks associated with snap_version=i, thereby yielding cached delta-metadata; searching the SF mapping data structure for destaged data blocks associated with snap_version=i, thereby yielding destaged delta-metadata; and joining the cached delta-metadata and the destaged delta-metadata, thereby yielding delta-metadata indicative of the delta-data between points-in-time corresponding to the successive snapshots with Snap_ID=i and Snap_ID=i+1. The method operates with no need in copying, destaging to a dedicated location and/or any other special handling of data that needs to be transmitted to the RS system.
US09311015B2	Storage system capable of managing a plurality of snapshot families and method of operating thereof There is provided a storage system comprising a control layer operable to manage a plurality of snapshot families, each family constituted by snapshot family members having hierarchical relations therebetween. The method of operating the storage system comprises searching a cache memory for an addressed data block corresponding to an addressed LBA and associated with an addressed snapshot family and an addressed SF member. In a case of missing the addressed data block in the cache memory, identifying in the cache memory all dirty data blocks corresponding to the addressed LBA and associated with the addressed snapshot family (candidate data blocks); identifying among SF members of the addressed snapshot family a destage owner, and in a case when the identified destage owner is associated with a candidate data block, reading from the cache memory such candidate data block.
US09311014B2	Storage system and methods of mapping addresses of snapshot families There is provided a storage system capable to maintain a snapshot family comprising a plurality of members having hierarchical relations therebetween, and a method of operating thereof. The method comprises generating a mapping data structure with mapping entries each comprising mappings for mapping a logical address range associated with the mapping entry into physical address ranges respectively correlated to representative members of the snapshot family; omitting mappings corresponding to omitted member(s) different from any of the one or more representative members sharing a respective range of physical addresses; responsive to an access request directed to a certain logical address range and a certain omitted member, determining, using a predefined rule related to the hierarchical and sequential relations between members of the snapshot family, a representative member from the one or more representative members; and responding to the access request by using a physical address range correlated to the representative member.
US09311012B2	Storage system and method for migrating the same The present invention provides a storage system capable of performing data migration without stopping the IO access from a host computer, without having to copy data in an external connection storage subsystem to a migration destination storage subsystem. A configuration information of a migration source volume in a migration source storage subsystem is migrated to the migration destination storage subsystem, and during migration, cache memories of the respective subsystems are used to duplicate and store write data from the host computer, and the migration destination storage subsystem reflects the write data to the external connection storage subsystem. Reading of data is also performed by the migration destination storage subsystem.
US09311008B2	System and method for performing system memory save in tiered/cached storage In accordance with the present disclosure, a system and method for performing a system memory save in tiered or cached storage during transition to a decreased power state is disclosed. As disclosed herein, the system incorporating aspects of the present invention may include a solid-state drive, volatile memory, and at least one alternate storage media. Upon transition to a decreased power state, at least some of the data in the solid-state drive may be transferred to the at least one alternate storage media. After the SSD data is transferred, data stored in volatile system memory, such as a system context, may be transferred to the SSD memory. With the system context saved in SSD memory, power to the volatile system memory may be turned off.
US09311007B2	Configuring registers into low power conditions An integrated circuit has registers which it can place in a low power condition in which their state is lost; a power domain capable of reading the registers, the current operating mode of the domain being dependent on the state of the registers; a memory; and a configuration controller for configuring the registers. The configuration controller has access to a set of mappings. Each mapping indicates for bits represented in the memory the state of other bits storable in the registers. The configuration controller is configured to perform a register configuration operation by reading bits from the memory and populating the registers with a corresponding bit state.
US09311003B2	Exposing proprietary data to a hypervisor as native hypervisor data Exposing a proprietary disk file to a hypervisor as a native hypervisor disk file. In one example embodiment, a method of exposing a proprietary disk file to a hypervisor as a native hypervisor disk file includes various acts. For example, the method includes identifying a proprietary disk file having a proprietary format. The method further includes creating a plugin file corresponding to the proprietary disk file. The method also includes intercepting read requests directed to the plugin file. The method further includes responding to each of the read requests with data gathered from the plugin file and/or the proprietary disk file, where the data is structured such that the data appears to be gathered from a native hypervisor disk file due to being formatted in a native format of the hypervisor.
US09311002B1	Systems, methods, and computer readable media for compressing data at a virtually provisioned storage entity Systems, methods, and computer readable media for accessing and compressing data at a virtually provisioned storage entity are disclosed. According to one aspect, a method includes receiving, at a data storage entity, an input/output (I/O) command to perform an operation on data associated with a logical block address (LBA) in a virtually provisioned device in the data storage entity, wherein the data storage entity has established an expanded private LBA space for the virtually provisioned device in the data storage entity to include both a compressed LBA space portion for storing compressed data and an associated uncompressed LBA space portion for storing uncompressed data. The method further includes determining if a data chunk containing the data in the uncompressed LBA space is available using the LBA in the I/O command to access the data chunk. If the data chunk in the uncompressed LBA space is available, the method includes performing the operation on the data chunk. If the data chunk in the uncompressed LBA space is not available, the method includes accessing the data chunk in the compressed LBA space using both the LBA and a predefined offset value and performing the operation on the data chunk.
US09311000B2	Method for displaying keypad for smart devices According to a method for displaying a keypad for a smart device of the present invention, a keypad can be displayed in a transparent or a translucent state by being overlapped with an output window displayed on a display module of a smart device such that both of an input window and the output window can be used over a wide area, and the transparency or color of the keypad periodically changes such that a user can check the keypad position which is displayed instantaneously, thereby enabling precise input operations without having to memorize all of the keypad positions and solving problems such as the confusion caused by overlapping the output window with the transparent keypad.
US09310987B2	Projections to fix pose of panoramic photos Aspects of the disclosure relate generally to adding or correcting orientation and/or location information for panoramic images. For example, some panoramic images may be associated with inaccurate orientation (or location) information or simply no orientation information at all. In this regard, a user may be provided with the ability to add or adjust the orientation of a panoramic image. The panoramic image can be projected onto a plane using stereographic projection and displayed relative to its location (and orientation, if available) on a map. This can allow a user to quickly identify inaccuracies and to make adjustments or corrections.
US09310982B1	Immersive content to enhance user media experience Content corresponding to a literary work, movie, audio presentation, or other media is provided to a computing device associated with a user. Immersive content related to the content may be communicated to a computing device and presented to the user at times when the content is not being consumed. The formatting, communicational modes, apparent source, subject matter, or other aspects of the immersive content may correspond to the preferences or other information provided by the user. In this way, user engagement with a story or other media may be stimulated or enhanced when the user is not actively consuming the primary content.
US09310977B2	Mobile presence detection Novel tools and techniques for collecting and using presence information. In accordance with some techniques, a presence detection device (“PDD”) at a customer premises and/or another computer (such as a control server) can identify and/or authenticate a user. Once identified and/or authenticated, the user's profiles and/or media content may be sent to the PDD, and/or access to the user's profiles and/or media content may be provided to the PDD.
US09310973B2	Adaptive user interface for image processing apparatus An image processer executes image processing. An interface unit provides a user interface which receives an operation relating to the image processing from users. A receiver receives user information by an input method selected by the user among a plurality of input methods that are different from each other. A controller executes, when the receiver receives an input of the user information, making at least one of a first determination of whether the user interface is to be provided and a second determination of which one of a plurality of user interfaces is to be provided, depending on the input method when the receiver receives the user information. The controller executes controlling the interface unit according to one of a result of the first determination and a result of the second determination.
US09310969B2	Method for presenting documents using a reading list panel A reading list panel is displayed as a sidebar window with respect to a main window of a content viewing application. In response to a first input, a first article representation of a first article associated with a presentation page displayed in the main window is listed in the reading list panel, where the first article representation includes information identifying the first article. In response to a selection of a second article representation from the reading list panel, content of a second article represented by the second article representation is presented in a reader mode within the main window.
US09310962B2	User interface in which object is assigned to data file and application A data processing technology provides improved convenience. A user interface unit assigns a first object to a data file and displays the object on a screen. The unit also assigns a second object to an application processing the data file and displaying the object on the screen. When an operation to allow the first object to affect the second object is accepted, a notifying unit notifies the application of the direction or speed of the operation. The operation determining unit determines an operation performed in processing the data file, based an the direction or speed.
US09310958B2	Dock for favorite applications Systems, methods and products are described that provide a dock for favorite applications. One aspect includes providing a dock point on a display device of an information handling device; responsive to user input associated with said dock point, launching a utility organizing a sub-set of user applications installed on said information handling device in a predetermined arrangement of launch points; providing an animated movement of said launch points in said utility responsive to user input; and responsive to user input selecting a launch point in said utility, launching an application associated with said launch point on the information handling device. Other embodiments are described.
US09310951B2	Charge distribution A processing system for an input device includes a receiver module and a charge distributor. The receiver module includes a first charge integrator coupled to a first sensor electrode and configured to integrate a charge on the first sensor electrode. The charge distributor includes a current conveyor and a plurality of output stages coupled to the current conveyor, wherein a first output stage of the plurality of output stages comprises a plurality of current mirrors and is configured to output a first scaled mirrored charge to offset the charge integrated by the first charge integrator, wherein the first scaled mirrored charge is based on a charge signal provided via the current conveyor.
US09310949B2	Touch-sensitive operating device for a motor vehicle and motor vehicle The invention relates to a touch-sensitive operating device (1) for a motor vehicle, having an actuation lever (2), in particular a steering column stalk, which has an elongate configuration, having a sensor arrangement comprising at least one touch-sensitive and/or proximity-sensitive sensor element (4) which is arranged on the actuation lever (2), and having an electronic evaluation device which is coupled to the at least one sensor element (4) and is configured to detect the at least one sensor element (4) being touched and/or the at least one sensor element (4) being approached. The evaluation device is configured to identify an operating gesture of an operator on the actuation lever on the basis of a combination of at least two detected touches on the sensor arrangement and/or approaches towards the sensor arrangement, and to trigger a predetermined operating function on the basis of the identified operating gesture.
US09310947B2	Display device A sense line drive circuit (24) (i) receives signals passing through capacitances and outputted via sense lines (SeL1, SeL2 . . . and SeLn) during a period other than a period during which image data is sequentially written to a plurality of pixels in a liquid crystal panel and (ii) detects where, in a plurality of portions where the sense lines (SeL1, SeL2 . . . and SeLn) and drive lines (DL2, DL2 . . . and DLn) are close to each other, a detection target is present.
US09310946B2	Capacitive-type touch control display A capacitive-type touch control display includes: a rear plate including a first polarizer sheet and a TFT array layer; a front plate including a color filter layer, a second polarizer sheet, an adhesive layer, a transparent touch sensor layer adhesively bonded to the second polarizer sheet through the adhesive layer, and a transparent hard coating layer formed on the touch sensor layer; a liquid crystal cell; and a housing including a main body and an end flange. The main body has an open end. The end flange extends inwardly and transversely from the open end, and defines a front window that exposes a touch sensing region of the touch sensor layer underneath the hard coating layer. The end flange covers a peripheral region of the touch sensor layer.
US09310944B2	Oncell single-layer touch sensor In one embodiment, a touch sensor includes multiple first electrodes along a first direction. Each of the first electrodes includes multiple first conductive regions. The touch sensor also includes multiple second electrodes along a second direction that is substantially perpendicular to the first direction. Each of the second electrodes includes one second conductive region. The one second conductive region of each of the second electrodes are interdigitated with one of the first conductive regions of each of the first electrodes. The first and second conductive regions are disposed on a layer on or within a display stack including one or more layers.
US09310943B1	Multi-stage stylus scanning A system comprises a processing device and a capacitive sense array that includes a plurality of electrodes. The system performs a first scan of a plurality of electrodes in a capacitive sense array to determine a position of a stylus. The system also performs one or more additional scans of subsets of the plurality of electrodes to determine additional positions of the stylus. The system may continually perform the additional scans on of the subsets of the plurality of electrodes until the stylus is no longer detected.
US09310938B2	Projector and method of controlling projector A projector controls a function in accordance with an operation of indicating a position if the operation is performed in a state in which an image is displayed. The projector projects an image on a screen based on a supply image supplied by an image source. The projector detects a position indicated on the screen using a position detector, and switches the projector between a first interactive mode and a second interactive mode based on the detected position, wherein when the first interactive mode is selected, an output switching section outputs the position information to a processing section of the projector, and when the second interactive mode is selected, the output switching section outputs the position information to an external device connected with the projector.
US09310936B2	Input device and electronic information board system An input device for inputting coordinates to a coordinate detector includes an operation detector to detect whether a coordinate input operation to the coordinate detector is conducted; a signal generation unit to generate an operation-in-progress signal indicating an operation is in progress when the operation detector detects the coordinate input operation; a signal outputting unit to output the operation-in-progress signal generated by the signal generation unit; and a light guide member to guide the operation-in-progress signal output by the signal outputting unit to an exit position.
US09310931B2	Dynamic cross-talk mitigation for integrated touch screens A touch input device configured to mitigate the effects of dynamic cross talk noise is provided. The touch input device can dither an effective resistance of a plurality of gate lines proximal to the touch sensor panel in order to determine if a phase of a touch signal demodulator needs to be adjusted.
US09310930B2	Selective scan of touch-sensitive area for passive or active touch or proximity input In certain embodiments, an apparatus includes a touch sensor that includes a touch-sensitive area and a touch-sensor controller. The touch-sensor controller is operable to: scan two or more electrodes within the touch-sensitive area to determine a first location associated with an object within the touch-sensitive area, predict, based on the first location and one or more metrics, two or more next locations associated with the object, select, based on a first next location of the two or more next locations, a first region within the touch-sensitive area, select, based on a second next location of the two or more next locations, a second region within the touch-sensitive area, and scan two or more electrodes within the first region and two or more electrodes within the second region to determine a second location associated with the object. The second region is at least partially different from the first region.
US09310923B2	Input device for touch sensitive devices A method for receiving data from an input device to a computing device through a touch interface. The method includes detecting an input device, synchronizing with the input device by receiving a position signal and activating an input device scan of the touch interface, receiving a data signal from the input device through at least one of a sense line or a drive line of the touch interface, and scanning the touch interface for a touch input by applying a stimulation signal to the at least one drive line and analyzing the at least one sense line.
US09310921B2	Screen control method and the apparatus Screen control methods and apparatus are provided. When it is determined that a touch control pressure value on a touch control screen exceeds a pre-set pressure threshold value to, a touch control operation by a finger on the touch control screen can be obtained. Corresponding to the touch control operation, a control instruction can be called according to a mapping relationship table that is pre-set. The mapping relationship table includes a mapping relationship between the touch control operation and the control instruction. The touch control screen can be controlled to display contents according to the control instruction.
US09310919B2	Adaptive thresholding for touch screen input An adaptive threshold approach is applied to detect true touch signals and filter out increased noise signals. More specifically, statistics regarding the signals from a touch screen are used to create a touch signal threshold that changes with the statistics of the touch signals. Accordingly, the threshold can automatically move higher in high noise situations and lower in low noise situations. So configured, fewer noise signals are erroneously interpreted as touches for the device associated with the touch screen.
US09310917B2	Dynamic cross-talk mitigation for integrated touch screens A touch input device configured to mitigate the effects of dynamic cross talk noise is provided. The touch input device can dither an effective resistance of a plurality of gate lines proximal to the touch sensor panel in order to determine if a phase of a touch signal demodulator needs to be adjusted.
US09310914B2	Driving device, electronic device, and drive control program A driving device includes a storage unit configured to store waveform data of driving signals for stopping excitation of an actuator at a sinusoidal wave of a resonance frequency of the actuator, at portions other than a center point of an amplitude of the sinusoidal wave; and a processor programmed to execute a process including reading the waveform data stored in the storage unit and outputting, to the actuator, the driving signals corresponding to the waveform data that has been read.
US09310902B2	Digital signs A method for pairing a control device with a digital sign is provided. The method includes receiving control device geometric attributes and digital sign geometric attributes, determining a digital sign identification based on the control device geometric attributes and the digital sign geometric attributes, and transmitting the digital sign identification to the control device. The control device geometric attributes may define geometric attributes of the control device. The digital sign geometric attributes may define geometric attributes of the digital sign that the control device is attempting to control. The digital sign identification may define the digital sign that the control device.
US09310901B2	Detecting a user input with an input device An input device and methods for detecting user input using an input device. An example input device includes a multi-touch sensing display configured to detect multiple simultaneous triggers on a surface of the multi-touch sensing display as distinct input events. The input device also includes at least one mechanical control element arranged on the surface of the multi-touch sensing display. The at least one mechanical control element is configured to generate an input event. The input event is detected by the multi-touch sensing display in response to actuation of the at least one mechanical control element.
US09310898B2	Method of controlling touch screen with input pen and electronic device thereof A method of an electronic device is provided according to various example embodiments of the present invention. The method includes confirming state information of an input pen placed on a touch screen, and performing at least one function corresponding to the confirmed state information.
US09310895B2	Touchless input A series of depth maps image a scene. Each depth map includes a plurality of pixels, where each pixel defines a depth of a surface imaged by that pixel. A set of nonstatic pixels having a shallowest depth within the series of depth maps is identified. The position of this set of nonstatic pixels is mapped to a cursor position.
US09310894B2	Processing operation signals from a pointing device and/or an input device A position indicated on a predetermined plane is calculated based on a first operation signal output from a pointing device, and it is determined whether or not the indicated position has moved from out of a predetermined area on the plane into the predetermined area. When a result of the determination is positive in a state where a second operation signal is used for information processing, operation signals used for the information processing are switched from the second operation signal to the first operation signal.
US09310892B2	Object information derived from object images Search terms are derived automatically from images captured by a camera equipped cell phone, PDA, or other image capturing device, submitted to a search engine to obtain information of interest, and at least a portion of the resulting information is transmitted back locally to, or nearby, the device that captured the image.
US09310870B2	Network appliance with power conditioning A network appliance apparatus conveys communication signals over a communication network and is constructed from a communication circuit and a power conditioning circuit in a common housing. The power conditioning circuit conditions alternating current (AC) electrical power and it is determined which power criteria are met by the conditioned electrical power. The conditioned electrical power is selectively provided to the communication circuit in response to one of the power criteria being met such that the conditioned electrical power is removed from the communication circuit when another of the power criteria is met.
US09310861B2	Robust cable-type detection for USB power delivery A system and method for detecting a USB cable-type. A USB PD device configured at a near end of a USB cable is configured to (i) receive and process a signal from a device at a far end of the USB cable to determine a power rating of the USB cable and (ii) adjustably establish power delivered by the first device to the USB cable as a function of the determined USB cable power rating.
US09310858B2	Heat dissipating module with enhanced heat dissipation efficiency and electronic device therewith A heat dissipating module includes a main body, a heat dissipating unit and at least one resilient engaging unit. A side of the heat dissipating unit is connected to the main body and the other side of the heat dissipating unit contacts against at least one heat component. An end of the at least one resilient engaging unit is connected to a side of the main body and the other end of the at least one resilient engaging unit engages with a side of a fastening base. The at least one resilient engaging unit is for resiliently pressing the main body so that the dissipating unit contacts with the at least one heat component closely.
US09310856B2	Computer cabinets having progressive air velocity cooling systems and associated methods of manufacture and use Computer cabinets, such as supercomputer cabinets, having progressive air velocity cooling systems are described herein. In one embodiment, a computer cabinet includes an air mover positioned beneath a plurality of computer module compartments. The computer module compartments can be arranged in tiers with the computer modules in each successive tier being positioned closer together than the computer modules in the tier directly below. The computer cabinet can also include one or more shrouds, flow restrictors, and/or sidewalls that further control the direction and/or speed of the cooling air flow through the cabinet.
US09310836B2	Resin-encapsulated portable media device Portable multimedia devices, and techniques for their manufacture, are provided that feature functional parts embedded with a resin matrix that obviates the need for traditional structural components such as midframes and/or outer casings. The resin matrix may be provided through the use of a flowable liquid resin that is flowed around the functional components within a mold cavity. The liquid resin may then be cured into the resin matrix.
US09310834B2	Full screen mode Systems for, and methods of, dual screen smartphones are described herein. The dual screens are hingedly coupled and can be rotated into an open position forming one contiguous screen. A processor is configured to dismiss any action bar or status bar in response to a prompt thereby maximizing media across the entirety of any of the dual screens or contiguous screen formed by their intersection. An overlay command presented by the processor allows a user to minimize, tile, zoom, pan or dismiss the media when it is maximized.
US09310825B2	Stable voltage reference circuits with compensation for non-negligible input current and methods thereof A voltage reference circuit includes three or more current mirrors, an operational amplifier, a voltage buffer, two or more diodes, and one or more resistors. The operational amplifier has two inputs separately coupled to an output of two of the three or more current mirrors and an output coupled to the three current mirrors. The voltage buffer has an input coupled to an output of the other one of the three or more current mirrors and another input coupled to an output of the voltage buffer. Each of the diodes is coupled between the output of the two of the three or more current mirrors and one of ground and a negative supply. The one or more resistors are coupled to an output of one or more of the three or more current mirrors to tune effects of input current and establish a first set absolute voltage and temperature coefficient on a voltage reference.
US09310821B2	Method for obtaining information enabling the determination of a characteristic of a power source An apparatus for obtaining information enabling a characteristic like determination of maximum power point of a power source, the apparatus including at least an inductor and a capacitor, the information enabling the determination of the characteristic of the power source being obtained by monitoring the voltage charge of the capacitor, and a mechanism discharging the capacitor through the inductor prior to the monitoring of the charge of the capacitor.
US09310812B2	Multi-stage pressure regulator and method for fluid pressure regulation A multi-stage fluid pressure regulator, including a first stage valve arranged to open and close a fluid flow path to control flow of fluid through the valve, a first stage piston arranged for movement to open and close the first stage valve, the piston having an inner side and an outer side, a gas delivery conduit having a proximal end attached to the first stage piston and a distal end extending away from the first stage piston, the gas delivery conduit having a passage in fluid communication with the inner side of the first stage piston, and a second stage valve in fluid communication with the gas delivery conduit, the second stage valve including a second valve chamber into which the distal end of the gas delivery conduit is positioned.
US09310810B2	Adjustable damping valve device An adjustable damping valve device (27), in particular for a vibration damper, comprises a first valve (47) and an emergency operation valve (61), both of which are actuated by magnetic force. The emergency operation has a valve body (61) which is preloaded in a closed position by at least one valve spring. A pressure-relief valve (85) is connected hydraulically in parallel with the emergency operation valve (61) so that the damping force is determined by the pressure-relief valve (85) when the emergency operation valve (61) is closed. The pressure-relief valve (85) is arranged in the valve body (63) of the emergency operation valve.
US09310809B2	Systems and methods for collaboratively controlling at least one aircraft An unmanned vehicle management system includes an unmanned aircraft system (UAS) control station controlling one or more unmanned vehicles (UV), a collaborative routing system, and a communication network connecting the UAS and the collaborative routing system. The collaborative routing system being configured to receive flight parameters from an operator of the UAS control station and, based on the received flight parameters, automatically present the UAS control station with flight plan options to enable the operator to operate the UV in a defined airspace.
US09310807B2	Method and system for creating indoor environment map A method of creating an indoor environment map includes acquiring encoded position information by detecting revolutions of wheels when a mobile unit travels using encoders to predict a position of the mobile unit based on the encoded position information, acquiring a measured distance from the mobile unit to an object existing in a surrounding environment using the distance measuring sensor, predicting a position of the mobile unit to be moved, estimating a distance from the mobile unit to the object at the predicted position of the mobile unit, determining whether the estimated distance is matched with the measured distance, correcting the predicted position of the mobile unit to estimate a position of the mobile unit to be moved by the matching of the predicted position with the measured position, and creating the indoor environment map using the corrected position and the measured distance.
US09310805B2	Method and system for maneuvering a mobile mining machine in a tunnel and a mobile mining machine Method of maneuvering a mobile mining machine including two or more self steered and optionally self propelled interconnected units being connected as train units over a respective articulating joint, said mobile mining machine having a forward and a backward direction, wherein in a tunnel following mode the method includes: producing a set of first signals representative of sideward distances between at least one side of the mobile mining machine and a respective nearby wall of said tunnel, and—evaluating said set of first signals so as to determine a sideways position of the mobile mining machine in respect of the walls of said tunnel during driving, and—producing steering commands to be sent to a propulsion arrangement in order to maintain a position of the mobile mining machine to ensure clearance to tunnel walls during driving. The invention also relates to a system and a mobile mining machine.
US09310802B1	Multi-operator, multi-robot control system with automatic vehicle selection A method of controlling a plurality of robotic vehicles may involve the steps of: Determining a state of each of the plurality of robotic vehicles; assigning a robotic vehicle to an operator in response to a Binding command from the operator; allowing the operator to command the assigned robotic vehicle to perform a mission; and releasing the assigned robotic vehicle in response to an Unbinding command from the operator.
US09310799B2	Numerical controller having function of operation based on table format data A numerical controller using table format data, the numerical controller including a memory which stores table format data, in which time or a position of a spindle or feed shaft serving as a reference is arranged so as to correspond to a position of a spindle or feed shaft other than the spindle or feed shaft of which position serves as a reference or an output of an auxiliary function, a reference value counter which inputs the time or the position of the spindle or feed shaft serving as a reference, wherein the position of the spindle or feed shaft other than the spindle or feed shaft of which position serves as a reference or the output of the auxiliary function is controlled.
US09310796B2	Multi-driver control method and apparatus thereof A multi-driver control method and an apparatus thereof are disclosed in the present invention. The multi-axis control method comprises the following steps: providing a set of control curves, each curve of the set of control curves controls a driver respectively; dividing the curves by a set time period; sending the divided curves in the same time period to the corresponding drivers in one time period, and sending a unified beat signal to all the drivers in order to synchronize execution time of all the drivers; fitting and restoring a programmed motion curve of each driver according to all received divided control curves; taking points at each driver's own programmed motion curve, which is restored locally, of each driver to control the rotation of each driver's own motor.
US09310789B2	Component verification method and component verification system A component verification method includes a component ID reading process of reading a component ID corresponding to a stored component of a subsequent tape, a tape insertion detecting process of detecting that the subsequent tape has been inserted into a tape feeder, a feeder specifying process of specifying a tape feeder in which the insertion of the subsequent tape has been detected, a component verifying process of verifying whether or not a correspondence relationship between the read component ID and the specified tape feeder is correct, and a re-verification requesting process of requesting re-execution of the verification to a worker if it is detected that the subsequent tape has fallen from the tape feeder after the component verifying process.
US09310788B2	Pulse width modulated outputs for an output module in an industrial controller An output module for an industrial controller configurable to simplify setup and commissioning is disclosed. The output module includes configurable PWM outputs that may be scheduled to start at different times within the PWM period, that may be configured to generate a fixed number of PWM pulses, and that may have an extendable PWM period. The output terminals are configurable to enter a first state upon generation of a fault and further configurable to enter a second state after a configurable time delay following the fault being generated. The output module may receive inputs signals directly from another module and set output signals at the terminals responsive to these signals.
US09310769B2	Coarse integral holographic display A holographic display system for generating a super hologram with full parallax in different fields of view in the horizontal and vertical directions. The system includes an array of holographic display devices, e.g., spatial light modulators (SLMs), operable to provide a plurality of holographic images of a scene from differing viewpoints of the scene. Each SLM is operated concurrently to output a narrow field of view, elemental hologram. The system includes coarse integral optics combining the holographic images into a single hologram (“super hologram”) viewable in a hologram image plane a distance from the course integral optics. The coarse integral optics combine the holographic images by providing angular tiling of the holographic images, e.g., bending the axes of parallel lenses. In this manner, the field of view, in one direction, of the super hologram is based on the number of holographic display devices provided in the array in one direction.
US09310758B2	Image forming apparatus An image forming apparatus in which a cartridge including an image bearing member is detachably mountable to a main assembly thereof includes a cartridge mounting portion, a transfer device contactable to the image bearing member, a feeding mechanism, and a guiding member. The guiding member is movable between a first position where the image bearing member and the transfer device are spaced from each other when the cartridge is in the cartridge mounting portion and a second position where when the cartridge is in the cartridge mounting portion, the image bearing member and the transfer device are permitted to contact each other and the recording material is guided toward the downstream side with respect to the feeding direction. When the guiding member is in the first position, the guiding member is positioned between the transfer device and the cartridge and covers the transfer device.
US09310756B2	Image forming apparatus and main assembly of the image forming apparatus An image forming apparatus includes a main assembly provided with an opening through which a cartridge is to be mounted, an openable member movable between a closed position and an open position, and a cartridge, including a portion-to-be-urged, detachably mountable to the main assembly in a mounting completion position. When the openable member is open, a supporting surface is capable of guiding the cartridge to the opening, and during a closing operation, an urging portion and the portion-to-be-urged contact each other to push the cartridge toward the mounting completion position. When the openable member is in the closed position, a spacing is provided between the recessed portion and the portion-to-be-urged. The cartridge is a process cartridge having a photosensitive member unit and a developing device unit including the portion-to-be-urged.
US09310755B2	Belt and drawer configuration for an image forming apparatus An image forming apparatus has a plurality of photoconductive drums, a drawer configured to be movable with holding the plurality of photoconductive drums, a pair of frames arranged on both sides of the photoconductive drums. The frames have first supporting parts configured to movably support the drawer, a belt unit having an endless belt and a plurality of transfer members, first contacting parts respectively provided to the pair of frames, the first contacting parts contacting contacted parts provided to the drawer to position the drawer with respect to the pair of frames, and second contacting parts provided to the drawer, the second contacting part contacting second contacted parts provided to the belt unit to position the belt unit with respect to the drawer.
US09310751B2	Blade member, image forming apparatus and process cartridge A blade includes an elastic member including a tip ridgeline to contact the surface of a member to contact. The tip ridgeline includes an impregnation layer impregnated with a cured compound comprising an acrylate or methacrylate compound having an alicyclic structure including 6 or more carbon atoms in its molecule, and has an elastic power in the range of 50% to 80%.
US09310747B2	Gear transmission device and image forming apparatus including the same A gear transmission device includes a first external gear driven by a drive motor attached to a first side of a frame and a first internal gear driven by the first external gear. The first internal gear includes an outer cylinder portion, an end plate, an annular opening, and an inner cylinder portion including a shaft hole. The outer cylinder portion includes internal teeth formed on an inner circumferential surface thereof. The inner cylinder portion is formed concentrically inside the outer cylinder portion. The end plate connects the outer cylinder portion, the inner cylinder portion, and the shaft hole at one end in an axial direction. In a state in which the annular opening faces a second side of the frame opposite the first side thereof, the first external gear is inserted to the annular opening to mesh with the internal teeth of the outer cylinder portion.
US09310744B1	Image forming apparatus and method for correcting color misregistration by the same An image forming apparatus is provided to correct color misregistration and includes an image correcting unit. A toner density adjustment patch image forming section forms toner density adjustment patch images, and a toner density adjustment patch image misalignment measuring section measures amounts of misalignment of the images. Then, a color-misregistration correction patch image forming section forms color-misregistration correction patch images on a transfer member. A color-misregistration correcting section measures amounts of misalignment of the color-misregistration correction patch images to correct the color misregistration. The control unit controls the color-misregistration correction patch image forming section to change color-misregistration correction patch images to be formed in accordance with the amounts of misalignment of the toner density adjustment patch images measured by the toner density adjustment patch image misalignment measuring section.
US09310731B2	Image heating apparatus An image heating apparatus, to heat an image formed on a recording material includes a cylindrical rotatable member having a conductive layer, a coil having a helically shaped portion which is helically wound in a generatrix direction of the rotatable member inside the rotatable member, and a magnetic core disposed inside the helically shaped portion. The coil, which includes a number of turns, produces an alternating magnetic field to cause the conductive layer to generate heat by electromagnetic induction. The magnetic core includes a plurality of divided cores into which the magnetic core is divided in the generatrix direction. The number of turns of the coil per unit length, at a region that corresponds to a boundary between the plurality of divided cores, is larger than the number of turns of the coil at a region that corresponds to the plurality of divided cores.
US09310715B2	Developing device and image forming apparatus A developing device includes a developer bearer, a development casing in which a developer conveyance channel is formed facing the developer bearer through a communicating area, a developer supply member disposed in the developer conveyance channel, a developer regulator disposed facing a lower portion of the developer bearer to adjust an amount of developer carried on the developer bearer, and a sheet member that is removably installed to seal the communicating area and passes through a gap between the developer regulator and the developer bearer and an opening formed in the development casing. A first end of the sheet member is retained downstream from the gap in a direction of rotation of the developer bearer, and the sheet member is fixed to the development casing at a position across the communicating area from the first end with a second end positioned outside the development casing.
US09310706B2	Image forming apparatus Test patches are formed such that lengths of the test patches in a rotational direction of the intermediate transfer member are shorter than a length of the intermediate transfer member from a primary transfer portion located in the lowermost stream among the plurality of primary transfer portions to the secondary transfer portion.
US09310696B2	Projection optical system, exposure apparatus, and exposure method An immersion projection optical system having, for example, a catadioptric and off-axis structure, reduces the portion of an image space filled with liquid (immersion liquid). The projection optical system, which projects a reduced image of a first plane onto a second plane through the liquid, includes a refractive optical element (Lp) arranged nearest to the second plane. The refractive optical element includes a light emitting surface (Lpb) shaped to be substantially symmetric with respect to two axial directions (XY-axes) perpendicular to each other on the second plane. The light emitting surface has a central axis (Lpba) that substantially coincides with a central axis (40a) of a circle (40) corresponding to a circumference of a light entering surface (Lpa) of the refractive optical element. The central axis of the light emitting surface is decentered in one of the two axial directions (Y-axis) from an optical axis (AX).
US09310693B2	Method for operating a projection exposure tool and control apparatus A method for operating a projection exposure tool for microlithography is provided. The projection exposure tool includes an optical system which includes a number of optical elements which, during an imaging process, convey electromagnetic radiation. All of the surfaces of the optical elements interact with the electromagnetic radiation during the imaging process to form an overall optical surface of the optical system. The method includes: determining respective individual thermal expansion coefficients at least two different locations of the overall optical surface; calculating a change to an optical property of the optical system brought about by heat emission of the electromagnetic radiation (during the imaging process upon the basis of the thermal expansion coefficients; and imaging mask structures into an image plane via the projection exposure tool with adaptation of the imaging characteristics of the projection exposure tool so that the calculated change to the optical property is at least partially compensated.
US09310670B2	Projector and dimming method With the purpose of controlling a light source to appropriately reduce the brightness of reflected light at the time of starting projection according to the conditions under which a projector is being used, the projector includes a solid-state light source unit that emits light, a power supply unit that supplies driving electric power to the solid-state light source unit, an image display device that modulates the light emitted from the solid-state light source unit according to an image signal and that projects the modulated light onto a projection surface, and a detection unit that detects the intensity of the ambient light of the projection surface.
US09310666B2	Optical image stabilizing apparatus and photographing apparatus having the same An optical image-stabilizing apparatus includes: an optical image-stabilizing unit including a movement frame and a support frame supporting the movement frame to be movable in a direction perpendicular to an optical axis; and a locking unit capable of locking the movement frame to not be moved in the direction perpendicular to the optical axis, wherein the locking unit includes: a locking barrel movable in a direction parallel to the optical axis and configured to limit movement of the movement frame according to a position in the direction parallel to the optical axis; a driving barrel rotatable and configured to transfer a driving force to the locking barrel so that the locking barrel is moved in the direction parallel to the optical axis; and a guide barrel between the locking barrel and the driving barrel and including rectilinear guide portions that extend in the direction parallel to the optical axis so that the locking barrel is moved in the direction parallel to the optical axis.
US09310656B2	Method for manufacturing display element, manufacturing apparatus of display element and display device A manufacturing apparatus of display element which forms highly reliable drive circuits or thin-film transistors on a flexible substrate, a manufacturing method, and a highly reliable display element are provided. A display element (50) includes a flexible substrate (FB), a first partition wall and second partition wall (BA) formed by pressing the flexible substrate, a lyophobic surface (PJ) formed on surfaces of the first partition wall and the second partition wall, and electrodes (S, P) formed by applying droplets onto a groove portion formed between the first partition wall and second partition wall. It is also possible for a lyophilic surface to be formed on the surface of the groove portion (GR) between the first partition wall and second partition wall (BA).
US09310655B2	Apparatus for fabricating a flat panel display device and method thereof An apparatus and method for fabricating a flat panel display device are discussed. According to an embodiment, the apparatus includes a coating line configured to form a transparent conductive metal layer on a substrate, a blackening line configured to blacken the transparent conductive metal layer, an exposure line configured to expose the blackened metal layer, a developing line configured to receive the exposed substrate having the blackened metal layer and to perform development on the received substrate to form a blackened metal pattern on the substrate, and an annealing line configured to perform annealing on the blackened metal pattern on the substrate to restore the blackened metal pattern to a transparent metal pattern.
US09310646B2	Display device A display device includes a display panel, a backlight unit disposed at the back of the display panel, and a back cover disposed at the back of the backlight unit, wherein the backlight unit including a base layer, a plurality of substrates disposed on the base layer and separated from each other, and light sources disposed on the substrates.
US09310645B2	Light source assembly, display apparatus having the same and method of manufacturing the same A light source assembly includes a substrate extending in a first direction, and a plurality of light source parts arranged in the first direction. The light source part includes a light source disposed on the substrate to generate light, a first reflecting element disposed on the substrate and having a first opening which exposes the light source, a second reflecting element disposed on a first reflecting element and having a second opening which exposes the light source, the second reflecting element being smaller than the first reflecting element in a plan view, and a lens disposed on the light source and the second reflecting element to diffuse the light from the light source.
US09310640B2	Display device Embodiments of the present invention relate to a display device, and the display device, comprising: a display panel, comprising a display region and a peripheral region around the display region; and an optical module, disposed on a light-exiting side of the display panel, the optical module configured to shift light emitted from the display panel towards edges of the display panel so as to make a part of the light shift into the peripheral region and emit from the peripheral region.
US09310631B1	Acoustic absorber having a roughened surface for AO devices An acousto-optic (AO) device includes an AO crystal having a plurality of faces including a first face and a second face. An input transducer bonded to the first face (top electrode) for receiving a radio frequency (RF) signal and launching bulk acoustic waves (BAWs) configured to interact with an optical beam propagating in the AO crystal, wherein the BAWs are received at least in part by the second face after interacting with the optical beam. The second face has a roughened surface portion over an area of at least (≧) 50% of an area of the top electrode, and a root mean square (rms) surface roughness≧1 μm and a surface profile derivable from a Fourier transform which provides at least one a first spatial frequency peak from 1 cycle/mm to 300 cycles/mm or at least one band of spatial frequency peaks from 1 cycle/mm to 300 cycles/mm.
US09310627B2	Contact lens with a hydrophilic layer Embodiments of the technology relate to a contact lens having a core that is coated by a hydrogel layer, and to methods of making such a lens. The coated lens can include a rigid gas permeable contact lens. The coated lens can also include a hybrid silicone and rigid gas permeable contact lens. In one aspect, embodiments provide for a coated contact lens comprising a lens core with a water equilibrium constant of less than about 2% comprising an outer surface; and a hydrogel layer covalently attached to at least a portion of the outer surface, the hydrogel layer adapted to contact an ophthalmic surface, wherein the hydrogel layer comprises a hydrophilic polymer population of one or more species.
US09310624B2	Refractive-diffractive ophthalmic device and compositions useful for producing same A multifocal ophthalmic device is disclosed, wherein the lens body comprises a curcuminoid compound as a UV-light stabilizer, and/or a co-polymeric composition which is derived from a pre-polymerization mixture of defined monomers. The lens body of the multifocal ophthalmic device is being formed with a plurality of concentric annular zones, which effect both diffraction and refraction of incident light, and which are separated by slanted steps that are substantially devoid of any diffractive or refractive power.
US09310623B2	Collapsible eyeglass apparatus An eyeglass apparatus comprises left and right eyeglass portions and a link. The link is configured to permit the eyeglass apparatus to transition between an extended configuration and a collapsed configuration. In the extended configuration, the eyeglass apparatus is adapted to be worn by a user in a conventional eyeglass wearing orientation. In the collapsed configuration: an inwardly facing lens face of one of left and right lenses faces an outwardly facing lens face of the other of the left and right lenses; a medial edge portion of the left lens is closer to a medial edge portion of the right lens than to a lateral edge portion of the right lens; and the lateral edge portion of the left lens is closer to the lateral edge portion of the right lens than to the medial edge portion of the right lens.
US09310615B2	Sun-blocking and privacy hood Described is a sun-blocking hood for an electronic device in which the hood or shade includes a left, right, top, and back panel that may be various configured so as to fully collapse the hood or fully construct the hood so as to provide privacy and shading to the display of an electronic device. The hood is height adjustable, via side extenders that are attached to the top panel and that overlap the left or right panels. In the collapsed position, the hood may be attached to the electronic device so as to provide protection to the outside of the electronic device.
US09310613B2	Mobile wireless display for accessing data from a host and method for controlling An apparatus includes a monocular display with a wireless communications interface, a user input device, a transmitter, and a controller. The monocular display is positioned relative to the user's eye to display images to the user while occluding less than half of the user's maximum viewing space. The apparatus can incorporate a wireless communication controller that not only provides a video link to a host device, but also provides for control and management of a host device and other more devices. In this context, a host device may be any appropriate device that sources audio, video, text, office functionality and other information, such as a cell phone, personal computer, laptop, media player, and/or the like. The apparatus and the host may support Microsoft Windows SideShow, Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP), and Virtual Network Computing (VNC).
US09310605B2	Method of fabricating a display apparatus A display apparatus includes a first substrate and a second substrate. The first substrate includes a light shielding layer including a first opening which transmits a light. The second substrate includes a shutter including a second opening which corresponds to the first opening, and a first flexible electrode part which is connected to one end of the shutter and transmits or blocks the light by moving the shutter. The first flexible electrode part includes a first flexible electrode, a second flexible electrode, and an insulation pattern. The insulation pattern insulates the first flexible electrode and the second flexible electrode from each other, and exposes upper and lower surfaces of the first flexible electrode and the second flexible electrode which are parallel to the second substrate, by covering portions of the first flexible electrode and the second flexible electrode.
US09310602B1	Color electrowetting display having high resolution monochrome mode The subject matter disclosed herein relates to an electrowetting display comprising pixels that include colored subpixels that comprise: a colored reflective layer on a support plate; an electrode; a hydrophobic layer; and a liquid region including an electrolyte, and dark electrowetting oil and white electrowetting oil both being immiscible with the electrolyte. A coverage area of the dark electrowetting oil on the hydrophobic layer and a coverage area of the white electrowetting oil on the hydrophobic layer are individually electronically adjustable to affect light transmission to the colored reflective material.
US09310601B1	System and method for converting between Keplerian and Galilean telescope magnification A system including a first refractive lens doublet comprising a first fixed focal length lens and a first liquid-based lens, the first liquid-based lens responsive to transition between a convex configuration and a concave configuration when electronically actuated, and a second refractive lens doublet comprising a second fixed focal length lens and a second liquid-based lens, the second liquid-based lens responsive to transition from a convex configuration to a concave configuration when electronically actuated. A focal length of the first liquid-based lens and a focal length of the second liquid-based lens are switched between a positive focal length and a negative focal length when electronically actuated to provide a net focal length to produce a varied collimated magnification of light.
US09310595B2	Super-resolution microscope A super-resolution microscope comprises: an illumination optical system that condenses a first illumination light beam for exciting the molecule from a stable state to a first quantum state and a second illumination light beam for further transitioning the molecule onto a sample in a manner that the first and the second illumination light beams are partially overlapped; a scanning section that scans the sample by relatively displacing the first and the second illumination light beams and the sample; a detection section that detects an optical response signal emitted from the sample; and a phase plate that is arranged in the illumination optical system and has M surface areas for modulating the phase of the second illumination light beam, wherein the phase plate comprises a monolayer optical thin film with M surface areas formed on an optical substrate with a thickness that satisfies the predetermined conditional expression.
US09310594B2	Optical lens and light source module having the same A light source module includes a light source and an optical lens facing the light source. The optical lens includes a light incident face facing the light source, a light emitting face opposite to the light incident face, and a connecting face connecting the light incident face and the light emitting face. The connecting face is planar. The light emitting face includes a lateral face extending upwardly from an outer periphery of the connecting face and a top face located above the light incident face. The top face of the light emitting face comprises a center curved facet and a periphery curved facet surrounding and extending outwardly from the center curved facet. The light incident face is a discontinuous face and includes a plurality of curved facets.
US09310592B2	Zoom lens and image pickup apparatus including the same A zoom lens includes, in order from an object side: a positive first lens unit that does not move for zooming and comprises a negative first sub-lens unit, a positive second sub-lens unit that moves during adjustment of a focal point, and a positive third sub-lens unit composed of at least one negative lens, and at least two positive lenses; a lens group including at least two lens units that move during zooming; an aperture stop; and a positive last lens unit that does not move for zooming. Focal lengths of the first lens unit, the first sub-lens unit, and the zoom lens at a wide angle end, imaging magnification of the last lens unit, average values of an Abbe constant for d-line of the at least one negative lens and of the at least two positive lenses are appropriately set.
US09310587B2	Photographing optical lens assembly, imaging device and mobile terminal A photographing optical lens assembly comprises, in order from an object side to an image side: a first lens element, a second lens element, a third lens element, a fourth lens element and a fifth lens element. The first lens element with refractive power has a concave object-side surface in a paraxial region. The second lens element has refractive power. The third lens element has refractive power. The fourth lens element with negative refractive power has an object-side and an image-side surfaces both being aspheric. The fifth lens element with refractive power has an aspheric object-side surface and an aspheric image-side surface being concave in a paraxial region with at least one inflection point. The photographing optical lens assembly has a total of five lens elements with refractive power.
US09310585B2	Lens module There is provided a lens module including: a first lens having positive refractive power; a second lens having refractive power, an image-side surface thereof being concave; a third lens having positive refractive power; a fourth lens having negative refractive power, an object-side surface thereof being convex; and a fifth lens having refractive power and having one or more inflection point formed on at least one of an object-side surface and an image-side surface thereof, wherein the first, second, third, fourth and fifth lenses are disposed in a sequential order from the first lens to the fifth lens.
US09310583B2	Camera module An exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes a support unit, at least two or more connection units extended from the support unit, a lens coupling unit connected to each of the connection units, formed at an inner surface with a window and coupled to at least one or more sheets of lenses, and a piezoelectric driving unit formed at each of the connection units for ascending or descending the connection units and the lens coupling unit.
US09310580B2	Method and spacer for assembling flexible optical waveguide ribbons, and assembled stack of such ribbons A method and spacer for assembling flexible optical waveguide ribbons and assembled stack of such ribbons. The method includes the steps of: providing at least two optical waveguide ribbons and a spacer, which includes at least two calibrated spaces; positioning a ribbon stack in the spacer, where the ribbon stack includes the at least two optical waveguide ribbons stacked on top of each other; constraining positioned ribbon stack in one of the calibrated spaces; and fixing constrained ribbon stack in the calibrated spaces.
US09310576B1	Integrated circuit having redundant optical signal paths and method of creating same Various embodiments include an integrated circuit having: at least one waveguide disposed in a low refractive index layer; a splitter connected to the at least one waveguide, the splitter consisting of at least two signal paths; an optical signal detector connected to an end of each of the at least two signal paths; and an electrical disconnect member connected to each optical signal detector.
US09310572B2	Cable bend relief for fiber optic sub-assemblies and methods of assembling Fiber optic cable sub-assemblies having an end cap device with an internal bend relief are disclosed. In one embodiment, the fiber optic cable sub-assembly has at least one optical fiber of a fiber optic cable attached to a circuit board with the end cap device providing strain relief to the fiber optic cable. The circuit board includes an active optical component in operable communication with the optical fiber for forming an active optical cable (AOC) assembly. Additionally, a strain relief device may be used for attaching an end portion of the fiber optic cable to the circuit board, thereby forming the cable sub-assembly. Methods of assembling the fiber optic cable sub-assembly are also.
US09310566B2	Optical waveguides An optical waveguide (2) arranged to transmit light under total internal reflection has a first diffractive grating region (8) arranged to receive light and diffract the received light along the optical waveguide (2), an intermediate diffraction grating (10) optically coupled to the first diffractive grating region (8) arranged to expand received light in a first dimension and a second diffractive grating region (9) optically coupled to the intermediate diffraction grating (10) arranged to expand light in a second dimension, orthogonal to the first dimension and to output the light expanded in the first and second dimensions from the optical waveguide (2) by diffraction. The first and second diffractive grating regions (8,9) are fabricated as a common grating whereas the second grating is fabricated above the common grating in an area where the common grating is erased by a coating.
US09310556B1	Photonic waveguide choke joint with non-absorptive loading A waveguide choke joint includes a first array of pillars positioned on a substrate, each pillar in the first array of pillars having a first size and configured to receive an input plane wave at a first end of the choke joint. The choke joint has a second end configured to transmit the input plane wave away from the choke joint. The choke joint further includes a second array of pillars positioned on the substrate between the first array of pillars and the second end of the choke joint. Each pillar in the second array of pillars has a second size. The choke joint also has a third array of pillars positioned on the substrate between the second array and the second end of the choke joint. Each pillar in the third array of pillars has a third size.
US09310555B2	Mode size converters and methods of fabricating the same One aspect of the invention provides a method of fabricating a mode size converter. The method includes: exposing a photoresist-coated substrate to varying doses of light exposure to produce a profile in the photoresist of a beam mode size converter; and etching the photoresist-coated substrate to remove an equal thickness of the photoresist and substrate. The beam mode sized converter includes: a first surface having a first surface height and a first surface width; a second surface opposite the first surface, the second surface having a second surface height different than the first surface height and a second surface width different than the first surface width; and one or more boundary surfaces connecting the first surface and second surfaces.
US09310551B2	Illumination device having viscoelastic lightguide Illumination device having a viscoelastic lightguide and a flexible light source is described. The flexible light source includes a plurality of electrically inter-connected light emitting diodes disposed on a flexible mat and optically coupled to the viscoelastic lightguide.
US09310549B2	Backlight module and display device The present disclosure provides a backlight module and a display device. The backlight module includes a light guide plate; an optical sheet arranged on one side of the light guide plate and provided with a first positioning part at an edge position of the optical sheet; and a mold frame arranged on the periphery of the light guide plate, wherein the mold frame includes at least a coverage part, which is located at one side of the optical sheet far away from the light guide plate and covers the edge position of the optical sheet, and a second positioning part used for coordinating with the first positioning part to realize positioning of the optical sheet is arranged on a surface of the coverage part facing the optical sheet.
US09310548B2	Liquid crystal display device A liquid crystal display device includes a liquid crystal display panel and a backlight device. The backlight device includes: a light guide for emitting a planar light beam, a first optical sheet disposed on a back side of the light guide, and an optical sheet group disposed on an irradiation-surface side of the light guide and including a plurality of optical sheets arranged in stacked relation. Periphery parts of the first optical sheet and at least one second optical sheet of the optical sheet group are bonded together to form a bag shape, and the light guide and the other optical sheets are retained in the bag-like body formed of the first optical sheet and the second optical sheet.
US09310535B1	Thermally compensated optical diffraction gratings An optical diffraction grating includes a substantially transparent grating substrate which has substantially flat first and second surfaces, and a set of grating lines on the first surface characterized by a grating spacing Λ. The grating substrate has a temperature-dependent refractive index nsub and is immersed in a medium having a temperature-dependent refractive index nmed. The first and second substrate surfaces are non-parallel and form a dihedral angle α. The gratings lines are substantially perpendicular to a plane of incidence defined by surface-normal vectors of the first and second surfaces. Variation of a diffraction angle θd′ with temperature, exhibited by the optical diffraction grating at a design wavelength λ and at a design incidence angle θin in the plane of incidence, is less than that variation exhibited by a reference diffraction grating that has parallel first and second substrate surfaces but is otherwise identical to the optical diffraction grating.
US09310527B2	Antireflective film comprising large particle size fumed silica Antireflective films are described comprising a light transmissive substrate and a low refractive index layer disposed on the light transmissive substrate. The low refractive index layer comprises the reaction product of polymerizable resin composition comprising at least 20 wt-% fumed silica. In one embodiment, the polymerizable resin is ethylenically unsaturated. In a favored embodiment, the low refractive index layer increases in porosity from the light transmissive substrate interface to an opposing porous surface.
US09310523B2	Laminate and method of producing laminate A laminate according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a resin substrate; a polyvinyl alcohol-based resin layer formed on one side of the resin substrate; and an antistatic layer formed on another side of the resin substrate and comprising a binder resin and a conductive material. The binder resin includes a polyurethane-based resin; the antistatic layer has an arithmetic average surface roughness Ra of 10 nm or more; and the conductive material includes a conductive polymer.
US09310519B2	See-through type photovoltaic module including 3-dimensional photonic crystal, manufacturing method thereof, and insulated glass unit including the same Disclosed is a see-through type photovoltaic module that includes: a first transparent substrate; a second transparent substrate; a first transparent electrode and a second electrode, all of which are placed between the first transparent substrate and the second transparent substrate; a photoactive layer being placed between the first transparent electrode and the second electrode and converting light into electrical energy; and a protective layer placed between the second electrode and the second transparent substrate, wherein a 3-dimensional photonic crystal structural layer is formed on the surface of the second transparent substrate facing the first transparent substrate.
US09310511B2	Apparatus and method for deep transient resistivity measurement A method of processing electromagnetic signal data includes: receiving transient electromagnetic (TEM) signal data from a downhole tool disposed in an earth formation, the downhole tool including at least one conductive component; estimating an initial bucking coefficient based on relative positions of the at least two receivers; combining the TEM signal data using the initial bucking coefficient to estimate an initial formation signal; selecting a plurality of bucking coefficient values based on the initial bucking coefficient and estimating a plurality of formation signals, each formation signal corresponding to one of the plurality of bucking coefficients; and selecting an optimal bucking coefficient from one of the initial bucking coefficient and the plurality of bucking coefficients based on the plurality of formation signals, the optimal bucking coefficient providing suppression of parasitic signals due to the at least one conductive component.
US09310495B2	Photon/energy identifying X-ray and gamma ray imaging device (“PID”) with a two dimensional array of pixels and system therefrom An photon (energy) identifying radiation imaging device, for imaging x-ray, gamma ray and charged radiation in medical, dental and industrial applications. The imaging device includes a detector substrate and a readout substrate. The detector substrate has a plurality of detector pixels and the readout substrate has a plurality of corresponding pixel readout circuits. Each pixel readout circuit has circuitry for processing an input analog signal and also has one or more buffers for temporarily storing values corresponding to the signal of at least two individual incoming radiation events. The readout substrate includes a digital controller having digital processing units for carrying out off-pixel digital signal processing and data/rate reduction prior to readout.
US09310492B2	Radiographic image reading device, computer readable medium, and radiographic image reading method A radiographic image reading device includes a reading unit configured to photoelectrically read photostimulated luminescence light produced from a storage phosphor sheet illuminated with excitation light, the storage phosphor sheet, at which a radiographic image is stored, being scanned by a scanning unit using the excitation light; and a control unit configured to control the reading unit so as to cause the reading unit, in a case of reading at a first resolution, to read with excitation light at a first scanning speed and a first intensity and, in a case of reading at a second resolution that is a higher resolution than the first resolution, to read with excitation light at a second scanning speed that is slower than the first scanning speed and a second intensity that is smaller than the first intensity.
US09310486B2	Method and apparatus for terminal to determine approach of object Embodiments of the present invention provide a method and an apparatus for a terminal to determine whether an object is approaching, wherein the method includes: reading, by an infrared receiver, a first infrared intensity value when an infrared emitting diode does not work, and reading, by the infrared receiver, a second infrared intensity value when the infrared emitting diode works; obtaining a first difference value between the second infrared intensity value and the first infrared intensity value as an intensity value of a reflected infrared ray; determining whether a second difference value between the intensity value of the reflected infrared ray and an infrared intensity threshold is greater than a preset second threshold; and determining that an object is approaching the terminal when the second difference value is greater than the preset second threshold value. The present invention enables each terminal to accurately determine whether there is an object approaching.
US09310485B2	Compact, energy-efficient ultrasound imaging probes using CMUT arrays with integrated electronics A CMUT on CMOS imaging chip is disclosed. The imaging chip can use direct connection, CMOS architecture to minimize external connections and minimize chip cross-section. The CMOS architecture can enable substantially the entire chip area to be utilized for element placement. The chip can utilize arbitrarily selected transmit (Tx) and receive (Rx) element arrays to improve image quality, while reducing sampling time. The chip can comprise a plurality of dummy elements dispersed throughout the Tx and Rx elements to reduce cross-talk. The chip can utilize batch firing techniques to increase transmit power using sparse Tx arrays. The chip can comprise hexagonal Tx and or Rx subarrays for improved image quality with reduce sample sizes. The chip can utilize electrode geometry, bias voltage, and polarity to create phased and amplitude apodized arrays of Tx and Rx elements.
US09310484B2	Device for detecting a moving object A device having at least one ultrasonic sensor for detecting a moving object, in particular, an approaching vehicle. To this end, the device is equipped with a control unit for determining the distance and/or the relative speed of the object. To prevent misinterpretations in the acquisition of measured values, relevant environmental conditions are simultaneously detected by an additional ultrasonic sensor and, as a correction value, provide the basis for the signal generation.
US09310479B2	Transportable X-band radar having antenna mounted electronics A transportable weather radar having radar electronics functionally located above the elevational joint and a frame superstructure rotationally connected to the elevational joint onto which is mounted a parabolic radar antenna adapted for Doppler weather radar use. The radar has a rotational drive assembly mounted below and supporting the elevational joint and a harmonic drive unit positioned inside the elevational joint so that the antennae may be rotated without significant backlash during rotational changes. A hollow center in the rotational joint allows for the passing of electronics cable through the middle of the joint and down through rotating assemblies and to electronics in or adjacent to the radar pedestal.
US09310477B1	Systems and methods for monitoring airborne objects Systems and methods for monitoring airborne objects are described herein. An air traffic management (ATM) system is provided that includes a memory device for storing data and a processor coupled to the memory device. The processor is programmed to receive object data associated with each of a plurality of airborne objects transmitted by at least one remote sensor device and generate an air traffic map to display a present location and a flight path for each airborne object based on the received object data. The object data includes situational awareness information for each airborne object and real-time position information for the at least one remote sensor device.
US09310472B2	Focal point information determination method and apparatus, and ambient sound velocity obtaining method and apparatus Transmitting an ultrasonic wave focused on a predetermined transmit focus position by driving each of the elements of the ultrasonic probe based on a predetermined transmit delay time, and determining a true focal position of the ultrasonic wave transmitted to the transmit focus position or a focal point valid region that includes the true focal position based on a receive signal received by each element according to a reflection wave reflected by the transmission of the ultrasonic wave to the transmit focus position.
US09310470B2	Radar apparatus and signal processing method There is provided a radar apparatus. A derivation unit derives this time-decided transverse distance of the target of this time processing, by filtering, with a predetermined filter constant, this time transverse distance of paired data of this time processing, and a predicted transverse distance. A change unit changes, when the transverse distance of an object moving target moving in a traveling direction of a vehicle mounted with the radar apparatus and the transverse distance of a specific target satisfy a predetermined relation, the filter constant for filtering this time transverse distance and the predicted transverse distance of the object moving target so that a reflection amount of this time transverse distance is reduced in comparison to before the change.
US09310469B2	Radar performance monitor, pulse-compression radar apparatus, and radar performance measuring method A radar performance monitor is provided. The monitor includes a receiver for receiving a transmission signal of which a temporal change of a frequency is non-linear, the transmission signal being transmitted from a radar unit of a pulse-compression radar apparatus, and a response signal generator for generating a response signal of which a temporal change of a frequency is linear and transmitting the response signal to the radar unit as a response to the transmission signal received by the receiver.
US09310466B2	Method and apparatus pertaining to the identification of physical-local discrepancies in statistics-based RFID-tag information These teachings are suitable for use in conjunction with a process having access to both coverage information that maps the coverage area for each of a plurality of RFID-tag readers to physical locations within a given monitored facility and historical-read information for a population of RFID tags, and that uses that historical-read information and that coverage information to automatically determine the physical location of RFID tags. In particular, these teachings generally provide for accessing supplemental information regarding physical locations for at least some of those RFID tags and then comparing the automatically-determined physical location information with the supplemental information to thereby identify physical-location discrepancies. By one approach those physical-location discrepancies are used to adjust the automated process by which the automatically-determined physical location information is automatically determined to thereby improve accuracy of the automated process.
US09310463B2	Detecting incorrectly placed access points Embodiments provide techniques for detecting access points on a position map, particularly incorrectly placed access points. For each access point in a plurality of access points, a subset of the plurality of access points that neighbor the access point are identified. Embodiments estimate a location of the access point, based on a respective indication of signal strength from each neighboring access point in the subset of access points and a respective position of each of the neighboring access points in position map. A difference between a recorded position of the access point in the position map and the estimated location of the access point is calculated. Embodiments then determine that the position within the position map for a first one of the plurality of access points is incorrect, based on the determined difference for the first access point.
US09310456B2	Offset compensation method of current sensor and motor driving system An offset compensation method of a current sensor is provided for determining whether an offset compensation of the current sensor is abnormal, and a motor driving system includes the current sensor. The offset compensation method includes: compensating for an offset of the current sensor, and determining whether the offset compensation of the current sensor is abnormal.
US09310454B2	Detection of a dielectric object A measuring apparatus for detecting a dielectric object comprises a potential probe for determining an electric potential in an electric field, a first capacitance device, a second capacitance device, and a control device configured to supply alternating voltages to the first and the second capacitance devices. The control device is configured to amplify the alternating voltages in opposite directions to one another in order to minimize the magnitude of an AC voltage component, which is clock-synchronous with the alternating voltages, of a voltage which is recorded by means of the potential probe. The dielectric object is detected when a ratio of the alternating voltages does not correspond to a ratio of (i) a first distance of the potential probe from the first capacitance device to (ii) a second distance of the potential probe from the second capacitance device.
US09310449B2	Nuclear-spin polarization detection device and nuclear-spin polarization detection method Provided is a total electrical nuclear-spin polarization device that is applicable to many narrow-gap semiconductor two-dimensional quantum structures such as InSb with a large g-factor and with a mobility having a normal value. A nuclear-spin polarization device 1 creates a state where the Landau-level separation and the Zeeman-level separation in a sample are equal to each other in a magnetic field, thereby crossing different spin states, and detects nuclear-spin polarization from a resistance change at the crossing point caused by the nuclear-spin polarization.
US09310448B2	Detection circuit, semiconductor integrated circuit device, magnetic field rotation angle detection device, and electronic device Detection of the rotation angle of a magnetic field using a magnetic sensor in which two sensor units are arranged at a predetermined angle with respect to each other is performed with a resolution of an angle smaller than 45° with a simple circuit configuration. A detection circuit is connectable to a magnetic sensor in which first and second sensor units are arranged at a predetermined angle with respect to each other, each sensor unit having a bridge circuit of magnetoresistance elements. The detection circuit includes a first comparison circuit that compares output signals of the first or second sensor unit, a second comparison circuit that compares an output signal of the first sensor unit with an output signal of second sensor unit, and a rotation angle calculation circuit that calculates a rotation angle of a magnetic field based on the comparison results of the first and second comparison circuits.
US09310444B2	Battery testing system and method A battery testing system according to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure includes, among other things, a penetrating device and an impedance meter electrically connected to the penetrating device.
US09310441B2	Apparatus and method for estimating stage of charge of battery Provided are battery SOC estimating apparatus and method. The battery SOC estimating apparatus according to the present invention includes an input/output power pattern analyzing unit which analyzes an input/output power of a battery during a predetermined time to obtain an input/output power pattern of the battery; an application status determining unit which analyzes the input/output power pattern of the battery to determine a current application status of the battery; and an SOC calculating unit which calculates an SOC of the battery using a state of charge (SOC) estimation algorithm corresponding to the current application status of the battery.
US09310417B2	Using time-domain reflectometry to identify manufacturing information for a passive printed circuit board A method uses time-domain reflectometry to measure a signal reflection delay in a conductive trace formed on a specific passive printed circuit board, and uses the measured signal reflection delay as an index into a table storing a predetermined association between signal reflection delay and passive printed circuit board manufacturing information, wherein the table includes a plurality of predetermined signal reflection delay values, and wherein each of the predetermined signal reflection delay values is associated with unique passive printed circuit board manufacturing information. During manufacturing of the passive printed circuit board, a hole is drilled through the passive printed circuit board so that the hole intersects with the conductive trace and divides the conductive trace into a proximal segment extending from the connector to the hole and a distal segment that is electrically isolated from the proximal segment by the hole.
US09310411B2	Diagnostic device for a multi-voltage vehicle electrical system, a multi-voltage vehicle electrical system, and a method for operating a multi-voltage vehicle electrical system A diagnostic device is provided for a multi-voltage electrical system of a motor vehicle which has a first subnetwork acted on by a first voltage and a second subnetwork acted on by a second voltage, the first voltage being higher than the second voltage, and the first and the second subnetwork having a shared ground connection. The diagnostic device includes a second ground connection, a measuring unit configured to measure a current flow via the second ground connection, and a diagnostic unit configured to diagnose a disturbance in the shared ground connection and/or in the second ground connection on the basis of the measured current flow via the second ground connection as a function of at least one operating state of the vehicle electrical system.
US09310409B2	Capacitance-to-voltage interface circuits A capacitance-to-voltage interface circuit is utilized to obtain a voltage corresponding to a detected capacitance differential, which may be associated with the operation of a capacitive sensing cell. The interface circuit includes a capacitive sensing cell, an operational amplifier adapted for selective coupling to the capacitive sensing cell, a feedback capacitor for the operational amplifier, a load capacitor for the operational amplifier, and a switching architecture associated with the capacitive sensing cell, the operational amplifier, the feedback capacitor, and the load capacitor. During use, the switching architecture reconfigures the capacitance-to-voltage interface circuit for operation in a plurality of different phases. The different operational phases enable the single operational amplifier to be used for both capacitance-to-voltage conversion and voltage amplification.
US09310407B2	Power strip and power measurement method A power strip includes: jack portions; current meters each configured to measure a current being supplied from the corresponding jack portion to one of external electrical devices, and to output a measurement signal corresponding to a magnitude of the current; and a computing unit configured to obtain instantaneous values of the current at a plurality of time points on the basis of the measurement signal, and to calculate a power value using the instantaneous values. The computing unit configured to obtain the instantaneous values-of the current by using any one of a first zero point and a second zero point as a reference.
US09310402B2	Systems and methods for automated electricity delivery management for out-of-control-area resources Systems and methods are provided for automated electricity delivery management. More specifically, the invention relates to systems and methods for instantly and electronically determining available electricity, predicting short-term delivery forecasts, evaluating transmission availability, capacity and paths, determining inter-tie availability, capacity and price, and bidding the power into the market. Such systems and methods may occur on a mobile device, and/or web interface.
US09310396B2	Apparatus and methods of measuring minority carrier lifetime using a liquid probe Methods and apparatus for measuring minority carrier lifetimes using liquid probes are provided. In one embodiment, a method of measuring the minority carrier lifetime of a semiconductor material comprises: providing a semiconductor material having a surface; forming a rectifying junction at a first location on the surface by temporarily contacting the surface with a conductive liquid probe; electrically coupling a second junction to the semiconductor material at a second location, wherein the first location and the second location are physically separated; applying a forward bias to the rectifying junction causing minority carrier injection in the semiconductor material; measuring a total capacitance as a function of frequency between the rectifying junction and the second junction; determining an inflection frequency of the total capacitance; and determining a minority lifetime of the semiconductor material from the inflection frequency.
US09310391B2	Dual and triple axis inertial sensors and methods of inertial sensing An inertial sensor comprising: a frame; a proof mass suspended from the frame; a pair of first resonant elements electrically coupled to the proof mass, or to an intermediate component mechanically coupled to the proof mass, each first resonant element coupled to an opposite side of the proof mass to the other, the first resonant elements being substantially identical to one another and having substantially identical electrostatic coupling with the proof mass when the sensor is not accelerating; wherein the first resonant elements and proof mass lie substantially in a plane, and wherein movement of the proof mass relative to the first resonant elements orthogonal to the plane alters the electrostatic coupling between the proof mass and the first resonant elements; drive means coupled to the first resonant elements for vibrating each of the first resonant elements; and a sensor assembly for detecting a shift in the resonant frequency of each of the first resonant elements; and processing means for summing the shifts of each of the first resonant elements to provide a measure of acceleration of the proof mass parallel to a first axis, the first axis being orthogonal to the plane.
US09310381B2	Engineered type IV pilin of Clostridium difficile The present invention relates to engineered Clostridium difficile type IV pilin (tfp) genes, type IV pilin proteins which can serve as a diagnostic marker for identification of patients infected with C. difficile, and vaccines comprising type IV pilin proteins, antigenic fragments and variants thereof for therapeutic interventions.
US09310375B2	Luminophore-labeled molecules coupled with particles for microarray-based assays A microarray-based assay is provided, which is used for analyzing molecular interactions, including polynucleotides, polypeptides, antibodies, small molecule compounds, peptides and carbohydrates. Such method comprises labeling a target molecule with a luminophore, coupling the target molecule to a particle, and binding to a probe molecule on microarray. In particular, multiplexed genetic analysis of nucleic acid fragments can be implemented. Specific genes, single nucleotide polymorphisms or gene mutations, such as deletions, insertions, and indels, can be identified. This technology, with high sensitivity, enables the detection and interpretation of molecular interactions in an efficient way.
US09310370B2	Markers for detection of gastric cancer Early detection of tumors is a major determinant of survival of patients suffering from tumors, including gastric tumors. Members of the GTM gene family can be differentially expressed in gastric tumor tissue, and thus can be used as markers for the detection of gastric and other types of cancer. The present invention provides for novel GTMs for the detection of tumors, including gastric tumors, and in particular human zymogen granule protein 16 (ZG16). The GTMs can be used in isolation or together with other known GTMs to provide for novel signatures to be used in the detection of tumors, including gastric tumors.
US09310365B2	Method of diagnosing and treating melioidosis Non-invasive methods are provided herein for the diagnosis of melioidosis with specific antibodies capable of detecting molecules associated with melioidosis in a biological fluid, such as urine or serum. These molecules can be identified using proteomic methods, including but not limited to antibody based methods, such as an enzyme-linked immunosorbant assay (ELISA), a radioimmunoassay (RIA), or a lateral flow immunoassay. Methods of inducing an immune response to melioidosis are also disclosed. The methods include the use of the immunogenic melioidosis polypeptides, nucleic acids encoding these polypeptides, and/or viral vectors encoding an immunogenic melioidosis polypeptide, alone or in conjunction with other agents, such as traditional melioidosis therapies. Also disclosed are methods for treating a subject having melioidosis. These methods include inducing an immune response to melioidosis and/or using an inhibitory nucleic acid, such as a siRNA or antisense molecule, to decrease a melioidosis associated molecule expression in order to treat melioidosis.
US09310361B2	Multifunctional encoded particles for high-throughput analysis Method for making multifunctional particles. The method includes flowing a first monomer stream loaded with a fluorescent entity along a microfluidic channel and flowing a second monomer stream loaded with a probe adjacent to the first monomer stream along the microfluidic channel. The monomer streams are polymerized to synthesize particles having a fluorescent, graphically encoded region and a probe-loaded region.
US09310354B2	Methods of predicting crop yield using metabolic profiling The present invention relates to the fields of agriculture, plant breeding or genetic engineering for plants with increased yield, crop forecasting and crop management. In particular, the methods herein describe novel methods of predicting a plant's yield through the measurement of specific metabolites either individually or in combination with one another in a specific plant reproductive tissue. The plant predictive methods described herein may be used to predict yield of plant populations as well as allow for more efficient crop management practices (e.g. amount and timing of chemical applications or amount of irrigation water applied to a field).
US09310349B2	Sensor structure for EVAP hydrocarbon concentration and flow rate A system and method controls a ratio of fuel to gas delivered to an internal combustion engine. Fuel for the engine is stored in a fuel supply. The fuel supply generates fuel vapor that is retained in a canister. The canister is in fluid communication with the engine via a flow path. Hydrocarbon concentration of fuel vapor in the flow path is determined. Pressure drop across a restrictive orifice provided in the flow path is measured to determine a flow rate of the fuel vapor in the flow path. A flow of the fuel vapor through the flow path and to the engine is controlled and injection valves that inject fuel into the engine are controlled so that an amount of fuel injected into the engine is based on the determined concentration of hydrocarbons in the fuel vapor.
US09310347B2	Methods and systems for analyzing combustion system operation Systems and methods for analyzing combustion system operation are provided. According to one embodiment, a method can include receiving multiple CO measurements from respective CO sensors distributed within a combustion system; receiving multiple O2 measurements from respective O2 sensors distributed within the combustion system; and determining at least one operating condition of the combustion system based at least in part on CO indicated by the CO measurements relative to O2 indicated by the O2 measurements.
US09310345B2	Sensor system, computer, and machine A machine in a sensor system is configured to measure conditions of parts in the machine with sensors, collect pieces of sensor data generated by the measurements, and transmit the collected pieces of sensor data to a computer while connecting to the computer via a network. The computer in the sensor system is configured to create an index for indicating that the machine is in a predetermined condition, based on the transmitted pieces of sensor data, and transmit the created index to the machine. The machine is configured to diagnose whether the machine is in the predetermined condition with the transmitted index and collected pieces of sensor data.
US09310333B2	Methods of analyzing plaque The invention provides a method of measuring ammonia and/or calcium in a sample of dental plaque, comprising obtaining the sample of plaque and measuring ammonium and calcium ions using capillary electrophoresis, together with methods of diagnosis, treatment and screening based on evaluation of plaque.
US09310332B2	Semiconductor device and selective heating thereof One or more semiconductor devices and array arrangements and methods of formation are provided. A semiconductor device includes an ion sensing device and a heating element proximate the ion sensing device. The ion sensing device has an active region, including a source, a drain, and a channel, the channel situated between the source and the drain. The ion sensing device also has an ion sensing film situated over the channel, and an ion sensing region over the ion sensing film. Responsive to a temperature sensed by a thermal sensor proximate the ion sensing device, the heating element is selectively activated to alter a temperature of the ion sensing region to promote desired operation of the semiconductor device, such as to function as a bio sensor. Multiple semiconductor devices can be formed into an array.
US09310323B2	Systems and methods for high-Z threat alarm resolution A second stage screening system configured to resolve a threat alarm detected in a cargo by a first stage screening system. The second stage screening system includes layers of first muon detectors placed above the cargo to detect a first coordinate and an angle of incidence of incoming muons and layers of second muon detectors placed below the cargo to detect an actual coordinate and an actual angle of exit of the incoming muons. The first and second detectors measure a momentum of the incoming muons. A processing unit receives threat sensitivity vectors determined from the first stage, operates a cargo positioning system that centers a high-Z threat within the cargo, relative to the first and second muon detectors, and analyzes the momentum and a distribution of deflection angles between the angles of incidence and exit to resolve the threat alarm.
US09310321B1	System and method for conducting electromagnetic resonant cavity inspection of gun barrels A system and associated method for quickly and automatically determining if the safety and performance of a gun tube have been compromised by firing damage or by an excessive number of fatigue cycles. An electromagnetic resonant cavity inspection provides a means of rapidly evaluating the health of the gun tube by monitoring the resonant frequencies that evolve from microwave signals introduced into the cavity or bore of the gun tube. This approach exploits the high sensitivity of the electromagnetic cavity resonance phenomena. Defects and degradation in the structure's cavity produce quantifiable changes in the quality factor, frequency shifts, and mode splitting.
US09310317B2	Automated system and method for tracking and detecting discrepancies on a target object A detection system including a target object having a target object coordinate system, a tracking unit configured to monitor a position and/or an orientation of the target object and generate a target object position signal indicative of the position and/or the orientation of the target object, a camera positioned to capture an image of the target object, an orienting mechanism connected to the camera to control an orientation of the camera relative to the target object, and a processor configured to analyze the image to detect a discrepancy in the image and, when the discrepancy is present in the image, determine a location of the discrepancy relative to the target object coordinate system based at least upon the target object position signal and the orientation of the camera, and then orient the camera and laser to aim at and point out the discrepancy.
US09310313B1	Diffractive imaging of groove structures on optical tape A groove-monitoring system for imaging an optical tape surface is provided. The optical tape surface includes a plurality of groove patterns embossed thereon. The groove-monitoring system includes an optical sensor, a first light source directing a first light beam onto the optical tape surface with a first angle of incidence such that the first light beam is directly reflected from the optical tape surface and imaged by the optical sensor. The groove-monitoring system also includes a second light source directing a second light beam onto the optical tape surface with a second angle of incidence such that the second light beam is diffracted from the optical tape surface and imaged by the optical sensor as a diffracted light image.
US09310302B2	Multi-modality contrast and brightfield context rendering for enhanced pathology determination and multi-analyte detection in tissue Multiple modality contrast can be used to produce images that can be combined and rendered to produce images similar to those produced with wavelength absorbing stains viewed under transmitted white light illumination. Images obtained with other complementary contrast modalities can be presented using engineered color schemes based on classical contrast methods used to reveal the same anatomical structures and histochemistry, thereby providing relevance to medical training and experience. Dark-field contrast images derived from refractive index and fluorescent DAPI counterstain images are combined to produce images similar to those obtained with conventional H&E staining for pathology interpretation. Such multi-modal image data can be streamed for live navigation of histological samples, and can be combined with molecular localizations of genetic DNA probes (FISH), sites of mRNA expression (mRNA-ISH), and immunohistochemical (IHC) probes localized on the same tissue sections, used to evaluate and map tissue sections prepared for imaging mass spectrometry.
US09310294B2	Use of one or more retro-reflectors in a gas analyzer system Methods and systems are provided for monitoring at least one gas in a sample gas. An exemplary system includes a source used for generating a beam of radiation, at least one retro-reflector configured to receive the beam of radiation from the source in an incident direction and reflect the beam of radiation toward the source in alignment with the incident direction, and a motor configured to move the at least one retro-reflector with respect to the source in a direction collinear with the incident direction. The system also includes a sample cell storing a sample gas comprising at least one gas. The sample cell is configured to allow at least a portion of an extracted beam of radiation from a cavity, defined by the source and the at least one retro-reflector, to propagate therethrough.
US09310290B2	Multiple angles of incidence semiconductor metrology systems and methods An apparatus includes (i) a bright light source for providing an illumination beam at multiple wavelengths selectable with a range from a deep ultraviolet wavelength to an infrared wavelength, (ii) illumination optics for directing the illumination beam towards a sample at selectable sets of angles of incidence (AOI's) or azimuth angles (AZ's) and polarization states to provide spectroscopic ellipsometry, wherein the illumination optics include an apodizer for controlling a spot size of the illumination beam on the sample at each of the selectable AOI/AZ sets, (iii) collection optics for directing an output beam from the sample in response to the illumination beam at each of the selectable AOI/AZ sets and polarization states towards a detector that generates an output signal or image based on the output beam, and (v) a controller for characterizing a feature of the sample based on the output signal or image.
US09310288B2	Systems and methods to monitor operating processes Example methods, systems, and computer readable media are provided for monitoring operating processes. An example method includes monitoring an equipment parameter associated with an asset in an operating process unit and monitoring a process parameter associated with the asset. The example method includes determining an asset health corresponding to the asset. The asset health is determined based on a potential state of corrosion associated with the asset by comparing a corrosivity index to a corrosion threshold. The corrosivity index is a function of at least one of current values or changes in the monitored equipment parameter or the monitored process parameter over time.
US09310271B2	System and method for measuring a leakage area for constructing a smoke-ventilation apparatus Disclosed are a method and system for measuring leakage area for construction of smoke control equipment. The invention provides a system for measuring a leakage area of a test room that can include: a chamber positioned in the test room and storing air compressed by a compressor; one or more pressure sensors configured to measure a pressure change of the test room when the compressed air in the chamber is discharged instantaneously; and a gauging means configured to measure an effective leakage area in the test room by using a pressure change value of the test room detected by the one or more pressure sensors. Embodiments of the invention can enable an accurate measurement of leakage area at low cost.
US09310268B2	Low profile pressure sensor A pressure sensor 100 may comprise a nylon socket 200, an upper PCB 320, a lower PCB 340, and a hex housing 400. The nylon socket 200 may include co-molded electrical pin conductors 230a, 230b, 230c extending axially from electrical connectors 240a, 240b, 240c defined within a top end of the nylon socket 200 to a bottom end of the nylon socket 200. The upper PCB 320 may have contacts configured to contact the electrical pin conductors 230a, 230b, 230c. The lower PCB 340 may be electrically coupled to the upper PCB 320 and to strain gauges 355 coupled to a diaphragm 360. The hex housing 440 may have an interior axial port 430 extending from a bottom of said hex housing 400 to a counterbore 440 for holding the diaphragm 360, thereby exposing a first side of said diaphragm 360 to the fluid within the axial port 430.
US09310262B2	Method and apparatus for confirming whether a frozen food has been defrosted A defrost indicator including: a body member defining a cavity; two or more fluids, each having one or more of a different composition or characteristic; and wherein when the two or more fluids are exposed to a predetermined temperature, the two or more fluids mix or interact to produce a different composition or characteristic.
US09310258B2	Time-temperature dosimeter The present disclosure relates to a dosimeter for measuring exposure to heat over time in combination with peak temperature indicators and reversible temperature indicators. The preferred temperature indicator tag is credit card sized and comprises four time-temperature dosimeters. Each dosimeter has a wick in contact with a separate reservoir containing a mix of a colored dye, a wax and an amorphous polymer to indicate a distinct temperature range when the mix melts. The wicks are preferably made of porous paper with a pore size around 8 microns to allow for proper capillary action along its length. An adhesive, except where each wick contacts its respective reservoir and at a vent, preferably seals each wick. The tag preferably has a plurality of peak temperature indicators where each indicator has a blend of a dye, a wax and a polymer for a temperature indication range. The tag also preferably has a plurality of reversible temperature sensors.
US09310257B2	Deep tissue temperature probe constructions Disposable, zero-heat-flux, deep tissue temperature probes are constructed using a support assembly constituted of a flexible substrate that supports elements of the probe. One support assembly embodiment includes a folded substrate with a heater and thermal sensors disposed on it. Another support assembly includes multiple sections separable into strata supporting a covering guard heater, a central thermal sensor, and a thermal sensor displaced at least radially from the central thermal sensor.
US09310237B2	Ultrasonic flow metering using compensated computed temperature Apparatus and methods for verifying temperature measurements in an ultrasonic flow meter. An ultrasonic flow metering system includes a passage for fluid flow, a temperature sensor, an ultrasonic flow meter, and a flow processor. The temperature sensor is disposed to provide measured temperature of fluid flowing in the passage. The ultrasonic flow meter is configured to measure transit time of an ultrasonic signal through the fluid. The flow processor is configured to 1) compute speed of sound through the fluid based on the transit time; 2) calculate a computed temperature of the fluid based on the speed of sound; 3) apply compensation, based on a historical difference between the computed temperature and the measured temperature, to a temperature verification parameter; and 4) determine, based on the temperature verification parameter, whether a current difference between the measured temperature and the computed temperature is within a predetermined range.
US09310233B2	Flow rate monitoring for agrochemical applications A system for estimating a flow rate of an agrichemical includes a conduit delivering the agrichemical from a repository to an application in a field, and a flow meter connected in-line with the conduit. The flow meter provides an estimate of a flow rate of the agrichemical through the conduit.
US09310222B1	Flight assistant with automatic configuration and landing site selection method and apparatus A system and apparatus assists pilots and flight crews in determining the best course of action at any particular point inflight for any category of emergency. The system monitors a plurality of static and dynamic flight parameters including atmospheric conditions along the flight path, ground conditions and terrain, conditions aboard the aircraft, and pilot/crew data. Based on these parameters, the system may provide continually updated information to the pilot or crew about the best available landing sites or recommend solutions to aircraft configuration errors. In case of emergency, the system may provide the pilot with procedure sets associated with a hierarchy of available emergency landing sites (or execute these procedure sets via the autopilot system) depending on the specific nature of the emergency.
US09310218B2	Apparatus and method for displaying a point of interest The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for displaying a point of interest (POI). According to the present invention, a screen for path guiding and a screen for POI guiding can be simultaneously and separately provided, thereby facilitating the recognition of a POI and increasing the accessibility to a POI while driving.
US09310212B2	System and method for hybrid off-board navigation A system, method and apparatus for hybrid off-board vehicle navigation are disclosed. In the system, a multi-stop route package is created and sent from a route server to a navigation device. The route package can include a collection of vehicle attributes and corresponding road restrictions for guiding the vehicle towards its destination. The server can optionally push the route package to the vehicle in an email message or other stored communication. When an off-route condition is detected, the navigation device can send a route request to the server that includes the vehicle attributes and the corresponding road restrictions. The server can respond with a partial route correction that is determined based on the vehicle attributes and road restrictions.
US09310210B2	Verification of digital maps An assessment module for assessing data from a digital map for a vehicle. The assessment is made on the basis of a piece of dedicated map quality information and measurement data from an ambient sensor system in the vehicle. The connected driver assistance systems and safety systems in the vehicle use the digital map data on the basis of the assessment.
US09310206B2	Location based tracking Location information is used to build a database of locations having associated audio, video, image, or text data. In some implementations, a device includes a touch-sensitive display and collects data associated with a geographic location of interest. The geographic location of interest can be displayed on a map using an indicator. A touch selection of the indicator provides access to the data through an interface displayed on the touch-sensitive display. One or more locations of interest can be displayed and grouped together by an attribute.
US09310203B2	Physical quantity sensor An object of the invention is to provide a physical quantity sensor capable of producing a highly accurate physical quantity detection signal. The physical quantity sensor has an oscillator for converting an externally applied physical quantity into an electrical signal, an oscillation circuit which makes the oscillator oscillate, and a detector circuit for detecting a to-be-detected signal output from the oscillator by using a detection signal output from the oscillation circuit, includes a delta-sigma modulator, preceding the detector circuit, for delta-sigma modulating either one of the detection signal output from the oscillation circuit and the to-be-detected signal output from the oscillator, and for outputting a modulated signal, a variable voltage source capable of varying an output voltage, and a control unit for controlling the output voltage of the variable voltage source, and wherein the delta-sigma modulator performs the delta-sigma modulation by using a feedback signal created based on the output voltage.
US09310200B2	Sensor device regulation and related systems and methods A sensor device includes a sensor element; and a wiring substrate having a first joint surface electrically joined with the sensor element, a substrate body that contains an organic insulating material and in which an electronic component is embedded, and a regulation part that regulates the first joint surface from deforming.
US09310199B2	Micromachined gyroscopes with 2-DOF sense modes allowing interchangeable robust and precision operation A z-axis gyroscope design is presented with a 2-degree of freedom (DOF) sense mode allowing interchangeable operation in either precision (mode-matched) or robust (wide-bandwidth) modes. This is accomplished using a complete 2-DOF coupled system which allows for the specification of the sense mode resonant frequencies and coupling independent of frequency. By decoupling the frame connecting the sense system to a central anchor, x-y symmetry is preserved while enabling a fully coupled 2-DOF sense mode providing control over both the bandwidth and the amount of coupling independent of operational frequency. The robust mode corresponds to operation between the 2-DOF sense mode resonant frequencies providing a response gain and bandwidth controlled by frequency spacing. Precision mode of operation, however, relies on mode-matching the drive to the second, anti-phase sense mode resonant frequency which can be designed to provide a gain advantage over a similar 1-DOF system.
US09310197B2	Measuring device for measuring distance A measuring device and a method for adjusting the measuring device is disclosed. The device includes a first electro-optical component, a second electro-optical component, a beam-shaping optical element, an optics carrier, and a printed circuit board. The optics carrier includes a first receptacle, where the first electro-optical component is mounted in the first receptacle, and a second receptacle, where the beam-shaping optical element is mounted in the second receptacle. The printed circuit board includes a third receptacle, where the second electro-optical component is mounted in the third receptacle. The first electro-optical component and the beam-shaping optical element are adjustable relative to the optics carrier in a direction of a respective optical axis of the first electro-optical component and the beam-shaping optical element and the second electro-optical component is adjustable and fixable in a plane essentially perpendicular to an optical axis of the second electro-optical element.
US09310192B2	Lateral shift measurement using an optical technique Alignment of layers during manufacture of a multi-layer sample is controlled by applying optical measurements to a measurement site in the sample. The measurement site includes two diffractive structures located one above the other in two different layers, respectively. The optical measurements include at least two measurements with different polarization states of incident light, each measurement including illuminating the measurement site so as to illuminate one of the diffractive structures through the other. The diffraction properties of the measurement site are indicative of a lateral shift between the diffractive structures. The diffraction properties detected are analyzed for the different polarization states of the incident light to determine an existing lateral shift between the layers.
US09310189B2	Method and system for the remote inspection of a structure The invention relates to a method for the remote inspection of a structure, comprising the following operations: producing a 3D image of an area of the structure to be inspected, superimposing said 3D image with a previously stored digital model of the structure, geographically locating the area of the structure to be inspected on the structure model, and inspecting the area of the structure to be inspected on the 3D image superimposed with the digital model. The invention also relates to a system for implementing the method, comprising an imaging device (10) that can be installed in the vicinity of the area of the structure to be inspected (2), and an image-processing device (6) located remotely from the imaging device (10) in order to generate a 3D image from the images captured by the camera (11).
US09310186B2	True-spectroscopic dual mode high resolution full-field optical coherence tomography using liquid crystal devices The invention is a system and method for obtaining interference and optical coherence tomography images from an object. The system comprises a wideband source, an optical mask for extending the depth of field, a a liquid crystal tunable filter and a phase modulator all of which are uniquely integrated in a Linnik interferometer microscope. The system has several imaging modes: in the time domain mode the device may operate either with wideband illumination or with quasi monochromatic illumination. The monochromatic illumination can be varied in wavelength along a wide spectral region thus allowing true spectroscopic imaging in high resolution and with high speed. Due to the liquid crystal tunable filter and the optical mask, the frequency domain mode is also accessible. The method of obtaining the optical coherence tomography images, both in the time and in the frequency domains, using the liquid crystal retarder is described in detail.
US09310184B2	Systems and methods for suppressing coherent structured illumination artifacts Methods and systems are provided for suppressing speckle and/or diffraction artifacts in coherent structured illumination sensing systems. A coherent radiation pattern forms an interference pattern at an illumination image plane and illuminates an object. Radiation scattered or otherwise emitted by the object is detected to produce a signal, which is integrated in time. Coherent artifact suppression is attained by using a spatial modulator, such as an acousto-optic device, to vary a phase gradient at the illumination image plane during the signal integration time. Various embodiments are provided for purposes including without limitation: preserving the depth of field of the coherent illumination; using the same acousto-optic device for pattern generation and coherent artifact suppression; electronically controlling the effective spatial coherence of the illumination system; and reducing errors due to coherent artifacts in a laser-based three dimensional imaging system.
US09310155B2	Compound bow system Certain embodiments of the present disclosure describe a compound archery bow that has a rigid vertical riser structure. At least one flexible limb extends rearward from the vertical riser structure. One end of the flexible limb is secured to the cable arrangement of the compound bow, so that when the bowstring is drawn, the flexible limb is flexed toward the cams of the bow. As the flexible limb is bent, it stores energy that is transferred to an arrow when the bowstring is released.
US09310154B1	Mortar barrel elevation system A mortar barrel elevation system is provided. The mortar barrel elevation system includes an elevation rail attached to a framework. The elevation rail includes a plurality of apertures positioned to be spaced apart in an outward direction. A carriage assembly is configured to slidably seat on the elevation rail and further configured to attach to an aperture in the elevation rail. A yoke assembly is pivotally attached to the carriage assembly. The yoke assembly includes extension members configured to support a mortar barrel. Attaching the carriage assembly to apertures positioned in an increasing outward direction decreases a launch angle of the mortar barrel and attaching the carriage assembly apertures positioned in an increasing inward direction increases the launch angle of the mortar barrel.
US09310143B2	Heat exchange device with improved system for distributing coolant fluid A heat exchange device comprises plural tubes arranged parallel to one another to form one or more tube bundles inserted axially in a cylindrical shell. A first fluid supplied through one or more first inlet holes at a first end of the cylindrical shell and oriented axially, flows inside the tubes and a second fluid, supplied through a second inlet hole, flows inside the cylindrical shell to effect heat transfer with the first fluid through the tube walls. One end of the tubes is connected to a tube plate at first inlet hole(s), which separates the second fluid from the first fluid. At least two impingement plates, each provided with plural through holes, are placed in succession between each first inlet hole and the tube plate. The impingement plates are parallel to one another and orthogonal to the cylindrical shell central axis to distribute the first fluid inside the tubes.
US09310141B2	Counter current heat exchange module Heat exchange apparatus comprises a plurality of thermally conductive, moisture impervious sheets. Each sheet comprises a plurality of corrugations. The plurality of sheets are disposed in a stack such that each alternate sheet has its corrugations affixed to and disposed at an angle to the corrugations of an adjacent sheet to provide a plurality of separate flow pathways. The plurality of separate flow pathways comprises first predetermined pathways and second predetermined pathways. The stack of sheets have first end portions disposed to provide a first inlets and a first outlets for the first predetermined pathways and second end portions to provide second inlets and second outlets for the second predetermined pathways. The corrugations forming the second predetermined pathways comprise a wettable surface. The first predetermined pathways are adapted for a first fluid flow and the second predetermined pathways are adapted for a countercurrent second fluid flow.
US09310139B2	Vapor chambers based skin material for smartphones and mobile devices An apparatus for managing heat generated by at least one electronic component of a mobile device, the apparatus comprising: a housing for containing the electronic component of the mobile device; and a vapor chamber arranged in the housing, the vapor chamber having a cavity defined by a front wall and a rear wall opposite the rear wall, the front wall for receiving heat generated by the electronic component of the mobile device to evaporate fluid in the cavity into a vapor, the rear wall for receiving the vapor to allow the vapor to condense to liquid thereby cooling the rear wall of the vapor chamber; wherein an outer surface of the housing comprises at least a portion of the rear wall of the vapor chamber.
US09310138B2	Cooling system for high performance solar concentrators Techniques for cooling concentrating solar collector systems are provided. In one aspect, an apparatus for cooling a photovoltaic cell includes a heat exchanger having a metal plate with a bend therein that positions a first surface of the metal plate at an angle of from about 100 degrees to about 150 degrees relative to a second surface of the metal plate, and a plurality of fins attached to a side of the metal plate opposite the first surface and the second surface; a vapor chamber extending along the first surface and the second surface of the metal plate, crossing the bend; and a cladding material between the vapor chamber and the heat exchanger, wherein the cladding material is configured to thermally couple the vapor chamber to the heat exchanger. A photovoltaic system and method for operating a photovoltaic system are also provided.
US09310132B1	Replaceable insulation roof for industrial oven A device and a method are disclosed for replaceably insulating a roof of an industrial oven that allows repair of damaged insulation while the oven continues operation at high temperatures.
US09310131B2	Counter-current shaft, shelf-type dryer with moving shelves for drying agglomerates of a small mechanical strength A counter-current shaft dryer with moving shelves for drying agglomerates of a small mechanical strength having a vertical shaft, which comprises a top charging zone, a multi-level drying zone, preferably comprising from two thru six levels and a bottom discharging zone. An outlet stub pipe or outlet collector of drying gases situated between the bottom discharging zone and the drying zone. An outlet stub pipe or outlet collector of moist gases situated between the drying zone and the top charging zone. Shelves of the charging zone and the discharging zone are made of a number of rectangular not perforated sheet metal plates. Shelves of the drying zone are made of a number of rectangular perforated sheet metal plates. Every rectangular metal sheet plate shelf is attached along its long edge to parallel pins mounted swiveling to walls of the shaft, transverse against the axis of the shaft.
US09310128B2	Method for producing a flow rich in methane and a flow rich in C2 + hydrocarbons, and associated installation This method comprises cooling the supply flow in a first heat exchanger, separation in a first separation flask in order to produce a light upper flow and a heavy lower flow and dividing the light upper flow into a supply fraction of a dynamic pressure reduction turbine and a supply fraction of a first distillation column.The method comprises forming a cooled reflux flow from an effluent from a dynamic pressure reduction turbine, the portion of the effluent being cooled and at least partially liquefied in a heat exchanger.It comprises introducing the cooled reflux flow from the heat exchanger into the first distillation column.
US09310116B2	Ice storage to hold ice and minimize melting of ice spheres An ice support and storage tray includes one or more cavities having upwardly facing spherical surface portions that support spherical pieces of ice. The tray is preferably made of a material having a low thermal conductivity to reduce melting of the spherical pieces of ice. The spherical support surfaces minimize melting points that could otherwise cause the spherical pieces of ice to melt and develop irregular surface shapes. The ice tray may be used in a freezer having an ice maker that transports spheres of ice to the ice support cavities. The ice storage tray may be configured to permit removal of spheres of ice without tipping the tray upside down and/or twisting/deforming the tray.
US09310108B2	Magnetically refrigerating magnetic material, magnetic refrigeration apparatus, and magnetic refrigeration system There are provided a magnetic material for magnetic refrigeration improving a magnetic refrigeration efficiency by including a wide operation temperature range and a magnetic refrigeration apparatus and a magnetic refrigeration system using the magnetic material. The magnetically refrigerating magnetic material is formed of a magnetic material shown by a composition formula of Gd100-x-yZrxYy, wherein 0
US09310106B2	Heat pump system A heat pump system includes a refrigerant circuit and a controller. The refrigerant circuit has usage units connected to a heat source unit. The usage units have first usage-side heat exchangers and second usage-side heat exchangers. The heat source unit has heat-source-side heat exchanger and a compressor. The controller causes the heat-source-side heat exchanger to function as an evaporator or as a radiator in accordance with an overall heat load of the usage units when the heating operation or the cooling operation has been set for each of the usage units. The aqueous medium is heated by heat radiation of the refrigerant in the first usage-side heat exchangers in the heating operating, and is cooled by evaporation of the heat-source-side refrigerant in the second usage-side heat exchangers in the cooling operation.
US09310092B2	Analytics for optimizing usage of cooling subsystems Methods and systems for systems and methods for optimizing usage of a free cooling subsystem are provided. The method includes collecting micro-climate data from one or more sensors surrounding a facility. The method also includes analyzing the micro-climate data and making a determination to operate a free cooling subsystem or a paid cooling subsystem based on the analysis of the micro-climate data.
US09310091B2	HVAC controller with checkout utility A zone control panel that is easy and intuitive to use and to program. In some embodiments, a zone control panel may be configured to have an easy to use, single level menu structure with, for example, a configuration mode and/or a checkout mode. The configuration mode may, if present, include a number of menu screens sometimes without any sub-menu levels. Likewise, the checkout mode may, if present, include a number of menu screens sometimes without any sub-menu levels. A mode selector may be provided to select a particular mode, after which, the menu screens that correspond to the selected mode may be sequentially displayed to the user. Other features and aspects are also disclosed.
US09310083B2	Combustion chamber for an aircraft engine, and method for attaching an injection system in a combustion chamber of an aircraft engine A combustion chamber in which the injection system is attached so as to prevent any axial motion of the injection system, the combustion chamber includes: a baffle including a tubular portion having a first upstream end surrounded by a first radially projecting collar; and an injection system including a bowl which includes a cylindrical portion inserted into the tubular portion, the cylindrical portion including a second upstream end surrounded by a second radially projecting collar, the second collar axially bearing against the first collar, wherein the combustion chamber includes a clamp which axially clamps the first and the second collars against one another, and a fastener which retains the clamp clamped on either side of the first and second collars.
US09310080B2	Airblast fuel injector An airblast fuel injector for a gas turbine engine fuel spray nozzle has, in order from radially inner to outer, a coaxial arrangement of an inner air swirler passage, an annular fuel passage, an annular outer air swirler passage, and an annular shroud air swirler passage. The injector further has an annular shroud having an inner surface profile. Relative to the overall axial direction of flow through the injector the shroud inner surface profile has a convergent section followed by a divergent section, the transition of which forming a first inwardly directed annular nose. The injector further has an annular wall having an outer surface profile, and having an inner surface profile. Relative to the overall axial direction of flow through the injector the wall outer surface profile has a convergent section followed by an outwardly turning section which faces across the shroud air passage to the first nose.
US09310079B2	Combustion liner with open cell foam and acoustic damping layers The disclosure is directed to a gas turbine engine combustion liner and a gas turbine engine. The gas turbine engine combustion liner may include a thermally cooled wall section, an acoustically damped wall section, or a thermally cooled and acoustically damped wall section. Open cell foam or honeycomb may be disposed between inner and outer combustion liner walls. The walls, open cell foam, or honeycomb may be made of a composite material.
US09310075B2	Method of reducing flue gas emissions and a boiler The present invention relates to a method and a boiler for decreasing the amount of nitrogen oxides in flue gases of a boiler, which flue gases are generated in the combustion of fuels and air. The boiler has a water circulation system comprising superheaters (8) and a furnace (1) for combustion of fuel and for generating flue gases that contain nitrogen oxides, which flue gases mainly flow upwards in the furnace and further to the superheater zone and via other heat recovery surfaces of the boiler out of the boiler, and a nitrogen oxides reducing agent is introduced into the flue gases. It is essential that the nitrogen oxides reducing agent is introduced into the flue gases prior to the superheater zone, before which the temperature of the flue gases is decreased by means of at least one heat exchanger (15) that is located in the flue gas flow upstream of the introduction of the reducing agent, for obtaining a suitable temperature window in the flue gas flow in order to reduce nitrogen oxides.
US09310074B2	Lance for heating hand tool without temperature rises along the nozzle The invention relates to a lance (1) for a heating hand tool, comprising a nozzle (2) connected at a first of the ends (21) thereof to a handle (3), the nozzle (2) comprising an inlet (23) for combustible gas and a conductive wire (24) forming an electrode for the priming of a spark; characterized in that it further comprises a grid (25) arranged at a second end (22) of the nozzle (2) for holding a flame that ignites at the priming of the spark in a flow of combustible gas, the conductive wire (24) extending through said grid (25) and outside the nozzle (2), and in that it comprises a cup (4) for evacuating burned gas positioned at the second end (22), the evacuation cup (4) directing the hot burned gas so that that it remains out of contact with the nozzle (2).
US09310073B2	Liquid swirler flow control A flow directing device for imparting swirl on a fluid includes a flow directing body having a first surface and opposed second surface. A flow channel is defined in the first surface of the flow directing body for conducting fluids flowing through the flow directing body. The flow channel includes a channel surface set in from the first surface. A swirl bore extends though the flow directing body from the channel surface to the second surface of the flow directing body at an oblique angle relative to the channel surface for imparting a tangential swirl component onto fluids flowing through the swirl bore. Having an asymmetrical terminus portion of the channel surface, and positioning of the swirl bore within the terminus portion, allow control of the swirl direction for flow within the terminus portion and swirl bore.
US09310072B2	Non-symmetric arrangement of fuel nozzles in a combustor A fuel nozzle arrangement includes an annular combustor having four quadrants. Fuel injectors are located in the four quadrants and each fuel injector has either a first or second type nozzle attached to it. The first and second type fuel nozzles are located in an array so that at least two of one nozzle type are located together to allow for non-uniform injector spacing with uniform downstream temperatures.
US09310067B2	Systems, devices and/or methods for managing illumination Certain exemplary embodiments can provide a system comprising a housing having a first end and a second end, a first set of light emitting diodes, and a channel coupled to the set of light emitting diodes. The channel can comprise a surface to mount the set of light emitting diodes.
US09310066B2	Electronic component for an improved lighting system An electronic component includes a housing, a heat-generating component, a heat sink, and a sealing element. The housing is made of a first metallic material. The heat-generating component is disposed in the housing. The heat sink, which is made of a second metallic material, is disposed adjacent the heat-generating component and configured to dissipate heat from the heat-generating component. The sealing element is disposed between the housing and the heat sink and insulates the second metallic material from the first metallic material.
US09310063B1	Lighting device with fins that conduct heat and reflect light outward from light sources Illumination devices are disclose having at least three thermally conductive fins that are attached to each other adjacent a central location and extend outward from the central location, with each of the fins having an opposed pair of major surfaces. The devices include a plurality of light-emitting diodes that emit light and produce heat, with at least one of the light-emitting diodes being mounted on each of the fins. The heat from the light-emitting diode flows along the fin and is radiated from at least one of the major surfaces, while the light from the light-emitting diode is reflected from the major surfaces of adjacent fins and exits the device.
US09310062B2	Light-emitting device and method of manufacturing the same A light-emitting device includes a base material having a conductor layer on a surface thereof, the conductor layer being configured to be connected to an external power source, a light-emitting element mounted on the base, a phosphor layer arranged above the light-emitting element, and a resin layer contacting both of the phosphor layer and the conductor layer and containing heat-conductive particles dispersed therein. The heat-conductive particles have a thermal conductivity of not less than 100 W/m·K and an insulator property or a semiconductor property.
US09310058B2	Lamp connector A lamp connector may include a base member, a top member and connector members that connect the base member to the top member. The base member may include arcuate passageways in a bottom portion and a first and second pair of opposing sidewall members that extend upwardly from the bottom portion. The top portion of each of the first pair and second pair of opposing sidewall members may have a cutaway portion having a radius. The radius of the cutaway portion of the first pair of opposing sidewalls may be different from the radius of the second pair of opposing sidewalls. The cutaway portion may be formed to fit a lamp connecting member. The base member may be selectively rotatable with respect to the top member so as to enable engagement between one of the first pair of sidewalls and the second pair of sidewalls with the lamp connecting member.
US09310055B2	Lighting device, a method of controlling the same, for selectively emitting light along or against traffic direction The invention proposes a lighting device (250). The lighting device (250) for road lighting comprises a lighting module and a control module coupled to the lighting module, and configured to control the lighting module to radiate a first light beam (221) towards a first direction to generate a first lighting pattern on the road surface (B), when a first predetermined condition is satisfied, and to control the lighting module to radiate a second light beam (231) towards a second direction to generate a second lighting pattern on the road surface (A), when a second predetermined condition is satisfied, wherein the first direction is oriented to go along the traffic direction and the second direction is oriented to go opposite the traffic direction.
US09310035B2	Light fixtures and lighting devices There is provided a light fixture comprising a baffle system and a side reflector, the baffle system comprising at least an outer baffle structure and an inner baffle structure. Also, there is provided a light fixture which comprises at least two recessed concentric square elements, triangular connecting elements and lenses which are recessed from the faces of each of the square elements. In some embodiments, the lighting device comprises at least one solid state light emitter. In some embodiments, the light fixture further comprises at least one lens positioned between at least two respective baffle elements.
US09310033B2	Light source device and projection-type display apparatus A light source device includes a plurality of light sources with different polarizations. A combined wavelength band of the light of a first polarization and second polarization is a first wavelength band. A combined wavelength band of a third polarization and fourth polarization is a second wavelength band. A plurality of selective transmission elements transmits one or more combined light of one or more polarizations and reflects one or more light of one or more polarizations. Thus, the light of the first polarization, the light of the second polarization and the light of the third polarization passing through a third selective transmission element, and the light of the fourth polarization reflected by the third selective transmission element proceed in the same direction.
US09310032B2	Edge weighted spacing of LEDs for improved uniformity range A light source may comprise a housing, a window mounted in a front plane of the housing, a window length spanning a front plane length, and a linear array of light-emitting elements within the housing. The linear array may be aligned with and emit light through the window, and the linear array may span the window length, wherein first and last light-emitting elements of the linear array are positioned adjacent to widthwise edges of the window, and wherein window sidewalls at the widthwise edges are aligned flush with housing sidewalls.
US09310001B2	Nickel-base radiant tube and method for making the same Nickel-base radiant tube includes straight and curved elbow tube sections. The straight tube section has constant inner and outer radii. The elbow tube section has a constant inner radius and variable outer radius. The inner diameter of the elbow tube section is equal the inner radius of the straight tube section. Mating end portion of the elbow tube section has an outer radius equal to the outer radius of the straight tube section. Method for making the radiant tube comprises the steps of positioning a mating end portion of the straight tube section adjacent to and aligned with the mating end portion of the elbow tube section so that end faces of the straight and elbow tube sections face each other to define a circumferentially extending weld groove, and butt welding the mating end portions of the straight and elbow tube sections together at the weld groove.
US09310000B2	Retractable pipe structure A retractable pipe structure may include an inner tube, an outer tube, two connectors and two locking rings. In one embodiment, the inner tube is cover by the outer tube and the connectors are disposed at both ends of the inner tube and connecting portions are inserted into both ends of the inner tube and the tightening unit is used to tighten and secure each end. When the inner tube along with the outer tube are connecting with the connecting portion of the connector and the tightening unit is disposed outside the outer tube, the restricting ring is disposed outside the outer tube and used to cover the connecting portion along with the locking ring. When a restricting ring is squeezed by the locking ring, an engaging unit is disposed outside the restricting ring to prevent the inner tube and outer tube from directly contacting with the engaging unit.
US09309998B2	Flexible pipe and process for production thereof The invention relates to a flexible tube of multilayer construction having unbonded layers, wherein at least one layer is formed in that a tape made of a plastic molding compound is spirally wound about a further inner layer, wherein the upper and lower layers of the tape are simultaneously or subsequently welded to each other at overlapping regions. The tube is particularly suitable for offshore application in oil and gas extraction
US09309996B2	Delivery tube for irrigation and fertilization system and method for manufacturing same The invention is directed generally to improvements in irrigation and fertilization assessment and delivery. More specifically, embodiments of the invention provide an improved fluid delivery tube, method to manufacture such tube, and systems that include such tube. The delivery tube is beneficial at least because it minimizes the life cycle cost of a plant-responsive delivery tube.
US09309995B2	Low profile downspout extension with non-rectangular outlet A low profile downspout extension is formed in multiple segments including a flexible conduit, a splash block and an extension. The splash block transitions from a circular inlet into a low profile pentagon configuration with a central bead along the top surface of the low profile body portion to define an apex of the pentagon shape. The body portion is wider than the diameter of the circular inlet but has a height at the central bead that is more than half the diameter of the circular inlet. The body portion has ribbed side walls to strengthen the splash block without requiring internal reinforcement. The bottom surface of the splash block defines a flow path that extends generally linearly from the bottom of the inlet opening to the bottom of the pentagon-shaped outlet. An open configuration for the splash block provides an alternative above-ground splash pad structure.
US09309986B2	Electromagnetically actuated valve An electromagnetically actuated valve includes at least one sleeve and a magnet armature. A magnetic core is arranged in a stationary manner in the at least one sleeve. The magnet armature is configured to actuate a valve element and is axially movable. An elastically deformable spring element is clamped and retained between a core end face of the magnetic core facing the magnet armature and an armature end face of the magnet armature facing the magnetic core. The spring element forms at least one contact point in conjunction with the armature end face and the core end face. The contour of the spring element, the armature end face and/or the core end face are formed in the radial extent such that a radial position of the at least one contact point changes as a function of a distance of the armature end face from the core end face.
US09309972B2	Hole plug In a case wherein a force acts upward from below on a face plate (34) of a hole plug (14) that is closing an attachment hole (12) of a body panel (10), the face plate (34) is pushed up, and an intermediate wall portion (26) moves upward relative to an outer circumferential wall portion (18). At that time, an outside portion (40B) of an abutment portion (40) is folded inward, and an inside portion (40A) of the abutment portion (40) abuts against an inside face of a lower portion of the outer circumferential wall portion (18). As a result, the inside portion (40A) of the abutment portion (40) can control engagement claws (20) from deforming inward.
US09309969B2	System and method for controlling a hydrostatic drive unit of a work vehicle A method for controlling a hydrostatic drive unit of a work vehicle is disclosed. The method may generally include determining a reference swashplate position for a hydraulic pump of the hydrostatic drive unit, wherein the reference swashplate position is associated with an uncompensated current command, and monitoring an actual swashplate position of the hydraulic pump, wherein the actual swashplate position differs from the reference swashplate position due to a loading condition of the work vehicle. In addition, the method may include determining a current compensation based at least in part on the actual and reference swashplate positions and generating a compensated current command by adjusting the uncompensated current command based on the current compensation, wherein the compensated current command is associated with a compensated swashplate position for the hydraulic that differs from the reference swashplate position.
US09309961B2	Axle assembly An axle assembly including a housing having a first axle tube and a second axle tube, a crown wheel mounted in the housing, a pinion in meshing engagement with the crown wheel, a first reservoir for retaining fluid in contact with the crown wheel for lubricating the crown wheel, a second reservoir for retaining fluid remote from the crown wheel, a first system for transferring fluid in the first reservoir to the second reservoir, a second system for transferring fluid in the second reservoir to the first reservoir, a sensor for generating a signal representative of an axle assembly characteristic, the axle assembly further including a control system for receiving said signal and operating said first system and or said second system to transfer fluid to or from the first reservoir in response to said signal.
US09309952B2	Belt-type continuously variable transmission Provided is a belt-type continuously variable transmission which may prevent a servo spool from sliding even when a movable sieve slides due to reduced pressure in a hydraulic cylinder. A hydraulic servo mechanism comprises a servo spool and a feedback spool, and contiguous members coming into contact with the feedback spool (84) between a hydraulic cylinder and the feedback spool The present invention also comprises a spool position maintaining unit that makes it possible for the contiguous members to slide in relation to a movable side cylinder case when pressure in the hydraulic cylinder is lower than a predetermined value.
US09309950B2	Rotary units, rotary mechanisms, and related applications The invention relates to rotary units and rotary mechanisms that are suitable for use in numerous applications. Rotary units typically include rotational components that are configured to rotate. In some embodiments, for example, multiple rotary units are assembled in rotary mechanisms such that neighboring pairs of rotational components counter-rotate or contra-rotate relative to one another during operation of the rotary mechanisms. Rotational components generally include one or more implements that are structured to perform or effect one or more types of work as the rotational components rotate relative to one another in a given rotary mechanism. In certain embodiments, implements are configured to rotate and/or to effect the movement of other components as rotational components rotate.
US09309949B2	Vibration insulating member A vibration insulating member is equipped between one component and an other component. The vibration insulating member includes a through hole forming portion and a contact portion. The through hole forming portion is formed of an elastic material to have a through hole in which a connection member is inserted to connect the one component with the other component. The contact portion is projected radially inward from an inner wall of the through hole forming portion. The contact portion has an inner wall on a radially inside. When the connection member is inserted in the through hole, an outer wall of the connection member forms a gap with the inner wall of the through hole forming portion and is in contact with the inner wall of the contact portion.
US09309942B2	Vibration damping device having stopper rubbers A vibration damping device having stopper rubbers including: a first and second mounting members; an outer bracket attached to the second mounting member; and a plurality of stopper rubbers attached to the outer bracket and providing a stopper mechanism for limiting an amount of relative displacement between the first and second mounting members by means of contact between a first mounting member side and the outer bracket via the stopper rubbers. The stopper rubbers include respective mating recesses and the mating recesses open toward a same direction. The stopper rubbers are integrally connected by at least one rubber connecting portion. The stopper rubbers are attached to the outer bracket with the rubber connecting portion being deformed so that the mating recesses are arranged so as to open toward different directions and are mated with the outer bracket.
US09309930B2	Vehicular torque limiter and method for limiting torque A vehicular torque limiter having a first shaft including connecting means complementary to connecting means of an end of an axle-shaft of the vehicle, a second shaft connectable to a hub assembly of a wheel of the vehicle by bolts of the wheel which are accessible, torque limiting elements, for limiting torque between the first and second shafts, thereby a drive member of the wheel which directly connects the axle-shaft to the hub assembly, is replaceable with the torque limiter, thereby providing a universal, easy to install torque limiter designed for vehicles.
US09309929B2	Drive shaft adaptor and coupling An apparatus and method for connecting a drive shaft end to a vehicle drive flange of the type that has six equally spaced, axially directed threaded bores. The apparatus includes a yoke member defining a pair of ears for receiving pin members defined by the drive shaft. The yoke member has at least four equally spaced apart axial through bores that are alignable with four of the bores in the drive flange. Fasteners extending through the through bores are threadably received by the aligned drive flange bores and clamp the yoke member to the drive flange. At least one, but preferably two, drive pins are threadably received by two of the six drive flange bores and include portions that are received by associated bores in the yoke member and are preferably sized to tightly fit the bores in a torque transmitting relationship.
US09309926B2	Coupling A coupling has face gears for transmitting torque or transverse forces between a first part provided with a first face gear and a second part provided with a second face gear complementary to the first face gear. At least one of the parts is a shaft, an axle, a pin or a flange, and it is possible to bring the first face gear into form-fitting engagement with the second face gear. At least one of the face gears has at least one groove having a constant width and a longitudinal centerline forming a semicircular arc having a respective first center of curvature in at least one section of the groove and, in at least one other section of the groove, forming another semicircular arc having a respective second center of curvature.
US09309909B2	Pop-up shelving system The subject invention comprises a modular, pop-up shelf display system that includes vertical slotted shelf support posts, horizontal tie bars, and shelf or accessory members. Two slotted support posts are connected at the top and bottom ends by a pair of tie bars; the top of each slotted support post leans against a wall. Shelves or accessories, which include brackets that engage the slots in the vertical support posts are then attached to the support posts to form horizontal shelves or accessories between the support posts at desired heights and orientation. The system includes internal connectors positioned inside the post ends and the ends of the tie bars which secure the tie bars to the posts to secure the posts in an upright manner against the wall.

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