Document Document Title
US09480560B2 Method of securing an intralumenal frame assembly
A method is disclosed of enhancing the securing of an intralumenal frame assembly to intralumenal tissue at an in situ target location. The method can comprise delivering an intralumenal frame assembly mounted on a delivery device to a treatment location. The intralumenal frame can be deployed to expand in situ so that anchors on the intralumenal frame atraumatically grasp intralumenal tissue at the target location. A radially inward force can be exerted on the frame assembly to cause the proximal and distal anchors to grasp more forcefully the intralumenal tissue.
US09480558B2 Transcatheter valve having reduced seam exposure
A transcatheter valve having an expandable frame and a collapsible multi-portion skirt within the frame are provided with seams between the portions of the skirt that are located to cooperate with features of the frame and thereby reduce the exposure of the seams.
US09480551B2 Implantable tissue connector
An implantable tissue connector comprises a conduit and at least one bulge extending outwardly from the conduit's outer surface in a circumferential direction. At least one blocking ring loosely fitting over the outer surface with a clearance between the outer surface and the blocking ring is provided for mounting tubular living tissue within the clearance. The blocking ring has an inner diameter which is sized relative to an outer diameter of the bulge to prevent the blocking ring from slipping over the bulge when living tissue is mounted within the clearance. During implantation, the conduit is inserted into the tubular part of living tissue and over the bulge. Then, the blocking ring is pushed over the free end of the living tissue against the bulge. The living tissue is secured to the conduit with a self-enhancing effect when the tissue tends to be pulled off of the conduit.
US09480541B2 Self-ligating orthodontic brackets
The present invention employs a self-ligating orthodontic bracket comprising a body having a pair of laterally spaced gingival tie wings and a pair of laterally spaced occlusal tie wings, the gingival and occlusal tie wings projecting from a labial surface of the body; an arch wire slot extending mesially-distally across the body and between the gingival and occlusal tie wings to accommodate an arch wire; a free-sliding, controlled-locking, or pivoting clip wherein the clip allows placement and removal of the arch wire when in the open position and prevents the displacement of the arch wire from the bracket member when in the closed position.
US09480530B2 Container for the safe collection and disposal of used medical sharps
A container into which used sharps can be deposited immediately following their use and carried to a second container into which the used sharps can be dumped for subsequent disposal without having to directly handle the sharps following their use. A top wall is normally latched closed and is opened to deposit used sharps into the container. A normally closed end wall is opened so that the used sharps can be dumped from the container. The container has a pistol-type grip for carrying it, and in a first embodiment a rearwardly biased pusher is slidably mounted in the container and moved forwardly by depressing a trigger on the grip. In a second embodiment, the pusher is biased forwardly and is latched in a rearward position. The trigger is connected with the latch to release it so the pusher can move forwardly.
US09480528B2 Devices and methods for cooling microwave antennas
Devices and methods for cooling microwave antennas are disclosed herein. The cooling systems can be used with various types of microwave antennas. One variation generally comprises a handle portion with an elongate outer jacket extending from the handle portion. A microwave antenna is positioned within the handle and outer jacket such that cooling fluid pumped into the handle comes into contact directly along a portion of the length, or a majority of the length, or the entire length of the antenna to allow for direct convective cooling. Other variations include cooling sheaths which form defined cooling channels around a portion of the antenna. Yet another variation includes passively-cooled systems which utilize expandable balloons to urge tissue away from the surface of the microwave antenna as well as cooling sheaths which are cooled through endothermic chemical reactions. Furthermore, the microwave antennas themselves can have cooling lumens integrated directly therethrough.
US09480525B2 High-density electrode-based medical device system
A medical device system is disclosed including a high-density arrangement of transducers, which may be configured to ablate, stimulate, or sense characteristics of tissue inside a bodily cavity, such as an intra-cardiac cavity. High-density arrangements of transducers may be achieved, at least in part, by overlapping elongate members on which the transducers are located, and varying sizes, shapes, or both of the transducers, especially in view of the overlapping of the elongate members. Also, the high-density arrangements of transducers may be achieved, at least in part, by including one or more recessed portions in an elongate member in order to expose one or more transducers on an underlying elongate member in a region adjacent an elongate-member-overlap region.
US09480519B2 Apparatus for aligning a spine using deployable bone anchors and method for the same
An assembly for performing a gradual lateral spinal alignment of a spine. The assembly includes an inflatable bone anchor that includes an inflatable balloon, a hollow tube attached to the balloon and attached to an external support, such as a brace. The inflatable balloon extends into or through a vertebra of the misaligned spine and deployed. The inflatable balloon is pulled using the vertebra and attached to the brace to pull the spine into alignment. The device allows the spine to be gradually placed into alignment helping to avoid trauma on the spine and surrounding tissue.
US09480513B2 Clamping element for setting a bone fracture as well as modular fixation device comprising same and method for producing same
Disclosed is a clamping element for setting a bone fracture. The element comprises a closed contoured body which has a substantially hollow cross-section and is enclosed by a peripheral wall. The contoured body has two opposite receiving portions at the end faces thereof, the receiving portions being intended to receive fixing elements which can be pushed through the body, and has two lateral flanks having angled portions. The peripheral wall of the contoured body is resiliently deformable at least in sections, in particular in the region of the receiving portions on the end faces of same and in the region of the lateral angled portions. A defined resilient behavior of the clamping element can be impressed via the angled portions in such a way that a predetermined tension can be generated between the receiving portions. Also disclosed are a method for producing the clamping element and a setting device for using said clamping element.
US09480507B2 Anchor-in-anchor system for use in bone fixation
An anchor-in-anchor fixation system is provided for securing underlying structure, such as bone. The fixation system includes a first bone anchor having a shaft for fixation to underlying bone, and a head that defines an internal bore. A second bone anchor extends through the bore and into underlying bone. A fixation assembly is also provided that includes one or more fixation systems coupled to an auxiliary attachment member configured for long bone fixation, spinal fixation, or fixation of other bones as desired.
US09480499B2 Soft tissue repair method
The present disclosure relates to an instrument and method of manipulating soft tissue during a soft tissue repair procedure. The instrument and related method may include use of a handle and a shaft coupled to the handle, the shaft including a proximal portion and a distal portion, wherein the distal portion of the shaft comprises a tip including at least two prongs and a channel located between the prongs.
US09480497B2 Skin nicking device, method and assembly
A device, method and assembly for nicking skin is disclosed. The device includes a lumen is that is slideable over an introducer needle, and a blade at the end of the device. The device may include a shield for restricting advancement of the device during a skin nicking procedure. The device may also include a retractable blade or guard as a safety and nicking customization feature. A recess can also be shaped in the device for slideably attaching the device to an introducer needle hub.
US09480493B2 Dynamic orthoscopic sensing
A dynamic sensing method and apparatus employs microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) and nanoelectromechanical (NEMS) surgical sensors for gathering and reporting surgical parameters pertaining to a drive mechanism of a surgical device, such as speed, rotation, torque and other characteristics of the surgical device. The surgical device employs or affixes the surgical sensor on or about a surgical device for detecting electromechanical characteristics during the surgical procedure. The surgical procedure disposes the medical device in the surgical field responsive to the drive mechanism of a shaver or other endoscopic instrument inserted in a surgical field defined by the surgical procedure.
US09480492B2 Apparatus for endoscopic procedures
A surgical device has a jaw assembly with a first jaw and a second jaw, a pivoting linkage, and a camming assembly configured to pivot the jaw assembly. A cam slot having a first portion, a second portion, and a third portion may have a Y shaped configuration. A flexible shaft allows further pivoting of the jaw assembly.
US09480487B2 Lateral light-emitting device for connecting an intra-medullary guide wire
A lateral light-emitting device for connecting a medullary guide wire is disclosed. The device comprises a closed main body, a front-end protecting unit for protecting the front end of the main body, and a connecting unit disposed at the distal end of the main body. The inside of the main body is further arranged with a lighting unit, a power supply unit, a light-scattering unit, a light intensity modulating unit, if necessary, and at least one transparent window. The device is able to fit to different types of medullary guide wires. The power supply unit provides power to the lighting unit to produce light emitted to the light-scattering unit and being diverted laterally through the transparent window of the main body after suitably modulating the light intensity. Thereby, the device is illuminated from within the bone cavity to allow observing the operating screw hole location from outside of the body and to enable precisely nailing while proceeding with the intra-medullary nailing procedure.
US09480474B2 Linear cutting element with E-shaped guiding element
A linear cutting element (1) with an E-shaped guiding element (16) enables the suture and cutting of surgery to be simultaneously conducted when being loaded in a linear cutting anastomat (2). The linear cutting element (1) comprises a knife underlaying plate (10), a nail abutting seat (11), an assembly cover (12), suture nails (13), a nail cartridge (14), a push sheet (15), a guiding element (16), a pin (17) for the guiding element, a cutting knife (18), a knife stand (19), a positioning needle (20), a positioning needle holder (21) and a blank cap (22). The knife underlaying plate (10) and the nail abutting seat (11) are fixedly connected through a front-end groove (101) and rear-end agnails (102, 103) of the knife underlaying plate (10). The nail abutting seat (11) is fixedly connected to the guiding element (16) through the pin (17) for the guiding element. The guiding element (16) is placed at the open end of the nail cartridge (14), and the guiding element (16) enables nail grooves (122) at the two sides of the nail cartridge (14) to remain parallel vertically, which enables the nail cartridge (14) in an open state to be in a closed state. The assembly cover (12) is arranged between the nail abutting seat (11) and the nail cartridge (14), and can be removed from the linear cutting element (1). The linear cutting element (1) is replaceably loaded into the linear cutting anastomat (2).
US09480469B2 Surgical device for closure of atrial septal defect with minimally invasive approach
A method of providing a surgical device for closure of Atrial Septal Defect (ASD) with minimally invasive approach includes a head portion that includes a distal jaw being distal relative to a person holding the surgical device, a guide rod which drives the distal jaw, and a plurality of first suture-guide channels attached to the distal jaw, and a body portion which is stationary and includes a cylindrical base, a proximal jaw attached to the cylindrical base, and a plurality of second suture-guide channels attached to the proximal jaw. A lever drives the distal jaw away from the proximal jaw such that the distal jaw and the proximal jaw are spaced on different sides of an ASD hole. After a suture thread sutures a pericardium patch, the lever pulls the distal jaw backward toward the proximal jaw such that the first suture-guide channels couple with the second suture-guide channels.
US09480467B2 Adhesive-based varicose vein treatment
An intraluminal member can be used to deliver an adhesive to a vein while causing the vein to spasm, thereby controlling adhesive migration and improving procedure efficacy.
US09480466B2 Surgical device and linkage system for same
A laparoscopic surgical device is provided, including a removable tool-comprising shaft having an outer shaft and an inner actuation rod that may be removably or permanently connected together. A handle of the device includes a two-button mechanism for engaging and releasing the removable tool-comprising shaft. The two-button mechanism is configured to engage overlapping corresponding apertures of the outer shaft and the inner rod that extends through the outer shaft, and the handle may include a variety of configurations that can readily interchangeably be used with different tool bodies.
US09480454B2 Systems and methods of movement sensing based monitoring
A system for monitoring characteristics of a subject including a sensor unit including an upper plate, a lower plate, a transducer sensor and an abutting element, which is configured for abutting a surface of the transducer surface, correspondently to forces applied upon the upper plate by the subject and a control unit, for identifying breathing related alarm situations using the sensor unit signals. The system optionally also includes remote devices allowing multidirectional communication between the control unit and each respective remote device and between the remote devices and optionally also enable turning one of these remote devices into a relay station for expanding communication range. The system optionally also includes a mechanical adjustment mechanism connected to the abutting element, for enabling a user to adjust sensitivity of the transducer sensor by mechanically adjusting location of the abutting element in relation to an effective area of the transducer sensor.
US09480450B2 Scatter component estimating method
In a reconstruction processing (S1), reconstruction processing is performed to list mode data to firstly capture a reconstruction image. Then, in a projection step (S2), the reconstruction image obtained in the reconstruction processing step is projected to capture a projection image. In a scatter component extracting step S4, low-frequency components are extracted from the projection image obtained in the projection step to obtain scatter components. Even when the data contains a missing region, the reconstruction processing unlikely to be influenced by the missing region suppresses the influence by the missing, and the resultant reconstruction image is projected. Consequently, the projection image having dummy data being interpolated to the missing region is obtainable. As a result, projection from the list mode data through the reconstruction image achieves the projection image with no missing data. Accordingly, precious estimation of the scatter components is obtainable.
US09480448B2 System and method for use in mapping a radiation dose applied in an angiography imaging procedure of a patient
A system and method for use in mapping a radiation dose applied in an angiography imaging procedure is provided. The system can include an image acquisition system, a table in support of the patient, and a computer processor that calculates an angulation of a radiation beam to the patient in the angiography imaging procedure relative to the table; calculating an angulation of the table; calculating an intersection of the radiation beam relative to a two-dimensional grid; calculating the radiation dose applied at the intersection of the radiation beam to each of the predefined areas of the two-dimensional grid; calculating an orientation of the patient relative to the two-dimensional grid of predefined areas; and creating a graphic display illustrative of an aggregation of the radiation dose applied to each of the predefined areas of the two-dimensional grid for viewing by a user.
US09480447B2 Inclined phase grating structures
Grating interferometer comprising inclined phase grating structures, method for increasing the definition of phase contrast images of interferometers or in applications which are based on the Talbot effect, using inclined phase grating structures, phase gratings wherein the grating structures are positioned at angles on the substrate of the phase grating, method for producing grating structures which are positioned at angles on the substrate of the phase grating, and corresponding uses.
US09480442B2 Accessory mounting device and accessory having the same for a radiographic apparatus
An accessory mounting device and system for the same, particularly involving radiographic systems, includes a feature to securely recognize a fixing condition of an accessory. In mounting a platform to a table, a fixing member is oscillated or moved so that the platform moves to an engagement position. A pin installed at a tip of the fixing member engages a fixing element formed in the table. Then, a movement restriction member is oscillated so that it can move to a restriction position. An oscillating movement of the movement restriction member is restricted by moving a lock-pin. Alternatively, a fixing member in a movable non-lock-state allows a display region recognizable from a display position.
US09480440B2 System and method for cone beam computed tomography
A cone beam computed tomography system with a horizontally disposed, cylindrical gantry and a method for its use are provided. The cylindrical gantry includes a rotatable cylindrical frame fixed to a support frame. A cone beam X-ray source and X-ray detector are mounted to the circumference of the cylindrical frame at diametrically opposed positions. The cylindrical frame is actuated to revolve the X-ray source-detector arrangement around a horizontal axis, thereby scanning a recumbent subject positioned in the aperture of the cylindrical frame.
US09480437B2 Movement compensation for superimposed fluoroscopy and radiography image
An X-ray diagnosis apparatus includes a radiography image generating unit, a fluoroscopy image generating unit, a display control unit and an irradiation field changing unit. The radiography image generating unit controls an X-ray irradiation device, an X-ray detection device, a retainer, and a bed system, and generates a radiography image by using a radiography irradiation field. The fluoroscopy image generating unit controls the X-ray irradiation device, the X-ray detection device, the retainer, and the bed system, and generates a fluoroscopy image by using a fluoroscopy irradiation field, the fluoroscopy irradiation field being narrower than the radiography irradiation field. The display control unit generates a superimposed image in which the fluoroscopy image is superimposed on a part of the radiography image, and displays the superimposed image on a display device. The irradiation field changing unit changes the fluoroscopy irradiation field with the superimposed image being displayed.
US09480434B2 Distortion reduced signal detection
The present invention relates to a device and a method for extracting information from detected characteristic signals. A data stream (26; 124a, 124b, 124c) derivable from electromagnetic radiation (14) emitted or reflected by an object (12) is received. The data stream (26) comprises a continuous or discrete characteristic signal (76; 32a, 132b, 132c) including physiological information (100) and a disturbing signal portion 5 (94). The physiological information (100) is representative of at least one at least partially periodic vital signal (20; 156). The disturbing signal portion (94) is representative of at least one of an object motion portion and/or a non-indicative reflection portion. The characteristic signal (76; 132a, 132b, 132c) is transferred by converting at least three absolute components (92a, 92b, 92c) of the characteristic signal (76; 132a, 132b, 132c) related to respective 10 additive channels (74a, 74b, 74c) to at least two difference components (102; 142a, 142b) of the characteristic signal (76; 132a, 132b, 132c), wherein each of the at least two difference components (102; 142a, 142b) can be derived through a respective arithmetic transformation considering at least two of the at least three absolute components (92a, 92b, 92c), wherein the arithmetic transformation comprises additive and subtractive coefficients. Consequently, the 1 disturbing signal portion (94) can beat least partially suppressed in the transferred signal (32; 50).
US09480425B2 Task-less optical mapping of dynamic brain function using resting state functional connectivity
A method for utilizing an optical system for mapping brain function includes determining a time series of light intensity measurements for spatially distributed source and detector pairs, receiving light measurements over a period of time, and producing at least one map of a respective strength of each of a plurality of temporal correlations, wherein the temporal correlations are based on the time series of the spatially distributed source and detector pairs and the light measurements.
US09480424B2 Systems and methods for measuring tissue oxygenation
The disclosure provides methods and systems for determining tissue oxygenation. An electronic device obtains a data set including a plurality of images of a tissue of interest, each resolved at a different spectral band. Spectral analysis is performed, upon image registration, at a plurality of points in a two-dimensional area of the images of the tissue. The spectral analysis including determining approximate values of oxyhemoglobin levels and deoxyhemoglobin levels at each respective point in the plurality of points. The predetermined set of eight to twelve spectral bands includes spectral bands that provide improved methods for measuring tissue oxygenation.
US09480423B2 Diagnostic measuring apparatus with integrated spectrometer
The invention relates to a diagnostic measuring apparatus for non-invasively detecting at least one physiological parameter of the human body. The measuring apparatus comprises: —a continuum emitter (110) for emitting first electromagnetic radiation, the spectrum of which has a continuum extending over a wavelength range, —a bearing area for bearing a human body part (100) on the measuring apparatus, wherein the bearing area is designed such that the body part (100) is irradiated with the first electromagnetic radiation, wherein the first electromagnetic radiation is emitted by transmission, scattering and/or reflection as second electromagnetic radiation from the tissue of the body part (100), —a detector (102; 104) for detecting at least one spectral component of the second electromagnetic radiation, —a spectral decomposition unit (106; 114; 116; 402) for spectrally selecting wavelength ranges of the first and/or second electromagnetic radiation. Moreover, the invention relates to a diagnostic measuring apparatus for non-invasively detecting at least one physiological parameter of the human body, comprising: —a sensor having a matrix-shaped arrangement of measuring electrodes for carrying out an electrolyte movement measurement and a signal processing device connected to the sensor, wherein the signal processing device is designed to carry out a spatially and temporally resolved measurement of electrical potential values at the surface of a human body part via the sensor.
US09480420B2 Puncturing system and lancet carrier tape
A puncturing system has a carrier tape carrying multiple lancets, a device housing comprising a conveying facility for moving the lancets into a usage position consecutively by moving the carrier tape in a conveying direction, a puncturing drive for accelerating one of the lancets that is positioned in the usage position in a puncturing motion, an opening in the device housing for touching against a body part in which a puncture is to be made by the puncturing motion of one of the lancets, an actuation facility for driving the conveying facility, and an unlockable interlock comprising a stop that blocks further transport of the carrier tape as soon as one of the lancets has reached the usage position.
US09480415B2 Electromagnetic coil apparatuses for surgical navigation and corresponding methods
An electromagnetic device includes a jig and multiple wires. The jig includes a center member and coil-separating blocks. The coil-separating blocks protrude from the center member and are separated from each other to provide a coil channels. Each of the wires is wrapped on the jig, around the center member, and in one of the coil channels to form one of a multiple coils. Each of the coils is configured to connect to an electromagnetic navigation system and generate respective electromagnetic fields to be emitted relative to a subject.
US09480414B2 Elastography method, and magnetic resonance system for implementing an elastography method
In a methods for elastography in a defined region of an examined person, a radio-frequency pulse is radiated to manipulate a transverse magnetization in the defined region and at least one additional radio-frequency pulse with a spatial selectivity of the amplitude is radiated to generate shear waves in the defined region. A magnetic resonance signal from the defined region is detected and a determination of a value describing the tissue elasticity in the defined region is made based on the magnetic resonance signal.
US09480409B2 Sensing probe comprising multiple, spatially separate, sensing sites
A single sensing probe comprising multiple, spatially separate, sensing sites is utilized to sense neural activity. The sensing probe includes multiple conductors each with multiple sensing sites in a fixed geometric arrangement. The sensing probe is configured to comprise multiple combined sensing sites in polytrode configuration. By appropriately combining the wire groupings at each combined sensing site, activity sensed from a single wire with multiple sensing sites, can be coupled with other wires to unmix signals from the spatially separate sites and leverage the power of combinatorics to maximize total recording bandwidth and single neuron/unit yield per wire and per probe.
US09480405B2 Photodynamic diagnosis apparatus, photodynamic diagnosis method and device
There is provided a photodynamic diagnosis apparatus including a light source for generating a light pulse having a time width shorter than a fluorescence lifetime of a photosensitizer, and a detector for measuring a time change waveform of the fluorescence to the light pulse.
US09480392B2 Ultra-wide range observation endoscope apparatus
An endoscope apparatus including a first optical system and a second optical system is provided. The first optical system includes a first lens system configured to form a first optical image of a first object and a first image sensor configured to convert the first optical image into first image data and output the first image data. The second optical system includes a second lens system configured to form a second optical image of a second object and a second image sensor configured to convert the second optical image into second image data and output the second image data.
US09480378B2 Pivoting handle for a surface cleaning device
A surface cleaning device generally includes a nozzle, a cleaner housing connected to the nozzle, and a handle coupled to the cleaner housing at a pivot joint. The cleaner housing defines a longitudinal axis. The pivot joint is configured to rotatably store the handle at a position offset from the longitudinal axis.
US09480375B2 Aeroacoustic duster
The invention disclosed herein provides for high particle removal rate and/or heat transfer from surfaces. The device removes particulate matter from a surface using a bounded vortex generated over the surface, with suction in the vortex center and jets for blowing air along the periphery. The jets are tilted in the tangential direction to induce vortex motion within the suction region. The vortex is said to be bounded because streamlines originating in the downward jets are entrained back into the central vortex.
US09480373B2 Surface cleaning apparatus
A surface cleaning apparatus is disclosed having an upper portion mounted to a surface cleaning head, a portable surface cleaning unit mounted to the upper portion, an above floor cleaning wand removably receivable in the upper portion, and a wand lock having a locked position in which the wand is secured to the upper portion and an unlocked position in which the wand is removable from the upper portion. The upper portion may stabilize the wand when the wand is drivingly connected to the cleaning head. An electrified flexible air flow conduit may electrically connect the surface cleaning head to the cleaning unit.
US09480372B1 Portable towelette dispenser
A portable towelette dispenser includes a liquid container comprising a liquid cavity, and a base rotationally connected to the liquid container. A stem connected to the base in rotating relation thereto, wherein the liquid container may be disposed about the stem. The base may be operative to rotate the stem relative to the liquid container via rotation of the base relative to the liquid container. A wetting configuration of the portable towelette dispenser is at least partially defined by at least partial alignment of one or more stem apertures relative to one or more wetting apertures. A sealed configuration of the portable towelette dispenser is at least partially defined by a completely non-aligned relation of the stem apertures relative to the wetting apertures.
US09480370B2 Automatic towel dispenser
Dispensing towels includes, using a motor assembly configured to cause a leading edge of the toweling to be extended from a housing of the dispenser and to cause the toweling to be subsequently retracted back into the housing, (a) the step of extending the toweling exterior of the housing for grasping by a user; and (b) subsequent thereto, the steps of (1) retracting the toweling into the housing using the motor assembly; (2) sensing a leading edge of the toweling, using a sensor, while retracting the toweling; and (3) ceasing retracting of the toweling into the housing using the motor assembly as a function of sensing the leading edge of the toweling using the sensor. The toweling is advanced by the motor assembly such that a line of perforations in the toweling, along which the user tears the toweling, is located downstream of the sensor.
US09480368B2 Arrangement for fastening a shelf device
The invention relates to an arrangement for fastening a shelf device for bathroom and/or shower implements, to a wall of a room that is provided with a wall coating, wherein the shelf device comprises a basis element extending substantially in a horizontal plane, at least one angled peripheral web, and at least one flange, which is arranged underneath the wall coating of the wall of the room.
US09480365B2 Food processor with multiple processing containers
A food processor includes a housing, a motor disposed within the housing, an output shaft extending outwardly from the housing, a first processing container, a second processing container, and a lid removably and independently attachable to either one of the first and second processing containers. The first and second processing container are each independently and removably attachable to the housing. The first processing container is configured to be at least partially removably disposed within the interior of the second processing container. The lid is attached to the first processing container and the first processing container is attached to the housing in a first operating position. The lid is attached to the second processing container and the second processing container is attached to the housing in a second operating position. A portion of the first processing container is disposed within the interior of the second processing container in a storage position.
US09480359B1 Semi-continuous processes for creating an extract from coffee or other extractable materials
The techniques provide for a reconfigurable extraction column length based on the number of columns from a plurality of columns configured for use in an extraction apparatus. The apparatus includes a plurality of columns that each have an inlet, a central portion configured to hold extractable material during an extraction process, and an outlet. The reconfigurable extraction apparatus also includes a piping system connected to each of the plurality of columns that can selectively connect each of the plurality of columns, such that each column from the plurality of columns can be configured for an extraction process either singularly or in series or in parallel with one or more other columns from the plurality of columns, administering a solvent to one or more of the plurality of columns, and outputting the solvent after an extraction process occurs in the one or more of the plurality of columns.
US09480355B2 Undergarment organizing device and method of use
An undergarment organizing device having a frame having an inner surface and outer surface, and a first, second, and third retention member that extend outwardly away from the inner surface of the frame, the first retention member having a first undergarment support surface, the second retention member located beyond the first retention member and having a second undergarment support surface, and the third retention member being located beyond the first retention member, having a third undergarment support surface, and being slidable in a direction away from the second support surface.
US09480351B2 Dispensing device for dispensing a powder product
A staging hopper adapted for being inserted inside the neck of a container includes: a ceiling; a dividing wall projecting from the ceiling having a lower edge; a sloping inlet barrier wall having a rear edge; a floor merging with the barrier wall; and a front wall that extends upwardly from the floor such that a portion of the floor extends forwardly of the front wall. The rear edge of the inlet barrier wall and the top wall define an inlet barrier gap, and the lower edge of the dividing wall and the floor define an outlet barrier gap. The front wall and dividing wall define an outlet chamber. The inlet barrier gap divides an inlet chamber and a barrier chamber, and the outlet barrier gap divides the barrier chamber and the outlet chamber.
US09480346B2 Lighting support for mounting a light source onto a shelf
A lighting support for mounting a light source onto shelving including a lower shelf and an upper shelf, the upper shelf having a front end and a front edge structure. The lighting support comprises a securing member operatively connectable to the front edge structure of the upper shelf a light source support connected to the securing member. The light source support is configured to receive and support the light source and is positioned for the light source to illuminate a section of the lower shelf when the securing member is operatively connected to the front edge structure of the upper shelf.
US09480340B1 Systems and methods for providing ergonomic exercise chairs
A chair for providing seating support to a user and for providing ways for the user to perform exercises. The chair includes a back support that is flexible such that when a force is applied to it by the user's body, the back support bends. The back support may be configured to adapt to the curvature of the user's spine when the user is seated in the chair. The back support may further be configured such that the user can rotate the back support by rotating the user's upper body.
US09480339B2 Seat with pelvic support
A seat with pelvic support having a seat bottom, a panel of elastomeric material retained under an initial tension spanning a framework of the seat bottom, and a resiliently deflectable pelvic support structure retained in spaced relation from the panel of elastomeric material. The resiliently deflectable pelvic support structure provides supplemental support to the seat occupant when the panel of elastomeric material is sufficiently deflected. The resiliently deflectable pelvic support structure can be formed by a plurality of resiliently deflectable fingers. The fingers, which can have different deflection resistances to establish hyper-localized resistance control, can project outboard from a central member or inboard from the framework. A U-shaped rigidifying member can be secured to the framework, and a seat back can retain a support and positioning member in a fixed angular orientation relative to the seat bottom.
US09480332B2 Height-adjustable table
Provided is a height-adjustable table configured such that a height adjustment member rotates in response to an operation of an actuation unit, thereby being released from a locked state, and when an upper plate of the table is vertically lifted to a desired level, the operation of the actuation unit is stopped, and the height of the upper plate is adjusted step by step. Optimal space utility and a simple inner structure of the height-adjustable table can be accomplished, thereby reducing manufacturing cost and increasing user convenience.
US09480324B2 Apparatus having rigid thermally-insulated container, table assembly and collapsible thermally-insulated container
An apparatus includes: a rigid thermally-insulated container; a table assembly configured to be selectively attachable to the rigid thermally-insulated container; and a collapsible thermally-insulated container configured to be selectively attachable to the table assembly.
US09480318B2 Ring-shaped cover for portable electronic device
An outer cover for an electronic device, such as a portable electronic device, is disclosed. Since portable electronic devices are often portable, they can be damaged, such as scratched, dented, broken, and the like, when transported or used. The outer cover can serve to provide a protective member over part of the housing for the electronic device. The protective member, when placed on the portable electronic device can serve to reduce damage to sides of the portable electronic device. While the outer cover can provide side and/or edge protection, the outer cover need not also provide front or rear protection.
US09480316B2 Piece of luggage, in particular suitcase
The invention relates to a piece of luggage (1), in particular a suitcase, comprising a shell (2) of at least partially rigid material and side elements (3, 4), wherein the shell (2) of the piece of luggage (1) is embodied so as be capable of being unfolded or unrolled and is provided on the inner side with holding elements (5), which are equipped to hold at least one piece of clothing (6). In order to store a piece of clothing (6) in a preferably crease-proof manner, the shell (2) is arranged at a defined distance (d) around a core (7) in the closed state of the piece of luggage (1), wherein the at least one piece of clothing (6) is stored in a substantially crease-free and pressure-free manner within the space (8), which is formed by means of the defined distance (d) between core (7) and shell (2).
US09480313B1 Umbrella with off-centered canopy
An umbrella having a shaft assembly that includes a lower shaft, an upper shaft, an offset hinge assembly disposed between the lower and upper shafts, and a handle is provided. The umbrella also includes a canopy assembly with a plurality of extendable ribs operatively disposed between the distal end of the upper shaft and the runner. The canopy is operatively disposed over the ribs and affixed to a distal end of the upper shaft and the runner wherein the offset hinge assembly is adapted to be selectively positioned in a stowed position in which said canopy can be opened and closed, and in a deployed position in which said open canopy is offset from said handle.
US09480306B2 Cuff connector for a folded cuff
A cuff connector for a folded cuff is provided. The cuff connector may include a base portion that fits within and has larger dimensions than a cuff button hole. The cuff connector may further include a chain that connects the base portion to a connector. The connector is formed to releasably attach to a cuff button. Therefore, a use may fold their cuffs, place the base within the cuff button hole and attach the connector to the cuff button.
US09480305B2 Cleat for footwear
An improved cleat design is provided for article of footwear. At least one cleat is arranged on a bottom surface of the outsole, such that the cleat is disposed partially within the outsole and extends substantially perpendicular from the bottom surface of the outsole. The cleat is defined as a unitary member having two planar surface angled at a junction toward each other. The cleat further includes an aperture formed therein and extending across the junction as well as a bridge extending between the two planar surfaces and substantially spanning the aperture, where a portion of the outsole encases the bridge and extends through the aperture in a direction substantially parallel to the bottom surface of the outsole to retain the cleat in a desired position relative to the outsole.
US09480296B2 Footwear device
A footwear device including a resilient member having first and second ends. The first end can be configured for being connected to a user's foot, and the second end can be configured for being connected to the user's leg above the ankle joint. The resilient member can be configured and positioned for resiliently and rotatably biasing the user's foot about the ankle joint.
US09480288B2 Reversible compression support bra
A reversible bra for compression stabilizing the breast mass against motion relative to the torso includes a zipper side and a non-zipper side with shoulder straps in a pattern to approximately match the contours of a female user's torso whether the zipper is worn in the front or in the back. The zipper in positioned on the zipper side down the center of the zipper side from a seam at the top adjacent the straps to provide a non-stretchable seam which reduces the stretch area at the location of the breasts to provide greater compression when the zipper is in the front. The bra may be reversed so that a greater area of stretch fabric is position to apply compression against the breast and thereby proved for lessened compression against the breast when the zipper is position in the back of the user.
US09480283B2 Process and apparatus for improving raw tobacco
Disclosed are a process and an apparatus for improving tobacco raw material. The process mainly comprises performing an extraction from at least one of tobacco leafs, tobacco flakes, tobacco powder, stalks and cut stems by mixed solvents, conducting a solid-liquid separation for the tobacco raw material, applying the extract liquor of tobacco leaves, flakes and cuts for manufacturing tobacco extract and that of stalks and cut stems for manufacturing fertilizer, diluting and mixing a given amount of tobacco aqueous extract and ethanol extract and removing harmful components so as to get feed liquid, backfilling the feed liquid to the tobacco raw material, and drying the tobacco raw material to a certain dryness to obtain the products. The apparatus is a system composed of a plurality of interconnected independent devices such as extractor, solid-liquid separator, a feed liquid backfiller, etc.
US09480276B2 Dry food product containing live probiotic
The disclosure relates to a probiotic delivery system that can be consumed as a snack-food or added to a food product. In particular, the disclosure describes a crisp and tasty treat that comprises viable probiotic microorganisms preserved in a vacuum dried matrix of sugars, proteins, and polysaccharides. The probiotic remain viable within the treat for a longer time without the need for additional moisture barrier coating. The probiotic also remain viable in the animal gastrointestinal tract.
US09480273B2 Reduced flouride crustacean de-oiled protein-phospholipid complex compositions
The present invention contemplates the creation of a low fluoride oil processed from a phospholipid-protein complex (PPC) formed immediately upon a crustacean (i.e., for example, krill) catch. The process comprises disintegrating the crustaceans into smaller particles, adding water, heating the result, adding enzyme(s) to hydrolyze the disintegrated material, deactivating the enzyme(s), removing solids from the enzymatically processed material to reduce fluoride content of the material, separating and drying the PPC material. Then, using extraction with supercritical CO2 and ethanol as solvents, inter alia krill oil is separated from the PPC. In the extraction the krill oil can be separated almost wholly from the feed material. The products have low fluoride content. The manufacturing costs in the extraction process are relatively low.
US09480271B2 Soybean seed and oil compositions and methods of making same
Soybean oil compositions with unique fatty acid profiles are disclosed. These oils can be derived by the suppression of endogenous soybean FAD2 and FAD3 genes and the expression of a stearoyl acyl ACP thioesterase. Soybean plants and seeds comprising these oils are also disclosed.
US09480268B2 Compositions for retarding spoilage of coffee, methods of treating coffee with the compositions and coffee treated with the compositions
A composition for retarding spoilage of coffee includes tara extract and glutathione along with propyl gallate or a synthetic antioxidant which is tert-butyl hydroquinone or butylated hydroxyanisole or ethoxyquin or ethoxyquin phosphate.
US09480266B2 Separation chambers for deboning machines
Separation chambers, deboning machines, and methods of operating the same are provided. In one aspect, a separation chamber for a compression-type deboning machine includes a body defining an internal cavity therein having a frusto-conical shape. A central longitudinal axis of the body extends from a first opening of the cavity near a first end of the body to a second opening of the cavity near a second end of the body. The first opening is larger than the second opening. The separation chamber also includes a plurality of perforations defined through the body from an inner surface of the body to an outer surface of the body. Each perforation includes a perforation axis extending longitudinally through a center of the perforation. The perforation axes of the plurality of perforations are transverse to a radial axis extending perpendicular to the central longitudinal axis of the body.
US09480251B2 Insecticidal compositions and method for insect control
An environmentally safe, non-phytotoxic pesticidal composition comprising natural plant oils geraniol and cedar oil and methods of controlling insects is provided.
US09480247B2 Bug catching apparatus
An apparatus for controlling the bugs that swarm a light bulb consists of a centrifugal fan, a funnel, a light bulb, an electrical contact base, and a collection bin. The funnel is mounted adjacent the centrifugal fan and helps channel the airflow towards the centrifugal fan. A motor transfers rotational motion to the centrifugal fan. Both the motor and the light bulb are powered through the electrical contact base. The centrifugal fan directs the airflow towards the collection bin through an outlet duct. An impeller of the centrifugal fan opens an entrance of the collection bin. When the impeller is stationary, a trapdoor conceals the entrance. The collection bin is removably attached so that it can be removed according to user preference.
US09480246B1 Detachable line cartridge system
Methods, apparatus, and products for a detachable line cartridge system. A detachable line cartridge system has a spool base and a detachable flange assembly having an aperture and a locking mechanism that engages with the spool base, wherein the flange assembly is configured to secure a line cartridge to the spool base.
US09480245B1 Fishing rod with telescoping handle
A telescoping handle for a fishing rod includes a first cylinder having a first diameter, a second cylinder having a diameter greater than that of the first cylinder, and a third cylinder having a diameter greater than that of the second cylinder. The lumen of the second cylinder receives the first cylinder and the lumen of the third cylinder receives the second cylinder. The fishing rod has a butt end received within the first cylinder. An annular flange is formed in the proximal end of the first cylinder, a flexible and resilient material is wrapped around the distal end of the first cylinder and a radially inwardly extending annular crimp which the annular flange abuts is formed in the second cylinder. A cam is inserted into the lumen of the second cylinder at its distal end and locks the handle in its retracted or extended position and any intermediate position.
US09480241B2 Retractable leash system
An animal restraint system which involves variable adjustability of maximum extension. A braking device with a pivoting tip which can move from a neutral position to a locked engaged position, a disengaged position, and a semi-engaged position. The semi-engaged position allows for spool rotation in the direction of retraction, while preventing spool rotation in the direction of extension. A brake lock with multiple settings including engaged position, disengaged position, and a semi-engaged position. A spool with teeth where one or more of the teeth is different from the others in shape, size or relative position to promote brake engagement efficiency. A leash maximum settings display. A moving “leash” guide which reduces tangling during extension and retraction. An adjustable handle grip to accommodate different hand sizes. A snap-on accessory attachment system. A leash dispenser system which limits full extension to reduce system failure.
US09480238B2 Vision system for facilitating the automated application of disinfectant to the teats of dairy livestock
A method comprises determining a tangent to the rear of an udder of a dairy livestock, and determining a tangent to the bottom of the udder of the dairy livestock. The method continues by determining a position relative to the intersection of the two tangents, and extending a robot arm to the determined position.
US09480229B2 Wheat cultivar FA9S10-0016R
The invention relates to the wheat cultivar designated FA9S10-0016R. Provided by the invention are the seeds, plants and derivatives of the wheat cultivar FA9S10-0016R. Also provided by the invention are tissue cultures of the wheat cultivar FA9S10-0016R and the plants regenerated therefrom. Still further provided by the invention are methods for producing wheat plants by crossing the wheat cultivar FA9S10-0016R with itself or another wheat cultivar and plants produced by such methods.
US09480223B2 Soybean variety 01046252
The invention relates to the soybean variety designated 01046252. Provided by the invention are the seeds, plants and derivatives of the soybean variety 01046252. Also provided by the invention are tissue cultures of the soybean variety 01046252 and the plants regenerated therefrom. Still further provided by the invention are methods for producing soybean plants by crossing the soybean variety 01046252 with itself or another soybean variety and plants produced by such methods.
US09480209B2 Irrigation system and method
A method of operating a mobile irrigation system includes receiving water application amount and application pattern information from a user, automatically determining an irrigation plan using the amount information and the pattern information, and using an automated controller to operate the mobile irrigation system according to the irrigation plan. The irrigation system is operated by applying water at progressively decreasing levels as the irrigation system moves from a first position to a second position, and applying water at the same or similar progressively decreasing levels as the irrigation system is moved in a reverse direction from the second position back to the first position.
US09480206B2 Decoration hanger
A hanger for hanging of garlands and the like around a doorway can be removably placed within a doorway, where it is secured by pressure and friction, thereby avoiding any damage to the door or door frame. The hanger includes outward extensions that extend outward of the door frame to permit hanging of garlands and the like on either side of the doorway. The hanger may also include one or more central extensions for supporting the garlands or the like centrally above the doorway so that the garland or the like does not hang downward too much, thus keeping the doorway clear. The hanger can also be a part of the decoration around the doorway. Various configurations of the hanger may fit different widths of door frames, including a wide range of door frame widths, and features of the hanger provide additional flexibility for different door configurations including sidelights.
US09485894B2 Metal foil for electromagnetic shielding, electromagnetic shielding material, and shielding cable
A metal foil for electromagnetic shielding, comprising: a metal foil base, an Sn—Ni alloy layer formed on one or both surfaces of the base, and an oxide layer formed on a surface of the Sn—Ni alloy layer, wherein the Sn—Ni alloy layer includes 20 to 80% by mass of Sn and has a thickness of 30 to 500 nm, and wherein when an analysis in a depth direction is carried out by an XPS being the depth from an outermost surface as X nm, and an atomic percentage (%) of Sn is represented by ASn (X), an atomic percentage (%) of Ni is represented by ANi (X), an atomic percentage (%) of oxygen is represented by AO(X), and X is defined to be XO when AO(X)=0, 30 nm=>XO=>0.5 nm, and 0.4=>∫ANi(X)dx/∫ASn(X)dx=>0.05 in a section [0, X0] is satisfied.
US09485891B2 Electronic device with waterproof enclosure
An electronic device including a sealed enclosure, the electronic components arranged inside the sealed enclosure and including high-loss high-temperature components, a main heat sink including ribs, wherein the high-loss high-temperature components are attached to the main heat sink and the ribs of the main heat sink are arranged outside the enclosure, a cavity formed inside the enclosure and divided into a plurality of channel-like sections, the channel-like sections configured for providing air flow guidance inside the enclosure and being interconnected at their ends, wherein at least one channel-like section contains the electronic components and at least one other channel-like section contains an air-to-air heat exchanger extending from inside the sealed enclosure to outside of the sealed enclosure, wherein the electronic components inside the at least one channel like section are adapted to be cooled by air flow inside the sealed enclosure.
US09485888B2 Cooling system for use in a mass storage chassis assembly
A cooling system for use in a mass storage chassis assembly is provided. The cooling system in one example includes a frame including one or more fan bays for receiving one or more fan units, one or more fan bay connectors located in the one or more fan bays and configured to couple to and provide electrical power to the one or more fan units, a plurality of retainer devices positioned in each fan bay, with the plurality of retainer devices configured to receive and hold a plurality of projections extending from each fan unit, and the one or more fan units configured to be installed to the one or more fan bays, with each fan unit including a fan connector that couples to the corresponding fan bay connector.
US09485884B2 Set top box having snap-in heat sink and smart card reader with a hold down for retaining the heat sink
A hold down for an electronic device is provided that includes a bottom frame, a circuit board mounted above the bottom frame, a thermal pad mounted on the circuit board, and a heat sink associated with the thermal pad. The hold down includes a frame that defines a perimeter having a plurality of retainers that are configured to engage with a plurality of mating locations defined on at least a bottom frame to provide a biasing force that retains the heat sink against a circuit board that is positioned between the bottom frame and the hold down.
US09485880B2 Electric device for electric vehicle
An electric device for an electric vehicle is provided. The electric device includes a lower case, an upper case coupled to an upper portion of the lower case, a first printed circuit board (PCB) fixed to the lower case and comprising a first connector, and a second PCB fixed to the upper case and comprising a second connector. The first connector and the second connector are vertically disposed to correspond to each other, and the first connector is coupled to the second connector by coupling the lower case to the upper case to connect the first PCB to the second PCB.
US09485879B2 Single action DIN rail latch
An electronics module includes a latch with a first latch portion and a second latch portion. The latch portions move between a latched position and an unlatched position. A spring is located between the first and second latch portions and biases the first and second latch portions in first and second directions. The first latch portion comprises an actuation portion located externally from the housing and that is adapted to be manually engaged and moved linearly in the second direction to move the first latch portion from its latched position toward its unlatched position. The second latch portion includes a resilient tail with a locator tab that seats in either a first receiving location or a second receiving location of the first latch portion and that is selectively deflectable to disengage the locator tab from the second receiving location so that the spring moves the latch to the latched configuration.
US09485873B2 Depositing bulk or micro-scale electrodes
Thicker electrodes are provided on microelectronic device using thermo-compression bonding. A thin-film electrical conducting layer forms electrical conduits and bulk depositing provides an electrode layer on the thin-film electrical conducting layer. An insulating polymer layer encapsulates the electrically thin-film electrical conducting layer and the electrode layer. Some of the insulating layer is removed to expose the electrode layer.
US09485871B2 Method of making a light-emitting-diode lamp tube
An automatic production method of making a light-emitting-diode lamp tube is disclosed. The method includes providing a circuit board in a shape of a long strip, printing a bonding layer, mounting electronic inserts, heating up the circuit board, assembling a heat dissipation seat, assembling a translucent cover and assembling an end cap, thereby accomplishing the lamp tube. By the abovementioned steps, the light-emitting-diode lamp tube can be produced automatically, the manufacturing process can be simplified to reduce the labor cost, and the yield factor can be improved considerably.
US09485870B2 Methods for transparent encapsulation and selective encapsulation
The described embodiments relate generally to electronic devices and more particularly to methods for selectively encapsulating circuit boards and other electronic components contained within electronic devices. A first encapsulation layer can be limited to specific regions of a circuit board using a variety of processes including molding, laser ablation, etching, milling, and the like. Secondary assembly steps can then take place in the regions where the encapsulation layer is removed. In some embodiments, secondary encapsulants having various thermal, electrical, and optical characteristics can fill openings left in the first encapsulation layer to aid in the operation of underlying components.
US09485866B2 Printed circuit board copper plane repair
A device has a base with a mounting surface with a length and a stack, the stack having a diameter smaller than the length and fastened to the mounting surface. The stack may have a plurality of stack conductive layers in addition to a plurality of insulating layers that separate each of the plurality of stack conductive layers. The stack conductive layers may be separated in a manner that aligns them with corresponding printed circuit board conductive layers when the stack portion of the device is inserted into an aperture in a printed circuit board.
US09485865B2 Substrate spacing member and inverter device
A substrate spacing member includes a spacer portion which is disposed between the two substrates in contact with both edge portions thereof to keep a distance between the two substrates constant, spacer member holding portions which hold the spacer members, a frame body portion that connects the spacer member holding portions to each other, a branch portion which extends toward a predetermined position between the two substrates from the frame body portion or the spacer member holding portions, and electrode holding portions which are provided at the branch portions, and hold electrodes at the predetermined positions.
US09485860B2 Multilayer board
In a flexible board including laminated resin layers containing the same thermoplastic resin as a principal material, a rigid portion includes a region in which a first resin layer is disposed between a second resin layer defining an upper principal surface and a third resin layer defining a lower principal surface so that the rigid portion has a large thickness, and a flexible portion includes a region in which the first resin layer is not disposed between the second and third resin layers so that the flexible portion has flexibility, a step portion at which a thickness changes is between the rigid and flexible portions, and the second and third resin layers extend in a region from the rigid portion beyond the step portion to the flexible portion.
US09485858B2 Flexible display device
A flexible display device including a flexible display panel including a folding area and a peripheral area, and a first outer member including a groove pattern is disclosed. The groove pattern includes a flat surface and inclined portions connected to the flat surface and symmetrical with each other about the flat surface.
US09485857B2 Flat panel display apparatus and method for manufacturing the same
A flat panel display apparatus for reducing a bezel size and a method for manufacturing the same. The flat panel display apparatus includes a lower substrate having a display area and a peripheral area surrounding the display area, an upper substrate corresponding to the lower substrate, a sealing member disposed along the peripheral area of the lower substrate and bonding the lower substrate and the upper substrate, a first flexible layer disposed on a surface of the lower substrate in a direction facing the upper substrate, in the peripheral area of the lower substrate, the first flexible layer extending to an outside of the lower substrate, and a first wiring disposed between the lower substrate and the sealing member and extending to the outside of the lower substrate and along the first flexible layer.
US09485848B2 Glow discharge lamp
The disclosure includes a glow-discharge lamp including: an elongate casing transparent to illuminating radiation and containing a plasma gas; a device for applying an electric field for maintaining a plasma in the so-called positive column region of the casing, the device including two electrodes forming an anode and a cathode located in the casing at each end thereof; and a radio-frequency or microwave cathode plasma source arranged in the casing in relation to the cathode-forming electrode, such as to generate a high-frequency discharge located on the surface of the electrode in order to generate the plasma. The disclosure also includes a lighting method of such a glow-discharge lamp.
US09485844B2 Lighting control system and method for association of nodes in a multi-node network
The invention relates to a lighting control system and method for association of nodes in a multi-node network. The system comprises a number of lighting nodes forming a multi-node network, each lighting node comprising: —a light source; —a controller connected to the light source; and —communication means connected to the controller, wherein the lighting control system further comprises: —a memory component adapted to store information relating to at least one group of interrelated coordinates defined in a geographical coordinate system; and —a processing component in communication with the lighting nodes and adapted to automatically associate at least one lighting node with the at least one group on the basis of the geographical location of said at least one lighting node.
US09485842B2 Lighting system and control device
A lighting system includes a lighting fixture, a demand controller and a control board. The demand controller obtains power usage of a plurality of devices including the lighting fixture and, outputs a demand signal depending on the power usage obtained. The control board includes a switch provided on a power line and a switch controller that interrupts supply of power over the power line for a predetermined period of time by controlling the switch based on the output demand signal. The lighting fixture includes a light emitter, a detector, and a controller that causes the light emitter to emit light in a second dimming state darker than a first dimming state in which the light emitter emitted light immediately before the detection, if the detector detects that the supply of power has been interrupted for the predetermined period of time.
US09485835B2 Control apparatus, control method and control system
A control apparatus of the present disclosure includes a communication unit configured to receive adjustment information relating to brightness adjustment from a plurality of controlled objects capable of brightness adjustment, and to transmit an adjustment instruction relating to brightness adjustment to the plurality of controlled objects, and a controller configured to specify a first group, which includes at least one of the plurality of controlled objects adjusted brightness in a predetermined period among the plurality of controlled objects based on the adjustment information received by the communication unit, and a second group, which includes at least one of the plurality of controlled objects not included in the first group, and to determine the adjustment instruction based on the adjustment information in the plurality of controlled objects included in the first group, and to instruct the plurality of controlled objects included in the second group to adjust brightness by the instruction.
US09485828B2 LED lamp comprising a safety module for safe operation on various ballasts
The current invention relates to a LED lamp (10) comprising at least one LED light source (103), at least one driver (101) for powering the LED light source (103), at least one input rectifier with a plurality of diodes for converting an AC current from mains into a DC current, providing electrical power to the driver (101), the LED lamp (10) further comprising a safety module comprising one first and one second modules (F1, F2) for protection against overcurrent and overheating of the EM ballast, the first module (F1) being put in series with the driver (101) and designed to interrupt current in case the driver fails when the LED lamp (10) is directly connected to the mains, and the second module (F2) being designed to interrupt current when at least one of the diodes of the input rectifier fails when the lamp is connected to the mains via an EM ballast.
US09485826B2 Lighting color control
A lighting device includes a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs) configured to emit a light. The lighting device further includes a color controller configured to repeatedly assert and deactivate a control signal to control whether one or more LEDs of the plurality of LEDs are turned on or turned off. The color controller asserts the control signal for a first time period and deactivates the control signal for a second time period, where a color of the light emitted by the plurality of LEDs depends on the first time period and the second time period. The color controller changes the color of the light emitted by the plurality of LEDs by changing one or both of the first time period and the second time period.
US09485822B2 Lighting device, luminaire using lighting device, and lighting system using luminaire
A lighting device includes at least first and second lighting circuits configured to receive electric power from a single common DC power supply. First lighting circuit includes a first output capacitor connected between output ends thereof, and a first pre-charge circuit configured to keep a voltage across first output capacitor at a first voltage for first lighting circuit, while a first light source is in OFF state. Second lighting circuit includes a second output capacitor connected between output ends thereof; and a second pre-charge circuit configured to keep a voltage across second output capacitor at a second voltage for second lighting circuit, while a second light source is in OFF state. First and second voltages are set such that a difference between a forward voltage of first light source and the first voltage agrees with a difference between a forward voltage of second light source and the second voltage.
US09485818B2 Adaptive direct current (DC) to DC (DC-to-DC) light emitting diode (LED) driver for dynamic loads
Current spikes may occur when dynamically shortening a light emitting diode chain. These current spikes can be avoided by using a voltage control loop to regulate the output of the LED driver just prior to the transition period. Specifically, regulation of the LED driver is switched from a current control loop (e.g., a control loop regulating the output current of the led driver) to a voltage control loop (e.g., a control loop regulating the output voltage of the led driver) just before the LED chain is shortened. The voltage control loop then reduces the voltage of the LED driver to a target voltage prior to shortening the LED chain, thereby allowing the LED chain to be shortened without eliciting a current spike.
US09485811B1 Spray bottle warming system
A spray bottle warming system warms the liquid contents held within a spray bottle used in a hair cutting or styling salon. The device uses a housing that has a bottom and a base plate such that one or more heating coils are located either underneath or passing through the base plate. A sidewall of the housing forms an annular lip with an opening therebetween with the spray bottle resting on the base plate and secured by the annular lip and heated via the heating coils. The device is capable of sensing the weight of the spray bottle, either absolutely, or relative to an initial starting weight, so that the output of the heating coils is controlled by the weight sensed, the less weigh sensed, and thus the less contents within the bottle, the less heat output from the heating coils.
US09485810B2 Handler and inspection apparatus
A handler includes: a rotating section which is a holding unit mounting section which can take a mounted state in which a holding unit for holding an IC device is mounted; and a transportation mechanism which transports the IC device held by the holding unit. The rotating section includes a heat generation section which generates heat and a heating flow path through which fluid which is heated by the heat generation section and is used for heating of the IC device passes.
US09485797B2 Method and apparatus for device-to-device direct communication
A D2D direct communication method is provided. The device sets at least one frame among a plurality of frames included in a superframe to a frame type 0 which is sectionized into a synchronization region for performing a synchronization procedure, a discovery region for discovering devices, a peering region for a connection, and a data region for scheduling of resources and data transmission. The device sets remaining frames among the plurality of frames to a frame type 1 which is sectionized into the synchronization region and the data region.
US09485796B2 Content publishing method and user equipment
Embodiments of the present invention provide a content publishing method and a user equipment. The content publishing method includes: obtaining, by a first user equipment supporting a device to device (D2D) function, a resource for broadcasting information of the first user equipment; and broadcasting, by the first user equipment, the information of the first user equipment on the obtained resource, so that a second user equipment obtains and sends the information of the first user equipment to a network-side device to set up a connection with the first user equipment, where the second user equipment supports the D2D function and is matched with the first user equipment.
US09485790B2 Apparatus and method for seamless commissioning of wireless devices
An apparatus is provided for commissioning a target device onto a wireless local area network (WLAN). The apparatus includes a smart wireless device. The smart wireless device has commissioning logic and a transducer. The commissioning logic is configured to format and direct transmission of one or more WLAN configuration packets that convey WLAN configuration data. The transducer is coupled to the commissioning logic, and is configured to transmit the one or more WLAN configuration packets over the transmission path to the target device, wherein the transducer is an existing component of the smart wireless device.
US09485787B2 Method to achieve a fully acknowledged mode communication (FAMC) in push-to-talk-over-cellular (PoC)
A system and method for providing advanced voice services in a wireless communications network, and more specifically, a method and framework to achieve a Fully Acknowledged Mode Communication (FAMC) in Push-to-talk-over-Cellular (PoC). A FAMC call session is a PoC call session that can only be established when all members of a set are available.
US09485784B2 Methods and arrangements in a telecommunication system for sending feedback data and user data on a combined feedback and data channel
A method and an arrangement (400, 600) in a first and second node, respectively, are provided. In a step (220), the first node (110) sends a plurality of resource units in a time period on a combined feedback and data channel. Said plurality of resource units comprises information about feedback data and user data. At least a minimum number of resource units are reserved for allocation by the user data.
US09485777B2 Systems and methods for scheduling wireless communications
This disclosure provides coexistence strategies for a combined wireless communications device using multiple wireless protocols, such as WLAN and LTE. One or more periods having increased interference potential during an upcoming communication event of one wireless protocol may be identified and the transmission duration of another wireless protocol may be dynamically adjusted to reduce interference. In one aspect, a first period of potential interference during an upcoming LTE transmission may be predicted based on allocated LTE transmission power. The duration of the transmission may be adjusted so that a response to the transmission does not arrive during the first period. In another aspect, a second period of potential interference during an upcoming LTE reception may be predicted based on an estimated quality of LTE reception. The duration of the transmission may be adjusted so that the transmission does not being during the second period.
US09485772B2 Techniques for peer-to-peer network sharing
Techniques for peer-to-peer network sharing are described. In one embodiment, an apparatus may comprise a sharing control component and a local proxy component. The sharing control component may be operative to transmit an offer from the first mobile device to a second mobile device for the second mobile device to act as a proxy for the first mobile device for the performance of network services in return for a transfer of sharing credit from a first account to a second account with a sharing authority, the first account associated with the first mobile device, the second account associated with the second mobile device, and receive an offer acceptance from the second mobile device. The local proxy component may be operative to receive configuration information and configure the first mobile device to use the second mobile device as a network proxy using the configuration information. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US09485769B2 Method and apparatus for determining operating channel in wireless communication system
The present invention relates to a wireless communication system and, more specifically, to a method and an apparatus for determining an operating channel. The method for determining the operating channel of a station (STA) in a TV whitespace (TVWS) wireless LAN system, according to one embodiment of the present invention, comprises the steps of: receiving information on an index which indicates an operating class including channel start frequency, channel spacing, and channel set parameters; and determining a main frequency of the operating channel on the basis of the parameters indicated by the index of the operating class. The main frequency of the operating channel can be determined on the basis of a correction value which is set differently according to the configuration of a basic channel unit of the operating channel.
US09485768B2 Allocating resources in a frequency-time space to mobile station data
To allocate resources in an orthogonal frequency domain multiple access (OFDMA) system, two-dimensional rectangular regions are assigned in a frequency-time space to data bursts associated with mobile stations. At least one data burst does not fit in an available space in the frequency-time space is determined. In response to the determining, the assigned two-dimensional rectangular regions are reshaped.
US09485753B2 Methods and devices for allocating a radio resource for an LTE-unlicensed data transmission
A method for allocating a radio resource for a Long Term Evolution-unlicensed, LTE-U, data transmission of a communication device in an unlicensed frequency band is disclosed. The method includes the communication device determining a time gap duration until a start time of a subframe. The communication device selects a resource allocation transmission from a plurality of resource allocation transmissions as a function of the determined time gap duration. Related communication devices, methods by devices, and systems are disclosed.
US09485752B2 Method and device for sounding signal allocation and sounding assisted beamforming
A communication device and methods are disclosed. A transmission directionality of a plurality of antennas is controlled based on a received previously known signal transmitted from a communication terminal, when a signal to the communication terminal is transmitted. A first upstream radio sub-resource for transmitting the received previously known signal is allocated to a first communication terminal to which a downstream radio resource is to be allocated, and a first upstream radio resource for a first previously known signal comprises the first upstream radio sub-resource. A second upstream radio sub-resource for transmitting the received previously known signal is allocated to a second communication terminal to which a downstream radio resource is not to be allocated, a second upstream radio resource for a second previously known signal comprising the second upstream radio sub-resource.
US09485750B2 Method for effective fast re-paging in a wireless communication network
A method for paging a mobile station where the mobile station (208-212) may be in a dormant state is described. The method begins by sending a first paging message (302) in a first zone (214) of a given area to a selected mobile station wherein the first paging message is sent at the beginning of a paging interval (300). A base station (202-206) then receives a response to the paging message when the mobile station is in the first zone. When the response to the first paging message is not received, a second paging message (306) is sent in a second zone (216) of the given area. The second paging message is sent at a first offset (308) from the sending of the first paging message wherein this first offset occurs less than one paging interval after the sending of the first page message.
US09485747B1 Systems and methods for acquiring location data
Positioning systems may be used to determine the location of computing devices in space. Described herein are systems, methods, and computer readable mediums for storing information determined to be reliable that is used to determine the location of a computing device. In some implementations, the system determines that a scan list is reliable based on factors such as characteristics associated with the type of device that generated the scan list, or based on the amount of times that the information in the scan list was detected over a period of time.
US09485742B2 Communication during thermal mitigation
In order to facilitate communication in a wireless network, an accessibility issue in the wireless network may be detected. For example, if an electronic device is near the boundary between two adjacent cells in the cellular-telephone network, the signal power of signals from a current cell or connection may decrease. Concurrently, the maximum transmit power of the electronic device may be constrained by a thermal limit of the electronic device. When this occurs, the connection may be lost unless remedial action is taken. Therefore, in response to this condition, the electronic device may temporarily increase the maximum transmit power to allow the electronic device to communicate with the cellular-telephone network so that the connection may be transitioned to another cell or connection. In this way, the communication technique may restore the communication performance and avoid a dropped call, which will improve the user experience and customer satisfaction.
US09485733B1 Apparatus, system and method of communicating a wakeup packet
Some demonstrative embodiments include apparatuses, devices, systems and methods of communicating a wakeup packet. For example, an apparatus may include circuitry configured to cause a first wireless device to modulate a preamble of a wakeup packet according to an Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) scheme; modulate a payload of the wakeup packet according to an On-Off keying (OOK) modulation scheme over a plurality of OFDM tones; and transmit the wakeup packet to a second wireless device.
US09485729B2 Selecting a transmission policy and transmitting information to a wearable device
A system, apparatus, and method for communicating with a wearable wireless device are provided. The system includes at least one data source, an aggregator configured to receive data from the at least one data source, and to communicate with an access point, the access point configured to communicate with the aggregator and to communicate with a wearable wireless device, and the wearable wireless device configured to communicate with the access point so as to receive information from the aggregator through the access point.
US09485728B1 Power saving with WNM-sleep mode
A method in a communication device includes receiving from a station a request to enter a power save mode, and in response to receiving the request, enabling a set of services. The set of services includes buffering of data intended for the station. The method also includes, after enabling the set of services, receiving from the station an indicator that the station is awake, and in response to receiving the indicator, disabling the set of services. The method also includes, after disabling the set of services, receiving from the station an indicator that the station is no longer awake, in response to receiving the indicator, again enabling the set of services. The method also includes, after again enabling the set of services, receiving from the station a request to exit the power save mode, and in response to receiving the request, again disabling the set of services.
US09485727B2 Method and apparatus for fast TCH to idle transition
Techniques for determining if it is safe for a mobile device to transition directly from a traffic session to a paging mode and for avoiding network re-synchronization procedures in stationary M2M devices are disclosed. It may be safe for direct transition if before-call and in-call network parameters correspond. If safe, the mobile device may transition from the traffic session directly to the paging mode to begin immediately monitoring the paging channel. In stationary M2M devices, paging information is stored before the traffic session and, once the traffic session is complete, the M2M device may be configured to receive paging messaging based on the stored paging information. The M2M device may also store system access information and confirm the validity of the information before returning to the sleep state. The stationary M2M device avoids network re-synchronization procedures. Other aspects, embodiments, and features are also claimed and described.
US09485725B2 Methods and system for dynamically switching off/on of base stations
Disclosed are methods and system for dynamically switching at least a base station in ON/OFF mode in a cellular network. The method comprises: determining traffic load information of BSs; exchanging the traffic load information between BSs; determining at least a preferred BS for one of a switched OFF mode and a switched ON mode. The system comprises: at least a coverage BS with a master controller; at least a capacity BS with a slave controller adapted to be in one of the switched ON mode and the switched OFF mode depending on network conditions and to satisfy cellular traffic loads, and at least a communication interface adapted to provide interface between at least the coverage BS and the capacity BS.
US09485723B2 Method and apparatus for reducing cell site power consumption in a wireless network
A method, computer-readable storage device, and an apparatus for reducing power consumption in a wireless network are disclosed. For example, the method performs an analysis of a usage pattern for a cell site, determines whether a threshold is reached for reducing the power consumption based on the analysis of the usage pattern, and reduces the power consumption when the threshold is reached for reducing the power consumption.
US09485722B2 Method of searching code sequence in mobile communication system
A method for transmitting a signal for cell searching in a mobile communication system having a multi-cell environment includes transmitting the signal to one or more receiving party devices within a cell, wherein the signal is used for a synchronization of the one or more receiving party devices within the cell, the signal is defined by a combination of a first code sequence derived from a first index and a second code sequence derived from a second index, and an identity of the cell is used for defining the combination of the first code sequence and the second code sequence.
US09485716B2 Method and apparatus for low-power scanning in WLAN system
The present invention relates to a wireless communication system, and more specifically, disclosed are a method and an apparatus for low-power scanning in a WLAN system. A method for a station (STA) scanning in the wireless communication system, according to one embodiment of the present invention, comprises the steps of: transmitting a null data packet (NDP) probe request frame; and receiving from an access point (AP) a probe reply frame as a replay to the NDP probe request frame, wherein the NDP probe request frame can include a compressed service set ID (SSID).
US09485715B2 Systems and methods for coordinating power save operations in an ad hoc network
Systems and methods are disclosed for facilitating coordination among member stations in an IBSS to allow members to remain in a power save mode of operation for extended periods of time without awakening to transmit or receive beacons at each scheduled TBTT. A power save initiator may establish a power save period during which all nodes in the network may enter a power save mode. Correspondingly, beacons may not be sent during the extended power save period and any traffic to be exchanged between members of the IBSS WLAN may be buffered for delivery after the extended power save period ends.
US09485710B2 Method for controlling access in wireless communication system and apparatus for supporting same
Provided is a method for a terminal controlling access in a wireless communication system. The method comprises: obtaining service-specific access control information; obtaining service group access control information; and controlling access to a specific type of service based on the service group access control information and the service-specific access control information. The service-specific access control information includes a service-specific barring factor parameter which is applied to the specific type of service. The service group access control information includes a service group barring factor parameter which is commonly applied to specific service groups that include at least one type of service.
US09485708B2 Systems and methods for concurrent service discovery and minimum spanning tree formation for service delivery
Systems, methods, and devices for wireless service delivery are described herein. In some aspects, a method for wireless service deliver may include transmitting, by a first wireless node, and receiving, from each of a plurality of wireless nodes, a service discovery message for a service. The method may further include selecting one of the plurality of wireless nodes based on a link quality metric associated with each of the plurality of wireless nodes. The method may additionally include establishing a communication pathway to a provider of the service through a link to the selected wireless node.
US09485707B2 Direct routing of communication sessions for mobile IP communication end points
Embodiments of methods and systems for direct routing of communication sessions for mobile IP communication end points are presented. The methods may be implemented in a service provider network. In one embodiment, a method includes receiving, on a first service provider network, a request for access to a target communication device, the target communication device being associated with a second service provider network. The method may also include receiving an indicator, from the second service provider network, that the target communication device is roaming on a third service provider network. Additionally, the method may include establishing a peer-to-peer communication link with the target communication device on the third service provider network by a direct peer-to-peer interconnection process.
US09485702B1 Wireless device communication using carrier priority
In systems and methods of wireless device communication using carrier priority, it is determined for a wireless device using a lower priority carrier that a signal strength of a higher priority carrier meets a signal strength criteria. It is further determined that a loading of the higher priority carrier meets a loading criteria. When the loading meets the loading criteria and the signal strength meets the signal strength criteria, a handover is performed of the wireless device from the lower priority carrier to the higher priority carrier.
US09485699B2 Offloading mobile applications to base stations
A method for mobile computing includes configuring a group of two or more base stations in a vicinity of a user equipment (UE) in a cellular communication network to serve as a femtocloud in support of application programs running on the UE. A femtocloud control program runs on a platform associated with the network. In response to a request from the UE, an application program is offloaded from the UE for execution by one or more of the base stations in the femtocloud under control of the femtocloud control program. Upon handing over radio communication with the UE from a first base station to a second base station, the execution of the offloaded application is also handed over among the base stations.
US09485698B2 Circuit bearer control
The invention makes use of the Short Message Service (SMS) or Unstructured Supplementary Services Data (USSD) capabilities present in today's cellular networks as a means of providing call control and presence signalling and, in particular, for providing the means of effecting hand-off at least from/to the cellular domain to/from the WiFi domain. SMS and USSD were originally designed as engineering channels, but SMS has become highly popular as a service in its own right. SMS and USSD are built into all existing cellular (GSM, CDMA etc.) network and predate the current GPRS overlay. In particular, SMS and USSD can be used while a call may be active in the cellular domain, and a handset may send and receive such messages, with an additional facility which may be used by the invention of receiving acknowledgements of successful receipt of an outgoing SMS by the messaged party—effectively a confirmation from the network. The present invention proposes to use SMS or USSD as a means of an adjunct call control and presence signalling in the cellular domain between a handset and the SIP domain.
US09485697B1 Systems and methods for improved data speeds for wireless devices
A system and method for improving the user experience with a mobile wireless device by reconnecting to a faster speed connection after being rejected for the higher speed by an overloaded cell before expiration of a de-prioritization timer when the mobile wireless device travels away from the overloaded cell. In an embodiment, a method includes receiving from the first cell a connection rejection instructing the mobile wireless device to de-prioritize one or more frequencies of the first connection technology and a de-prioritization timer indicating a time period for the frequencies to remain de-prioritized; determining that the mobile wireless device has left the coverage area of the first cell; and connecting to a second cell of the telecommunication network via a connection in the one or more frequencies of the first connection technology prior to the expiration of the de-prioritization timer.
US09485695B2 Methods and apparatus for performing handoffs in a multi-carrier wireless communications systems
A mobile communications device initiates a handoff from its current base station (BS) sector network attachment point to a new BS sector. The mobile sends a handoff request over its current wireless link to the current BS sector, which forwards the request to the new BS sector. The new BS sector processes the request assigning dedicated resources. Information identifying the allocated resources is conveyed from the new BS sector via the current BS sector to the mobile. The mobile determines the time of the allocated dedicated segments based upon a received beacon signal from the new BS sector with known timing relationships to dedicated segments. The mobile breaks the original wireless link just prior to the time of the first assigned dedicated segment. The mobile communicates information on the assigned dedicated segments to perform registration operations establishing a new wireless link.
US09485694B2 Radio access device and handover method
A radio access device includes a controller signal processing unit (RNSAP unit) that processes a signal exchanged with a radio network controller (RNC); and a switching center signal processing unit (RANAP unit) that processes a signal exchanged with a switching center. The RNSAP unit requests to establish a communication path between the radio access device and the RNC and a communication path between the RNC and a BTS by transmitting a request signal to the RNC. Subsequent to receiving an acknowledgement signal corresponding to the request signal from the RNC, the RANAP unit requests to establish a communication path between the switching center and the RNC. Subsequent to receiving, by the RANAP unit, an acknowledgement signal corresponding to the request signal from the switching center, a communication path between the radio access device and the UE is released.
US09485692B2 LTE handover parameter configuration for specific types of traffic
Methods, systems, and devices are described for wireless communication at a base station. A base station may identify a service type of a mobile device (e.g., voice, web-browsing, or video download). The base station may then determine handover or measurement parameters for the mobile device based on the service type. The base station may also determine a performance metric of the service type. The base station may then adjust the set of parameters based at least in part on the performance metric. In some cases, the base station may select a measurement configuration based on the adjusted parameters.
US09485691B2 Methods for mobility threshold signaling
An apparatus and method for communicating mobility threshold changes between peer nodes (12a, 12b) in a communications network (10) is provided. A sending peer node (12a), such as an eNB, for example, generates (104) a mobility change request message (40) to include an information element (50) having a set of mobility parameters. The set of mobility parameters includes a change value (52) that indicates a change to a threshold relative to a current value of the threshold, as well as a type value (54) indicating a mobility threshold type to be changed and an absolute threshold value (56) to apply to the mobility threshold type. Once generated, the sending peer node (12a) sends (110) the mobility change request message (40) to a receiving peer node (12b).
US09485689B2 Adaptive traffic engineering configuration
System and method embodiments are provided for adaptive traffic engineering configuration. The embodiments enable the TE configuration to change in real time in response to changing conditions in the network, the TE algorithm, or other variables such that a TE decision is substantially optimized for current real time conditions. In an embodiment, a method in a network component for adaptable traffic engineering (TE) configuration in software defined networking (SDN) includes receiving at the network component TE configuration information, wherein the TE configuration information comprises information about at least one of network conditions, a TE algorithm, user equipment (UE) information, and the network component, and dynamically changing with the network component the TE configuration in accordance to a change in the TE configuration information.
US09485685B2 Congestion monitoring of mobile entities
A method, by a policy control unit of a mobile communications network, to control a signaling of congestion information of mobile entities at a plurality of congestion monitoring units that monitor which mobile entities are affected by a congestion state in a radio access network of the mobile communications network. The method comprises receiving, from one of the congestion monitoring units, an indication that one of the mobile entities is affected by a congestion state, storing said one congestion monitoring unit from which the indication is received as the current congestion monitoring unit for said one mobile entity, receiving, from another congestion monitoring unit, the indication that said one mobile entity is affected by a congestion state, and indicating, in response to the indication received from the other monitoring unit, to the current congestion monitoring unit a release of congestion information relating to said one mobile entity.
US09485669B2 Displaying radio-wave condition
A wireless terminal accesses an access point using a shorter range wireless communication method. The access point performs communication with a wide-area radio communication network using a longer range wireless communication method, and may include a determination unit that determines whether a connected access point is a mobile access point or not; an acquisition unit that, when the determination unit determines that the connected access point is a mobile access point, acquires a radio-wave condition of communication with the wide-area radio communication network using the longer range communication method from the connected access point; and a display unit that displays the radio-wave condition acquired by the acquisition unit on a screen.
US09485668B2 Method and arrangement for configuring managed object model for combined cell
The invention relates to an arrangement and a method for configuring MO models for a cell hosted by an RBS. The cell is served by a plurality of transmission points, where each transmission point is covering a subarea of the cell. The cell is modeled by an instance of a first MO. A set of equipment of each transmission point is modeled by an instance of a second MO. The method comprises adding (110) an instance of a third MO for each subarea comprising attributes defining the usage of the transmission point covering the subarea. The method also comprises defining (120) relationships between the instance of the first MO and each instance of the third MOs, and defining (130) a relationship between the added instance of the third MO and the instance of the second MO modeling the set of equipment of the transmission point covering the corresponding subarea. FIG. 10.
US09485667B2 Qualifying locations for fixed wireless services
A device receives an address from a computer terminal; determines a location associated with the address; and determines a current signal quality at the location by referencing a file that represents an area that includes the location. The device further determines whether the location qualifies for a fixed wireless service based on the current signal quality. The device also transmits information to the computer terminal. The information indicates whether the location qualifies for the fixed wireless service.
US09485659B2 Method and apparatus for monitoring network device
Embodiments of the present invention disclose a method and an apparatus for monitoring a network device, and relate to the field of information network technologies. The method in the present invention includes acquiring basic service set identifiers (BSSIDs) of wireless network devices in a network system managed by a network management system and determining BSSIDs of unauthorized wireless network devices in the acquired BSSIDs of the wireless network devices in the network system by using a fingerprint database of authorized wireless network devices. The method also includes acquiring a media access control (MAC) forwarding table corresponding to a network port used by a user and determining an unauthorized wireless network device connected to the network port according to the BSSIDs of the unauthorized wireless network devices and a MAC address.
US09485647B2 Providers of UBARR subscription-based services
A user subscription profile for a subscription-based mobile application in a wireless mobile device is established with a first mobile application service provider. The wireless device requests service for the mobile application from a second mobile application service provider. The user's subscription profile for the mobile application service is either communicated to the second mobile application service provider, or the mobile application required and allowed service information is accessed from the second mobile application service provider to enable the mobile application service to function with the second mobile application service provider as though the mobile application service were operating within the service area of the first mobile application service provider consistent with the requirements of the second mobile application service provider.
US09485645B2 Systems, methods, and computer program products for providing service credit to customer accounts in a wireless communications service network
Systems, methods, and computer program products use combinations of international mobile equipment identity (IMEI), international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI), and account information to determine if a customer is eligible for service credit in near real-time. The customer needs an active account prior to inserting a subscriber identity module (SIM) into a device and powering on the device for the system to determine credit eligibility. No further customer action is required. The credit application process determines credit eligibility based upon device credit eligibility, account tenure, and/or credit rules, and applies the credit to the customer's account. The customer may be proactively notified when the credit is applied. The credit and tenure rules may be changed as the industry and business needs change to remain competitive in the industry. The SIM used is configured with software to lock the SIM to the device upon first power-on.
US09485643B2 Method and systems for secure message transmission
Methods and systems for secure message transmission from a computing device of a sender to at least one recipient, the method comprising iteratively selecting a group until the sender indicates conclusion of the group to provide a selected group, selecting at least one recipient from each selected group to provide at least one selected recipient, composing a message to provide a composed message, selecting at least one device for each selected recipient to provide at least one selected device, wherein the composed message is to be dispatched to the at least one selected device, and indicating an alert notification on each of the at least one selected devices of the recipient, wherein the alert notification indicates dispatch of the composed message to the selected device.
US09485636B2 Method and system for off-net message communications
Methods and apparatus for routing off-net Short Message Service (SMS) messages between a first service provider network and a terminating service provider network are provided herein. In some embodiments, the method includes receiving a first SMS message including a first identifier associated with a first subscriber of the first service provider network stored in a source address field directed to a second identifier, determining that the second identifier is associated with a second subscriber of the terminating service provider network, associating the first identifier with a local reply identifier in a mapping database, replacing the first identifier in the source address field with the local reply identifier, and routing the first SMS message including the local reply identifier stored in the source address field to the second identifier.
US09485623B2 Method and system for providing enhanced location based trilateration
Method, systems and devices for determining for performing enhanced location based trilateration include receiving location information (e.g., waypoints) from one or more external devices, determining the validity of the received location information, performing normalization operations to normalize the received location information, assigning an overall ranking and a device-specific ranking to the location information, and storing the validated and normalized location information in memory. The enhanced location based trilateration may also include selecting four locations (e.g., waypoints) from the memory based on a combination of the overall ranking and the device-specific ranking, and generating a final location value or waypoint based on a result of applying the four selected waypoints to a kalman filter. The output of the kalman filter may also be reported and/or used as the device's current location.
US09485620B2 Dynamic event notification system for mobile devices
Disclosed is a method for delivering emergent event notifications to a user's Mobile Device. Map and Calendar applications are polled with correlations made between map locations and event information. Geo-Fence Boundaries are established for map locations which are inherited by their associated events. Penetration of a Geo-Fence Boundary by a Mobile Device running the Mobile Application triggers a search for events that are associated with the established Geo-Fence Boundary. Filtered Notifications of event options of interest to the user are transmitted to the Mobile Device based on pre-established and dynamic variables and whether the user can arrive at the event while it is underway. Upon selection of an event by the user, the Mobile Device provides route and navigation guidance to the selected location.
US09485616B2 Methods and systems for providing help via a mobile device
A system, method and computer program product for requesting help and providing feedback, including a user mobile device, a database, and a service provider device coupled over a communications network. The user mobile device includes a user application that contacts the database and transmits a location of the user mobile device, information regarding the mobile device user, and a service provider name the over the communications network. The database receives the transmitted information from the user mobile device over the communications network. The database, based on the information received from the user mobile device, transmits the location of the user mobile device, and the user information to the service provider device over the communications network. The service provider device includes a service provider application that receives the transmitted information from the database, and displays on the service provider device the user mobile device location, and the user information.
US09485603B2 Customizable beacons to activate content on a user device
Embodiments described herein use customized beacons embedded in Bluetooth low-energy advertisements to transmit information between a user device and a beacon module. In one embodiment, the beacon module transmits the advertisement to the user device. The user device then parses the data contained within the advertisement to identify a customized beacon. Based on the information contained in the beacon, the application may provide an audio and/or visual presentation to the user. For example, the beacon may inform the user device that it is within close proximity to a particular geographic location (e.g., a point of interest). In response, the beacon application may present a visual presentation about the geographic location using a display screen within the user device.
US09485599B2 Low-cost method for testing the signal-to-noise ratio of MEMS microphones
A method is provided for testing a MEMS microphone. The MEMS microphone includes a pressure sensor positioned within a housing and a pressure input port to direct acoustic pressure from outside the housing towards the pressure sensor. An acoustic pressure source provides acoustic pressure to the MEMS microphone. A reference microphone is positioned proximal to the MEMS microphone. An output signal of the MEMS microphone and an output signal of the reference microphone are compared. A common signal component is removed from the output signal of the MEMS microphone and the output signal of the MEMS microphone is analyzed for noise due to the construction of the device and for a signal-to-noise ratio of the device. Based on the noise signal and the signal-to-noise ratio, the MEMS microphone is rejected or accepted.
US09485594B2 Connector arrangement in hearing instruments
An acoustic apparatus includes a mechanical shell, a first electronic component, a first connector, and a receiver. The mechanical shell is generally cylindrical in shape and forms a cavity, the shell having an inner surface, the inter surface in communication with the cavity. The first electronic component is disposed in the cavity. The first connector includes electrical contacts and is disposed on the inner surface of the shell. A first electrical connection electrically couples the microphone to the first connector. The receiver is disposed in the cavity, and the receiver has a second connector. An electrical connection is formed between the first electronic component and the receiver via the first connector and the second connector. A rotation of the shell causes the electrical contacts to rotate within or with respect to the second connector such that the rotation does not cause the electrical connection between the first connector and the second connector to be broken.
US09485591B2 Managing a hearing assistance device via low energy digital communications
Disclosed herein, among other things, are systems and methods for programming and modifying hearing assistance devices via low energy digital communications. One aspect of the present subject matter includes a method of using a hearing assistance device. The method includes providing characteristics and descriptors of the hearing assistance device compatible with a low energy digital communication protocol, the characteristics and descriptors accessible to an external communication device. According to various embodiments, the method also includes accepting individual read/write cycles from an external communication device configured to use the low energy digital communication protocol to read and update the characteristics and descriptors using an abstraction layer. The hearing assistance device is configured to compensate for a wearer's hearing loss based on the updated characteristics and descriptors, in various embodiments.
US09485590B2 Hearing device with a means for receiver current estimation and a method of estimating a receiver current for a hearing device
A hearing device with a unit for estimating the current consumed by the receiver of the hearing device. The hearing device includes a signal input unit for converting an input signal picked up by the signal input unit into a digital audio signal, a signal processing unit for processing the digital audio signal, a digital-to-analog converter for converting a processed audio signal from the signal processing unit, a power amplifier for amplifying a converted audio signal from the digital-to-analog converter, a receiver for generating sound according to an amplified audio signal from the power amplifier, and a battery for powering the hearing device. A receiver current estimation unit has a filter for filtering a receiver current indicative signal derived from the processed audio signal, the filter having a frequency response dependent on an impedance of the receiver. A method is provided for estimating a receiver current for a hearing device.
US09485586B2 Speaker driver
A speaker driver with a high degree of symmetry for use in a loudspeaker is disclosed. The disclosed motor assembly may be symmetrical about its long and radial axes. A voice coil disclosed may be supported by opposing upper and lower suspensions on the voice coil upper and lower ends. The upper and lower voice coil suspensions may be adhered to a frame above and below the motor assembly, respectively.
US09485577B2 Audio output device
Provided is an audio output device capable of preventing noises and improving the S/N ratio even if no audio signal is inputted in the middle of the input of audio signals, or even if an audio-signal input state and a no-signal state are alternately repeated. In the provided audio output device, a multiplier is provided on the input side of each of the delayers. Each multiplier multiplies the addition output of the corresponding one of adders by a multiplier coefficient supplied by the coefficient counter. If there is no input of digital audio signals into a ΔΣ modulator, the counter control circuit decreases the output of the coefficient counter down to 0 stepwise at predetermined intervals.
US09485574B2 Spatial interference suppression using dual-microphone arrays
Systems, processes, devices, apparatuses, algorithms and computer readable medium for suppressing spatial interference using a dual microphone array for receiving, from a first microphone and a second microphone that are separated by a predefined distance, and that are configured to receive source signals, respective first and second microphone signals based on received source signals. A phase difference between the first and the second microphone signals is calculated based on the predefined distance. An angular distance between directions of arrival of the source signals and a desired capture direction is calculated based on the phase difference. Directional-filter coefficients are calculated based on the angular distance. Undesired source signals are filtered from an output based on the directional-filter coefficients.
US09485570B1 Article and method for muting a voice amplifier
This specification discloses an improved voice transmission system for a protective mask. The voice transmission system comprises a speaker assembly and a radio transmitter assembly. The speaker assembly comprises speaker components comprised of a first microphone, an amplifier, a batter and a speaker. The radio transmitter assembly comprises radio transmitter assembly components comprised of a radio transmitter microphone selected from the group consisting of the first microphone of the speaker assembly or an optional second microphone, a radio transmitter switch and a radio transmitter. The improvement comprises a radio transmitter communication connection from the radio transmitter switch to at least one device selected from the speaker assembly components which prevents the speaker assembly from emitting a sound from the speaker when the radio transmitter switch allows the radio transmitter to transmit an electronic signal converted from a signal originating from the radio transmitter microphone.
US09485569B2 Sound signal processing apparatus, microphone apparatus, sound signal processing method, and program
A sound signal processing apparatus includes a sliding operation detecting section to which a sound signal collected by a microphone is inputted, and which determines start and end of a sliding operation by a determination process using a sliding sound signal component in the inputted sound signal, the sliding sound signal component being produced by the sliding operation on the microphone itself or its vicinity, and a control section that performs a predetermined control process that is set with respect to the sliding operation, during a period from the start to the end of the sliding operation determined by the sliding operation detecting section.
US09485568B2 Power management controller for drivers
A driver controller comprising a state machine for controlling transitions between a plurality of states. An output switch for providing a low impedance path to ground during transition periods. An output stage for decoupling output signal from driver amplifier during the transition periods.
US09485565B2 Sound generating apparatus and electronic apparatus including the same
A sound generating apparatus is provided for expanding a mid-range of a slit-firing type speaker system. The sound generating apparatus includes a vibrator, a body part which encloses the vibrator, a path through which the generated sound is transmitted, and a slit formed in a length direction of the body part connected to an end portion of the path and configured to emit the sound.
US09485552B1 Optical switch fabric with bias control
Methods and systems for bias control in an optical switch fabric include monitoring optical power at outputs of a plurality of switch elements in an N×N switch fabric that has N inputs, N outputs, and M≧2 stages. A bias control of a first of the plurality of switch elements is adjusted. It is determined whether the optical power at the outputs of the first switch element after bias control adjustment conform more closely to a predetermined criterion relative to the monitored optical power at the outputs of the first switch element prior to adjustment. The adjusting and determining steps are repeated for each of the remainder of the plurality of switch elements.
US09485550B2 Systems and methods for selection of optimal routing parameters for DWDM network services in a control plane network
A method, in an intermediate node in a control plane network, includes receiving a setup message from an originating node, wherein the setup message is sent towards a terminating node on a computed path in the control plane network, and the setup message indicates associated Layer 0 attributes; validating the associated attributes/constraints based on locally available resources; and performing one of: forwarding the setup message on the path towards the terminating node when validation is successful; forwarding the setup message on the path towards the terminating node with updated information indicating a rejection cause and additional information when the validation is unsuccessful, but a modification of the Layer 0 attributes/constraints is possible; and forwarding a release message on the path back to the originating node with updated information indicating a rejection cause and additional information when the validation is unsuccessful and no modifications of the Layer 0 attributes/constraints are possible.
US09485535B2 Notification of interactivity event asset delivery sources in a mobile broadcast communication system
Systems, apparatus and methods provide an automatic capability for generating interactivity event applications for execution on receiver devices within a broadcast network based upon interactivity event application data, information and sequence logic. Interactivity event content providers may provide to a broadcast network interactivity event application data, event metadata information and sequence logic a broadcast network. Interactivity resources for interactivity sequences associated with one or more real-time channels are broadcast over the broadcast network such that the resources share a file data flow, or such that they can be carried on separate file data flows. File data flow identifiers and overhead flow identifiers are indicated in the Service SI. Interactivity signaling messages for interactivity sequences associated with one or more real times channels are broadcast on auxiliary flows.
US09485534B2 Methods and apparatus to detect user attentiveness to handheld computing devices
Methods and apparatus to detect user attentiveness to handheld computing devices are disclosed. An example handheld computing device includes a detector to detect an orientation of the handheld computing and a distance between the handheld computing device and a user; an index associating a plurality of spatial combinations with respective levels of user attentiveness to a presentation on the handheld computing device; and a comparator to compare the orientation and the distance between the handheld computing device and the user to the spatial combinations to identify a level of attentiveness of the user.
US09485529B2 Method and apparatus for ordering entertainment programs from different programming transmission sources
The present invention provides an improved method and apparatus for purchasing media features for programming transmissions. A selection is sent to a server system to buy an upgraded media feature for a programming transmission. The server system automatically coordinates purchasing the media feature from a programming transmission source and providing the media feature from the programming transmission source. In one embodiment, an entertainment system includes a user interface from which a viewer selects an upgraded media feature for a programming transmission, wherein the programming transmission with the upgraded media feature is provided to the entertainment system.
US09485527B2 Hybrid resource management system and method
A method of optimizing the delivery of content over a content delivery network to client devices in accordance with optimization rules is provided. Requests for allocation and release of content delivery resources over a content delivery network are monitored, and the processing capabilities of client devices receiving content over the content delivery network are determined. Network resources are re-allocated based on optimization rules and the processing capabilities, and the client devices are directed to use re-allocated resources for reception of content. Apparatus and client devices for performing the method are also disclosed.
US09485524B2 Method, system, and apparatus for receiving contents through multiple channels
An apparatus for receiving contents through multiple channels includes a content manager configured to receive, from multiple content providing servers through the multiple channels, multiple packet data related to appropriate contents which is suitable for a user device, and transmit the appropriate contents to the user device by using the received multiple packet data and a transmission rate manager configured to set each of reference transmission rate ranges of each of the multiple content providing servers, wherein the content manager is further configured to receive the multiple packet data from the multiple content providing servers based on the reference transmission rate ranges set by the transmission rate manager.
US09485522B2 Method of applying edge offset
Provided is a method of post-processing a reconstructed image. The method according to an embodiment includes determining a boundary strength for each 4-sample edge which is a prediction edge or a transform edge and lies on 8×8 sample grid, determining whether deblocking filtering is applied on the 4-sample edge or not using the boundary strength and a boundary quantization parameter, filtering the 4-sample edge if the deblocking filtering is applied on the 4-sample edge, and applying an edge offset if a sample adaptive offset (SAO) type indicates an edge offset.
US09485513B2 Encoding device, decoding device, and program
In the present invention, at least two component signals that represent luminance and a color difference in an original signal having a predetermined image format are encoded/decoded. This encoding device (10) is equipped with: a local decoding section (17-1, 17-2, 18-1, 18-2, 23-1, 23-2) that generates a locally decoded signal of a second component signal; a luminance-color difference prediction unit (4) that generates a parameter for normalizing the second component signal by comparing the original signal of a first component signal not yet encoded with the locally decoded signal of the second component signal in order to generate a luminance-color difference prediction signal; a prediction signal generation unit (22-1) that generates a prediction signal for an intra-screen prediction or a prediction signal for an inter-screen prediction regarding the first component signal; a synthesis unit (2) that performs a weighted addition of the prediction signal and the luminance-color difference prediction signal in order to generate a corrected prediction signal for the first component signal; and an encoding section (13-1, 14-1, 15-1, 16-1) that generates and encodes a difference signal between the corrected prediction signal and the original signal of the first component signal.
US09485503B2 Inside view motion prediction among texture and depth view components
The techniques of this disclosure may be generally related to using motion information for a corresponding block from a texture view component that corresponds with a block in a depth view component in coding the block in the depth view component. In some examples, for coding purposes, the techniques may use motion information when the spatial resolution of the texture view component is different than the spatial resolution of the depth view component.
US09485501B2 Method and system for determining image retention
A system and method for measuring and quantifying image retention in a display device. The method involves displaying a test pattern (206, 306, 406, 606, 706) having at least one dark feature (210, 310, 410, 610) and at least one light feature (208, 308, 408, 608). The method further involves the displaying an analysis pattern (202, 302, 402, 602) having at one gradient feature (204, 304, 404, 604a-c) with a plurality of regions of different levels. The levels of the gradient feature may then be matched up with the levels displayed in the regions formerly displaying the dark feature (210, 310, 410, 610) and/or the light feature (208, 308, 408, 608). Thus, image retention may be determined by visual inspection.
US09485495B2 Autofocus for stereo images
Present embodiments contemplate systems, apparatus, and methods to determine an appropriate focal depth for a sensor based upon a pair of stereoscopic images. Particularly, certain of the embodiments contemplate determining keypoints for each image, identifying correlations between the keypoints, and deriving object distances from the correlations. These distances may then be used to select a proper focal depth for one or more sensors.
US09485487B2 Method and apparatus for generating a signal for a display
An apparatus for generating an image signal for a display (103) comprises a receiver (105) which receives a video signal comprising three-dimensional data for a sequence of images. An image generator (107) generates display images for the sequence of images based on the three dimensional data and a rendering viewpoint. A shot transition detector (111) detects shot transitions in the sequence of images and a viewpoint controller (113) changes the rendering viewpoint in synchronization with the shot transition. A signal generator (109) generates the image signal to comprise the display images. The apparatus may further track viewer movements and adapt the rendering accordingly. In addition the system may bias the viewpoint towards a nominal viewpoint. The viewpoint changes due to tracking may be non-synchronous whereas the viewpoint changes due to bias may be synchronous with shot transitions.
US09485471B2 Write-protected recording
A surveillance apparatus continuously records imaged data from a camera into a circular buffer in a local memory. When a record signal is received, the system records the video stream that was recorded before the record signal was received, and the video stream that is recorded after the record signal was received. The recorded segment is then write-protected, so that the surveillance apparatus does not overwrite the recorded segment. The recorded segment could then be sent to a remote memory via a wireless connection to free up local memory for future recording sessions.
US09485459B2 Virtual window
Novel tools and techniques are provided for displaying video. In some embodiments, novel tools and techniques might be provided for sensing the presence and/or position of a user in a room, and/or for customizing displayed content (including video call content, media content, and/or the like) based on the sensed presence and/or position of the user. In particular, in some aspects, a user device (which might include, without limitation, a video calling device, an image capture device, a gaming console, etc.) might determine a position of a user relative to a display device in communication with the user device. The user device and/or a control server (in communication with the user device over a network) might adjust an apparent view of video or image(s) displayed on the display device, based at least in part on the determined position of the user relative to the display device.
US09485457B2 Image processing apparatus and method of controlling the same
This invention enables, for example, reduction of motion blur in a hold-type display device and reduce flicker in an impulse-type display device by a simple process. For this purpose, an LPF filters a frame of input image data (A[i]) to generate low-frequency image data (L). A subtractor and an adder generate high-frequency image data (SH). Another adder adds the low-frequency image data (L) from a delay circuit to subsequent low-frequency image data. A divider halves the sum to generate low-frequency averaged image data (SL). A switch alternately outputs the high-frequency image data (SH) and the low-frequency image data (SL) every time a frame of image data is input. As a result, the apparatus of this invention can generate output image data having a frame rate twice that of the input image data.
US09485456B2 Frame-rate conversion in a distributed computing system
Described herein are, among other things, distributed processing methods and systems for frame rate conversion. In an embodiment, a transcoding management machine manages a distributed transcoding process, creating a plurality of video segments and assigning the video segments across a set of distributed transcoding resources for frame rate conversion. The management machine typically sends a given segment to a given transcoding resource along with instructions to convert the frame rate to a specified output frame rate. In addition, the management machine can send certain transcoding assistance information that preferably facilitates the frame rate change process and helps the transcoding resource to create a more accurate output segment. Hence, in some embodiments, each transcoding resource can perform its transcode job independently, but with reference to the input segment it is responsible for transcoding and the assistance information provided by the management machine.
US09485453B2 Moving image player device
A moving image player device of the present invention includes an interpolated image generating unit that generates an interpolated frame corresponding to a time between two adjacent input frames using two input frames among the plurality of input frames, and a video playing unit that detects a scene change in the video, outputs the plurality of input frames or the interpolated frames in time series based on the detection result, and plays the video at an arbitrary playing speed. When the scene change is detected, the video playing unit skips a display of the interpolated frames corresponding to time between an input frame at the end of a first scene and an input frame at the head of a second scene, and displays an input frame of the second scene or the interpolated frame after the input frame at the end of the first scene or the interpolated frame.
US09485447B2 Reduced size image pickup apparatus retaining image quality
An image pickup apparatus for photographing an image, includes: a photoelectric converter to convert incident light an electric charge and accumulate the electric charge, a transfer element to transfer the electric charge accumulated in the photoelectric converter, a converter to convert the electric charge in the photoelectric converter transferred via the transfer element into a voltage, a reset element to reset potentials of the converter, and an amplifier to amplify a voltage converted by the converter to generate a pixel signal and output the pixel signal to a read signal line for reading the pixel signal. A plurality of the photoelectric converter and the transfer element are disposed at least in a horizontal direction share the amplifier and the read signal line.
US09485439B2 Shortwave infrared camera with bandwidth restriction
A camera comprises an image plane for capturing shortwave infrared wavelengths. The image plane captures only a portion of a shortwave infrared wavelength band, and excludes other wavelengths. A method of designing a camera is also disclosed.
US09485437B2 Digital photographing apparatus and method of controlling the same
A digital photographing apparatus includes: an imaging device that generates an image signal by capturing image light; a storage unit that stores a template including a background area and a composite area that indicates at least a part of an image according to the image signal; an image changing unit that changes orientations of the template and the image; an image composing unit that composes the image and the template of which orientations are changed; and a display unit that displays the composed image, wherein the image changing unit determines orientations to be changed of the template and the image according to a rotation amount of the imaging device with respect to an optical axis of the image light and an orientation in which an imaging surface of the imaging device faces. Accordingly, a user may naturally perform a self-photography function using a template.
US09485433B2 Systems and methods for iterative adjustment of video-capture settings based on identified persona
Disclosed herein are systems and methods for iterative adjustment of video-capture settings based on identified persona. In an embodiment, a method includes receiving video frames being captured by a video camera of an ongoing scene. The method also includes identifying a persona in one or more of the received frames at least in part by identifying, in each such frame, a set of pixels that is representative of the persona in the frame and that does not include any pixels representative of a background of the frame. The method also includes selecting, based collectively on the brightness values of the pixels in the identified set of pixels of one or more frames, an adjustment command for one or more adjustable video-capture settings of the camera, as well as outputting the selected commands to the camera for use in continuing to capture video data representative of the ongoing scene.
US09485428B2 Image transmission device and imaging display system
An image transmission device is an image transmission device in an imaging display system in which an imaging device which images a subject and outputs frame image data, the image transmission device which wirelessly transmits the frame image data, an image reception device which wirelessly receives the wirelessly transmitted frame image data, and a display device which displays an image thereon based on the frame image data wirelessly received by the image reception device are included. The image transmission device includes an input unit, an image processing unit, a communication unit, and an adjustment unit.
US09485427B2 Apparatus and methods for stabilization and vibration reduction
The present invention provides an apparatus for stabilizing an imaging device and methods of using the same for a wide variety of applications including photography, video, and filming. Also provided are unmanned vehicles including aerial vehicles that contain the apparatus disclosed herein.
US09485424B2 Image processing system and method using serially coupled cameras for providing extended view
A system and method for generating an image includes a plurality of imaging units coupled together and a system controller coupled to the plurality of imaging units for providing at least one signal to each of the plurality of imaging units. Each of the imaging units comprises: an image sensing unit for generating an in-situ image, each in-situ image being a portion of the image; an input for receiving the in-situ image; a composition unit for receiving a first composite image and producing a second composite image, the second composite image being a combination of the first composite image and the in-situ image; and an output at which the second composite image is provided.
US09485415B2 Electronic camera and image processing apparatus
An electronic camera includes an image pickup device, a memory, a face detecting section, a face recognizing section, and an object specifying section. The image pickup device photo-electrically converts an image of an object into an electric signal and generates an image signal as the electric signal. The memory has recorded registration data representing characterizing points of faces as recognizing targets. The face detecting section detects face areas in a shooting image plane based on the image signal and extracts characterizing points of faces of objects from the face areas. The face recognizing section determines whether or not the face areas are the recognizing targets based on data of the characterizing points corresponding to the face areas and on the registration data. The object specifying section specifies as a main object an object present on nearest side of the electronic camera of objects as the recognizing targets.
US09485410B2 Image processing device, imaging device, image processing method and computer readable medium
A generation section generates a first display image based on an image signal output from an image pick-up device, and generates a second display image for use in focus verification based on a first and second image. A correction section corrects gradation of the second display image according to gradation correction information determined based on at least one of a spatial frequency characteristic in the second display image or maxima values in a histogram of pixel values in the second display image.
US09485392B1 Scanned imaging systems
A scanned imaging system includes a lens system for directing radiation from a scene to be scanned onto external reflecting surfaces of a rotating polygon and onto a detector, the external reflecting surfaces including primary and secondary flat facets which rotate together on a common axis, the lens system including an image space lens system for focusing an image of the scene to be scanned in the vicinity of a primary facet, and further including an optical system for directing radiation from a primary facet to a focus at a point on or adjacent an associated secondary facet and to reflect the radiation from the secondary facet to the detector, the arrangement being such that a beam of radiation is incident on substantially the whole width of a primary facet and sweeps round with that facet as the polygon rotates.
US09485391B2 Method, apparatus and program for restoring and correcting surface reflectance with color image processing
Spectral power distribution of an illumination is restored using color information in a region of the specific object in an input image and a pre-specified representative surface reflectance of the specific object. The surface reflectance in the region of the specific object is restored from the color information and the spectral power distribution of the illumination. The surface reflectance is corrected using three or more pre-specified reference surface reflectances of the specific object. The color in the region of the specific object is calculated from the spectral power distribution of the illumination and the corrected surface reflectance.
US09485385B2 Image processing apparatus and computer program for generating a file in which plural area images of a document image are disposed in different pages
An image processing apparatus includes a processor, and memory storing computer readable instructions, when executed by the processor, causing the apparatus to function as a document image acquiring unit configured to acquire document image data which is generated by optically reading a document and represents a document image, an area image generating unit configured to use the document image data to generate plural area image data representing plural area images that are included in the document image, and a file generating unit configured to generate a file including the plural area image data such that the plural area images are disposed in different pages.
US09485369B2 Display device, electronic device and image processing apparatus including the display device, and method of displaying information
On a touch-panel display of an image forming apparatus, a function selecting area and a preview area are displayed next to each other. On the function selecting area, a function setting menu is displayed in one display mode among an icon mode in which only a group of icons are displayed, a regular mode in which a group of icons and a group of texts are displayed, and an express mode in which a group of icons, a group of texts and a group of function setting buttons are displayed. In the icon mode, detailed preview information is displayed on a large preview area, and in the express mode, detailed function selecting information is displayed on a large function selecting area.
US09485368B2 Electronic document generation apparatus, recording medium, and electronic document generation system
An electronic document generation apparatus generates a recognition object image by performing an image processing on a scan image so that each of a plurality of line areas extracted from a character area of the scan image should be determined as a unit recognition area and transmits the recognition object image to the cloud server. The apparatus further receives text data which is a processing result of an optical character recognition processing on the recognition object image, in which a delimiter code is added at the end of a character recognition result for each of a plurality of unit recognition areas, from the cloud server, separates the text data into a plurality of character string data on the basis of the delimiter code, and generates an electronic document by arranging each of the plurality of character string data in the line area corresponding to each character string data.
US09485362B2 Methods and systems for providing a mobile office phone
Methods and systems for providing a mobile office phone are provided herein. In one embodiment a system includes a private branch exchange (PBX), a server configured to integrate user equipment (UE) onto the PBX by attaching a mobile telephone number of the UE as an extension on the PBX, and a session initiation protocol (SIP) server coupled with the server and PBX that allows the UE to place and receive calls and messages over data channels of a network.
US09485361B1 Internet SIP registration/proxy service for audio conferencing
To enable load balancing and the like for audio conferencing systems of an audio conferencing network, a DNS server may receive a DNS lookup from an internet softphone and return a prioritized list of audio conferencing system identities. The internet softphone may select an audio conferencing system and forward a SIP Invite to a Bridge interface layer of the respective audio conferencing system. If the SIP Invite does not generate a successful connection or generates a timeout, the internet softphone forwards the SIP Invite to the next prioritized Bridge interface layer in the list.
US09485357B2 Splitting a call for an emergent event into multiple devices using data channels
Public safety access points (PSAP), such as 911 and e911 service providers, are often overwhelmed with information coming from a number of callers. As part of an initial assessment, a determination is often made as to whether two or more callers are calling about the same emergent event. If two or more callers are calling about the same emergent event, the callers and PSAP may interact at the same time but differently, such as different content or different media types. As a benefit, on-site activities may be coordinated in a manner that helps reduce the demands on PSAP resources and helps to facilitate a more accurate and appropriate response to the emergent event.
US09485332B2 Offloading execution of a portion of a client-side web application to a server
Offloading execution of a portion of a client-side Web application to a server. In one embodiment, for example, a computer-implemented includes identifying a function to-be-offloaded in a client-side scripting language file; generating an offloaded function based on the function to-be-offloaded; replacing, in the scripting language file, the body of the function to-be-offloaded with client RPC stub which, when executed by an end-user computing device as a result of a call to the function to-be-offloaded, causes one or more arguments passed into the function to-be-offloaded to be marshalled and sent to a server in one or more network messages.
US09485328B2 Game control device, game program, game control method and game system
The game control device may include a storage unit, a first match-up executing unit, a character ability updating unit, and a second match-up executing unit. The storage unit stores an ability value of each player character. The first match-up executing unit executes a first match-up between two player characters in response to input of a communication terminal, and to determine a result of the first match-up based on the stored ability value of each player character. The character ability updating unit updates, based on the result of the first match-up, the ability values of the two player characters, and causes the storage unit to store the updated ability values. The second match-up executing unit executes a second match-up between player characters independently from the first match-up without input of the communication terminal, and determines a result of the second match-up based on the stored ability value of each player character.
US09485318B1 System and method for identifying influential social media and providing location-based alerts
The invention relates to systems and methods of identifying social media influencers and providing location-based alerts based on social media content items posted to social media providers from monitored locations. The system may identify a user who visited a specified location based on a social media content item posted by the user from the specified location. The system may provide an alert to an entity such as a retailer whenever the user re-posts from the specified location. The system may further determine whether, to what extent, and identity of users over whom the user has influence based on one or more influence factors. An influencer is a user who is determined to have influenced the behavior of other users, as determined from the user's social media activity and/or the influenced users' social media activity.
US09485313B2 Relevance estimation and actions based thereon
Computer-based systems, methods, and articles of manufacture are disclosed. In a social network embodiment, information regarding a first user is obtained and formed into a first dataset. Conceptual spaces are selected for the first user, and the first user's location is determined in the spaces. Distances between the first user and other users and their datasets are computed in the selected conceptual spaces. Actions are taken based on the distances, such as including or excluding the other users from a friends list of the first user.
US09485312B2 Data network notification bar processing system
A method and apparatus are disclosed of providing a user application with a notification message. One example method may include receiving a script to setup a message queue, the script may include a database schema and the script may be executed by a processor to apply the database schema to a database that includes the message queue. The method may also include receiving one or more notifications messages having specific notification content that is applied to notification messages. The notifications may be received from a remote device. The message queue may include notification content used to generate notification messages destined for end user devices.
US09485307B1 Broadcasting network identifiers that are based on media items
Disclosed are various embodiments for generating a network identifier that is based on a media item. A network identifier system processes a media item. The network identifier system generates a network identifier that is based on the media item. The network identifier system broadcasts the network identifier that was generated.
US09485296B1 Distribution network providing customized content at delivery
Objects in a content delivery network are modified at delivery to users. Individual content servers include copies of the content objects and receive requests from users for a copy of the object. The request includes a program from the content provider on how the content object is to be modified at delivery to the user. The program is executed on delivery of the object to provide the user with a modified content object. Modification can occur as the content is delivered from the content server to the user.
US09485292B2 Display protocol interception in the network for services and network-based multimedia support for VDI
An apparatus and related method are provided for improving the performance of virtual desktop services. A network device is deployed in a network to intercept packets of a control session initiated by a client with a connection broker to obtain data from a host. The network device initiates a new control session to the connection broker on behalf of the client. The network device receives host information from the connection broker, replaces address information of the network device for the host information in a control session message and sends the control session message to the client. The network device establishes a data session with the client, initiates a data session with the host on behalf of the client and relays data between the data session with the host and the data session with the client such that the network device is transparent to the client and the host.
US09485290B1 Method and system for controlling local display and remote virtual desktop from a mobile device
A computer-implemented method for transmitting and controlling images of a remotely executed application, the method including connecting a mobile computing device to a remote server; connecting a desktop computing device to the remote server and to the mobile computing device; starting an application on the remote server, wherein the application generates graphical objects controllable by commands from the mobile computing device; encoding each graphical object into a video stream; transferring the video stream to the mobile computing device and to the desktop computing device; generating the commands on mobile computing device; sending the commands to the remote server; detecting if the video stream contains results of execution of the commands; displaying the graphical objects on the local computing device; and generating an image of a substitute graphic object image if the video stream does not contain the results.
US09485289B2 HTTP streaming client adaptation algorithm based on proportional-integral control
In one embodiment, an HTTP streaming session may be initiated at a client device in a network. The client device may have a buffer and may be configured to request and receive one or more data segments over HTTP from an HTTP server. A first data segment at a first data source rate may be requested and subsequently received. The first data segment may be stored in the buffer. A second data source rate may then be calculated based on a storage level in the buffer, and a second data segment at the second data source rate may be requested.
US09485280B2 Proposal system access policy enforcement
Described herein are techniques and mechanisms for access policy creation and enforcement. According to various embodiments, a message may be received via a communications interface. The message may include a request to perform an action within a proposal system. The proposal system may be operable to create a request for proposals based on user input. The request for proposals may describe a business need associated with a business entity. The proposal system may be further operable to process a plurality of proposal documents received in response to the request for proposals. The request may be associated with a user account. A determination may be made as to whether the requested action complies with an access policy. The requested action may be performed when it is determined that the requested action complies with the access policy.
US09485277B2 Wide area network access management computer
A system and method for connecting a classified internet protocol (IP) network to a public IP network including an unclassified computing device. The unclassified computing device is a wide area network access management computer which directly connects to a National Security Agency (NSA) High Assurance Internet Protocol Encryptor (HAIPE) device and interfaces between the IP network and the classified IP network. The wide area network access management computer includes a graphical user interface, an internal data network communications interface, an external data network communications interface and a processing unit. The processing unit operates the network interfaces and presents information to the graphical user interface and interprets user input from the graphical user interface. The processing unit also performs the processing and protocols associated with the internal and external networks, performs client processing and allows the user to interact with services on any of the attached networks.
US09485275B2 Detection of spoofing of remote client system information
Digital fingerprint generation logic executed by a client device includes quirk-exposing logic configured to expose behavioral differences between various system configurations of client devices. The digital fingerprint generation logic queries a remote client device for system configuration, and generates a digital fingerprint of the client device that includes a system configuration characteristic reported by the client device in response to the query. Results of execution of the quirk-exposing logic are compared to expected results that are specific to the reported system configuration. If the results of execution do not match the expected results, the digital fingerprint is determined to have been spoofed.
US09485273B2 System and method to diffuse denial-of-service attacks using virtual machines
A system for diffusing denial-of-service attacks by using virtual machines is disclosed. In particular, the system may receive, from a measurement probe, a network transaction measurement associated with a first node in a network. Based on the network transaction measurement, the system may determine if the network transaction measurement satisfies a threshold measurement value. If the network transaction measurement satisfies the threshold measurement value, the system may determine that an attack is occurring at the first node in the network. The system may then identify one or more nodes that have capacity for handling traffic intended for the first node. Once the one or more nodes are identified, the system may launch virtual machines at the one or more nodes to handle legitimate traffic intended for the first node.
US09485267B2 Anomalous behavior detection using radio frequency fingerprints and access credentials
Electromagnetic (EM)/radio frequency (RF) emissions may be detected and corresponding EM personas may be created. One or more EM personas may be associated with a super persona corresponding to a particular entity. EM personas, super personas, and/or supplemental identifying information can be used to enforce security protocols.
US09485265B1 Malicious activity detection system capable of efficiently processing data accessed from databases and generating alerts for display in interactive user interfaces
Various systems and methods are provided that retrieve raw data from issuers, reorganize the raw data, analyze the reorganized data to determine whether the risky or malicious activity is occurring, and generate alerts to notify users of possible malicious activity. For example, the raw data is included in a plurality of tables. The system joins one or more tables to reorganize the data using several filtering techniques to reduce the processor load required to perform the join operation. Once the data is reorganized, the system executes one or more rules to analyze the reorganized data. Each rule is associated with a malicious activity. If any of the rules indicate that malicious activity is occurring, the system generates an alert for display to a user in an interactive user interface.
US09485259B1 System and architecture for electronic permissions and security policies for resources in a data system
An electronic permissions and security system are disclosed which may be used to determine permissions and policies for resources in a complex multi-dimensional data system. Analysis of resource data hierarchies and/or accessor data hierarchies using the permissions computing systems and methods discussed herein may provide efficient and flexible permissions analysis, determination, and management. The electronic permissions system may include for example, a permissions analysis module or component configured to access, traverse and/or analyze a resource hierarchy and/or an accessor hierarchy to determine permissions with respect to a resource. Permissions may be defined according to various policies which may include specific actions allowed or disallowed for the policy. Specific actions within a policy may also be organized hierarchically such that one particular grant of one permission may imply granting of another permission.
US09485254B2 Method and system for authenticating a security device
Methods for authenticating a security device at a local network location for providing a secure access from the local network location to a remote network location are provided. A security device is registered by installing private security software on the security device that generates an asymmetrical encryption key pair including an encryption key and a decryption key. The encryption key is stored only on the security device and the decryption key is stored only on a remote server. Embodiments of the present invention provide increased security by not storing the encryption key on the remote server so that attackers stealing data from the server cannot pretend to a user having the registered security device. A corresponding system for authenticating a security device is also provided.
US09485246B2 Distributed authentication with data cloud
A method includes, in response to a need to access for a user certain stored data that requires authentication, sending a request for the stored data into a data cloud, the request not identifying the user. The method further includes receiving, from the data cloud, response information descriptive of an authentication realm and a single-use nonce; presenting the information descriptive of the authentication realm to the user and prompting the user for a user name and password; re-sending the request into the data cloud with an authentication header having user credentials generated at least in part using the response information, the user credentials comprising the user name and a hashed password; and if the user credentials are valid, receiving from the data cloud the requested stored data.
US09485234B1 Virtualized endpoints in a multi-tenant environment
Customers accessing resources or services in a multi-tenant environment can obtain assurance that a provider of that environment will honor only requests associated with the customer and will reject any requests that might have been tampered with or otherwise falsely generated. Various endpoints or interfaces can be used, which can be located in the multi-tenant environment, in a customer environment, or in a separate location. These endpoints or interfaces can sign unsigned requests, or otherwise increase the credentials of a signed request, on behalf of a customer. In some embodiments, additional metadata can be added that can increase the authentication level of the requests. Such an approach can enable a customer to provide or delegate access to the resources without exposing the credentials outside a secure environment.
US09485233B1 Virtual desktop accelerator support for network gateway
The subject disclosure relates to a method for initiating an accelerated desktop session between a client device and a remote server. In some aspects, the method includes steps for receiving a request, from a client device, to initiate a second connection with a server using a second communication protocol, in response to the request, facilitating a validation of the client device by forwarding a token received from the client device to the server and receiving, from the server, an indication that the client device has been properly validated. In certain aspects, the method further comprises steps for initiating the second connection between the client device and the server using the second communication protocol, based on the indication that the client device has been properly validated. A client device and computer-readable medium are also provided.
US09485224B2 Information delivery system with advertising mechanism and method of operation thereof
An information delivery system includes: a control unit configured to: generate an anonymous identity for concealing client information of an anonymous client from a provider, generate a comparison result for determining whether a client encryption data of the anonymous identity matches with a provider encryption data of the provider, obtain a provider notification based on the comparison result of a match for displaying on a device, and a user interface, coupled to the control unit, configured to display the provider notification.
US09485222B2 Data stream traffic control
Techniques related to data stream traffic control are disclosed herein. A bit equivalent entropy of an anonymized data stream is computed. Traffic of the data stream is controlled based on the value of the bit equivalent entropy.
US09485215B2 Multiple inspection avoidance (MIA) using a protection scope
A multiple inspection avoidance (MIA) technique is implemented in a virtualized environment. Preferably, the technique is implemented in a packet processing unit (PPU) and takes advantage of a protection scope determined in an automated manner. The protection scope may be MAC-based. The MIA technique ensures that the same packet is not inspected more than once by a same packet processing unit (PPU), and that the same packet is not inspected more than once by different PPUs. According to this disclosure, when a PPU implementing MIA receives a packet, it uses the protection scope to determine whether it needs to process the packet. Preferably, the determination of whether to process the packet depends on the source and destination addresses in the packet, whether those addresses are being protected by the PPU that receives the packet, the direction of the packet flow, and optionally one or more packet processing rules.
US09485211B2 Social networking website system with automatic participation based on current location information
A social networking website system with automatic registration based on a current location information. Individuals are automatically enrolled into social network services based on a current location determined from their mobile devices. In particular, farmers in rural places can be enrolled into social networks in their local districts, and they can interact with others using audio and video messages employing their local languages. Such interaction can be adhoc in nature, employing audio messages, or audio and video messages. In general, automatic memberships to social networks, social groups and to discussion lists are provided to users, based on user's current location.
US09485202B2 Alerting recipients to errors occurring when accessing external services
A hosting provider operates a server system that provides a service to one or more tenants. The server system receives configuration data from the tenants. As part of providing the service to a given tenant, the server system attempts to access an external service due to the configuration data received from the given tenant identifying the external service. Service access errors can occur when attempting to access the external service. In response to determining that an error has occurred when attempting to access the external service, the server system sends a service access alert to a recipient associated with the given tenant. The service access alert notifies the recipient that the error has occurred.
US09485199B2 System and method for data flow identification and alignment in a 40/100 gigabit ethernet gearbox
A system and method for data flow identification and alignment in a 40/100 gigabit Ethernet gearbox. Virtual lane (VL) identifiers can be identified to create an effective wiring diagram for data flows. This wiring diagram enables a multiplexer or de-multiplexer to align the VL identifiers to match physical lane identifiers.
US09485198B1 Methods and apparatus for multicast traffic failover in a network
An apparatus includes an access switch having a set of ports and configured to be operatively coupled to a multicast router via a first port from the set of ports. The access switch is configured to be associated with a network associated with the multicast router, and designate the first port as a multicast-router interface during a time period. The access switch is configured to send a message to the multicast router via each port from the set of ports in response to an indication of a change in a topology of the network after the time period. The access switch is configured to designate a second port from the set of ports as the multicast-router interface and dedesignate the first port as the multicast-router interface in response to receiving, via the second port and in response to the message, a signal from the multicast router.
US09485193B2 Method and apparatus for allocating network medium data resources
A method of allocating network medium data resources is disclosed. The method is performed at an apparatus having one or more processors and memory for storing programs to be executed by the one or more processors. The method includes selecting, from a set of virtual requests, a virtual request including a requested resource usage time range consisting of multiple unit time periods. The method includes identifying a set of requests conflicting with the selected virtual request, where the set of conflicting requests includes one virtual request and one actual request. The method includes calculating, based on the set of conflicting requests, a maximum allocatable resource volume for each unit time period within the requested resource usage time range. The method further includes determining, based on the maximum allocatable resource volumes and the selected virtual request, an allocatable resource volume for each unit time period within the requested resource usage time.
US09485190B2 Allocating shaping resources for a cloud computing environment based on transfer speeds associated with the shaping resources
A device stores shaping resource information in a data structure, where the shaping resource information includes identifiers associated with shaping resources of the device, information indicating whether the shaping resources are available, and information indicating transfer speeds associated with the shaping resources. The device defines a group of available shaping resources based on the shaping resource information stored in the data structure, and receives a packet requesting a particular transfer speed associated with transmitting the packet. The device performs a search of the group of available shaping resources based on the particular transfer speed requested by the packet, and identifies, based on the search, a list of one or more available shaping resources with transfer speeds that match the particular transfer speed requested by the packet. The device transmits the packet toward a destination via one of the one or more available shaping resources provided in the list.
US09485184B2 Congestion control for delay sensitive applications
In various embodiments, methods and systems are disclosed for a hybrid rate plus window based congestion protocol that controls the rate of packet transmission into the network and provides low queuing delay, practically zero packet loss, fair allocation of network resources amongst multiple flows, and full link utilization. In one embodiment, a congestion window may be used to control the maximum number of outstanding bits, a transmission rate may be used to control the rate of packets entering the network (packet pacing), a queuing delay based rate update may be used to control queuing delay within tolerated bounds and minimize packet loss, and aggressive ramp-up/graceful back-off may be used to fully utilize the link capacity and additive-increase, multiplicative-decrease (AIMD) rate control may be used to provide fairness amongst multiple flows.
US09485182B2 Method for improved load balancing in communication systems
Various methods are provided to address the need for improved load balancing. In a one method, a packet loss is determined (101) for traffic sent between a first network node and a second network node. The determined packet loss is then used to determine (103) whether to perform load balancing. In another method, a first network node receives a request from a neighboring network node for a current loading status of the first network node. The first network node sends to the neighboring network node an indication of a backhaul loading level of the first network node.
US09485180B2 Loop free alternate selection for multi-homed networks
In one example, a network device determines a set of candidate loop-free alternate (LFA) next hops for forwarding network traffic from the network device to a multi-homed network by taking into account a first cost associated with a second path from a first border router to the multi-homed network and a second cost associated with a second border router to the multi-homed network, wherein the multi-homed network is external to an interior routing domain in which the network device is located. The network device selects an LFA next hop from the set of candidate LFA next hops, to be stored as an alternate next hop for forwarding network traffic to the multi-homed network, and updates forwarding information stored by the network device to install the selected LFA next hop as the alternate next hop for forwarding network traffic from the network device to the multi-horned network.
US09485153B2 Dynamic network-driven application packet resizing
In one embodiment, information relating to network metrics in a computer network is collected. A packet delay for a packet to be transmitted along a particular communication path is predicted based on the network metrics. Then, an optimal packet size for optimizing a transmission experience of the packet to be transmitted along the particular communication path is calculated based on the predicted packet delay. Also, a size of the packet to be transmitted along the particular communication path is dynamically adjusted based on the calculated optimal packet size.
US09485142B2 Method and apparatus for dynamic DL-UL reconfiguration in TDD system
Embodiments of the disclosure provide a method and apparatus for reconfiguring DL-UL resource allocation in a TDD system. The method includes steps of: a) obtaining traffic condition about DL and UL data to be transmitted; b) estimating system-wise transmission capability and/or UE-wise transmission capability, wherein the system-wise transmission capability accounts for DL transmission capability and UL transmission capability of the TDD system, and the UE-wise transmission capability accounts for transmission capabilities of different UEs; and c) reconfiguring the DL-UL resource allocation according to the obtained traffic condition and the estimated system-wise transmission capability and/or UE-wise transmission capability.
US09485132B2 Automated SAN network topological diagram and point-to-point cabling creation for customers environments
A method of presenting a network architecture includes identifying two or more network devices for interconnection analysis, collecting information describing communications paths between two or more network devices, and converting the collected information into a markup language format. The method further includes generating, from the markup language format, a listing of the network devices and a listing of connections between the network devices. The method also includes instantiating, based on the listing of the network devices, one or more images depicting each of the two or more network devices. The method further includes instantiating, based on the listing of connections, one or more images depicting connections between the two or more network devices.
US09485131B2 Multilayer network connection communication system, smart terminal device, and communication method thereto
A multilayer network connection communication system includes a mobile device, a smart terminal device, a service server, a first layer network, and a second layer network. The mobile device sends at least one inquiry message through the first layer network to inquire the smart terminal device whether the smart terminal device supports at least one first application. Among the at least one first application, the smart terminal device supports at least one second application including a third application. The smart terminal device requests the mobile device through the first layer network to start up the at least one second application, where the third application is started up to respond to the at least one startup message. The smart terminal device receives a user data from the mobile device through the first layer network and transmits the user data to the service server through the second layer network.
US09485118B1 Penalty-box policers for network device control plane protection
In general, techniques are described for dynamically controlling host-bound traffic by dynamically adding and updating, within the forwarding plane of a network device, network packet policers that each constrains, for one or more packet flows, an amount of host-bound traffic of the packet flows permitted to reach the control plane in accordance with available resources. In one example, a control plane of the network device detects internal congestion in the communication path from the forwarding plane to control plane (the “host-bound path”), identifies packet flows utilizing an excessive amount of host-bound path resources, computes limits for the identified packet flows, and adds “penalty-box policers” configured with the computed limits for the identified packet flows to the forwarding plane. The forwarding plane subsequently applies the policers to the identified packet flows to constrain the amount of traffic of the packet flows allowed to reach the control plane to the computed limits.
US09485117B2 Providing user-controlled resources for cloud computing environments
A cloud management system can be configured to offer a marketplace for user-controlled resources provided by third party users by performing a valuation for user controlled resources offered to the cloud. The cloud management system can be configured to determine the usage of cloud resources, demands on the clouds resources, and revenue generated by the cloud resources and determine a value for user-controlled resources based on the usage, demands, and revenue. Once the value is determined, the cloud management system can be configured to provide an indication of the value to a set of the third party users. If offered and accepted, the cloud management system can be granted access to the user-controlled resources and allocate the user-controlled resources to the cloud.
US09485105B2 Method and telecommunications network utilizing more than one online charging system for a given user
A method for enhanced policy and charging control when a telecommunications network is used by a User Equipment corresponding to a subscriber includes a Policy and Charging Enforcement Function and a first Online Charging System, configured to communicate via an online charging interface. The telecommunications network further includes a second Online Charging System being configured to communicate via an online charging interface. The method includes: communicating, by an interworking credit control function of the telecommunications network, relative to the subscriber of the telecommunications network and with regard to the same or overlapping traffic of the subscriber via a first online charging interface with the Policy and Charging Enforcement Function, via a second online charging interface with the first Online Charging System, and via a third online charging interface with the second Online Charging System.
US09485104B2 Information processing system
An information processing system according to the present invention includes a plurality of information processing apparatuses connected by a multihop network, and each of the information processing apparatuses includes a first communication unit configured to transmit and receive a first packet including information about a destination address and a second communication unit configured to communicate at a frequency higher than that of the first communication unit and transmit and receive a second packet including a payload, and in each of the information processing apparatuses, when the first communication unit receives the first packet, the second communication unit is woken up, so that efficient data transfer can be achieved while the power consumption is saved.
US09485089B2 Stego key management
Systems, methods, devices and computer program products are provided that improve stego key management of watermarking systems and reduce the impact of leaked secrets related to watermark embedding and extraction operations. In the event that a watermark extractor is compromised and its extraction stego key is revealed, new extraction stego key sets are generated and assigned to a particular group of devices with similar security features. The new extraction stego key sets have significant overlap with one another, and can be retired once a device within the particular group of devices is compromised. The described techniques are complementary to other security enhancement practices, such as obfuscation and tamper resistant techniques, to strengthen the security of a watermarking system.
US09485082B1 Multi-mode phase-frequency detector for clock and data recovery
A clock and data recovery (CDR) circuit produces an in-phase clock, a quadrature clock offset by 90 degrees from the in-phase clock, and an auxiliary clock offset from the in-phase clock by a fraction of 90 degrees. A data sampler cyclically samples a data signal to form sets of samples according to the in-phase, quadrature, and auxiliary clocks, each set comprising an in-phase sample, a quadrature sample, and an auxiliary sample. A CDR logic circuit processes the samples to form a timing word for each set.
US09485081B2 Apparatus for compensating for skew between data signals and clock signal
An apparatus for compensating for a skew is provided between data signals supplied through a plurality of data lines and a clock signal supplied through a clock line. A skew compensation apparatus includes a plurality of data receivers each configured to delay a data signal supplied through a corresponding data line based on associated phase difference data and to output the delayed data signal, a clock receiver configured to receive a clock signal supplied through a clock line, and a phase controller configured to select any one of the plurality of data receivers and to output, to the selected data receiver, a phase control signal configured to correct the phase difference data of the selected data receiver based on the phase difference between a data signal output from the selected data receiver and the clock signal.
US09485071B2 Method and apparatus for allocating a control channel resource of a relay node in a backhaul subframe
A method and apparatus for configuring a control channel between a first transceiver and a second transceiver in a communication system are provided. The method includes generating, by the first transceiver, a signaling message including information for the control channel; transmitting, by the first transceiver, the signaling message including information for the control channel to the second transceiver; generating, by the first transceiver, the control channel based on the information for the control channel; and transmitting, by the first transceiver, the generated control channel to the second transceiver, wherein the information for the control channel includes resource assignment information, and information regarding that if interleaving is applied.
US09485070B2 Method and apparatus for transmitting and receiving different signal types in communication systems
A method and apparatus are provided for transmitting a Reference Signal (RS) by a User Equipment (UE) in a wireless communication system. The method includes transmitting a DeModulation Reference Signal (DM RS) and information data in a sub-frame; and transmitting a Sounding Reference Signal (SRS) in a last symbol in another sub-frame. The DM RS is transmitted in a middle symbol in each slot of the sub-frame, and the information data is transmitted in other symbols in each slot of the sub-frame.
US09485069B2 Transmission and reception of proximity detection signal for peer discovery
Techniques for performing peer discovery to enable peer-to-peer (P2P) communication are disclosed. In an aspect, a proximity detection signal used for peer discovery may be generated based on one or more physical channels and/or signals used in a wireless network. In one design, a user equipment (UE) may generate a proximity detection signal occupying at least one resource block based on a SC-FDMA modulation technique. In another design, the UE may generate a proximity detection signal occupying at least one resource block based on an OFDMA modulation technique. The UE may generate SC-FDMA symbols or OFDMA symbols in different manners for different physical channels. In yet another design, the UE may generate a proximity detection signal including a primary synchronization signal and a secondary synchronization signal. For all designs, the UE may transmit the proximity detection signal to indicate its presence and to enable other UEs to detect the UE.
US09485068B2 Method and apparatus for mitigating pilot pollution in a wireless network
Techniques for mitigating pilot pollution in a wireless network are described. In an aspect, pilot pollution may be mitigated by reducing density and/or transmit power of common pilots whenever possible. A cell may send a common pilot at a first density and a first transmit power level during a first time period and may send the common pilot at a second density and a second transmit power level during a second time period. The second density may be lower than the first density and/or the second transmit power level may be lower than the first transmit power level. Lower density may be achieved by sending the common pilot less frequently, on fewer subcarriers, and/or from fewer antennas. The cell may determine whether to reduce the density and/or transmit power of the common pilot based on network loading, SINRs of terminals, etc. In another aspect, pilot pollution may be mitigated by performing pilot cancellation at a terminal.
US09485067B2 Pilot arrangement method in mobile radio communication system and transmitter/receiver adopting same
A mobile communication system in which a working frequency band is divided into a plurality of predetermined frequency bands, and time division multiplexing is performed, the mobile communication system includes a base station to insert a known pilot symbol into the plurality of predetermined frequency bands at a predetermined reference interval, and to insert to arrange the known pilot symbol into at least one of the plurality of predetermined bands at a smaller interval than the predetermined reference interval, wherein a frequency band in which the known pilot symbol is inserted at a smaller interval than the predetermined reference interval is to be set cyclically in time; and a mobile terminal to receive the known pilot symbol transmitted from the base station.
US09485055B2 Packet retransmission and memory sharing
Through the identification of different packet-types, packets can be handled based on an assigned packet handling identifier. This identifier can, for example, enable forwarding of latency-sensitive packets without delay and allow error-sensitive packets to be stored for possible retransmission. In another embodiment, and optionally in conjunction with retransmission protocols including a packet handling identifier, a memory used for retransmission of packets can be shared with other transceiver functionality such as, coding, decoding, interleaving, deinterleaving, error correction, and the like.
US09485054B2 Transmission device, reception device and communication system
A video image data encoder comprises an input to receive stereoscopic image data. The stereoscopic image data includes first and second image data having chronological correspondence. An error correction encoding unit combines portions of the first image data and corresponding portions of the second image data from the input unit into a common encoding matrix. An error correcting code derived from the combined portions is added to the encoding matrix.
US09485053B2 Long-distance RapidIO packet delivery
The present invention provides a RapidIO device that includes a switch fabric and a port coupled to the switch fabric. The port is configured to establish a LP-Serial link with RapidIO endpoints, add packet headers having the same acknowledgement identifier to a plurality of contiguous packets and generate a link cyclical redundancy check value for the plurality of contiguous packets having the same acknowledgement identifier, the link cyclical redundancy check code computed to include the value of an acknowledgement identifier header. The port is configured to sequentially output the plurality of packets having the same acknowledgement identifier on the LP-Serial link. In addition, methods are disclosed for formatting bit streams in a RapidIO based communication system and communicating RapidIO packets.
US09485051B2 Facilitation of security employing a femto cell access point
One or more femto cell access points (FAPs) are employed to facilitate provisioning of security. A signal indicative of an intrusion in an area associated with an FAP can be received, and, based on receiving the signal, an identifier associated with a device in a detection range of the FAP can be determined. One or more frequencies in the detection range of the femto cell access point can be jammed, an attachment attempt emitted from the device in response to jamming the frequencies can be detected, and a telephone number of the device can be identified based, at least, on detecting the attachment attempt from the device. Warnings can also be sent to the device and/or tracking of the device can be performed.
US09485050B2 Subchannel photonic routing, switching and protection with simplified upgrades of WDM optical networks
The present invention includes novel techniques, apparatus, and systems for optical WDM communications. Tunable lasers are employed to generate respective subcarrier frequencies which represent subchannels of an ITU channel to which client signals can be mapped. In one embodiment, subchannels are polarization interleaved to reduce crosstalk. In another embodiment, polarization multiplexing is used to increase the spectral density. Client circuits can be divided and combined with one another before being mapped, independent of one another, to individual subchannels within and across ITU channels. A crosspoint switch can be used to control the client to subchannel mapping, thereby enabling subchannel protection switching and hitless wavelength switching. Network architectures and subchannel transponders, muxponders and crossponders are disclosed, and techniques are employed (at the subchannel level/layer), to facilitate the desired optical routing, switching, concatenation and protection of the client circuits mapped to these subchannels across the nodes of a WDM network.
US09485048B2 Methods and devices for space-time multi-plane optical networks
Scalability and energy efficiency are key issues in data centers imposing tight constraints on the networking infrastructure connecting the servers. Optical interconnection mitigates electronic limitations but the additional flexibility offered by WDM and datarate across a data center interconnection network requires architectural design, photonic technologies, and operating strategies be selected and optimized to meet power consumption requirements. Multi-plane architectures based upon space-wavelength domain architectures have been proposed to overcome scalability limitations. It would be beneficial to extend space and time switching domains with the wavelength domain for additional capacity to increase throughput as well as providing same electro-optic interface. Accordingly, the inventors have established space-time domain interconnection network architectures with wavelength domain overlay overcoming power consumption issues, especially at low utilization, by exploiting all-optical implementations with active elements which act simultaneously as a switch and an amplifier, and the possibility to remain in an idle state when unused.
US09485046B1 Optical spot array pitch compressor
An apparatus comprises a passive wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) demultiplexer (DeMUX) or a passive WDM multiplexer (MUX), an active photo diode (PD) array or an active laser diode (LD) array, and a compressing device disposed between the passive WDM DeMUX or the passive WDM MUX and the active PD array or the active LD array. The compressing device changes the optical spot pitch of the passive WDM DeMUX or the passive WDM MUX to match the pitch of the active PD array or the active LD array. The compressing device may be a single optical wedge, a first and a second optical wedges, a plurality of optical wedges, or a grating. A compression ratio can be adjusted by changing the incident angle of the incident beam to the compressing device.
US09485045B2 Communication control equipment
Communication control equipment is connected to a plurality of communication control equipment via a network and is configured to be time-synchronized with the plurality of communication control equipment by using a time synchronization procedure using a communication including at least request packets and acknowledgement packets. The communication control equipment includes a receiving-interval measurement section configured to measure a receiving interval of request packets from the plurality of communication control equipment; and a queuing-occurrence determination section configured to detect conflict of the request packets from any of the plurality of communication control equipment on a basis of the receiving interval of the request packets measured by the receiving-interval measurement section. The communication control equipment is configured to determine whether to transmit an acknowledgement packet to the communication control equipment that has transmitted the request packets based on a detection result of the queuing-occurrence determination section.
US09485038B2 System and method for enabling automated testing of wireless data packet signal transceivers
A system and method for enabling automated testing of wireless data packet signal transceiver devices under test (DUTs). One or more DUTs are enclosed inside respective chambers within a shielded enclosure providing electromagnetic shielding for its interior region. Each DUT is powered by an internal power source and its radio frequency (RF) signal port is connected to an external RF signal interface at an outer wall of the shielded enclosure. An anchor at an outer wall of the shielded enclosure enables mechanical engagement with and physical displacement of the shielded enclosure, thereby allowing DUTs to be manipulated using pick and place automation devices for engagement with and connection to automated test equipment. Such test equipment can be assembled into vertically stacked RF signal test stations with which shielded DUT enclosures are engaged by physically mating their respective power and RF signal ports using the pick and place automation device.
US09485037B1 Compact dual-channel transceivers
In one embodiment, a dual-channel transceiver includes two harmonic repeaters each having a receive antenna, a transmit antenna, and a frequency multiplier connected to the antennas that is configured to increase the frequency of a signal received by the receive antenna to enable transmission by the transmit antenna of a reply signal having a higher frequency, wherein the harmonic repeaters operate at different frequencies from each other.
US09485036B2 RF receiver with testing capability
An RF receiver device includes a semiconductor chip in a chip package, and a test signal generator integrated in the chip. The test signal generator generates an RF test signal including first information. An RF receiver circuit integrated in the chip receives an RF input signal, down-converts the RF input signal into an intermediate frequency (IF) or base band, and digitizes the down-converted signal to obtain a digital signal. An RF receive channel includes a coupler having first and second input ports and an output port. The output port is coupled to the input of the RF receiver circuit, the first input port receives an antenna signal and the second input port receives the test signal from the test signal generator. A signal processor is integrated in the chip and determines, during a test cycle, whether the first information in the digital signal matches a predetermined criterion.
US09485035B2 Self-tuning transfer function for adaptive filtering
The technology described in this document can be embodied in a computer-implemented method that includes receiving, at one or more processing devices, a plurality of values representing a set of coefficients of an adaptive filter over a period of time, and identifying, by the one or more processing devices based on the plurality of values, a phase error associated with a transfer function of the adaptive filter. The method also includes adjusting, based on the identified phase error, a phase associated with the transfer function of the adaptive filter such that coefficients calculated using the adjusted transfer o function reduce the phase error. The method further includes determining a set of coefficients for the adaptive filter based on the adjusted transfer function, and programming the adaptive filter with the determined set of coefficients to enable operation of the adaptive filter.
US09485032B2 Optical multilevel transmitter and optical transponder
An optical multilevel transmitter includes a semiconductor quadrature optical modulator configured to separately modulate and output in-phase and quadrature electric field components and a semiconductor nonlinear characteristic compensation circuit configured to generate, from in-phase and quadrature drive signals to be inputted to the semiconductor quadrature optical modulator, two signals for correcting each other and to add the two correcting signals to the corresponding drive signals.
US09485030B2 Optical signal modulation
A 2n-QAM (e.g. 16-QAM) optical modulator comprising cascaded I-Q modulators. The first I-Q modulator applies 2n-2 (e.g. 4) QAM to an optical signal, having a constellation diagram with the 2n-2 (e.g., 4) constellation points located in quadrant I. The second I-Q modulator subsequently applies a quaternary phase-shift keying (QPSK) modulation scheme to the optical signal, thereby rotating the constellation points of the 2n-2-QAM modulation scheme to quadrants II, III and IV, to produce a 2n-QAM modulation constellation diagram. The rotation causes the 2n-QAM modulator to inherently apply four quadrant differential encoding to the optical signal. A method of 2n-QAM optical modulation is also provided and optical signal transmission apparatus comprising the 2n-QAM optical modulator.
US09485023B2 Communication system, main unit, radio access unit and communication method
A plurality of radio access units form the single cell of a first communication system, while forming respective individual multi-cells of a second communication system within the single cell. The plurality of radio access units transmit a downstream signal of the first communication system input from a main unit to a terminal using the first communication system of the single cell, while each transmitting a downstream signal of the second communication input from the main unit to a terminal using the communication system of the corresponding respective one of the multi-cells.
US09485020B2 Remote sensing device and monitoring apparatus
A remote sensor device comprises at least one sensor that produces an output signal indicative of the value of a measure, and a reflective display that is positioned such that it is visible along a line of sight from a remote location, the reflective display comprising at least two retro-reflective assemblies, each of which is arranged to reflect a variable fraction of radiation incident upon the reflective assembly back towards a source in response to respective control signals applied to the reflector assemblies. Each of the reflector assemblies preferentially reflects one wavelength of the incident radiation or preferentially removes at least one wavelength of the incident radiation that is not preferentially reflected or removed by the other reflector assembly. The device further comprises modulating means for modulating the control signals applied to the reflector assemblies as a function of the value of the output signal from the sensor so as to modulate the fractions of incident light reflected by the display.
US09485019B1 Methods and systems for optical channel monitoring with periodic optical filtering of dual polarization signals
Methods and systems for optical channel monitoring of dual polarization optical signals may use a periodic optical filter to scan a free spectral range of the periodic optical filter. The optical signals may further be tone modulated using frequency or amplitude modulation. From a filtered signal, normalized Stokes vector signals may be generated using a polarimeter. The normalized Stokes vector signals may be digitally processed to identify center frequencies and power levels of individual optical subcarriers.
US09485017B2 Monitoring of optical performance in an optical data transmission network
A method for monitoring optical performance in an optical data transmission network, the optical data transmission network including a first router node, a second router node, and an optical data transmission line connecting the first router node with the second router node providing optical data transmission from the first router node to the second router node using at least two channels, includes: in a measurement step, determining, at the spare IP router interface, optical performance parameters of the at least two channels; in a transmission step subsequent to the measurement step, transmitting the determined optical performance parameters to a remote control unit; and in an analysis step subsequent to the transmission step, analyzing the transmitted optical performance parameters and determining whether to take a corrective action to improve optical performance of the at least two channels.
US09485015B2 Optical layer status exchange over OSC-OAM method for ROADM networks
A method for receiving, by circuitry of an optical node adapted for wavelength multiplexing and wavelength switching, a signal over OSC comprising overhead information indicative of status of at least one of an optical layer in an OTN; wherein the signal utilizes OC-N frame format comprising a first STS frame, a second STS frame, and a third STS frame, the STS frames having a format wherein the information is assigned to a number of bits designated for OAM information, wherein the bits are assigned to bytes within a transport overhead portion of the STS frame format within the OC-N frame format; terminating, by circuitry of the optical node, the signal at the optical node; and notifying, by circuitry of the optical node, software of the status of the optical layer in the OTN.
US09485003B2 User apparatus and user assignment information estimation method
A user apparatus that is used in a radio communication system including a plurality of base stations, and that includes a function for performing interference reduction based on user assignment in an interference cell, including: interference pattern generation means that generates a plurality of interference patterns each of which is a combination of presence or absence of an interference signal in a given number of interference cells for the user apparatus; reception quality calculation means that calculates a reception quality after interference reduction for each of the plurality of interference patterns generated by the interference pattern generation means; and user assignment information estimation means that determines presence or absence of an interference signal in each interference cell corresponding to an interference pattern based on which the best reception quality is obtained in reception qualities calculated by the reception quality calculation means to be presence or absence of user assignment.
US09484998B2 Antenna allocation apparatus and method for cellular mobile communication system
Methods and apparatuses are provided for communicating with a terminal of a base station in a mobile communication system. Configuration information on a plurality of antenna ports of reference signals (RSs) which comprise first type antenna ports and second type antenna ports, is transmitted. Status information for at least one antenna port of an RS among the plurality of antenna ports of the RSs, is received. At least one indicator indicating at least one selected antenna port of an RS is transmitted based on the status information. The terminal is communicated with using the at least one selected antenna port of the RS. The first type antenna ports are for a centralized antenna and the second type antenna ports are for a distributed antenna.
US09484990B2 Spatial mode adaptation at the cell edge using interferer spatial correlation
A system and method is proposed for adapting the spatial transmission strategy in a cellular MIMO (multiple input multiple output) communication system for the downlink. Spatial mode adaptation, the choice of multiplexing, transmit diversity, number of streams, space-time code family, and the like are performed slowly based on side information from other base stations. Base stations exchange their transmission plans with neighboring base stations and broadcast this information to active users. Each user measures its susceptibility to spatial interference and returns this information to the base station. The base station then schedules active users according to the decisions made in interfering base stations and the preferred transmission strategies of its own users.
US09484988B2 Power supply device, power receiving device, charging system, and obstacle detection method
Provided are a power supply device, a power receiving device, a charging system, and an obstacle detection method that obtain a sufficient obstacle detection sensitivity even when an obstacle is small. A modulation unit (202) performs amplitude modulation or phase modulation on a test data sequence output from a test data sequence storage unit (201). A power control unit (203) generates, according to an instruction from a determination unit (204), a power control signal for increasing the power level of the test data sequence every time when the test data sequence is transmitted. The determination unit (204) determines whether there is an obstacle between the power receiving device and the power supply device based on whether the test data sequence output from the test data sequence storage unit (201) coincides with the test data sequence output from a power-transmitting-side receiving circuit (124).
US09484984B2 Cable-level crosstalk reduction
A device for managing signal transport, on a cable level, in a communication system, and a method for using same, are provided herein. The device is connectable between one or more access multiplexers (e.g., Very-high-speed Digital Subscriber Loop Access Multiplexer (VDSLAM) or a switch) and a cable in said communication system. The device includes: a plurality of access multiplexer-side transceivers connectable to access multiplexer-related physical medium, associated with said one or more access multiplexers; a plurality of customer-side transceivers connectable to respective customer-related wire pairs of said cable; and a processor connected to said access multiplexer-side transceivers and said customer-side transceivers, said processor comprising means for reducing crosstalk among said customer-related wire pairs. In some embodiments, vectoring is used for the crosstalk reduction, thus implementing a so-called cable level vectoring (CLV).
US09484979B2 Switching between transmit and receive modes in a wireless transceiver
A wireless transceiver decodes a receive signal to extract data contained in the receive signal. A processing block contained in the wireless transceiver then initiates a power-ON of the transmit radio portions of the transceiver prior to initiating a power-OFF of the receive radio portions. The technique enables the transceiver to meet timing requirements when operating in environments that require an acknowledgement to be sent in response to receipt of data.
US09484978B2 System and method for communication with adjustable signal phase and power
A communication system includes a first antenna, a second antenna, a first transceiver, a second transceiver, and a phase and power distribution transform circuit. The phase and power distribution transform circuit is coupled between the first antenna, the second antenna, the first transceiver, and the second transceiver. The phase and power distribution transform circuit is configured to adjust the phase and power of each signal from the first antenna, the second antenna, the first transceiver, and/or the second transceiver, thereby improving the communication quality of the communication system.
US09484970B2 Analog-to-digital conversion with noise injection via wavefront multiplexing techniques
A novel noise injection technique is presented to improve dynamic range with low resolution and low speed analog to digital converters. This technique combines incoming signal and noise signal with wave front de-multiplexer and split into several channels. Then low resolution and low speed analog to digital converters are used to sample each channels. All signals are recovered using wave front multiplexer. For advanced design, ground diagnostic signals with optimizing processor can be added to guarantee recovery quality.
US09484959B2 Error correction encoding method and error correction encoding device
An error correction encoding device 1 includes a sparse matrix computing unit 2 that computes exclusive OR of a submatrix, in a parity-check matrix, corresponding to an information bit sequence, and the information bit sequence on the basis of the position of 1 in the submatrix to calculate a vector, a fundamental matrix operator 3 that calculates a predetermined matrix by performing a predetermined fundamental matrix operation on a submatrix, in the parity-check matrix, corresponding to a parity bit sequence, and a matrix multiplier 4 that calculates the parity bit sequence by multiplying the predetermined matrix which the fundamental matrix operator 3 calculates, and the vector which the sparse matrix computing unit 2 calculates.
US09484949B1 Variable run length encoding of a bit stream
An apparatus and method for encoding data are disclosed that may allow for variable run length encoding of data to be transmitted. An ordered stream of data bits is received from a logic circuit, and N sequential data bits of the stream are selected, where N is a positive integer. Of the N sequential data bits, M sequential data bits are selected, wherein M is a positive integer less than N. The M sequential data bits are then encoded to generate a code word that includes P data bits, wherein P is a positive integer greater than M and less than N. The code word is then concatenated with a subset of the N sequential data bits that excludes the M sequential data bits to form a transmission word. A transmit unit then sends the data bits of the transmission word in a serial fashion.
US09484948B2 Clock generation circuit
The present technique relates to a clock generation circuit including a phase difference comparison circuit configured to compare a phase of each of an input clock signal and a feedback signal, and provides a phase difference signal indicating a phase difference between the input clock signal and the feedback signal, a filter circuit configured to suppress a high frequency component in the phase difference signal, an output circuit configured to modulate the phase difference signal in such a manner as to decrease a noise component of a low frequency band and increase a noise component of a high frequency band, and generate and output an output clock signal from the modulated phase difference signal and a reference clock signal, and a frequency dividing circuit configured to divide a frequency of the output clock signal, at a predetermined frequency dividing ratio, and feed it back to the phase comparison circuit.
US09484947B1 Variable length dynamic element matching in digital-to-analog converters
Embodiments of the disclosure provide improved mechanisms for applying DEM techniques to a DAC comprising a plurality of cells. Disclosed mechanisms include keeping track of the amplitude of input digital signal over a certain time period to determine a range of amplitudes of a portion of the input signal, and, when converting the digital values of that portion to analog values and applying a particular DEM technique, limiting the number of DAC cells on which a DEM technique is applied only to a number that is necessary for generating the analog output corresponding to the tracked portion, which number is determined based on the tracked amplitudes and could be smaller than the total number of DAC cells. In this manner, mismatch error may be reduced for smaller input signal amplitudes. Whenever possible, unused DAC cells may be put into a power saving mode, providing the advantage of reduced power consumption.
US09484940B2 Using high frequency crystal from external module to trim real time clock
Techniques including methods and apparatus for calibrating a local clock are provided in an implantable medical device. The implantable medical device includes a telemetry module for receiving a remote signal transmitted by an external device. The received signal is provided to a clocking circuit having a clocking circuit for computation of a calibration factor based on a difference between phases of the clock signal generated by the local clock and transitions in the received remote signal. The calibration factor may be derived as a function of an edge of the clock signal lagging or leading relative to a corresponding edge of the remote signal.
US09484938B2 Apparatus, system and method for controlling temperature and power supply voltage drift in a digital phase locked loop
Described herein are apparatus, system, and method for controlling temperature drift and/or voltage supply drift in a digital phase locked loop (DPLL). The apparatus comprises a DPLL including a digital filter to generate a fine code for controlling a frequency of an output signal of a digital controlled oscillator (DCO) of the DPLL; a logic unit to monitor the fine code and to generate a compensation signal based on the fine code; and a voltage adjustment unit to update a power supply level to the DCO based on the compensation signal, wherein the updated power supply level to cause the digital filter to generate the fine code near the middle of an entire range of the fine code across various temperatures, and wherein the digital filter to generate the fine code near the middle of the entire range across power supply drift.
US09484935B2 Apparatus and methods for frequency lock enhancement of phase-locked loops
Apparatus and methods for frequency lock enhancement of phase-locked loops (PLLs) are provided. In one aspect, a PLL can include a VCO having a tuning voltage input and a frequency tuning circuit configured to set a frequency band setting of the VCO. The frequency tuning circuit can include a voltage monitor configured to compare the voltage level of the tuning voltage input to one or more tuning voltage threshold levels, a control circuit configured to control at least a frequency band setting and a bias current setting of the VCO, and an amplitude detection circuit configured to compare an amplitude of an oscillation signal of the VCO to one or more amplitude threshold levels.
US09484929B2 Circuit arrangement and method for calibrating activation signals for voltage-controlled oscillators
In order to develop a circuit arrangement and also a method for calibrating at least one activation signal provided for a voltage-controlled oscillator such that the expenditure of energy is as low as possible and the output frequency is as high as possible, it is proposed—that the respective number of clock cycles for at least one calibration oscillator and at least one reference oscillator associated with the calibration oscillator is counted by means of at least one clock cycle counter connected downstream of the calibration oscillator and the reference oscillator and a clock error resulting from the difference between these two numbers of clock cycles is integrated and—that the clock error is converted by means of at least one digital-to-analog converter connected downstream of the clock counter into analog tuning signals from which the calibrated activation signal is derived.
US09484924B2 Negative capacitance logic device, clock generator including the same and method of operating clock generator
A negative capacitance logic device includes a first field effect transistor (FET) and a second FET. The first FET is coupled between a power supply voltage and an output node, and the first FET includes a ferroelectric having a negative capacitance. The second FET is coupled between the output node and a ground voltage, and the second FET includes a ferroelectric having a negative capacitance. The negative capacitance logic differentiates an input voltage applied to an input node to provide an output voltage at the output node.
US09484923B2 Signal transmission circuit suitable for DDR
A signal transmission method suitable for DDR for driving a connecting pad includes a level shifting circuit including up and down level shifters, a buffer circuit including up and down buffer units, and an output circuit. The level shifting circuit, disposed between a DDR operating voltage and a ground voltage, receives an input signal in a first operating voltage equal to the ground voltage and a second operating voltage smaller than the DDR operating voltage. The up buffer unit is disposed between the DDR operating voltage and a first reference voltage, and the down buffer unit is disposed between the ground voltage and a second reference voltage equal to the second operating voltage. The up and down level shifters adopt IO devices, and other components adopt core devices. The first reference voltage is a difference between the DDR operating voltage and the second reference voltage.
US09484921B2 LVDS input circuit with comparators, or gate, and multiplexer
First and second devices may simultaneously communicate bidirectionally with each other using only a single pair of LVDS signal paths. Each device includes an input circuit and a differential output driver connected to the single pair of LVDS signal paths. An input to the input circuit is also connected to the input of the driver. The input circuit may also receive an offset voltage. In response to its inputs, the input circuit in each device can use comparators, gates and a multiplexer to determine the logic state being transmitted over the pair of LVDS signal paths from the other device. This advantageously reduces the number of required interconnects between the first and second devices by one half.
US09484920B2 Switching circuit and electronic device
The present invention provides a switching circuit and an electronic device, which relate to the field of electronic technologies, so as to improve reliability of image processing. The switching circuit includes a comparator circuit, a first switch circuit, a second switch circuit, a first drive voltage source, and a second drive voltage source. Two input ends of the comparator circuit respectively receive an input voltage and a reference voltage, an output end is separately connected to an input end of the first switch circuit and an input end of the second switch circuit; The comparator circuit determines whether the input voltage is greater than the reference voltage, outputs a high level when determining that the input voltage is greater than the reference voltage, and outputs a low level when determining that the input voltage is not greater than the reference voltage.
US09484918B1 Dual edge pulse de-multiplexer with equalized path delay
A pulse domain 1 to 2N demultiplexer has a (i) pair of N stage counters each of which is responsive to an incoming pulse train in the pulse domain, one of the counters being responsive to leading edges of the pulses in the incoming pulse train and the other one of the counters being responsive to trailing edges of the pulses in the incoming pulse train and (ii) a control logic responsive to the states through which the pair of counters count, the control logic including 2N gate arrangements, each of the 2N gate arrangements generating a output signal of the pulse domain 1 to 2N demultiplexer.
US09484898B2 System for generating an analogue signal
The system has: a set of at least two electric current generators, at least one capacitor and activation/deactivation devices for the electric current generators; the electric current generator being connected in parallel with one another and the capacitor being connected in series with the electric current generators, the activation/deactivation devices controlling the generators by a digital stream allowing control of the intensity of the electric current entering the capacitor and generating a trapezoidal voltage signal at the terminals of the capacitor, the analog signal being reconstructed through interpolation of the trapezoidal signal.
US09484884B2 Planar structure of a mechanical resonator decoupled by bending oscillation and expansion/compression vibrations
Mechanical resonators for making timepieces have the drawback of not being simultaneously efficient, compact, and inexpensive. The invention is a planar structure of a mechanical resonator (100) that is suitable for reducing bulkiness and manufacturing cost and comprises a bar (R) vibrating in longitudinal expansion/compression resonance and two beams, (12) each vibrating simultaneously in longitudinal expansion/compression and it bending oscillation in the plane of the structure and connected to the bar by a connection element (11) on the median plane (π) of the bar, thereby enabling the effects of the transverse deformations of the bar, due to the Poisson ratio of the material, to not be transmitted to the attachment pads (PF) of the resonator. Thus, the quality factor of the resonator can be very high.
US09484883B2 Acoustic wave device and fabrication method of the same
An acoustic wave device includes: a substrate; an input terminal that is located on a first surface of the substrate, and to which a high-frequency signal is input; a resonator that is connected to the input terminal, and to which a high-frequency signal input to the input terminal is input; and an insulating layer that is located between the input terminal and the substrate, and has a permittivity smaller than that of the substrate.
US09484873B2 Differential amplifier circuit
Aspects of the invention include a differential amplifier circuit with a differential amplifier operated with a first power supply voltage applied thereto to amplify a differential voltage between paired input voltages, an inverting amplifier operated with a second power supply voltage applied thereto to carry out inverting amplification of the output of the differential amplifier and output the amplified output to the outside, and a voltage step-up circuit producing the first power supply voltage higher than the second power supply voltage from the second power supply voltage and applying the produced first power supply voltage to the differential amplifier. This satisfies at one time the requirement for producing the high power supply voltage necessary for the differential amplifier and the requirement for securing the power supply current necessary for the inverting amplifier on the basis of the externally supplied second power supply voltage.
US09484867B2 Wideband low-power amplifier
An amplifier is provided that includes a differential pair of transistors configured to steer a tail current responsive to a differential input voltage. The amplifier also includes a transconductor that tranconducts high-frequency changes in the differential output voltage into a differential bias current conducted through the differential pair of transistors.
US09484866B2 Doherty power amplifying circuit and power amplifier
A Doherty power amplifying circuit includes at least two asymmetrical two-branch power devices. Each of the asymmetrical two-branch power devices includes two power amplifiers. In the at least two asymmetrical two-branch power devices, one power amplifier included in each asymmetrical two-branch power device separately forms a peak power amplifier of the Doherty power amplifying circuit, and the other power amplifiers included in all the asymmetrical two-branch power devices jointly form a main power amplifier of the Doherty power amplifying circuit.
US09484856B2 Oscillator startup
A modulated signal based on a low-precision, fast startup oscillator is provided to a circuit with a high-precision, slow startup oscillator. The frequency of the modulated signal ranges around the characteristic or resonant frequency of the high precision oscillator without using feedback from the high precision oscillator circuit. An implementation can include one or more variable gain circuits that can be adjusted based on an amplitude threshold in relation to the output signal of the high precision oscillator circuit.
US09484854B2 Apparatus and method for providing oscillator signals
An apparatus for providing oscillator signals includes an oscillator circuit configured to generate a first oscillator signal with a first oscillator signal frequency for a frequency conversion of a first signal to be converted and to generate a second oscillator signal with a second oscillator signal frequency for a frequency conversion of a second signal to be converted. The oscillator circuit is configured to enable the generation of the first oscillator signal with the first oscillator signal frequency and the second oscillator signal with the second oscillator signal frequency based on at least two different possible oscillator circuit configurations. The control circuit is configured to select, based on the first oscillator signal frequency and the second oscillator signal frequency, one of the possible oscillator circuit configurations of the oscillator circuit for generating the first oscillator signal and the second oscillator signal.
US09484852B2 High power low voltage electrified powertrain
An electrified powertrain includes an electric motor having four or more coils corresponding to four or more AC phases and configured to generate drive torque to propel an electrified vehicle. The electrified powertrain also includes a low voltage electrical system comprising independent battery modules each configured to output a separate low DC voltage, and a power inverter module (PIM) configured to receive each of the separate low DC voltages from the battery modules, generate a separate low AC voltage for each AC phase using all of or fewer than all of the separate low DC voltages, and output the separate low AC voltages to the coils of the electric motor to drive the electric motor to generate the drive torque to propel the electrified vehicle, wherein none of the separate low DC voltages are electrically isolated and none of the separate AC voltages are considered high voltage.
US09484850B2 Voltage regulator and methods for simulating reactive power in parallel power generation systems
Systems, methods, and a voltage regulator are provided for tuning reactive droop compensation of a generator in a parallel power generation system. The voltage regulator is configured to compute a simulated droop compensation voltage for the generator and control an excitation signal to the generator based at least in part on the simulated droop compensation voltage.
US09484839B2 Power converter, power generating system, apparatus for controlling power converter, and method for controlling power converter
A power converter according to one embodiment includes a controller that switches between a boosting operation in a boost circuit and a pulse-width modulation operation in a single-phase inverter. The controller modifies an output from a voltage detection filter based on a delay compensating value for compensating a detection delay introduced by the voltage detection filter, when switching is performed the boosting operation in the boost circuit to the PWM operation in the single-phase inverter.
US09484838B2 Inverter and power supplying method thereof and application using the same
An inverter and a power supply method thereof and an application thereof are provided. The inverter includes a DC-DC conversion circuit, an inverting circuit and an auxiliary power circuit. The DC-DC conversion circuit converts a DC input voltage into a DC bus voltage. The inverting circuit is configured to convert the DC bus voltage into an AC output voltage. The auxiliary power circuit is enabled in response to the DC input voltage, and the auxiliary power circuit generates a first auxiliary power for enabling the DC-DC conversion circuit after being enabled. The DC-DC conversion circuit is enabled in response to the first auxiliary power, and the DC-DC conversion circuit generates a second auxiliary power for enabling the inverting circuit after being enabled, such that the inverting circuit is enabled in response to the second auxiliary power and generates the AC output voltage.
US09484836B2 Inverter that converts DC power into AC power
An inverter converts a direct-current (DC) power supplied from different DC power supplies into an alternate-current (AC) power formed by a quasi sinusoidal wave and then outputs the thus converted AC power. A first absolute-value setting switch to a fourth absolute-value setting switch are switched to generate absolute values of AC power by using a combination of a power-supply voltage supplied from each DC power supply and a voltage generated from a voltage supplied from each DC power supply. A first polarity setting switch to a fourth polarity setting switch are switched to generate the polarities of AC power. A control unit controls the switching of the first absolute-value setting switch and the like and the first polarity setting switch and the like. The control unit switches the first polarity switching switch and the like with timing at which the polarity of quasi sinusoidal wave changes.
US09484832B2 Isolation of secondary transformer winding current during auxiliary power supply generation
An electronic system and method include a controller to actively control power transfer from a primary winding of a switching power converter to an auxiliary-winding of an auxiliary power supply. The switching power converter is controlled and configured such that during transfer of power to the auxiliary-winding, the switching power converter does not transfer charge to one or more secondary-windings of the switching power converter. Thus, the switching power converter isolates one or more secondary transformer winding currents from an auxiliary-winding current. By isolating the charge delivered to the one or more secondary-windings from charge delivered to the auxiliary-winding, the controller can accurately determine an amount of charge delivered to the secondary-windings and, thus, to a load.
US09484827B2 Power supply with output rectifier
A power converter for converting power from a first voltage level at an input terminal to a second voltage level across first and second output terminals, the power converter including a first inductor having one end connected to the input terminal and another end connected to a point with a switched voltage level, a first switch element with a first terminal connected to the point and a second terminal connected to ground and a second switch element connected in series with a capacitor through a first terminal, and a second terminal of the second switch element being connected to the point and the capacitor being terminated to ground, the first switch element being operated with a first duty cycle (D), and wherein the second switch element being operated with a second duty cycle (1-D), wherein the first and second switch elements are operated such that their conducting periods are complementary, wherein the switched voltage level at the point includes a first pulse generated when the first switch element conducts and a second pulse generated when the second switch element conducts.
US09484820B2 DC/DC converter, electronic apparatus having the same and DC/DC conversion method thereof
A multi-output DC/DC converter, which may be included in an electronic apparatus, performs sync switching control using a simplified configuration. The DC/DC converter may include a first switching unit which alternately switches input DC power and converts the DC power into AC power, a converter which converts the AC power and outputs first power and second power, a first output unit which receives the first power and outputs an output voltage, a second output unit which includes a second switching unit, and receives and switches the second power through the second switching unit and outputs an output voltage, and a controller which detects a voltage applied to a winding wire of the first output unit, generates a sync signal by using the detected voltage, compares the sync signal with a predetermined reference and controls the second switching unit to synchronize the second switching unit with the first switching unit.
US09484816B2 Controllable on-time reduction for switching voltage regulators operating in pulse frequency modulation mode
A switching voltage regulator includes a power stage for delivering output current to a load through an inductor. The power stage has a high-side transistor and a low-side transistor. The switching voltage regulator also includes a controller for setting the power stage in a PFM (pulse frequency modulation) switching mode if the output current decreases below a first threshold. Each period of the PFM switching mode includes an on-time during which the high-side transistor is on and the low-side transistor is off, an off-time during which the low-side transistor is on and the high-side transistor is off and a HiZ-time during which the high-side transistor and the low-side transistor are both off. The controller varies the on-time of the PFM switching mode responsive to a change in the output current.
US09484812B2 Direct-current power supply device
The present invention includes: a converter configured to convert the direct-current voltage of the rectifier to another direct-current voltage and supply to a load; a peak hold unit configured to hold a peak value of a current detected by a current detecting unit configured to detect a current flowing in the switching element; an averaging unit configured to convert, to a current, an output of an n/2 output unit, and then integrate and output the converted current, the n/2 output unit configured to output n/2 (n is an integer of 1 or more) of the held peak value only in a regeneration current period of the reactor; a control unit configured to turn the switching element on and off based on an output signal of the averaging unit in such a way that an average current value of a current flowing in the reactor is equal to a predetermined value.
US09484811B2 Integrated circuit comprising voltage modulation circuitry and method threfor
An integrated circuit comprising voltage modulation circuitry arranged to convert an input voltage level at an input node to an output voltage level at an output node. The voltage modulation circuitry comprises a switching element arranged to connect the input node to the output node when in an ON condition, and switching control module operably coupled to the switching element and arranged to control the connection of the input node to the output node by the switching element in accordance with a switching frequency. The voltage modulation circuitry further comprises frequency control module operably coupled to the switching control module and arranged to receive an indication of the input voltage level at the input node, and to configure the switching frequency based at least partly on the input voltage level indication.
US09484806B2 Driving apparatus for driving power factor correction circuit
There is provided a driving apparatus for driving an interleaved power factor correction circuit including a first main switch and a second main switch performing a switching operation with a predetermined phase difference and a first auxiliary switch and a second auxiliary switch forming a transformation path for surplus power existing before an ON operation of the first main switch and a second main switch, respectively, including: an input unit obtaining an input signal; a current sensing unit obtaining information regarding a current of the interleaved power factor correction circuit; and an output unit outputting a first control signal with respect to the first main switch, a third control signal with respect to the second main switch, a second control signal with respect to the first auxiliary switch, and a fourth control signal with respect to the second auxiliary switch, based on the input signal and the current information.
US09484802B2 Soft-off control circuit, power converter and associated control method
A power converter having a soft-off control circuit and a variable reference signal generation module and associated method for controlling the power converter. The variable reference signal generation module is configured to provide a variable reference signal to the power converter. The soft-off control circuit is configured to determine whether an input voltage of the power converter exceeds an over-voltage threshold, and to control the variable reference signal to increase once the input voltage reaches the over-voltage threshold and to decrease when the input voltage is lower than the over-voltage threshold. The power converter can regulate an output voltage to increase with the increase of the variable reference signal and to decrease with the decrease of the variable reference signal so that during a soft-off procedure the input voltage may not exceed the over-voltage threshold, enabling the power converter to be safely shut off.
US09484794B2 Hybrid induction motor with self aligning permanent magnet inner rotor
A hybrid induction motor includes an inductive rotor and an independently rotating permanent magnet rotor. The inductive rotor is a squirrel cage type rotor for induction motor operation at startup. The permanent magnet rotor is axially displaced and variably coupled to the inductive rotor (or to a motor load) through a clutch and is allowed to rotate independently of the inductive rotor at startup. The independently rotating permanent magnet rotor quickly reaches synchronous RPM at startup. As the inductive rotor approaches or reaches synchronous RPM, the coupling between the inductive rotor and the permanent magnet rotor increases until the two rotors are coupled the synchronous RPM and the motor transitions to efficient synchronous operation.
US09484787B2 Voltage regulator device for rotary electric machine, bearing for rotary electric machine and rotary electric machine comprising such bearing
A voltage regulator device provided in a bearing of a rotary electric machine of a motor vehicle. The regulator device comprises a support and at least one electronic component configured to participate in the control of the electric machine. The support comprises a first part on which the at least one electronic component is mounted. The first part having an edge equipped with a brush holder provided with at least one brush-holder receptacle configured to accommodate a brush for making an electrical connection with a rotor of the electric machine. The device is configured to allow air to flow through the first part of the support, in contact with the brush holder. The device includes at least one air circulation slot provided through the support between the first part and the brush-holder. The support covers an air opening in the bearing.
US09484783B2 Outer rotor type motor
Provided is an outer rotor type motor capable of reducing workload for wiring and connecting coil leads without reducing a coil space factor while keeping the motor small. Coil leads extracted from same-phase coils of respective stator units pass between pole teeth of the stator units, and are respectively connected to inter-phase connection terminals at one end and then connected in series with each other, the stator units comprises a plurality of individual same-phase stator units which are stacked together, and the inter-phase connection terminals are protruded from a main terminal body. A drive signal input terminal and external input terminals, to which the other ends of coil leads extracted from the respective phase coils are respectively connected, and a drive signal input terminal and an external input terminal, to which the other ends of coil leads extracted from the respective phase coils are respectively connected, are respectively connected and wired inside the main terminal body.
US09484774B2 Single phase brushless motor
A single-phase brushless motor has both superior start-up stability and low cogging torque. In the outer-rotor-type single-phase brushless motor, when a gap width between the rotor and one edge of the salient pole surface is defined as d1, a gap width between the rotor and the other edge of the salient pole surface is defined as d2, and a minimum gap width between the rotor and the salient pole surface is defined as d3, the formula d3
US09484761B2 Dark current cutoff device and dark current cutoff method
A dark current cutoff device (1) includes: a battery (10) configure to perform electrical power supply to a load (20); a cutoff switch (32), which is provided between the battery (10) and the load (20), cuts off the electrical power supply to the load (20) at a time of being opened, and supplies electrical power to the load (20) at a time of being closed; a failure recording unit (21) that determines and records a case where the load (20) does not operate as a failure of the load (20); and an open/close determining unit (41) that determines that the cutoff switch (32) is opened; and a recording prohibiting unit (22) configure to prohibit, in a case where the cutoff switch (32) is determined to be opened by the open/close determining unit (41), the failure recording unit (21) from determining and recording the failure.
US09484760B2 Extendable jumper cables
Extendable jumper cables for transferring electrical energy from a charged battery to a discharged battery include a first short cable having two clamp ends that detachably connect to two terminals of the charged battery, and a plug end that detachably connects to a cooperating plug end of a second short cable. The second short cable includes two clamp ends that detachably connect to two terminals of the discharged battery. The plug end and the cooperating plug end include cable connection fittings that allow the first short cable and the second short cable to be connected together to form a typical set of jumper cables. The plug end and the cooperating plug end further include respective plugs that cooperate to receive corresponding plugs of an extension cord to increase a length of the extendable jumper cables to electrically connect the charged battery and the discharged battery together when a distance separating the charged battery and the discharged battery is greater than a combined length of the first short cable and the second short cable.
US09484757B2 Charging and discharging system
A charging/discharging system includes a charging/discharging power unit for applying power to a battery cell, a chamber, a jig unit for holding the battery cell mounted in the chamber, an air conditioning unit for adjusting temperature and humidity in the chamber, and an interface unit for controlling the charging/discharging power unit, and for controlling the air conditioning unit, wherein the charging/discharging power unit, the chamber, the air conditioning unit, and the interface unit are combined as an integrated structure.
US09484749B2 Electric power supply system for an aircraft, aircraft and airport power supply system
The present invention relates to an electric power supply system for an aircraft having a transformer-less HVDC architecture, the system including: at least one multiphase engine generator in a star configuration which provides a multiphase alternating (AC) voltage; a converting circuit for converting the multiphase AC voltage into a corresponding direct (DC) voltage for supplying at least one aircraft load; an electric power supply interface for connection with a standardized GPU plug of an external GPU, the electric power supply interface comprising a supply voltage output terminal coupled to a self-contained power source for providing a low voltage control signal for driving a GPU internal switching circuit wherein the power source is decoupled from the AC voltage and DC voltage. The present invention further relates to an aircraft and an airport power supply system.
US09484740B2 Electrostatic discharge clamp
An electrostatic discharge clamp may include a reference generator and a comparator. The electrostatic discharge clamp may be characterized by a time constant. A voltage difference caused by an electrostatic discharge event may activate the electrostatic discharge clamp. The comparator may hold the electrostatic discharge clamp in an active state responsive to a reference voltage provided by the reference generator. A duration of the active state of the electrostatic discharge clamp may facilitate dissipation of the electrostatic discharge event.
US09484737B2 Protector of rectifier and wireless power receiver including protector
A protector that protects a rectifier, and a wireless power receiver including the protector are provided. In one embodiment, a protector for an electronic device may include: a switch configured to control current flow to a rectifier of the electronic device; and a switch controller configured to: compare, with a predetermined threshold value, a voltage difference between an output voltage of the rectifier and a voltage of the electronic device; and transmit a control signal to the switch (i) to discontinue current flow to the rectifier when the voltage difference is greater than the predetermined threshold value, and (ii) to enable current flow to rectifier when the voltage difference is less than or equal to the predetermined threshold value.
US09484729B2 Electrical equipment including a conductor mounting between two casing portions
An insulating support (20) for insulating an electrical conductor contained in aligned casing portions (34, 35), is held in a housing (39) defined by the flanges (36, 37) for joining the casing portions (34, 35) together, the flanges presenting contact faces (38) around the periphery (24) of the support (20). A single sealing gasket (41) is sufficient to prevent the atmosphere in the casing leaking to the outside, and that simplifies assembly of the electrical equipment, while at the same time protecting the support (20) from the outside. For application to medium- and high-voltage electrical equipment.
US09484728B1 Joiner for channel raceway assembly
A joiner system for a channel raceway includes a joiner body with first and second posts, and a joiner wall panel separate from the joiner body. The joiner wall panel connects to the joiner body between the first and second posts to form a wall between the first and second posts. First and second connecting projections extend outward from adjacent the respective first and second posts. The first and second connecting projections are spaced apart from one another and in generally opposing relationship with respect to one another. The joiner body has a snap-fit component on the lower side of a base of the joiner body. The snap-fit component mates in a snap-fit connection with a splice plate to interconnect the joiner body and at least two pieces of channel framing.
US09484726B2 Fluid-tight line feedthrough
A fluid-tight line feedthrough for introducing an electric conductor into a high-pressure chamber includes a housing and an electric conductor that passes through the housing. A ceramic insulator is positioned between the housing and the electric conductor. The ceramic insulator is divided into a first insulator segment facing the electric conductor and a second insulator segment facing the housing, thereby forming a conical separating plane. A fitting made of an electrically conductive material is positioned between the two segments, the fitting being connected to the two segments and to the housing.
US09484721B2 Truck and installation method for wires
A truck and method for installing catenary wire are disclosed in which the truck may have wire manipulating arms, a creep drive and a wire measuring device. The wire manipulating arms may be used to hold the messaging wire and/or contact wire while the wire measuring device may be used to measure the height and stagger of the contact wire.
US09484719B2 Active-control resonant ignition system
A method is disclosed for producing a corona discharge for igniting an air/fuel mixture in an internal combustion engine. An igniter is provided having a discharge tip that protrudes into a combustion zone. During a first stage of a combustion process, a first primary winding of a RF transformer is driven at a first predetermined voltage level and at a first resonant frequency that is based on a first impedance in the combustion zone prior to onset of combustion, for generating a corona discharge at the tip of the igniter. During a second stage subsequent to the first stage, a second primary winding of the RF transformer is driven at a second predetermined voltage level and at a second resonant frequency that is based on a second impedance in the combustion zone at a time that is subsequent to onset of the combustion process.
US09484709B2 Optical amplifier arrangement
The invention relates to an optical amplifier arrangement for amplifying ultra-short pulsed laser radiation comprising a mode-locked laser (1) and two or more optical amplifiers (3) arranged downstream of the laser (1) in the propagation direction of the laser radiation. Optical amplifier arrangements of this type are known in the prior art. Here the intention is to present an alternative to the known amplifier arrangements. The invention proposes arranging between the laser (1) and the optical amplifiers (3) at least one splitting element (2) which splits the pulsed laser radiation between a plurality of amplifier channels (4), wherein each amplifier channel (4) has at least one optical amplifier (3), and wherein at least one common combination element (5) is disposed downstream of the amplifier channels (4) and coherently superimposes the pulsed laser radiation amplified in the amplifier channels (4).
US09484707B2 Spatially stable high brightness fiber
Optical fibers that provide stable output beam sizes have core refractive indices that decrease non-monotonically from a core center to a core/cladding interface. A maximum refractive index of the core is situated at a radius of between about ½ and ¾ of the core radius so that a core center has a depressed refractive index. Such fibers are included in diode pumped solid state lasers to deliver pump laser power to a laser medium.
US09484703B2 Gas circulation loop for a laser discharge tube
The gas circulation loop for a laser discharge tube includes a gas supply duct (a) and a gas exhaust duct (c), wherein the gas supply duct (a) and/or the gas exhaust duct (c) is elongated in the longitudinal direction of the laser discharge tube (b) and connected to the laser discharge tube (b) by an inlet flow distributor and, respectively an outlet flow distributor, adapted for controlled transversal gas inlet and, respectively outlet, over at least part of the laser discharge tube (b), and wherein the inlet flow distributor and/or the outlet flow distributor include a plurality of respective inlet channels or outlet channels, characterized in that the ratio between the diameter of the gas supply duct (a) and the diameter of the inlet channels, and/or the ratio between the diameter of the gas exhaust duct (c) and the diameter of the outlet channels is at least 2. A laser apparatus including such gas circulation loop is also described.
US09484699B2 Elastomeric connectors
In a first embodiment, an elastomeric connector may include conductive and nonconductive portions and a guide that at least partially surrounds the connector and transfers compression in at least two directions. In a second embodiment, an elastomeric connector includes conductive portions at least partially surrounded by a nonconductive portion that is at least partially surrounded by conductive material connectible to ground to shield. In a third embodiment, an elastomeric connector may include multiple conductive portions and a nonconductive portion. One of the conductive portions may be separated from a first other in a cross section of a first connection surface and a second one of the others outside the cross section. At least one of the conductive portions may be connected to at least one of the others within the connector. In a fourth embodiment, a sealing component may include conductive and nonconductive elastomeric material.
US09484697B2 Alternator brush holder
A brush holder assembly for an alternator having a rotational axis includes a pair of brushes each having a contacting surface defining a width and a height, and each having a shunt wire extending laterally from the brush in the widthwise direction. The brush holder assembly includes a housing having first and second brush chambers, corresponding first and second wire cavities each defining a cavity height, and first and second slots respectively interposed between the corresponding chamber and cavity. The respective shunt wires extend through the first and second slots then through the first and second wire cavities. The cavity heights are each at least approximately 0.9 times the height of one of the brushes. The height of the first wire cavity is less than approximately 0.97 times ((A/2) plus B), wherein A is the brush height and B is the distance between the brushes.
US09484693B1 Cord organizing assembly
A cord organizing assembly includes a housing that may be coupled to a support surface. The housing has a well therein such that the well may have a plurality of cords positioned within the well. A pair of retainers is provided and each of the retainers is coupled the housing. Each of the retainers is positioned within the well such that each of the retainers may retain the cords within the well. A power supply is coupled to the housing such that the power supply may have each of the cords is electrically coupled to the power supply thereby facilitating the power supply to provide electrical power to each of the cords.
US09484686B2 Electric connecting module for a motor vehicle
An electric connecting module (12) for an electric component (10) of a motor vehicle (40) has a connecting section (22) with at least two electrical contacts (36). A connecting housing (24) has a connecting opening that can be connected to the connecting section (22). The connecting housing (24) has at least one cable opening (18) that opens laterally on the connecting housing (24) in relation to the connecting opening for routing electric connecting lines (14) through the connecting opening (18) and to connect them to the contacts (36). The connecting housing (24) can be connected to the connecting section (22) in different rotational positions to route the connecting lines (14) in different directions in relation to the electric component (10).
US09484685B2 Cable connector assembly with optical element transmitting LED light
A cable connector assembly includes an electrical connector and a cable electrically connected with the electrical connector. The electrical connector defines a plug portion, a printed circuit board electrically connected to the plug portion, a pair of LED lamps mounted on the printed circuit board, an optical element transmitting the light emitted by the LED lamps and an insulative housing covering the printed circuit board. The optical element defines a pair of transition portions transmitting the light emitted by the LED lamps and a photic zone, the photic zone of the optical element is exposed to the insulative shell and has a closed circumference so that the light emitted by the LED lamps passes through the photic zone to form a continuous aperture.
US09484682B2 USB socket
A USB socket includes a socket body, an upper cover, at least one USB interface disposed in the socket body, and a power supply conversion structure for converting an external power supply to a power supply suitable for output of the USB interface. A USB jack is disposed on the upper cover at a position corresponding to the USB interface, the upper cover is detachably mounted on the socket body, the USB interface is mounted at a lower side of the upper cover, and when the upper cover is mounted to the socket body, the USB interface inserts into the socket body. A moving contact is electrically connected to the USB interface, a fixed contact electrically connected to the power supply conversion structure is further disposed in the socket body and the moving contact is driven to be in contact conduction with the fixed contact.
US09484671B2 Electrical connector and conductive terminal assembly thereof
A conductive terminal assembly of an electrical connector is disclosed having a terminal aligning plate and four pairs of differential signal terminals. The terminal aligning plate made of a dielectric material. The four pairs of differential signal terminals are arranged in two columns in an array on the terminal aligning plate. Each terminal has a terminating end, a contacting end, and a terminal body. The terminal body extends between the terminating end and the contacting end. The terminal bodies of two first terminals in the same column, which are longitudinally adjacent to each other and have opposite polarities, are offset transversely.
US09484661B2 Electrical connector protection
An embodiment of an electrical connector assembly includes a shell, a plurality of fixed conductors, and a potting container. The shell includes a plurality of walls extending in a first direction from a base having at least one opening. The base and the plurality of walls define a shell outer surface and a shell inner surface. The shell inner surface bounds an inner volume of the shell and has an inner shell profile. The plurality of fixed conductors project through the opening into the inner volume of the shell. The potting container includes an outer surface complementing the shell inner profile, and a cavity receives the fixed conductors through a slot in the base. A potting compound fills the cavity such that the potting compound completely surrounds the conductors.
US09484658B2 Connector with a rectangular tab insertion hole and a detection probe insertion hole communicating with a corner region of the tab insertion hole
A connector (C) includes a housing (20) formed with terminal accommodation chambers (22). Terminal fittings (10) are inserted into the terminal accommodation chambers (22) from behind. Rectangular tab insertion holes (24) penetrates through a front wall (23) of the housing (20) and allow tabs (61) to be inserted into the terminal accommodation chambers (22). Guide slopes (29, 30) are formed by recessing and tapering an opening edge part of the tab insertion hole (22) on a front surface of the front wall (23). Detection holes (31) penetrate through the front wall (23) and communicate with corner parts of the tab insertion holes (24) so that a probe (50) for conduction test can be inserted into the terminal accommodation chambers (22) from the front.
US09484657B2 Harness connector having a power and signal cartridges
A harness connector includes a harness housing having a signal cavity and a power cavity defined by housing walls. At least one of the housing walls has a locking rail extending therefrom into the corresponding signal cavity or power cavity. Signal harness cartridges are received in the signal cavity, each holding a plurality of signal terminals. Each signal harness cartridge has a locking slot configured to receive a corresponding locking rail in a position directly behind the signal terminals to secure the signal terminals in the signal harness cartridge. A power harness cartridge is received in the power cavity that holds a plurality of power terminals. The power harness cartridge has a locking slot configured to receive a corresponding locking rail in a position directly behind the power terminals to secure the power terminals in the power harness cartridge.
US09484656B2 Electrical connector
An electrical connector includes a fixed housing to be fixed to a board; a movable housing arranged to be movable relative to the fixed housing; and a plurality of terminals disposed between the fixed housing and the movable housing. The terminal includes a connecting portion held with the fixed housing; a first curved portion connected to the connecting portion; a terminal portion held with the movable housing; a second curved portion connected to the terminal portion; and a inclined portion connected between the first curved portion and the second curved portion so that the first curved portion is curved in a direction opposite to a direction that the second curved portion is curved. The inclined portion is inclined so that an angle between the inclined portion and the first curved portion or the second curved portion becomes an acute angle.
US09484653B1 Power socket terminal
A power socket terminal is provided, comprising a base plate, a pair of asymmetric elastic arms and a receiving space defined by the base plate and the pair of the elastic arm. First contact portions of the pair of the elastic arms are located at the same level, and second contact portions thereof are staggered in a vertical direction. Some second contact portions are higher than the first contact portions, and other second contact portions are lower than the first contact portions. Using this design, when the plug is inserted into and mated with the power socket terminal of the present invention, the plug will be subjected to balance forces and be kept in a correct insertion state for forming a normal power circuit. Therefore, the power socket terminal of the present invention has the characteristics of high security, good electric property and reliable connection.
US09484652B2 Crimp terminal, crimp-connection structural body, and method for manufacturing crimp-connection structural body
A crimp terminal includes; a crimping portion and a cover, the crimping portion is formed in a hollow cylindrical shape in cross section and has a first and a second end portion opposite to the first end portion. The conductor portion is inserted into the first end portion in a longitudinal direction, and the second end is sealed. The second end portion at the opposite side is sealed by welding. The crimping portion has a guide section inside the crimping portion into which the exposed conductor portion is inserted. An inner diameter of the guide section is smaller than an outer diameter of the cover of the insulated wire and larger than an outer diameter of the conductor portion. A length between the first end portion into which the conductor portion is inserted and the guide section is smaller than a length of the exposed conductor portion of the insulated wire.
US09484650B2 Self-adjusting coaxial contact
A self-adjusting mated pair connector having a conductive flexible wire and a retaining ring to facilitate electrical connections through the mated pair connector. A receptacle assembly rigidly and electrically connects a portion of the receptacle assembly to a receptacle PCB. A plug assembly rigidly and electrically connects a portion of the plug assembly to a plug PCB. During mating of the receptacle assembly and the plug assembly, the flexible wire and retaining ring allow for floating or movement of a portion of the receptacle assembly and/or plug assembly without stressing or damaging the rigid electrical connections with the receptacle PCB and the plug PCB or the connector interfaces. Electrical conductivity can be maintained without needing to angle the entire receptacle assembly and/or plug assembly during misalignment in the mating process. Impedance matching and low inductance of the mated pair connector may allow for desired electrical performance.
US09484647B2 Terminal block
A male connector (10) comprises: a male-side inner housing (30) which holds a plurality of male terminals (20) so as to expose circular portions (22) of the male terminals (20); and a partition member (40) which includes a rib (41) dividing the circular portions (22) of the plurality of the male terminals (30), and the male-side inner housing (30) and the partition member (40) are configured to be separate from each other.
US09484642B2 Terminal, a wire connecting structure and a method of manufacturing the terminal
A terminal includes a connector portion, a tubular crimp portion that crimps/joins with a wire, and a transition portion joining the two portions. The tubular crimp portion is composed of a metal member including a base material of copper or copper alloy with 0.20-1.40 mm thickness and a coating layer of tin, tin alloy, nickel, nickel alloy, silver or silver alloy with 0.2-3.0 μm thickness formed on the base material. The tubular crimp portion has a weld portion formed by butt-welding and having, in its cross-section perpendicular to a terminal longitudinal direction, a phase existing therein of tin, tin alloy, nickel, nickel alloy, silver or silver alloy greater than 0.01 μm2. The tubular crimp portion is a closed tubular body with one end opposite to a wire-insertion-opening being closed.
US09484636B2 Mesh reflector with truss structure
A reflector assembly includes a frame centered about a longitudinal axis, a first curved body extending from the frame, and a second curved body extending from the frame and connected to the first curved body for supporting the first curved body. A reflective mesh has an electromagnetically reflective surface and a support structure secures the reflective mesh to the first curved body and spaces the reflective mesh away from the first body towards the second body.
US09484635B2 Waveguide antenna assembly and system for electronic devices
A waveguide antenna assembly and process for transceiving signals of a predetermined radio frequency range comprising at least two collaterally aligned conductive layers configured in a conformable loop so as to form an electrically isolating channel dimensionally configured for support of the waveguide modes of the predetermined frequency range, an aperture for electromagnetically transceiving the signals, wherein the aperture extends along a surface of the electrically isolating channel such that the aperture extends between the outer edge of the inner surface of the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer, a back short spaced apart from the aperture a predetermined distance equal to a resonant length of the waveguide mode wavelength so as to provide a circuit impedance between the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer for tuning the waveguide to transceive the signals, and excitation points coupled to the aperture to propagate waveguide modes within the electrically isolating channel, which is conformable to the configuration of a supported electronic device.
US09484629B2 Multi-use antenna
Multi-use antenna techniques are described. In one or more implementations, a device includes a single fixed radiating structure, a first branch coupled to the single fixed radiating structure to tune to a first frequency range to support a first wireless signal technique, and a second branch coupled to the single fixed radiating structure to tune to a second frequency range to support a second wireless signal technique, the second frequency range being different than the first frequency range.
US09484628B2 Multiband frequency antenna
Disclosed is an antenna capable of operating at more than one frequency band. The antenna comprises a first main helix antenna element and a second parasitic helix antenna element electromagnetically coupled to integrate a single radiofrequency connection structure operating in dual frequency bands. Furthermore, the antenna is configured to structurally combine a plurality of helix antenna elements to operate at multiple frequency bands having only one radiofrequency connector.
US09484621B2 Portable electronic device body having laser perforation apertures and associated fabrication method
A method of fabricating the body of the portable electronic device as well as the resulting portable electronic device and its body are provided to facilitate the transmission of radio frequency signals through the body of the portable electronic device. In the context of a method, at least one aperture and, in some instances, a plurality of apertures are defined by laser perforation through a conductive portion of the body of the portable electronic device. The method may also anodize the conductive portion including at least partially filling the at least one aperture with an anodization layer. As such, the conductive portion of the body of the portable electronic device has a relatively consistent, metallic appearance, even though laser perforation apertures are defined therein for supporting the transmission of radio frequency signals.
US09484619B2 Switchable diversity antenna apparatus and methods
An active diversity antenna apparatus and methods of tuning and utilizing the same. In one embodiment, the active diversity antenna is used within a handheld mobile device (e.g., cellular telephone or smartphone), and enables device operation in several low frequency bands (LBs). The exemplary implementation of the active LB diversity antenna comprises a directly fed radiator portion and a grounded (coupled fed) radiator portion. The directly fed portion is fed via a feed element connected to an antenna feed. The coupled fed portion of the LB antenna is grounded, forming a resonating part of the low frequency band. A gap between the two antenna portions is used to adjust antenna Q-value. Resonant frequency tuning is achieved by changing the length of the grounded element. The LB feed element is disposed proximate the feed element of a high band diversity antenna, thus reducing transmission losses and improving diplexer operation.
US09484616B2 Support truss for an antenna or similar device
Methods and devices for securing an antenna or similar device to a structure to inhibit undesirable movement when stowed or folded for travel. A truss having a mount and a plug can be used to secure an antenna to a structure, in particular a rod holder of a boat. A truss can be used to secure the antenna and prevent undesirable contact with other structures. Particular embodiments can be configured to accommodate antennas that, when stowed, are not located near a structure.
US09484613B1 Ka-band waveguide 2-way hybrid combiner for MMIC amplifiers with unequal and arbitrary power output ratio
One or more embodiments of the present invention describe an apparatus and method to combine unequal powers. The apparatus includes a first input port, a second input port, and a combiner. The first input port is operably connected to a first power amplifier and is configured to receive a first power from the first power amplifier. The second input port is operably connected to a second power amplifier and is configured to receive a second power from the second power amplifier. The combiner is configured to simultaneously receive the first power from the first input port and the second power from the second input port. The combiner is also configured to combine the first power and second power to produce a maximized power. The first power and second power are unequal.
US09484611B2 Coupled line system with controllable transmission behaviour
The invention relates two lines each with two terminals. A first line provides a first terminal and a second terminal. A second line provides a first terminal and a second terminal. The lines extend in spatial proximity and are coupled. The two lines transport an electromagnetic signal fed into the line system. Distanced from the first terminal of the second line and distanced from the second terminal of the second line, at least one controllable element is arranged along the second line. The invention further relates to a switch, a controllable diplexer, a controllable frequency filter, a controllable attenuator and a controllable phase shifter.
US09484601B2 Load-managed electrochemical energy generation system
Described embodiments include a system and a method. A system includes a controllable electrochemical cell configured to output electric power. The controllable cell includes an electrolyte and a first working electrode configured to transfer electrons to or from the electrolyte. The controllable cell includes a second working electrode configured to transfer electrons to or from the electrolyte. The controllable cell includes a gating electrode spaced-apart from the second working electrode. The gating electrode is configured, if biased relative to the second working electrode, to modify an electric charge, field, or potential in the space between the electrolyte and the second working electrode. The controllable cell includes a control circuit coupled to the gating electrode of the controllable cell and configured to apply a biasing signal responsive to an electrical property of an external electrical load coupled to the controllable cell.
US09484599B2 Non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery
Provided is a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery having a high capacity and an improved cycle life. The battery includes an electrode group and a non-aqueous electrolyte, and has a volume energy density of 650 Wh/L or more. The electrode group includes wound positive and negative electrodes with a separator interposed therebetween. The positive and negative electrodes each include a current collector and a material mixture layer adhering thereto. The positive and negative electrode material mixture layers each have a porosity Pp of 22% or less and porosity Pn of 25% or less. The ratio VE/VT of a volume VE of the electrolyte to a total VT of the pore volumes of the positive and negative electrode material mixture layers, and the separator is 1 to 1.5. The difference between contact angles CAp and CAn of the positive and negative electrodes with respect to the non-aqueous electrolyte is 23° or less.
US09484597B2 Sulfide solid electrolyte material, lithium solid-state battery, and method for producing sulfide solid electrolyte material
A sulfide solid electrolyte material contains glass ceramics that contains Li, A, X, and S, and has peaks at 2θ=20.2° and 23.6° in X-ray diffraction measurement with CuKα line. A is at least one kind of P, Si, Ge, Al, and B, and X is a halogen. A method for producing a sulfide solid electrolyte material includes amorphizing a raw material composition containing Li2S, a sulfide of A, and LiX to synthesize sulfide glass, and heating the sulfide glass at a heat treatment temperature equal to or more than a crystallization temperature thereof to synthesize glass ceramics having peaks at 2θ=20.2° and 23.6° in X-ray diffraction measurement with CuKα line, in which a ratio of the LiX contained in the raw material composition and the heat treatment temperature are controlled to obtain the glass ceramics.
US09484596B2 Battery system, method for producing battery system, and battery control apparatus
The object of the present invention is to provide a battery system in which reductive decomposition of a Ge-containing solid electrolyte material is restricted. The present invention attains the object by providing a battery system including a battery and a control apparatus, wherein the battery has a cathode active material layer containing a cathode active material, an anode active material layer containing a Si-containing anode active material, and an electrolyte layer formed between the cathode active material layer and the anode active material layer, at least one of the anode active material layer and the electrolyte layer contains a Ge-containing solid electrolyte material, and the control apparatus is an apparatus to control an electric potential of the Si-containing anode active material so as to be reduction potential or less of the Ge-containing solid electrolyte material.
US09484595B2 Li/metal battery with composite solid electrolyte
In accordance with one embodiment, an electrochemical cell includes a first anode including a form of lithium a first cathode including an electrolyte, and a first composite electrolyte structure positioned between the first anode and the first cathode, the first composite electrolyte structure including (i) a first support layer adjacent the first anode and configured to mechanically suppress roughening of the form of lithium in the first anode, and (ii) a first protective layer positioned between the first support layer and the first cathode and configured to prevent oxidation of the first support layer by substances in the first cathode.
US09484583B2 Fuel cell electrode catalyst having graduated layers
Embodiments of electrode assemblies and fuel cells having increased catalyst durability are provided. One embodiment of an electrode assembly for a fuel cell comprises a first catalyst layer adjacent an electrolyte membrane comprising first active catalyst particles supported on first support particles having a first support size and a second catalyst layer adjacent the first catalyst layer opposite the electrolyte membrane comprising second active catalyst particles supported on second support particles having a second support size. The first support particles are a non-carbon support.
US09484574B2 Hydrothermal process for the production of LiFePO4 powder
The present invention relates to a process for the production of LiFePO4 powder, comprising the steps: a) providing an aqueous solution of an organic surfactant; b) providing an aqueous solution of an iron (II) salt and mixing said aqueous iron (II) salt solution with an aqueous solution of a phosphate, to provide a mixed iron (II) salt/phosphate solution having a stoichiometric ratio of Fe2+:phosphate of about 1:1; c) adding the mixed iron (II) salt/phosphate solution to the surfactant solution under constant stirring; d) providing an aqueous solution comprising a lithium salt, adding said aqueous solution comprising a lithium salt to said mixed iron (II) salt/phosphate solution to provide a mixture having a stoichiometric ratio of Fe2+:phosphate:lithium salt of about 1:1:3 and stirring the resulting mixture; e) heating the resulting mixture at 80-200° C.; f) washing the resulting precipitate to remove excess surfactant, filtering and drying the precipitate; and g) heat treating the dried precipitate in an inert atmosphere by firing at 550-850° C. for at least 2 hours, wherein a co-solvent is added during or after any one of steps (a) to (d).
US09484570B2 Method for producing electrode for electrochemical element
It is an object of the present invention to provide a method for producing an electrode for an electrochemical element, which can easily adjust a capacity and can produce the electrochemical element at low cost. The method for producing an electrode for an electrochemical element of the present invention includes a thickness adjustment step of compressing an aluminum porous body having continuous pores to adjust the thickness of the aluminum porous body to a predetermined thickness, and a filling step of filling the aluminum porous body, the thickness of which is adjusted, with an active material.
US09484560B2 Electric device having a round corner and including a secondary battery
An electric device has a curved structure formed at at least one position of an outside thereof. At least one secondary battery having an external appearance corresponding to a shape of the curved structure is mounted at the position of the electric device at which the curved structure is formed. The secondary battery is a battery cell having an electrode assembly including a cathode, an anode, and a separator disposed between the cathode and the anode mounted in a battery case or a battery pack having the battery cell mounted in a pack case.
US09484552B2 Manufacturing method of flexible device substrate
A flexible device substrate includes a flexible substrate, a device layer, and a waterproof layer. The flexible substrate has a top surface and a bottom surface disposed opposite to each other. The device layer is disposed on the top surface of the flexible substrate. The waterproof layer is disposed on the bottom surface of the flexible substrate.
US09484551B2 Organic EL display provided with gel-state encapsulant incorporating a desiccant and a high molecular-weight medium
A sealing substrate is arranged to oppositely face an element substrate on which organic EL layers are formed in a matrix array with a sealing material sandwiched therebetween. A gel-state desiccant is filled in an inner space surrounded by the element substrate, the sealing substrate and the sealing material. Since the gel-state desiccant is in a gel state, the gel-state desiccant is flexibly filled in the inner space of the organic EL display device thus completely eliminating a gap. Since the inner space is filled with the gel-state desiccant, moisture hardly intrudes into the inner space from the outside and, at the same time, a mechanical strength of the organic EL display device is also enhanced.
US09484549B2 Display device
A display device includes a first substrate including a display area and a non-display area, the display area including a pixel including a first electrode, a light emission layer, and a second electrode; a sealing member facing the first substrate; and a first conducting member in the display area, the first conducting member being coupled to the first electrode, where the sealing member includes: a first conductive layer coupled to the first conducting member; an insulating layer on the first conductive layer; and a second conductive layer on the insulating layer, the second conductive layer being coupled to the second electrode.
US09484546B2 OLED with compact contact design and self-aligned insulators
OLEDs and techniques for fabricating OLEDs are provided, in which the OLED has a shortest lateral current path through an active region that is longer than the shortest lateral electric field line within the active region. Such configurations prevent “hot spots” in the OLED panel, leading to a more uniform emission by the panel.
US09484545B2 Organic electroluminescent element and lighting device
Provided is an organic electroluminescent element that can obtain white light with excellent color rendering properties and is particularly suitable for a light source of a lighting device. The organic electroluminescent element includes a plurality of light emitting units that are provided between a cathode and an anode and include at least a light emitting layer made of an organic compound. White light emitted from the plurality of light emitting units has a continuous emission spectrum (S) in a wavelength range of at least 380 nm to 780 nm. The emission spectrum (S) includes one peak wavelength (p1) in a red wavelength range (R) of 600 nm to 640 nm, one peak wavelength (p2) in a green wavelength range G of 500 nm to 540 nm, and two peak wavelengths (p3) and (p4) in a blue wavelength range B of 440 nm to 490 nm.
US09484543B2 Fabrication of anchored carbon nanotube array devices for integrated light collection and energy conversion
A method of fabricating optical energy collection and conversion devices using carbon nanotubes (CNTs), and a method of anchoring CNT's into thin polymeric layers is disclosed. The basic method comprises an initial act of surrounding a plurality of substantially aligned nanostructures within at least one fluid layer of substantially uniform thickness such that a first end of the plurality of nanostructures protrudes from the fluid layer. Next, the fluid layer is altered to form an anchoring layer, thereby fastening the nanostructures within the primary anchoring layer with the first ends of the nanostructures protruding from a first surface of the primary anchoring layer. Finally, a portion of the anchoring layer is selectively removed such that a second end of the nanostructures is exposed and protrudes from the anchoring layer. The resulting product is an optically absorbent composite material having aligned nanostructures protruding from both sides of an anchoring layer.
US09484528B2 Memory element and memory apparatus
A memory element includes a layered structure: a memory layer having a magnetization direction changed depending on information, the magnetization direction being changed by applying a current in a lamination direction of the layered structure to record the information in the memory layer, including a first ferromagnetic layer having a magnetization direction that is inclined from a direction perpendicular to a film face, a bonding layer laminated on the first ferromagnetic layer, and a second ferromagnetic layer laminated on the bonding layer and bonded to the first ferromagnetic layer via the bonding layer, having a magnetization direction that is inclined from the direction perpendicular to the film face, a magnetization-fixed layer having a fixed magnetization direction, an intermediate layer that is provided between the memory layer and the magnetization-fixed layer, and is contacted with the first ferromagnetic layer, and a cap layer that is contacted with the second ferromagnetic layer.
US09484524B2 Piezoelectric compositions
Piezoelectric compositions are provided wherein mechanical and piezoelectric properties can be separately modulated. Preferred compositions include resin blends that comprise: (a) a piezoelectrically active polymer and (b) a matrix polymer, methods of making, and use of such resin blends. Advantages of preferred resin blends of the invention can include high piezoelectricity, mechanical strength and flexibility, convenient fabrication process, and high sensitivity at high temperatures.
US09484523B2 Bistable piezoelectric cantilever vibration energy generator based on spherical composite structure and partial separation of different layers
Implementations herein relate to a bistable piezoelectric cantilever vibration energy generator based on spherical composite structure with partial separation of different layers that includes a beam bracket and a shell. The shell is spherical, the bottom of the shell has a circular opening. The beam bracket and the shell are fixed to the base respectively. Vibration of the beam bracket can cause deformation of the piezoelectric cantilever beam, the piezoelectric cantilever beam generates electrical energy using the piezoelectric effect during deformation. The bistable piezoelectric cantilever vibration energy generator further includes twenty-five piezoelectric oscillator structures, and the lengths of the cantilever beam in the same layer are different such as to form a wide resonance frequency domain and to substantially increase power generation.
US09484520B2 Method for producing flexible EAP generators
In a method for manufacturing electroactive polymer generators, a strip, including one layer of an electroactive polymer and electrodes applied to sections of this layer, is spirally wound in such a way that multiple electrodes are situated congruently on top of each other, in each case two electrodes situated on top of each other being separated from each other by a layer of electroactive polymer.
US09484519B2 Piezoelectric/electrostrictive element
A piezoelectric/electrostrictive element has a piezoelectric body, a first electrode, a second electrode and a glass layer. The piezoelectric body is formed in a thin film-shape. The piezoelectric body has a first main surface and a second main surface. The first electrode is disposed on the first main surface of the piezoelectric body. The first electrode has an electrode side surface configured to be connected with the first main surface. The second electrode is disposed on the second main surface of the piezoelectric body. The glass layer is continuously formed on the first main surface and the electrode side surface. The glass layer containing glass as a principal constituent. The glass layer is isolated from the side surface of the piezoelectric body.
US09484518B2 Tubular thermoelectric module and method for producing the module
A method for producing a thermoelectric module and a tubular thermoelectric module include at least an inner tube, an outer tube and an interspace therebetween. At least a plurality of rings each formed by a plurality of n-doped and p-doped semiconductor elements disposed alternately in a circumferential direction are disposed in succession in an axial direction of the thermoelectric module in the interspace. On an inner side or an outer side of the semiconductor elements of one ring, electrically conductive first connections run only in the circumferential direction and, on an opposite outer side or inner side, at least one electrically conductive second connection electrically conductively connects an n-doped to a p-doped semiconductor element of an adjacent ring and runs at least in the axial direction of the thermoelectric module.
US09484517B2 Seebeck/peltier bidirectional thermoelectric conversion device using nanowires of conductive or semiconductive material
The invention relates to Seebeck/Peltier bidirectional thermoelectric conversion devices and in particular to devices employing nanowires of conductive or semiconductive material defined on a substrate by common planar technologies.
US09484506B2 LED display and manufacturing method thereof
A manufacturing method of a LED display is provided. A temporary substrate is provided, wherein the temporary substrate has a first adhesive layer and a plurality of first, second and third LED chips mounted on the first adhesive layer. A first transparent substrate is provided, the transparent substrate has a plurality of pixels disposed thereon, and each of the pixels comprises a first sub-pixel, a second sub-pixel and a third sub-pixel respectively surrounded by a light-insulating structure. Then, the temporary substrate and the first transparent substrate are bonded together, such that each of the first, second and third LED chips is correspondingly mounted in each of the first sub-pixels, the second sub-pixels and the third sub-pixels. After that, the temporary substrate is removed. A LED display manufactured by said method is also provided.
US09484503B2 Light emitting device
A light emitting device includes a first lead, a second lead, an insulating member, a diffusing agent-containing portion, a wavelength conversion portion and a lens portion. The insulating member is configured to fix the first lead and the second lead. A thickness of the insulating member is equal to the thickness of the first and second leads. A groove or a recessed portion is provided to retain the wavelength conversion portion in a specific region formed in the first lead. A second groove portion or recessed portion is formed in a first lead inner side of the groove portion or the recessed portion, which is filled with the diffusing agent-containing portion.
US09484499B2 Transparent ohmic contacts on light emitting diodes with carrier substrates
A light emitting diode is disclosed that includes an active structure formed of at least p-type and n-type epitaxial layers of Group III nitride on a conductive carrier substrate. A conductive bonding system joins the active structure to the conductive carrier substrate. A first transparent ohmic contact is on the active structure adjacent the conductive carrier substrate, a second transparent ohmic contact is on the active structure opposite the conductive carrier substrate, and a third ohmic contact is on the conductive carrier substrate opposite from the active structure.
US09484481B2 Radiograph detector and method for manufacturing the same
A radiograph detector includes: a fluorescent layer, a bonding layer, and a light detector disposed in this order, wherein the fluorescent layer includes fluorescent particles, first binder resin, and second binder resin, and the second binder resin contains a binder polymer identical to a bonding layer forming polymer contained in the bonding layer.
US09484479B2 Solar cell module and manufacturing method thereof
A solar cell module in the present invention includes: a wiring member electrically connecting solar cell elements to each other; and a structure in which a solder bonding portion is formed by bonding a collecting electrode, which is provided on a light receiving surface of the solar cell element, extends in a first direction parallel to the wiring member, and has a width smaller than that of the wiring member in a cross section vertical to the first direction, and the wiring member together by melting solder, a cross-sectional shape of the solder bonding portion vertical to the first direction has a shape that gradually narrows toward the collecting electrode from a lower surface of the wiring member, and a side surface of the solder bonding portion and a side surface of the wiring member are covered with a thermosetting resin.
US09484478B2 Solar cell module
A second protective member faces a first protective member. A bonding layer is disposed between the first and the second protective member. A solar cell includes a first main surface facing a side of the first protective member and a second main surface facing a side of the second protective member. A wiring member disposed on the second main surface. The bonding layer includes a first bonding layer disposed between the first protective member and the solar cell and made of a transparent resin a second bonding layer disposed between the second protective member and the solar cell and made of a colored resin, and a third bonding layer disposed between the second bonding layer and the solar cell and made of a transparent resin, and the second bonding layer is in contact with a main surface of the wiring member on a side of the second protective member.
US09484474B1 Ultrananocrystalline diamond contacts for electronic devices
A method of forming electrical contacts on a diamond substrate comprises producing a plasma ball using a microwave plasma source in the presence of a mixture of gases. The mixture of gases include a source of a p-type or an n-type dopant. The plasma ball is disposed at a first distance from the diamond substrate. The diamond substrate is maintained at a first temperature. The plasma ball is maintained at the first distance from the diamond substrate for a first time, and a UNCD film, which is doped with at least one of a p-type dopant and an n-type dopant, is disposed on the diamond substrate. The doped UNCD film is patterned to define UNCD electrical contacts on the diamond substrate.
US09484462B2 Fin structure of fin field effect transistor
An exemplary structure for the fin field effect transistor comprises a substrate comprising a major surface; a plurality of fin structures protruding from the major surface of the substrate, wherein each fin structure comprises an upper portion and a lower portion separated at a transition location at where the sidewall of the fin structure is at an angle of 85 degrees to the major surface of the substrate, wherein the upper portion has sidewalls that are substantially perpendicular to the major surface of the substrate and a top surface having a first width, wherein the lower portion has tapered sidewalls on opposite sides of the upper portion and a base having a second width larger than the first width; and a plurality of isolation structures between the fin structures, wherein each isolation structure extends from the major surface of the substrate to a point above the transition location.
US09484460B2 Semiconductor device having gate dielectric surrounding at least some of channel region and gate electrode surrounding at least some of gate dielectric
A semiconductor device includes a first type region including a first conductivity type and a second type region including a second conductivity type. The semiconductor device includes a channel region extending between the first type region and the second type region. The semiconductor device includes a gate electrode surrounding at least some of the channel region. A first gate edge of the gate electrode is separated a first distance from a first type region edge of the first type region and a second gate edge of the gate electrode is separated a second distance from a second type region edge of the second type region. The first distance is less than the second distance.
US09484457B2 Vertical floating body storage transistors formed in bulk devices and having buried sense and word lines
A semiconductor device comprises a memory area including floating body transistors in the form of pillar structures, which are formed in a bulk architecture. The pillar structures may be appropriately addressed on the basis of a buried word line and a buried sense region or sense lines in combination with an appropriate bit line contact regime.
US09484455B2 Isolation NLDMOS device and a manufacturing method therefor
An isolation NLDMOS device including: an N well and a P well adjacent to each other on an upper part of a P substrate; on the upper part of the P well are sequentially arranged a first P type heavily doped region, a first field oxide, and a second P type heavily doped region; on the upper part of the N well are arranged a second field oxide and an N type heavily doped region; a gate oxide is between the second P type heavily doped region and the second field oxide; a gate polysilicon sits above the gate oxide and part of the second field oxide; from the first P type heavily doped region, the second P type heavily doped region and the N type heavily doped region are led out each a connecting wire via a respective contact hole.
US09484447B2 Integration methods to fabricate internal spacers for nanowire devices
A nanowire device having a plurality of internal spacers and a method for forming said internal spacers are disclosed. In an embodiment, a semiconductor device comprises a nanowire stack disposed above a substrate, the nanowire stack having a plurality of vertically-stacked nanowires, a gate structure wrapped around each of the plurality of nanowires, defining a channel region of the device, the gate structure having gate sidewalls, a pair of source/drain regions on opposite sides of the channel region; and an internal spacer on a portion of the gate sidewall between two adjacent nanowires, internal to the nanowire stack. In an embodiment, the internal spacers are formed by depositing spacer material in dimples etched adjacent to the channel region. In an embodiment, the dimples are etched through the channel region. In another embodiment, the dimples are etched through the source/drain region.
US09484434B2 Inducement of strain in a semiconductor layer
Strain is induced in a semiconductor layer. Embodiments include inducing strain by, for example, creation of free surfaces.
US09484428B2 Non-planar exciton transistor (BiSFET) and methods for making
A semiconductor device includes a first gate electrode defined on a base layer. A first plurality of layers is disposed on a first sidewall of the first gate electrode. The first plurality of layers includes a first dielectric layer formed on the first sidewall, a first ballistic conductor layer formed above the first dielectric layer, an intermediate layer formed above the first ballistic conductor layer, a second ballistic conductor layer formed above the intermediate layer, and a second dielectric layer formed above the second ballistic conductor layer. A second gate electrode contacts the second dielectric layer.
US09484425B2 Biased reactive refractory metal nitride capped contact of group III-V semiconductor device
According to one disclosed embodiment, an electrical contact for use on a semiconductor device comprises an electrode stack including a plurality of metal layers and a capping layer formed over the plurality of metal layers. The capping layer comprises a refractory metal nitride. In one embodiment, a method for fabricating an electrical contact for use on a semiconductor device comprises forming an electrode stack including a plurality of metal layers over the semiconductor device, and depositing a refractory metal nitride capping layer of the electrode stack over the plurality of metal layers. The method may further comprise annealing the electrode stack at a temperature of less than approximately 875° C. In some embodiments, the method may additionally include forming one of a Schottky metal layer and a gate insulator layer between the electrode stack and the semiconductor device.
US09484414B2 Semiconductor device
A MOSFET includes a silicon carbide substrate including a main surface having an off angle with respect to a {0001} plane and a source electrode formed in contact with the main surface. A base surface is exposed at at least a part of a contact interface of the silicon carbide substrate with the source electrode. With such a construction, the MOSFET achieves suppressed variation in threshold voltage.
US09484411B1 Integrated circuit and a method to optimize strain inducing composites
A method to design an IC is disclosed to provide a uniform deposition of strain-inducing composites is disclosed. The method to design the IC comprises, determining a total strain-inducing deposition area on an IC design. Then, the total strain inducing deposition area is compared with a predefined size. A dummy diffusion area is modified to increase the total strain-inducing deposition area, when the total strain-inducing deposition area is below the predefined size. Finally, the strain-inducing deposition area is optimized. A method to manufacture the IC and the IC is also disclosed.
US09484402B2 Fabricating shallow-trench isolation semiconductor devices to reduce or eliminate oxygen diffusion
A method is disclosed for forming a semiconductor device. A first opening is formed for an STI on a semiconductor substrate and a first process is performed to deposit first oxide into the first opening. A second opening is formed to remove a portion of the first oxide from the first opening and second process(es) is/are performed to deposit second oxide into the second opening and over a remaining portion of the first oxide. A portion of the semiconductor device is formed over a portion of a surface of the second oxide. A semiconductor device includes an STI including a first oxide formed in a lower portion of a trench of the STI and a second oxide formed in an upper portion of the trench and above the first oxide. The semiconductor device includes a portion of the semiconductor device formed over a portion of the second oxide.
US09484396B2 Array substrate, method for manufacturing the same, display device and electronic product
The present disclosure provides an array substrate, including a plurality of sub-pixel regions arranged in a matrix form. Each sub-pixel region may at least include a first thin film transistor (TFT) and a second thin film transistor. The first thin film transistor may include a first gate electrode, a first source electrode and a first drain electrode. The second thin film transistor may include a second gate electrode, a second source electrode and a second drain electrode. The first gate electrode and at least one of the second source electrode and the second drain electrode may be provided on a same layer. The second gate electrode and at least one of the first source electrode and the first drain electrode may be provided on a same layer. The second gate electrode and the first source electrode may be integrated together.
US09484394B2 Display device and electronic apparatus
A display device includes a first substrate including an organic layer forming region, and an organic layer non-forming region which is provided on an outer side of the organic layer forming region; and a first partitioning wall which is provided between the organic layer forming region and the organic layer non-forming region on the first substrate.
US09484390B2 Method for fabricating semiconductor apparatus
A method for fabricating a semiconductor apparatus includes forming a diffusion barrier film on a semiconductor substrate, forming a first film on a semiconductor substrate including a common source region, forming a second film on the first film, forming a conductive film on the second film, patterning the conductive film and the second film, to form an active pattern, and patterning the first film and the semiconductor substrate using the active pattern as a mask, to form a pillar; and forming a gate electrode on an outer circumference of the pillar.
US09484377B2 CMOS image sensor including infrared pixels having improved spectral properties, and method of manufacturing same
The present invention relates to a CMOS image sensor including an infrared pixel with enhanced spectral characteristics in which a stepped portion is formed between color filters of RGB pixels and a filter of an infrared pixel, and a manufacturing method thereof. A stepped portion is formed between color filters and an infrared filter according to respective pixels and the thicknesses of the filters are arbitrarily adjusted regardless of the characteristics of material in the formation of the color filters and the infrared filter, so that crosstalk characteristics are improved.
US09484367B2 Germanium photodetector schottky contact for integration with CMOS and Si nanophotonics
A method of forming an integrated photonic semiconductor structure having a photodetector device and a CMOS device may include depositing a dielectric stack over the photodetector device such that the dielectric stack encapsulates the photodetector. An opening is etched into the dielectric stack down to an upper surface of a region of an active area of the photodetector. A first metal layer is deposited directly onto the upper surface of the region of the active area via the opening such that the first metal layer may cover the region of the active area. Within the same mask level, a plurality of contacts including a second metal layer are located on the first metal layer and on the CMOS device. The first metal layer isolates the active area from the occurrence of metal intermixing between the second metal layer and the active area of the photodetector.
US09484362B2 Display substrate and method of manufacturing a display substrate
A display substrate includes an active pattern, a gate electrode, a first insulation layer and a pixel electrode. The active pattern is disposed on a base substrate. The active pattern includes a metal oxide semiconductor. The gate electrode overlaps the active pattern. The first insulation layer covers the gate electrode and the active pattern, and a contact hole is defined in the first insulation layer. The pixel electrode is electrically connected to the active pattern via the contact hole penetrating the first insulation layer. A first angle defined by a bottom surface of the first insulation layer and a sidewall of the first insulation layer exposed by the contact hole is between about 30° and about 50°.
US09484349B1 Static random access memory
A static random access memory (SRAM) including at least a SRAM cell is provided. A gate layout of the SRAM cell includes first to fourth strip doped regions, a recessed gate line and first and second gate lines. The first to fourth strip doped regions are disposed in the substrate in order and separated from each other. The recessed gate line intersects the first to fourth strip doped regions. The first to fourth strip doped regions are disconnected at intersections with the recessed gate line. The first gate line intersects the first and the second strip doped regions. The first and the second strip doped regions are disconnected at intersections with the first gate line. The second gate line intersects the third the fourth strip doped regions. The third and the fourth strip dopeds region are disconnected at intersections with the second gate line.
US09484348B2 Structure and method to increase contact area in unmerged EPI integration for CMOS FinFETs
Source/drain contact structures with increased contact areas for a multiple fin-based complementary metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (CMOSFET) having unmerged epitaxial source/drain regions and methods for forming such source/drain contact structures are provided by forming wrap-around source/drain contact structures for both n-type FinFETs and p-type FinFETs. Each of first source/drain contact structures for the n-type FinFETs includes at least one first conductive plug encapsulating epitaxial first source/drain regions on one side of a gate structure, while each of second source/drain contact structures for the p-type FinFETs includes at least a contact metal layer portion encapsulating epitaxial second source/drain regions on one side of the gate structure, and a second conductive plug located over a top surface of the contact metal layer portion.
US09484346B2 Semiconductor structure and manufacturing method thereof
The present disclosure provides a semiconductor structure includes a semiconductor layer having a first and a second surface, and an interlayer dielectric (ILD) defining a first metal gate and a second metal gate over the first and second surface, respectively. The first and second metal gate include a first SAC hard mask and a second SAC hard mask, respectively, wherein the first the second SAC hard mask have opposite stress to channel regions underneath the first and second metal gate, respectively. The present disclosure provides a method for manufacturing a semiconductor structure. The method includes forming metal gate recesses, forming metal gates and SAC hard masks in the metal gate recesses, respectively.
US09484334B2 Semiconductor device and method of forming directional RF coupler with IPD for additional RF signal processing
A semiconductor device has a substrate and RF coupler formed over the substrate. The RF coupler has a first conductive trace with a first end coupled to a first terminal of the semiconductor device, and a second conductive trace with a first end coupled to a second terminal of the semiconductor device. The first conductive trace is placed in proximity to a first portion of the second conductive trace. An integrated passive device is formed over the substrate. A second portion of the second conductive trace operates as a circuit component of the integrated passive device. The integrated passive device can be a balun or low-pass filter. The RF coupler also has a first capacitor coupled to the first terminal of the semiconductor device, and second capacitor coupled to a third terminal of the semiconductor device for higher directivity. The second conductive trace is wound to exhibit an inductive property.
US09484328B2 Backside through silicon vias and micro-channels in three dimensional integration
Technologies are generally described related to electrical connectivity and heat mitigation in three dimensional integrated circuit (IC) integration through backside through silicon vias (TSVs) and micro-channels. In some examples, micro-channels may be formed in a wafer using a reactive ion etching (RIE) or similar fabrication process. Upon alignment and bonding of two wafers, selected micro-channels may be converted into TSVs by a further RIE or similar process and filled.
US09484326B2 Apparatuses having stacked devices and methods of connecting dice stacks
Various embodiments include apparatuses having stacked devices and methods of forming dice stacks on an interface die. In one such apparatus, a dice stack includes at least a first die and a second die, and conductive paths coupling the first die and the second die to the common control die. In some embodiments, the conductive paths may be arranged to connect with circuitry on alternating dice of the stack. In other embodiments, a plurality of dice stacks may be arranged on a single interface die, and some or all of the dice may have interleaving conductive paths.
US09484323B2 Method of manufacturing a semiconductor package and wire bonding apparatus for performing the same
In a method of manufacturing a semiconductor package, a first semiconductor chip is adhered to a package substrate. An end portion of a wire is bonded to a first bonding pad of the first semiconductor chip by using a capillary. An operating voltage of the first semiconductor chip is applied to the first bonding pad through the wire to detect a leakage current. A second end portion of the wire is bonded to the first connection pad by using the capillary, according to a result of the detection.
US09484320B2 Vertically packaged integrated circuit
A device comprises a semiconductor package including a first integrated circuit (IC) die including a plurality of through silicon vias (TSVs). The TSVs are formed of conductive material that extend through the first IC die from an outer surface on a first side of the die to an outer surface of a second side of the die. The package further includes first electrical connections contacting the first side of the first IC die, and second electrical connections contacting the second side of the first IC die. The first electrical connections are independent of the second electrical connections. Molding compound encapsulates the first IC die and the first and second electrical connections. The semiconductor package is mounted on a substrate so that the first and second sides of the IC die are oriented perpendicular to the substrate.
US09484306B1 MOSFET with asymmetric self-aligned contact
A semiconductor device includes a source and drain on a substrate; a first and second gate on the source, and the second gate and a third gate on the drain; a source contact over the source and between the first and second gates, the source contact including first and second portions, the first portion in contact with the source and extending between the first and second gates, and the second portion contacting the first portion and extending over the first and second gates; and a drain contact formed over the drain and between the second and third gates, the drain contact including first and second portions, the first portion contacting the drain, extending between second and third gates, and recessed with respect to the first portion of the source contact, and the second portion in contact with the first portion and extending between and over the second and third gates.
US09484303B2 Stress tuning for reducing wafer warpage
An integrated circuit structure includes a substrate, a plurality of low-k dielectric layers over the substrate, a first dielectric layer over the plurality of low-k dielectric layers, and a metal line in the first dielectric layer. A stress tuning dielectric layer is over the first dielectric layer, wherein the stress tuning dielectric layer includes a first opening and a second opening. The metal line extends into the first opening. The second opening has a bottom substantially level with a top surface of the first dielectric layer. A second dielectric layer is over the first dielectric layer.
US09484295B2 Image forming apparatus, chip, and chip package to reduce cross-talk between signals
An image forming apparatus including an engine unit to perform an image forming operation, and a board unit to control the engine unit. The board unit includes at least one chip package that includes a chip. The chip includes first pads to transmit a first type of signal, a second pad to transmit a second type of signal, and a third pad interposed between the first and second pads, to reduce cross-talk between the first and second types of signals.
US09484289B2 Semiconductor device with heat spreader
A semiconductor device includes a package body, a semiconductor die embedded in the package body and a heat spreader attached to a top surface of the package body and spaced from semiconductor die. The heat spreader may be formed of solder that is melted within a recess in the top surface of the package body.
US09484271B2 Semiconductor device and method of manufacturing the same
Characteristics of a semiconductor device are improved. A semiconductor device of the present invention includes: (a) a MISFET arranged in an active region formed of a semiconductor region surrounded by an element isolation region; and (b) an insulating layer arranged below the active region. Further, the semiconductor device includes: (c) a p-type semiconductor region arranged below the active region so as to interpose the insulating layer; and (d) an n-type semiconductor region whose conductivity type is opposite to the p-type, arranged below the p-type semiconductor region. And, the p-type semiconductor region includes a connection region extending from below the insulating layer, and the p-type semiconductor region and a gate electrode of the MISFET are connected to each other by a shared plug which is an integrally-formed conductive film extending from above the gate electrode to above the connection region.
US09484259B2 Semiconductor device and method of forming protection and support structure for conductive interconnect structure
A semiconductor device has a semiconductor wafer with a plurality of contact pads. A first insulating layer is formed over the semiconductor wafer and contact pads. A portion of the first insulating layer is removed, exposing a first portion of the contact pads, while leaving a second portion of the contact pads covered. An under bump metallization layer and a plurality of bumps is formed over the contact pads and the first insulating layer. A second insulating layer is formed over the first insulating layer, a sidewall of the under bump metallization layer, sidewall of the bumps, and upper surface of the bumps. A portion of the second insulating layer covering the upper surface of the bumps is removed, but the second insulating layer is maintained over the sidewall of the bumps and the sidewall of the under bump metallization layer.
US09484258B1 Method for producing self-aligned vias
A method for producing self-aligned vias (SAV) is provided. Embodiments include forming a ILOS layer over a dielectric layer; forming pairs of spacers over the ILOS layer, each pair of spacers having a first filler formed between adjacent spacers, and a second filler formed between each pair of spacers; forming and patterning a first OPL to expose one second filler, spacers on opposite sides of the one second filler, and a portion of the first filler adjacent each of the exposed spacers; removing the one second filler to form a SAV, and SAV etching into the ILOS layer; forming a second OPL over the first OPL and in the SAV to form a SAV plug; removing OPL layers and etching into the ILOS layer down to the dielectric layer; forming a third OPL layer in spaces between the TEOS layer; and removing the SAV plug.
US09484255B1 Hybrid source and drain contact formation using metal liner and metal insulator semiconductor contacts
An electrical device including a first semiconductor device having a silicon and germanium containing source and drain region, and a second semiconductor device having a silicon containing source and drain region. A first device contact to at least one of said silicon and germanium containing source and drain region of the first semiconductor device including a metal liner of an aluminum titanium and silicon alloy and a first tungsten fill. A second device contact is in contact with at least one of the silicon containing source and drain region of the second semiconductor device including a material stack of a titanium oxide layer and a titanium layer. The second device contact may further include a second tungsten fill.
US09484250B2 Air gap contact formation for reducing parasitic capacitance
A functional gate structure is located on a surface of a semiconductor material portion and including a U-shaped gate dielectric portion and a gate conductor portion. A source region is located on one side of the functional gate structure, and a drain region is located on another side of the functional gate structure. The source region and drain region both have a topmost surface that is above a topmost surface of the semiconductor material portion and another surface that touches a portion of the U-shaped gate dielectric. A contact structure is located on the topmost surface of the source region and/or the drain region. A middle-of-the-line air gap contact is located between the contact structure and the functional gate structure and above at least one of the source region and the drain region. The middle-of-the-line air gap contact is sealed by a portion of a conformal dielectric material.
US09484249B1 Method of manufacturing semiconductor device
A technique capable of suppressing a variation in a characteristic of a semiconductor device includes: (a) polishing a substrate including: a first insulating film having a first groove; and a first metal film formed in the first groove and on the first insulating film; (b) forming a second insulating film on the substrate after performing (a); (c) polishing the second insulating film; (d) measuring a thickness distribution of the second insulating film on the substrate after performing (c); and (e) forming a third insulating film having a thickness distribution different from that of the second insulating film measured in (d) to compensate for a thickness distribution of a stacked insulating film including the second insulating film and the third insulating film.
US09484243B2 Processing chamber with features from side wall
A processing chamber having a chamber housing with a top and sidewalls is provided. The processing chamber has a seal for connecting the sidewalls of the chamber housing to a top of a lower chamber below the processing chamber. A substrate holder is attached to the sidewalls of the chamber housing. Further, a wafer lift ring supported by a side arm extending through the sidewalls has at least three posts each having at least one finger, the top of the fingers defining a first wafer handoff plane. The lower chamber has at least one lowest wafer support that defines a second wafer handoff plane where the height between the first wafer handoff plane and the second wafer handoff plane is not greater than a maximum vertical stroke of a transfer arm that is configured to transfer a wafer from the first wafer handoff plane and the second wafer handoff plane.
US09484242B2 Fluid pressure cylinder
A fluid pressure cylinder includes a displacement member, which is displaceable on an end side of a body, and a connecting body, which is connected to a piston rod of a cylinder unit, is inserted via a spring in a block body of the displacement member. A suction rod is connected substantially in parallel with the connecting body and a buffer rod connected to the connecting body. In addition, in a state where downward displacement of the block body is restricted, when additional loads are applied, the buffer rod is displaced relatively with respect to the block body in opposition to an elastic force of the spring, whereby an interval in a radial direction between a bushing and the buffer rod is enlarged.
US09484228B2 Simultaneous independently controlled dual side PCB molding technique
Molding assemblies and methods for dual side package molding are described. In an embodiment, a molding compound is injected into a front cavity with a first actuator, and a molding compound is injected into a back cavity with a second actuator, with the first and second actuator assemblies being independently controlled. In an embodiment, the molding compound flows through a through-hole in a molding substrate from a front side of the molding substrate to a back side of the molding substrate, and into the back cavity.
US09484226B2 Methods for controlling warpage in packaging
A method includes placing a plurality of dummy dies over a carrier, placing a plurality of device dies over the carrier, molding the plurality of dummy dies and the plurality of device dies in a molding compound, forming redistribution line over and electrically coupled to the device dies, and performing a die-saw to separate the device dies and the molding compound into a plurality of packages.
US09484225B2 Method for packaging circuits
A method for packaging integrated circuit chips (die) is described that includes providing a base substrate with package level contacts, coating a base substrate with adhesive, placing dies on the adhesive, electrically connecting the die to the package level contacts, and removing the backside of the base substrate to expose the backside of the package level contacts. Accordingly, an essentially true chip scale package is formed. Multi-chip modules are formed by filling gaps between the chips with an encapsulant. In an embodiment, chips are interconnected by electrical connections between package level contacts in the base substrate. In an embodiment, substrates each having chips are adhered back-to-back with through vias formed in aligned saw streets to interconnect the back-to-back chip assembly.
US09484224B2 Method of fabricating a circuit board structure
A circuit board structure and a fabrication method thereof are disclosed. The circuit board structure includes a carrying board having a first and an opposite second surface and having at least one through cavity formed therein; a semiconductor chip disposed in the through cavity of the carrying board; an adhesive material filling the gap between the through cavity of the carrying board and the semiconductor chip to fix the semiconductor chip in the through cavity; and a reinforcing layer disposed on the second surface of the carrying board and the inactive surface of the semiconductor chip, thereby increasing the strength of the carrying board as well as the reliability of the circuit board.
US09484222B2 Semiconductor devices, semiconductor device packages, and packaging techniques for impedance matching and/or low frequency terminations
A semiconductor device, related package, and method of manufacturing same are disclosed. In at least one embodiment, the semiconductor device includes a radio frequency (RF) power amplifier transistor having a first port, a second port, and a third port. The semiconductor device also includes an output lead, a first output impedance matching circuit between the second port and the output lead, and a first additional circuit coupled between the output lead and a ground terminal. At least one component of the first additional circuit is formed at least in part by way of one or more of a plurality of castellations and a plurality of vias.
US09484216B1 Methods for dry etching semiconductor devices
The present invention provides methods for etching semiconductor devices, such aluminum nitride resonators. The methods herein allow for devices having improved etch profiles, such that nearly vertical sidewalls can be obtained. In some examples, the method employs a dry etch step with a primary etchant gas that omits BCl3, a common additive.
US09484210B2 Semiconductor die singulation method
In one embodiment, semiconductor die are singulated from a semiconductor wafer having a backmetal layer by placing the semiconductor wafer onto a carrier tape with the backmetal layer adjacent the carrier tape, forming singulation lines through the semiconductor wafer to expose the backmetal layer within the singulation lines, and separating portions of the backmetal layer using a fluid.
US09484190B2 Showerhead-cooler system of a semiconductor-processing chamber for semiconductor wafers of large area
Proposed is a showerhead-cooler system of a semiconductor-processing chamber with uniform distribution of plasma density. The showerhead has a plurality of through gas holes that are coaxial with respective channels of the gas-feeding cooler plate. On the gas inlet side, the though passages of the showerhead are provided with unequal conical nozzles characterized by a central angle that decreases from the peripheral part of the showerhead to the showerhead center. Such design provides uniformity of plasma density. Furthermore, in order to protect the walls of the nozzle and the walls of the gas holes from erosion that may be caused by the hollow-cathode phenomenon, these areas are coated with a thin protective coating that is resistant to electrical breakdown and chemical corrosion.
US09484187B2 Arrangement for transporting radicals
The invention relates to an arrangement for transporting radicals. An electron beam system is presented comprising a beamlet generator; a beamlet manipulator (204) comprising an array of apertures; a plasma generator comprising a chamber for forming a plasma, an inlet receiving input gas and outlets removing plasma or radicals created therein, the plasma generator further comprising outlets in flow connection with the plasma chamber outlets; and a hollow guiding body (309b) guiding radicals formed in the plasma towards the array of apertures for removing contaminant deposition. The hollow guiding body (309b) is removably connectable to an extended portion (307b) of the plasma generator outlet. A cover (400) can be placed over a connection between the hollow guiding body (309b) and the extended portion (307b). The extended portion (307b) of the plasma generator outlet and the hollow guiding body (309b) can be similarly formed as a slit.
US09484185B2 Charged particle beam writing apparatus, and charged particle beam writing method
A charged particle beam writing apparatus includes a correction term calculation processing circuitry to calculate a correction term which corrects an error of a proximity effect density of a figure pattern to be written, compared against the figure pattern at design stage, a proximity effect correction dose coefficient calculation processing circuitry to calculate a proximity effect correction dose coefficient for correcting a proximity effect, by using the correction term, a dose calculation processing circuitry to calculate a dose of a charged particle beam by using the proximity effect correction dose coefficient, and a writing mechanism to write the figure pattern on a target object by using the charged particle beam whose dose is the dose calculated.
US09484168B2 DC current switching apparatus, electronic device, and method for switching an associated DC circuit
Exemplary embodiments are directed to a direct current switching apparatus including at least a first mechanical switching device which is suitable to be positioned along an operating path of an associated DC circuit and includes a fixed contact and a corresponding movable contact which can be actuated between a closed position and an open position along the operating path, wherein an electric arc can ignite between the contacts under separation. The switching apparatus includes an electronic circuit having a semiconductor device which is suitable to be positioned along a secondary path and connected in parallel with the first mechanical switching device. The electronic circuit can be configured to commute the flow of current from the operating path to the secondary path and extinguish an electric arc ignited when the movable contact separates from the fixed contact when the first mechanical switching device fails to extinguish the same.
US09484164B2 Crashworthy memory module having a thermal cutoff
A memory module is disclosed. The memory module may have an enclosure having a slot in a wall of the enclosure. The memory module may also have a device disposed within the enclosure. The memory module may further have a thermal cutoff disposed in the slot. The thermal cutoff may have a first end attached to the device. The thermal cutoff may also have a second end attached to a wire configured to electrically connect to the device. The thermal cutoff may disconnect the wire from the device when subjected to a threshold temperature.
US09484163B2 Disconnect operating handles suitable for circuit breakers and related bucket assemblies
Disconnect operating handles for circuit breakers are configured with a rotary handle attached to an inwardly oriented shaft that connects to a gear assembly that translates rotational input to linear input. The disconnect operating handles include pivoting lockout levers that automatically “pop” out to expose the lockout space for a padlock when a user touches the lever in an appropriate location.
US09484158B2 Graphene-ionic liquid composites
Method of making a graphene-ionic liquid composite. The composite can be used to make elec-trodes for energy storage devices, such as batteries and supercapacitors. Dis-closed and claimed herein is method of making a graphene-ionic liquid com-posite, comprising combining a graphene source with at least one ionic liquid and heating the combination at a temperature of at least about 130 ° C.
US09484153B2 Multilayer ceramic electronic component having a plurality of internal electrodes and method for manufacturing the same
There is provided a multilayer ceramic electronic component including: a ceramic body including a plurality of dielectric layers; and a plurality of first and second internal electrodes disposed to face each other with the dielectric layer interposed therebetween within the ceramic body and having different widths, wherein three or more of the plurality of first and second internal electrodes form a single block, the blocks are iteratively laminated, and when the longest distance between the uppermost internal electrode and the lowermost internal electrode, among the plurality of first and second internal electrodes 121 and 122, is T1 and the shortest distance therebetween is T2, 0.76≦T2/T1≦0.97 is satisfied.
US09484148B1 Power system for ground-based machines
A method for distributing energy to a group of ground-based machines. The energy is supplied to the group of ground-based machines through a pattern of inductive power transfer lines physically associated with a ground in a work area. Operations are performed with the group of ground-based machines in the work area. The group of ground-based machines moves in the work area without following a path based on the inductive power transfer lines.
US09484144B2 Transformer assembly structure
A transformer assembly structure includes a transformer and a carrying seat. The transformer includes a bobbin, a winding coil assembly and a magnetic core assembly. The winding coil assembly includes a primary winding coil and a secondary winding coil. The carrying seat includes a main body and a first lateral wing. The main body has an edge. The first lateral wing includes a first positioning structure. The edge of the main body of the carrying seat is located at an inner side of an outer edge of the magnetic core assembly. The outlet part of the primary winding coil is managed and positioned by the first positioning structure.
US09484137B2 Magnet arrays
Method and device for self-regulated flux transfer from a source of magnetic energy into one or more ferromagnetic work pieces, wherein a plurality of magnets, each having at least one N-S pole pair defining a magnetization axis, are disposed in a medium having a first relative permeability, the magnets being arranged in an array in which gaps of predetermined distance are maintained between neighboring magnets in the array and in which the magnetization axes of the magnets are oriented such that immediately neighboring magnets face one another with opposite polarities, such arrangement representing a magnetic tank circuit in which internal flux paths through the medium exist between neighboring magnets and magnetic flux access portals are defined between oppositely polarized pole pieces of such neighboring magnets, and wherein at least one working circuit is created which has a reluctance that is lower than that of the magnetic tank circuit by bringing one or more of the magnetic flux access portals into close vicinity to or contact with a surface of a ferromagnetic body having a second relative permeability that is higher than the first relative permeability, whereby a limit of effective flux transfer from the magnetic tank circuit into the working circuit will be reached when the work piece approaches magnetic saturation and the reluctance of the work circuit substantially equals the reluctance of the tank circuit.
US09484136B2 Magnetic core for use in an integrated circuit, an integrated circuit including such a magnetic core, a transformer and an inductor fabricated as part of an integrated circuit
A magnetic core is provided for an integrated circuit, the magnetic core comprising: a plurality of layers of magnetically functional material; a plurality of layers of a first insulating material; and at least one layer of an secondary insulating material; wherein layers of the first insulating material are interposed between layers of the magnetically functional material to form subsections of the magnetic core, and the at least one layer of second insulating material is interposed between adjacent subsections.
US09484134B2 Feedthrough signal transmission circuit and method utilizing permanently on buffer and switchable normal buffer
A feedthrough signal transmission circuit includes a first permanently on cell and a cell controlling unit. The first permanently on cell is arranged to transmit a first control signal. The cell controlling unit is coupled to the first permanently on cell, and includes a power switch and a plurality o buffers. The power switch is coupled to the first permanently on cell, arranged to receive a switch control signal and the first control signal, and selectively output the first control signal according to the switch control signal. The plurality of buffers is coupled to the power switch. Each of the buffers is arranged to buffer a data input only when powered by the first control signal output from the power switch.
US09484132B2 Coaxial cables with shaped metallic conductors
A coaxial cable that has a cable core is encased in a polymeric layer. The cable core is enclosed with a pair of semi-circular-profile shaped conductors. A layer of polymer is extruded over the shaped conductors. A pair of armor wire layers is cabled about the layer of polymer to form the coaxial cable.
US09484118B2 BWR nuclear fuel assembly with non-retained partial length fuel rods
A nuclear fuel assembly for a boiling water reactor is provided. The nuclear fuel assembly includes a base, a head and a bundle of full length fuel rods and partial length fuel rods. The bundle extends longitudinally between the base and the head, at least one partial length fuel rod having a lower end received in a housing provided in the base and delimited by a closed bottom larger than the lower end. The housing is further delimited by a peripheral wall surrounding the lower end and the partial length fuel rod rests freely on the bottom.
US09484115B1 Power savings via selection of SRAM power source
A subsystem configured to select the power supply to a static random access memory cell compares the level of a dedicated memory supply voltage to the primary system supply voltage. The subsystem then switches the primary system supply to the SRAM cell when the system voltage is higher than the memory supply voltage with some margin. When the system voltage is lower than the memory supply voltage, with margin, the subsystem switches the memory supply to the SRAM cell. When the system voltage is comparable to the memory supply, the subsystem switches the system voltage to the SRAM cell if performance is a prioritized consideration, but switches the memory supply to the SRAM cell if power reduction is a prioritized consideration. In this manner, the system achieves optimum performance without incurring steady state power losses and avoids timing issues in accessing memory.
US09484108B2 Integrated circuit, semiconductor memory device, and operating method thereof
An integrated circuit includes an internal circuit including a input/output unit suitable for inputting/outputting data, and a voltage supplying circuit suitable for supplying a first operating voltage to the internal circuit in response to a first control signal during a general operation, and supplying a second operating voltage that is higher than the first operating voltage to the input/output unit in response to a second control signal during an output of the data.
US09484105B2 Nonvolatile semiconductor memory device
When selectively erasing one sub-block, a control circuit applies, in a first sub-block, a first voltage to bit lines and a source line, and applies a second voltage smaller than the first voltage to the word lines. Then, the control circuit applies a third voltage lower than the first voltage by a certain value to a drain-side select gate line and a source-side select gate line, thereby performing the erase operation in the first sub-block. The control circuit applies, in a second sub-block existing in an identical memory block to the selected sub-block, a fourth voltage substantially identical to the first voltage to the drain side select gate line and the source side select gate line, thereby not performing the erase operation in the second sub-block.
US09484100B2 Memory devices having source lines directly coupled to body regions and methods
Memory devices, memory cell strings and methods of operating memory devices are shown. Configurations described include directly coupling an elongated body region to a source line. Configurations and methods shown should provide a reliable bias to a body region for memory operations such as erasing.
US09484090B2 Read and write methods for a resistance change non-volatile memory device
A selection circuit that selects a memory cell from a memory cell array and a read circuit for reading a resistance state of a resistance change element in the selected memory cell are provided. In memory cells of odd-numbered-layer and even-numbered-layer memory cell arrays that constitute a multilayer memory cell array, each memory cell in any of the layers has a selection element, a first electrode, a first resistance change layer, a second resistance change layer, and a second electrode that are disposed in the same order. Whether the selected memory cell is located in any layer of the multilayer memory cell array, the read circuit applies a voltage to the selected memory cell to perform the reading operation. The voltage applied to the selected memory cell causes the second electrode to become positive with reference to the first electrode in the selected memory cell.
US09484080B1 High-bandwidth memory application with controlled impedance loading
A microelectronic assembly can include an address bus comprising a plurality of signal conductors each passing sequentially through first, second, third, and fourth connection regions, and first and second microelectronic packages. The first microelectronic package can include first and second microelectronic elements, and the second microelectronic package can include third and fourth microelectronic elements. Each microelectronic element can be electrically coupled to the address bus via the respective connection region. An electrical characteristic between the first and second connection regions can be within a same tolerance of the electrical characteristic between the second and third connection regions.
US09484075B2 Semiconductor device
A semiconductor device includes data terminal, unit buffers which drive the data terminal and the impedance of which can be adjusted, and control circuits which successively switch the operation of at least two unit buffers selected from unit buffers. Because the operation of the plurality of unit buffers is switched successively, the peak current which flows during an output operation is dispersed, power-supply noise can be controlled, and the output potential can be switched very rapidly and continuously, while a fixed output impedance is maintained.
US09484072B1 MIS transistors configured to be placed in programmed state and erased state
A nonvolatile memory device includes a pair of MIS transistors one of which is placed in a programmed state by a first program operation utilizing a hot carrier effect to store one-bit data in the pair of MIS transistors, and a control unit configured to recall the one-bit data from the pair of MIS transistors in a recall operation, to cause an unprogrammed one of the MIS transistors to be placed in a programmed state by a second program operation utilizing a hot carrier effect in response to the one-bit data recalled from the pair of MIS transistors, and to erase the programmed states of both of the MIS transistors in an erase operation.
US09484068B2 MTP-thyristor memory cell circuits and methods of operation
An MTP (Many Times Programmable) memory cell for integrated circuit memory arrays is described. The cell includes an MTP device and a thyristor interconnected so that the MTP device triggers the thyristor to turn on during a Read or Verify operation. The difference in threshold voltages between a data memory cell and a reference memory cell is used to determine the information in the data memory cell. Different memory cell structures may be constructed for different memory array requirements.
US09484067B2 Circuit having capacitor coupled with memory element
A circuit includes a capacitor and a memory element. The capacitor includes a first conductive layer, a first terminal, and a second terminal. The first conductive layer includes a first plurality of bars extending along a first direction and parallel to one another, where two adjacent bars of the first plurality of bars have a first capacitance therebetween. The first terminal is coupled with a first bar of the two adjacent bars, and the second terminal is coupled with a second bar of the two adjacent bars. The memory element has an input coupled with the first terminal and an output coupled with the second terminal. The capacitor is configured to inhibit changing a logic state at the input of the memory element.
US09484056B2 Dynamic adjustments of tape head wrap angles
Embodiments of the present invention provide tape drives and methods for operating a tape drive. In one embodiment, tape head wrap angles are dynamically adjusted to increase or decrease contact pressure of magnetic tape on modules of a tape head. Embodiments of the present invention can be used to extend the lifespan of tape drives and components, and enable usage of tape media having increased smoothness and areal density.
US09484051B1 Method and system for reducing undesirable reflections in a HAMR write apparatus
A heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) write apparatus is coupled with a laser that provides energy. The HAMR write apparatus includes a pole, at least one coil, a waveguide, a near-field transducer (NFT) and at least one antireflective mechanism. The pole writes to a region of the media and includes a media-facing surface. The coil(s) energize the pole. The waveguide is optically coupled with the laser and includes a core and cladding. The waveguide is for directing a portion of the energy toward the NFT, which is located in a transmission direction from the core of the waveguide. The antireflective mechanism(s) are in at least one of a first position in the waveguide, a second position in the NFT and a third position between the waveguide and the NFT.
US09484049B2 TMR device with novel free layer
A TMR sensor with a free layer having a FL1/FL2/FL3 configuration is disclosed in which FL1 is FeCo or a FeCo alloy with a thickness between 2 and 15 Angstroms. The FL2 layer is made of CoFeB or a CoFeB alloy having a thickness from 2 to 10 Angstroms. The FL3 layer is from 10 to 100 Angstroms thick and has a negative λ to offset the positive λ from FL1 and FL2 layers and is comprised of CoB or a CoBQ alloy where Q is one of Ni, Mn, Tb, W, Hf, Zr, Nb, and Si. Alternatively, the FL3 layer may be a composite such as CoB/CoFe, (CoB/CoFe)n where n is ≧2 or (CoB/CoFe)m/CoB where m is ≧1. The free layer described herein affords a high TMR ratio above 60% while achieving low values for λ (<5×10−6), RA (1.5 ohm/μm2), and Hc (<6 Oe).
US09484047B2 Attaching optical components using homogenized laser light
An attachable optical component is aligned with a base optical component. The attachable optical component has a mounting surface interfacing with the base optical component and an exposed surface opposed to the mounting surface. Laser light is directed to the exposed surface of the attachable optical component for delivery to the mounting surface. The attachable optical component guides and homogenizes the laser light delivered to the mounting surface and uniformly heats a bonding feature between the mounting surface and the base optical component. The directing and subsequent removing of the laser light bonds the attachable optical component to the base optical component via the bonding feature
US09484040B2 Audio decoding method and associated apparatus
An audio decoding method is provided. In the audio decoding method, a synchronization word and a corresponding packet header are inserted at the beginning of each packet data. A position of the packet data is confirmed according to the synchronization word, and the packet data is then decoded according to information in the packet header. Accordingly, when an error occurs during the decoding process, the decoding process skips to a next packet data for decoding to avoid noise. In addition, a packet header can be directly accessed in the situation of a fast-forward operation to obtain decoding information of the packet data to perform audio decoding.
US09484037B2 Device, system, and method of liveness detection utilizing voice biometrics
Device, system, and method of liveness detection using voice biometrics. For example, a method comprises: generating a first matching score based on a comparison between: (a) a voice-print from a first text-dependent audio sample received at an enrollment stage, and (b) a second text-dependent audio sample received at an authentication stage; generating a second matching score based on a text-independent audio sample; and generating a liveness score by taking into account at least the first matching score and the second matching score.
US09484014B1 Hybrid unit selection / parametric TTS system
In a text-to-speech (TTS) system, a database including sample speech units for unit selection may be include both units represented by sample audio segments as well as parametric representations of units created by Hidden Markov Models (HMMs). Inclusion of parametric representations in the database may reduce the storage necessary to maintain the database. The parametric representations may be configured to match a voice of the audio segments. The parametric representations may correspond to phonetic units that are less frequently encountered in TTS processing, such as rare diphones or phonemes corresponding to foreign languages. Multiple foreign language HMM models may be used to enable polyglot synthesis with a reduction in storage capacity requirements. Parametrically stored speech units may be combined with speech segments generated during processing time by a parametric model.
US09484008B2 Method and apparatus for down-mixing of a multi-channel audio signal
A method for down-mixing of a m-channel audio signal (L, R, C, Ls, Rs, Rss, Lss) into a n-channel audio signal (Ro, Lo, Rso, Lso), where m is an integer for which holds m>n and n is an integer for which holds n≧2, including the step of generating one of the n-channel audio signals of one side (right or left) of a listener (Ro, Lo, Rso, Lso), by a combination of: a first term including a signal component (R, L, Rs, Ls) of the m-channel audio signal of the same side only, and a second term dependent of m, including one or more of further signal components of the m-channel audio signal (C, Ls, Rs, Rss, Lss) of the same side only, multiplied by at least one respective filtering function (H1, H2, H3, H4, H5, H6, H7, H8), said filtering function being dependent on: a frequency characteristic of the transmission path between the position of the loudspeaker of the respective signal component of the further m-channel audio signal, and a position of the right ear or left ear, respectively, of a listener in an m-channel reproduction situation, and a frequency characteristic of the transmission path between the position of a loudspeaker of the said one of the n-channel audio down-mixed signals, (Ro, Lo, Rso, Lso), and a position of the right ear or left ear, respectively, of a listener in an n-channel reproduction situation.
US09483998B2 Content providing system, receiving apparatus and method, storage medium, and program
The present invention relates to a content providing system, a receiving apparatus and method, a storage medium, and a program, which enable to perform a variety of contents provisions. An operational terminal 21 can obtain, from a storage terminal 1, contents corresponding to utilization information sent from an operational terminal 11 that is receiving provision of predetermined contents from a storage terminal 1. That is, if a user 23 is interested in contents that a user 13 is watching and listening to on the operational terminal 11, and desires to watch and listen to it, the user 23 can watch and listen to on the operational terminal 21, the contents that the user 13 is watching and listening to, by holding the operational terminal 21 very close to the operational terminal 11, or holding the operational terminal 11 very close to the operational terminal 21.
US09483996B2 System and method of leveraging GPU resources to increase performance of an interact-able content browsing service
A system and a corresponding method of leveraging GPU resources to enhance performance of the interact-able content browsing (ICB) service are to utilize the computation capacity of the GPU of the graphics card to share the computation load originally taken by the CPU. The raw images depicted by the browser application program executed in the server can be directly retrieved from the VRAM of the graphics card by the encoder inside the GPU to be further encoded and streamed before being forwarded directly to distant clients. Thereby, work load and bus bandwidth occupation on the CPU can be greatly reduced, the number of clients that can be served simultaneously by a single server can be increased, and the related power consumption can be substantially reduced.
US09483995B2 Display device, method for driving the same, and electronic device
A display device including a display unit including first and second lines, light emitting elements and pixel circuits; a first drive unit sequentially applying a selection pulse to the first lines; and a second drive unit applying a signal pulse including first to third voltages to each of the second lines. Each of the pixel circuits includes a first transistor sampling the signal pulse, and a second transistor driving one of the light emitting elements. The first drive unit applies the selection pulse when the first voltage is being applied by the second drive unit, before a correction of a threshold voltage of the second transistor is initiated and within a period that the one of the light emitting elements is being turned out, and the first drive unit applies the selection pulse when the second voltage is being applied by the second drive unit.
US09483989B2 Method of adjusting source voltage by vertical portion for driving display panel and display apparatus performing the method
A method of driving a display panel includes determining a source voltage level by a vertical portion in a present horizontal line of the display panel based on data of the present horizontal line, the display panel including a plurality of vertical portions extended along a vertical direction and arranged in a horizontal direction (the plurality of vertical portions including a vertical portion), generating correction data of the present horizontal line by the vertical portion utilizing the source voltage level of the present horizontal line determined by the vertical portion, generating a source voltage of the present horizontal line by the vertical portion utilizing the source voltage level of the horizontal line determined by the vertical portion, and driving the display panel by the vertical portion utilizing the correction data and the source voltage of the present horizontal line.
US09483985B2 Field-sequential-color liquid crystal device and the driving method thereof
A driving method of the FSC-LCD is disclosed. The method includes: calculating grayscale values of four pixels of each images, the grayscale values of four pixels comprises grayscale values for a white pixel, for a first color pixel, for a second color pixel, and for a third color pixel; within a first color field of the n-th image, a white backlight source is provided to the pixel cells, the grayscale value for the white pixel of the n-th image is inputted to the transparent subpixel, the grayscale value for the first color pixel of the n-th image is inputted to the first color subpixel, and the grayscale value for the second color pixel of the n-th image is inputted to the second color subpixel; within a second color field of the n-th image, a third-color backlight source is provided to the pixel cells, the grayscale value for the third color pixel of the n-th image is inputted to the transparent subpixel, a grayscale value is inputted to the first color subpixel and the second color subpixel such that the first color subpixel and the second color subpixel remain in a turn-on state. In addition, FSC-LCD driven by the above driving method is also disclosed.
US09483983B2 Display device, in particular for cooktops
A display device in particular for cooktops is provide that has a glass ceramic with a front side and a back side and a lamp arranged in the area of the back side. The display device further includes an optical compensation filter arranged between the front side and the lamp so as to implement any color impressions easily and inexpensively and in a preselectable manner.
US09483982B1 Apparatus and method for television backlignting
A television backlighting apparatus includes an HDMI splitter for splitting a single input HDMI signal into two like output HDMI signals. A video frame analyzer is communicative with one of the HDMI outputs and has a processor executing an instruction set for analyzing the HDMI signal. The analysis converts boundary video values of the HDMI signal to an LED illumination data signal and an LED light source output. An LED light source is attachable to a television and is communicative with the video frame analyzer via the LED light source output. The light source includes at least one LED light and an LED interface cable interconnected with the video frame analyzer and extending from the LED light source output to the at least one LED light.
US09483970B2 Method, system, and device for selecting and displaying information on a mobile digital display device
A method, system, and device for selecting and displaying information on a mobile digital display device includes determining preference criteria for local viewers of the mobile digital information display device, selecting digital information to be displayed on the mobile digital information display device as a function of the preference criteria, and displaying the selected information on a display of the mobile digital information device.
US09483969B2 Liquid crystal panel, and testing circuit and testing method thereof
A liquid crystal panel, the testing circuit and the testing method thereof are disclosed. The testing circuit includes shorting bars, bonding pads, and switches. The switches are arranged between the shorting bars and the bonding pads. In the testing process, the switches are turn on upon receiving the testing signals so as to transmit the testing signals from the shorting bars to the bonding pads. When the testing process ends, the switches are turn off to prevent the liquid crystal panel from being affected by the signals of the bonding pads during the normal screen display of the liquid crystal panel. In this way, the manufacturing cost is reduced.
US09483966B2 Three-dimensional billboard displays with reinforced flexible banner and attached inflatable embellishment
A 3D billboard display features a flexible banner having a display side, strips of reinforcement material attached to the flexible banner, and a flexible envelope fastened to the strips of reinforcement material and carried on the display side of the banner. The envelope forms an inflatable space that is fully or substantially enclosed by the flexible envelope, or a by a combination of the flexible envelope and the flexible banner. When inflated, the flexible envelope bulges away from the display side of the flexible sheet to create a three-dimensional display unit carried on the flexible banner. The resulting display is a one-piece shipment that is installation-ready, with no special modification or assembly required at the billboard site, where mere placement of the flexible banner on the billboard support structure and activation of an on-board inflation mechanism is all that's required.
US09483961B1 Water conservation educational mat and kit
The water conservation educational mat includes a water-impermeable and flexible sheet, having opposed top and bottom surfaces, and with a plurality of first openings and a plurality of apertures being formed therethrough. A plurality of flexible reservoirs are respectively received by, and seal, the plurality of first openings. In use, a volume of water may be received within one of the plurality of flexible reservoirs and users may manipulate the water-impermeable and flexible sheet to cause the volume of water to flow from one of the plurality of flexible reservoirs to another one of the plurality of flexible reservoirs. The plurality of apertures serve as obstacles to be avoided during water transfer.
US09483951B1 Airborne system and method for detecting and avoiding atmospheric particulates
An airborne system for detecting and avoiding atmospheric particulates, which include a sensor coupled with an aircraft and configured to capture electromagnetic signals from a flight path of the aircraft, including infrared wavelengths, an output device configured to provide visual and an aural messages to a flight crew, and a processor coupled with sensor, the output device, and a non-transitory processor-readable medium storing processor-executable instructions for causing the processor to: receive a signal from the sensor via an input port; calculate a temperature difference between a first and second infrared wavelengths; determine a presence of atmospheric particulates in the flight path based on the temperature difference; generate an aural message and/or a visual message indicative of the presence of atmospheric particulates; and provide the message to a flight crew. The processor may calculate an alternate flight path and provide the alternate flight path to the flight crew.
US09483948B1 Automated control of interactions between self-driving vehicles and pedestrians
An SDV on-board computer on an SDV receives an SDV recognition signal from a pedestrian signal transceiver worn by a pedestrian. An SDV signal transceiver on the SDV transmits a pedestrian acknowledgement message to the signal transceiver worn by the pedestrian. The SDV on-board computer receives a pedestrian movement signal from a set of pedestrian sensors that monitor movement of the pedestrian. The SDV on-board computer receives an SDV movement signal from a set of SDV sensors on the SDV that track movement of the SDV. The SDV on-board computer, based on the SDV movement signal and the pedestrian movement signal, directs an SDV control processor on the SDV to modify the movement of the SDV in order to provide the pedestrian with time and space required to avoid the pedestrian being struck by the SDV, and notifies the pedestrian that this SDV movement modification will occur.
US09483940B2 Method and system for adapting the driving-off behavior of a vehicle to a traffic signal installation, and use of the system
The invention relates to a method for adapting the driving-off behavior of a vehicle to a traffic signal installation, in which method the traffic signal installation permits passing in a first state and forbids passing in a second state. By means of vehicle-to-X communication means, state information and time information of the traffic signal installation are received by the vehicle and forwarded by the vehicle to a traffic light phase assistance system. Furthermore, the vehicle receives presence information comprising at least position indications from surrounding vehicles that are capable of vehicle-to-X communication. In addition, the position of the vehicle is determined by means of position-determining means. The method is characterized in that the position indications received by means of vehicle-to-X communication are displayed to the driver and the driving-off behavior is adapted in dependence on the state information and the time information and the presence of surrounding vehicles that are not capable of vehicle-to-X communication. The invention further relates to a corresponding system and a use of the system.
US09483935B2 Channel-switching remote controlled barrier opening system
An improved barrier door one way wireless communication system for operating a barrier, such as a garage door, includes the transmission and reception of multibit code hopping data packets in combination with automatic RF channel switching. Packet data is transmitted automatically on more than one RF channels in a switching style while sending two or more redundant multibit code hopping data packets on each of the RF channels. The system also provides for the learning of a transmitter to a receiver where two or more code hopping data packets must be received and decoded by the receiver on all RF channels before a transmitter can be learned to a receiver. Once the transmitter is learned, actuation of the transmitter during a learn mode can open a window for learning of a single channel transmitter.
US09483933B1 Pro-active building protection system
An automated, computerized, method of pro-active building protection from weather condition damage involves: receiving a weather alert indicating a particular weather condition will be occurring within an area encompassing a perimeter about a building established by multiple sensors positioned around the building; in response to the weather alert, automatically executing a specific protocol to cause at least some actuators connected to protective devices of the building to change at least one protective device from a non-protective to a protective position; receiving a signal that is one of: a) a cancellation signal that the weather alert is no longer in effect, or b) an indication from at least some of the sensors that the particular weather condition is no longer endangers the building; and in response to receipt of the signal, automatically signaling the at least some actuators to return the at least one protective device to the non-protective position.
US09483927B2 Method and system for controlling a vehicle during an autonomous control mode
A method and control system for maintaining attentiveness of a driver of a vehicle during an autonomous control mode. A series of cognitively demanding tasks is presented to the driver via a man-machine interface during the autonomous control mode. Driver responses to the tasks are monitored, and an audible alert is provided to the driver if the response of the driver and/or a reaction time of the driver in making the response indicate an insufficient level of driver attentiveness.
US09483926B2 Monitoring inmate movement with RFID
The disclosure relates to systems and methods for tracking offender movement with RFID. Such a system can include a transponder associated with an offender and a radar module configured to determine a direction of a moving object passing within range of the radar module. The system can include a radio frequency identification reader situated near the radar module and configured to transmit an interrogating signal to the transponder and receive an identifying signal in response to the transponder receiving the interrogating signal. The system can include a server configured to receive data from the radio frequency identification reader and the radar module through a network, transmit the received data to a web service through the network, and receive an alert from the web service that a monitoring rule of a plurality of monitoring rules associated with the offender was violated.
US09483922B2 Shaker apparatus and related methods of transmitting vibrational energy to recipients
Disclosed is a shaker element. In a preferred embodiment, the shaker element is provided with an electrical signal so that the shaker element can impart mechanical motions of the music to a listener whereby the listener can “feel” the music.
US09483920B1 Color changing payment card
A method includes receiving, on an electronic payment device, a radio frequency signal from a mobile electronic device. The radio frequency signal is used to control an activation of an electric current to one or more color producing components on the electronic payment device. The electric current is transmitted to the one or more color producing components. The one or more color producing components display a color when the electric current is transmitted to the color producing components.
US09483918B2 Personal illumination device with variable lighting patterns
A personal illumination device is described and taught. The personal illumination device is intended for use by motorcyclists, however, it may be used by any number of individuals looking to increase their visibility in environments where high visibility and safety is paramount. The illumination device has two illuminated strips that sit across the front and back of a user. The strips have LEDs positioned across capable of creating various illuminate patterns. Additionally, a user can choose to have either the front, back, or both strips illuminated at the same time. The personal illumination device further has straps that provide for adjustments to create a custom fit, as well as enhancement strips placed on the straps to further increase one's visibility.
US09483917B2 Non-contact alarm volume reduction
A method and apparatus for providing a caregiver the capability of modifying the tone and volume of an audible alarm for a medical device based on non-hand contact methods.
US09483916B2 Gaming system, gaming device and gaming method providing stacking symbols and convertible reels
The gaming system, gaming device and method provides a reel game that includes stacks of symbols configured on the reels to provide a large number of winning symbol combinations. The gaming device includes a plurality of reels wherein each reel includes a reel-strip and a plurality of symbols. Each of the plurality of reels is configured to include one or more stacks of symbols wherein a stack of symbols is formed by placing a plurality of identical symbols adjacent to each other on a single reel. If two non-adjacent reels each generated a stack of identical symbols and at least one reel positioned between the two non-adjacent reels generated symbols different from the symbols used to form the stack of identical symbols, at least one symbol on the at least one reel positioned between the two non-adjacent reels is modified into the symbol that forms the stacks of identical symbols.
US09483914B2 Community game that adapts communal game appearance
A community game that adapts a scene on a community display based on the number of participating players and/or player locations from one session of the community game to another or in any given session and/or number of the gaming terminals. Selectable elements are displayed on the community display for selection by the participating players. When additional players are eligible to participate in the community game, a field of view or a virtual camera angle of a scene is changed to reveal additional selectable elements or a greater variety of selectable elements than were available for selection with fewer participating players. Any of the selectable elements can be cooperatively selectable elements which multiple players can select to reveal an enhanced award. Based on the players' locations, the scene can be adapted to portray selectable elements or previously hidden or obscured areas of the scene closest to the newly participating player(s).
US09483911B2 Information distribution in gaming networks
Patron information generated at an originating gaming property may be transmitted to a requesting gaming property based on a set of permissions associated with a group of gaming properties. Vouchers generated at a first gaming property may also be redeemed at a second gaming property.
US09483910B2 Bill processing unit and gaming machine including same
In order to make it easy to change the necessary device specifications when adapted to paper currencies in circulation in a plurality of countries and regions, a paper currency processing device (M1) has: a paper currency slot (M5) which is capable of handling the paper currency (T) of multiple currency circulation regions from the outside of the device; a paper currency transfer mechanism for transferring the paper currency (T) between the paper currency slot (M5) and various locations inside the device; and a plurality of paper currency cases linked to the paper currency transfer mechanism. The paper currency transfer mechanism is controlled in such a manner that the paper currency case associated with a currency circulation area is identified, and the paper currency (T) is transferred into the identified paper currency case.
US09483909B2 Gaming device having multiple game play option
Embodiments of this concept are directed to gaming devices that are configured to initiate multiple gaming events in response to a player input. The gaming device may include game initiating inputs that initiate a predetermined number of gaming events in response to the player input, or the gaming device may include configurable game initiating inputs that initiate a number of gaming events specified by the player, specified the gaming device, or specified by a gaming server. The gaming device or gaming server may set the number of initiated game events in response to the occurrence of a triggering event.
US09483908B2 Methods and systems for conducting a competition within a gaming environment
Methods and systems for conducting a competition within a gaming environment. Two or more players can be enabled to electronically access a gaming environment over a communication network. The players can be registered to allow access to a competition within the gaming environment. Each player can be enabled to compete against one or more other players by selecting from macro events displayed in the gaming environment one or more micro event outcomes to future micro events, the micro event outcomes randomized to prevent cheating. A selection of the micro outcomes utilizes a number of points or credits, wherein each selection of a micro outcome increases a selecting player's points or credit balance if the micro outcome occurs or decreases the points or credit balance if the micro outcome selected does not occur.
US09483900B2 Wagering game with expanding reels
A method for conducting a wagering game includes receiving a wager to play the wagering game. A base array of symbol positions arranged in a plurality of columns is displayed. A plurality of symbols is randomly distributed such that each of the symbol positions in the base array is associated with one or more of the symbols. An extent by which the base array of symbol positions is to be expanded is indicated by the symbols. The base array of symbol positions is expanded into an expanded array of symbol positions including at least one additional symbol position.
US09483898B2 Player-entry assignment and ordering
A method of assigning a player-entry to a table so that said player-entry can participate in a hand of a particular card game at said table, wherein there is a plurality of players each having one or more respective player-entries for participating in a respective hand of said card game, wherein a player-entry that is actively participating in a hand of said card game may fold out of turn from said hand so as to no longer be actively participating in said hand, the method comprising: for a first player-entry of a first player, identifying an assignable table for said first player-entry from a plurality of tables for said card game, wherein a table is an assignable table for a particular player-entry if the assignment of said particular player-entry to said table cannot itself provide any player with further information about a hand in which an already assigned player-entry of said player is actively participating in addition to information about said hand that is available to said player only by virtue of the participation of said already assigned player-entry in said hand; and assigning the first player-entry to the identified assignable table.
US09483897B2 Linear dispensing system with universal escapement
A universal escapement is provided that is configured to receive inventory products of different shapes from a dispensing system carrier unit in substantially the same orientation, and to read informational indicia on the inventory product. The escapement includes a slide plate having an integral glass portion, a reader disposed behind the glass portion to read indicia on the inventory products and scan images of the inventory products before labeling, a plurality of imaging devices configured to read informational indicia on the sides and ends of the products, and an imaging device configured to read informational indicia on a label after it is applied to the inventory product. The escapement includes a shuttle assembly having a plurality of imaging devices configured to read information indicia on the bottom of the inventory products. The escapement also includes first and second guide members movably disposed for receiving inventory products of various sizes therebetween.
US09483896B2 Dispensing and display system
A system for controlling advancement of and access to product and for generating data associated with such advancement and access. Systems of this invention include a pusher system having a track, a pusher, and mechanisms for generating data relating to the movement of the pusher. Certain embodiments of the invention include a door assembly, which controls consumer access to product located behind the door assembly, a stop for limiting the forward progression of the pusher along the track, and mechanisms for generating data relating to when and/or for how long the door assembly is open.
US09483890B2 Security apparatus
Disclosed is apparatus for use with an RFID proximity card and with a steel door and frame assembly. The door is of the type having a magnet and the frame is of the type having a bore, which, when the door is closed in the frame, presents towards the magnet. The bore is of the type provided to permit the mounting of a magnetic door contact in the frame. The apparatus comprises a sensor assembly which: in use, is received by the bore and grippingly engages said frame; produces a first signal when the card is operatively presented thereto; and produces a second signal when the door is closed to bring the magnet adjacent the sensor assembly and into alignment with the bore.
US09483888B2 Reusable electronic seal
A container including a reusable electronic seal, as well as a system and method for using the electronic seal are described. The container includes a closure member configured to detachably affix to a portion of the container, thereby sealing the container. In response to the closure member sealing the container, a signal generating component generates an electronic signal and transmits the electronic signal to a processing circuit operably connected to the signal generating component. The processing circuit includes a processing device configured to generate a unique code when the closure member is manipulated to open or close the container and an output device operably connected to the processing device and configured to output the unique code. The unique code is updated each time the container is opened, thereby providing a recipient with a way to determine whether the container has been opened during delivery.
US09483880B2 Automotive ECU mobile phone interface
A system uses a mobile phone to extract automotive data from an automobile's engine control unit. The system translates the data into human readable form. The translated data is displayable on the mobile phone. The translated data is also transmitted over a network, such as the Internet, in order to call for roadside assistance and to inform repair personnel of the needed repairs.
US09483864B2 System and method for photorealistic imaging using ambient occlusion
Scene model data, including a scene geometry model and a plurality of pixel data describing objects arranged in a scene, is received. A primary pixel color and a primary ray are generated based on a selected first pixel data. If the primary ray intersects an object in the scene, an intersection point is determined. A surface normal is determined based on the object intersected and the intersection point. The primary pixel color is modified based on a primary hit color, determined based on the intersection point. A plurality of ambient occlusion (AO) rays each having a direction, D, are generated based on the intersection point, P and the surface normal. Each AO ray direction is reversed and the AO ray origin is set to a point outside the scene. An AO ray that does not intersect an object before reaching the intersection point is included in ambient occlusion calculations. The primary pixel color is shaded based on the ambient occlusion and the primary hit color and an image is generated based on the primary pixel color for the pixel data.
US09483863B2 Terrain mapping system using moved material estimation
A terrain mapping system is disclosed for use with an excavation machine at a worksite. The terrain mapping system may have a locating device mountable onboard the excavation machine and configured to generate a first signal indicative of a position of the excavation machine at the worksite, and a sensor configured to generate a second signal indicative of a load on the excavation machine. The terrain mapping system may also have a controller in communication with the locating device and the sensor. The controller may be configured to update a surface contour of the worksite contained in an electronic map based on the first signal as the excavation machine traverses the worksite, and to determine an amount of material moved by the excavation machine based on the second signal. The controller may also be configured to generate a representation of the material moved by the excavation machine in the electronic map when the excavation machine ceases to move the material.
US09483859B2 Reactive avatars
Avatars are used to graphically represent users in a communications session, and the avatars are capable of being animated. An indication of an animation of one of the avatars is received. Another avatar that represents another of the users is animated in response to, and based on, the animation of the avatar in the same communications session.
US09483847B2 System and method for rendering virtual contaminants
A method and a computer system for performing a computer simulation in which virtual contaminants are rendered on a rendered scene of the computer simulation. A memory module is sued for loading thereinto a model defining a virtual environment of the computer simulation, the virtual environment defining a plurality of zones comprising a first additive zone and a second subtractive zone, the second subtractive zone being at least partially enclosed within the first additive zone. An image generator module is used for adding a virtual contaminant over the first additive zone, removing, at least partially, the virtual contaminant within the second subtractive zone leaving a remaining virtual contaminant in the first additive zone and rendering an image for display comprising the remaining virtual contaminant in the virtual environment using a visual texture of the virtual contaminant. The computer simulation may be a vehicle computer simulation.
US09483838B2 Method and system for automated sequencing of vehicles in side-by-side drive-thru configurations via appearance-based classification
This disclosure provides a method and system for automated sequencing of vehicles in side-by-side drive-thru configurations via appearance-based classification. According to an exemplary embodiment, an automated sequencing method includes computer-implemented method of automated sequencing of vehicles in a side-by-side drive-thru, the method comprising: a) an image capturing device capturing video of a merge-point area associated with multiple lanes of traffic merging; b) detecting in the video a vehicle as it traverses the merge-point area; c) classifying the detected vehicle associated with traversing the merge-point area as coming from one of the merging lanes; and d) aggregating vehicle classifications performed in step c) to generate a merge sequence of detected vehicles.
US09483833B2 Real-time, interactive image analysis
Systems and methods for real-time, interactive image analysis are disclosed. An example system includes a computing device configured to: generate a segmentation of the image in real-time based on a position of a movable pointer on the display and update the segmentation based on a change to the position of the pointer on the display; generate a representation of the object based on the segmentation, wherein the representation is simplified from the image of the object and includes an outline of the object based on the generated segmentation including the first center and the first significant axis; calculate measurements for the object based on the segmentation including the first center and the first significant axis; and display the representation and the measurements via the display.
US09483831B2 Segmentation using hybrid discriminative generative label fusion of multiple atlases
A method for segmenting a target image includes receiving the target image of an anatomical structure, registering a plurality of atlases to the target image, each of the atlases including an image and a plurality of labels corresponding to portions of the image, selecting a plurality of registered atlases, transferring the labels of selected registered atlases to the target image, combining the labels that are transferred to the target image using a fusion of a discriminative model and a generative model, and outputting a segmentation of the target image isolating the anatomical structure, wherein a segmentation of the target image is displayed.
US09483830B2 Depth map generation method, related system and computer program product
A depth map is generated from at least a first and a second image. A plurality of reference pixels are selected in the first image. A cost function is used to associate each reference pixel with a respective pixel in the second image. A masking operation is used to identify a subset of pixels in a block of pixels surrounding a reference pixel and the cost function is based on the identified subset of pixels. A disparity between each reference pixel and the respective pixel in said second image is determined, and a depth value is determined for each reference pixel as a function of the respective disparity. A depth map is generated based on the determined depth values.
US09483826B2 Landmark based positioning
Disclosed are devices, methods and storage media for use in determining position information for imaging devices or mobile devices. In some implementations, a landmark is identified in an image which is obtained from an imaging device which in turn is positioned at a location and in a pose. A virtual two-dimensional image that would be visible from the landmark is determined based, at least in part, on the pose. The location or position information is based, at least in part, on the virtual two-dimensional image.
US09483822B2 Co-occurrence of local anisotropic gradient orientations
Methods, apparatus, and other embodiments associated with distinguishing disease phenotypes using co-occurrence of local anisotropic gradient orientations (CoLIAGe) are described. One example apparatus includes a set of logics that acquires a radiologic image (e.g., MRI image) of a region of tissue demonstrating disease pathology (e.g., cancer), computes a gradient orientation for a pixel in the MRI image, computes a significant orientation for the pixel based on the gradient orientation, constructs a feature vector that captures a discretized entropy distribution for the image based on the significant orientation, and classifies the phenotype of the disease pathology based on the feature vector. Embodiments of example apparatus may generate and display a heatmap of entropy values for the image. Example methods and apparatus may operate substantially in real-time. Example methods and apparatus may operate in two or three dimensions.
US09483812B2 Enhancing motion pictures with accurate motion information
Methods and systems for digitally enhancing the characteristics of an image sequence including video and motion picture images are provided. Highly accurate motion information represented by trajectories are generated through analyzing available image frames in the image sequence. Some embodiments of the present invention relate to generating multiple layer trajectories from an image sequence. Certain aspects may be applicable to the enhancement of three-dimensional (3D) image sequences including 3D video and 3D motion pictures.
US09483807B2 Hospital communication system
The invention is a hospital scheduling system that allows for real-time updates of the status of a medical procedure to be transmitted. More particularly, this transmission allows for the consistent flow of a pre-arranged sequence of events a hospital may use for patient treatment procedures. Once an event has transpired, notice of the event occurrence may be transmitted to interested personnel through specific transmission, or a general broadcast for all personnel such that updates may be checked by any interested hospital personnel. The devices capable of receiving the transmissions may be a wired device, or may be a portable wireless device, such as a hand-held unit. Moreover, the invention describes a pedal that may be capable of programming such that when specific areas of the pedal are compressed, coding will be sent to a computer for translation into status messages that may be transmitted through a network to any number of recipients. The pedal may be adapted such that compressions may be performed by the user's foot.
US09483794B2 Systems and methods for identification document processing and business workflow integration
A method includes: capturing or receiving at least one image of one or more identity documents (IDs) using a mobile device; determining identifying information from one or more of the IDs; building an ID profile based on the identifying information; storing the ID profile to a memory of the mobile device; invoking a workflow configured to facilitate a business transaction; detecting a predetermined stimulus in the workflow, the stimulus relating to the business transaction; providing at least a portion of the ID profile to the workflow in response to detecting the predetermined stimulus; and driving at least a portion of the workflow using the provided portion of the ID profile. Related systems and computer program products are also disclosed.
US09483792B2 Screen-based method and system for sizing an oral appliance
An oral appliance is sized by obtaining a scaled image of a patient's dental arch. Dimensions of the arch are marked on a screen image, and the processor chooses an oral appliance having a best fit for a particular patient.