最新美国发明专利
Document Document Title
US09363936B2 Manufacture work machine and manufacture work system
A manufacture work machine for performing a manufacture work including: a plurality of work-element performing apparatuses each including an individual control device; and a central control device configured to control the apparatuses and including a central communication section to transmit, according to one protocol, a motion command in a specific programming language, wherein the individual control device includes (a) an individual communication section configured to receive, according to the one protocol, the motion command transmitted from the central control device and (b) a command converting section configured to convert the motion command received by the individual communication section into a motion command in a programming language that the individual control device can handle, the individual control device being configured to control one of the plurality of work-element performing apparatuses that is controlled by the individual control device, on the basis of the motion command converted by the command converting section.
US09363927B2 Electrical signal computing module capable of accommodating printed circuit board
The present invention is an electrical signal computing module capable of accommodating printed circuit board, able to lead the exterior air into the main case body, exchange heat with the printed circuit boards, without accumulation of heat and damage of the printed circuit board. The present invention has a main case body with a bottom case and an internal board set, and four accommodating areas are formed by the internal board set and a transmission circuit board, in addition, numerous flow holes disposed at specific position are designed for air flowing in, exchanging heat produced by printed circuit boards as well.
US09363917B2 Electrical pack with separate control and power modules
An electrical housing includes power components grouped together in power modules and control components grouped together in a control module that is separate from the power modules.
US09363912B2 Housing assembly for a portable electronic device
Embodiments of the present invention disclose a housing assembly for a portable electronic device. According to one embodiment, the housing assembly includes a first panel cover positioned adjacent to a support frame having an integrated pattern of channel cavities. Furthermore, a second panel cover is positioned adjacent to the support frame on an opposite side thereof with respect to the first panel cover.
US09363910B2 Memory stick
A memory stick includes a casing having a connection member at a top end thereof for connection to a personal item and an opening at a bottom end thereof, a positioning tray insertable through the opening of the casing for positioning in the casing and having an angled upper bending plate extended from a top end thereof and defining with a bottom wall thereof a clamping space and an elastically deformable recessed portion defined in the angled upper bending plate, and a flash memory detachably inserted into the clamping space of the positioning tray and held down in place by the recessed portion.
US09363906B2 Electronic device
An electronic device of the present invention is provided with a cover which is rotatably attached to a device case in an openable/closable manner and conceals a storage section provided in the device case; an operating member which is rotatably attached to the device case and exposed outside of the device case; and a lock member which locks the cover in a state where the cover conceals the storage section, and lifts the cover upward in an opening direction when the lock on the cover is released by a rotation operation of the operating member.
US09363904B1 Adapters for adapting an electronic device to a modular electronic device system
There is provided an adapter for adapting an electronic device to a modular electronic device system. The adapter generally has a housing having two lateral edges, a cavity between the lateral edges and being adapted to receive the electronic device, each of the two lateral edges of the housing having at least one magnetic coupler electrically connectable with at least one magnetic coupler of the modular electronic device system by magnetically engaging the at least one magnetic coupler of the adapter with the at least one magnetic coupler of the modular electronic device system, and an internal electric conductor network electrically connected to the magnetic couplers of the adapter and electrically connected to an internal connector which is electrically connectable to the electronic device when received in the cavity of the housing.
US09363902B2 Three-dimensional multilayer solenoid transformer
This disclosure provides implementations of inductors, transformers, and related processes. In one aspect, a device includes a substrate having first and second surfaces. A first inducting arrangement includes a first set of vias, a second set of vias, a first set of traces arranged over the first surface connecting the first and second vias, and a second set of traces arranged over the second surface connecting the first and second vias. A second inducting arrangement is inductively-coupled and interleaved with the first inducting arrangement and includes a third set of vias, a fourth set of vias, a third set of traces arranged over the first surface connecting the third and fourth vias, and a fourth set of traces arranged over the second surface connecting the third and fourth vias. One or more sets of dielectric layers insulate portions of the traces from one another.
US09363890B2 Circuit board and method of manufacturing same
Provided is a method of manufacturing a circuit board including preparing a board structural body (11) and covering a conductor circuit element (13) on an outermost layer of the board structural body (11) with a cover film (14), wherein a heat treatment is performed while having a release material (15) interposed between the cover film (14) and a heat-processing device. The release material (15) is a laminate at least including, sequentially from the cover film toward the heat-processing device, a low friction film (16) selected from an ultrahigh-molecular-weight polyethylene film and a polytetrafluoroethylene film, a first aluminum foil (17), a first high-density polyethylene film (18a), a second high-density polyethylene film (18b), and a second aluminum foil (19). The first high-density polyethylene film (18a) and the second high-density polyethylene film (18b) are positioned such that respective MD directions are perpendicular to each other.
US09363889B2 Pixel design for flexible active matrix array
A flexible active matrix array is provided, made with a flexible substrate and an array of pixels overlying the substrate, where each pixel includes an active device and a light controlling device. The array also includes a plurality of parallel row lines overlying the substrate, with each row line formed in serpentine pattern with a plurality of partial-loops, to supply a first signal to a corresponding plurality of pixels. A plurality of parallel column lines overlies the substrate, orthogonal to the row lines. Each column line is formed in a serpentine pattern with a plurality of partial-loops, to supply a second signal to a corresponding plurality of pixels. Each pixel has a border, with each row line partial-loop formed along about 75% of a pixel border, and each column line partial-loop formed along about 75% of a pixel border. Also provided is a printed circuit board with serpentine traces.
US09363887B2 Apparatus for performing communication control
An apparatus for performing communication control includes a control module implemented with at least one integrated circuit (IC) whose package includes a plurality of sets of terminals, each set of the plurality of sets of terminals corresponding to one of a plurality of sub-modules of the control module, and within the sets of terminals, a set of terminals corresponding to a specific sub-module of the sub-modules include a power-input terminal arranged to input power from outside the control module. For example, on a printed circuit board (PCB) of the apparatus, arrangement of some modules is similar to that of some contact pads associated to the sets of terminals. In another example, the control module includes a power distribution system including at least one power distribution wire. In another example, a PCB within the apparatus includes at least one signal transmission wire and at least one set of co-plane ground wires.
US09363880B2 Method and system for treating packaged products
A system and method for decontamination of product is described. An object to be treated, which may be a food product or a medical device, is placed in a substantially closed dielectric container with a working gas. The container is placed in an apparatus capable of producing a controlled electrical discharge so as to create reactive ion species within the package. The object to be treated may be exposed either the immediate products of the electrical discharge or the long lasting reactive ion species, or both, so as to treat the object to reduce or eliminate specific contaminants, which may be biological pathogens or the cause of product spoilage, or inorganic contaminants. The reactive ion species may result from an atmospheric non-equilibrium plasma (ANEP) formed by the apparatus and the treatment may be performed without significantly increasing the bulk temperature of the object being treated.
US09363879B2 Module and method for producing extreme ultraviolet radiation
A module for producing extreme ultraviolet radiation, including an extreme ultraviolet radiation-emitting source, the source being provided with a supply configured to supply a fluid of an ignition material to a predetermined target ignition position and a target-igniting mechanism constructed and arranged to produce a plasma from the ignition material at the target ignition position, the plasma emitting the extreme ultraviolet radiation; a collector mirror constructed and arranged to focus radiation emitted by the plasma at a focal point; and a heat sink having a thermal energy-diverting surface constructed and arranged to divert thermal energy away from the target ignition position, wherein the heat sink is located at a position proximate the target ignition position.
US09363878B2 Device for controlling laser beam and apparatus for generating extreme ultraviolet light utilizing wavefront adjusters
A device is provided for controlling a laser beam. The device may include a first wavefront adjuster provided in a beam path of a laser beam outputted from a laser apparatus, a beam delivery unit provided in a beam path of the laser beam from the first wavefront adjuster, a second wavefront adjuster provided in a beam path of the laser beam from the beam delivery unit, a beam monitor provided in a beam path of the laser beam from the second wavefront adjuster, and a controller configured to control the first and second wavefront adjusters based on a detection result of the beam monitor. An extreme ultraviolet light apparatus including the device is also provided.
US09363874B2 Current controlling device and electric field emission system including the same
Provided is a current controlling device for controlling an electric field emission current in connection with an electric field emission device which emits electrons in response to an applied voltage, the device including: a first current controlling transistor forming a current path in response to a first gate voltage; a second current controlling transistor connected between the field emission device and the first current controlling transistor and forming a current path in response to a second gate voltage; and a control logic controlling the first and second gate voltages, wherein the control logic controls a upper limit of the field emission current by using the first gate voltage.
US09363870B2 RF switch controller power supply apparatus of lamp
The present invention relates to a radio frequency (RF) switch controller power supply apparatus. In case of the apparatus, it is possible not only to manually turn on/off electronic switches but also to remote control turning on/off a plurality of lamps installed at respective rooms by using an RF wireless remote controller. Also, since a plurality of transformers connected in series is connected to a power line toward the switches of the lamps and currents are extracted from the respective transformers, power in need is supplied to the RF switch controller.The RF switch controller power supply apparatus includes first to third lamp switching units turning on/off first to third lamps (L1 to L3), respectively, an RF switch controller remote controlling the respective lamp switching units, and a power supply unit supplying power consumed by the RF switch controller, and the apparatus controlling turning on/off the respective lamps (L1 to L3) according to a received RF wireless remote signal, a current booster and a first rectifying unit boosting and extracting a minute current flowing through the first lamp switching unit into a high current and rectifying the current into direct current (DC) power when the respective lamp switching units are turned on, a second rectifying unit and an AC/DC converter rectifying and decompressing an alternate current (AC) supplied to a main power line and the first lamp switching unit when the first lamp switching unit is turned off, and a DC/DC converter decompressing and supplying the DC power extracted by the first rectifying unit to the RF switch controller when the lamp (L1) is turned on and compressing and supplying the DC power outputted via the AC/DC converter to the RF switch controller when the lamp (L1) is turned off.
US09363861B2 Systems and methods for providing high-mast lighting
Systems and methods of providing illumination may be provided in accordance with the invention. A lighting unit may be provided comprising a plurality of light sources, each light source of said plurality being at least partially surrounded by an optical element, and a support configured to support the light source above a surface. The light sources may be light emitting plasma sources, and the support may be a high-mast support. In some embodiments, the optical element may be a reflector containing one or more facets, directing the light toward the surface. In some configurations, each light source of said plurality may be independently controllable and/or dimmable. A lighting unit may communicate with an external controller, which may provide instructions for controlling the light sources. A lighting system may be provided with a host controlling a plurality of lighting units, which may be organized into zones. The zones, lighting units, and/or light sources may be independently controllable.
US09363854B2 Cooking apparatus using microwaves
A cooking apparatus using microwaves may include a microwave generator that generates and outputs a plurality of microwaves to heat an object in a cavity, and a controller that calculates heating efficiency of each of the plurality of microwaves based on the microwaves reflected from the cavity, and then sets heating time of each of the microwaves during a heating period of time according to the calculated heating efficiency.
US09363846B2 Routing of long-lived traffic when using SIPTO
Embodiments of the invention are directed to systems, methods and computer program products for routing traffic in a packet data network (PDN). A method includes determining whether the mobile device has an active long-lived data traffic session over an original PDN connection between the mobile device and a first PDN gateway (P-GW); if the mobile device has an active long-lived data traffic session, then routing any new long-lived data traffic session over the original PDN connection; and if the mobile device does not have an active long-lived data traffic session, then routing any new long-lived data traffic session over a location-based PDN connection established based at least in part on a current location of the mobile device. In other words, the mobile device initiates and maintains all long-lived data sessions (for which service continuity is essential) to only one PDN connection.
US09363842B2 Method of transmitting and receiving data in a wireless communication system and apparatus therefor
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for transmitting and receiving data in a wireless communication. In a communication performed by a user equipment supporting a multi-RAT (multi-radio access technology), the present invention includes receiving a 1st information for identifying a 1st cooperative user equipment candidate from the 1st cooperative user equipment candidate corresponding to at least one of a plurality of cooperative user equipment candidates, transmitting the 1st information to a base station, receiving an information on at least one 2nd cooperative user equipment candidate determined among the at least one 1st cooperative user equipment candidate using the 1st information from the base station, and performing a communication of a 1st data with the base station in cooperation with the at least one 2nd cooperative user equipment candidate. Moreover, the user equipment and a plurality of the cooperative user equipment candidates support a direct communication without using an access point.
US09363833B2 Network with common transmission channels
The invention relates to a wireless network with at least one base station and a plurality of associated terminals for the exchange of payload data and control data, and with at least one common transmission channel which is available for access to several terminals, wherein the base station is provided for controlling the access to the common transmission channel, wherein the terminals are provided for sending at least an access signal to the base station for the purpose of obtaining access to the common transmission channel, and wherein at least two different start moments can be assigned to the terminals for transmitting their respective access signals.
US09363826B2 Wireless device and method for wireless channel access
Disclosed in some examples is a method of channel access by a wireless device in a wireless network by determining whether there is network traffic associated with a preamble of a first type and whether there is network traffic associated with a preamble of a second type, wherein the wireless device is not capable of decoding the preamble of the second type, and wherein determining that there is network traffic associated with a preamble of the second type includes determining that an energy level of the channel is above a threshold for a period of time, the first and second preamble types being different lengths; and sending a packet with a preamble of the first type, responsive to determining that no network traffic is detected associated with the preamble of the second type or network traffic associated with a preamble of the first type for the period of time.
US09363821B2 Apparatus and method for allocating resources in cooperative communication system
A method for allocating a resource in a serving base station (BS) in a cooperative communication system is provided. The method includes detecting a base station identifier (BSID) of the serving BS and a BSID of each of other serving BSs included in the cooperative communication system; determining an available resource which the serving BS will use and an available resource which each of other serving BSs will use based on the BSID of the serving BS and the BSID of each of the other serving BSs; and transmitting information on the determined available resources to cooperative communication cell member BSs which the serving BS manages.
US09363811B2 Mobile communication system, base station apparatus, mobile station apparatus, mobile communication method, and integrated circuit
Provided are a mobile communication system and a mobile communication method in which a base station apparatus and a mobile station apparatus can efficiently transmit control information in case of communication is conducted by using a wide frequency band constructed by a plurality of component carriers. The mobile communication system in which the base station apparatus and the mobile station apparatus communicate by using the plurality of component carriers, wherein the base station apparatus allocates resources to the mobile station apparatus for transmitting HARQ control information, and the mobile station apparatus uses the allocated resources to transmit to the base station apparatus the HARQ control information for a physical downlink control channel and/or a physical downlink shared channel which are transmitted on a plurality of downlink component carriers, and also a scheduling request for requesting the allocation of uplink data transmission.
US09363805B2 Method and apparatus for transmitting/receiving downlink control channel in wireless communication system
The present invention relates to a wireless communication system, and more particularly, discloses a method and a downlink reception apparatus, in which at least one cell is set, for transmitting and receiving a downlink control channel. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the method for receiving the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) by the downlink reception apparatus in which at least one cell is set, comprises: a step of receiving a virtual resource block (VRB) set setting information for a potential PDCCH transmission; and a step of monitoring the VRB set and demodulating the PDCCH, wherein information on the VRB set, with regard to a cell for which PDCCH non-crossed interleaving is set or to a cell for which the PDCCH demodulation is set, based on the downlink reception apparatus-specific reference signal, can be commonly defined for a first slot and a second slot in a downlink subframe.
US09363804B2 Method for transmitting uplink signal and apparatus therefor
The present invention relates to a wireless communication system. Specifically, the present invention relates to a method of transmitting an uplink signal in a state in which a PUSCH sub-frame bundling mode is set, including the steps of: receiving a first PDCCH signal having an uplink grant through a first downlink sub-frame; receiving a second PDCCH signal having an uplink grant through a second downlink sub-frame: and one or more continuous uplink sub-frames of a predetermined size transmitting a PUSCH signal corresponding to the second PDCCH signal when a value corresponding to an interval between the first downlink sub-frame and the second downlink sub-frame is smaller than a bundling size set through a higher layer, wherein the predetermined size is set as the size smaller than the bundling size, and an apparatus therefor.
US09363802B2 Parallel scheduling in a cellular communications system
Mechanisms for scheduling uplink transmissions for a plurality of user equipment devices, UEs, that are serviced by a network node having a wireless coverage area comprising a plurality of sectors is disclosed. A plurality of schedulers is initiated in parallel, each scheduler corresponding to a different sector of the plurality of sectors. Each scheduler schedules in parallel at least some UEs that are associated with the corresponding different sector.
US09363796B2 Method and apparatus for allocating transmission channel in wireless local area network system
According to one embodiment, a method for a wireless local area includes: generating a medium access control (MAC) protocol data unit (MPDU) to be transmitted to a target station; generating a physical layer convergence procedure (PLCP) protocol data unit (PPDU) by attaching a PLCP preamble to the MPDU; selecting a transmission channel; and transmitting the PPDU to the target station over the transmission channel. Selecting the transmission channel includes: performing clear channel assessment (CCA) on a first channel to determine whether the first channel is idle; and only after it is determined that the first channel is idle, selecting the first channel and at least one idle second channel as the transmission channel. The PLCP preamble includes channel allocation information indicating a bandwidth of the transmission channel.
US09363787B2 Method for receiving and providing multicast broadcasting service
A method for adaptively receiving and providing a multicast broadcasting service (MBS) according to at least one of capability and a channel status of a mobile station (MS) is disclosed. In more detail, a base station provides the MBS to MSs using different layers according to the capabilities and/or the channel statuses of the MSs, and the MSs adaptively receive the MBS according to the respective capabilities and/or the channel statuses of the MSs.
US09363785B2 Calculation of quality of WLAN access point characterization for use in a WLAN positioning system
Methods and systems for classifying WLAN access points according to the quality of estimation of characteristics of the WLAN access points are provided. The classifications may be used to scale a reference database and quantify an expected error of estimation of the characteristics of the access points. WLAN access points may be classified based on their impact on a user's position, speed of travel, and direction of travel estimation accuracy in a WLAN positioning system. A method for determining a quality of estimation of characteristics of a Wi-Fi access point comprises a Wi-Fi enabled scanning device measuring a number of received signal strength (RSS) samples of the Wi-Fi signal transmitted by the Wi-Fi access point. A total distance traveled by the Wi-Fi enabled scanning device while measuring the number of RSS samples is estimated and used to estimate the quality of estimation of characteristics of the Wi-Fi access point.
US09363783B2 Mobile device positioning in dynamic groupings of communication devices
A wi-fi based mobile positioning system determines mobile device positioning by count stamped packets communicated between the mobile device and access points according to a standard wifi protocol. Ad-hoc groups of wifi network nodes are formed and then broken with a mobile device as that mobile devices moves relative to fixed nodes, such as access points. Within an ad-hoc group, the nodes count stamp packets by latching a local counter within each node. Count-stamps are collected and used to generate ranges for a mobile device relative to nodes in an ad hoc group. A positioning services determines the position of the mobile device from the ranges.
US09363775B2 Method of carrying out synchronization tracking and a wireless device using the same
There are provided a method of carrying out synchronization tracking and a wireless device using the same. The wireless device receives CSI-RS (Channel Status Information-Reference Signal) setting for prescribing the CSI-RS from a base station, and TRS (Tracking Reference Signal) setting for prescribing the TRS from the base station. The wireless device tracks the synchronization based on the TRS.
US09363768B2 Self-optimizing distributed antenna system using soft frequency reuse
A method of determining a carrier power in a communications system including a processor includes a) setting a power differential between a reference carrier and one or more carriers, b) measuring a number of satisfied users at the power differential, and c) measuring a capacity for the satisfied users at the power differential. The method also includes d) increasing the power differential by a predetermined amount and e) determining, using the processor, that the number of satisfied users at the increased power differential is greater than or equal to the number of satisfied users at the power differential. The method further includes f) repeating a)-c) and g) setting the carrier power at an iterated power level.
US09363763B2 User equipment that transmits an uplink signal in a multi-carrier supporting mobile communication system and a method therefor
The present invention provides user equipment that transmits an uplink signal in a multi-carrier supporting mobile communication system and a method therefor, and a base station device that transmits uplink transmission power information and a method therefor. In the user equipment according to the present invention, a receiving antenna receives uplink transmission power information on a particular uplink carrier from the base station via a plurality of downlink carriers. A processor determines the transmission power of a signal to be transmitted via the particular uplink carrier, based on the uplink transmission power information that has been received. A receiving antenna then transmits the signal via an uplink carrier at the transmission power determined by the processor.
US09363757B2 Communication apparatus, method of controlling a communication apparatus, and storage medium
A communication apparatus, comprising: first and second communication units; third communication unit for performing a communication of data, wherein the second communication unit performs a predetermined communication for activating the third communication unit and has a communication speed slower than and a power consumption less than the third communication unit, wherein the first communication unit has a communication range shorter than the third and second communication unit; reception unit for, if a communication with a communication partner apparatus is initiated by the first communication unit, receiving information relating to the communication partner apparatus by the first communication unit; and selection unit for, based on the received information, selecting whether to initiate data communication by the third or second communication unit.
US09363751B2 Communication device, communication method, communication system, and base station
A communication device, system and method cooperate to transmit a signal from a base station, where the signal includes a current frame and a target frame. A counting unit counts a frame period and a reception control unit causes the receiving unit to transition to a sleep state. A reception control unit causes the receiving unit to return from the sleep state before a counting result of the counting unit reaches the target frame. The reception control unit also causes the receiving unit to return to the sleep state over a time period based on a difference between a current frame and the target frame.
US09363750B2 Devices and methods for control channel decoding with preamble skip to reduce decoding time
Access terminals are configured to decrease awake state durations (and conversely increase standby state durations) utilizing a preamble skip operation. According to one example, an access terminal may assign a finger of a receiver to receive a control channel transmission at a time after a beginning of a preamble of the control channel transmission, and before an initial boundary of a slot after a first slot of the control channel transmission, the preamble of the control channel transmission including information corresponding to a data rate of the control channel transmission. The access terminal may further be configured to decode the control channel transmission in accordance with a predicted data rate. Other aspects, embodiments, and features are also included.
US09363722B2 Facilitating method for handover of a mobile communication device
A target node includes an S1 interface which includes an interface between the target node and a gateway, an X2 interface which includes an interface between a source node and the target node, and a transceiver which receives data from the S1 interface and data from the X2 interface. The transceiver sends the data from the X2 interface before sending the data from the S1 interface to a mobile device after the mobile device completes a handover from the source node to the target node.
US09363718B2 Inter-cell interference control method and apparatus
Disclosed is an inter-cell interference control method and apparatus. The inter-cell interference control method includes providing handover request information including interference information to a source base station, receiving handover completion information in accordance with the handover request information from at least one of the source base station and a target base station, and receiving interference control information in accordance with the interference information from the target base station. According to the present invention, inter-cell interference may be efficiently controlled, and overall performance of a network may be improved.
US09363716B1 Coverage area adjustment for circuit switched fallback
A first access node co-located with a second access node. The first access node communicates using a first type of wireless service. Scan results indicate whether a wireless device meets a first threshold criteria for being served by the second access node using a second type of wireless service. A time series of a count of these wireless devices is determined. From the time series, an indicator of a moving average of the time series is determined. Based on the moving average, the wireless devices are configured with an indicator of a second threshold criteria that determines whether a respective one of the wireless devices meets a second threshold criteria for being served by the first access node using the first type of wireless service.
US09363705B2 Network capacity redistribution with frequency re-use
Redistribution of network capacity in a network having a plurality of base stations is contemplated. The redistribution may include reallocating or otherwise reusing primary channels assigned to the plurality base stations to increase capacity proximate one or more of the base stations. The network capacity may be increased in this manner without having to add new base stations.
US09363682B2 Apparatus and methods for radio frequency signal boosters
Provided herein are apparatus and methods for radio frequency (RF) signal boosters. In certain implementations, a multi-band signal booster is provided for boosting the uplink and downlink channels of at least a first frequency band and a second frequency band. In certain configurations, the downlink channels of the first and second channels are adjacent, and the signal booster includes a first amplification path for boosting the uplink channel of the first frequency band, a second amplification path for boosting the uplink channel of the second frequency band, and a third amplification path for boosting both downlink channels of the first and second frequency bands.
US09363677B2 Pilot selection for OFDMA carrier tracking
A device includes a signaling interface to receive OFDM signaling for an OFDM channel from a plurality of transmit nodes and an OFDM receiver process the OFDM signaling. The device further includes a channel allocation module to determine, for each transmit node, a corresponding SNR for each of a plurality of subchannels of the channel and to allocate, to each transmit node of the plurality of transmit nodes, a corresponding subset of subchannels of the plurality of subchannels. The channel allocation module further is to select, for each subset of subchannels, one or more subchannels for use as pilots by the corresponding transmit node based on the SNRs of the subchannels in the subset. The device further includes an OFDM transmitter to transmit configuration information to the plurality of transmit nodes, the configuration information representing the allocation of the subchannels and the selection of subchannels for use as pilots.
US09363668B2 Sensor network, sensor management server, key updating method and key updating program
A sensor network includes a sensor management server which is mutually connected with many sensor terminals. The sensor management server includes: a key delivery module for transmitting a key update message to the respective sensor terminals; a communication volume detection module for detecting a communication volume used for transmitting the key update message; and a multiplicity determination module for specifying a numerical value as a multiplicity, which represents the lower limit number of key update messages transmitted to the respective sensor terminals, according to the detected communication volume. The multiplicity determination module specifies the multiplicity such that the communication volume for transmitting or retransmitting the key update message takes the minimum value, and the key delivery module transmits the key update message by using the minimum communication volume that corresponds to the specified multiplicity.
US09363664B2 Techniques for determining communication state using accelerometer data
Techniques for communicating with a user on a network include receiving acceleration data that indicates acceleration of a mobile network node associated with a user of a network. A communication state for the user is determined based at least in part on the acceleration data. The communication state indicates a type of network communication suitable for communicating with the user. Network communications with the user are based on the communication state. Among other uses, such techniques allow a network communicating with a human through a mobile node carried by the human to infer from stopped or unusual motions when the human's ability to receive or act on communications is impaired or otherwise affected.
US09363657B1 Method and system for obtaining emergency caller location
A method and system for determining if a phone has changed locations includes a subscriber phone equipment coupled to a phone system through a subscriber access line. The subscriber phone equipment includes a location test module and a datastore. The location test module includes a first subscriber access line identity for the subscriber access line. The datastore includes a first subscriber location for the first subscriber access line identity. The location test module obtains a second subscriber access line identity for the subscriber access line, obtains a second subscriber location for the second subscriber access line identity, and compares the first subscriber location and the second subscriber location. If the first subscriber location does not match the second subscriber location, then the subscriber phone equipment has changed locations. If the first subscriber location matches the second subscriber location, then the subscriber phone equipment has not changed locations.
US09363653B2 Transfer of communication from one device to another
Embodiments of apparatus, computer-implemented methods, systems, and computer-readable media are described herein for wirelessly transferring communication roles between devices, using technology such as near field communications (“NFC”), optical communication (e.g., barcodes), BlueTooth and so forth. In various embodiments, a first device may transfer, from the first device to a second device using near field communication, data used by the first device to communicate with a third device, to cause the second device to initiate communication with the third device based on the data. Likewise, in various embodiments, a first device may receive, from a second device using NFC, data used by the second device to communicate with a third device, and to initiate communication with the third device based on the received data.
US09363650B2 Communication time reminders based on text messages
Communication time reminders based on text messages are described. A system identifies a future communication time from a text-based message transmitted by a mobile device. The system determines whether a current time is within a threshold time of the future communication time. The system provides a reminder of the text-based message to the mobile device and/or a recipient of the text-based message if the current time is within the threshold time of the future communication time.
US09363649B2 System and method for transmitting and receiving an event message
A system for transmitting and receiving an event message is provided. The system comprises a transmitting terminal that generates an event message, and that transmits the event message and caller information, an event message service server that stores phonebook data after receiving the phonebook data transmitted from at least one terminal, that searches for a receiving terminal including the caller information in the phonebook data among receiving terminals included in the phonebook data of the transmitting terminal when receiving the event message, and that transmits the event message to the searched receiving terminal, and a receiving terminal that receives an event message transmitted by the event message service server, and informs its user of reception of the event message.
US09363647B2 Apparatus and method for running car application connected to mobile device
A method of running a car application connected to a mobile device is provided. The method includes determining, by the mobile device, whether a wireless charging event occurs; determining, by the mobile device, whether the mobile device is located in a car, if the wireless charging event occurs; and running the car application if the mobile device is determined to be located in the car.
US09363644B2 System and method for detection of indoor tracking units
Disclosed is a system and method for obtaining ad-hoc the spatial layout and setup of installed radio-based indoor tracking systems at particular locations. The systems and methods can be implemented via an installed or web-based application that performs the ad-hoc detection of indoor beacons, which includes detecting the signal strength of all beacons at a location while the user performs a previously configured gesture. From the trajectory of the gesture and the recorded signal strengths, the disclosed systems and methods derive the distance and direction of all beacons, which are laid out in a 2D map. Thus, the present disclosure can implicitly calibrate signal strengths to high-accuracy distances, thereby producing the spatially accurate 2D setup of the previously unknown space, in addition to indoor tracking on a decimeter level, which is efficient and increasingly cost effective for device tracking and advertising purposes.
US09363637B2 Multi-tiered detection of a geofence
Methods, program products, and systems for multi-tier detection of a geofence are disclosed. In general, in one aspect, a mobile device can be configured to perform a task when the mobile device enters a geographic region. The mobile device can monitor a current location using a multi-tiered approach. A baseband subsystem can monitor a coarse location of the mobile device using a CDMA system identifier, a CDMA network identifier, a CDMA zone identifier, or a CDMA base station identifier, in that order, as the mobile device moves closer to the geographic region. The baseband subsystem can notify an application subsystem when the mobile device is in a cell that intersects the geographic region. The application subsystem can perform the task upon notification.
US09363632B2 Presenting maps on a client device
A system and method associated with displaying a map on a client device. The method includes transmitting context data related to the client device to a server, where the server is configured to identify that a location-specific map corresponding to a location of the client device is available to be displayed based to the context data; and receiving a signal from the server to display a prompt indicating that the location-specific map is available to be displayed on the client device, where the server determines whether to transmit the signal based on the context data.
US09363631B2 Methods, systems, and computer readable media for triggerless centralized location server
Methods, systems, and computer readable media for providing a triggerless centralized location server are disclosed. According to one aspect, a system for providing a triggerless centralized location server includes multiple signaling message routing nodes configured to operate in a telecommunications network. Each routing node is configured to receive a signaling message having an intended destination, determine whether the received signaling message includes location information related to a subscriber, and, if so, extract the location information related to the subscriber, route the signaling message to the intended destination, and store the location information related to the subscriber in a centralized location database. The centralized location database is configured to receive a request for location information associated with a subscriber, and, in response to receiving the request, retrieve the location information associated with the subscriber from the database and provide the retrieved location information in response to the request.
US09363624B2 Electronic apparatus with a touch panel and data transmission method for a body area network
The present invention discloses an electronic apparatus and a data transmission method. The electronic apparatus includes a touch control communication unit for executing touch control input or communication data transmission, a touch control driving unit for providing a driving signal to and receiving a touch control signal from the touch control communication unit, a communication driving unit for providing communication data to be transmitted to and receiving it from the touch control communication unit, and a control unit for controlling the touch control communication unit to be in a first working status in which the touch control communication unit is electrically connected to the touch control driving unit and executes touch control input or a second working status in which the touch control communication unit is electrically connected to the communication driving unit and executes communication data transmission according to predetermined conditions.
US09363618B2 Method and device for controlling speaker array sound field based on quadratic residue sequence combinations
The present invention discloses a method and device for controlling speaker array sound field based on a quadratic residue sequence combination. The method comprises steps of: (1) fragmenting a designated quadratic residue sequence in terms of the number of array elements, to generate a plurality of quadratic residue subsequences; (2) designing an optimal array phase delay vector utilizing these subsequences; (3) controlling transmission signals of multi-element channels according to the optimal phase delay vector to adjust phase delay; (4) sending the multi-channel signals subjected to adjustment to a multi-channel power amplifier, to drive the speaker array to generate uniform sound field. The device comprises a sound source, an optimal phase delay estimator, an optimal phase delay controller, a multi-channel power amplifier and a speaker array. The invention can expand the coverage range of sound field radiated from an array and improve uniformity of the sound field. Furthermore, according to the invention, the hardware implementation of the control method of sound field is simple, and the spatial distribution characteristics of sound field meet the requirements of array sound reinforcement system.
US09363617B2 Semiconductor device having a base, a cavity, a diaphragm, and a substrate
A semiconductor device has a semiconductor element having a base, a cavity having a polygonal horizontal cross-section penetrating vertically through the base, a diaphragm arranged on the base to cover the cavity, and a substrate formed with a die bonding pad. A lower surface of the semiconductor element is adhered on the die bonding pad with a die bonding resin. The die bonding pad is formed so as not to contact a lower end of a valley section formed by an intersection of wall surfaces of an inner peripheral surface of the cavity of the semiconductor element.
US09363612B2 Method for operating a hearing device and a hearing device
The present invention proposes a method for operating a hearing device capable of receiving a plurality of input signals (i1, . . . , i5). The method comprises the steps of extracting source identification information embedded in one or more of the input signals (i1, . . . , i5), wherein the source identification information identifies a signal source (S1, . . . , SN) from which a particular input signal (i1, . . . , i5) originates, and/or extracting audio type information embedded in one or more of the input signals (i1, . . . , i5), wherein the audio type information provides an indication of the type of audio content present in a particular input signal (i1, . . . , i5), selecting from the plurality of input signals (i1, . . . , i5) one or more selected signals to be processed (u1, . . . , uM), processing the selected signals (u1, . . . , uM), and generating an output signal (o) of the hearing device by said processing of the selected signals (u1, . . . , uM). Thereby, the step of selecting is at least partly dependent on the extracted source identification information and/or the extracted audio type information, and/or wherein the step of processing is at least partly dependent on the extracted source identification information and/or the extracted audio type information. A corresponding hearing device is also disclosed.
US09363608B2 Acoustic transducer
Provided is an acoustic transducer including: a semiconductor substrate; a vibrating membrane provided above the semiconductor substrate, including a vibrating electrode; and a fixed membrane provided above the semiconductor substrate, including a fixed electrode, the acoustic transducer detecting a sound wave according to changes in capacitances between the vibrating electrode and the fixed electrode, converting the sound wave into electrical signals, and outputting the electrical signals. At least one of the vibrating electrode and the fixed electrode is divided into a plurality of divided electrodes, and the plurality of divided electrodes outputting the electrical signals.
US09363603B1 Surround audio dialog balance assessment
A surround audio dialog balance assessment method, apparatus, and system as disclosed herein is an audio monitor or is associated with an audio monitor. Preferred surround audio dialog balance assessment methods, apparatuses, and systems automate the process of monitoring audio signals through a broadcast chain.
US09363597B1 Distance-based audio processing for parametric speaker system
A hybrid ultrasonic audio system includes one or more ultrasonic speakers and one or more conventional speakers. An optical imaging system may be used to automatically determine the distance of a listener relative to the audio system. Channel processors apply distance-related transfer function filters to one or more of the audio channels based on the determined distances to equalize the amplitude of the audio played by the ultrasonic speakers relative to the conventional speakers. Channel processors may further apply a phase or time delay to the audio channels to match the phase and time delay of the ultrasonic speaker audio to the conventional speaker audio.
US09363594B2 Earbud with membrane based acoustic mass loading
An in-ear earphone housing has a speaker driver installed therein. The driver has a diaphragm with a front face and a rear face, and a motor to vibrate the diaphragm in accordance with an audio signal. A back volume chamber is positioned behind the driver within the earphone housing. The diaphragm is part of a wall of the back volume chamber. An acoustic mass loading membrane that is part of a wall of the back volume chamber, and that is to vibrate in response to acoustic waves produced by vibration of the diaphragm impinging on a front face of the membrane, is provided. Other embodiments are also described and claimed, including a polymer production process for an elastic material.
US09363593B2 Transducer suspension elements with built-in tinsel wire
A transducer suspension element is presented. The transducer suspension element includes a suspension member having a body, the body having a main portion, a first portion extending from the main portion and continuing to an outer edge, and a second portion extending from the main portion and continuing to an inner edge. At least one conductor is disposed within or on the suspension member body, the at least one conductor extending at least within a section of the first portion and within a section of the second portion of the suspension member, and wherein a length of the at least one conductor of the suspension member is greater than a minimal distance from the inner edge to the outer edge across the suspension member.
US09363591B2 Electronic device
An electronic device is provided with a housing, a piezoelectric element, and a panel, which is attached to the housing and has a contact area contacting a part of human body, configured to vibrate by the piezoelectric element to generate a vibration sound to be transmitted by vibrating the part of human body, such that pressure from inside of the housing at the contact area of the panel is smaller than pressure from inside of the housing at different area from the contact area. Thereby the sound pressure property is improved, and thus the electronic device preferably transmits air conduction sound and vibration sound.
US09363586B2 Narrow profile speaker configurations and systems
A narrow profile speaker unit comprises at least one speaker outputting sound towards an internal surface and through a duct with an output terminus, such as a slot, having a narrow dimension, effectively changing the cross-section of the speaker's audio output wave. A pair of speakers may face one another, outputting sound towards a common output slot. Multiple pairs of speakers may be used to form an inline speaker unit for increased sound output. A slotted speaker unit may include multiple speakers facing the same direction, towards a groundplane or reflecting surface, and having parallel apertures for allowing sound radiation. The speaker units may be integral with or attached to electronic appliances such as desktop computers or flatscreen devices, or may be used in automobiles or other contexts.
US09363585B2 Operations administration and management service for an optical layer of a communication network
We disclose a network element having one or more OAM components that enable the network element to send and receive in-band service messages without disrupting the flow of user data on the wavelength channel(s) used for the transmission of said in-band service messages. When deployed in a transport plane of a communications network, a plurality of such network elements can advantageously be used to perform various OAM functions that support a link-fault-management mechanism in a manner that complements and strengthens the existing OAM capabilities, particularly at various intermediate points within the optical network path(s).
US09363582B2 Optical beam routing apparatus and methods
This invention relates to methods and apparatus for routing light beams in telecommunications devices using holographic techniques, in particular by displaying kinoforms on LCOS (Liquid Crystal on Silicon) devices. Thus we describe optical beam routing apparatus comprising: at least one optical input to receive an input beam; a plurality of optical outputs; a spatial light modulator (SLM) on an optical path between said optical input and said optical outputs; and a driver for said SLM to display a kinoform on said SLM to diffract said input beam into an output beam comprising a plurality of diffraction orders, wherein a routed one of said diffraction orders is directed to at least one selected said optical output; wherein said apparatus is configured to modify a wavefront of said output beam to reduce a coupling of said output beam into said selected optical output; and wherein said kinoform is adapted to compensate for said wavefront modification to compensate for said reduced coupling and thereby to reduce a coupling of other diffracted light from said input beam into others of said optical outputs than said at least one selected optical output.
US09363581B2 Compact multicast switches, MxN switches and MxN splitters
New architectures for multicast switches, and other optical switches and splitters, that have substantially reduced insertion loss, crosstalk and better overall optical performance in comparison to existing optical switches and splitters. Optimized waveguide mesh layouts are used to substantially reduce the number of waveguide crossings, which reduces insertion loss. The reduction in the number of crossings also reduces the complexity of the mesh and provides better crossing angles to reduce crosstalk and other issues. Instead of crossing all of the waveguides connected between splitter outputs and switch inputs, the waveguides are crossed in sets of waveguides.
US09363579B2 Video player with assisted seek
A computer-implemented method provides a user interface for users to navigate through a video content item with various navigation options including the ability to navigate through portions of the video content item not buffered at the user's viewer. The navigation method receives gestures from users that result in navigation.
US09363576B2 Advertisement insertion systems, methods, and media
Systems, methods, and media for providing an advertisement in correspondence with a radio broadcast are provided. A radio broadcast receiver receives the radio broadcast. An audio output outputs the radio broadcast as an audio signal. A display controller determines an advertisement for display in correspondence with the audio signal. A display is configured to display the advertisement, and a processor controls a movement within the advertisement during the display of the advertisement on the display. The movement is controlled in accordance with a speed of motion determined by the processor.
US09363570B2 Broadcast receiving apparatus for receiving a shared home screen
Disclosed are a broadcast receiving apparatus and a method for operating the same. A broadcast receiving apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an interface to access an electronic device that stores home screen information including a background image and a plurality of execution items, and to receive the home screen information from the electronic device, a controller to scale at least one of the background image and the execution items of the received home screen information, and a display to display a home screen including the scaled background image and execution items. As such, user convenience may be improved.
US09363568B2 Systems and methods for receiving product data
Systems and methods for receiving product data for products featured in a media asset are described. In some embodiments, the system includes control circuitry that receives from a server data for products featured in a media asset and timestamps for the media asset associated with the products featured in the media asset. The control circuitry generates for display a list including one or more of the products. The control circuitry receives from user input circuitry a selection of a product in the list. The control circuitry transmits to the server a request for a portion of the media asset featuring the selected product based on a timestamp associated with the selected product.
US09363547B2 Set top box having reset button and light guide
A set top box comprises a front wall; a first printed circuit board on an interior surface of the front wall; an actuation reset switch on the first printed circuit board on a side of the first printed circuit board opposite the front wall; and a reset button assembly having a fulcrum between an activation end and reset button end, wherein the reset button end has a reset button and the activation end has an actuation prong, wherein the actuation prong faces the actuation reset switch and the reset button faces the same direction as actuation prong.
US09363541B2 Method and system for distribution of media
A system for the distribution of media is disclosed. The system comprises a network center; a delivery system for receiving data from and transmitting data to the network center; and a plurality of multimedia teller machines (MTMs) for receiving data from the delivery system, and for providing a plurality of gigablocks, wherein the gigablocks provide for secure and/or high bandwidth data.
US09363531B2 Apparatus and method for motion vector encoding/decoding, and apparatus and method for image encoding/decoding using same
A video decoding method using an inter-prediction is disclosed. The method includes at least: determining a motion vector of a current block to be decoded in a current picture; predicting pixels in current block using the motion vector of the current block; extracting quantized transform coefficients by decoding a bitstream; reconstructing residual signals by inversely quantizing and then inversely transform the quantized transform coefficients; and adding the predicted pixels and the reconstructed residual signals which correspond to the predicted pixels, wherein the determination of the motion vector of the current block comprises: obtaining a flag by decoding a bitstream, the flag indicating one among a plurality of modes for determining the motion vector of the current block.
US09363530B2 Method and apparatus for encoding/decoding a motion vector by selecting a set of predicted candidate motion vectors, and method and apparatus for image encoding/decoding using the same
A method of encoding a motion vector includes: selecting one of a plurality of predicted candidate motion vector sets by using motion information of neighboring blocks of a current block; selecting one of predicted candidate motion vectors within a selected predicted candidate motion vector set, as a predicted motion vector; encoding a differential motion vector representing a difference between a current motion vector or motion vector of the current block and a selected predicted motion vector; and encoding a predicted motion vector index indicating the selected predicted motion vector. As a motion vector is encoded after selecting an efficient predicted candidate motion vector set, the size of a differential vector to be encoded can be reduced without necessarily encoding additional information to indicate which set of predicted candidate motion vectors has been selected, resulting in improved compression efficiency of motion vectors and in turn the improved video compression efficiency.
US09363524B2 Method and apparatus for motion compensation reference data caching
A method and apparatus for processing a current macro-block of a current frame for motion compensation based on reference data from a reference frame using a sliding window cache to cache the reference data are disclosed. The method steps comprise processing a current sub-block of the current macro-block for motion compensation, determining the reference data for the current sub-block based on a reference sub-block in the reference frame, determining whether the reference data is within a sliding window, if the reference data is within the sliding window, checking for a valid tag corresponding to the reference data, responsive to the valid tag, retrieving the reference data from within the sliding window cache and processing the reference data for motion compensation.
US09363517B2 Indexed color history in image coding
An encoder may implement an indexed color history that stores color values for previously encoded pixels. The encoder may obtain a current pixel or current group of pixels for encoding and determine whether to encode the current pixel using the indexed color history. In doing so, the encoder may compare a color value of the current pixel with color values of the previously coded pixels to determine whether the current pixel is sufficiently similar to a previously coded pixel color value, e.g., by satisfying one or more similarity criteria. When the similarity criteria are satisfied, the encoder may encode the current pixel as an index value referencing the entry in the indexed color history storing a color value that satisfies the similarity criteria. When the similarity criteria are not satisfied, the encoder may encode the current pixel using another encoding method or technique.
US09363514B2 Spatial prediction technique for video coding
A method for coding a block of pixels is disclosed. The method comprises the following steps: determining, for each pixel of the current block, a prediction pixel by thresholding, with a current threshold value, of coefficients resulting from a transformation applied on a window covering at least the pixel of the current block and by inverse transformation applied to the thresholded coefficients, extracting from the current block a prediction block formed of prediction pixels to generate a residue block, and coding said residue block, According to the invention, the current threshold value is determined or coded from neighboring reconstructed pixels of the current block.
US09363511B2 Method and apparatus for Intra mode coding in HEVC
A method and apparatus for Intra prediction mode encoding or decoding based on multi-level most probable modes (MPMs) are disclosed. In one embodiment according to the present invention, the method and apparatus for encoding or decoding Intra prediction mode for 4×4 prediction unit (PU) use 19 Intra mode candidates to have full directional coverage or 35 Intra mode candidates as used by 8×8, 16×16 and 32×32 PUs. In another embodiment of the present invention, three MPMs are used to code the Intra modes. Various methods to derive the three MPMs based on the Intra modes of neighboring blocks are disclosed. In yet another embodiment of the present invention, the coding method for the remaining modes comprises fixed length coding. In addition, variable length coding for the remaining modes are also disclosed.
US09363508B2 Delta QP handling in a high efficiency video decoder
A system and method are provided including a deblocker processor that reads a first data load for a first processing block from a buffer. The deblocker processor holds the first data load in a storage array in response to the first data load not including a valid value for a first quantization parameter and receives a second data load for a second processing block from the buffer. In response to the second data load including a valid value for a second quantization parameter, the deblocker processor processes the first processing block based on the second quantization parameter.
US09363505B2 Pixel arrangement method that reduces color shift of pattern retarder glasses based 3D display system in large view angle and display panel using same
The present invention provides a pixel arrangement method that reduces color shift of pattern retarder glasses based 3D display system and includes: providing a display panel, which includes a substrate and a plurality of primary pixels that is formed on the substrate in an array; dividing the primary pixels in 3D mode displaying in such a way that each of the primary pixels is divided into four sub-pixels, wherein the sub-pixels are of colors that are pure colors and two adjacent ones of the sub-pixels in either horizontal or vertical direction are of different colors; and dividing the primary pixels in 2D mode displaying in such a way that each of the primary pixels is divided into three or four sub-pixels, wherein the sub-pixels are of colors that are pure colors and two adjacent ones of the sub-pixels in either horizontal or vertical direction are of different colors.
US09363501B2 Combining depth-maps from different acquisition methods
A method and system capturing three-dimensional information of a scene on a structure includes operating a light pattern projector to project a known light pattern onto the scene; using at least two cameras, taking images of the scene, the images being two-dimensional images taken chronologically synchronous; using first and second images, and the known position and orientation of the cameras with respect to each other, extracting a first depth map of the scene; using the first image, the known light pattern, and the known position and orientation of the first camera and the light pattern projector with respect to each other, extracting a second depth map of the scene; and using the extracted first depth map and the extracted second depth map of the scene together to make a 3D measurement of the scene.
US09363488B2 Methods, apparatuses and computer program products for analyzing crowd source sensed data to determine information related to media content of media capturing devices
An apparatus for classifying focus points detected in media content associated with an event(s) and generating a media content recording with media segments associated with a portion of the focus points may include a processor and memory storing executable computer program code that cause the apparatus to at least perform operations including receiving items of recorded media content and sensor data, from one or more devices, corresponding to at least one event. The computer program code may further cause the apparatus to determine one or more focus points of interest in the media content indicating areas or locations of interest that are associated with the event. The computer program code may further cause the apparatus to classify the focus points of interest based in part on analyzing respective items of the sensor data. Corresponding methods and computer program products are also provided.
US09363484B2 Method and device for range imaging
A method for range imaging allows determining respective distances to multiple objects, based on a single image. The image is captured through a component having a transmittance function of which the Fourier transform is inscribed on a circle within a plane of spatial frequencies. A Fourier transform of the captured image is calculated in order to obtain a total spectrum for the image content. The distance to each object is then calculated based on several homothetic superimpositions of a reference spectrum with the total spectrum, so that said reference spectrum coincides with a portion of the total spectrum each time.
US09363471B2 Sharing content
A user terminal comprising: a network interface; a display; a content sharing module configured to display content shared with a further user terminal on the display, and receive position data from the further user terminal via the network interface, said position data indicating a position within the shared content associated with a user at the further user terminal; and a communications module. The communications module configured to: receive video data from the further user terminal over a communications network during a communication event with at least said further user terminal via the network interface; and control the video data received from said further user terminal to be displayed on said display in dependence on the position within the shared content associated with the user at the further user terminal.
US09363458B2 Information processing apparatus, information processing method, program, and information processing system
Disclosed herein is an information processing apparatus including: transmission data acquisition section configured to acquire transmission data including program data and EPG data including program information for a predetermined period of time; EPG extraction section configured to extract the EPG data from the transmission data; program selection section configured to select a given program as a selected program; search word extraction section configured to extract a search word from the program information of the selected program; search word transmission section configured to transmit the search word to a program server; program information reception section configured to receive, from the program server, the program information including a program identification ID configured to identify a related program related to the selected program; program information storage section configured to store the program information; and processing section configured to identify the program by using the program identification ID, and perform a process targeted at the identified program.
US09363457B2 Systems and methods for providing social media with an intelligent television
An Intelligent Television provides unique user interfaces and user interface interactions to provide social media. The interfaces and interface are intuitive and allow the user to quickly retrieve and view social media with respect to content displayed on the Intelligent Television. Further, intuitive user interface interactions are provided to allow for the quick and efficient posting of social media from the Intelligent Television to a social media site.
US09363453B2 Solid-state imaging device and camera system
A solid-state imaging device includes: a pixel section wherein pixels including photoelectric conversion devices are arranged in a matrix; and a pixel driving section including a row selection circuit which controls the pixels to perform an electronic shutter operation and readout of the pixel section. The row selection circuit has a function of selecting a readout row from which a signal is read out and a shutter row on which reset is performed by discharging charge accumulated in the photoelectric conversion devices, in accordance with address and control signals. The row selection circuit can set, in accordance with the address and control signals, in the pixels of the selected row, at least a readout state, a discharge state where a smaller amount of the charge accumulated in the photoelectric conversion devices than the reset is discharged, an electronic shutter state, and a charge state where the charge is accumulated in the photoelectric conversion devices.
US09363452B2 A/D converter, A/D conversion method, solid-state imaging element and camera system
A solid-state imaging device having an analog-digital converter, and an analog-digital conversion method are described herein. An example of a solid-state imaging device comprises a bit inconsistency prevention section configured to prevent bit inconsistency between output of a low-level bit latch section and a high-level bit counting section.
US09363441B2 Apparatus, system and method for tracking subject with still or video camera
An apparatus, method, and system for controlling camera aiming and operation through a convenient and intuitive interface using correlative touch and feel, which allows a camera operator to primarily pay attention to a game or event, while simultaneously controlling a still or video camera in three control dimensions, with a high degree of accuracy or quality.
US09363437B2 Image sensing apparatus and method of controlling operation of same to reduce image distortion
Image stabilization, which shifts the center of an image sensing device radially away from the optical axis of an imaging lens is performed multiple times in one frame. A path in a case where the movement of the center of the image sensing device at this time is viewed from the front is generated. A turning point, at which there has been a change in direction from the positive direction to the negative direction or vice versa along the vertical or horizontal direction, is detected in the path generated. The positional relationship between the position of the center of the shifted image sensing device and the optical axis of the imaging lens is determined from the turning point detected. Optical distortion of the image of the subject is corrected by utilizing this positional relationship.
US09363432B2 Image processing apparatus and image processing method
For each of respective viewpoints, the capturing condition at the viewpoint, and each frame image captured from the viewpoint in accordance with the capturing condition are acquired. One of the viewpoints is selected as a reference viewpoint by using the acquired capturing conditions. Predicting coding and intra-coding are performed for the acquired images. For each of the respective viewpoints for each frame, the coding result of the frame image captured from the viewpoint by predicting coding or intra-coding is output. When performing predicting coding for an image captured from the reference viewpoint, predicting coding is performed by referring to the image captured from the reference viewpoint without referring to images captured from the viewpoints other than the reference viewpoint.
US09363426B2 Automatic camera selection based on device orientation
At least two camera lenses on a mobile may be provided. The camera lenses may be configured to face the same or substantially the same direction, at least one of the two camera lenses positioned along one edge of the mobile device and at least another one of the two camera lenses positioned along another edge. Automatic selection of a camera lens among said at least two camera lenses for activation may be enabled based on detecting the current orientation of the mobile device.
US09363425B2 Color filter arrangements for fused array imaging systems
Electronic devices may include camera modules. A camera module may include an array camera having an array of lenses and a corresponding array of image sensors. The array of image sensors may include a monochromatic image sensor such as a green image sensor and a polychromatic image sensor such as a red and blue image sensor. The red and blue image sensor may include a color filter array of red and blue color filter elements formed over an array of image pixels. The red and blue color filter elements in the polychromatic image sensor may be arranged in a checkerboard pattern, a zigzag pattern that extends vertically from the top of the pixel array to the bottom of the pixel array, or a diagonal strip pattern. The electronic device may include processing circuitry for combining monochromatic images from the monochromatic image sensor with polychromatic images from the polychromatic image sensor.
US09363422B1 Cell-based compression with edge detection and interleaved encoding
An example embodiment may involve obtaining (i) an a×b attribute macro-cell, and (ii) a×b pixel macro-cells for each of a luminance plane, a first color plane, and a second color plane of an input image. The a×b pixel macro-cells may each contain 4 non-overlapping m×n pixel cells. The example embodiment may also involve determining 4 attribute-plane output values that represent the 4 non-overlapping m×n attribute cells, 1 to 4 luminance-plane output values that represent the a×b pixel macro-cell of the luminance plane, a first color-plane output value to represent the a×b pixel macro-cell of the first color plane, and a second color-plane output value to represent the a×b pixel macro-cell of the second color plane. The example embodiment may further involve writing an interleaved representation of the output values to a computer-readable output medium.
US09363418B2 Electronic apparatus
An electronic apparatus operated by a remote operation device includes a log-in managing part and a display controlling part. When log-in operation inputting log-in information is carried out, if a log-in user to the electronic apparatus does not exist, the log-in managing part logs-in the user to the electronic apparatus. When log-out operation logging-out the user from the electronic apparatus is carried out, the log-in managing part logs-out the user from the electronic apparatus. If the log-in managing part logs-out the user from the electronic apparatus, the display controlling part displays a re-login key for re-login of a log-out user on the remote operation device without inputting the log-in information. If operation of the re-login key is carried out, the log-in managing part logs-in the log-out user to the electronic apparatus by using the log-in information used when the log-out user is precedingly logged-in to the electronic apparatus.
US09363415B2 Printing apparatus, printing data generation apparatus and method therefor, and printing data generation program
A printing apparatus includes an input unit; a halftone processing unit; and a print unit. The halftone processing unit includes a comparison unit comparing one of a plurality of threshold values and a data gradation value, and an error diffusion unit generating dot data by comparing the data gradation value with an error diffusion threshold value. In a case where the data gradation value is less than the threshold value, the error diffusion threshold value is set to a high threshold value greater than a low threshold value. The high threshold value is set to a maximum value of the data gradation value or higher where the data gradation value is a predetermined value or higher, and to a value lower than the maximum value in a predetermined gradation range not less than the predetermined value.
US09363401B2 Image reading apparatus for reducing start-up time
An image reading apparatus includes a conveyance unit, a reading unit, a carriage, a motor, a motor gear, a conveyance gear, a carriage gear, and a control device. The conveyance unit is configured to convey a document. The reading unit is configured to read an image on the document. The carriage is configured to support the reading unit and to be movable in a prescribed direction. The reading unit is selectively operable in a first mode in which the image on the document is read while conveying the document by the conveyance unit, and a second mode in which the image on the document is read by moving the reading unit in the prescribed direction. The switching gear is configured to be placed in a first position and a second position. The control device is configured to control the switching gear to move between the first position and the second position, acquire initialization data initializing the reading unit, and control the reading unit to read the image on the document. The control device acquires the initialization data while controlling the switching gear to move between the first position and the second position.
US09363399B2 Image reading device and copier
An image reading device includes: a supplying tray on which a document is placed; a document conveyer that successively conveys the document placed on the supplying tray toward a reading position; a plurality of detection sensors that are disposed in a plurality of positions in a width direction intersecting a conveyance direction of the document, and detect a front edge of the document in the conveyance direction when the document is placed on the supplying tray; and a document reading portion that reads an image on the document passing the reading position, and generates an image signal.
US09363386B2 Acoustic echo cancellation based on ultrasound motion detection
A method includes receiving an ultrasound signal at an ultrasound receiver from an ultrasound transmitter. The method also includes detecting movement of at least one object based on the received ultrasound signal and at least one previously received ultrasound signal. The method further includes modifying a parameter of an acoustic echo canceller in response to the detected movement.
US09363381B2 Method and system for transferring a call between devices of a single user
A method and device enables transferring a call between devices of a single user. The method comprises pairing, over a master-less communication link, a narrowband communication device operating in a narrowband communication system and a broadband communication device operating in a broadband communication system. A radio identifier is shared between the narrowband communication device and the broadband communication device, enabling call details to be transferred between the narrowband communication device and the broadband communication device. An operational status of either the narrowband communication device or the broadband communication device is then evaluated. When a call associated with particular call details is prior established on both the narrowband communication system and the broadband communication system, the call can be transferred, using the radio identifier and the call details, and based on the operational status, from one to the other of the broadband communication device and the narrowband communication device.
US09363379B2 Communication system with voice mail access and call by spelling functionality
A method of initiating a communication from a mobile communication device includes receiving a plurality of spoken letters corresponding to a spelling of at least a portion of a contact name and identifying a contact and associated contact information from a database associated with a mobile communication device in response to the spoken letters. A communication to the contact is initiated from the mobile communication device using the associated contact information. A method of presenting voicemail to a user establishes communication with a mobile communication device. A first voicemail box is checked for messages, the first voicemail box being associated with the mobile communication device. A second voicemail box is checked for messages, the second voicemail box being associated with a second communication device. At least one voicemail message received from at least one of the first and second voicemail boxes is presented to a user via a single interface.
US09363371B2 Voicemail interactive voice response for instant appointment booking
A system and method are provided that transforms the typical voicemail interaction into one in which the client does not feel that their voice messages could be easily ignored. Instead of being prompted in the traditional manner to simply leave a message, the client is asked to choose from a list of available times, each representing a potential time for the service provider to call the client back. The system is aware of both the service provider's calendar appointments and the times that they have made available for client appointments. Once the client chooses a time slot, the service provider's calendar will be updated with the new appointment details. When that time arrives, the provider's calendar system will alert them of their impending appointment and they will be reminded to telephone back their client at the scheduled time.
US09363356B2 System and methods to enable efficient and interactive management of communications
Disclosed is a system and methods to enable the interactive management of incoming and outgoing communications in an automated or manual fashion.
US09363344B2 High frequency module and high frequency component
A high frequency module is configured to be compatible with a cellular phone with a plurality of specifications without increasing the number of ports in a switching device. The high frequency module includes a switching device and a module board. The switching device includes a common port and connection switch ports. The module board includes external connection ports and a third filter circuit. An external connection port is connected to one of the connection switch ports of the switching device via a transmission line inside the module board. The third filter circuit is connected to a second external connection port and a third external connection port independently from the device connection ports of the switching device.
US09363342B2 Mobile terminal and arrangement to generate a bending force on a display
A mobile terminal is provided that includes a display configured to output visual information, a frame covering a rear surface of the display, and an adhesive member that provided between the rear surface of the display and the frame and configured to couple the display to the frame, the frame formed in a curved shape to generate a bending force causing the display to curve when the display is coupled to the frame using the adhesive member.
US09363332B2 Communication apparatus, mobile device and storage medium
A communication apparatus configured to form a first state, which is a specific state for performing communication with a first mobile device having a telephone function, and a second state, which is the specific state, if call receiving information, which is output from the first mobile device due to the first mobile device receiving a call request from external, is received while the first state is formed. In the first state, an execution of first processing instructed from the first mobile device is capable and an execution of a plurality of processing including the first processing, which is instructed from a second mobile device different from the first mobile device, is incapable. In the second state, an execution of a part of processing among the plurality of processing incapable in the first state is capable.
US09363328B2 Systems and methods for content injection
The present solution is directed towards a policy-based intermediary that dynamically and flexibly injects content in responses between a client and a server based on one or more policies. The present solution addresses the challenges of injecting content in a client-server transaction. The intermediary determines when and what content to inject into a response of a client-server transaction based on a request and/or response policy. The injected content may include timestamp and/or variable tracking of different events in a client-server transaction. For example, when an intermediary appliance is deployed in a system to accelerate system performance and improve user experience, the appliance may inject content based on policy to monitor the acceleration performance of the deployed appliance.
US09363327B2 Network integrated dynamic resource routing
A device receives, from a client device, a request for a resource, and determines, based on information provided in the request, whether to terminate a connection for the request at the device. The device forwards the request to a network when the connection is not terminated at the device, and selects a target device for the resource when the connection is terminated at the device. The device also provides the request to the selected target device, receives the resource from the selected target device, and provides the resource to the client device.
US09363326B2 Web tracking protection
Technologies and implementations for providing web tracking protection are generally disclosed.
US09363324B2 Methods and apparatus for geo-collaboration
Methods and computer readable medium for collaborating on geographical maps between two or more computers are disclosed. In particular, sharing a geographical location on a map between two or more computers and co-navigating a map between two or more computers are disclosed. With respect to sharing a geographical location, the geographical location is retrieved to the first computer. The geographical location is added to the map being rendered at the first computer and is sent to a second computer. A map including the geographical location is rendered at the second computer. With respect to co-navigating, a map is displayed from a map perspective at the first computer. The map perspective is sent to the second computer. A map from the same map perspective being displayed at the first computer is rendered at the second computer.
US09363313B2 Reducing virtual IP-address (VIP) failure detection time
Methods and systems are provided for global server load balancing in a communication network using a global site selector and an application control engine in communication with the global site selector, in which the application control engine notifies the global site selector in response to a state change for a virtual internet protocol (VIP) address. Keepalive methods generally rely on periodically polling VIP addresses to check whether they are in an ONLINE or OFFLINE state. A minimum interval between two keepalives can be as long as 40 seconds, during which, without a mechanism to reflect state change to the load balancer in real time, if a VIP address changes state (e.g., VIP address failure), a customer can experience network outage during the time interval. Embodiments provide a mechanism to reflect, in real time, the current VIP address state to a global server load balancer to reduce failure detection time.
US09363312B2 Transparent header modification for reducing serving load based on current and projected usage
A method and system for dynamically altering the delivery of web content to end users based on server load. Responsive to receiving a client request for web content, utilization metrics are collected from a plurality of devices that deliver the web content to the end users. Individual load levels for the devices are determined respectively, based on the utilization metrics of the devices, a combined load level is determined for two or more of the devices having the same device type based on the individual-load levels, and a service level to provide to the client is determined based on the combined load level. The request header is modified to specify a rate to deliver the web content to the client based on the service level. The request is sent with the modified header to one of the devices to serve a variant of the web content to the client at the specified rate.
US09363311B1 Delivery of instructions in host applications
Embodiments of the systems described herein can implement one or more processes remotely delivering customized code to a host application and/or computing device. The host application may be configured as an Application Programming Interface with a customized code processing library that may configure the host application to receive further instructions remotely. The host application may be further configured to execute host code and/or third-party code. The host application may be configured to receive remote application logic, after the host application has been installed on a computing device, and to execute the received application logic to alter the behavior of the host application, such as selectively tracking end user interactions.
US09363310B2 Standard commands for native commands
A system and method for standardizing commands used for various application behaviors in an application regardless of the environment of the application. A client intercepts a user input standard command, retrieves a corresponding native command from a standardizing server and inputs the native command in the application.
US09363303B2 Network routing modifications for distribution of data
The transmission of multiple copies of data to other computing devices is optimized by minimizing the number of copies of such data transmitted through an expensive portion of the network. A store-and-forward methodology is utilized to transmit only a single copy through the expensive portion and the data is subsequently forked into multiple copies directed to multiple destination computing devices. Computing devices that are not intended destinations can be conscripted as intermediate computing devices, if appropriate to minimize copies of the data transmitted through an expensive portion. Additionally, accommodation can be made for data that is intolerant of out-of-order delivery by utilizing adaptive protocols that avoid mechanisms that may result in out-of-order delivery for data intolerant of such and by utilizing packet sorting at data convergence points to reorder the data. Different protocol settings can be utilized to transmit data across different portions of the network.
US09363298B2 Methods and systems for aggregating presence information to provide a simplified unified presence
Methods and systems for providing simplified presence for a user are described. The user has a plurality of associated communication devices registered with a communications server, and each communication device enables at least one communication service class. The server has a user data entry associating the user with each of the plurality of communication devices. To hide the details of the user-associated devices from third parties, a virtual device is defined and associated with the user. Presence information received at the server from the various devices is aggregated together to create aggregated presence information that indicates at least the service classes available from the user-associated devices based on the received presence information. A virtual device presence document is generated containing the aggregated presence information and is provided to a presence server as presence information associated with the user.
US09363293B2 Image monitoring framework
A computing platform may receive, from a network device, a message identifying data that was transmitted by a user device located in a private network associated with an organization. The network device may be located at a boundary between the private network and a public network. The data may include one or more images and may be destined for a network address associated with the public network. The computing platform may generate and store a record corresponding to the message. The computing platform may receive, from an analysis platform, data indicating whether the image(s) comprise content that violates a data leak prevention (DLP) policy of the organization. The computing platform may identify the record corresponding to the message and may update the record corresponding to the message to reflect whether the image(s) comprise content that violates the DLP policy of the organization.
US09363282B1 Platforms for implementing an analytics framework for DNS security
Flux domain is generally an active threat vector, and flux domain behaviors are continually changing in an attempt to evade existing detection measures. Accordingly, new and improved techniques are disclosed for flux domain detection. In some embodiments, an online platform implementing an analytics framework for DNS security is provided for facilitating flux domain detection. For example, the online platform can implement an analytics framework for DNS security based on passive DNS traffic analysis, disclosed herein with respect to various embodiments.
US09363277B2 Systems and methods for detecting and preventing flooding attacks in a network environment
A method for processing network traffic data includes receiving a packet, and determining whether the packet is a previously dropped packet that is being retransmitted. A method for processing network traffic content includes receiving a plurality of headers, the plurality of headers having respective first field values, and determining whether the first field values of the respective headers form a first prescribed pattern. A method for processing network traffic content includes receiving a plurality of packets, and determining an existence of a flooding attack without tracking each of the plurality of packets with a SYN bit.
US09363274B2 Methods and systems for broadcasting pictures
A method and system for broadcasting pictures across multiple user terminals are provided. The method includes generating a user signature based on information associated with the picture, and receiving a request to broadcast the picture, the request including the user signature. The method further includes broadcasting the picture if the user signature is valid. The method and system may improve a user's online experience by eliminating unauthorized broadcasts from unauthorized users.
US09363268B2 System and method for controlling multicast geographic distribution
A content distribution network includes first and second controllers, and multicast enabled routers. The first controller is configured to select a multicast channel for distributing content, to determine that the content has a geographic restriction associated with a restricted area in the content distribution network, to link an exclusion policy for the content to the multicast channel while the multicast channel provides the content, and to deny a request for the content from a client system within the restricted area based on the exclusion policy. The second controller is configured to distribute the exclusion policy to the multicast enabled routers including a first router configured to store the exclusion policy, and to ignore a multicast join message from the client system within the restricted area based on the exclusion policy.
US09363265B2 Methods and systems for enhancing the accuracy performance of authentication systems
A method for enhancing the accuracy performance of authentication systems includes determining an authentication data requirement for a desired transaction and at least one new verification phrase. The method also includes capturing authentication data from a user with a communications device in accordance with the authentication data requirement, and capturing biometric data of the at least one new verification phrase from the user with the communications device. Moreover, the method includes adding the determined at least one new verification phrase to an enrollment phrase registry and storing the biometric data captured for the at least one new verification phrase in an enrollment data record of the user after successfully authenticating the user.
US09363254B2 Cloud queue access control
An example implementation may involve a computing system receiving a request to establish a queue of media items. The computing system may assign a first access status to the queue. The first access status may indicate that at least one media playback system is authorized to perform a first set of queue operations. After assigning the first access status to the queue, the computing system may detect a trigger that indicates a change in access status of the queue. Based on the detected trigger, the computing system may modify the access status of the queue from the first access status to a second access status. The second access status may indicate that the at least one media playback system is authorized to perform a second set of queue operations. The computing system may send an indication of the second access status to a media playback system.
US09363248B1 Data encryption in a network memory architecture for providing data based on local accessibility
A network memory system is disclosed. The network memory system comprises a first appliance configured to encrypt first data, and store the encrypted first data in a first memory device. The first appliance also determines whether the first data is available in a second appliance and transmits a store instruction comprising the first data based on the determination that the first data does not exist in the second appliance. The second appliance is configured to receive the store instruction from the first appliance comprising the first data, encrypt the first data, and store the encrypted first data in a second memory device. The second appliance is further configured to receive a retrieve instruction comprising a location indicator indicating where the encrypted first data is stored, process the retrieve instruction to obtain encrypted response data, and decrypt the encrypted response data.
US09363245B1 Secure network access
The present invention relates to a system and method for facilitating access to secure network sites, such as sites providing secure financial information. An active software agent is utilized to fetch passwords and user identifiers from a user computing system and to use the passwords and identifiers to extract required information from the secure site. The password sites and identifiers are encrypted and an encryption key is stored at a network mode remote from the user's computer and is fetched in order to enable the passwords and identifiers to be decrypted so that the active agent can use them to obtain the required information.
US09363228B2 Apparatus and method of peer-to-peer communication
An apparatus and method of communication include establishing, by a first peer device, a proximity-based connection with a second peer device, transmitting a first public network address of the first peer device over the proximity-based connection for receipt by the second peer device, receiving a second public network address of the second peer device over the proximity-based connection, and establishing a communication session over a wide area connection using the first public network address and the second public network address.
US09363220B2 Context-sensitive help for image viewing and editing application
Some embodiments provide an image-viewing application. The application receives a selection of a help activation item in a graphical user interface (GUI) of the image-viewing application. The application displays help indicators for a first set of selectable GUI items. The application receives a selection of one of the first set of selectable GUI items. In response to receiving the selection, the application displays (i) a second set of GUI items and (ii) help indicators for the second set of GUI items, and removes the help indicators from the first set of selectable GUI items while maintaining the display of the first set of selectable GUI items.
US09363219B2 Methods and systems for providing an electronic account to a customer
An electronic account is provided to a customer to enable the customer to access electronic services, such as e-mail and electronic transactions. The electronic account links an electronic address of the customer to a physical address of the customer. Using the electronic account, electronic services can be provided to the customer at either the electronic or physical address, or both. The services can be both secure and non-secure and can be provided by any service provider, such as an online merchant, a government agency, or a bank.
US09363215B2 Video mail through peer to peer network
A system and method to record a message to be transmitted to a recipient user is disclosed herein. In some embodiments, the method includes executing a graphical user interface (GUI) on a first computer system allowing a first user to generate a message through selection of a particular GUI element, wherein the message may comprise audio and video content. The method may further include recording the audio and video data in response to the user selecting the particular GUI element. The audio and video data may be subsequently encoded using a video encoding protocol to generate the message. The method may further include transmitting the message to second computer system of a recipient user, wherein the recipient user is identified by the user generating the message.
US09363214B2 Network appliance architecture for unified communication services
A system and method for implementing a service oriented architecture that supports complex event processing and business activity monitoring. An enterprise service bus (ESB) generates a first list of one or more devices, receives a selection from a user associated with a first device of a second device in the first list, generates a second list that includes functions associated with the selection from the first user, receives a request from the first device to perform one of the functions in the second list, translates a first communication protocol of the request received from the first device into a second communication protocol used by the second device to create a translated request, translates a first message format of the request into a second message format and transmits the translated request to the second device.
US09363207B2 Private virtual local area network isolation
In one embodiment, a method includes obtaining addresses of end hosts at a switch, the switch configured with a primary virtual local area network and a secondary virtual local area network, creating a private virtual local area network access list comprising the addresses of end hosts permitted to communicate on the secondary virtual local area network, and applying the private virtual local area network access list to interfaces connected to the end hosts permitted to communicate on the secondary virtual local area network. An apparatus is also disclosed.
US09363203B2 Modular interconnect structure
Some embodiments of the invention include an interconnect structure to transfer data among a plurality of devices. The interconnect structure includes a crossbar and a number of interconnect branches coupled to the crossbar. Each of the interconnect branches includes a number of connector circuits coupled in series to transfer data in a group of devices of the plurality of devices. The crossbar includes a number of connector circuits coupled in series to allow one group of devices from one interconnect branch to exchange data with another group of devices from another interconnect branch. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US09363201B2 Method and apparatus for allocating client resources to multiple applications
A quota management system for Personal Video Recorders (PVRs) in which the storage space available on connected storage devices is shared between multiple content providers or multiple software programs.
US09363200B2 Transmission of data over a low-bandwidth communication channel
Disclosed herein are various systems and methods that may improve the transmission of data over low-bandwidth communication channels in an electric power delivery system. Devices communicating across a low-bandwidth communication channel may implement several approaches, according to various embodiments disclosed herein, to reduce the data transmitted across the low-bandwidth communication channel and to prioritize the transmission of time-sensitive and/or more important information with respect to other data. Various embodiments disclosed herein may inspect packets to be transmitted across a low-bandwidth communication channel in order to identify high priority data. High priority data may be time-sensitive information, and accordingly, transmission of such data may be prioritized over other data in order to reduce transmission latency of the higher priority data.
US09363198B2 Load balancing in cloud-based networks
A record of computing resources for a cloud computing environment and an additional cloud computing environment may be maintained. Available computing resources in the cloud computing environment and the additional cloud computing environment may be determinable from the record of computing resources. A request to instantiate a virtual machine in the cloud computing environment may be received. The virtual machine may be instantiated in the additional cloud computing environment in response to determining that the cloud computing environment lacks the available computing resources and inactive reserve resources to support the virtual machine.
US09363195B2 Configuring cloud resources
A method, system, and program product for identifying cloud resources are provided, and further a method, system, and program product for configuring cloud resources are provided. The method for identifying cloud resources may include receiving a request with respect to at least one resource in a cloud and determining a set of resources among the at least one resource in the cloud in accordance with the received request. Determining the set of resources may include consulting an ontology including metadata associated with the at least one resource in the cloud and computing the set of resources based on the metadata and the received request. Additionally, the method may include computing a cost factor with respect to the determined set of resources. Furthermore, the method may include rendering, in response to the received request, the determined set of resources and the cost factor with respect to the determined set of resources.
US09363187B2 Jitter buffering system and method of jitter buffering
A jitter buffering system and a method of jitter buffering. The jitter buffering system may be embodied in a quality of service (QoS) management server, including: (1) a network interface controller (NIC) configured to receive one-way-delay statistics regarding a video stream transmitted to a client, and (2) a processer configured to employ the one-way-delay statistics to calculate and recognize jitter and subsequently generate a command for the client to enable jitter buffering.
US09363185B2 Method and system for determining sustainable throughput over wireless networks
Sustainable average data throughput rates for data transfer between a sender and a receiver are determined for a network in a steady-state condition. Delivery performance for data transferred in non-steady-state conditions is disregarded in determining sustainable average data throughput rates. The rates may be used to adapt file delivery to network conditions.
US09363183B2 Network address translation offload to network infrastructure for service chains in a network environment
An example method for network address translation (NAT) offload to network infrastructure for service chains in a network environment is provided and includes receiving a packet at a network infrastructure in a network comprising a plurality of service nodes interconnected through the network infrastructure, each service node executing at least one service function, identifying the packet as belonging to a first flow based on a cookie in a network service header of the packet that indicates a service chain that includes a sequence of service functions to be executed on the packet at the service nodes, determining that a service function in the service chain is to be offloaded from one of the service nodes to the network infrastructure for subsequent packets of the first flow, and executing the offloaded service function at the network infrastructure for subsequent packets of the first flow.
US09363179B2 Multi-publisher routing protocol for named data networks
A multi-publisher routing system facilitates forwarding an Interest to multiple publishers associated with a namespace. During operation, network devices across a computer network can perform distance-vector routing with one or more network neighbors to determine a network topology. Also, one or more network devices may receive a namespace-join message from one or more publishers that are to provide content objects for the namespace. These network devices that receive the namespace-join message can construct an acyclic graph that includes one or more publishers for the namespace, and includes one or more forwarder nodes that form network paths between the one or more publishers. Then, when a network node in the acyclic graph receives an Interest message that specifies a name prefix associated with the namespace, this network node can forward the Interest message along the acyclic graph to one or more publishers associated with the namespace.
US09363160B2 System and method for provisioning and managing network access and connectivity
Systems and methods for providing distributed network solutions to end user customers by acting as a neutral demarcation point between the last mile and the long haul portion of a telecommunications network. A network provisioning platform evaluates transport alternatives to identify routes and networks having the highest reliability metrics. Access circuits are aggregated to the optical level at the earliest possible point in the network. Service to on-net networks are provisioned rapidly.
US09363159B2 Network management layer—configuration management
Novel tools and techniques are provided for implementing network management layer configuration management. In some embodiments, a system might determine one or more network devices in a network for implementing a service arising from a service request that originates from a client device over the network. The system might further determine network technology utilized by each of the one or more network devices, and might generate flow domain information (in some cases, in the form of a flow domain network (“FDN”) object), using flow domain analysis, based at least in part on the determined network devices and/or the determined network technology. The system might automatically configure at least one of the network devices to enable performance of the service (which might include, without limitation, service activation, service modification, fault isolation, and/or performance monitoring), based at least in part on the generated flow domain information.
US09363158B2 Reduce size of IPV6 routing tables by using a bypass tunnel
There are provided a system, a method and a computer program product for routing a data packet. A first router includes a routing table having address routes for routing packets of a first network communication protocol and address routes for routing packets of a second network communication protocol. A source router, adjacent to the first router, stores first network communication protocol addresses of routers adjacent to the first router. The system creates a network communication path from the source router to one or more adjacent routers for only routing the data packets according to a corresponding first network communication protocol address route. The system updates the routing table of the first router to remove the second network communication protocol address routes to the adjacent routers. The system routes the data packet according to the created network communication path and the updated routing table of the first router.
US09363157B2 Remotely controlling devices and processing asynchronous events for testing
In one embodiment, a script executes code on a testing device to automatically control a control device. A media player on the control device interacts with a video streaming service. The testing device receives events from the control device based on the control device being controlled by the script to perform actions. The actions performed by the control device results in the events being asynchronously sent to the testing device. The events is then stored in the event buffer. The script initiates a wait for routine that waits for a target event to occur before execution of the script can continue and receives the events from the event buffer where the events are stored in the event buffer. The script then analyzes the events to determine if the target event occurred to allow the script to continue execution.
US09363147B2 Indicating status using a standalone icon
A stand-alone icon (i.e., an icon that is not part of an application interface) is provided to facilitate communications across a network between users of at least one communications program. The icon represents a contact or a set of contacts. Status information regarding the contact or set of contacts is received and displayed using the icon or in response to an operation performed on the icon. The icon additionally may provide an interface for performing actions related to the contact or set of contacts. The actions may generally include, for example, retrieving profile information about the contact, setting an alert to indicate that the contact's network/login status (e.g., login, logout, or idle) has changed, or performing communications with the contact.
US09363146B2 Geographic management system for determining and displaying network data and geospatial data
A geographic management system (GMS) comprises a web server, a database server, and a map server. A user browser connected to the GMS transmits a search criteria to the web server. The web server transmits the search criteria to the map server. The map server geocodes the search criteria, obtains network data and geospatial data from the database server corresponding to the geocode, and transmits the geocode, the network data, and the geospatial data to the web server. The web server transmits the geocode, the network data, and the geospatial data to the user browser. The network data and the geospatial data are displayed on the user browser as a map displaying network elements of a telecommunication network relative to other network elements, geographic elements, and customers. One or more of the network elements have associated performance elements or sectored performance elements that display performance characteristics or sectored performance characteristics that signify performance attributes associated with the network element. The user browser can navigate through other network data and geospatial data by selecting network elements on the map or by selecting navigation tools or navigation tabs displayed in conjunction with the map.
US09363137B1 Faulty core recovery mechanisms for a three-dimensional network on a processor array
Embodiments of the invention relate to faulty recovery mechanisms for a three-dimensional (3-D) network on a processor array. One embodiment comprises a multidimensional switch network for a processor array. The switch network comprises multiple switches for routing packets between multiple core circuits of the processor array. The switches are organized into multiple planes. The switch network further comprises a redundant plane including multiple redundant switches. Multiple data paths interconnect the switches. The redundant plane is used to facilitate full operation of the processor array in the event of one or more component failures.
US09363130B2 Dynamic digital predistortion for a microwave radio system
A method for performing digital predistortion to a microwave radio transceiver in response to an increase/decrease of transmit power level is disclosed. If the new transmit power level is higher than the current transmit power level, a set of digital predistortion (DPD) coefficients is applied to the transceiver before the issuance of a transmit power level increase command to the transceiver. Otherwise, a transmit power level decrease command is issued to the transceiver before the application of the set of DPD coefficients to the transceiver. Determining the set of DPD coefficients for the transceiver involves two stages: (i) calibrating the transceiver at a room temperature under predefined conditions and generating a DPD lookup table including DPD coefficients at a plurality of predefined temperatures other than the room temperature and (ii) determining the set of DPD coefficients for a given set of operating conditions using entries in the DPD lookup table.
US09363128B2 Method and apparatus for phase-based multi-carrier modulation (MCM) packet detection
A method is disclosed for detecting packet at a receiving system in a Multi-Carrier Modulation (MCM) system. The method starts with receiving a signal at the receiving system. Then during the plurality of symbol durations, a set of phases of the signal for each symbol duration is obtained, where each phase is a phase of a carrier of the number of carriers. Then a set of phase variances for each carrier of the number of carriers is obtained, where each phase variance is a difference of phases of a carrier in different symbol durations. Then a phase variance value based on the set of phase variances is computed and it is compared with a threshold to determine whether a packet has been detected from the received signal.
US09363123B2 Methods and apparatus for signal conditioning in OFDMA systems
Methods and systems for conditioning an orthogonal frequency division multiplex (OFDM) signal are disclosed. The OFDM signal may be conditioned prior to transmission by a transmitter in an orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) system operating on a channel with a plurality of subcarriers grouped into subchannels. The OFDM signal may be clipped based on a desired peak-to-average-power ratio (PAPR) to produce a clipped-off portion of the OFDM signal. The clipped-off portion of the OFDM signal may be transformed into the frequency domain to produce a frequency-domain signal. An in-band spectral shaping mask may be applied to subcarriers or subchannels of the frequency-domain signal within the channel to control the levels of distortion on the individual subcarriers or subchannels. The shaped frequency-domain signal is transformed into the time domain to produce a time-domain signal. A conditioned signal is produced for transmission by subtracting the time-domain signal from the OFDM signal.
US09363109B2 Anti-sampling offset processing method and method for channel estimation in wireless communication system
Provided are an anti-sampling offset processing method and apparatus for channel estimation in a wireless communication system, and the method includes: a main path threshold and a first side lobe threshold are acquired based on a result of IFFT during the channel estimation, wherein the first side lobe threshold is smaller than the main path threshold; a noise reduction threshold and a second side lobe threshold are acquired based on a measurement result of Interference on Signal Code Power (ISCP), wherein the second side lobe threshold is smaller than the noise reduction threshold; a predetermined number of strongest paths are selected from main paths determined according to the main path threshold and the noise reduction threshold and a predetermined number of paths adjacent to the strongest paths are labelled as side lobes; and the paths labelled as side lobes are selected according to a final threshold and paths equal to or larger than the final threshold are reserved for participation of subsequent demodulation, wherein the final threshold is the greater one of the first side lobe threshold and the second side lobe threshold. In the present disclosure, impacts of sampling offsets in a wireless communication system on channel estimation are taken into consideration, and side lobes of a main path are introduced into a demodulation process, thereby improving reception performance of a terminal in the wireless communication system.
US09363105B2 Method for blocking spam short messages in wireless network
In a method for controlling the delivery of short text messages or other messages in a wireless network, a source terminal transmits a message to a recipient wireless unit over the network's short messaging service (“SMS”). The message includes a message identifier, a communication identifier of the recipient wireless unit, and message content. Initially, it is determined whether the message satisfies a criterion for blocking the message. If so, the message is blocked. For example, transmission of the message may be blocked if the message identifier is not an authorized identifier. Alternatively, the message may be blocked if the message identifier is an unauthorized identifier. This may be determined by cross-referencing the message identifier to an identifier record of the wireless unit. The identifier record is a data entry, list, or other record associated with the wireless unit for purposes of screening/blocking messages.
US09363094B2 Relay system and switching device
A first L2SW acquires a correspondence relation between a multicast group and a representative IP address retained in a snooping table of a second L2SW through a control plane, and registers the correspondence relation to a snooping table of the first L2SW. When the first L2SW receives a multicast packet whose destination is a multicast group, the first L2SW extracts a corresponding representative IP address of the other L2SW based on the snooping table of the first L2SW, and converts the multicast packet into a unicast packet whose destination is the extracted representative IP address. When the destination representative IP address contained in the unicast packet is its own representative IP address, the second L2SW converts the unicast packet into multicast packets.
US09363079B2 Method of generating message authentication code and authentication device and authentication request device using the method
Provided are a method of generating a message authentication code and an authentication device and an authentication request device using the method. The method includes generating a second secret key by encrypting seed data, a first secret key, and first auxiliary data using an encryption algorithm; and encrypting the seed data, the second secret key, and second auxiliary data using the encryption algorithm, wherein the encryption algorithm receives data of a preset base number of bits and encrypts the received data, and the number of bits of the second auxiliary data varies according to a difference between the number of bits of the first secret key and the number of bits of the second secret key.
US09363078B2 Method and apparatus for hardware-accelerated encryption/decryption
An integrated circuit for data encryption/decryption and secure key management is disclosed. The integrated circuit may be used in conjunction with other integrated circuits, processors, and software to construct a wide variety of secure data processing, storage, and communication systems. An embodiment of the integrated circuit includes a run-time scalable block cipher circuit, wherein the run-time scalable block cipher circuit is run-time scalable to balance throughput with power consumption.
US09363077B2 Time-based authentication
Time-based authentication apparatus deploys a seed record to user equipment such as a mobile telephone pre-equipped with an app. When a user initiates login access to a protected product or service, using a computing device, they run the app on their mobile equipment which delivers an output such as a QR code (or other local communication such as NFC) containing two time-based codes. The login process on the computing device accepts the output and sends the time-based codes to the authentication apparatus, either together or the second code on request. The authentication apparatus now locates the codes and automatically resynchronises to any time zone across the world plus 1 hour of clock drift (+/− 13 hours UTC).
US09363074B2 Encryption processing apparatus, encryption processing method, and computer program
A common-key blockcipher processing configuration with enhanced immunity against attacks such as saturation attacks and algebraic attacks (XSL attacks) is realized. In an encryption processing apparatus that performs common-key blockcipher processing, S-boxes serving as non-linear transformation processing parts set in round-function executing parts are configured using at least two different types of S-boxes. With this configuration, the immunity against saturation attacks can be enhanced. Also, types of S-boxes present a mixture of different types. With this configuration, the immunity against algebraic attacks (XSL attacks) can be enhanced, thereby realizing a highly secure encryption processing apparatus.
US09363072B2 Computing system with synchronization mechanism and method of operation thereof
A computing system includes: a communication unit configured to: identify a first synchronization symbol and a second synchronization symbol corresponding to a synchronization signal, generate the synchronization signal including the first synchronization symbol and the second synchronization symbol using a synchronization generator mechanism and a prefix generator mechanism; and an inter-device interface coupled to the communication unit, configured to communicate the synchronization signal for synchronizing a first device and a second device for communicating a serving content.
US09363069B2 Clock generating device and related synchronization method
A clock generating device is disclosed. The clock generating device includes a clock generating unit, for counting a synchronization period of a synchronization signal, generating a first interrupt signal according to the synchronization signal, generating a pulse-width modulation signal according a control signal, counting a phase difference between the synchronization signal and the pulse-width modulation signal, and generating a second interrupt signal according to the pulse-width modulation signal; and a computing unit, for acquiring the synchronization period according to the first interrupt signal, acquiring the phase difference according to the second interrupt signal, and adjusting the control signal according to the synchronization period, a modulation period of the pulse-width modulation signal and the phase difference.
US09363063B2 Processing uplink data transmissions in a heterogeneous wireless network
In a heterogeneous wireless network that includes a macro base station and one or more micro base stations, a wireless device to wirelessly transmit, in a first time slot at a first position in a first transmission subframe, data over a first physical communication channel. An ACK/NACK control message is received over a backhaul network connection a first time period after the first time slot. A response message is transmitted to the wireless device such that when the control message is received prior to the second time slot, then the response message uses data reception information from the control message and when the control message is not received prior to the second time slot, then the response message indicates that the data was successfully received.
US09363059B2 Method of handling component carrier activation and deactivation and communication device thereof
A method of handling component carrier activation and deactivation for a mobile device capable of receiving and transmitting on a plurality of component carriers in a wireless communication system is disclosed. The method includes starting a deactivation timer for a component carrier of the plurality of component carriers when the component carrier is activated, wherein the deactivation timer provides a period of time for component carrier activation, performing a Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) process on the component carrier, and extending activation time of the component carrier when a retransmission of the HARQ process is not finished before deactivation of the component carrier.
US09363055B2 Method and apparatus for configuring a sounding reference signal for a segment carrier
Methods, apparatus and computer program products configure a sounding reference signal (SRS) for a segment carrier that serves as a contiguous bandwidth extension of a component carrier, such as a component carrier that is backwards compatible with prior releases of a mobile terminal. In the context of a mobile terminal, the method receives a triggering message that identifies respective configurations of the SRS for the component carrier and the associated segment carrier. The configuration of the SRS for the component carrier is different than the configuration of the SRS for the segment carrier. The method also causes the SRS to be transmitted in accordance with the respective configurations identified by the triggering message via uplink subframes of the component carrier and the segment carrier.
US09363053B2 Integrated circuit
Wireless communication wherein channel estimation accuracy is improved while keeping the position of each bit in a frame, even when a modulation system having a large modulation multiple value is used for a data symbol. An encoding operation encodes and outputs transmitting data (bit string) and a bit converting operation converts at least one bit of a plurality of bits constituting a data symbol to be used for channel estimation, among the encoded bit strings, into ‘1’ or ‘0’. A modulating operation modulates the bit string inputted from the bit converting operation by using a single modulation mapper and a plurality of data symbols are generated.
US09363048B2 Downlink OFDMA for service sets with mixed client types
Techniques are provided herein to allow a wireless network access point (AP) to more fully use its bandwidth in order to leverage the different bandwidth capabilities of different types of wireless client devices that the AP serves. The AP generates control parameters for usage of a plurality of channels in a bandwidth during a downlink transmission interval. The control parameters comprise information indicating channel assignments that result in multiple downlink transmissions that at least partially overlap in time to different wireless client devices according to their respective bandwidth capabilities. The AP transmits the control parameters in a control frame in advance of the downlink transmission interval on each of the plurality of channels in the bandwidth.
US09363045B2 Bounded uncorrelated signal impairment deconvolution for total signal impairment extrapolation
Methods and systems are described for analyzing signal impairments using a test and measurement instrument. A method may include decomposing aggregate signal impairments into signal impairments that are correlated and uncorrelated to an acquired data pattern. The uncorrelated signal impairments may be further decomposed into periodic signal impairments (e.g., PJ) and non-periodic uncorrelated signal impairments. A PDF of the non-periodic uncorrelated signal impairments may be mathematically integrated, thereby producing an estimated cumulative distribution function (CDF) curve. Random signal impairments may be estimated as an unbound Gaussian distribution. The CDF curve of the non-periodic uncorrelated signal impairments and the unbound Gaussian distribution may be plotted in Q-space on a display device. Non-periodic bounded uncorrelated signal impairments (e.g., NP-BUJ) PDF may then be isolated. Bounded uncorrelated signal impairments PDF may then be synthesized. Complete uncorrelated signal impairments PDF may be synthesized. A synthesis of the decomposed components can be performed at a user-defined bit error rate to generate the total estimated jitter (e.g., TJ@BER or TN@BER).
US09363044B2 Radio communications
An arrangement is described for adapting outer loop precoder phase combiner in a radio communication system having coordinated multipoint transmission. In the arrangement ACK/NACK-message received as a response to a transmitted data packet is used for adapting the phase. When a NACK-message is received the phase may be adapted or it may be further determined if the error was due to error in channel code or due to destructive inter-point signal combining. If the error was due to destructive combining the phase is adjusted.
US09363042B2 Apparatus for transmitting broadcast signals, apparatus for receiving broadcast signals, method for transmitting broadcast signals and method for receiving broadcast signals
A method and an apparatus for transmitting broadcast signals thereof are disclosed. The apparatus for receiving broadcast signals, the apparatus comprises a receiver to receive the broadcast signals, a demodulator to demodulate the received broadcast signals by an OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplex) scheme, a frame parser to parse at least one signal frame from the demodulated broadcast signals, wherein a signal frame includes service data corresponding to each of a plurality of physical paths, a time deinterleaver to time deinterleave service data in the at least one signal frame, a decoder to decode the time deinterleaved service data.
US09363031B2 Communication apparatus and reference signal receiving method
Provided are a wireless communication apparatus and a reference signal generating method, wherein inter-cell interference is reduced inside and outside a CoMP set. A CoMP mode setting unit (101) sets whether the terminal (100) thereof is a CoMP terminal or a Non-CoMP terminal. When the terminal (100) is set as a Non-CoMP terminal, the hopping pattern calculating unit (104) calculates a ZC sequence number to be used as the transmission timing, from among all the ZC sequence numbers that can be used within the system. When the terminal (100) is set as a CoMP terminal, the hopping pattern calculating unit (104) calculates a ZC sequence number to be used as the transmission timing, by hopping the ZC sequence numbers to be used within the CoMP set. A ZC sequence generating unit (105) generates a ZC sequence to be used as an SRS, using the calculated ZC sequence number.
US09363027B2 Remote modulation of pre-transformed data
Methods, systems, and computer readable media can be operable to facilitate the remote modulation of pre-transformed data. In embodiments, a CMTS can provide pre-transformed data in the frequency domain to a transmitter or receiver. Multiple network components can be bypassed when pre-transformed data is delivered directly to a transmitter or receiver, thus improving the amount of network capacity and available network resources. In embodiments, pre-transformed data can be transformed and modulated at a receiver.
US09363013B2 Mitigating rogue optical network unit (ONU) behavior in a passive optical network (PON)
Techniques, apparatus and systems are described for an optical line terminal (OLT) operable in a passive optical network (PON) system to isolate and mitigate the behavior of a rogue optical network unit (ONU) that transmits optical power up the optical distribution network (ODN). In one aspect, a method of mitigating the behavior of rogue ONUs can include detecting the presence of a rogue ONU on the PON system, and transmitting, based on the detection, a message addressed exclusively to the ONUs that have not yet been discovered or identified by the OLT.
US09363011B2 Monitoring and controlling optical nodes
A method and apparatus for monitoring and controlling an optical node 100. The optical node 100 including one or more optical components 120, 121 or 122 connected by optical fiber carrying an optical signal 102. The optical signal 102 including a plurality of optical channels. A set of measurement sequences is determined, each measurement sequence defining a set of optical channels from the plurality of optical channels and a measuring sequence for measuring an optical property of the set of optical channels. A measurement sequence is selected from the set of measurement sequences based on the operating conditions of the optical node 100. The optical properties of the set of optical channels of the selected measurement sequence are measured. The measured optical properties are analyzed to determine whether one or more optical components 120, 121 or 122 are causing the optical node 100 to operate outside the tolerance of a defined set of operating conditions. The operation of the determined optical components 120, 121 or 122 are adjusted to enable the optical node 100 to operate in accordance with the defined set of operating conditions. An optical performance monitor is also provided for use with the method and apparatus.
US09363002B2 Precoding with partially stale feedback
A system and method in which a base station treats the Channel State Information (CSI) from wireless terminals as only partially-stale, and exploits this partially-stale CSI to predict the current channel from old estimates of the channel. The predicted channel is then used to design a precoder. The base station shapes the transmitted signal with the precoder so as to match it as closely as possible to the current channel. Particular embodiments thus combine the benefits of the stale feedback scheme with precoding to match the channel. Consequently, the signal received at a terminal is better conditioned, thereby providing a greater overall boost in performance of the communication arrangement between the base station and the terminal. The usage of partially-stale CSI can be important for dense networks with a large number of simple terminals.
US09363000B2 Signal transmission method and apparatus using codebook in wireless communication system supporting multiple antennas
The present invention relates to a method for transmitting, by a base station, a downlink signal using a plurality of transmission antennas comprises the steps of: applying a precoding matrix indicated by the PMI, received from a terminal, in a codebook to a plurality of layers, and transmitting the precoded signal to the terminal through a plurality of transmission antennas. Among precoding matrices included in the codebook, a precoding matrix for even number transmission layers can be a 2×2 matrix containing four matrices (W1s), the matrix (W1) having rows of a number of transmission antennas and columns of half the number of transmission layers, the first and second columns of the first row in the 2×2 matrix being multiplied by 1, the first column of the second row being multiplied by coefficient “a” of a phase, and the first column of the second row being multiplied by “−a”.
US09362988B2 WWAN and WLAN cooperative support of multi-SIM devices
A user equipment (UE) may communicate over a first wireless wide area network (WWAN). The first WWAN may be supported by a first subscriber identity module (SIM) of the UE. The UE may also communicate simultaneously over a second WWAN supported by a second SIM. The UE may process the second WWAN communication with a portion of a WWAN module and a portion of a wireless local area network (WLAN) module.
US09362986B2 Wireless power system with selectable control channel protocols
A wireless power system includes a wireless power transmit and receive units. The wireless power transmit unit includes a wireless power transmit circuit that generates a wireless power magnetic field and a transmit unit transceiver that transceives a communication regarding the wireless power magnetic field in accordance with a control channel protocol. The wireless power receive unit includes a wireless power receive circuit, a transceiver, and a processing module. The wireless power receive circuit converts the wireless power magnetic field into a voltage. The receive unit processing module is operable to: identify the control channel protocol; determine whether the receive unit transceiver is capable of communication using the control channel protocol; and, when the receive unit transceiver is capable of communication using the control channel protocol, coordinate configuration of the receive unit transceiver to transceive the communication regarding the wireless power magnetic field via the control channel.
US09362978B2 Synchronous frequency hopping spread spectrum method for mesh networks
Synchronous FHSS networks operating within mesh networks typically require a certain amount of network traffic to maintain time as well as for executing other functions, such as registration and neighbor discovery. The concepts presented in this disclosure provide a mesh network with enhanced communication capabilities without adding significant hardware or firmware costs to nodes within the network. The disclosed concept of using acquisition channels (frequencies) integrated within FHSS pseudo-random sequences speeds network responses to conditions like outage and restoration. Assignment of unique hop sequences by hop level or at time of manufacture can guarantee minimal network contention while minimizing system network traffic.
US09362970B2 Cover for packaging and supporting tablet computer
A cover for packaging and supporting a tablet computer has a lower casing for protecting a tablet computer; an upper cover rotatably connected to the lower casing for protecting the screen of the tablet computer from damage; the upper cover being formed with at least one foldable line area for folding the upper cover along the foldable line area wherein the upper cover is used as a cover and a supporter; the upper cover rotates along the lower casing with an angle greater than 180 degrees; the lower casing is folded along the foldable line areas so as to be formed as a supporter of the lower casing for supporting the tablet computer therein. Thus the computer can stand; and, the angle between the upper cover and the lower casing is adjustable so as to control the standing height of the tablet computer.
US09362967B2 Transmitter noise suppression in receiver
Systems and methods for suppressing transmitter noise in a receive band of a co-located receiver that are suitable for wideband applications are disclosed. In one embodiment, an analog radio frequency transmit signal output by a transmitter includes a desired signal in a transmit band of the transmitter and transmitter noise in a receive band of a main receiver. A secondary receiver obtains a secondary receiver input signal that is representative of at least the transmitter noise in the receive band of the main receiver and outputs a digital feedforward signal. A digital feedforward transmit noise cancellation subsystem generates a digital transmitter noise cancellation signal that is representative of the transmitter noise in the receive band based on the digital feedforward signal and subtracts the digital transmitter noise cancellation signal from a digital receive signal output by the main receiver to thereby provide a compensated digital receive signal.
US09362963B2 Radio-frequency signal reception circuit and isolated signal transmission apparatus
A radio-frequency signal reception circuit that detects an input signal includes an input reference terminal, a first input terminal into which a first input signal is input, a second input terminal into which a second input signal is input, an output terminal and output reference terminal from which an output signal is output, a first detector circuit that detects the first input signal and outputs a first output signal, which is a positive-voltage pulse signal, to the output terminal, a second detector circuit that detects the second input signal and outputs a second output signal, which is a positive-voltage pulse signal, to the output reference terminal, and a transistor connected to the input reference terminal and output reference terminal. The input signal includes the first input signal and second input signal. The output signal includes the first output signal and second output signal.
US09362959B2 Data processing in a digital subscriber line environment
A device is suggested comprising a first DSL system operating in a first frequency band, a second DSL system operating in a second frequency band and a filter unit connected to a line and to each of the first DSL system and the second DSL system.
US09362957B2 Method and system for error correction in transmitting data using low complexity systematic encoder
A systematic encoder such as a systematic polar encoder for channel encoding to ameliorate the effects of noise in a transmission channel. The codeword carries a data word to be transmitted transparently, and also carries a parity part derived from the data word and a fixed word. Implementations advantageously reduce coding complexity to the order of N log(N), wherein N is the dimension of a matrix of the nth Kronecker power associated with a matrix effectively employed by the encoder.
US09362955B2 Encoding and decoding using constrained interleaving
Serially-concatenated codes are formed in accordance with the present invention using a constrained interleaver. The constrained interleaver cause the minimum distance of the serial concatenated code to increase above the minimum distance of the inner code alone by adding a constraint that forces some or all of the distance of the outer code onto the serially-concatenated code. This allows the serially-concatenated code to be jointly optimized in terms of both minimum distance and error coefficient to provide significant performance advantages. These performance advantages allow a noise margin target to be achieved using simpler component codes and a much shorter interleaver than was needed when using prior art codes such as Turbo codes. Decoders are also provided. Both encoding and decoding complexity can be lowered, and interleavers can be made much shorter, thereby shortening the block lengths needed in receiver elements such as equalizers and other decision-directed loops. Also, other advantages are provided such as the elimination of a error floor present in prior art serially-concatenated codes. That allows the present invention to achieve much higher performance at lower error rates such as are needed in optical communication systems.
US09362943B2 Converter
Provided is a data converter which is provided with a clock signal input part which inputs a clock signal, and an input part which inputs an input signal, a sampling part which, in response to the clock signal input to the clock signal input part, performs sampling of the input signal input to the input part, and a signal processing part which performs signal processing according to the sampling cycle and outputs an output signal, wherein when the cycle of the clock signal input to the clock signal input part becomes longer, the output signals output by the signal processing part are reduced.
US09362937B1 Method of calibrating a SAR A/D converter and SAR-A/D converter implementing said method
The present disclosure relates to a method of self-calibration of a successive approximation register-analog-to-digital converter. The method includes measuring an error value for each thermometer element of a plurality of thermometer elements and determining a mean value of measured error values. The method also includes generating a thermometer scale where each level of the thermometer scale will be an incremental sum of each value of a first subset, and each further level of the thermometer scale will be a sum of all values of a second subset plus the incremental sum of the elements of the first subset in any order. In addition, the method includes generating the output code according to the thermometer scale.
US09362934B2 Optically clocked digital/analog converter and a DDS unit with such a converter
A digital/analog converter (30) with a first return-to-zero unit (311) which is connected to a first busbar (321), wherein the first busbar (321) is connected in each case to a first output of several differential units (351, 352, 35n). In this context, the first return-to-zero unit (311) provides at least one clock input which is directly or indirectly connected to a first photodiode, wherein the first photodiode is fed from a pulsed light source (5).
US09362909B2 System and method for reducing reconfiguration power usage
A system and method for reducing power consumption in a reconfigurable integrated circuit. Some embodiments provide placement and routing programs that reduce the number of bits to be reconfigured. Some embodiments provide placement and routing programs that increase the number of groups of circuits that do not need reconfiguration at some times. Some embodiments include circuits that selectively block reconfiguration.
US09362906B2 Sensor arrangement for detection of proximity and/or touching, as well as a kit and method for assembling a sensor arrangement
A sensor arrangement for detection of proximity and/or touching including least one sensor supporting surface having a first flat face and a second flat face, a proximity and/or touching sensor which is connected to the first flat face and/or to the second flat face of the sensor supporting surface, a decoration supporting medium with a first support flat face and a second support flat face, a decoration layer which is connected to the first support flat face and/or to the second support flat face of the decoration supporting medium, and/or is an integral component of the decoration supporting medium. In this case, the sensor supporting surface and the decoration supporting medium are connected to one another such that a connection along their mutually facing flat face and support flat face is not formed, or is partially formed.
US09362905B2 Composite semiconductor device with turn-on prevention control
There are disclosed herein various implementations of composite III-nitride semiconductor devices having turn-on prevention control. In one exemplary implementation, a normally OFF composite semiconductor device comprises a normally ON III-nitride power transistor and a low voltage (LV) device cascoded with the normally ON III-nitride power transistor to form the normally OFF composite semiconductor device. The LV device is configured to have a noise-resistant threshold voltage to provide the turn-on prevention control for the normally OFF composite semiconductor device by preventing noise current from flowing through a channel of the normally ON III-nitride power transistor in a noisy system.
US09362890B2 Compensation filter for cascaded-integrator-comb decimator
The present invention is directed to systems and methods which provide an improved compensation filter, as may be used with respect to a decimator, optimally designed using a convex optimization approach. Compensation filters of embodiments of the invention may, for example, be used with respect to a CIC decimator. In accordance with embodiments of the invention, compensation filters are designed with minimum order to approximate target frequency response in the target frequency bands. Additionally or alternatively, compensation filters of embodiments are optimally designed for passband drop and stopband attenuation improvement, such as to satisfy the specified peak ripple in the passband and/or to satisfy the specified peak errors over a set of target sub-bands in the stopband.
US09362888B2 Devices and methods for converting digital signals
A signal converter directly converts pulse-density-modulated (PDM) signals into pulse-width-modulated (PWM) signals. A noise-shaping loop architecture can be configured to apply a signal transfer function having a low-pass filter effect, and a noise transfer function having a high-pass filter effect. Decimation and interpolation can ensure that the noise-shaping loop architecture operates at a first sampling frequency, while the PWM modulator operates at a second, higher sampling frequency.
US09362887B2 Integrated circuit configured with two or more single crystal acoustic resonator devices
A configurable single crystal acoustic resonator (SCAR) device integrated circuit. The circuit comprises a plurality of SCAR devices numbered from 1 through N, where N is an integer of 2 and greater. Each of the SCAR device has a thickness of single crystal piezo material formed overlying a surface region of a substrate member. The single crystal piezo material is characterized by a dislocation density of less than 1012 defects/cm2.
US09362879B2 Power amplifier (PA) system with electrothermal feedback circuitry for PA gain correction
A power amplifier (PA) system with PA gain correction is disclosed. The PA system includes a PA having a bias voltage input; and electrothermal feedback circuitry coupled to the bias voltage input. The electrothermal feedback circuitry is configured to receive thermal feedback generated by the PA and maintain a substantially constant PA gain by automatically changing a bias voltage level at the bias voltage input based upon the thermal feedback.
US09362864B2 Dynamic gearshift during oscillator build-up based on duty cycle
A dynamic gearshifting system includes a monitoring device configured to monitor a duty cycle of a clock output signal of a crystal oscillator circuit during oscillation buildup upon power-up of the crystal oscillator circuit. The dynamic gearshifting system also includes a detecting device configured to detect whether the duty cycle of the clock output signal of the crystal oscillator circuit meets a duty cycle threshold value. The dynamic gearshifting system may further include an assertion device configured to assert a control signal based on detecting the duty cycle meets the duty cycle threshold value. The asserted control signal configured to dynamically adjust a transconductance of the crystal oscillator circuit.
US09362862B2 Method and circuit arrangement for limiting peak currents and the slope of the current edges
A method for limiting peak currents, particularly depending on a charge quantity provided by a voltage source, and the maximum pitch of the current flanks of an electric motor for an electrohydraulic motor vehicle brake system, particularly a pump motor, controlled by pulse width modulation, wherein a change to an actual duty cycle of the PWM is made by a first duty cycle of the PWM on a second duty cycle at runtime, wherein the change takes place according to a positive or negative pitch value calculated and/or changeable at runtime. The invention further describes an electronic circuit arrangement for the implementation of a method for limiting peak currents and the maximum pitch of current flanks.
US09362859B2 System and method for controlling switching elements within a single-phase bridge circuit
In one aspect, a method for controlling the operation of switching elements contained within a single-phase bridge circuit of a power convertor may include monitoring gate voltages of a first switching element and a second switching element of the single-phase bridge circuit and controlling the first and second switching elements so that each switching element is alternated between an activated state and a deactivated state. In addition, the method may include transmitting a gating command signal to adjust the first switching element from the deactivated state to the activated state when: a first gate drive command is received that is associated with switching the first switching element to the activated state; a second gate drive command is received that is associated with switching the second switching element to the deactivated state; and the gate voltage of the second switching element is less than a predetermined voltage threshold.
US09362858B2 System and method for operating a turbine farm
A system for operating a wind or water turbine farm comprising a plurality of turbines comprising: a computing device; means for providing operational data relating to the plurality of turbines to the computing device; a computer-readable medium coupled to the computing device and having instructions stored thereon which, when executed by the computing device, causes the computing device to: arrange the operational data for each turbine into an array comprising operational data and having a first dimension corresponding to the plurality of turbines; generate a graphical user interface; generate within the graphical user interface a graphical representation of the array.
US09362856B2 Method and apparatus for operating a power output stage
The invention relates to a method for operating a power output stage (2), in particular an electrical machine, which comprises a bridge circuit (3) with at least one half-bridge (1), wherein the half-bridge (1) has two power semiconductor switches (4, 5) which are connected in series and which are each supplied with an operating control voltage during normal operation in order to set a power voltage, and wherein the power voltage (u4, u5) of the respective power semiconductor switch (4, 5) is detected for the purpose of short-circuit monitoring. In this case, provision is made, in order to check the functioning of the short-circuit monitoring means in a check mode for the power semiconductor switches (4, 5), for a test control voltage which is below the operating control voltage to be set at least temporarily at the same time.
US09362850B2 Vibration type driving apparatus and driving circuit thereof
A vibration type driving apparatus includes a vibrating body having an electrical-mechanical energy converting element, a first elastic body and a second elastic body; and a moving body that moves relative to the vibrating body. The vibrating body has a third elastic body that includes a sliding surface. A resonance frequency in a mode where the non-sliding surface side of the vibrating body in the axial direction mainly vibrates with the third elastic body is adapted so as to fall out of a frequency range between a multiple of a maximum frequency of a driving signal applied to the electrical-mechanical energy converting element, and a multiple of a minimum frequency of the driving signal.
US09362846B2 Soft switching inverter with auxiliary switch facilitating zero voltage switching
An inverter comprises a first switch coupled to an input of an output filter and a positive dc bus, a second switch coupled to the input of the output filter and a negative dc bus, a transformer coupled to a common node of the first switch and the second switch, a first freewheeling apparatus and a first soft switching switch connected in series, wherein the first soft switching switch is configured such that the first switch is of a first zero voltage transition during a turn-on process of the first switch and a second freewheeling apparatus and a second soft switching switch connected in series, wherein the second soft switching switch is configured such that the second switch is of a second zero voltage transition during a turn-on process of the second switch.
US09362845B2 Method of operating a single-phase generator in parallel with an inventor
A system for connecting a single-phase generator in parallel with an inverter is disclosed. A signal corresponding to the angular position of the rotor in the generator is provided to the inverter, for example, from an angular position sensor connected to the rotor in the generator. Because variations in the load applied to the generator cause variations in the frequency of the power output by the generator, the inverter synchronizes the phase angle of the voltage output by the inverter to the angular position of the rotor.
US09362842B2 Power dimmer
A control circuit varies the power of a load powered by an alternating voltage, comprising: a first thyristor and a first diode connected in antiparallel between first and second nodes, the cathode of the first diode being on the side of the first node; a second thyristor and a second diode connected in antiparallel between the second node and a third node, the cathode of the second diode being on the side of the third node; third and fourth diodes connected in antiseries between the first and third nodes, the cathodes of the third and fourth diodes being connected to a fourth node; a transistor between the second and fourth nodes; and a control unit for controlling the first and second thyristors and the transistor.
US09362841B2 Power conversion apparatus and method of controlling the same
A power conversion apparatus including a current source converter configured to convert Alternate Current (AC) power to Direct Current (DC) power; a power controller configured to set a d-axis current command and a q-axis current command, which correspond to the AC power to the current source converter, by reflecting a difference between a measurement DC link voltage measured at an output terminal of the current source converter and a DC link voltage set by a DC link voltage command; and a phase angle controller configured to adjust a phase angle of the current source converter and transmit the adjusted phase angle to the current source converter, in response to the d-axis current command and the q-axis current command.
US09362835B2 Resonant power conversion apparatus and controlling method thereof
A resonant power conversion apparatus and a controlling method of the resonant power conversion apparatus are provided. The resonant power conversion apparatus includes a switch-based resonant converter and a controller. The switch-based resonant converter is configured to supply power to a load. The controller is coupled to the switch-based resonant converter and the load and configured to control switching of the switch-based resonant converter to regulate power conversion of the switch-based resonant converter. The controller has a voltage control loop and a current control loop. The controller detects a driving state of the load and enables one of the voltage control loop and the current control loop according to the detection result to adjust a switching frequency of the switch-based resonant converter.
US09362828B2 Hysteretic current mode control converter with low, medium and high current thresholds
A converter constituted of: an inductor; a plurality of electronically controlled switches; and a control circuitry arranged to operate in a buck-boost mode responsive to the output voltage of the converter being within a predetermined range of the input voltage of the converter, the control circuitry arranged in the buck-boost mode: responsive to a current flowing through the inductor being lower than a predetermined low current threshold, to control the switches to couple the inductor between the input voltage and a common potential; responsive to the current flowing through the inductor being greater than a predetermined medium current threshold, to control the switches to couple the inductor between the input voltage and the output voltage; and responsive to the current flowing through the inductor being greater than a predetermined high current threshold, to control the switches to couple the inductor between the output voltage and the common potential.
US09362819B1 Single capacitor, controlled output, inverter based positive/negative charge pump
A charge pump includes first through fifth transistors and a capacitor. The first through fourth transistors are connected in cascade and form a control circuit. The second transistor has a gate connected to its drain and hence, acts as a diode. The charge pump receives a clock signal and a supply voltage and generates an output voltage where the level of the output voltage is controlled by varying a size of the second transistor.
US09362813B2 Controller and a method for controlling a process variable and a power supply circuit comprising a power supply and a controller
A controller (100; 200) for controlling a process variable (202) comprises an input interface (102) configured to receive a feedback signal indicative of an error between a process variable (202) to be controlled and a setpoint (104) for the process variable. At least a first integrator is (108) configured to derive an accumulated error signal using an integrator input signal depending on the feedback signal and at least one resonator having a predetermined resonance frequency is configured to provide a resonator output signal using a resonator input signal depending on the feedback signal. An output interface is (130) configured to provide a manipulation signal for influencing the process variable (202), the manipulation signal being derived using the accumulated error signal and the resonator output signal.
US09362806B2 Bus bar module of rotating electric machine
This bus bar module (26) is created by integrally forming at least one coil bus bar with a power line bus bar by means of resin molding, said coil bus bar for connecting conductive coil wires together, and said power line bus bar for connecting the conductive coil wires with a power line. The power line bus bar (32) is supported on a support portion (34) that extends from a bus bar module main body (28). The power line bus bar penetrates through a beam (44) of the support portion. The portion of the power line bus bar embedded inside the beam (44) has characteristically shaped portions (56) extending in the width direction of this bus bar.
US09362804B2 Drive device for electric vehicle
A drive device for an electric vehicle includes: a speed reduction unit including an input shaft driven by output of an electric motor; a hub unit rotationally driven by an output member of the speed reduction unit; and a housing accommodating the electric motor and the speed reduction unit. The drive device is provided with a power supply terminal box made up of: an accommodation recessed portion provided in a rear end surface of the housing; a power supply terminal provided inside the accommodation recessed portion; a communication hole in communication with the accommodation recessed portion and an interior of the housing; and a cover member for the accommodation recessed portion.
US09362803B2 Human powered generator
A human powered electric energy generator equipped with a mechanism for converting a back and forth motion of a user's legs or arms to a unidirectional circular motion. The device includes an engaging mechanism that, according to the back and forth movement of a belt, enables a pilot gear to alternate engagement between a left and a right gear, and a transmission mechanism which transfers the linear kinetic energy from the belt to a unidirectional rotational kinetic energy of the gears. The device also includes a flywheel for storing the rotational kinetic energy of the gears and/or the transmission mechanism, and an electric generator for converting the rotational kinetic energy into electric energy.
US09362781B2 Uninterruptible power supply system with fast transfer for undervoltage source line failures
A UPS system may be operated selectively in either a high efficiency mode or a low efficiency mode. An inductor is connected in series between the transfer switch and a secondary power source. The transfer switch includes thyristors arranged in a reverse connected configuration. A controller synchronizes gate commands to the thyristors in order to synchronize reserve voltage introduced by the inverter. If the load currents are not in phase with a fundamental voltage of the secondary power source, the controller waits up to a first time period in order to estimate when current through the switches will reach zero. If the out of phase current will reach zero by the end of a second time period, the inverter is switched on at the end of the second time period.
US09362779B2 Contactless battery charger, electronic device, battery pack, and contactless charging system
A contactless charging system is made up of an electronic device and a contactless charger 200 that recharges the electronic device in a contactless manner. The electronic device transmits a full charge command indicating completion of charge. Upon receipt of the full charge command, the contactless charger shifts to a charge stop state in which charge of the electronic device is not performed. In the charge stop state, the contactless charger generates a load check signal for checking whether or not the electronic device is placed in the contactless charger in a rechargeable state, and transmits the signal. Further, the contactless charger also generates a charge restart check command for checking whether or not the electronic device requests recharge in a charge stop state, and transmits the command.
US09362773B2 Method and apparatus for determination of a non-charging operation
A method comprising determining that a charge session event associated with a charge session between an apparatus and a separate apparatus has occurred, determining a separate apparatus identity of the separate apparatus, determining a non-charging operation based, at least in part, on the separate apparatus identity and the charge session event, and causing performance of the non-charging operation is disclosed.
US09362772B2 System and method for balancing voltages
A circuit providing voltage cell balancing is provided. The circuit includes a cell balancing network comprising separate switching circuits, each being configured to balance a respective cell voltage for a respective cell of a plurality of voltage cells based on a respective switching control signal. A control circuit includes a plurality of current sources, each of the plurality of current sources selectively connected to a respective one of the separate switching circuits to independently control operation of each of the separate switching circuits of the cell balancing network to balance the voltage across the plurality of voltage cells.
US09362768B2 Charger and charging system
A charger and a charging system are provided. The charger includes: a rectifier, a transformer, a first diode, a capacitor, a voltage sampling feedback unit, a pulse width modulation (PWM) controller, a battery voltage feedback unit and a semiconductor switching component, where the battery voltage feedback unit is added in the charger to detect battery voltage of a terminal, and the detected battery voltage of the terminal is fed back to a voltage sampling feedback unit inside the charger, so that the voltage sampling feedback unit can adjust an output voltage of the charger in real time according to an actual battery voltage of the terminal, and therefore, the output voltage of the charger gradually rises along with an increase of the battery voltage of the terminal, thereby effectively reducing energy consumption of the charger and achieving a purpose of energy saving.
US09362761B2 Smart energy distribution methods and systems for electric vehicle charging
A power management system smartly allocates the available power at a location to support more electric vehicles than would otherwise be possible. Power managers can intelligently allocate that power based on the real-time needs of vehicles. A smart energy distribution system can estimate each vehicle's current charge level and use such information to efficiently provide electric vehicle charging. The system can respond dynamically to vehicle charge levels, current readings, and/or electrical mains readings, allocating more current where it is needed. The charger profiles can include historic charge cycle information, which can be analyzed under a set of heuristics to predict future charging needs. A local electric vehicle charging mesh network can be provided, which transmits data packets among short-range transceivers of multiple power managers. The charging mesh network is connected to a remote server. The power managers and the charging mesh network can intelligently allocate power to multiple electric vehicles.
US09362757B2 Solid-state active switch matrix for high energy, moderate power battery systems
A battery management system employs electronic switches and capacitors. No traditional cell-balancing resistors are used. The BMS electronically switches individual cells into and out of a module of cells in order to use the maximum amount of energy available in each cell and to completely charge and discharge each cell without overcharging or under-discharging.
US09362748B2 Power system with combination of active current sharing and droop current sharing and power system assembly using the same
A power system with a combination of active current sharing and droop current sharing is disclosed. The power system includes a system load and plural power supplies connected with each other and connected to the system load. The power supplies are configured to respectively output a load current to the system load, and each power supply includes an active current sharing circuit and a droop current sharing circuit. The active current sharing circuit is configured to enter an operation or shutdown mode depending on whether the load current is higher than a first current set point. The droop current sharing circuit is configured to enter an operation or shutdown mode depending on whether the load current is higher than a second current set point. Hence, each power supply can respectively output an equal share of the load current by an active current sharing technique and/or a droop current sharing technique.
US09362747B2 Distributed status calculations in an electricity network with the aid of agents
Calculating device and method for carrying out status calculations in an electricity network (2) with a multiplicity of nodes (K1-K11). The method comprises the allocation of a local calculating agent (A1-A11) to each of the multiplicity of nodes (K1-K11), the allocation of regional calculating agents (R1, R2) to regional networks (3, 4), the reception by the regional calculating agents (R1, R2) of the results of the status calculations from the associated local calculating agents (A1-A11) and, on the basis thereof, the performance of a status calculation for the associated regional network (3, 4). The method further comprises the creation of a simplified network representation of the associated regional network (3, 4) and the reception by a higher-order regional calculating agent (R3) of the results of the status calculations and the simplified network representations of the regional calculating agents (R1, R2), and, on the basis of the simplified network representations, calculation of the status of the electricity network (2).
US09362738B2 Intelligent control system for high-voltage switch and control method thereof
An intelligent control system for a high-voltage switch and a control method thereof. The control system includes a control terminal (10) and a plurality of high-voltage switches (21-1, 21-2, . . . , 21-n-1, 21-n), each of which is controlled by an executive terminal (11-1, 11-2, . . . , 11-n-1, 11-n) respectively, wherein the executive terminal is connected to the control terminal via a communication network. The executive terminal includes a current detecting module (5), an analog/digital conversion module (4), a second communication module (2), a calculation processing module (3), a first communication module (1) and a switch control module (6) which controls the switch in real-time. The current detecting module detects a line current value. The analog/digital conversion module converts the line current value into a digital current value. The first and second communication modules are for communication. The calculation processing module compares digital current values and sends an alarm signal to the control terminal, or sends a tripping order to the high-voltage switch while sending an alarm signal to the control terminal.
US09362729B2 Weatherproof outdoor electrical box
The present invention is directed to a weatherproof electrical box for protecting an electrical connection from the elements. The electrical box includes a housing comprising four side walls and a base forming an interior space, a pivotal cover that latches onto the housing, a circumferential flange extending outwardly from the upper end of the housing, and an outer flange. The outer flange can be releasably attached to corrugations on the housing.
US09362727B2 Cable tray assembly
A cable tray structure includes a first section that includes a first number of sidewall members connected to each other, a second section that includes a second number of sidewall members connected to each other and one or more members coupled to the first section and the second section to provide support for cables or conduits. The first section is configured to connect with a first side rail of a third cable tray section that is to be installed in a first position, and connect with a first side rail of a fourth cable tray section that is to be installed in a second position that is angularly offset with respect to the first position. The second section is configured to connect with a second side rail of the third cable tray section, and connect with a second side rail of the fourth cable tray section.
US09362723B2 Electrical system, and support assembly and method of racking electrical switching apparatus therefor
A support assembly is for an electrical system including an electrical enclosure, an electrical switching apparatus removably disposed in the electrical enclosure, and a plate member coupled to the electrical switching apparatus. The plate member includes a distal portion facing away from the electrical enclosure. The electrical switching apparatus includes an operating handle extending through the distal portion. The support assembly includes a base assembly. The base assembly includes a base. The support assembly further includes a number of brace assemblies each coupled to the base and structured to be coupled to the distal portion of the plate member.
US09362722B2 Spark plug with improved withstand voltage characteristics and high mechanical strength at high temperatures
A spark plug exhibiting excellent withstand voltage characteristics and mechanical strength at high temperature, which are comparable to those at ambient temperature. The spark plug having an insulator formed of an alumina-based sintered material containing: an Al component, an Si component, a Group 2 element component, and a rare earth element component. The amounts of such components satisfy a condition (1): 0.25≦oxide-reduced amount (mass %) of the Si component ≦1.25, and a condition (2): 1.35≦[(oxide-reduced amount of the Si component)/((oxide-reduced amount of the Group 2 element component)/(oxide-reduced amount of the rare earth element component))]≦7.5. The alumina-based sintered material includes alumina grains, and a glass phase including a crystal phase that satisfies a condition (3) that the crystal phase includes at least one of an aluminate crystal phase and a silicate crystal phase, each having a grain size of 20 to 350 nm.
US09362697B2 Fiber-on-tip contact design brush assemblies
The present invention broadly provides improvements in a slip-ring adapted to provide electrical contact between a stator and a rotor. The improved slip-ring includes a brush assembly having a brush tube mounted on the stator and having a fiber bundle composed of a number of individual fibers. The upper marginal end portions of the fibers are received in the brush tube. The lower marginal end portions of the fibers extend beyond the brush tube toward the rotor. The improvements broadly comprise: a central portion of the fibers having been removed below the brush tube such that the fibers extending below the brush tube toward the rotor are in the form of an annulus; and wherein the tangential compliance of the fiber bundle at its point of contact with the rotor is more than twice the tangential compliance of the fiber bundle if the central portion had not been removed.
US09362696B1 Portable apparatus having electrical power receptacles and device charging ports
A portable apparatus that provides electrical power receptacles and device charging ports. The portable apparatus has a base member and a plurality of post members connected to the base member. Each post member has an electrical power receptacle that provides electrical power and an electrical power device having a device charging port that provides a voltage suitable for charging and powering devices such as cell phones, cameras, iPads, Ipods and similar devices. In a preferred embodiment, the electrical power device includes an additional electrical power receptacle. Each post member has an interior region and electrical wiring located with the interior region which provides electrical power to the electrical power receptacles and the electrical power device. The portable apparatus also has a top member connected to the post members and an intermediate support member that is attached to the post members and located between the top member and the base member.
US09362691B2 Receptacle connector
A receptacle connector used for an audio plug connector having a male end to be inserted therein, includes an insulating body, and at least one first terminal and two second terminals disposed inside the insulating body and entering the receiving cavity to contact the male end. The insulating body has an interface opened at a front end, and a receiving cavity extending backward from the interface and used for receiving the male end. The first terminal is located on a side of the male end. The two second terminals are located below or above the male end, and are approximately located on a same plane. In a height direction, two second terminals are approximately located on a same plane and only occupy a height space of one terminal.
US09362683B2 Signal transmission cable
A signal transmission cable has a cable including a dielectric layer and a metallic layer. The signal transmission cable further includes a connector having a chip with a terminal. The connector includes a substrate having an organic layer, and a portion of the organic layer extends from the substrate so as to form the dielectric layer of the cable. The metallic layer is located on the dielectric layer and is directly connected to the terminal.
US09362682B2 Micro electronic plug connector
A micro electronic plug connector includes an insulation housing, a first terminals, a second terminals, a metal shell and a connecting portion. The insulation housing includes a base member, a first tongue plate and a second tongue plate. The first and second tongue plates are extended from one side of the base member. The first and second terminals are disposed at the first and second tongue plates, respectively. The metal shell encloses the insulation housing and includes top and bottom lateral walls arranged with each other to form first and second frame windows. The bottom lateral wall includes a protruding portion, which includes a top plane adjacent to the top lateral wall, disposed between the first and second frame windows. An interval is defined between the top lateral wall and the top plane for disposing the connecting portion.
US09362673B1 Secure connector with spring release
This document presents an adaptor that has both male and female USB type connectors. The adaptor has an activation button held in tension by an internal spring and locking prongs that are moved in response to depressing and releasing the activation button. The locking prongs retract into a cutout depression in the insulating portion of the male connector and into the open space of the female portion of the adaptor. The adaptor locks both male and female USB connectors attached to cables or devices so as to secure the electrical and physical connection of these cables and devices during relocation or transport of the equipment containing the USB connectors. A single adaptor may be used to securely connect two cables together, a cable to a device, or two devices during movement or transport.
US09362672B1 Lockable socket
The disclosure provides a lockable socket, which includes a body, a rotatable assembly and an prong receiving member. The prong receiving member is provided with a guide hole, a fixing pin is disposed in the guide hole and extends through a first spring. Guide chutes matching with the fixing pins are provided on the inner surface of the body. The lockable socket of the disclosure, which has a simple structure and is easy to use, can effectively prevent the plug including prongs with openings from being released from the socket due to an unexpected external force or a loose connection between the plug and the socket.
US09362670B2 Charge connector locking apparatus
The present invention relates to a charging connector locking apparatus. The apparatus includes a coupling latch installed in an inlet housing of the inlet connector to be supported by a resilient member so as to be rotatable by a predetermined angle, and having an interlocking curved surface by which a tip end of the plug latch is guided; a fixing rod moved to be positioned at a side of the coupling latch facing the plug latch to prevent movement of the plug latch in a release direction; and a driving source for providing driving power for movement of the fixing rod.
US09362665B2 Joint connector with pairs of locking lances and communication space extending between the pairs of locking lances
A joint connector (10) for electrically connecting a plurality of terminal fittings (20) mounted on ends of a plurality of ground wires (W) of a vehicle includes a pair of terminal holding portions (49A, 49A) for holding a pair of the terminal fittings (20, 20). A pair of locking lances (43, 43) deflectable with respect to each other and configured to suppress the withdrawal of the pair of terminal fittings (20, 20) by locking the pair of terminal fittings (20, 20) are arranged back to back with each other via a deflection permitting space (44) between the pair of terminal holding portions (49A, 49A).
US09362660B2 Down the bore with open windows and manufacturing thereof
An implantable medical device connector assembly and method of manufacture include a molded, insulative shell having an inner surface forming a connector bore, a circuit member including one or more traces extending through apertures in the connector shell. One or more conductive members, positioned along the connector bore, are electrically coupled to the traces. The sealing members are positioned between the conductive members.
US09362655B1 Safety cover and identifier for electric terminal block
A safety cover and identifier to cover wire terminals in an electric terminal block. The cover/identifier comprises a body comprising dielectric material having a first leg and an opposed, spaced apart second leg The two legs are joined adjacent their midpoints by an integral, resilient spring element. The opposed proximal ends of the legs each have a terminal covering surface and define serrated jaws. The jaws are opened by compression of the distal ends of the legs. The jaws are attached to the electrical terminal block to cover wire connections and each of the proximal ends covers one of a functional pair of wire connectors. The resilient spring element biases the jaws toward each other to secure the cover in place. The device can include stops or a stop gap in the spring to delimit opening of the jaws. The cover/identifier includes indicia to identify aspects of the wires attached to the cover wire connectors.
US09362651B2 Locking structure of terminal fitting and bulb socket
A locking structure includes a terminal fitting and a terminal containing portion that holds and contains the terminal fitting so that the terminal fitting is electrically connected to a connection counterpart in a condition that at least part of the connection counterpart is inserted in the terminal containing portion. A first lock projection which is elastically deformable and is provided on the terminal fitting is locked on a second lock projection which is provided on the terminal containing portion. The at least part of the connection counterpart inserted in the terminal containing portion restricts elastic deformation of the first lock projection in a direction in which the first lock projection is unlocked from the second lock projection.
US09362645B2 One piece socket contact
A one piece socket contact for receiving a pin. The socket contact includes a tubular barrel having a rear tail portion, a ferrule portion, and a throat portion. The ferrule portion includes an opening with an opening diameter. The throat portion has a plurality of slots that define a plurality of bands. The bands are bent inwards to a throat diameter smaller than the opening diameter. The bands are arranged to resemble a hyperboloid wire cage.
US09362643B2 Coupling arrangement and coupling piece
A coupling arrangement for a line for transmitting high power electrical energy as well as for transmitting a pressurized fluid, the line having at least one fluid channel and at least one electrical conductor, consisting of a first and second coupling piece, in each case comprising at least one fluid channel and at least one electrical connecting element, wherein, in a coupled position of the first and second coupling piece, a liquid-tight connection of the fluid channels and an electrically conductive connection exists between the electrical connecting elements and, in a decoupled position of the first and second coupling piece, the fluid channels and the electrical connecting elements are separated from one another, wherein the coupling arrangement encompasses an intermediate position, which is provided between the coupled and decoupled position, in which the first and second coupling piece are connected to one another in a liquid-tight manner.
US09362637B2 Electrical connector having a lock fitting with a bottom portion connecting a lock plate portion and an reinforcing plate portion
To provide an electrical connector for circuit boards having lock fittings designed to reliably prevent damage to lock portions and inadvertent removal of mating connectors. The lock fittings have lock plate portions that extend along the inner surface of the lateral walls of the housing and are retained in place on said lateral walls, or which extend along the inner surface of the end walls and are retained in place on said end walls; upright face-reinforcing plate portions that extend along the upright faces of the protruding wall of the housing facing said lock plate portions and are retained in place on said protruding wall; and connecting bottom portions that extend along the bottom wall and connect the bottom wall-adjacent end portions of the lock plate portions and the upright face-reinforcing plate portions.
US09362625B2 Optimal loading for increased gain in an array antenna
The present invention provides a high-performance helical antenna element and array thereof for use in an aircraft communication system or the like, where stringent spatial restrictions and gain requirements generally apply. The performance of the array is enhanced by connecting conductive plates to the windings of the antenna elements at the terminal ends thereof such that the conductive plates are offset from the axes of the antenna elements and toward the center of the array.
US09362622B2 High-frequency antenna
The invention relates to an inductive antenna formed from at least two pairs of segments (32, 34) geometrically butted together and each comprising first (322, 342) and second (324, 344) parallel conductors insulated from each other, each pair having, at each end, a single terminal for the electrical connection of its first conductor to that of the neighboring pair, in which said pairs are of a first type (3), in which the conductors are interrupted approximately at their mid-points so as to define the two segments, the first (respectively second) conductor of one segment being connected to the second (respectively first) conductor of the other segment of the pair, or of a second type, in which the first conductor is interrupted approximately at its mid-point so as to define the two segments, the second conductor not being interrupted.
US09362620B1 Dynamically reconfiguring antenna bandwidth based on user scenario
Various embodiments provide a dynamic antenna system that adapts, by adjusting various antenna circuit parameters, to accommodate a particular circumstance or set of conditions being imposed on the computing device at a given time. For example, signal strength of the antenna system can be monitored and, upon detecting a change in the signal strength, a condition associated with the change, such as the user holding the device with two hands, can be identified based on offline testing, measurement, and pattern recognition. Accordingly, the one or more parameters of the antenna system, which can include multiple antennas and other reconfigurable components, can be adjusted to optimize the antenna efficiency for the particular condition associated with the change in signal strength.
US09362611B2 Internal antenna of mobile terminal
An antenna of a mobile includes at least two internal antennas and a printed circuit board disposed between a front cover and a rear cover. The printed circuit board includes at least one first antenna mounted on an upper surface and the printed circuit board having at least one fastening opening therein. A second antenna is mounted in an upper portion of a side surface of the printed circuit board and included a protruded portion of one end protruded from a body and in which the protruded portion is fastened to the fastening opening to be fastened to a side surface of the printed circuit board and the mobile terminal can be produced having a reduced thickness.
US09362609B2 Modular spatially combined EHF power amplifier
A power amplifier uses a modular architecture in which each of the one or more modules spatially combines the power from multiple amplified channels. The individual modules are configured to operate in the EHF band and above at low loss. This entails reconfiguring the input and output splitters, the end-launched transitions between the amplifier chips and the input and output splitters and the packaging of the DC power and control board. The input splitter uses a split-block technology. The output splitter maps each amplified channel into a two-dimensional aperture.
US09362603B2 Via structures and compact three-dimensional filters with the extended low noise out-of-band area
A filter of the present invention includes a plurality of via structures with a multilayer substrate. Each of the plurality of via structures includes first, second and third functional sections. One end of a signal via of the first functional section is connected to one end of a signal via of the second functional section and another end of the signal via of the second functional section is connected to two signal vias of the third functional section. Those signal vias are surrounded by a plurality of ground vias. Input and output ports of the filter are connected to another end of the signal via of each first functional section.
US09362597B2 Battery management unit comprising a plurality of monitoring units
A battery management unit includes a plurality of monitoring units. Each monitoring unit is configured to acquire at least one operating variable of at least one battery cell or of a battery module having a number of battery cells. Each monitoring unit is connected to a first bus. The battery management unit further includes a control device connected to the first bus and configured to communicate with at least one of the monitoring units of the plurality of monitoring unit via the first bus.
US09362590B2 Lithium ion secondary battery
A lithium ion secondary battery is provided, including: a positive electrode and a negative electrode into which, and from which, lithium ions can be introduced and be discharged reversibly, and an electrolyte membrane placed therebetween, wherein the electrolyte membrane is obtained using an electrolyte made by blending (A) a polyanion type lithium salt, (B) a boron compound, and (C) an organic solvent.
US09362585B2 Fuel cell stack
A fuel cell stack includes fuel cells stacked in a stacking direction, a first end plate a second end plate, and first tightening members and second tightening members. The first tightening members couple long sides of the first end plate and long sides of the second end plate, and extend in the stacking direction. The second tightening members couple short sides of the first end plate and short sides of the second end plate, and extend in the stacking direction. Extensions are formed on both of long sides of the fuel cell, and the first tightening members have recessed portions engaged with the extensions.
US09362584B2 Regenerative fuel cell with catholyte comprising a polyoxometalate and a vanadium (IV)-compound
This invention provides a redox fuel cell comprising an anode and a cathode separated by an ion selective polymer electrolyte membrane; means for supplying a fuel to the anode region of the cell; means for supplying an oxidant to the cathode region of the cell; means for providing an electrical circuit between the anode and the cathode; a non-volatile catholyte solution flowing fluid communication with the cathode, the catholyte solution comprising a polyoxometallate redox couple being at least partially reduced at the cathode in operation of the cell, and at least partially re-generated by reaction with the oxidant after such reduction at the cathode, the catholyte solution comprising at least about 0.075M of the said polyoxometallate, and a vanadium (IV) compound.
US09362578B2 Fuel cell power plant operating system and method for use in sub-freezing ambient conditions
The fuel cell power plant operating system (10) includes an on/off switching device by-pass circuit (60) to sustain operation of a fuel cell (12) whenever the fuel cell (12) on/off switching device (58) is turned off while a fuel cell operating temperature is below a predetermined freeze-safe operating temperature. The by-pass circuit (60) operates the fuel cell (12) until the fuel cell (12) temperature reaches or exceeds the freeze-safe temperature to thereby prevent fuel cell (12) product water from becoming ice in and adjacent fuel cell catalysts (26, 40).
US09362573B2 Fuel cell
A fuel cell includes an electrolyte membrane, a first electrode, a second electrode and a stress suppressing structure. The first electrode is joined to one surface of the electrolyte membrane. The second electrode is joined to an other surface of the electrolyte membrane. The first peripheral section which is at least part of periphery of the first electrode is located on an inner side along a planar direction of the first electrode than respective peripheries of the electrolyte membrane and the second electrode. The stress suppressing structure is configured to suppress concentration of stress on a location along the first peripheral section in the electrolyte membrane.
US09362562B2 Cathode materials for secondary (rechargeable) lithium batteries
The invention relates to materials for use as electrodes in an alkali-ion secondary (rechargeable) battery, particularly a lithium-ion battery. The invention provides transition-metal compounds having the ordered-olivine or the rhombohedral NASICON structure and the polyanion (PO4)3− as at least one constituent for use as electrode material for alkali-ion rechargeable batteries.
US09362559B2 Nitrogen substituted carbon and silicon clathrates
Compositions comprising Type I clathrates of silicon (Si46) or carbon (C46) wherein the framework of the cage structure includes nitrogen and carbon or nitrogen and silicon or nitrogen-silicon-carbon atom type composition, with or without guest atoms in their respective cage structures. The clathrate structures are particularly useful for energy storage applications such as battery electrodes.
US09362556B2 Power storage device
A power storage device which has improved performance such as higher discharge capacity and in which deterioration due to peeling or the like of an active material layer is less likely to be caused is provided. In an electrode for the power storage device, phosphorus-doped amorphous silicon is used for the active material layer over a current collector as a material that can be alloyed with lithium, and niobium oxide is deposited over the active material layer as a layer containing niobium. Accordingly, the capacity of the power storage device can be increased and the cycle characteristics and the charge-discharge efficiency can be improved.
US09362555B2 Rechargeable lithium cell having a chemically bonded phthalocyanine compound cathode
A rechargeable lithium cell comprising: (a) an anode comprising an anode active material; (b) a cathode comprising a hybrid cathode active material composed of an electrically conductive substrate and a phthalocyanine compound chemically bonded to or immobilized by the conductive substrate, wherein the phthalocyanine compound is in an amount of from 1% to 99% by weight based on the total weight of the conductive substrate and the phthalocyanine compound combined; and (c) electrolyte or a combination of electrolyte and a porous separator, wherein the separator is disposed between the anode and the cathode and the electrolyte is in ionic contact with the anode and the cathode. This secondary cell exhibits a long cycle life, the best cathode specific capacity, and best cell-level specific energy of all rechargeable lithium-ion cells ever reported.
US09362554B2 Method of manufacturing a positive electrode with a condensation reaction initiated by heating and reduced pressure
A positive electrode for a lithium secondary battery provided by the present invention includes a positive electrode active material layer having a particulate positive electrode active material constituted by a composite oxide containing lithium and at least one type of transition metal element, and at least one type of binding material constituted by a polymer compound having at least one functional group, and a conductive carbonaceous coating film is formed on a surface of the positive electrode active material. Further, the polymer compound constituting the binding material is molecularly bound to carbon atoms constituting the carbonaceous coating film of at least a part of the positive electrode active material, whereby a composite compound is formed from the polymer compound molecularly bound to the carbon atoms and a carbon network constituting the carbonaceous coating film containing the carbon atoms.
US09362553B2 Microstructured electrode structures
A structure for use in an energy storage device, the structure comprising a backbone system extending generally perpendicularly from a reference plane, and a population of microstructured anodically active material layers supported by the lateral surfaces of the backbones, each of the microstructured anodically active material layers having a void volume fraction of at least 0.1 and a thickness of at least 1 micrometer.
US09362536B2 Optimized module restraint system
A battery module according to the principles of the present disclosure includes a plurality of battery cells, a pair of sideplates, and a pair of endplates. The sideplates are disposed on opposite sides of the plurality of battery cells and the endplates are disposed at opposite ends of the battery module. The sideplates include a first mating portion and the endplates include a second mating portion that engages the first mating portion to provide an interference fit. The interference fit joins the sideplates and the endplates together and bands the plurality of cells together between the sideplates and the endplates.
US09362532B2 Apparatus and method for ablating substrate and method of fabricating display apparatus
An apparatus for ablating a substrate of a display apparatus, the apparatus including a stage, the stage being configured to receive thereon a carrier substrate, the carrier substrate having attached thereto the display apparatus, a light source unit, the light source unit being configured to emit light towards the stage, a measuring unit, the measuring unit being configured to measure a transmittance of the carrier substrate, and a control unit, the control unit being configured to control the light source unit to emit light sufficient to ablate the substrate of the display apparatus according to the transmittance of the carrier substrate as measured by the measuring unit.
US09362528B2 Packaging structure and packaging method of organic electroluminescent device, and display device
A packaging structure and a packaging method of an organic electroluminescent device, and a display device are provided. The packaging structure of the organic electroluminescent device comprises: a base substrate (1) for supporting the organic electroluminescent device (2); the organic electroluminescent device (2) located on the base substrate (1); at least one first thin film packaging layer (3) covering the organic electroluminescent device (2), the first thin film packaging layer (3) comprising an inorganic thin film (31), an organic polymer thin film (32) and a nano rod-shaped thin film (33) located between the inorganic thin film (31) and the organic polymer thin film (32). The packaging structure and the packaging method of the organic electroluminescent device can effectively improve a degree of integration between the inorganic thin film (31) and the organic polymer thin film (32), thus guaranteeing a service life of an OLED device.
US09362526B2 Display device and method of manufacturing the same
A display device includes a substrate, a device layer on a front side of the substrate, and a protection sheet on a rear side of the substrate opposite to the front side of the substrate. The protection sheet comprises polytetrafluoroethylene.
US09362521B2 Organic light emitting diode display
An organic light emitting diode (OLED) display that includes: a display panel that displays an image; a cover window that is positioned at the outside of a display surface of the display panel; a buffer member that is positioned at a rear surface of the display panel; and a set frame that encloses a rear surface and a side surface of the display panel at a predetermined distance from the buffer member. A distance between the buffer member and the set frame increases as receding from a central portion of the display panel.
US09362518B2 Light emitting device and method of manufacturing the same
A light emitting device is provided which has a structure for lowering energy barriers at interfaces between layers of a laminate organic compound layer. A mixed layer (105) composed of a material that constitutes an organic compound layer (1) (102) and a material that constitutes an organic compound layer (2) (103) is formed at the interface between the organic compound layer (1) (102) and the organic compound layer (2) (103). The energy barrier formed between the organic compound layer (1) (102) and the organic compound layer (2) (103) thus can be lowered.
US09362516B2 Organic light emitting device
An organic light emitting device including a plurality of organic layers between a first electrode and an emitting layer, wherein the organic layer includes an electron blocking layer. In one embodiment, a first organic layer, an electron blocking layer, a second organic layer and an emitting layer are formed on the first electrode. The electron blocking layer has a Lowest Unoccupied Molecular Orbital (LUMO) level which is lower than that of the first organic layer. Thus, the electron blocking layer traps excess electrons injected from the emitting layer, thereby improving lifetime characteristics of the OLED.
US09362515B2 Photoelectric conversion element
Disclosed is a photoelectric conversion element comprising an anode, a cathode, and an active layer between the anode and the cathode, wherein the active layer includes an n-type semiconductor and a p-type semiconductor, and an area of a p-n junction between the n-type semiconductor and the p-type semiconductor is 100 μm2 or more per 1 μm3 of the active layer.
US09362513B2 Organic thin film transistor substrate and method of manufacturing the same
An organic thin film transistor substrate and a method of manufacturing the organic thin film transistor substrate capable of preventing overflow of an organic semiconductor layer. An organic thin film transistor substrate comprises a gate line formed on the substrate, a data line intersecting the gate line, a thin film transistor connected to the gate line and the data line and including an organic semiconductor layer, a pixel electrode connected to the thin film transistor, an organic protective layer protecting the thin film transistor, a first bank-insulating layer providing filling areas in the organic gate insulating layer and the organic semiconductor layer, and a second bank-insulating layer providing the filling area of the organic semiconductor layer together with the first bank-insulating layer and formed on a source electrode and a drain electrode of the thin film transistor.
US09362512B2 Electronic device insulating layer material capable of forming an insulating layer at low temperature
Insulating layer material comprising: polymer compound of a repeating unit containing a cyclic ether structure and a repeating unit of the formula: wherein R5 represents a hydrogen atom or a methyl group; Rb b represents a linking moiety which links the main chain of the polymer compound with a side chain of the polymer compound and optionally has a fluorine atom; R represents an organic group capable of being detached by an acid; R′ represents a hydrogen atom or a monovalent organic group having from 1 to 20 carbon atoms and optionally having a fluorine atom; the suffix b represents an integer of 0 or 1, and the suffix n represents an integer of from 1 to 5; when there are two or more Rs, they may be the same or different; and when there are two or more R's, they may be the same or different; and tungsten (V) alkoxide.
US09362509B2 Aryloxy-phthalocyanines of group IV metals
The present disclosure relates to a compound comprising an aryloxy-phthalocyanine compound of Group IV metals, a method for preparing the aryloxy-phthalocyanine compound of Group IV metals and an article of manufacture made therefrom.
US09362505B2 Fused ring compound and method for producing same, polymer, organic thin film containing those, and organic thin film device and organic thin film transistor comprising such organic thin film
Provided is a fused ring compound which can exhibit sufficient charge transport properties and excellent solubility in a solvent. The fused ring compound is represented by general formula (1), wherein R11 and R12 each independently represent a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms, an alkoxy group, an alkylthio group, an alkylamino group, an alkoxycarbonyl group, an optionally substituted aryl group having 6 to 60 carbon atoms, an optionally substituted heterocyclic group having 4 to 60 carbon atoms, or a cyano group, provided that at least one of R11 and R12 is not a hydrogen atom; R13 and R14 each independently represent a monovalent group, and n and m each independently denote an integer of 0 to 2; and Y11 and Y12 are each independently a divalent group comprising a sulfur atom, an oxygen atom, a nitrogen atom, a selenium atom or a tellurium atom.
US09362504B2 Method for manufacturing display panel
A method for manufacturing a display panel, including defining a desorbing area of a support substrate by forming one of a release layer or a recess portion in the desorbing area, cleaning a surface of the support substrate, disposing a thin film substrate on the support substrate, directly bonding, in an adsorbing area external to the desorbing area, the thin film substrate to the support substrate, forming a pixel and a sealing member on the thin film substrate, cutting the sealing member and the thin film substrate at a location that corresponds to the desorbing area, and separating the support substrate from the thin film substrate.
US09362500B2 Method for manufacturing semiconductor memory device and semiconductor memory device
According to one embodiment, a manufacturing method of a semiconductor memory device includes forming a stacked body in which word line material layers and insulating layers are alternately stacked on a base layer. The method includes forming first holes on the stacked body so as to be arranged in a first direction and in a second direction that intersects with the first direction. The method includes forming resistance-change films on inner walls of the first holes, forming bit lines inside the resistance-change films in the first holes, and dividing the stacked body in the first direction by forming second holes so that a portion in the stacked body adjacent to the resistance-change films in the second direction. The method includes forming inter-bit line insulating films in the second holes.
US09362495B2 Confined resistance variable memory cells and methods
Methods, devices, and systems associated with resistance variable memory device structures can include a method of forming a confined resistance variable memory cell structure includes forming a resistance variable material such that a first unmodified portion of the resistance variable material contacts a bottom electrode and a second unmodified portion of the resistance variable material contacts a top electrode.
US09362492B2 Integrated phase change switch
Various methods and devices that involve phase change material (PCM) switches are disclosed. An exemplary integrated circuit comprises an active layer with a plurality of field effect transistor (FET) channels for a plurality of FETs. The integrated circuit also comprises an interconnect layer comprising a plurality of conductive interconnects. The plurality of conductive interconnects couple the plurality of field effect transistors. The integrated circuit also comprises an insulator layer covering at least a portion of the interconnect layer. The integrated circuit also comprises a channel of a radio-frequency (RF) PCM switch. The channel of the RF PCM switch is formed on the insulator layer.
US09362484B2 Forming a device having a curved piezoelectric membrane
Processes for forming an actuator having a curved piezoelectric membrane are disclosed. The processes utilize a profile-transferring substrate having a curved surface surrounded by a planar surface to form the curved piezoelectric membrane. The piezoelectric material used for the piezoelectric actuator is deposited on at least the curved surface of the profile-transferring substrate before the profile-transferring substrate is removed from the underside of the curved piezoelectric membrane. The resulting curved piezoelectric membrane includes grain structures that are columnar and aligned, and all or substantially all of the columnar grains are locally perpendicular to the curved surface of the piezoelectric membrane.
US09362458B2 Light emitting diode and method of fabricating the same
A light emitting diode and a method of fabricating the same, the light emitting diode including: a gallium nitride-based compound semiconductor layer; a first metal layer including Mg and disposed in the form of islands that are in ohmic contact with the gallium nitride-based compound semiconductor layer; a second metal layer including Ni, covering the first metal layer, and contacting the gallium nitride-based compound semiconductor layer between the islands of the first metal layer; and a reflective metal layer covering the second metal layer.
US09362452B2 Light-emitting device and the manufacturing method thereof
A light-emitting device includes: a substrate including an upper surface, wherein the upper surface includes an ion implantation region; a semiconductor layer formed on the upper surface; a light-emitting stack formed on the semiconductor layer; and a plurality of scattering cavities formed between the semiconductor layer and the upper surface in accordance with the ion implantation region.
US09362447B2 Semiconductor light emitting device
There is provided a semiconductor light emitting device. The device includes an n-type semiconductor layer, and a p-type semiconductor layer. The p-type semiconductor layer includes a plurality of first layers and second layers, each containing a p-type impurity and are alternately stacked. The impurity concentrations of the plurality of first layers increase in a direction away from the n-type semiconductor layer. An active layer is disposed between the n-type semiconductor layer and the p-type semiconductor layer.
US09362444B1 Optoelectronics and CMOS integration on GOI substrate
A method of forming an optoelectronic device and a silicon device on a single chip. The method may include; forming a silicon substrate in a first and second region of a single chip; forming a germanium layer above the substrate in at least the first region; forming the optoelectronic device on the germanium layer in the first region, the optoelectronic device has a top cladding layer, a bottom cladding layer, and an active region, the bottom cladding layer is on the semiconductor layer, the active region is adjacent to a waveguide and on the bottom cladding layer, the top cladding layer is on the active region; and forming the silicon device on a silicon layer in the second region.
US09362443B2 Solar cell with absorber layer with three dimensional projections for energy harvesting, and method for forming the same
A solar cell with an absorber layer including three dimensional tubular projections and the method for forming the same, is provided. The three dimensional tubular projections are formed in various configurations and include surfaces facing in various directions and are adapted to absorb sunlight directed to the solar cell panel at various angles. The method for forming the absorber layer includes introducing impurities onto a layer over a solar cell substrate to form as nucleation sites and depositing an absorber layer to form a base layer portion and tubular projections at the nucleation sites. The solar cell is exposed to sunlight and the absorber layer including the three dimensional tubular projections, absorbs direct and reflected sunlight directed to the solar cell at various angles.
US09362440B2 60×120 cm2 prototype electrodeposition cell for processing of thin film solar panels
Techniques for electrodeposition of thin film solar panels are provided. In one aspect, an electrodeposition apparatus is provided. The electrodeposition apparatus includes at least one electroplating cell; and a conveyor for moving panels over the electroplating cell, wherein the conveyor comprises at least one metal belted track over the electroplating cell surrounding a plurality of metal rollers. The electroplating cell can include an anode at a bottom of the electroplating cell; and a plurality of paddles at a top of the electroplating cell. A baffle may be located in between the anode and the paddles. An electroplating process is also provided.
US09362437B1 Concentrated photovoltaic receiver module with improved optical light guide assembly
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided multiple embodiments of a concentrated photovoltaic (CPV) module or package. In each embodiment of the present invention, the CPV module includes a mounting device or holder for use in maintaining an optical member or optical light guide of the module in a prescribed position relative to the solar cell or receiver die thereof.
US09362428B2 Photonic lock based high bandwidth photodetector
The technique introduced herein decouples the traditional relationship between bandwidth and responsivity, thereby providing a more flexible and wider photodetector design space. In certain embodiments of the technique introduced here, a photodetector device includes a first mirror, a second mirror, and a light absorption region positioned between the first and second reflective mirrors. For example, the first mirror can be a partial mirror, and the second mirror can be a high-reflectivity mirror. The light absorption region is positioned to absorb incident light that is passed through the first mirror and reflected between the first and second mirrors. The first mirror can be configured to exhibit a reflectivity that causes an amount of light energy that escapes from the first mirror, after the light is reflected back by the second mirror, to be zero or near zero.
US09362426B2 Photoelectric conversion device and method for producing same
This photoelectric conversion device (10) is provided with: an n-type monocrystalline silicon substrate (21); an IN layer (25) and an IP layer (26) formed on the back surface of the n-type monocrystalline silicon substrate (21); an n-side electrode (40) containing an n-side underlayer (43), an n-side primary conductive layer (44), and an n-side protective layer (45); and a p-side electrode (50) containing a p-side underlayer (53), a p-side primary conductive layer (54), and a p-side protective layer (55). The n-side primary conductive layer (44) is formed in a manner so as not to cover the lateral surface of the n-side underlayer (43), and is covered at the lateral surface by the n-side protective layer (45). The p-side electrode (50) is formed in such a manner the lateral surface of the p-side underlayer (53) is not covered, and the lateral surface is covered by the p-side protective layer (55).
US09362420B2 Transistor structure for electrostatic discharge protection
The present invention discloses a transistor structure for electrostatic discharge protection. The structure includes a substrate, a doped well, a first doped region, a second doped region and a third doped region. The doped well is disposed in the substrate and has a first conductive type. The first doped region is disposed in the substrate, encompassed by the doped well and has the first conductive type. The second doped region is disposed in the substrate, encompassed by the doped well and has a second conductive type. The third doped region is disposed in the substrate, encompassed by the doped well and has the second conductive type. A gap is disposed between the first doped region and the second doped region.
US09362413B2 MOTFT with un-patterned etch-stop
A method of fabricating a high mobility semiconductor metal oxide thin film transistor including the steps of depositing a layer of semiconductor metal oxide material, depositing a blanket layer of etch-stop material on the layer of MO material, and patterning a layer of source/drain metal on the blanket layer of etch-stop material including etching the layer of source/drain metal into source/drain terminals positioned to define a channel area in the semiconductor metal oxide layer. The etch-stop material being electrically conductive in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the blanket layer at least under the source/drain terminals to provide electrical contact between each of the source/drain terminals and the layer of semiconductor metal oxide material. The etch-stop material is also chemical robust to protect the layer of semiconductor metal oxide channel material during the etching process.
US09362408B2 Thin film transistor and display panel including the same
Disclosed is a thin film transistor including a gate electrode on a substrate. A gate dielectric layer is disposed on the gate electrode and the substrate, and source/drain electrodes are disposed on the gate dielectric layer overlying two edge parts of the gate electrode. A channel layer is disposed on the gate dielectric layer overlying a center part of the gate electrode, and the channel region contacts the source/drain electrodes. An insulating capping layer overlies the channel layer, wherein the channel layer includes an oxide semiconductor.
US09362406B2 Faceted finFET
Among other things, a semiconductor device comprising one or more faceted surfaces and techniques for forming the semiconductor device are provided. A semiconductor device, such as a finFET, comprises a fin formed on a semiconductor substrate. The fin comprises a source region, a channel, and a drain region. A gate is formed around the channel. A top fin portion of the fin is annealed, such as by a hydrogen annealing process, to create one or more faceted surfaces. For example the top fin portion comprises a first faceted surface formed adjacent to a second faceted surface at an angle greater than 90 degrees relative to the second faceted surface, which results in a reduced sharpness of a corner between the first faceted surface and the second faceted surface. In this way, an electrical field near the corner is substantially uniform to electrical fields induced elsewhere within the fin.
US09362396B2 Semiconductor device, manufacturing method thereof, electronic device and vehicle
A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, includes forming a recess over a surface of an n-type semiconductor substrate, forming a gate insulation film over an inner wall and a bottom face of the recess, embedding a gate electrode into the recess, forming a p-type base layer in a surface layer of the semiconductor substrate so as to be shallower than the recess, and forming an n-type source layer in the p-type base layer so as to be shallower than the p-type base layer. An impurity profile of the p-type base layer in a thickness direction includes a first peak, a second peak being located closer to a bottom face side of the semiconductor substrate than the first peak and being higher than the first peak, and a third peak located between the first peak and the second peak by implanting impurity ions three times or more at ion implantation energies different from each other in the forming of the p-type base layer.
US09362387B2 Method for producing multi-gate in FIN field-effect transistor
A method for producing a multi-gate fin field-effect transistor (FinFET) is provided. The method includes forming a channel layer and a gate medium layer on a substrate; forming an amorphous silicon layer on the substrate, and etching the amorphous silicon layer, to form at least one fin; forming, by using an epitaxial growth process, a first protective layer from both sides to the middle of the substrate along a length direction of the at least one fin until a groove is formed in a middle location along the length direction of the at least one fin; forming a gate electrode layer on the substrate, performing planarization processing on the gate electrode layer to expose the first protective layer, and etching away the first protective layer by using an etching process, so as to form a gate electrode; and forming a source electrode and a drain electrode on the substrate.
US09362376B2 Metal contacts to group IV semiconductors by inserting interfacial atomic monolayers
Techniques for reducing the specific contact resistance of metal-semiconductor (group IV) junctions by interposing a monolayer of group V or group III atoms at the interface between the metal and the semiconductor, or interposing a bi-layer made of one monolayer of each, or interposing multiple such bi-layers. The resulting low specific resistance metal-group IV semiconductor junctions find application as a low resistance electrode in semiconductor devices including electronic devices (e.g., transistors, diodes, etc.) and optoelectronic devices (e.g., lasers, solar cells, photodetectors, etc.) and/or as a metal source and/or drain region (or a portion thereof) in a field effect transistor (FET). The monolayers of group III and group V atoms are predominantly ordered layers of atoms formed on the surface of the group IV semiconductor and chemically bonded to the surface atoms of the group IV semiconductor.
US09362375B2 Inner L-spacer for replacement gate flow
An integrated circuit is formed by removing a sacrificial gate dielectric layer and a sacrificial gate to form a gate cavity. A conformal dielectric first liner is formed in the gate cavity and a conformal second liner is formed on the first liner. A first etch removes the second liner from the bottom of the gate cavity, leaving material of the second liner on sidewalls of the gate cavity. A second etch removes the first liner from the bottom of the gate cavity exposed by the second liner, leaving material of the first liner on the bottom of the gate cavity under the second liner on the sidewalls of the gate cavity. A third etch removes the second liner from the gate cavity, leaving an L-shaped spacers of the first liner in the gate cavity. A permanent gate dielectric layer and replacement gate are formed in the gate cavity.
US09362373B2 Semiconductor device and the method of manufacturing the same
A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate which functions as an n− drift layer, a trench IGBT formed in the front surface, an interlayer insulator film, and a metal electrode layer on the interlayer insulator film. There is a contact hole in the interlayer insulating film which has a first opening formed on the metal electrode layer side and a second opening on the semiconductor substrate side. Width w1 of the first opening on the metal electrode layer side is wider than width w2 of first opening on the semiconductor substrate side, in a direction perpendicular to the extending direction of the trench in the planar pattern of trenches. The metal electrode layer is connected to a p-type channel region and an n+ source region via the contact hole. The method of manufacturing improves the reliability of the device.
US09362371B2 Method for producing a controllable semiconductor component having a plurality of trenches
A method of producing a controllable semiconductor component includes providing a semiconductor body with a top side and a bottom side, and forming a first trench protruding from the top side into the semiconductor body and a second trench protruding from the top side into the semiconductor body. The first trench has a first width and a first depth, and the second trench has a second width greater than the first width and a second depth greater than the first depth. The method further includes forming, in a common process, an oxide layer in the first trench and in the second trench such that the oxide layer fills the first trench and electrically insulates a surface of the second trench, and removing the oxide layer from the first trench completely or at least partly such that the semiconductor body comprises an exposed first surface area arranged in the first trench.
US09362368B2 Substrate with silicon carbide film, method for producing substrate with silicon carbide film, and semiconductor device
A substrate with a silicon carbide film includes a Si substrate, and a SiC film and a mask stacked on the Si substrate. The SiC film has a first SiC film provided on the upper side of the Si substrate and a second SiC film provided on the upper side of the first SiC film. The mask has a first mask provided on the Si substrate and including an opening (first opening) and a second mask provided on the first SiC film and including an opening (second opening). The width W1 (μm) of the first opening and the thickness T1 (μm) of the first mask satisfy the following relationship: T1
US09362365B2 Graphite and/or graphene semiconductor devices
Various embodiments are provided for graphite and/or graphene based semiconductor devices. In one embodiment, a semiconductor device includes a semiconductor layer and a semimetal stack. In another embodiment, the semiconductor device includes a semiconductor layer and a zero gap semiconductor layer. The semimetal stack/zero gap semiconductor layer is formed on the semiconductor layer, which forms a Schottky barrier. In another embodiment, a semiconductor device includes first and second semiconductor layers and a semimetal stack. In another embodiment, a semiconductor device includes first and second semiconductor layers and a zero gap semiconductor layer. The first semiconductor layer includes a first semiconducting material and the second semi conductor layer includes a second semiconducting material formed on the first semiconductor layer. The semimetal stack/zero gap semiconductor layer is formed on the second semiconductor layer, which forms a Schottky barrier.
US09362363B2 Power integrated devices, electronic devices and electronic systems including the same
A power integrated device includes a drift region disposed in a substrate, a source region disposed in the substrate spaced apart from the drift region, a drain region disposed in the drift region, a gate insulation layer and a gate electrode sequentially stacked on the substrate between the source region and the drift region, a trench isolation layer disposed in the drift region adjacent to a side of the drain region, and a deep trench field insulation layer disposed in the drift region adjacent to another side of the drain region, wherein a vertical height of the deep trench field insulation layer is greater than a width of the deep trench field insulation layer.
US09362361B1 Methods of forming elastically relaxed SiGe virtual substrates on bulk silicon
One illustrative method disclosed herein includes, among other things, forming a composite fin structure comprised of a sacrificial silicon material and a first non-sacrificial semiconductor material positioned above the sacrificial silicon material, forming a second non-sacrificial semiconductor material in each of the trenches adjacent the composite fin structure, performing at least one etching process so as to cut the composite fin structure and thereby expose cut end surfaces of the sacrificial silicon material, selectively removing the sacrificial silicon material of the composite fin structure relative to the first and second non-sacrificial semiconductor materials and forming a layer of strained channel semiconductor material above an upper surface of the first non-sacrificial semiconductor material of the composite fin structure and above an upper surface of the second non-sacrificial semiconductor materials positioned in the trenches.
US09362360B2 Modulating germanium percentage in MOS devices
An integrated circuit structure includes a gate stack over a semiconductor substrate, and an opening extending into the semiconductor substrate, wherein the opening is adjacent to the gate stack. A first silicon germanium region is disposed in the opening, wherein the first silicon germanium region has a first germanium percentage. A second silicon germanium region is overlying the first silicon germanium region, wherein the second silicon germanium region has a second germanium percentage higher than the first germanium percentage. A metal silicide region is over and in contact with the second silicon germanium region.
US09362356B2 Transistor
A transistor is provided in which an elongate drain region has end portions formed in parts of the transistor where features of the transistor structure have been modified or omitted. These structures lessen the current flow or electric field gradients at the end portions of the drain. This provides a transistor that has improved on-state breakdown performance without sacrificing off state breakdown performance.
US09362354B1 Tuning gate lengths in semiconductor device structures
A method for tuning gate lengths in nanowire semiconductor device structures. The present invention tunes the gate length by having the suspension height of the nanowire channels altered. The first method alters the suspension height by offsetting the height of the nanowires while utilizing gates of similar tapered dimensions, such that the nanowires pass through the gate regions at different heights and result in different gate length nanowire transistor device structures. The second method alters the suspension height by offsetting the height of the steps that the gates of similar tapered dimensions are formed on, such that the nanowires pass through the gate regions at different heights, resulting in different gate length nanowire transistor device structures. Both methods facilitate a decrease in overall fabrication costs by allowing the same type of patterned gate stacks to be used in order to produce channels of various lengths.
US09362353B2 Semiconductor device
A semiconductor device includes first and second fin-shaped silicon layers on a substrate, each corresponding to the dimensions of a sidewall pattern around a dummy pattern. First and second pillar-shaped silicon layers reside on the first and second fin-shaped silicon layers, respectively. An n-type diffusion layer resides in an upper portion of the first fin-shaped silicon layer and in upper and lower portions of the first pillar-shaped silicon layer. A p-type diffusion layer resides in an upper portion of the second fin-shaped silicon layer and upper and lower portions of the second pillar-shaped silicon layer. First and second gate insulating films and metal gate electrodes are around the first and second pillar-shaped silicon layers, respectively. A metal gate line is connected to the first and second metal gate electrodes and extends in a direction perpendicular to the first and second fin-shaped silicon layers.
US09362345B2 Organic light emitting display apparatus and method of manufacturing the same
An organic light emitting display apparatus and a method of manufacturing the same are disclosed. The organic light emitting display apparatus includes, for example, a pixel electrode and a bus electrode spaced apart and electrically insulated from each other, a pixel defining layer exposing a part of the pixel electrode including a central part thereof and a part of the bus electrode, a first intermediate layer on a top surface of the pixel defining layer between the pixel electrode and the bus electrode, the first intermediate layer having a first opening in a part of the bus electrode to expose a part of the bus electrode, an emission layer disposed on the first intermediate layer, and an opposite electrode disposed on the emission layer to correspond to the pixel electrode and the bus electrode and contacting the bus electrode through the first opening of the first intermediate layer.
US09362340B2 Memory devices having low permittivity layers and methods of fabricating the same
A memory device is provided. The memory device includes bit lines that extend in a first direction on a substrate, word lines configured to vertically cross the bit lines, memory cells formed at intersections of the bit lines and the word lines, a first low permittivity layer configured to fill spaces between the bit lines and partially fill spaces between the memory cells formed on bottom surfaces of the word lines, a first dielectric layer stacked on an upper surface of the first low permittivity layer between the memory cells, a second dielectric layer configured to fill spaces between the memory cells formed on upper surfaces of the bit lines, and a second low permittivity layer stacked on an upper surface of the second dielectric layer and configured to fill spaces between the word lines. The first and second low permittivity layers have lower permittivity than the first and second dielectric layers.
US09362339B2 Semiconductor elements stacked and bonded with an anisotropic conductive adhesive
The invention provides a semiconductor device which is non-volatile, easily manufactured, and can be additionally written. A semiconductor device of the invention includes a plurality of transistors, a conductive layer which functions as a source wiring or a drain wiring of the transistors, and a memory element which overlaps one of the plurality of transistors, and a conductive layer which functions as an antenna. The memory element includes a first conductive layer, an organic compound layer and a phase change layer, and a second conductive layer stacked in this order. The conductive layer which functions as an antenna and a conductive layer which functions as a source wiring or a drain wiring of the plurality of transistors are provided on the same layer.
US09362336B2 Sub-lithographic patterning of magnetic tunneling junction devices
A method for fabricating a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) device includes creating a recess within a second patterning layer, in which a first patterning layer overhangs the recessed second patterning layer. Such a method further includes depositing a film into the recess to create a keyhole pattern within the deposited film. The method further includes transferring the keyhole pattern through a hard mask layer to an MTJ stack. The method also includes depositing a conductive material into the transferred keyhole pattern and on an MTJ stack. The method also includes removing the hard mask layer to create a conductive hard mask pillar.
US09362327B2 Image sensor and electronic device including the same
An image sensor includes a semiconductor substrate integrated with at least one first photo-sensing device configured to sense light in a blue wavelength region and at least one second photo-sensing device configured to sense light in a red wavelength region, a color filter layer on the semiconductor substrate and including a blue color filter configured to selectively absorb light in a blue wavelength region and a red color filter configured to selectively absorb light in a red wavelength region, and a third photo-sensing device on the color filter layer and including a pair of electrodes facing each other, and a photoactive layer between the pair of electrodes and configured to selectively absorb light in a green wavelength region.
US09362326B2 Image capturing apparatus and control method therefor
An image capturing apparatus having pixels is provided. Each pixel includes a photoelectric conversion unit including a charge accumulation region, an output unit configured to output a signal based on a potential of a node electrically connected to the charge accumulation region, and a connection unit configured to electrically connect a capacitance to the node. The charge accumulation region includes a first portion and a second portion. Charge is configured to be first accumulated in the first portion, and, after the first portion is saturated, be accumulated in the second portion. The output unit is configured to output a first signal based on the potential of the node before the capacitance is connected thereto, and, then a second signal based on the potential of the node after the capacitance is connected thereto.
US09362325B2 Semiconductor device and electronic appliance
The present technique relates to a semiconductor device and an electronic appliance in which the reliability of the fine transistor can be maintained while the signal output characteristic is improved in a device formed by stacking semiconductor substrates.The semiconductor device includes a first semiconductor substrate, a second semiconductor substrate providing a function different from a function provided by the first semiconductor substrate, and a diffusion prevention film that prevents diffusion of a dangling bond terminating atom used for reducing the interface state of the first semiconductor substrate and the second semiconductor substrate, wherein at least two semiconductor substrates are stacked and the semiconductor substrates are electrically connected to each other, and the first semiconductor substrate and the second semiconductor substrate are stacked with the diffusion prevention film inserted between an interface of the first semiconductor substrate and an interface of the second semiconductor substrate.
US09362324B1 Photodetector focal plane array systems and methods
A photodetector focal plane array system, comprising: a substrate comprising a plurality of photosensitive regions; and a microcomponent disposed adjacent to each of the plurality of photosensitive regions operable for receiving incident radiation and directing a photonic nanojet into the associated photosensitive region. Optionally, each of the microcomponents comprises one of a microsphere and a microcylinder. Each of the microcomponents has a diameter of between between ˜λ and ˜100λ, where λ is the wavelength of the incident radiation. Each of the microcomponents is manufactured from a dielectric or semiconductor material. Each of the microcomponents has an index of refraction of between ˜1.4 and ˜3.5. Optionally, high-index components can be embedded in a lower index material. The microcomponents form an array of microcomponents disposed adjacent to the substrate.
US09362318B2 Method of manufacturing a semiconductor device
An interlayer insulating film is formed. Then a first gate electrode and a second gate electrode are buried in the interlayer insulating film. Then, an anti-diffusion film is formed over the interlayer insulating film, over the first gate electrode, and over the second gate electrode. Then, a first semiconductor layer is formed over the anti-diffusion film which is present over the first gate electrode. Then, an insulating cover film is formed over the upper surface and on the lateral side of the first semiconductor layer and over the anti-diffusion film. Then, a semiconductor film is formed over the insulating cover film. Then, the semiconductor film is removed selectively to leave a portion positioned over the second gate electrode, thereby forming a second semiconductor layer.
US09362317B2 Display device and electronic unit
A display device includes: a substrate including a display region and a peripheral region; a first wiring provided on a front face of the substrate; and a second wiring provided on a rear face of the substrate and electrically connected to the first wiring.
US09362314B2 Thin film transistor substrate
A thin film transistor substrate is disclosed, which comprises: a substrate; and plural thin film transistor (TFT) units, an insulating layer, a pixel electrode and an alignment layer sequentially disposed thereon. The TFT units comprise a gate insulating layer, an active layer and source and drain electrodes; the insulating layer has contact vias to expose the drain electrodes of the TFT units; and the pixel electrode is disposed on the insulating layer and extents to the contact vias to electrically connect with the drain electrodes. Herein, a side wall of at least one of the contact vias has a first inclined portion at a first direction and a second inclined portion at a second direction, the first direction is different from the second direction, and an inclination of the pixel electrode on the first inclined portion is different from that on the second inclined portion.
US09362301B2 Method for fabricating pipe gate nonvolatile memory device
A nonvolatile memory device includes a pipe insulation layer having a pipe channel hole, a pipe gate disposed over the pipe insulation layer, a pair of cell strings each having a columnar cell channel, and a pipe channel coupling the columnar cell channels and surrounding inner sidewalls and a bottom of the pipe channel hole.
US09362299B2 Method of fabricating a nonvolatile memory device with a vertical semiconductor pattern between vertical source lines
A non-volatile memory device in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention includes a substrate including a P-type impurity-doped region, a channel structure comprising a plurality of interlayer insulating layers that are alternately stacked with a plurality of channel layers on the substrate, a P-type semiconductor pattern that contacts sidewalls of the plurality of channel layers, wherein a lower end of the P-type semiconductor pattern contacts the P-type impurity-doped region, and source lines that are disposed at both sides of the P-type semiconductor pattern and contact the sidewalls of the plurality of channel layers.
US09362298B2 Non-volatile semiconductor memory device and manufacturing method thereof
This non-volatile semiconductor memory device includes a memory cell array including NAND cell units formed in a first direction vertical to a surface of a semiconductor substrate. A local source line is electrically coupled to one end of the NAND cell unit formed on the surface of the substrate. The memory cell array includes: a laminated body where plural conductive films, which are to be control gate lines of memory cells or selection gate lines of selection transistors, are laminated sandwiching interlayer insulating films; a semiconductor layer that extends in the first direction; and an electric charge accumulating layer sandwiched between: the semiconductor layer and the conductive film. The local source line includes a silicide layer. The electric charge accumulating layer is continuously formed from the memory cell array to cover a peripheral area of the silicide layer.
US09362290B2 Memory cell layout
A system and method for a memory cell layout is disclosed. An embodiment comprises forming dummy layers and spacers along the sidewalls of the dummy layer. Once the spacers have been formed, the dummy layers may be removed and the spacers may be used as a mask. By using the spacers instead of a standard lithographic process, the inherent limitations of the lithographic process can be avoided and further scaling of FinFET devices can be achieved.
US09362289B2 Semiconductor device including landing pad
The semiconductor device includes a plurality of conductive line structures including a plurality of conductive lines spaced apart from a substrate with an insulating film there between and insulating capping layers that are formed on each of plurality of conductive lines; an insulating spacer that is disposed between the plurality of conductive line structures and covers both side walls of each of the plurality of conductive line structures to define a contact hole having a first width in a first direction parallel to an upper surface of the substrate; a contact plug filling a portion of the contact hole; and a landing pad that is connected to the contact plug and vertically overlapping with one of the plurality of conductive line structures.
US09362284B2 Threshold voltage control for mixed-type non-planar semiconductor devices
A range of lowest, low and regular threshold voltages are provided to three p-type devices and three n-type devices co-fabricated on a same substrate. For the p-type devices, the range is achieved for the lowest using an additional thick layer of a p-type work function metal in a gate structure and oxidizing it, the low Vt is achieved with the thick p-type work function metal alone, and the regular Vt is achieved with a thinner layer of the p-type work function metal. For the n-type devices, the lowest Vt is achieved by implanting tantalum nitride with arsenic, argon, silicon or germanium and not adding any of the additional p-type work function metal in the gate structure, the low Vt is achieved by not adding the additional p-type work function metal, and the regular Vt is achieved with a thinnest layer of the p-type work function metal.
US09362279B1 Contact formation for semiconductor device
A method of contact formation and resulting structure is disclosed. The method includes providing a starting semiconductor structure, the structure including a semiconductor substrate with fins coupled to the substrate, a bottom portion of the fins being surrounded by a first dielectric layer, dummy gates covering a portion of each of the fins, spacers and a cap for each dummy gate, and a lined trench between the gates extending to and exposing the first dielectric layer. The method further includes creating an epitaxy barrier of hard mask material between adjacent fins in the trench, creating N and P type epitaxial material on the fins adjacent opposite sides of the barrier, and creating sacrificial semiconductor epitaxy over the N and P type epitaxial material, such that subsequent removal thereof can be done selective to the N and P type of epitaxial material. The resulting structure has replacement (conductive) gates, conductive material above the N and P type epitaxy, and a contact to the conductive material for each of N and P type epitaxy.
US09362272B2 Lateral MOSFET
A lateral MOSFET comprises a plurality of isolation regions formed in a substrate, wherein a first isolation region is of a top surface lower than a top surface of the substrate. The lateral MOSFET further includes a gate electrode layer having a first gate electrode layer formed over the first isolation region and a second gate electrode layer formed over the top surface of the substrate, wherein a top surface of the first gate electrode layer is lower than a top surface of the second gate electrode layer.
US09362269B2 Resistor and metal-insulator-metal capacitor structure and method
A passive circuit device incorporating a resistor and a capacitor and a method of forming the circuit device are disclosed. In an exemplary embodiment, the circuit device comprises a substrate and a passive device disposed on the substrate. The passive device includes a bottom plate disposed over the substrate, a top plate disposed over the bottom plate, a spacing dielectric disposed between the bottom plate and the top plate, a first contact and a second contact electrically coupled to the top plate, and a third contact electrically coupled to the bottom plate. The passive device is configured to provide a target capacitance and a first target resistance. The passive device may also include a second top plate disposed over the bottom plate and configured to provide a second target resistance, such that the second target resistance is different from the first target resistance.
US09362268B2 Semiconductor integrated circuit device with transistor and non-transistor regions
In a high-frequency circuit, it is necessary to provide galvanic blocking between active elements such as transistors and between an active element and an external terminal, and thus MIM capacitors or the like are used frequently. A MIM capacitor coupled to an external terminal is easily affected by static electricity from outside and causes a problem of electro-static breakdown or the like. In a MIM capacitor formed over a semi-insulating compound semiconductor substrate, a first electrode thereof is coupled to an external pad and to the semi-insulating compound semiconductor substrate, and a second electrode thereof is coupled to the semi-insulating compound semiconductor substrate.
US09362265B2 Protection devices for precision mixed-signal electronic circuits and methods of forming the same
Apparatus and methods for precision mixed-signal electronic circuit protection are provided. In one embodiment, an apparatus includes a p-well, an n-well, a poly-active diode structure, a p-type active region, and an n-type active region. The poly-active diode structure is formed over the n-well, the p-type active region is formed in the n-well on a first side of the poly-active diode structure, and the n-type active region is formed along a boundary of the p-well and the n-well on a second side of the poly-active diode structure. During a transient electrical event the apparatus is configured to provide conduction paths through and underneath the poly-active diode structure to facilitate injection of carriers in the n-type active region. The protection device can further include another poly-active diode structure formed over the p-well to further enhance carrier injection into the n-type active region.
US09362263B2 Semiconductor device
This invention can reduce heat that is generated in a first semiconductor chip and transfers to a second semiconductor chip through through-silicon vias. The first semiconductor chip has the first through-silicon vias. Each of the first through-silicon vias is arranged on any of grid points arranged in m rows and n columns (m>n). The first semiconductor chip also has a first circuit formation area. A first circuit is formed in the first circuit formation area. The first circuit performs signal processing while communicating with the second semiconductor chip. In plan view, the first circuit formation area does not overlap with a through-silicon via area that is defined by coupling the outermost grid points arranged in m rows and n columns. In plan view, some of connection terminals are located between the first circuit formation area and the through-silicon via area.
US09362250B2 Die bonder and bonding method
The present invention provides a bonding device and a bonding method with a high operation ratio by solving the problems of conventional techniques.In the present invention, a collet holder grasping a used collet is inserted from a first opening portion with the upper face open; the used collet is engaged with first engagement portions provided at the first opening portion of a discarding unit; the used collet is removed from the collet holder to be discarded by lifting the collet holder; the collet holder is inserted from a second opening portion with the upper face open of a supplying unit; the uppermost unused collet among plural stacked unused collets is grasped; and the uppermost unused collet ejected from the first opening portion is attached to the collet holder.
US09362246B2 Semiconductor device, method for manufacturing the same, circuit substrate, electro-optical apparatus, and electronic equipment
A semiconductor device is provided with a plurality of protrusions which are made of a resin and which protrude higher than electrodes, and conductive layers which are electrically connected to the electrodes and which cover the top surfaces of the protrusions. A method for manufacturing the semiconductor device includes a step of applying a layer of the resin to the semiconductor device except for the electrodes, a step of patterning the conductive layers on the electrodes and the layer of the resin in accordance with the protrusions, and a step of removing the layer of the resin located between the conductive layers by the use of the patterned conductive layers as masks so as to form the protrusions.
US09362243B2 Semiconductor package device and forming the same
In some embodiments in accordance with the present disclosure, a semiconductor device having a semiconductor substrate is provided. A metal structure is disposed over the semiconductor substrate, and a post-passivation interconnect (PPI) is disposed over the metal structure. In addition, the upper surface of the PPI is configured to receive a bump thereon. In certain embodiments, the upper surface of the PPI for receiving the bump is substantially flat. A positioning member is formed over the PPI and configured to accommodate the bump. In some embodiments, the positioning member is configured to limit bump movement after the bump is disposed over the PPI so as to retain the bump at a predetermined position.
US09362241B2 Manufacturing method for semiconductor devices
A manufacturing method for semiconductor devices includes the steps of forming an Ni/Au film that includes an Ni film and an Au film formed over the Ni film over a wiring that is coupled to each of a plurality of electrode pads formed over a principal surface of a semiconductor wafer and arranges each of the electrode pads at a different position, grinding a back surface of the semiconductor wafer, performing reduction treatment on a surface of the Ni/Au film, and forming a solder bump over the Ni/Au film. In the reduction treatment, respective processes of flux application, reflow soldering and cleaning are performed and the solder bump is bonded to the Ni/Au film after the reduction treatment has been completed. Thereby, bonding reliability in flip chip bonding of a semiconductor device is improved.
US09362238B2 Semiconductor device
A semiconductor device includes a first chip mounting portion, a first semiconductor chip arranged over the first chip mounting portion, a first pad formed in a surface of the first semiconductor chip, a first lead which serves as an external coupling terminal, a first conductive member which electrically couples the first pad and the first lead, and a sealing body which seals a part of the first chip mounting portion, the first semiconductor chip, a part of the first lead, and the first conductive member. The first conductive member includes a first plate-like portion, and a first support portion formed integrally with the first plate-like portion. An end of the first support portion is exposed from the sealing body, and the first support portion is formed with a first bent portion.
US09362237B2 Air bridge structure having dielectric coating
A substrate having an air bridge structure with end portions disposed and supported on the substrate and an elevated portion disposed between the end portions is coated with a protective layer. The protective layer is patterned to: leave portions of the protective layer over elevated portion and at least over the end portions of a region under the elevated portion of the air bridge structure; and remove portions over adjacent portions of the substrate. A dielectric material having a thickness greater than the height of the air bridge structure is deposited over the patterned protective layer portions remaining over elevated portion and over the adjacent portions of the substrate, the patterned temporary coating preventing the dielectric material from passing into the region under the elevated portion of the air bridge structure. The dielectric material is patterned to remove portions of the dielectric material over the patterned protective layer remaining over elevated portion while leaving the dielectric material over the adjacent portions of the substrate. The patterned protective layer portions remaining over elevated portion are removed while leaving the dielectric material over the adjacent portions of the substrate.
US09362226B2 Three-dimensional (3D) semiconductor devices and methods of fabricating 3D semiconductor devices
A three-dimensional (3D) semiconductor device includes a stack of conductive layers spaced from each other in a vertical direction, the stack having a staircase-shaped section in a connection region, and ends of the conductive layers constituting treads of the staircase-shaped section, respectively. The 3D semiconductor device further includes buffer patterns disposed on and protruding above the respective ends of the conductive layers, an interconnection structure disposed above the stack and including conductive lines, and contact plugs extending vertically between the conductive lines and the buffer patterns and electrically connected to the conductive layers of the stack via the buffer patterns.
US09362224B2 Electrical fuse and method of fabricating the same
An electrical fuse is provided. The electrical fuse includes an anode formed on a substrate, a cathode formed on the substrate, a fuse link connecting the anode and the cathode to each other, a first contact formed on the anode, and a second contact formed on the cathode and arranged closer to the fuse link than the first contact.
US09362223B2 Integrated circuit assembly with cushion polymer layer
A method of forming an integrated circuit assembly includes forming an insulator layer on a preliminary semiconductor assembly. The preliminary semiconductor assembly includes a semiconductor substrate having a first side and a second side opposite the first side, a semiconductor circuitry layer formed on the first side of the semiconductor substrate, and a conductive via extending through the semiconductor substrate from the semiconductor circuitry layer to the second side. The insulator is formed on the second side and an end of the conductive via. The method includes forming a polymer layer on the insulator layer, removing a quantity of the polymer layer sufficient to expose the end of the conductive via through the insulator layer, and forming a conductive contact on the polymer layer and the end of the conductive via.
US09362219B2 Semiconductor module and semiconductor device
A heat sink has a fixation surface and a heat release surface opposite from the fixation surface. A fin is provided in a central portion of the heat release surface. An insulating member is provided on the fixation surface of the heat sink. An electroconductive member is provided on the insulating member. A semiconductor chip is provided on the electroconductive member. A metal frame is connected to the semiconductor chip. A molding resin covers the heat sink, the insulating member, the electroconductive member, the semiconductor chip, and the metal frame so that the fin is exposed to outside. A hole extends through a peripheral portion of the heat sink and a peripheral portion of the molding resin. The semiconductor module is mounted on a cooling jacket by passing a screw through the hole.
US09362218B2 Integrated passive device (IPD) on substrate
Some novel features pertain to a semiconductor device that includes a substrate, a first cavity that traverses the substrate. The first cavity is configured to be occupied by a interconnect material (e.g., solder ball). The substrate also includes a first metal layer coupled to a first side wall of the first cavity. The substrate further includes a first integrated passive device (IPD) on a first surface of the substrate, the first IPD coupled to the first metal layer. In some implementations, the substrate is a glass substrate. In some implementations, the first IPD is one of at least a capacitor, an inductor and/or a resistor. In some implementations, the semiconductor device further includes a second integrated passive device (IPD) on a second surface of the substrate. The second IPD is coupled to the first metal layer.
US09362217B2 Package on package structure and fabrication method thereof
A method for fabricating a POP structure is disclosed. First, a first package is provided, which has: a dielectric layer; a stacked circuit layer embedded in the dielectric layer and exposed from upper and lower surfaces of the dielectric layer; a plurality of conductive posts and a semiconductor chip disposed on the upper surface of the dielectric layer and electrically connected to the stacked circuit layer; and an encapsulant formed on upper surface of the dielectric layer for encapsulating the semiconductor chip and the conductive posts and having a plurality of openings for exposing top ends of the conductive posts. Then, a second package is disposed on the encapsulant and electrically connected to the conductive posts. The formation of the conductive posts facilitates to reduce the depth of the openings of the encapsulant, thereby reducing the fabrication time and increasing the production efficiency and yield.
US09362214B2 Pre-encapsulated etching-then-plating lead frame structure with island and method for manufacturing the same
A method for manufacturing a lead frame structure for semiconductor packaging. The method includes providing a metal substrate having a top surface and a back surface, forming a first photoresist film on the top surface of the metal substrate, forming a top surface etching pattern in the first photoresist film using photolithography, forming a second photoresist film on the back surface of the metal substrate, forming a back surface etching pattern in the second photoresist film using photolithography, performing an etching process on the top surface and the back surface of the metal substrate, removing the first photoresist film and the second photoresist film, placing the etched metal substrate in a mold, encapsulating the etched metal substrate using the mold; and performing a plating process on the encapsulated metal substrate.
US09362211B1 Exposed pad integrated circuit package with mold lock
An integrated circuit package has an exposed die pad with a trench and openings in the trench that are filled with encapsulant to form an encapsulant ring near the edges of the die pad. During assembly, the encapsulant passes through the openings and fills the trench to form the encapsulant ring. The ring helps to keep the die pad from separating from the encapsulant caused by thermal cycling. Air vents might be included in the die pad surface to allow air to escape from the trenches and the openings as they fill with encapsulant. Trenches from the openings to the die pad edge on the chip-side of the die pad might be included to increase adhesion of the encapsulant to the die pad.
US09362206B2 Chip and manufacturing method thereof
A semiconductor device and a manufacturing method thereof are provided. The semiconductor device has an active surface. The semiconductor device includes at least a connecting element and at least a bump. The connecting element is disposed on the activate surface and has a minimum dimension smaller than 100 microns. The bump is disposed on the connecting element and is electrically connected to the active surface by the connecting element. The bump includes a pillar part disposed on the connecting element and a top part disposed at the top of the pillar part. The pillar part has a first dimension and a second dimension both parallel to the active surface. The first dimension is longer than 1.2 times the second dimension. The top part is composed of solder and will melt under the determined temperature. The pillar part will not melt under a determined temperature.
US09362202B2 Electronic device and method for manufacturing same
An electronic device includes: a support member; an electronic component stacked over the support member with a plurality of connections therebetween; and a refrigerant pipe through which a refrigerant passes, the refrigerant pipe being provided between at least some connections among the plurality of connections. A method for manufacturing an electric device includes: stacking an electronic component over a support member with a plurality of connections therebetween; and providing a refrigerant pipe, through which a refrigerant passes, between at least some connections among the plurality of connections.
US09362196B2 Semiconductor package and mobile device using the same
According to an embodiment, a semiconductor package includes a semiconductor chip mounted on an interposer board, a encapsulant sealing the semiconductor chip, and a conductive shielding layer covering the encapsulant and at least part of a side surface of the interposer board. The interposer board has plural vias through an insulating substrate. A part of the plural vias has a cutting plane exposing to the side surface of the interposer board and cut in a thickness direction of the interposer board. The cutting plane of the via is electrically connected to the conductive shielding layer.
US09362194B2 Semiconductor chip covered with sealing resin having a filler material
A semiconductor device includes a wiring substrate, a sealing resin layer formed on the wiring substrate out of a filler-containing resin and having a one-sided filler content ratio, and at least one semiconductor chip mounted on the wiring substrate such that the semiconductor chip is located offset to be closer to an area where the filler content ratio is relatively low in the sealing resin layer and is sealed in its offset location in the sealing resin layer.
US09362193B2 Chip arrangement, a method for manufacturing a chip arrangement, integrated circuits and a method for manufacturing an integrated circuit
A chip arrangement is provided, the chip arrangement, including a carrier; at least one chip electrically connected to a carrier top side; an encapsulation material at least partially surrounding the at least one chip and the carrier top side, wherein the encapsulation material is formed on one or more lateral sides of the carrier; and a ceramic material disposed on a carrier bottom side, and on at least one side of the encapsulation material.
US09362190B2 Semiconductor element, semiconductor device including the same, and method for manufacturing semiconductor element
To provide a semiconductor element that can have the high adhesion between a substrate made of an oxide or the like and a metal film, a semiconductor element includes a substrate made of an oxide, a semiconductor element structure provided on an upper surface of the substrate, and a metal film provided on a lower surface of the substrate, in which the metal film contains nanoparticles made of an oxide.
US09362188B2 TSV scan cell comparator coupled to voltage reference and response
An integrated circuit die includes a substrate of semiconductor material having a top surface, a bottom surface, and an opening through the substrate between the top surface and the bottom surface. A through silicon via (TSV) has a conductive body in the opening, has a top contact point coupled to the body at the top surface, and has a bottom contact point coupled to the body at the bottom surface. A scan cell has a serial input, a serial output, control inputs, a voltage reference input, a response input coupled to one of the contact points, and a stimulus output coupled to the other one of the contact points.
US09362171B2 Through via contacts with insulated substrate
Device and a method of forming a device are disclosed. The method includes providing a crystalline-on-insulator (COI) substrate. The COI substrate includes at least a base substrate over a buried insulator layer. Through via (TV) contacts are formed within the substrate. The TV contact extends from a top surface of the base substrate to within the buried insulator layer. Upper interconnect levels are formed over the top surface of the base substrate. A lower redistribution (RDL) is formed over a bottom surface of the base substrate. The buried insulator layer corresponds to a first RDL dielectric layer of the lower RDL and protects the sidewalls of the TV contacts.
US09362166B2 Method of forming copper wiring
A method of forming a copper wiring buried in a recess portion of a predetermined pattern formed in an interlayer insulation layer of a substrate is disclosed. The method includes: forming a manganese oxide film at least on a surface of the recess portion, the manganese oxide film serving as a self-aligned barrier film through reaction with the interlayer insulation layer; performing hydrogen radical treatment with respect to a surface of the manganese oxide film; placing a metal more active than ruthenium on the surface of the manganese oxide film after the hydrogen radical treatment; forming a ruthenium film on the surface where the metal more active than ruthenium is present; and forming a copper film on the ruthenium film by physical vapor deposition (PVD) to bury the copper film in the recess portion.
US09362164B2 Hybrid interconnect scheme and methods for forming the same
A device includes a first low-k dielectric layer, and a copper-containing via in the first low-k dielectric layer. The device further includes a second low-k dielectric layer over the first low-k dielectric layer, and an aluminum-containing metal line over and electrically coupled to the copper-containing via. The aluminum-containing metal line is in the second low-k dielectric layer.
US09362163B2 Methods and apparatuses for atomic layer cleaning of contacts and vias
Described are cleaning methods for removing contaminants from an electrical contact interface of a partially fabricated semiconductor substrate. The methods may include introducing a halogen-containing species into a processing chamber, and forming an adsorption-limited layer, which includes halogen from the halogen-containing species, atop the electrical contact interface and/or the contaminants thereon. The methods may further include thereafter removing un-adsorbed halogen-containing species from the processing chamber and activating a reaction between the halogen of the adsorption-limited layer and the contaminants present on the electrical contact interface. The reaction may then result in the removal of at least a portion of the contaminants from the electrical contact interface. In some embodiments, the halogen adsorbed onto the surface and reacted may be fluorine. Also described herein are apparatuses having controllers for implementing such electrical contact interface cleaning techniques.
US09362161B2 Semiconductor device and method of forming 3D dual side die embedded build-up semiconductor package
A semiconductor device has a plurality of semiconductor die. A substrate is provided with bumps disposed over the substrate. A first prefabricated insulating film is disposed between the semiconductor die and substrate. An interconnect structure is formed over the semiconductor die and first prefabricated insulating film. The bumps include a copper core encapsulated within copper plating. The first prefabricated insulating film includes glass cloth, glass fiber, or glass fillers. The substrate includes a conductive layer formed in the substrate and coupled to the bumps. The semiconductor die is disposed between the bumps of the substrate. The bumps and the semiconductor die are embedded within the first prefabricated insulating film. A portion of the first prefabricated insulating film is removed to expose the bumps. The bumps electrically connect the substrate to the interconnect structure.
US09362146B2 Washing device
A washing device is disclosed, which is capable of preventing damage of a substrate caused by drooping of the substrate. The washing device includes a plasma irradiating part supplied with a substrate from a substrate loading part to remove dirt from the substrate by irradiating plasma to the substrate; a dirt washing part supplied from the substrate from the plasma irradiating part to remove dirt remaining on the substrate; a finishing washing part supplied with the substrate from the dirt washing part to wash the substrate; a drying part supplied with the substrate from the finishing washing part to dry the substrate; and a substrate unloading part supplied with the substrate from the drying part to unload the substrate, wherein the plasma irradiating part includes a plasma irradiation unit that irradiates plasma to the substrate and a floating unit that maintains the substrate in a floating state.
US09362145B2 Semiconductor apparatus and method for producing the same
A method for producing a semiconductor apparatus with a mold including an upper mold half and a lower mold half, includes: an arranging step of arranging on one of the upper mold half and the lower mold half of the mold a substrate on which a semiconductor device is mounted, the mold being kept at a room temperature or heated to a temperature up to 200° C., and arranging on the other of the upper mold half and the lower mold half a substrate on which no semiconductor device is mounted; an integrating step of integrating the substrate on which the semiconductor device is mounted and the substrate on which no semiconductor device is mounted by molding a thermosetting resin with the mold on which the substrates are arranged; and a step of dicing the integrated substrates taken out of the mold to obtain an individualized semiconductor apparatus.
US09362132B2 Systems and methods for a sequential spacer scheme
The present disclosure describes methods for transferring a desired layout into a target layer. The method includes a step of forming a spacer, having a second width, around a first and a second desired layout feature pattern of the desired layout over a semiconductor substrate. The first desired layout feature pattern is formed using a first sub-layout and the second desired layout feature pattern is formed using a second sub-layout. The first and second desired layout feature patterns are separated by a first width. The method further includes forming a third desired layout feature pattern according to a third sub-layout. The third desired layout feature pattern is shaped in part by the spacer. The method further includes removing the spacer from around the first and second desired layout feature pattern and etching the target layer using the first, second, and third layout feature patterns as masking features.
US09362129B2 Polishing apparatus and polishing method
A polishing apparatus is used for polishing a surface of a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer to planarize the surface of the substrate. The polishing apparatus includes a polishing table having a polishing surface, and a top ring configured to hold a substrate with an outer circumferential edge of the substrate surrounded by a retainer ring and to press the substrate against the polishing surface. The top ring is movable between a polishing position above the polishing table, a position laterally of the polishing table, and a cleaning position. The polishing apparatus includes a cleaning unit disposed in the cleaning position and configured to eject a cleaning liquid toward the lower surface of the top ring, which is being rotated, thereby cleaning the substrate held by the top ring together with the lower surface of the top ring.
US09362127B2 Method for processing a workpiece by forming a pourous metal layer
A method for processing a workpiece may include: providing a workpiece including a first region and a second region; forming a porous metal layer over the first region and the second region; wherein the first region and the second region are configured such that an adhesive force between the second region and the porous metal layer is lower than an adhesive force between the first region and the porous metal layer.
US09362124B2 Method of patterning a metal gate of semiconductor device
Provided are methods of patterning metal gate structures including a high-k gate dielectric. In an embodiment, a soluble hard mask layer may be used to provide a masking element to pattern a metal gate. The soluble hard mask layer may be removed from the substrate by water or a photoresist developer. In an embodiment, a hard mask including a high-k dielectric is formed. In a further embodiment, a protection layer is formed underlying a photoresist pattern. The protection layer may protect one or more layers formed on the substrate from a photoresist stripping process.
US09362123B2 Structure and method for integrated devices on different substartes with interfacial engineering
The present disclosure provides one embodiment of a semiconductor structure. The semiconductor structure includes a semiconductor substrate having a first semiconductor material and a first reactivity; and a low reactivity capping layer of disposed on the semiconductor substrate, wherein the low reactivity capping layer includes a second semiconductor material and a second reactivity less than the first reactivity, the low reactivity capping layer includes silicon germanium Si1-xGex and x is less than about 30%.
US09362122B2 Process for contact doping
Provided is a process for modifying the chemical composition of a surface region of a material, employing rapid thermal processing (RTP) conditions.
US09362109B2 Deposition of boron and carbon containing materials
Methods of depositing boron and carbon containing films are provided. In some embodiments, methods of depositing B,C films with desirable properties, such as conformality and etch rate, are provided. One or more boron and/or carbon containing precursors can be decomposed on a substrate at a temperature of less than about 400° C. In some embodiments methods of depositing silicon nitride films comprising B and C are provided. A silicon nitride film can be deposited by a deposition process including an ALD cycle that forms SiN and a CVD cycle that contributes B and C to the growing film.
US09362092B2 Gas dispersion disc assembly
An apparatus includes a gas dispersal plate and an adapter structure. The gas dispersal plate has a plurality of gas dispersion orifices, wherein one or more of the gas dispersion orifices have a first portion with a first cross-section configured to allow entry of gas and a second portion having a second cross-section configured to allow exit of gas, the first cross-section being smaller than the second cross-section.
US09362090B2 Plasma processing apparatus, plasma processing method, and storage medium
A plasma processing apparatus that enables polymer to be removed from an electrically insulated electrode. A susceptor of the plasma processing apparatus is disposed in a substrate processing chamber having a processing space therein. A radio frequency power source is connected to the susceptor. An upper electrode plate is electrically insulated from a wall of the substrate processing chamber and from the susceptor. A DC power source is connected to the upper electrode plate. A controller of the plasma processing apparatus determines a value of a negative DC voltage to be applied to the upper electrode plate in accordance with processing conditions for RIE processing to be carried out.
US09362084B2 Electro-optical element for multiple beam alignment
The invention relates to a charged particle system for processing a target surface with at least one charged particle beam. The system comprises an optical column with a beam generator module for generating a plurality of charged particle beams, a beam modulator module for switching on and off said plurality of beams and a beam projector module for projecting beams or subbeams on said target surface. The system further comprises a frame supporting each of said modules in a fixed position and alignment elements for aligning at least one of beams and/or subbeams with a downstream module element.
US09362077B2 Electrical device with miswire protection and automated testing
The present invention is directed to an electrical wiring device that includes a plurality of line terminals, a plurality of feed-through load terminals, and at least one set of receptacle load terminals. A circuit interrupter assembly includes a plurality of movable interconnection members. Each movable interconnection member includes a first interconnecting contact disposed on a first side thereof and a second interconnecting contact disposed on a second side thereof. The first interconnecting contact and the second interconnecting contact are offset from one another in a direction substantially orthogonal to a direction of movement. The movable interconnection members are movable in the direction of movement between a reset position wherein the line terminals, the feed-through load terminals and the receptacle load terminals are electrically connected, and a tripped position wherein the the various terminals are electrically disconnected.
US09362076B2 Trip device of molded case circuit breaker using a stair type hanger
Disclosed is a trip device of a molded case circuit breaker. The trip device includes a shooter configured to include a body and a rotating shaft which passes through the body, a double torsion spring coupled to both sides of the rotating shaft and configured to provide an elastic restoring force to enable the shooter to rotate, and a crossbar configured to include a hanger that contacts the hanging plate and limits a movement of the shooter. A hanging plate is provided at a lower portion of the body, and a hitting plate is provided at an upper portion of the body.
US09362065B2 Molded case circuit breaker
Disclosed is a molded case circuit breaker. The molded case circuit breaker includes a case; an interrupter assembly installed in the case, and provided with an arc gas outlet for discharging arc gas generated from inside of the interrupter assembly to outside; an exhaustion guiding portion disposed between the interrupter assembly and the terminal portion, and provided with a discharge chamber therein, to thus provide an arc gas passage between the arc gas outlet and a vent chute of the terminal portion; and an exhaustion cover mounted to the case with a structure to cover the exhaustion guiding portion, to thus block the arc gas passage.
US09362064B2 Electrical switching apparatus and opening assembly having an engagement lug
An opening assembly is provided for an electrical switching apparatus having a housing, separable contacts enclosed by the housing, and an operating mechanism for opening and closing the separable contacts. The operating mechanism includes a poleshaft. The opening assembly includes a spring link comprising a first portion structured to be pivotably coupled to the poleshaft, and a second portion disposed generally opposite of the first portion. A number of opening springs each include a stationary end coupled to the housing, and a movable end coupled to the second portion of the spring link. The spring link is movable between an open position, wherein the opening springs bias the spring link and poleshaft to maintain full separation of the separable contacts, and a closed position, wherein the opening springs either do not bias the poleshaft or bias the poleshaft with a low level of torque.
US09362063B2 Bus plug lockout devices and related apparatus and methods
An apparatus for locking out an elevated bus plug includes an elongated member, a lockout device at a distal end portion of the elongated member and an actuator at a proximal end portion of the elongated member. The lockout device includes a housing, a channel in the housing that is sized and configured to receive a handle of the bus plug and a handle engagement mechanism connected to the housing. The handle engagement mechanism is configured to engage a handle of the bus plug that has been received in the channel responsive to actuation of the actuator.
US09362051B2 Self-protected low-voltage capacitor
The capacitor (2) according to the invention comprises: an enclosure (4); an insulating material (6) contained in the enclosure (4); a capacitive device (8) comprising two conductive layers and at least one dielectric layer formed from a dielectric material and inserted between the two conductive layers; and a protection device (12) comprising a mechanism (40) for disconnecting the capacitive device (8) in case of overpressure in the enclosure (4); and characterized in that it further comprises, inside the enclosure (4), a degassing material (58) capable of releasing gas at a degassing temperature (Tgaz) below the decomposition temperature of the dielectric material to generate an overpressure in the enclosure (4).
US09362048B2 Contactless power feed equipment
At the start of power supply from a power supply device to an induction line, the oscillation frequency of an inverter of the power supply device is set at a predetermined frequency shifted from the resonance frequency of a resonant circuit. After a predetermined time, the frequency is changed from the predetermined frequency to the resonance frequency. Thus, at the start of power supply, only small power is obtained by the resonant circuits in all transport carriages from the induction line in a full-load condition. Thus, total power is suppressed within power that can be supplied by the power supply device, avoiding an overloaded condition of the power supply device.
US09362045B2 System having primary conductor and movable component for inductive movement along primary conductor
A system having vehicles, each including a secondary coil for the inductive supply of the vehicle from a primary conductor system, wherein the secondary coil includes a coil core, which has at least one main limb, the secondary coil being made up of a first and a second coil, each composed of windings which enclose the main limb in each case, the first coil arranged such that the windings are connected in series, and the induction voltage arising at the coil corresponds to the sum of the individual voltages induced at all windings when the magnetic flux enclosed by an individual winding in the main limb always has the same direction, especially in each winding of the first coil, the second coil arranged such that the second coil is made up of a first type of windings, i.e., a first partial coil, and of a second type of windings.
US09362035B2 NdFeB system sintered magnet
A NdFeB system sintered magnet according to the present invention is a NdFeB system sintered magnet having a base material produced by orienting powder of a NdFeB system alloy and sintering the powder, with Dy and/or Tb (the “Dy and/or Tb” is hereinafter called RH) attached to and diffused from a surface of the base material through the grain boundary inside the base material by a grain boundary diffusion treatment, wherein the number of grain-boundary triple points at which the difference Ct−Cw between the RH content Ct (wt %) at the grain-boundary triple point and the RH content Cw (wt %) at a two-grain boundary portion leading to that grain-boundary triple point is equal to or smaller than 4 wt % is equal to or larger than 60% of the total number of grain-boundary triple points.
US09362034B2 Method of preparing core-shell structured nanoparticle having hard-soft magnetic heterostructure
The present invention relates to a core-shell structured nanoparticle having hard-soft heterostructure, magnet prepared from the nanoparticle, and preparing method thereof. The core-shell structured nanoparticle having hard-soft magnetic heterostructure of present invention has some merits such as independence from resource supply problem of rare earth elements and low price and can overcome physical and magnetic limitations possessed by the conventional ferrite mono-phased material.
US09362033B2 Magnetic material, method for producing magnetic material, and inductor element
A magnetic material is disclosed, which includes magnetic particles containing at least one magnetic metal selected from the group including Fe, Co and Ni, and at least one non-magnetic metal selected from Mg, Al, Si, Ca, Zr, Ti, Hf, Zn, Mn, rare earth elements, Ba and Sr; a first coating layer of a first oxide that covers at least a portion of the magnetic particles; oxide particles of a second oxide that is present between the magnetic particles and constitutes an eutectic reaction system with the first oxide; and an oxide phase that is present between the magnetic particles and has an eutectic structure of the first oxide and the second oxide.
US09362031B2 Semiconductor ceramic composition and PTC thermistor
A semiconductor ceramic composition which includes a compound represented by the following formula (1) as a main component, (Ba1-x-y-wBixAyREw)m(Ti1-zTMz)O3 (1) (wherein, A is at least one element selected from Na or K, RE is at least one element selected from the group consisting of Y, La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Gd, Dy and Er, TM is at least one element selected from the group consisting of V, Nb and Ta, w, x, y, z and m satisfy the following relationships of (2)˜(5), 0.007≦x≦0.125 (2), x
US09362022B2 Composite electric cable and process for producing same
A composite electric cable including a plurality of element wires twisted together. The element wires include a material wire formed of a composite material containing an aluminum material and carbon nanotubes dispersed in the aluminum material; the material wire has a cellulation structure including a wall portion containing the carbon nanotubes and an inside portion of the wall which is surrounded by the wall portion and which comprises the aluminum material and unavoidable impurities; the material wire has a ratio of carbon nanotube content to aluminum material content of 0.2 wt. % to 5 wt. %; and each of all the element wires forming the composite electric cable is the material wire, or the composite electric cable includes in a center portion thereof one or a plurality of steel wires.
US09362020B2 Method of manufacturing a dry type electrical insulation
A method of making a dry type insulation is provided. The method includes combining a base fiber having a first outer surface with a binder material wherein the base fiber has a first melting point and the binder material has a second melting point which is different from the first melting point, heating the base fiber and binder material to a temperature above the second melting point, but below the first melting point using a double-belt press to form a resultant dry type insulation, compressing the base fiber and binder material using the double-belt press to form the resultant dry type insulation and cooling the resultant dry type insulation using the double-belt press.
US09362013B2 Tilting collimator, in particular for single-photon emission computed tomography
A tilting collimator (4), in particular usable in the single photon emission computed tomography imaging technique, comprises: a plurality of side-by-side tubular structures (5), apt to form a matrix of tubular structures (5) on a two-dimensional space, each tubular structure (5) comprising at least a through hole; each tubular structure (5) being in contact with the tubular structures (5) adjacent thereto so as to be able to tilt only in presence of an equal tilting in the adjacent tubular structures (5); and retaining means, acting on the outer edges of said matrix, apt to move horizontally to determine the simultaneous tilting of all tubular structures (5) of the matrix, allowing a three-dimensional scanning of a gamma source by tilting progressively the single tubular structures (5) with great precision and in an extremely quick way.
US09362012B2 Packaging of radioactive waste by cementing
Using crystalline silica, mixed with cement powder, to reduce the heating of the cement paste caused by the hydration of said powder, during a process of packaging of radioactive waste, a formulation for the packaging of radioactive waste by cementing, which comprises such silica, a method for packaging radioactive waste implementing this formulation, and a package for packaging of radioactive waste which is obtained by this method.
US09362010B2 Passive reactivity control apparatus
In response to a change in a thermal operational parameter in a nuclear fission reactor, reactivity is controlled by driving a neutron absorption parameter modifying material to or from a region of the core of the nuclear fission reactor. The apparatus includes a driver material disposed in a first reservoir portion and a second reservoir portion of a first reservoir and connected by a first conduit. A high-Z material may be distributed in the driver material. The neutron absorption parameter modifying material is disposed in both a second reservoir and the second reservoir portion of the first reservoir. A portion of the neutron absorption parameter modifying material is in physical contact with a portion of the driver material in the second reservoir portion. The neutron absorption parameter modifying material is driveable by the driver material between the second reservoir portion and the second reservoir through a second conduit.
US09362003B2 System and method to decode data subject to a disturb condition
A method includes initiating a first decode operation of data at an error correction code (ECC) hard bit decoder in a data storage device that includes a controller and a memory. The method further includes, in response to the first decode operation indicating that the data is uncorrectable by the first decode operation, identifying one or more bits of the data that correspond to a disturb condition test pattern, changing a value of the one or more identified bits of the data to generate modified data, and initiating a second decode operation at the ECC hard bit decoder using the modified data.
US09361998B2 Semiconductor memory device and data writing method of the same
A semiconductor memory device includes memory cells which are laminated on a semiconductor substrate and include charge storage layers and control gates, a plurality of word lines each of which is commonly connected to the control gates of a plurality of the memory cells, and a control unit which performs programming and verification of data in units of a page of memory cells. The control unit consecutively performs programming of data in two or more pages of memory cells connected to the same word line, and then consecutively performs verification of the data programmed in the two or more pages of memory cells connected to the same word line.
US09361996B2 Inferring threshold voltage distributions associated with memory cells via interpolation
Apparatuses and methods for inferring threshold voltage distributions associated with memory cells via interpolation are described herein. An example includes determining soft data for a group of memory cells each programmed to one of a number of data states, wherein the soft data comprises a number of different soft data values, determining a quantity of memory cells associated with each of the different soft data values, and inferring at least a portion of a threshold voltage distribution associated with the group of memory cells via an interpolation process using the determined quantities of memory cells associated with each of the different soft data values.
US09361984B2 Flash-based memory system with robust backup and restart features and removable modules
A Flash-based memory system comprises a plurality of Flash memory devices, a Flash controller communicating independently with each Flash memory device to perform memory operations, a power circuit providing power the Flash memory devices, and a CPU configured to perform a controlled powering down procedure upon detecting a power failure. In some embodiments, the Flash-based memory system includes a backup power source having a charge storage device and charging circuitry, the CPU configured to perform one or more test procedures on the charge storage device to provide an indication of a charge storage capacity of the charge storage device. A plurality of Flash-based memory systems may be mounted on a Flash-based memory card, and multiple such Flash-based memory cards may be combined into a Flash-based memory module. A number of Flash-based memory modules may then be removably mounted in a rack-mountable housing to form unitary Flash-based memory unit.
US09361972B1 Charge level maintenance in a memory
In one embodiment, a memory such as a dynamic random access memory employs charge boosting to bitcells prior to sensing charge levels in the storage nodes of the bitcells. It is believed that such an arrangement may be employed to improve bitcell read-out voltages, reduce refresh power consumption, improve restore voltage levels or other features, depending upon the particular application. Other aspects are described herein.
US09361970B2 Configuration for power reduction in DRAM
Disclosed embodiments may include an apparatus having a segment wordline enable coupled to logic to selectively disable ones of a number of segment wordline drivers. The logic may partition a page of the apparatus to reduce power consumed through activation of the disabled ones of the number of segment wordlines. Other embodiments may be disclosed.
US09361969B2 Semiconductor device and method for driving the same
A semiconductor device includes a periodic signal generating circuit for generating a periodic signal having a set period regardless of changes in temperature in response to a first trimming signal as a default value and controlling the set period of the periodic signal based on the temperature in response to a second trimming signal, and an internal circuit to perform a set operation in response to the periodic signal.
US09361967B2 Semiconductor memory device
A semiconductor memory device includes a memory cell array configured to include a plurality of word lines, a dock enable buffer configured to receive a clock enable signal, a plurality of command buffers configured to receive a plurality of commands, a refresh control unit configured to sequentially activate the plurality of word lines in a self-refresh mode, a command decoder configured to decode the clock enable signal and the plurality of commands, and to allow the refresh control unit to enter the self-refresh mode or exit from the self-refresh mode, and a buffer control unit configured to disable the plurality of command buffers when the clock enable signal is deactivated, and to enable the plurality of command buffers when the refresh control unit exits from the self-refresh mode.
US09361965B2 Circuit and method for imprint reduction in FRAM memories
A method of operating a memory circuit (FIGS. 8A and 8B) is disclosed. The method includes writing true data (01) to a plurality of bits (B0, B1). A first data state (0) is written to a signal bit (Bi) indicating the true data. The true data is read and complementary data (10) is written to the plurality of bits. A second data state (1) is written to the signal bit indicating the complementary data.
US09361959B2 Low power double pumped multi-port register file architecture
Embodiments that may allow for selectively tuning a delay of individual write paths within a memory are disclosed. The memory may comprise a memory array, a first data latch, a second data latch, and circuitry. The first and second data latches may be configured to each sample a respective data value, responsive to detecting a first edge of a first clock signal. The circuitry may be configured to detect the first edge of the first clock signal, and select an output of the first data latch responsive to detecting the first edge of the first clock signal. The circuitry may detect a subsequent opposite edge of the first clock signal, and select an output of the second data latch responsive to sampling the opposite edge of the first clock signal.
US09361956B2 Performing logical operations in a memory
The described embodiments include a memory with a memory array and logic circuits. In these embodiments, logical operations are performed on data from the memory array by reading the data from the memory array, performing a logical operation on the data in the logic circuits, and writing the data back to the memory array. In these embodiments, the logic circuit is located in the memory so that the data read from the memory array need not be sent to another circuit (e.g., a processor coupled to the memory, etc.) to have the logical operation performed.
US09361955B2 Memory access methods and apparatus
An example apparatus includes a row address register to store a row address corresponding to a row in a memory array. The example apparatus also includes a row decoder coupled to the row address register to assert a signal on a wordline of the row after the memory receives a column address. In addition, the example apparatus includes a column decoder to selectively activate a portion of the row based on the column address and the signal asserted on the wordline.
US09361945B2 Retaining clip for use with a mass storage device
A retaining clip to be used with a storage device in a host computer system, wherein the retaining clip is configured to secure an interposer serving as electrical and logic state interface between the device and the structure of the host system. The retaining clip engages with the device through a peg inserted into a mounting hole for the device and secures the interposer by holding it against the device's data or power connector by a tab extending over the interposer and exerting pressure against it towards the device. Additional fins extending from the body of the clip in substantially opposite direction from the tab secure the tab against the enclosure of the host computer system.
US09361940B2 Recording of multiple television channels
In various embodiments, a selection of a television program to record may be received by a television receiver. The television program may be broadcast on a first television channel and as part of a first transponder stream. A plurality of television channels that are transmitted as part of the first transponder stream may be determined. A user interface may be presented that permits a user to select from the plurality of television channels transmitted on the first transponder stream. A selection of a second television channel from the plurality of television channels may be received. In response to the selection of the first television program to record and the selection of the second television channel from the plurality of television channels, record the first television channel and the second television channel via a single tuner.
US09361938B1 Disk defect management for a data storage device
A Data Storage Device (DSD) includes at least one disk surface for storing data and a memory for storing a bitmap buffer. A segment of a disk surface is identified that includes at least one defect region, and a segment bitmap is generated for the segment indicating the at least one defect region within the segment. The segment bitmap is stored in the bitmap buffer.
US09361935B2 Content publishing system, publishing method for a content publishing system, and publishing terminal
A content publishing system, a publishing method for a content publishing system, and a publishing terminal provide a service that is particularly convenient for the customer. A content publishing system SY having a plurality of publishing terminals 204 that record and publish content information containing content on recording media has an order content input unit 610 enabling customers to input order content, a publishing terminal extraction unit 420 that extracts from among the plural publishing terminals 204 one or more publishing terminals 204 that can process the order content based on the order content, a calculation unit 550 that calculates the required time denoting the time required to publish the order content according to the order content for the extracted one or more publishing terminals 204, a display unit 620 that displays the calculated required times of the one or more publishing terminals 204, and an order terminal selection unit 630 for specifying the publishing terminal 204 to process the order from among the one or more publishing terminals 204 displayed. The content publishing system, a publishing method for a content publishing system, and a publishing terminal record content using the specified publishing terminal 204.
US09361934B2 Vehicle-mounted electronic device
The present invention has an object to improve usability of a vehicle-mounted electronic device. The vehicle-mounted electronic device is configured to execute, when unauthorized content is detected by an unauthorized content detecting unit, an audio reproduction restriction on a display device, and when a volume change operation is executed during the audio reproduction restriction, to cause the display device to display a message indicating that the volume change operation has been executed during the audio reproduction restriction. More specifically, the displayed message indicates that the audio reproduction restriction associated with the unauthorized content reproduction is executed and the volume change operation is also executed during the execution. Therefore, the volume can be changed when next content is reproduced, resulting in preventing unexpected high-volume audio from being outputted and thus improving usability.
US09361931B2 Library apparatus with a locking and releasing shutter mechanism
A library apparatus includes a shutter mechanism including a slide-type shutter configured to open and close the opening and an urging member configured to urge the shutter in a closing direction, and a first locking mechanism configured such that when the running body is stopped at a passing and receiving position of the cartridge, the first locking mechanism permits the shutter in a fully closed state to slide in an opening direction and enables a fully open state of the shutter to be maintained, whereas when the running body is not stopped at the passing and receiving position of the cartridge, the first locking mechanism releases the maintenance of the fully open state of the shutter and prohibits the shutter in the fully closed state from sliding in the opening direction.
US09361929B2 Debris reducing disk clamp for disk drives
A disk clamp for clamping a plurality of disks within a disk drive has a single fastening hole located at its symmetrical center sized to pass the shaft of a screw having a head diameter larger than the fastening hole. The screw fastens the disk clamp to a motor hub supporting the plurality of disks. The disk clamp has a moat around the fastening hole, at a maximum diameter that is smaller than the head diameter of the head on the fastening screw. The moat may be circular, have spike trenches angled toward the fastening hole, or be spiral. The diameter of the spiral moat decreases in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction toward the fastening hole. The midsection of the disk which the screw head covers is biased at a negative angle toward the fastening hole forcing particles generated during assembly toward the fastening hole of the disk clamp.
US09361915B1 Method for making a disk drive head suspension component having a microstructured surface region
A method for making a disk drive head suspension component having a microstructured surface region includes depositing a layer of photoimageable polymer having an associated set of process parameters including a minimum resolution and exposing the photoimageable polymer through a photomask having a microstructure-producing region with features below the minimum resolution for the photoimageable polymer. The exposed photoimageable polymer is developed to produce a layer of polymer having a thickness and a microstructured surface region with depressions that are less than the thickness of the polymer.
US09361913B1 Recording read heads with a multi-layer AFM layer methods and apparatuses
Apparatuses and methods of recording read heads with a multi-layer anti-ferromagnetic (AFM) layer are provided. The AFM layer has gradient Manganese (Mn) compositions. A multi-layer AFM layer comprises a plurality of sub-layers having different Mn compositions. An upper sub-layer has a higher Mn composition than an lower sub-layer. Different types of gases may be used to deposit each sub-layer and the flow of each gas may be adjusted.
US09361903B2 Preserving privacy of a conversation from surrounding environment using a counter signal
Various embodiments provide an ability to analyze an audio input signal and generate a counter audio signal based, at least in part, on the audio input signal. In some cases, combining the audio input signal with the counter audio signal renders the audio input signal incoherent and/or unintelligible to accidental listeners and/or listeners to whom the audio input signal is not directed towards. Alternately or additionally, the counter signal can mask the audio input signal to the accidental listeners.
US09361901B2 Integrated speech intelligibility enhancement system and acoustic echo canceller
A system and method is described that improves the intelligibility of a far-end telephone speech signal to a user of a telephony device in the presence of near-end background noise. As described herein, the system and method improves the intelligibility of the far-end telephone speech signal in a manner that does not require user input and that minimizes the distortion of the far-end telephone speech signal. The system is integrated with an acoustic echo canceller and shares information therewith.
US09361889B2 Landmark based positioning with verbal input
Disclosed are systems, apparatus, devices, methods, computer program products, and other implementations, including a method that includes determining at a mobile device whether verbal input from a user is required to determine position of location of the user. The method also includes, in response to a determination that the verbal input from the user is required to determine the position of the location of the user, obtaining at the mobile device verbal description data representative of one or more geographic features viewable by the user from the location of the user, identifying at the mobile device the one or more of the geographic features from the obtained verbal description data, and determining, at the mobile device, positioning information for the location of the user based, at least in part, on the one or more geographic features identified from the verbal description data.
US09361884B2 Communicating context across different components of multi-modal dialog applications
A human-machine dialog system is described which has multiple computer-implemented dialog components. A user client delivers output prompts to a human user and receives dialog inputs including speech inputs from the human user. An automatic speech recognition (ASR) engine processes the speech inputs to determine corresponding sequences of representative text words. A natural language understanding (NLU) engine processes the text words to determine corresponding semantic interpretations. A dialog manager (DM) generates the output prompts and responds to the semantic interpretations so as to manage a dialog process with the human user. The dialog components share context information with each other using a common context sharing mechanism such that the operation of each dialog component reflects available context information.
US09361883B2 Dictation with incremental recognition of speech
A dictation module is described herein which receives and interprets a complete utterance of the user in incremental fashion, that is, one incremental portion at a time. The dictation module also provides rendered text in incremental fashion. The rendered text corresponds to the dictation module's interpretation of each incremental portion. The dictation module also allows the user to modify any part of the rendered text, as it becomes available. In one case, for instance, the dictation module provides a marking menu which includes multiple options by which a user can modify a selected part of the rendered text. The dictation module also uses the rendered text (as modified or unmodified by the user using the marking menu) to adjust one or more models used by the dictation model to interpret the user's utterance.
US09361877B2 Ultrasonic communication system for communication through RF-impervious enclosures and abutted structures
An ultrasonic communication system comprising an enclosure, a first module and a second module is described. The enclosure has an internal surface, an external surface, and defines at least one metal channel. The first module comprises an ultrasonic transceiver disposed within the enclosure. The first module is positioned on the internal surface of the enclosure and is capable of transmitting and/or receiving modulated ultrasonic waves via the metal channel. The second module is positioned on the external surface of the enclosure and is adapted to transmit and/or receive modulated ultrasonic waves from the first module via the metal channel.
US09361869B2 Generative scheduling method
A method for providing one or more outputs at one or more respective time instants is provided. The method comprises generating a data object executable to provide an output, placing the object in a position in a sequence, and executing the object at said position in said sequence to provide said output. Each position in the sequence represents a time instant.
US09361864B2 Flatpick device
Methods, systems, and apparatus for a flatpick device is in the present application. The flatpick device includes a front face and a back face, the flatpick includes first and second bores through the flatpick extending from the front face to the back face. Also included is a band with a first distal end and a second distal end, the first distal end extending from the front face to the back face through a first bore and the second distal end extending from the front fact to the back face though the second bore.
US09361858B2 Position information providing device, position information providing method, position information providing system, and program
A position information providing device includes a display control portion which controls, based on sound position information showing sound data transmission positions, the display of a map display screen where icons showing the sound data transmission positions are superimposed on a map.
US09361847B2 Display device and driving method thereof
A display device with a signal controller is disclosed. The display device includes a display panel, a scan driver, a data driver, a touch screen including a touch controller, a graphics controller and a signal controller. The signal controller generates a multiple control signal for controlling the timing of recording of an image signal and the timing of driving of the touch screen panel. The signal controller transmits the multiple control signal to the graphics controller and the touch controller.
US09361844B2 Double sided single drive gate driver with reduced dark spots
A gate driver includes a plurality of shift registers and a plurality of cutting units. Each of the shift registers is configured for outputting a shift register signal according to a clock signal of the each of the shift register sequentially. Each of the shift register signals has a working period and the two working periods of the two adjacent shift register signals overlap each other. Each of the cutting units is coupled to a respective one of the shift registers. The cutting unit corresponding to the Nth shift register is configured for cutting a part of the working period from the shift register signal of the Nth shift register to generate a gate driving signal according to the clock signal of the (N−1)th or (N+1)th shift register, such that working periods of the gate driving signals are staggered. N is a positive integer larger than two.
US09361827B2 Organic light emitting diode pixel compensation circuit, display panel and display device
An organic light emitting diode pixel compensation circuit is disclosed. The compensation circuit compensates threshold voltage of a TFT and supply voltage in a pixel circuit to address non-uniform in a display. In the circuit, a first transistor transmits a data signal to a first capacitor based on a scan signal; a second transistor transmits a reference signal to the first capacitor based on a first light emission signal; a third transistor connects a gate of a drive transistor with a drain of the drive transistor based on the scan signal to read the difference between supply voltage and threshold voltage of the drive transistor and to transmit the difference to the first capacitor and a second capacitor; and the drive transistor generates the drive current based on the supply voltage and the voltage on the first capacitor to drive an organic light emitting diode emit light.
US09361825B2 Method of detecting data bit depth and interface device for display device using the same
A method of detecting a data bit depth and an interface device for a display device using the same are disclosed. The method includes confirming a physical connection between a transmitting terminal and a receiving terminal and then transmitting a clock data recovery (CDR) training pattern signal from the transmitting terminal to the receiving terminal, outputting clocks from a CDR circuit of the receiving terminal using the CDR training pattern signal, receiving an alignment training pattern signal subsequent to the CDR training pattern signal from the transmitting terminal to the receiving terminal, and counting bits of pixel data included in the alignment training pattern signal or the clocks and determining a data bit depth of input data based on a count result, in the interface receiving terminal.
US09361824B2 Graphics display systems and methods
A graphics display system is provided with a graphics processing module and a display module. The graphics processing module detects whether first frame data is equal to second frame data subsequent to the first frame data, and in response to the first frame data being equal to the second frame data, stops outputting any frame data after outputting the second frame data and a mode switching command. The display module displays graphic images according to the first frame data, and stores the second frame data as temporary data and continuingly displays the graphic images according to the temporary data in response to the mode switching command.
US09361823B2 Display device
In a display device (110) provided with pixel circuits including organic EL elements, a display control circuit (1) calculates a voltage drop amount VRI of a power line due to display for each frame on the basis of an integrated value for display data, and a tone voltage generation circuit (9) adjusts reference voltages for a tone voltage on the basis of the integrated value in order to compensate for the voltage drop amount VRI. As a result, it is possible to compensate for the voltage drop of the power line with accuracy without increasing power consumption and the wiring in the pixel circuits.
US09361820B2 Apparatus and method for inspecting short circuit defects
A method of inspecting a short circuit defect between first wires extending in a first direction and a second direction intersecting the first direction and second wires extending in the first or second direction, the method including inspecting a short circuit defect between the first and second wires by using a potential difference monitored only in the second wires.
US09361806B2 Comprehension normalization
The Comprehension Normalization Method of the present disclosure exploits the differences in the meanings of words or ideas between Big Data sets to build insight. When the comprehension normalization method is performed between two big data sets, both data sets take turns rephrasing the material of the other data set in their own language of understanding. The act of rephrasing a foreign idea connects the data within the set doing the rephrasing in a way it had not been connected before. After two sets take turns rephrasing the data within, both sets will become more connected than ever before and more insightful to the researcher.
US09361803B2 Parking assistance apparatus and parking assistance method for vehicle
Disclosed are a parking assistance apparatus and a parking assistance method for a vehicle. The parking assistance apparatus for a vehicle according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention may include: a parking line detecting unit which detects a left parking line and a right parking line of a parking space based on an image; an obstacle sensing unit which detects an obstacle existing within a predetermined distance based on a sensor; and a route creating unit which combines information about positions of the left parking line, the right parking line, and the obstacle, and creates a parking route.
US09361802B2 Vehicle ad hoc network (VANET)
Mesh node modules are associated with vehicles and companion nodes can dynamically form a mesh network which uploads location information of the nodes and in some cases additional information, e.g., road condition or proximity to objects.
US09361799B2 Detecting traffic
Devices and methods for detecting traffic objects. Radiated energy is captured at a detection device, wherein the radiated energy is radiated from traffic objects. Data associated with the radiated energy is generated. The data associated with the radiated energy is transmitted using a communication device.
US09361796B2 System and method for monitoring people and/or vehicles in urban environments
System which comprises a plurality of devices for acquiring (1) identifiers of transmitter devices (2) by means of radio frequency in the 2.4 GHz band, these acquisition devices (1) being connected to a central management computer (3) for sending the captured identifiers of the transmitter devices (2) in form of tags (32) in order to include the latter in a database (31). The method comprises the stages of: —acquiring the identifier of the transmitter devices (2) at particular points; —extracting the exclusive part; —encrypting said exclusive part in a tag (32); —sending the tag (32), acquisition point and time (33) to a database (31) of a central computer (3); —comparing the tag (32) and time (33) with the previously stored data in the database (31).
US09361790B2 Remote control for a wireless load control system
A remote control for a wireless load control system, the remote control comprising: a housing having a front surface and an outer periphery defined by a length and a width; an actuator provided at the front surface of the housing; a wireless transmitter contained within the housing; and a controller contained within the housing and coupled to the wireless transmitter for causing transmission of a wireless signal in response to an actuation of the actuator, the wireless transmitter and the controller adapted to be powered by a battery contained within the housing; wherein the length and the width of the housing are slightly smaller than a length and a width of a standard opening of a faceplate, respectively, such that the outer periphery of the housing is adapted to be received within the standard opening of the faceplate when the housing and the faceplate are mounted to a vertical surface.
US09361789B2 Remote control system
The present invention pertains to a remote control system, the objective being to improve operability. A main body communication control unit 13 of a display device 7 permits connection to a remote controller 8 when not being in a connected state to a remote controller 9 when the connection is requested from the remote controller 8, and on the other hand, disapproves the connection to the remote controller 8 and prompts the remote controller 8 to be connected to the remote controller 9 when being in the connected state to the remote controller 9 when the connection is requested from the remote controller 8.
US09361787B2 Information processing apparatus, information processing method, program control target device, and information processing system
There is provided a remote commander including an input section which accepts input of operation information from a user, a communication section which communicates with a control target device via a radio signal, a service information-acquisition section which acquires, from the control target device via the communication section, service identification information for identifying each of one or a plurality of services which the control target device is capable of providing the remote commander with, and a notification section which selects any of one or a plurality of pieces of the service identification information acquired by the service information-acquisition section based on the operation information, the input of which is accepted by the input section, and which notifies the control target device of the selected service identification information via the communication section.
US09361781B2 Method and system for detecting a state of a golf club
A method for detecting a lost club includes detecting an orientation characteristic of a golf club with a detection unit, transmitting the orientation characteristic from the detection unit to a mobile device, determining a distance between the golf club and the mobile device based on a signal transmitted from the detection unit to the mobile device and determining a lost club state based on the orientation characteristic of the golf club and the distance between the golf club and the mobile device.
US09361779B2 Remote water in fuel indicator unit
A positionable water in fuel indicator unit including an indicator housing having a back panel, and a housing cover connected to the back panel. The water in fuel indicator unit can also include a signal receiving device configured to receive a water in fuel signal from a water in fuel sensor located in the fuel filter, a first indicator visible through the housing cover and configured to indicate when a water level in the fuel filter is less than a predetermined threshold, a second indicator visible through the housing cover and configured to indicate when the water level in the fuel filter is equal to or greater than the predetermined threshold, and a controller enclosed by the housing cover. The controller can be configured to activate the first indicator based on the water in fuel signal, and activate the second indicator based on the water in fuel signal.
US09361770B2 Electrical device current flow indicator
An electric current flow indicator senses electrical current flowing through an electrical device and produces a visible feedback to indicate proper operation. The current flow indicator has a voltage and current regulation circuit having first and second inputs connected to first and second conductors, respectively. The circuit converts an AC line voltage carried by an electrical supply cord into a limited low voltage DC current. A toroidal core inductor coil and at least one current indicating LED are connected to the circuit. The first conductor passes through a center of the inductor coil. A transistor amplifier is connected to an output of the inductor coil for energizing the current indicating LED when an electrical current conducts through the first conductor. The flow indicator can be integrated into an electrical supply cord, a male or female electrical cord end, a single or duplex electrical outlet, or a universal plugin adapter.
US09361765B2 Gaming system and method providing a battling symbol generators game
Various embodiments of the present disclosure provide a gaming system and method providing a battling symbol generators game. In various embodiments, each symbol generator of a set of symbol generators employed for the battling symbol generators game is associated with one of a plurality of different characteristics. During play of the battling symbol generators game, the gaming system modifies the set of symbol generators upon the occurrence of various symbol generator set modification events such that more symbol generators of the set are associated with a particular characteristic and/or such that fewer symbol generators of the set are associated with another characteristic. The gaming system provides a bonus when a designated quantity of the symbol generators of the set are each associated with a particular characteristic.
US09361761B2 Server, communication system, method for controlling communication system, and program
A server includes drawing means (121) for drawing an item by lottery from among an item group including a plurality of types of items with different scarcity values and providing the item to a user, and additional item providing means (122) for providing an additional item to the user in accordance with a provision count of the number of times an item is provided by the drawing means (121).
US09361759B2 Game method using community reels
The claimed embodiments contemplate methods, systems and apparatuses directed to gaming machines that include a community spin mechanism that, when activated, causes reel displays, at two or more player stations, to spin. Certain embodiments provide for one or more community reels that are utilized to determine an outcome of a community gaming session. The community reels are “community” in that they are formed by combining reels of individual play stations in order to increase the odds, and payouts, of potential wins via various line combinations of the combined set of reels, once they stop spinning. Re-stated, by way of non-limiting example, each play station has its own set of reels and when community play is started, one or more community reels are spun along with each players set of reels. Any potential winning combinations are then based on resulting combinations of the individual play station reels in combination with the community reels. In one embodiment, one or more dedicated reels are specifically reserved as community reels that may be used in various combinations with a player's reels and other player reels to determine potential awards. The addition of community play, via community reels, advantageously adds to the excitement and enjoyment.
US09361754B2 Gaming system and method for selectively providing an elimination tournament that funds an award through expected values of unplayed tournament games of eliminated players
A gaming system including a central server operable to communicate a plurality of different commands to a plurality of gaming devices to provide non-tournament game play and provide an elimination tournament. The gaming system contributes an average expected payout value of tournament games that were determined to be subsequently played by tournament players but were then not played because the players were eliminated before the end of the tournament to a tournament award. The tournament award is provided to a winner of the tournament.
US09361750B2 Gaming machine with screen split and merge feature
A gaming machine includes a display device and a processor. The processor is programmed to cause the display device to display a first game using a first frame, detect a first trigger condition during play of the first game in the first frame, based on the first trigger condition, display a second game in a second frame on the display device, and enable simultaneous play of the first game in the first frame and the second game in the second frame.
US09361748B2 Pharmaceutical dispensing systems, methods and computer program products for determining and displaying replenishment information
A pharmaceutical dispensing system includes a frame having first and second opposed sides, a plurality of cells configured to house pharmaceutical pills, and a display on the frame first side. A plurality of dispensing shelves configured to receive filled pill containers are accessible from the second side of the frame for removal of pill containers therein. The pharmaceutical dispensing system includes a processor and memory coupled thereto. A computer program resides in the memory and is executable by the processor for displaying a cell inventory graphical user interface (GUI) within the display. The cell inventory GUI includes a GUI control that is responsive to user activation for displaying replenishment information about one or more of the cells. The computer program is configured to determine a replenish point and replenish quantity for each cell and is configured to adjust the replenish quantity for each cell according to a stock-out risk.
US09361746B2 Automatic catering machine and method for operating it
An automatic catering machine in which at least one item of food can be stored, cooled and/or heated. The automatic catering machine has a rack store for storing a large number of items of food and a transportation apparatus by means of which in each case at least one item of food can be removed from the rack store and transported to at least one station in the automatic catering machine, wherein the transportation apparatus has a transportation tool for grasping the item of food, which transportation tool can be moved horizontally and vertically. A method for operating the automatic catering machine is also provided.
US09361740B2 Systems and methods for access control
The disclosure describes various systems and methods for access control. One such method includes providing an access control module that includes a base portion and an update portion. The update portion is electrically coupled to the base portion via a detachable electrical connector, and wherein operation of the access control module is based at least in part on an interaction between the base portion and the update portion.
US09361735B1 Method and system of using spatial sensors on vehicle frame to determine crash information
To determine the extent of the damage to a vehicle after a crash, a vehicle treatment system may determine a change in position of a vehicle part based on one or more spatial sensors attached to the vehicle part. The change in position of the vehicle part may be compared to previous change in position data for the same or similar type of vehicle part, to determine the extent of the damage to the vehicle part. Additionally, the vehicle treatment system may determine the extent of the damage for all vehicle parts to determine an overall extent of the damage to the vehicle after the crash.
US09361733B2 Portable device and method of controlling therefor
A portable device is disclosed. A method of controlling a portable device, comprising the steps of capturing an image in front of the portable device, detecting a marker object from the image, displaying a virtual image corresponding to the marker object based on a location of the marker object, and terminating a display of the virtual image corresponding to the marker object, when the detecting of the marker object is terminated, terminate a display of the virtual image based on a first terminate mode if the gaze location of the user is detected at a first location, and terminate the display of the virtual image based on a second terminate mode if the gaze location of the user is detected at a second location.
US09361729B2 Techniques to present location information for social networks using augmented reality
Techniques to present location information using augmented reality are described. An apparatus may comprise an augmentation system operative to augment an image with information for an individual, the image having a virtual object representing a real object. The augmentation system may comprise a location component operative to determine location information for the real object, a virtual information component operative to retrieve location information for an individual, and a proximity component operative to determine whether location information for the real object substantially matches location information for the individual. The augmentation system may further comprise an augmentation component operative to augment the virtual object with information for the individual to form an augmented object when the location information for the real object substantially matches the location information for the individual. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US09361725B2 Image generation apparatus, image display apparatus, image generation method and non-transitory computer readable medium
Provided are an image generation apparatus, three-dimensional image display apparatus, image generation method and non-transitory computer readable medium. An image generation apparatus for generating a virtual-viewpoint image, includes a disparity-image-generating section which generates a disparity image corresponding to a two-dimensional image, by using a depth image and a parameter of a virtual camera; a disparity-image-correcting section which corrects the disparity image based on contour lines extracted from the two-dimensional image and the disparity image, or corrects the depth image to be used for generating the disparity image based on contour lines extracted from the two-dimensional image and the depth image; an pixel-shift-processing section which shifts each pixel of the two-dimensional image according to the corrected disparity image, to generate an intermediate image; and a unfixed-pixel-area-interpolating section which interpolates unfixed pixels to which the shifted pixels have been assigned in the intermediate image, to generate the virtual-viewpoint image.
US09361724B2 Visual connectivity of widgets using event propagation
A method, system and computer program product receive a set of objects for connection, create a moving object within the set of objects, display visual connection cues on objects in the set of objects, adjust the visual connection cues of the moving object and a target object in the set of objects, identify event propagation precedence, and connect the moving object with the target object.
US09361712B2 CT image generation device and method and CT image generation system
A CT image generation device for analyzing projection information acquired by scanning a scan subject with X-rays over a scan plane, and generating an image of the scan subject; wherein the CT image generation device comprises: a versatile processing unit for establishing a plurality of coordinate systems on the scan plane; a coordinate decision unit for selecting a coordinate system to be used in distance drive back projection or distance drive forward projection, from the plurality of coordinate systems on the basis of a projection angle; a distance drive processing unit for carrying out distance drive back projection or distance drive forward projection on the basis of the selected coordinate system, in accordance with the projection angle; and an image information processing unit for generating the image of the scan subject, on the basis of image information acquired by carrying out distance drive back projection in relation to projection information.
US09361708B2 Image processing device, image processing method
An image processing device includes: a processor; and a memory which stores a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the processor to execute, acquiring an image to be displayed including a two-dimensional code and a positioning pattern superimposed, wherein the two-dimensional code defines information to be displayed on the basis of an image pattern including a first pixel value and a second pixel value, wherein the positioning pattern defines reference coordinates to display the information to be displayed; extracting the two-dimensional code from the image, using a first color component to extract a pixel value identified as the first pixel value and a pixel value identified as the second pixel value; and extracting the positioning pattern from the image using a second color component that identifies as identical to the first pixel value both pixel values that are identified as the first and second pixel values.
US09361705B2 Methods and systems for measuring group behavior
Methods and systems for measuring group behavior are provided. Group behavior of different groups may be measured objectively and automatically in different environments including a dark environment. A uniform visible signal comprising images of members of a group may be obtained. Facial motion and body motions of each member may be detected and analyzed from the signal. Group behavior may be measured by aggregating facial motions and body motions of all members of the group. A facial motion such as a smile may be detected by using the Fourier Lucas-Kanade (FLK) algorithm to register and track faces of each member of a group. A flow-profile for each member of the group is generated. Group behavior may be further analyzed to determine a correlation of the group behavior and the content of the stimulus. A prediction of the general public's response to the stimulus based on the analysis of the group behavior is also provided.
US09361695B2 Method of recognizing a position of a workpiece from a photographed image
In a preparation process, one workpiece W is photographed from a plurality of angles, the photographed image is segmented into patches to obtain a plurality of sample patch images, the sample patch images are classified, and each sample patch image is stored while being corresponded with a position information to a reference position of the workpiece W. Image recognition process obtains a reference position of the workpiece W in a patch image, by photographing piled-up workpieces W, segment the photographed image into patches to obtain a plurality of patch images, classify the patch images in same classification method of the sample patch images, accumulating a position information to the reference position of the workpiece W, which is stored while corresponded to the sample patch image of the same classification as the patch image for each patch image, and on the basis of the accumulated result.
US09361688B2 Sensor calibration and position estimation based on vanishing point determination
Disclosed are systems, apparatus, devices, method, computer program products, and other implementations, including a method that includes capturing an image of a scene by an image capturing unit of a device that includes at least one sensor, determining relative device orientation of the device based, at least in part, on determined location of at least one vanishing point in the captured image of the scene, and performing one or more calibration operations for the at least one sensor based, at least in part, on the determined relative device orientation.
US09361687B2 Apparatus and method for detecting posture of camera mounted on vehicle
An in-vehicle camera posture detecting apparatus includes a first image storing unit configured to store an image of a calibration sheet placed near the vehicle, the calibration sheet having a plurality of calibration marks, a first posture estimating unit for estimating the posture of the camera based on the first image, a second image storing unit that stores an image of the calibration sheet after movement of the vehicle, a second posture estimating unit that estimates the posture of the camera based on the second image, a sheet deviation calculating unit that calculates an amount of deviation of the calibration sheet from a predetermined position based on the estimates provided by the first and second posture estimating units, and a camera posture determining unit that determines the posture of the camera based on a posture estimated value and the calculated amount of deviation.
US09361681B2 Quality metrics for biometric authentication
This specification describes technologies relating to biometric authentication based on images of the eye. In general, one aspect of the subject matter described in this specification can be embodied in methods that include obtaining first image of an eye including a view of the white of the eye. The method may further include determining metrics for the first image, including a first metric for reflecting an extent of one or more connected structures in the first image that represents a morphology of eye vasculature and a second metric for comparing the extent of eye vasculature detected across different color components in the first image. A quality score may be determined based on the metrics for the first image. The first image may be rejected or accepted based on the quality score.
US09361680B2 Image processing apparatus, image processing method, and imaging apparatus
An image processing apparatus comprising: an image acquisition unit configured to acquire an image; a depth map acquisition unit configured to acquire a depth map corresponding to the image; a refinement unit configured to detect a saliency region from the image and to refine the depth map on the basis of the saliency region, the saliency region being a region on which a person tends to focus; and an image processing unit configured to apply image processing to the image using the depth map refined by the refinement unit.
US09361677B2 Spatio-temporal disparity-map smoothing by joint multilateral filtering
A filter structure for filtering a disparity map includes a first filter, a second filter, and a filter selector. The first filter is for filtering a contemplated section of the disparity map according to a first measure of central tendency. The second filter is for filtering the contemplated section of the disparity maps according to a second measure of central tendency. The filter selector is provided for selecting the first filter or the second filter for filtering the contemplated section of the disparity map, the selection being based on at least one local property of the contemplated section. A corresponding method for filtering a disparity map includes determining a local property of the contemplated section and selecting a filter. The contemplated section is then filtered using the first filter or the second filter depending on a result of the selection.
US09361670B2 Method and system for image haze removal based on hybrid dark channel prior
A method and a system for image haze removal are provided. The method includes the following steps: receiving an input hazy image including input pixels; determining a hybrid dark channel for each of the input pixels according to a first minimum dark channel of a corresponding large local patch and a second minimum dark channel of a corresponding small local patch; determining a transmission map for each of the input pixels according to the hybrid dark channel prior, the corresponding hybrid dark channel, and atmospheric light associated with the input hazy image in each color channel; determining a color spectrum adjustment parameter corresponding to each of the color channels; recovering scene radiance for each of the input pixels in each of the color channels according to the corresponding color spectrum adjustment parameter, the transmission map, and the corresponding atmospheric light to produce and output a de-hazed image.
US09361662B2 Systems and methods for synthesizing high resolution images using images captured by an array of independently controllable imagers
Systems and methods in accordance with embodiments of the invention are disclosed that use super-resolution (SR) processes to use information from a plurality of low resolution (LR) images captured by an array camera to produce a synthesized higher resolution image. One embodiment includes obtaining input images, determining an initial estimate of at least a portion of a high resolution image using a plurality of pixels from the input images, and determining a high resolution image that when mapped through the forward imaging transformation matches the input images to within at least one predetermined criterion using the initial estimate of at least a portion of the high resolution image. In addition, each forward imaging transformation corresponds to the manner in which each imager generates the input images, and the high resolution image has a resolution that is greater than any of the input images.
US09361661B2 Display driver integrated circuit and display data processing method thereof
A display driver integrated circuit is provided which includes a first line buffer which receives first pixel data of an odd lane in response to an external clock and outputs the first pixel data in response to an internal clock; a second line buffer which receives second pixel data of an even lane in response to the external clock and outputs the second pixel data in response to the internal clock; a line buffer controller which receives display data by the two pixel data to output the first and second pixel data; a data merger which merges the first pixel data output from the first line buffer and second pixel data output from the second line buffer; and an image data processing block which processes the merged pixel data, wherein a frequency of the internal clock is lower than a frequency of the external clock.
US09361660B2 Image processing device and method, supplement image generation device and method, program, and recording medium
An image-processing apparatus for generating images from a plurality of viewpoints comprises a supplementation section that receives images captured by a plurality of image capturing devices arranged on a predetermined plane and generates supplemental images at a plurality of supplemental camera positions on the predetermined plane, each supplemental image being generated based on images captured by a predetermined number of the image capturing devices on the predetermined plane; and a viewpoint image generation section that generates a viewpoint image from a viewpoint by selecting pixels from the plurality of supplemental images and captured images.
US09361645B2 Internet radio and broadcast method with discovery settings
Data streams are generally selected according to user preferences and transmitted to the user in general alignment with expressed preferences of the user. Such data streams may be music, including music videos. Users may indicate their general or specific preferences with regards to song, artists, or albums. Any other aspects or factors that might affect the user's preferences can be taken into account. A playlist is created that combines all of these factors. The playlist then serves as the basis for feeding the data streams to the user. Each user is able to express his or her own preferences and receive music corresponding to those preferences on an on-going basis.
US09361635B2 Frequent markup techniques for use in native advertisement placement
Techniques are provided that include obtaining a Document Object Model of an HTML document, such as a web page of a publisher. Elements of the Document Object Model may be identified that are associated with native advertisement placement candidate containers. Based at least in part on analysis associated with the Document Object Model, and utilizing at least some of the identified elements, one or more native advertisement placement candidate containers may be determined. Some techniques may utilize, in the analysis, construction and utilization of a suffix tree of a string of tags comprising all tags in the Document Object Model. Some techniques may utilize, in the analysis, a node flattening technique in connection with the Document Object Model.
US09361618B2 Gesture-based device
The use of gestures on a user device to interact with and obtain functionality from remote communication hub devices is disclosed. A user device includes an accelerometer or other motion detection device and a wireless communications capability. The device is small enough to be placed conveniently about the person and communicates with a communication hub device to perform context-dependent actions. A user makes a gestural command to the device. The device interprets the gesture and undertakes activity. The gestural sensing device may be a motion switch, a multi-axis accelerometer, a video camera, a variable capacitance device, a magnetic field sensor, an electrical field sensor etc. When combined with business logic running on a remote computer system, the device can be used to implement a range of applications and services.
US09361612B2 Peer-to-peer transfer between mobile devices with coupled secure elements
A method for transmitting data between a mobile communication device and a server. The method includes running a mobile application on the mobile communication device. The mobile application is hosted on the mobile communication device through the server as a Software as a Service (SaaS). The method further includes transmitting data associated with the mobile application between the mobile communication device and the server, in which transmission of the data between the mobile communication device and the server is monitored through the server.
US09361610B2 Mobile phone as point of sale (POS) device
A system and method for provisioning one or more value added services to a postpaid/prepaid mobile account and/or a postpaid/prepaid mobile device using a wireless communication device as a point-of-sale device, is disclosed.
US09361609B2 Backlight structures and backlight assemblies for electronic device displays
An electronic device may have a liquid crystal display with backlight structures. The backlight structures may produce backlight that passes through the display layers in the display. The display layers may include a layer of liquid crystal material interposed between a color filter layer and a thin-film transistor layer. The backlight structures may include a light guide plate. A plurality of light-emitting diodes mounted on a flexible printed circuit may be coupled to an edge of the light guide plate. The flexible printed circuit may be curled into a spring element to bias the light-emitting diodes against the edge of the light guide plate. A plurality of gaps may be formed in the flexible printed circuit and may be used to separate and mechanically decouple adjacent light-emitting diodes. Individual light-emitting diodes may independently register to the light guide plate to maximize optical efficiency in the display.
US09361606B2 Dispensing digital objects to an electronic wallet
A configuration system and method is disclosed that includes a unified and integrated configuration that is composed of a payment system, an advertising system, and an identity management system such that the unified system has all of the benefits of the individual systems as well as several additional synergistic benefits. Also described are specific configurations including the system's access point architecture, visual wallet simulator user interface, security architecture, coupon handling as well as the system's structure and means for delivering them as targeted advertising, business card handling, membership card handling for the purposes of login management, receipt handling, and the editors and grammars provided for customizing the different types of objects in the system as well as the creation of new custom objects with custom behaviors. The configurations are operable on-line as well as through physical presence transactions.
US09361604B2 System and method for a context-based rich communication log
Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable storage media for generating a context-based rich communication log. A system configured to practice the method performs a context-based analysis of a history of communication sessions over at least two communication modalities, wherein the context-based analysis considers semantic meaning, temporal relationship, and user activities. The system generates associations between the communication sessions based on the context-based analysis, and generates the context-based rich communication log based on the associations. The context-based analysis can be based on time, session participant identifications, ongoing events, and/or on-demand queries of the communication sessions. The system can then present the context-based rich communication log to a user. The context-based rich communication log can be used as part of at least one of a predictive contacts application, a topic analyzer, a conferencing application, and a personal communication assistant, for example.
US09361599B1 Risk unit based policies
Methods, computer-readable media, systems and apparatuses for implementing risk unit based insurance policies are presented. A user may receive a plurality of risk units associated with an insurance policy. The risk units may be stored in a risk unit account associated with the user, the vehicle, etc. During operation of the vehicle, sensor data may be received. The sensor data may provide information associated with driving behaviors of the user, environmental conditions in which the vehicle is being operated, and the like. A consumption rate of the risk units may be determined based, at least in part, on the received sensor data. In some examples, the consumption rate may be displayed to the user, such as via a mobile device of the user or a vehicle display. Further, in some arrangements, one or more driving modifications to reduce a consumption rate may be determined and provided to the user.
US09361594B2 Generating time slot for managing time across multiple time zones
A time slot of regular time length and capacity is defined in time local to a time zone. The slot is defined by a local time start timestamp and a local time end timestamp. In one aspect, upon determining that the local time end timestamp of the slot overlaps with the transition period, the time slot is prolonged beyond the transition period. The prolonged time slot is correspondingly defined by an international standard time start timestamp and an international standard time end timestamp. The prolonged time slot is generated based on the international standard time start timestamp and the international standard time end timestamp.
US09361592B2 Automated defect and optimization discovery
Performance information and configuration information is received for the plurality of computer systems. The computer systems are grouped into a plurality of clusters based at least in part on the performance information, where the plurality of clusters includes a first cluster and a second cluster. A system configuration associated with the first cluster is automatically identified from the configuration information and is automatically sent to the second cluster.
US09361583B1 Merged recommendations of real estate listings
A system for recommending comprises an interface and a processor. An interface is configured to receive an input. The input is stored and associated with two user identifiers. The processor is configured to make recommendations based at least in part on the input.
US09361581B2 Method for loading a rule set in a rule engine
A method of exchanging a rules engine decision tree cache is disclosed. The method provides for provision accepting a command to build a replacement rules engine decision tree cache, replacing the existing cache if the decision tree creation process is successful, retaining the existing cache if the decision tree creation process is not successful, and providing specific error messages in the event that the replacement fails. The method allows an network operator to change the rules for the rule engine without disruption of real-time service and allows for a level of error checking prior to provisioning the new decision tree.
US09361573B2 Printed antennas, methods of printing an antenna, and devices including the printed antenna
Wireless devices such as sensors, interactive displays and electronic article surveillance (EAS) and/or radio frequency identification (RFID) tags including integrated circuitry and an antenna and/or inductor printed thereon, and methods for making and using the same, are disclosed. The device generally includes an integrated circuit on a substrate and an antenna, directly on the substrate and/or the integrated circuit, in electrical communication with the integrated circuit. The method of making a wireless device generally includes forming an integrated circuit on the substrate and printing at least part of an antenna or antenna precursor layer on the integrated circuit and/or substrate. The present invention advantageously provides a low cost wireless device capable of operating at MHz frequencies that can be manufactured in a shorter time period than conventional devices.
US09361571B2 Matrix of adhesive RFID tags
A matrix of tags is provided including a plurality of RFID identification tags, each RFID tag having an identification layer, arranged on an object to be identified, the identification layer bearing at least one antenna and at least one chip including capacity for storing an item of identification data, the identification layer containing a bonding face arranged on a wall of the object; a backing layer, arranged on the side of the bonding face of the identification layer; a transfer layer, arranged on the side opposite to the backing layer relative to the identification layer, the transfer layer being provided for transferring the identification layer onto the object; and a protective layer, arranged between the identification layer and the transfer layer, provided for protecting the identification layer when the tag is put in place; the transfer layer is produced in a single piece for the set of tags.
US09361561B2 High-resolution tracking of industrial process materials using trace incorporation of luminescent markers
A method of marking an industrial process material including selectively incorporating a luminescent marker onto and/or into the industrial process material in a trace amount insufficient to be optically detectable in the presence of ambient light but sufficient to be non-destructively optically detectable in and/or on the industrial proce material in situ in the field or on-site. The trace amount of the luminescent marker is used to track, identify authenticate the industrial process material for at least one of material control, inventory control, stock control, logistics control, quality control and pollution control.
US09361555B2 Method, apparatus and system for rendering an object on a page
A method of rendering a graphical object (e.g., 801) on a page (800), is disclosed. A region of the page containing the graphical object (801) is marked as output incompatible based on the graphical object (801) being output incompatible. A bounding box comprising the marked region is determined. A proportion of a number of the regions marked as output incompatible are determined to a total number of regions in the bounding box. A further region within the bounding box is marked as output incompatible to increase the determined proportion above a threshold. The graphical object in the marked region and the further marked region is converted into an output compatible graphical object if the determined proportion is above the threshold. The output compatible graphical object is rendered.
US09361549B2 User interface for a label printer
A method including providing a first image on a label printer user interface, wherein said first image is representative of at least one of at least one label to be printed and at least one object to which a label is to be applied; and providing a second image on said user interface associated with the first image, the second image representative of a dimension of the first image; enabling a user to modify a dimension of the second image; wherein as the dimension of the second image is modified, the dimension of the first image is correspondingly updated.
US09361547B2 Electronic device providing data protection for inserted smartcard
An electronic device includes a housing for safely breaking electronic communication with a smart card on removal from the electronic device. A safeguard structure rotates with respect to the housing to cover the smart card when inserted, and a switch breaks communication between the smart card and the electronic device when the safeguard structure is rotated away from the housing to enable removal of the smart card. The breaking of communication safely prevents damage to, or corruption of, data in the smart card upon removal from the electronic device.
US09361546B1 Locating persons of interest based on license plate recognition information
Possible locations of a person of interest are ranked based on LPR instances captured around physical locations and license plate numbers associated with the person of interest. An LPR instance includes an indication of a vehicle license plate number, a physical location, and a time when the LPR instance was captured by a LPR system. A possible location of the person of interest may be a location of an LPR instance that matches the license plate number or an address location associated with the person of interest. The ranking may be based on the number of LPR visits to each location, the number of license plate number matches at each location, or an attribute of a cluster of LPR instances. In some examples, an electronic message is rapidly communicated to an entity if a target license plate number is found at a highly ranked location.
US09361540B2 Fast image processing for recognition objectives system
An image processing for recognition objectives system including uploading n image to a processor and associated memory via a network, dividing the images into a plurality of sub-images, preprocessing, uploading an image to be recognized from an image source to the processor and associated memory, pre-processing the image to be recognized and a first the plurality of sub-images, extracting key features from the image to be recognized and a first of the plurality of sub-images, comparing the key features of the image and the first of the sub-images, if there is a match, display the match and if there is no match, advance to the next of the plurality of sub-images and repeat until a match is determined.
US09361536B1 Identifying user marks using patterned lines on pre-printed forms
Methods, devices, and systems replace solid lines of user-fillable areas of a print job with patterned lines and then print the print job with the patterned lines to print user-fillable pre-printed forms, using a printing device. These methods, devices, and systems also scan at least one of the user-fillable pre-printed forms having user markings to produce a scan, using an optical scanner. Further, such methods, devices, and systems produce an altered scan by removing only the patterned lines from the scan to leave the user markings in the altered scan using the image processor. Then, these methods, devices, and systems can identify user-supplied characters by performing automated character recognition on the user markings in the altered scan using the image processor and output such user-supplied characters from the image processor.
US09361535B2 Method for reading vehicle identifications
A method is disclosed for reading license plate numbers in a road network, comprising: recording an image of a license plate number at a first location, OCR-reading a license plate character string in the image, and storing an OCR data set in a database; recording an image of a license plate number at a second location, OCR-reading a license plate number character string in the image, and generating a current OCR data set; and, if a confidence measure of the current OCR data set falls below a first minimum confidence value, selecting a stored OCR data set with a license plate number image having a similarity exceeding a minimum similarity value and/or having the greatest similarity to the license plate number image of the current OCR data set, and using the selected OCR data set for improving the license plate number character string of the current OCR data set.
US09361530B2 Use of human input recognition to prevent contamination
Embodiments of a system and method for processing and recognizing non-contact types of human input to prevent contamination are generally described herein. In example embodiments, human input is captured, recognized, and used to provide active input for control or data entry into a user interface. The human input may be provided in variety of forms detectable by recognition techniques such as speech recognition, gesture recognition, identification recognition, and facial recognition. In one example, the human input recognition techniques are used in connection with a device cleaning workflow used to obtain data and human input during cleaning procedures while minimizing cross-contamination between the contaminated device or person and other objects or persons. In another example, the human input recognition techniques are used in connection with a device tracking workflow used to obtain data and human input while tracking interactions with and locations of the contaminated or uncontaminated device.
US09361528B2 Vehicle-to-vehicle distance calculation apparatus and method
The distance to a target vehicle is calculated. To achieve this, a target vehicle traveling ahead is imaged and it is determined to what vehicle group, such as a light-duty vehicle group, standard passenger car group or heavy-duty vehicle group, the image of the target vehicle belongs. Representative vehicle widths are stored in a vehicle group table on a per-vehicle-group basis. The distance from one's own vehicle to a target vehicle is calculated using the vehicle width that corresponds to the vehicle group decided.
US09361516B2 Forensic verification utilizing halftone boundaries
A forensic verification system (700) extracts a print signature via print signature extractor 710 from the boundary of a halftone contained in an image. The system (700) compares the print signature to a reference signature stored in a registry via comparator 720 to determine differences between the print signature and the reference signature. The system 700 performs a forensic-level statistical image analysis via forensic analyzer 730 on the print signature and the reference signature based on the comparison to authenticate the printed media.
US09361505B2 Display device and method of controlling therefor
A display device and a method of controlling therefor are disclosed. The display device includes a fingerprint recognition unit configured to recognize a fingerprint and a movement of the fingerprint, a touch display unit configured to display visual content and a controller configured to control the fingerprint recognition unit and the touch display unit, wherein if a fingerprint contacted with the fingerprint recognition unit is recognized as a registered fingerprint, the controller is configured to switch a screen to a home screen from a lock screen by unlocking the display device, wherein if a notification event is detected the controller is configured to control the touch display unit to display a notification list selection screen together with the switched home screen, and wherein if a continuous movement of the fingerprint maintaining the contact is recognized, the controller is configured to perform a control process on the notification list selection screen.
US09361504B2 Optical information reading device, optical information reading method, computer-readable program and recording medium
To prevent misreading of barcodes and to allow accurate outputting of bar data even when an element is damaged or blurred, an optical information reading device containing a computation means 23a for adding widths of 6 elements containing a bar and a space that are adjacent within one character to derive respective patterns of 2- through n-element added widths and for converting each of the patterns of 2- through n-element added widths into the module number for one character to obtain the module numbers of the patterns of the 2- through n-element added widths; an extraction means 23b for narrowing down the target characters to extract a candidate character wherein the target character is that each module number of the 2- through n-element widths is an integer with an error equal to or less than 1; and a search means 23d for comparing the extracted candidate character, having the module numbers of the patterns of the 2- through n-element added widths with the expected value character for evaluating the candidate character to search for an expected value character with the strongest correlation to the candidate character.
US09361495B2 Hand held symbology reader illumination diffuser
A hand held industrial identification symbol reader projects diffuse illumination onto a region of interest to produce high contrast images of symbols. The diffuse illumination is particularly well suited for producing images of symbols that are marked directly on objects. The diffuse illumination is created through the use of an optically translucent diffuser having a generally tapered shape that distributes diffuse illumination throughout the field of view of the reader. The diffuse illumination can be supplemented with dark field illumination using selectively actuated illumination sources.
US09361494B2 System and method of estimating true bearings of radio frequency identification (RFID) tags associated with items located directly underneath an overhead antenna array in a controlled area
An RFID tag reading system and method estimate true bearings of RFID tags associated with items located in a scan zone directly underneath an overhead array of antenna elements. A controller energizes a plurality of diametrically opposite antenna elements to yield electric fields having polarizations, and switches each antenna element between mutually orthogonal polarizations. A primary transmit beam and a primary receive beam are steered at a primary steering angle over the scan zone, and a plurality of secondary receive beams are steered over the scan zone at different secondary steering angles that are offset from the primary steering angle by receiving secondary receive signals from each tag, and by processing the secondary receive signals to estimate a true bearing for each tag.
US09361483B2 Anti-wikileaks USB/CD device
A method for encrypting and storing data on a removable medium includes: obtaining a medium key uniquely associated with the removable medium; encrypting the data using the medium key to generate encrypted data; and writing the encrypted data onto the removable medium.
US09361482B2 Device specific information generation device and device specific generation method
A device generating specific information of a semiconductor device includes a bit generation unit including a glitch generation circuit and a bit conversion circuit for converting a shape of the glitch into an information bit. The glitch generation circuit includes a plurality of combinational circuits mounted thereon to output a plurality of different glitches. The bit generation unit further includes a selector for selecting one glitch from among the plurality of different glitches in response to a selection signal to output the selected one glitch to the bit conversion circuit. The device further includes a performance evaluation/control unit for outputting the selection signal to obtain a piece of bit information corresponding to each of the plurality of different glitches and specifying a glitch satisfying a desired performance based on the respective pieces of bit information.
US09361481B2 Systems and methods for contextualized data protection
Various systems, computer-readable media, and computer-implemented methods of providing improved data privacy, anonymity, and security by enabling subjects to which data pertains to remain “dynamically anonymous,” i.e., anonymous for as long as is desired—and to the extent that is desired—are disclosed herein. This concept is also referred to herein as Just-In-Time-Identity, or “JITI.” Embodiments include systems that create, access, use, store and/or erase data with increased privacy, anonymity and security—thereby facilitating the availability of more qualified information—via the use of temporally unique, dynamically changing de-identifiers (“DDIDs”). In some embodiments, specialized JITI keys may be used to “unlock” different views of the same DDID (or its underlying value), thereby providing granular control over the level of detail or obfuscation visible to each user based on the context of said user's authorized use of data, e.g., authorized purpose(s), place(s), time(s), or other attributes of the use.
US09361477B2 Alternately processing messages
Among other things, processing an incoming message stream includes storing context data of an application in a global database. Various messages from the incoming message stream are placed in an in-memory message queue. One of at least a first and a second phases at a first process is executed, and another of the at least first and second phases at a second process is also executed, so as to alternately execute a first phase and a second phase by a first process and a second process. The first phase includes processing at least one message from the various messages and storing at least one corresponding result in a local memory area. The first phase also includes storing at least one modification to the context data in the local memory area. The second phase includes performing a transaction of the at least one result and the at least one modification of the context data to the global database and committing the transaction.
US09361476B2 Messaging systems and methods
A messaging system for providing messaging service between or among user accounts includes a message database server. The message database server includes an account module to maintain user accounts and an upload module to receive message data from a user communication device associated with a user account. The message data may include a message and a share list that authorizes identified user accounts in which the message is to be shared. A single instance storage module may store the message as a single instance. A share module may share the message with the identified user accounts and delete the message at a predetermined time as specified in the share list.
US09361475B2 Automated attended self-service terminal (SST) operations
A security level for an attendant at a Self-Service Terminal (SST) is automatically resolved. An operation is automatically processed on behalf of the attendant based on the resolved security level and a condition associated with the SST.
US09361473B2 Correcting access rights of files in electronic communications
A method for modifying access rights to electronically stored files linked in a draft electronic communication stored at a client device includes receiving, at a server from the client device, information relating to a plurality of recipients of the draft electronic communication, information relating to a sender of the draft electronic communication, and a first link, where the first link represents a first file. The method further includes determining, at the server, for the sender and for each recipient in the plurality of recipients, the access rights to the first file. The method further includes generating, at the server, a plurality of options for the sender to modify the access rights for the plurality of recipients, where the plurality of options is based on the access rights to the first file, and sending the plurality of options from the server to the client device.
US09361461B2 Method and apparatus for detecting malware and recording medium thereof
A method of detecting malware in a terminal, the method including: generating a plurality of virtual machines in the server, the plurality of virtual machines respectively corresponding to a plurality of terminals; clustering the plurality of generated virtual machines into groups based on respective profile information of each terminal of the plurality of terminals; and in response to the malware being detected in a first terminal among the plurality of terminals, providing information with respect to the detection of the malware to a second terminal among the plurality of terminals corresponding to a second virtual machine, via the second virtual machine among the plurality of virtual machines, the second virtual machine being clustered into the same group as a first virtual machine.
US09361459B2 Methods and systems for malware detection based on environment-dependent behavior
The present disclosure is directed to methods and systems for malware detection based on environment-dependent behavior. Generally, an analysis environment is used to determine how input collected from an execution environment is used by suspicious software. The methods and systems described identify use of environmental information to decide between execution paths leading to malicious behavior or benign activity. In one aspect, one embodiment of the invention relates to a method comprising monitoring execution of suspect computer instructions; recognizing access by the instructions of an item of environmental information; identifying a plurality of execution paths in the instructions dependant on a branch in the instructions based on a value of the accessed item of environmental information; and determining that a first execution path results in benign behavior and that a second execution path results in malicious behavior. The method comprises classifying the computer instructions as evasive malware responsive to the determination.
US09361457B1 Use of decoy data in a data store
Disclosed are various embodiments for identifying a table of non-decoy data matching a set of criteria. Decoy data is inserted into the table of non-decoy data. The decoy data is detected in a result comprising the decoy data, the result generated in response to an access of the data store. An alarm is generated based at least upon the result.
US09361455B2 Security management in a networked computing environment
An approach for addressing (e.g., preventing) detected network intrusions in a virtualized/networked (e.g., cloud) computing environment is provided. In a typical embodiment, users may group components/systems of an environment/domain according to a range of security sensitivity levels/classifications. The users may further configure rules for responding to security threats for each security sensitivity level/classification. For example, if a “highly dangerous” security threat is detected in or near a network segment that contains highly sensitive systems, the user may configure rules that will automatically isolate those systems that fall under the high security classification. Such an approach allows for more granular optimization and/or management of system security/intrusion prevention that may be managed at a system level rather than at a domain level.
US09361441B2 Multiple application chip card having biometric validation
A smart card includes a plurality of application circuits that are each related to at least one application service securely contained within the card, each application circuit is energizable by an outside signal; a control unit making it possible to identify the energized application circuit and the related service and moreover to activate the service in response to activation authorization; and a biometric circuit for authenticating the user so as to generate the activation authorization.
US09361437B1 System and method for querying data
In one embodiment, a method includes maintaining, by a computer system, a plurality of data and at least one classification for each of the plurality of data. Each data of the plurality of data is aggregated from a plurality data sources and is abstracted into one or more of a plurality of standardized formats based on a type of the data. The computer system has executing thereon a plurality of classification engines. The plurality of classification engines include an a priori classification engine, an a posteriori classification engine, and a heuristics engine. Each at least one classification is generated by one of the plurality of classification engines. In addition, the method includes receiving query input from a user. Further, the method includes querying at least a portion of the plurality of data responsive to the query input.
US09361436B2 Multiple profile authentication
A system and method includes a service provider registering a plurality of profile IDs with a central authority and providing the profile IDs to an institution where the profile IDs are utilized by the institution for authentication of individual users, authorized to act on behalf of the institution. Each profile ID corresponds to an authentication template for the respective user, and the authentication templates are stored by the central authority. A first user transmits an electronic communication, first authentication information, and an indication of a first profile ID, which is received by the service provider. The service provider then receives the first authentication template from the central authority, which may be requested. The first authentication information is then matched to the first authentication template, and additional actions can be taken with respect to the communication after successful matching.
US09361435B1 Multi-tier digital supply chain management
Several embodiments enable management of a bulk package of licenses at a distribution server. The distribution server can store a fulfillment record of a set of licenses. The fulfillment record can indicate distribution statuses of the licenses. The distribution server can also maintain a distribution hierarchy for the set of licenses in the distribution server. The distribution hierarchy can identify one or more other distribution servers that transferred the set of licenses from a root of trust for the licenses to the distribution server and one or more end-user devices or distribution servers that received or fulfilled at least one of the licenses from that the distribution server. When the distribution server distributes a subset of the licenses to a target computing device, the distribution server can update both the fulfillment record and the distribution hierarchy.
US09361429B2 Multi-parameter diabetes risk evaluations
Methods, systems and circuits evaluate a subject's risk of developing type 2 diabetes or developing or having prediabetes using at least one defined mathematical model of risk of progression that can stratify risk for patients having the same glucose measurement. The model may include NMR derived measurements of GlycA and a plurality of selected lipoprotein components of at least one biosample of the subject.