Document Document Title
US09681104B2 Distributed control of a heterogeneous video surveillance network
A surveillance video broker arbitrates access by multiple clients to multiple surveillance video sources. Both clients and sources register with the broker. Each source independently specifies respective clients permitted real-time access to its video and conditions of access, if any. Preferably, the video source is a local surveillance domain having one or more cameras, one or more sensors, and a local controller, the source specifying clients or client groups permitted access, and independently specifying conditions of access for each client or client group, where conditions may include scheduled events, non-scheduled events, such as alarms or emergencies, and/or physical proximity. The broker automatically authorizes real-time access according to pre-specified conditions. Preferably, the broker can also arbitrate alert notifications to the clients based on pre-specified notification criteria.
US09681097B1 Secure video visitation system
Video conferencing in a controlled environment facility entails significant security concerns. These concerns are even more prevalent in a system that permits residents of such facilities to communicate via their own personal devices. Therefore, in order to alleviate these concerns and provide a secure system in which a resident is able to make video calls using their personal device, a kiosk unit is provided to which the personal device must be linked for completing a video call. When making the video call, the camera and display on the personal device are disabled, and all video data is captured and displayed by the kiosk unit. The link between the kiosk unit and the personal device facilitates the exchange of the image information for transmission to the outside party, or display to the user. By providing a fixed camera, and disabling the personal device camera, security can be maintained while permitting video calling services.
US09681096B1 Light field capture
This disclosure pertains to operations, systems, and computer readable media to capture images of a scene using a camera array and process the captured images based on a viewer's point of view (POV) for immersive augmented reality, live display wall, head mounted display, video conferencing, and similar applications. In one implementation, the disclosed subject matter provides a complete view to a viewer by combining images captured by a camera array. In another implementation, the disclosed subject matter tracks the viewer's POV as he moves from one location to another and displays images in accordance with his varying POV. The change of the viewer's POV is inclusive of movements in the X, Y, and Z dimensions.
US09681091B2 System and method for enhanced remote transcoding using content profiling
A system and method as described herein involve materially improving the quality of encoded content generated on systems or platforms such as remote or CPE (Customer Premises Equipment) platforms. An aspect of the described system and method comprises profiling the source content, for example, on a per title basis, and generating profile information as a set of metadata that reflects the optimal transcoding parameters. This metadata is transmitted along with the content to be transcoded to the remote device which can then perform a superior process on the content, compared to a generic non-hinted transcode. Other aspects of the described system and method comprise separation of profiling analysis from the actual transcoding at a remote location, and encapsulation of profile information with the program content for delivery to the remote premises.
US09681090B2 Personal video recording with messaging
Personal video recording including identifying a message point in operation of a PVR and transmitting a message. Embodiments include associating a message type with the message point and selecting, in dependence upon the message type, a message to be transmitted. Embodiments include receiving a response to the message; selecting, in dependence upon the response, a command to be executed; and executing the selected command.
US09681088B1 System and methods for movie digital container augmented with post-processing metadata
A processing server that builds metadata is disclosed. The server comprises a processor, a memory, and an application stored in the memory. The application when executed by the processor formats data into a data container, wherein the data comprises audio and video files of a movie. The application then builds metadata, wherein the metadata details what post-processing has been done on the data, wherein the metadata identifies what processing and algorithms are applied to the data and supports selection of data by a playback device. The application then writes metadata into the data container, wherein the playback device applies additional post-processing to the data in the data container based on the metadata.
US09681083B2 Method and system to detect a light-emitting diode
A method of detecting light-emitting diode (LED) light starts with a control circuitry generating a shutter signal that is transmitted to a pixel array to control image acquisition by the pixel array and to establish a set exposure time. The readout circuitry may then read out the image data from the pixel array that includes reading out the image data from a plurality of successive and overlapped frames having the set exposure time. The set exposure time may be the same for each of the frames. The successive and overlapped frames may be interlaced frames. Other embodiments are also described.
US09681079B2 Solid-state image pickup apparatus with vertical transfer unit and horizontal transfer unit; and camera system
A solid-state image pickup apparatus includes a timing signal generation unit, a plurality of sensor units arranged in a matrix pattern and configured to perform photoelectric conversion of light received on an image pickup surface to accumulate signal charges, a vertical transfer unit provided for each vertical column of the sensor units and configured to transfer the signal charges in a plurality of divided fields in a vertical direction in an image pickup area in a plurality of horizontal blanking periods, a horizontal transfer unit configured to perform a horizontal transfer of the signal charges to the vertical transfer unit along with the horizontal blanking period, and a vertical and horizontal shift control unit configured to control a timing at which the vertical transfer unit transfers the signal charges to the horizontal transfer unit for each vertical column of the sensor units on the basis of the timing signal.
US09681067B2 Manufacturing method for image pickup unit and image pickup unit
A manufacturing method for an optical unit includes: a step of bonding plural lens wafers, on which optical components are formed, and forming a lens unit wafer including plural lens units; a step of bonding a bending optical element wafer including plural bending optical elements to a first surface of the lens unit wafer such that the plural bending optical elements are respectively opposed to the plural lens units and forming an optical unit wafer; and a step of separating and individualizing the optical unit wafer for each of the lens units and the bending optical elements and manufacturing plural optical units.
US09681060B2 Imaging apparatus, method of correcting flicker, and program
An imaging apparatus includes a transmittance adjusting unit configured to be capable of adjusting a transmittance of light depending on an applied voltage; an image sensor configured to capture an image by exposing light that has been transmitted through the transmittance adjusting unit; and a controller configured to acquire a plurality of pieces of image data by causing the image sensor to capture an image, to determine a cycle of flicker between the plurality of pieces of image data based on the plurality of pieces of image data, to calculate a transmittance for correcting the flicker between the plurality of pieces of image data based on the cycle of the flicker, and to set the transmittance of the transmittance adjusting unit to the calculated transmittance to cause the image sensor to capture an image.
US09681054B2 Imaging apparatus, imaging system, imaging method, and computer-readable recording medium
An imaging apparatus includes: a first communication control unit that receives action instruction information from an external communication device; and a pseudo image generating unit that generates a pseudo image simulatively expressing an action by a user of the imaging apparatus according to an action instruction based on the action instruction information. The action instruction information includes angle change instruction information and shooting instruction information. The pseudo image generating unit generates, based on a position information and a first orientation information respectively acquired upon receipt of the shooting instruction information, as well as on the shooting instruction information, a first pseudo image, and generates, based on the angle change instruction information, a second pseudo image.
US09681045B2 Systems and methods for generating a panoramic image
Systems and methods for generating a panoramic image include capturing image data from a plurality of cameras and storing the image data within a memory buffer of the respective camera; transmitting image data from an upstream camera to a downstream camera; and combining, within the downstream camera, the image data from the upstream camera with the image data of the downstream camera as combined image data. Each of the plurality of cameras may include an imaging array for capturing image data of a scene; a receiver for receiving image data from an upstream camera of the plurality of cameras; a memory buffer for: combining the image data received from the upstream camera with image data captured by the imaging array to form combined image data, and storing the combined image data; and a transmitter for transmitting the stored combined image data to a downstream camera of the plurality of camera.
US09681042B2 Image pickup apparatus, image pickup system, image processing device, and method of controlling image pickup apparatus
An image pickup apparatus (10) capable of generating a plurality of output images having different focus positions by reconstructing an input image, the image pickup apparatus includes an input image obtaining unit (100) configured to obtain the input image, an image processing unit (105) configured to generate a display image from the input image, and a display unit (106) configured to display the display image, and the image processing unit (105) obtains a focus control range in which a focus position is controllable, and generates the display image including information on the focus control range by using at least a part of the input image.
US09681036B2 Imaging apparatus, imaging system, imaging method, and computer program
An imaging apparatus includes an imaging module configured to continuously generate a live image and perform capture to generate still images, a communication module configured to transmit the live image to a display apparatus and receive a capturing command from the display apparatus, a transmission detection unit configured to detect whether the live image is being transmitted to the display apparatus, an information addition unit configured to add transmission information indicating whether the transmission of the live image is being performed before the capturing command is received to the still images generated based on the capturing command, and a storage module configured to store the still images with the transmission information.
US09681030B2 Electronic apparatus and camera device thereof
The present disclosure relates to a camera device and an electronic device. The camera device comprises a rigid circuit board, an image sensor, and a heat dissipation member. The rigid circuit board comprises an extension portion extending laterally and a plurality of electrical contact pads. The extension portion comprises a board edge. The plurality of electrical contact pads are provided on the board edge. The image sensor comprises an image capture chip. The image capture chip may be directly fixed on the rigid circuit board, a heat dissipation space is left at a position which is below the rigid circuit board and corresponds to the image sensor when the board edge of the rigid circuit board is mated to a board edge connector of laterally connected type provided at one side of a main circuit board. The heat dissipation member may be provided in the heat dissipation space.
US09681021B2 Printing device, printing system, control method of a printing device, and storage medium
Terminating a wireless connection is simplified. A printer has a print unit configured to print on a recording medium; a wireless communication unit configured to connect wirelessly and communicate wirelessly with an external device; and a control unit configured to control the print unit based on print data received from the external device, and execute a communication termination process to terminate the wireless connection when a command instructing terminating the wireless connection is received from the external device.
US09681013B2 Methods and systems facilitating generation of digital representations of objects
Disclosed herein is a system, method and computer implemented method of facilitating generation of a digital representation of one or more physical objects. The method may include scanning a first part of the one or more physical objects to obtain image data corresponding to the first part. The scanning may be performed based on a first set of values corresponding to one or more parameters. The image data corresponding to the first part may be a digital representation of the first part. The method may further include determining a size of image data corresponding to the first part. Additionally, the method may include displaying information based on the size of the image data corresponding to the first part, prior to receiving image data corresponding to a second part of the one or more physical objects.
US09681000B2 Exchange and use of globally unique device identifiers for circuit-switched and packet switched integration
According to one aspect, a system and method of exchanging GRUUs (Globally Routed User Agent URI (Uniform Resource Identifier)) between a first telephony-enabled device and a second telephony enabled device using a circuit-switched message is provided. Once exchanged, the telephony enabled devices can exchange SIP (session initiated protocol) communications routed by the GRUUs. Any one of the telephony-enabled devices can add a media component to the SIP communications. According to another aspect, a system and method of generating GRUUs is provided. According to another aspect, a system and method of handing off communications to a packet switched network from a circuit switched network is provided.
US09680997B2 Systems and methods for routing callers to an agent in a contact center
Techniques for handling contacts and agents in a contact center system are disclosed. In one particular embodiment, the techniques may be realized as a method for handling contacts and agents in a contact center system including identifying a plurality of agents ordered for assignment to a contact queue, and assigning a first out-of-order agent from the plurality of agents to a first contact that arrives at the contact queue based on information about the first contact.
US09680995B2 Reporting on call center data across multiple concurrent activity sources
Aspects are directed towards methods including creating multiple states from at least two call center data sources; and combining at least two of the multiple states to obtain a data model, where the data model comprises an attribute related to the call center, and methods including collecting a set of call data from multiple sources, where the multiple sources comprise a management module source and at least one source not controlled by the management module, and analyzing the set of call data.
US09680982B2 Emergency communication device
An emergency communication system for use with a home network manager having one or more associated network elements. The system may comprise a processor that may communicate with at least one of the home network manager and the associated network elements, a input interface that may receive a plurality of sequential inputs and/or a management interface that may enable a user to program a plurality of programmable responses to a number of the sequential inputs, wherein each programmable response may include a user-programmable action to be activated via at least one of the emergency communication system, the home network manager and/or the associated network elements when, for example, the input interface receives the number of the sequential inputs, wherein when the input interface receives the number of the sequential inputs, the processor may communicate a corresponding user-programmed action to the at least one of the emergency communication system, the home network manager and/or the associated network elements.
US09680978B2 Apparatus and method for providing incoming and outgoing call information in a mobile communication terminal
Methods and apparatuses are provided for providing information. Phone numbers are stored in an address book in a memory of the terminal. Call history information for a phone number together with a first option for editing of information associated with the phone number are displayed on a display of the terminal, if the phone number is in the address book.
US09680977B2 Voice only phone and method of operation
A voice only phone and method of operation; the voice only phone having a microprocessor configured to operate an interactive voice respondent (IVR) that is used to verbally interact with a user. The IVR allows the user to interact with the voice only phone to place calls, receive calls, receive text messages, and respond to text messages using only voice commands. Furthermore, the IVR allows for the dynamic creation of a voice phone book that is progressively updated. In order to better recognize the voice of the user, the voice only phone creates a voice profile through a voice recognition setup sequence, wherein the user is prompted to dictate a plurality of audible calibration inputs. Once the voice profile is created, the user is able to place phone calls by either dictating a contact name or a plurality of digits for a phone number.
US09680976B2 Electronic device
An electronic device including a casing, a control module, a micro-projecting unit and a motion sensing unit is provided. The control module is disposed in the casing. The micro-projecting unit is disposed on the casing and electrically connected to the control module. The micro-projecting unit is capable of projecting a projection beam to form a frame in a projection region. The motion sensing unit is disposed on the casing and electrically connected to the control module. The motion sensing unit is capable of sensing a motion in the projection region. The control module is capable of applying the motion sensed by the motion sensing unit to change the frame.
US09680967B2 Method of using application, gateway using the method, terminal using the method, and terminal system using the method
Provided is a method of using an application, the method including: requesting to transmit a predetermined application from at least one terminal; storing the predetermined application which is decompressed according to a request to transmit the predetermined application, in a storage device; extracting a script file which manages execution of the predetermined application from the decompressed predetermined application; and updating a list of applications stored in the storage device using the script file.
US09680958B2 System and method for programmable radio access networks
Disclosed is a novel base station that has a layer 1-3 protocol stack to control and process incoming/outgoing flows with user equipment (UE) and a Random Access Network (RAN) hypervisor virtualizing one or more instances, each instance corresponding to an active profile associated with the base station. Each such instance is associated with a given profile comprising: (1) an admission control module, (2) a handoff control module, and (3) a scheduling module. Also provided is a controller having: (1) an interface to communicate over a network with such base stations over a communication protocol to send the details of new profiles or modifications of existing profiles to such base stations, (2) a profile management application managing a database of a plurality of active profiles associated with the one or more base stations, and (3) a controller operating system that ensures that no two active profiles in said profile management application create conflicts in any of the one or more base stations.
US09680952B2 Content delivery network (CDN) cold content handling
A method of content delivery in a content delivery network (CDN), where the CDN is deployed, operated and managed by a content delivery network service provider (CDNSP). The CDN comprises a set of content servers and a domain name system (DNS). For a given content provider, a determination is first made whether the content provider has “cold content” delivery requirements by evaluating one or more factors that include: total content size, size of content objects expected to be served, uniqueness of content, total number of content objects, and a percentage of the total content size that is expected to account for a given percentage of traffic. Upon a determination that the content provider has cold content delivery requirements, a subset of the CDN content servers are configured to implement a set of one or handling rules for managing delivery of the cold content from the CDN content servers.
US09680948B2 System and method for device failure notification
A method and apparatus of a device that notifies another device of a failed device is described. In an exemplary embodiment, a network element detects that a first device is unavailable, where the network element couples the first device to the second device. In response to detecting that the first device is unavailable, the network element configures a proxy for the first device. The network element additionally receives network data that is destined for the first device, where the second device originated the network data. If the proxy can process the network data, the network element transmits a response to the second device from the proxy, where the response indicates that the first device is unavailable, where the first response includes an address of the first device. If the proxy cannot process the network data, the network element drops the network data.
US09680935B2 Grid gateway and transmission tower management system with multiple grid gateways
A grid gateway and a transmission tower management system having a plurality of the grid gateways are disclosed. The grid gateways are connected with one another to form a mesh network. A plurality of sensors are provided within a wireless transmission range of the grid gateways. The sensors collect and send environmental parameters to the corresponding grid gateway within the wireless transmission range, in order to choose an optimal transmission path in the mesh network through grid gateways to transmit. The environmental parameters are transmitted through the optimal transmission path to a server for storage and analysis. A grid gateway and a transmission tower management system having a plurality of the grid gateways have broad and local area wireless transmission ability, so as to overcome restrictions of topography and communication to execute broad area management and monitor tasks.
US09680927B2 Cloud tabs
The presently disclosed techniques related to data transfer and synchronization between multiple electronic devices. The multiple electronic devices may be logged onto a user's account with a cloud computing service so that they may transfer data relating to websites that they have accessed to the cloud computing service so that such data may be synchronized amongst the multiple electronic devices. A tab screen on each electronic device may allow a user to view the other linked devices as well as the websites that they have accessed so that the user may select such websites if so desired.
US09680925B2 Methods and apparatus to route message traffic using tiered affinity-based message routing
Methods and apparatus to route network traffic using tiered affinity-based message routing are disclosed herein. An example method to select a destination endpoint for a message includes receiving a rule from a service provider, the rule specifying a set of destination endpoints associated with the service provider and the rule specifying a set of criteria to be used to select one of the destination endpoints for a message containing a data request. The method also includes sending the rule to a client service to be used to select the destination endpoint for the message based on a characteristic of the requested data.
US09680919B2 Intelligent messaging grid for big data ingestion and/or associated methods
Certain example embodiments relate to an intelligent messaging grid for Big Data ingestion and/or associated methods. Each node in a network of nodes is dynamically configurable to send and/or receive messages using one of brokered and brokerless communication models. At least some of the nodes have a complex event processing (CEP) engine deployed thereto, the CEP engines being configured to operate on messages received by the respective nodes and being classified as one of at least two different types of CEP engines. For each message received by a given node that is to be forwarded to a further node along one of multiple possible paths, the given node is configured to route the message to be forwarded to an intermediate node in one of the possible paths. The intermediate node is selected by the CEP engine of the given node based on metadata associated with the message to be forwarded.
US09680916B2 Methods and systems for distribution and retrieval of network traffic records
A method includes receiving, by a distribution server, from an exporter device, a plurality of network traffic records. The method includes generating, by the distribution server, a first hash from a first plurality of fields in a first of the plurality of network traffic records and generating a second hash from a second plurality of fields in a second of the plurality of network traffic records. The method includes comparing the first hash and the second hash and determining that the first of the plurality of network traffic records and the second of the plurality of network traffic records relate to a session, based upon the comparison. The method includes transmitting the first and second of the plurality of network traffic records to one of a plurality of worker computing devices selected based on the determination and on at least one of the first and second hash.
US09680900B2 Universal multimedia engine and method for producing the same
A method, system and apparatus for adapting the multimedia content for presentation by an application that uses, processes or otherwise services the multimedia content (“multimedia application”) is provided. The method includes receiving the multimedia content formatted in accordance with at least one of a plurality of multimedia protocols; using a function abstracted from the plurality of multimedia protocols to adapt the multimedia content in accordance with one or more capabilities of the multimedia application; and sending the multimedia content so adapted to the multimedia application for presentation.
US09680898B2 Comment link to streaming media
Embodiments generally relate to proving a method for an authenticated user of an item of streaming media content to create a shareable clip of a portion of the item. The method comprises using an interface on a first device to accept a first input from the authenticated user to define the clip; using the interface to accept a second input from the authenticated user to create a comment for the clip; creating an identifier for the clip, the identifier uniquely corresponding to the authenticated user and the defined clip; and sending the identifier and the comment to a second user in a form that includes a clickable link. If the second user clicks on the clickable link, the defined clip is streamed to the second user to play on a second device, independent of whether the second user is authorized to access the whole of the content.
US09680891B2 System, method and network device for streaming data from a network
A system, method and a network device for streaming data from a network are provided. A network device includes a software application for streaming network data. The application sets a ratio of local versus network content to a value. The application scans the network device's local media library metadata for local content and submits the metadata to the network server, wherein the server uses the metadata to identify and classify local content and create an integrated playlist using local and network content that is communicated to the network device, which starts content playback. In the event of no network connectivity, the content playback may be based entirely on locally stored content. The selection of local or network content is based on a randomly generated value and a set ratio of local to network content.
US09680888B2 Private interaction hubs
A mobile device has memory storage to maintain hub data that is associated with a private interaction hub, where the hub data includes multiple types of displayable data that is editable by different types of device applications. The memory storage at the device also maintains private data that is displayable and is viewable with one of the device applications. The mobile device also includes a display device to display the multiple types of the hub data in a hub user interface of a hub application. The display device can also display the private data and a subset of the hub data that are both associated with a device application in a device application user interface.
US09680885B2 Information processing apparatus and terminal device that communicate with each other
An information processing apparatus that communicates with a terminal device using a first communication manner, the information processing apparatus includes a processor that: generates a response including first information being described in a first format in response to a request from the terminal device; converts the first information being included in the response and being described in the first format into second information described in a second format conforming to the first communication manner; and transmits the response including the second information to the terminal device in the first communication manner.
US09680881B2 Transmission apparatus, receiving apparatus, transmission method, receiving method, and storage medium for transmitting and/or receiving metadata indicating address information for each of a plurality of segments corresponding to divided content
A transmission apparatus configured to transmit, to a receiving apparatus, metadata indicating segment data that the receiving apparatus is allowed to acquire among a plurality of segment data constituting content includes a receiving unit configured to receive, from the receiving apparatus, a request for acquisition of the metadata and an end instruction to end a state in which transmission of the segment data to the receiving apparatus is allowed, and a transmission unit configured to transmit, when the receiving unit receives the end instruction, the metadata containing termination information indicating termination of transmission of the segment data to the receiving apparatus.
US09680873B1 Trusted network detection
Approaches for processing network requests based upon the perceived trustworthiness of the network. A software component renders a judgment, based on a policy that weighs one or more factors, about whether a network accessible to a device should be trusted. If the software component renders a judgment that the network should be trusted, then a network resource identified on a white list of trusted resources is allowed to be retrieved within a host operating system or in a first virtual machine. Conversely, if the software component renders a judgment that the network should not be trusted, then the network resource identified on the white list of trusted resources is prevented from be retrieved within the host operating system or the first virtual machine, and may instead be retrieved within a second virtual machine, which has a more restrictive set of access privileges than the first virtual machine.
US09680866B2 System and method for analyzing web content
A system and computer based method are provided for identifying active content in websites on a network. In one aspects, a method for classifying web content includes determining a first property associated with static content of a web page, determining a second property associated with the content of the web page based at least in part on active content associated with the web page, evaluating a logical expression relating the first property and the second property, at least in part by evaluating whether a constant value matches at least a portion of the content of the web page, associating the web page with a category based on a result of the evaluation, and determining whether to allow network access to the web page based on the category.
US09680864B2 Remediating rogue applications
In one example embodiment, a remediating system may include a mobile communication device, to which an application is to be installed, and a remediator that may be configured to remediate the application and transmit the remediated version of the application to the mobile communication device for installation.
US09680854B2 Malware and anomaly detection via activity recognition based on sensor data
A system for malware and anomaly detection via activity recognition based on sensor is disclosed. The system may analyze sensor data collected during a selected time period from one or more sensors that are associated with a device. Once the sensor data is analyzed, the system may determine a context of the device when the device is in a connected state. The system may determine the context of the device based on the sensor data collected during the selected time period. The system may also determine if traffic received or transmitted by the device during the connected state is in a white list. Furthermore, the system may transmit an alert if the traffic is determined to not be in the white list or if the context determined for the device indicates that the context does not correlate with the traffic.
US09680851B2 Method and product for providing a predictive security product and evaluating existing security products
A method, product and computer program product for evolving malware variants, the method including the steps of: receiving a malware specimen; generating a first generation of variants corresponding to the malware specimen, wherein the malware specimen is altered by one or more mutations to generate each variant of the first generation of variants; selecting variants from the first generation of variants; and mutating the selected variants to generate successive generations of variants, wherein the successive generations are generated until one or more criteria are met.
US09680846B2 Techniques for sharing network security event information
This disclosure provides an architecture for sharing information between network security administrators. Events converted to a normalized data format (CCF) are stored in a manner that can be queried by a third party (e.g., an administrator of another, trusted network). Optionally made available as a service, stored event records can be sanitized for third party queries (e.g., by clients of a service maintaining such a repository). In one embodiment, each contributing network encrypts or signs its (sanitized) records using a symmetric key architecture, the key being unique to the contributing network. This key is used (e.g., by the repository) to index a set of permissions or conditions of the contributing network in servicing any query, e.g., by matching a stored hash of the event record or by decrypting the record. The information sharing service can optionally be provided by a hosted information security service or on a peer-to-peer basis.
US09680843B2 Cloud-based communication account security
A request is received over a network to resolve a problem relating to a networked user device. The request is accepted in order to provide user service. Based on the request, one of multiple available diagnostic algorithms is selected to analyze user data related to a user's account to identify symptoms of the problem and diagnose a cause of the symptoms identified.
US09680842B2 Detecting co-occurrence patterns in DNS
Techniques for inferring the existence of suspicious software by detecting multiple name server requests for the same sets of non-existent domains. Implementations can allow for detecting the existence of malware or other suspicious software without requiring reverse engineering of the malware's domain generation algorithm.
US09680839B2 Access permissions management system and method
An access permissions management system including a hierarchical access permissions repository including access permissions relating to data elements arranged in a data element hierarchy, wherein some of the data elements have only access permissions which are inherited from ancestral data elements, some of the multiplicity of data elements are prevented from having inherited access permissions and thus have only unique access permissions which are not inherited and some of the data elements are not prevented from having inherited access permissions and have not only inherited access permissions but also unique access permissions which are not inherited, some of which unique access permissions possibly being redundant with inherited access permissions, and an access permissions redundancy prevention engine operative to ascertain which of the unique access permissions are redundant with inherited access permissions and not to store the unique access permissions which are redundant with inherited access permissions in the repository.
US09680834B2 Web document preview privacy and security protection
Techniques are disclosed for protecting the privacy and security of data associated with a web document. A web browser is configured to manipulate the URL, which contains an access token, of a preview web page document before the browser loads external resources (e.g., web page content) linked from the preview web page document. For example, the browser may change a current page URL containing the access token to another sacrificial URL that does not include the token. In addition, the browser will send the sacrificial URL, rather than the original URL, as a referrer to the various resources that provide the web page content, which prevents exposure of the access token to those resources while the web page content is loading. After the web page content is loaded into the browser, the current page URL of the browser is changed back to the original URL.
US09680831B2 Data permission management for wearable devices
Methods and apparatus for providing rule-based access to data stored on wearable devices are provided. A wearable computing device can store data that includes data about a wearer of the wearable computing device. The wearable computing device can receive a request for a portion of the stored data. The wearable computing device can determine a designated role associated with the request for the portion of the stored data. The wearable computing device can determine one or more rules regarding access to the portion of the stored data based on the designated role. The wearable computing device can determine a response to the request for the portion of the stored data by at least: determining whether the request is validated by at least applying the one or more rules to the request, and after determining that the request is validated, providing the requested portion of the stored data.
US09680825B2 Token device re-synchronization through a network solution
A system is illustrated as including a One-Time Password (OTP) device operatively coupled to a computer system to receive data, and a server operatively coupled to the computer system via a network connection. A method is illustrated as including receiving and verifying credentials of a user accessing the site. In response to verifying the user, a request is transmitted to an authentication server for a first token value corresponding to the user. The first token value is received from the authentication server. The first token value is displayed to the user. The first token value is displayed at the same time as part of a list with other token values to the user. The user compares the list of token values to a token value generated by a password device to determine whether the token value generated by the password device is included in the list of token values.
US09680823B2 Convenient login method, apparatus and system for automatically detecting and filling in login field within web environment or application
A convenient login method, apparatus and system for automatically detecting and filling in a login field within a web environment or an application are disclosed herein. The convenient login system includes a client, a server, and a terminal. The client detects an ID/PW input field within a login page when a user accesses the login page, outputs a convenient login button, outputs an input box when the user clicks on the convenient login button, and automatically enters an ID/PW in the ID/PW input field. The server receives any one of the telephone number and ID information of the terminal from the client, sends a message to the terminal, receives the ID/PW from the terminal when the mobile program is run, and sends the ID/PW to the client. The terminal runs the mobile program, recombines a segmented and stored ID/PW, and sends the recombined ID/PW to the client via the server.
US09680822B2 Point of sale pairing
Wireless pairing is automatically performed based on purchase. By providing a unique identifier of a cellular customer, a wireless device may be automatically paired to a residential wireless network. A central database, for example, may store networking credentials associated with residential wireless networks. When the cellular customer purchases the wireless device, a server may query the central database for a cellular telephone number associated with the cellular customer. The server may thus retrieve the networking credentials that are associated with the cellular telephone number.
US09680809B2 Secure data storage on a cloud environment
A method for secure data storage in a cloud storage infrastructure comprises providing a set of first upload files to be stored in the cloud storage infrastructure, providing a set of first random noise files, splitting each file of the two sets into a group of fragments, recombining the fragments by randomly intermixing fragments from different groups thus generating a set of second upload files, encrypting each second upload file with a first encryption key and storing each first encryption key in a secure storage location, storing reconstruction information about the set of first upload files, the splitting, the recombining and the first encryption keys in the secure storage location, uploading each second upload file to a respective temporary cloud storage location, repeatedly moving each uploaded second upload file to a new temporary cloud storage location in predetermined intervals of time.
US09680804B2 Distributed learning and aging for management of internet protocol (IP) addresses
A device includes a security process unit (SPU) associated with a logical ring of SPUs. The SPU receives a packet with an address associated with a malicious source, and creates, based on the packet, an entry in a data structure associated with the SPU. The entry includes information associated with the packet. The SPU provides an install message to a next SPU in the logical ring. The install message instructs the next SPU to create the entry in another data structure, and forward the install message to another SPU. The SPU receives the install message from a last SPU, and sets a state of the entry to active in the data structure based on receiving the install message from the last SPU. The SPU performs a particular action on another packet, associated with the malicious source, based on the setting the state of the entry to active.
US09680799B2 Masking and unmasking data over a network
An apparatus with one or more masking rules stored in a memory receives unmasked data associated with a first session identifier via a network and converts the received unmasked data into masked data by applying the one or more masking rules to the unmasked data. The apparatus generates a first mapped identifier associated with the unmasked data and first session identifier. The apparatus also receives, via a network, a second mapped identifier associated with a second session identifier. Upon receiving the second mapped identifier and second session identifier, the apparatus determines whether the second session identifier corresponds to the first session identifier and finds the first mapped identifier corresponding to the received second mapped identifier. The apparatus retrieves and sends the unmasked data associated with the first mapped identifier.
US09680793B2 Secure in-band signaling method for mobility management crossing firewalls
An in-band signaling method that enables secure updates of a care-of-IP address for a mobile host that roams between access networks. In the illustrative embodiment described herein, a mobile host includes an intelligent interface that handles IP networking functions and tunnels IP packets between the mobile host and the mobile host's home agent/remote access server (HA/RAS) transparently, as if the mobile host established a connection to a communicating or destination host (DST) from the home network (where the HA/RAS resides). In accordance with an aspect of the invention, there is provided an in-band signaling method that employs encrypted three-way handshake signaling messages that are embedded in encapsulated IP packets to enable care-of IP address updates. This method can effectively protect mobile hosts from denial-of-service attacks and is transparent to NAT/NAPT firewalls. The signaling messages are communicated between the home agent and the mobile host, in a manner transparent to any NAT/NAPT firewall in the network.
US09680792B2 ReNAT systems and methods
Included are embodiments for ReNAT communications address communications. Some embodiments include a network operations center (NOC) that includes a ReNAT twin NAT that translates between a customer-assigned private IP address and a unique private IP (UPIP) address. The NOC may additionally include a ReNAT VPN component coupled to the ReNAT twin NAT, where the ReNAT VPN provides a source IP address to the ReNat twin NAT. The NOC may include logic that when executed by a processor, causes the processor to facilitate communication between a user workstation on a private network and a remote computing device, wherein facilitating communication includes receiving the data from the user workstation via a traditional VPN portal, wherein address translation has been performed by a ReNAT twin NAT client on the user workstation.
US09680783B2 Dynamic email content update process
An email update system dynamically updates the content of an email when the originator of an email has sent the email, and the originator later determines that the email requires editing. The updating may take place transparent to the recipient and without the introduction of duplicative content into the recipient's email program. The email update system comprises a delta engine program and a delta temporary storage in a sender's computer, a queue manager program and an intermediate email queue in a server computer, and a recipient email retrieval program in a recipient's computer.
US09680776B2 Method and apparatus for instant messaging based on user interface
A method and apparatus for instant messaging based on a user interface is provided. The method comprises providing a window having a plurality of regions in the user interface, wherein the plurality of regions comprise at least one navigation region, and at least one message region to display one or more dialog windows; receiving a navigation input within navigation region; navigating among the one or more dialog windows based on the navigation input; and displaying the one or more dialog windows in the message region.
US09680774B2 Network interface card offloading
A network interface controller (NIC) executes a set of instructions with respect to received data communications packet and generates output data associated with the execution of the set of instructions. The NIC stores the output data in a location that is accessible to an operating system.
US09680773B1 Integrated circuit with dynamically-adjustable buffer space for serial interface
One embodiment relates to an integrated circuit which includes a method of dynamically adjusting a receive buffer in an integrated circuit. A fixed-size buffer circuit of the receive buffer is used to buffer data received by way of a serial interface circuit. The performance of the serial interface circuit are monitored. The receive buffer is dynamically extended based on said performance. Other embodiments, aspects, and features are also disclosed.
US09680770B2 System and method for using a multi-protocol fabric module across a distributed server interconnect fabric
A multi-protocol personality module enabling load/store from remote memory, remote Direct Memory Access (DMA) transactions, and remote interrupts, which permits enhanced performance, power utilization and functionality. In one form, the module is used as a node in a network fabric and adds a routing header to packets entering the fabric, maintains the routing header for efficient node-to-node transport, and strips the header when the packet leaves the fabric. In particular, a remote bus personality component is described. Several use cases of the Remote Bus Fabric Personality Module are disclosed: 1) memory sharing across a fabric connected set of servers; 2) the ability to access physically remote Input Output (I/O) devices across this fabric of connected servers; and 3) the sharing of such physically remote I/O devices, such as storage peripherals, by multiple fabric connected servers.
US09680762B2 Method and system for providing QoS for in-band control traffic in an openflow network
A method for guaranteeing control traffic throughput in an in-band network configured for delivering control and data traffic, and considering both local and global views of the communication network. The method includes determining an initial configuration for forwarding first control traffic from the packet forwarding device, wherein the initial configuration comprises a first in-band queue for receiving the first control traffic that is delivered over the control path to the controller via a port in the packet forwarding device, and a first bandwidth reserved for the first queue. The method includes performing handshaking with the controller by sending a request to the controller confirming the initial configuration using a network control protocol, and receiving a response from the controller in association with the request. The method includes confirming or modifying the initial configuration based on the response.
US09680746B2 Source routing with fabric switches in an ethernet fabric network
In one embodiment, a computer program product includes a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith. The embodied program instructions are readable/executable by a processor to receive, by the processor, a packet via a network fabric, the network fabric having a plurality of interconnected fabric switches. The embodied program instructions are also readable/executable by the processor to determine, by the processor, a path through the network fabric by consulting a source-routing table. Moreover, the embodied program instructions are readable/executable by the processor to store, by the processor, source-routing information to a packet header for the packet, the source-routing information including the path. In addition, the embodied program instructions are readable/executable by the processor to send, by the processor, the packet according to an indication in the source-routing information.
US09680740B2 Service multiplexing and demultiplexing using a single pseudowire service/label switched path label in a multiprotocol label switching network
A system for packet transmission over an MPLS tunnel may include a plurality of network devices. The network devices may include ingress and egress routers and intermediate routers. The system may be configured to use payload type indication labels and payload type headers to transmit packets from a plurality of user devices having different payload types and service instances over a single pseudo-wire service in a label switched path of the MPLS network.
US09680728B2 Arrangements for monitoring network traffic on a cloud-computing environment and methods thereof
A method for monitoring data associated with a virtual computing environment is provided. The method includes receiving virtually-originated data, wherein the virtually-originated data originated from a virtual server in the virtual computing environment and transmitted in the form of data packets. The method also includes encapsulating the virtually-originated data using a tunneling protocol, forming encapsulated traffic. The method further includes transmitting the encapsulated traffic to a tap device, wherein the tap device decapsulates the encapsulated traffic to recover a version of the virtually-originated data and forwards the version of the virtually-originated data to a monitoring device.
US09680720B1 Operations, administration, and maintenance (OAM) engine
Network traffic that includes an Operations, Administration, and Maintenance (OAM) unit is received. A first data flow to which the OAM data unit belongs is identified from among a plurality of data flows of network traffic. Based on identifying the first flow of communication traffic to which the OAM data unit belongs, a first entry corresponding to the first flow is retrieved from a memory that stores OAM action data including a plurality of entries indicating how OAM data units in different flows of communication traffic are to be processed. The first entry is from among the plurality of entries and indicates how OAM data units in the first flow are to be processed, including whether the network device should modify the data unit as part of an OAM action. The OAM data unit is processed in accordance with the first entry.
US09680716B2 System and method for monitoring and managing data center resources in real time incorporating manageability subsystem
A method is disclosed for forming a distributed data store using a remote access appliance associated with a data center infrastructure management (DCIM) system. Data may be generated which is associated with operation of managed device being monitored by the DCIM system. At least one remote access appliance may be used to receive the data. An element library framework may be used by the remote access appliance to generate events from the data. The remote access appliance may also be used to implement a complex event processing subsystem to analyze the events and to generate event related signals therefrom. A bus may be used to transmit the event related signals from the appliance to a common platform services (CPS) subsystem of the DCIM system. The CPS subsystem may be used to receive the event related signals and to use the event related signals to inform the user of an aspect of performance of the managed device.
US09680715B2 Assessing a service offering in a networked computing environment
An approach for assessing a service offering selected by a user in a networked computing environment (e.g., a cloud computing environment) is provided. In one aspect, a network environment containing the service offering is monitored for a software configuration activity performed by the user. This software configuration activity is analyzed to identify the software application that is being configured. A set of provider-managed service offerings can be searched for any provider-managed service offering that contains an offered application corresponding to that of the software application. This managed service offering can be included in an alternative suggestion for the service offering.
US09680706B2 Federated firewall management for moving workload across data centers
A method of providing firewall support for moving a data compute node (DCN) across data centers. The method receives a set of global firewall rules to enforce across multiple data centers. The set of global firewall rules utilize unique identifiers that are recognized by the network manager of each data center. The method distributes the specified set of global firewall rules to the network managers. The method receives an indication that a DCN operating on a first host in a first data center is migrating to a second host operating in a second data center. The method sends a set of firewall session states to the network manager of the second data center. The method receives an indication that the DCN on the second host has started and enforces firewall rules for the DCN on the second host by using the firewall session states and the global firewall rules.
US09680700B2 Device, system and method of configuring a radio transceiver
Some demonstrative embodiments include devices, systems and/or methods of configuring a radio transceiver. For example, some embodiment include a radio virtual machine (RVM) to configure a radio transceiver, the RVM including a radio processor to execute a first code configuring one or more transceiver functionalities independent of a configuration of the radio transceiver, and to generate a second code based on the configuration of the radio transceiver and the first code, wherein the second code is to be executed by the radio transceiver to configure the one or more transceiver functionalities for the radio transceiver.
US09680690B2 Method, network adapter, host system, and network device for implementing network adapter offload function
A method, a network adapter, a host system, and a network device for implementing a network adapter offload function. If a data packet received by the network adapter or the host system is a data packet unknown to the network adapter, the data packet unknown to the network adapter is parsed, a new policy entry is generated, and the new policy entry is updated into the host policy table and the network adapter policy table. Therefore, for a packet that includes a new proprietary or standard protocol header Tag, only a functional module that parses the packet needs to be updated, so that the functional module is capable of processing such a packet and delivering a new policy entry to the host policy table and the network adapter policy table and the network adapter does not need to be changed.
US09680687B2 Method and apparatus for controlling sessions from one or more devices
An apparatus and mechanism to manage multi-modal real-time or quasi real-time sessions such as voice, video, instant messaging, or web-conferencing across multiple devices through a simple subscription to a session management service. A user can subscribe to the service from many devices (e.g. mobile device, desk phone, personal computer, internet appliance, internet TV, communication terminal, etc.) and through the service seamlessly move sessions back and forth between subscribed devices. In a preferred embodiment, a user utilizes a “virtual slider” in a simple “two touch” procedure to effectuate the movement of a communication session from one device to another device via the service.
US09680684B2 Coding and modulation apparatus using non-uniform constellation
A coding and modulation apparatus and method are presented. The apparatus (10) comprises an encoder (11) that encodes input data into cell words, and a modulator (12) that modulates said cell words into constellation values of a non-uniform constellation. The modulator (12) is configured to use, based on the total number M of constellation points of the constellation and the signal-to-noise ratio SNR in dB, a non-uniform constellation from a group of constellations comprising one or more constellations defined by a constellation position vector comprising a predetermined number of constellation positions, wherein in one or more constellation position vectors two or more constellation positions are identical resulting from a condensation of preliminary constellation positions optimized before.
US09680682B2 Method and device for detecting uplink synchronization signal in each step in wireless access system supporting high frequency band
The present invention provides a method for detecting an uplink synchronization signal in a wireless access system supporting a high frequency band, a method for designing a detection filter for the same, and devices for supporting the methods. A method by which a base station detects a random access channel (RACH) signal in a wireless access system supporting a high frequency band, according to one embodiment of the present invention, comprises the steps of: allocating a cyclic shift value used in the base station; configuring a reception signal vector for signals transmitted through the RACH; deriving a cyclic shift candidate greater than or equal to a reference value from the reception signal vector by using a first detection filter; and detecting the RACH signal from the cyclic shift candidate by using a second detection filter, wherein the first detection filter and the second detection filter can be set on the basis of the cyclic shift value.
US09680680B2 Apparatus for transmitting broadcast signals, apparatus for receiving broadcast signals, method for transmitting broadcast signals and method for receiving broadcast signals
The present invention provides a method of transmitting broadcast signals. The method includes, encoding Data Pipe, DP, data according to a code rate, wherein the encoding further includes Low-Density Parity-Check, LDPC, encoding the DP data, Bit interleaving the LDPC encoded DP data, and mapping the bit interleaved DP data onto constellations; building at least one signal frame by mapping the encoded DP data; and modulating data in the built signal frame by an Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing, OFDM, method and transmitting the broadcast signals having the modulated data.
US09680678B2 Communication systems and methods
Methods and apparatuses for communicating in a wireless network include methods and systems for producing a discovery signal for use in cellular context using unlicensed spectrum having contiguous resource elements in the time domain.
US09680677B2 Weather band receiver
A weather band receiver, which may be part of an FM receiver, is disclosed. FSK-encoded data units in an alert packet transmission are detected using a quadrature matched filter circuit. At least one FSK-encoded data unit is captured from the alert packet transmission. Soft quantized bits are extracted from the FSK-encoded data units. The soft quantized bits are saved to memory and used to recover an alert message. Soft quantized bits from two or more FSK-encoded data units may be combined before recovering the alert message.
US09680676B2 Communication system, communication device and communication method that can improve frequency use efficiency
A communication device receives a reception signal including at least a first reception signal and a second reception signal, where the first reception signal is a signal to be transmitted using a first set of subcarriers and the second reception signal is a signal to be transmitted using a second set of subcarriers which overlaps with at least one end of the first set of subcarriers in a time frame. The communication device also demodulates information indicating data included in the first reception signal after reducing the second reception signal transmitted by using one or more overlapping subcarriers of the second set of subcarriers from the reception signal.
US09680669B2 Wireless interference mitigation
Embodiments can relate to an apparatus for interference mitigation in a wireless communication. The apparatus can comprise at least one processing element arranged to extract, from a received PDCCH or EPDCCH signal, modulated symbols; the modulated symbols having been modulated using a linear m-ary modulation constellation. The apparatus also comprises a demodulator to demodulate the extracted PDCCH or EPDCCH modulated symbols; the demodulator being operable to demodulate the extracted symbols according to the linear m-ary modulation constellation.
US09680666B2 N-phase phase and polarity encoded serial interface
System, methods and apparatus are described that facilitate transmission of data, particularly between two devices within an electronic apparatus. Information is transmitted in N-phase polarity encoded symbols. Data is encoded in multi-bit symbols, and the multi-bit symbols are transmitted on a plurality of connectors. The multi-bit symbols may be transmitted by mapping the symbols to a sequence of states of the plurality of connectors, and driving the connectors in accordance with the sequence of states. The timing of the sequence of states is determinable at a receiver at each transition between sequential states. The state of each connector may be defined by polarity and direction of rotation of a multi-phase signal transmitted on the each connector.
US09680665B2 Apparatus and method for dynamic hybrid routing in SDN networks to avoid congestion and balance loads under changing traffic load
Given a large number of traffic matrices, the matrices are divided into M clusters, where M is a relatively small number. A load-balancing apparatus is implemented as an application over the SDN controller. Such an application is executed to configure and reconfigure the switches to achieve near-optimal load balancing, even when the traffic load changes. For each cluster, a near-optimal explicit routing configuration is determined. The combination of explicit routing (cluster-specific) and destination-based routing (same for all clusters) is used to achieve near-optimal load balancing for each cluster.
US09680660B2 Self-service terminal
A self-service terminal comprises a plurality of devices, each device providing management information. A management agent is installed in the terminal and adapted to monitor the plurality of devices. In the event that management information from a device indicates that there is a fault, the management creates and transmits a notification. A communications stack is adapted to receive the transmitted notification from the management agent. A self-service terminal application is adapted to (i) monitor the communications stack to receive the transmitted notification, (ii) package the notification within a host message conforming to a host messaging format, and (iii) transmit the host message to a remote host via a legacy network.
US09680658B2 Collaborative group communication method involving a context aware call jockey
A system and method comprises establishing a group communication session between a first participant and a second participant. The method may include a dynamic point of control entity within the communication session. The dynamic point of control entity may be designated to operate in different roles and may have access to information regarding the conduct and participants of the call session, and also have control authority required in order to execute the designated role.
US09680653B1 Cipher message with authentication instruction
An instruction to perform ciphering and authentication is executed. The executing includes ciphering one set of data provided by the instruction to obtain ciphered data and placing the ciphered data in a designated location. It further includes authenticating an additional set of data provided by the instruction, in which the authenticating generates at least a part of a message authentication tag. The at least a part of the message authentication tag is stored in a selected location.
US09680624B2 Method and system for mapping uplink control information
An uplink grant transmitted to a subscriber station indicates a first modulation and coding scheme (MCS) value for a first codeword transmission and a second MCS value for a second codeword transmission. A multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) uplink subframe received from the subscriber station has a first subset of layers used for first codeword transmission and a second subset of layers used for second codeword transmission. Rank indication (RI) information is mapped onto both the first subset of layers and the second subset of layers. Channel quality information (CQI) is only mapped onto either the first subset of layers or the second subset of layers. If the first MCS value is different from the second MCS value, the CQI is mapped onto the subset of layers having a higher MCS value.
US09680622B2 Method and apparatus for transmitting reception confirmation in wireless system
Provided are a method and an apparatus for transmitting a reception confirmation in a wireless system. A terminal determines at least one downlink sub-frame for ACK/NACK feedback from each of a plurality of serving cells and determines the number of ACK/NACK bits for the plurality of serving cells. The terminal generates bundled ACK/NACK bits by arraying the ACK/NACK bits in the ascending order of the cell index of the plurality of serving cells, and transmits the bundled ACK/NACK bits.
US09680620B2 Signal transmission method and user equipment
Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a signal transmission method and a user equipment. The method includes: receiving, by a user equipment, an indication signal, where the indication signal is used to indicate resource numbers corresponding to physical resources occupied by one or more control signals, where a resource number corresponding to a physical resource includes time information and frequency information of the physical resource; allocating, by the user equipment according to the resource numbers, one or more physical resources corresponding to the one or more control signals; and sending, by the user equipment, the one or more control signals. With the embodiments of the present disclosure, energy consumption at a receive end can be saved.
US09680618B2 Local area optimized uplink control channel
A method for performing uplink signaling and data transmission between a terminal device and a network element is described. The method includes applying, during a transmission, at least one of TDM and FDM between a SRS, a control channel, a DRS and a data channel. Clustered sub carrier mapping is applied for the SRS and the control channel. The SRS is transmitted so as to function as a DRS for the control channel. The control channel and the data channel are transmitted during a same sub-frame. The method also includes receiving the SRS and receiving the control channel and the data channel during a same sub-frame. Control information and data are extracted from the control channel and the data channel. The SRS is used as a DRS for the control channel is included in the method. Apparatus and computer readable media are also described.
US09680614B2 Interleaving, modulation, and layer mapping in an LTE physical control channel
In described embodiments, a physical downlink control channel of a device operating in accordance with a 3GPP LTE standard is processed to provide interleaving, modulation and multi-layer mapping and pre-coding. A Resource Element Group interleaver applies interleaving to an input signal representing an input bitstream, and a modulator modulates the input signal. After interleaving and modulating the signal, a multi-layer mapper and pre-coder layer-maps and pre-codes the interleaved and modulated input signal into a plurality of different layers.
US09680601B2 Apparatus for transmitting a broadcast signal, apparatus for receiving a broadcast signal, and method for transmitting/receiving a broadcast signal using an apparatus for transmitting/receiving a broadcast signal
Disclosed is an apparatus for transmitting a broadcast signal, an apparatus for receiving a broadcast signal, and a method for transmitting/receiving a broadcast signal using an apparatus for transmitting/receiving broadcast signal. A method for transmitting a broadcast signal according to the present invention comprises the steps of: generating a first PLP which includes an IP stream having at least one service component; signaling IP-PLP mapping information for linking the IP stream and the PLP in binary form and generating a second PLP which includes the signaled binary information; performing FEC-encoding and bit-interleaving on the first and second PLPs; generating a transmission frame including the first and second bit-interleaved PLPs; and modulating the transmission frame and transmitting a broadcast signal including the modulated transmission frame, wherein the IP-PLP mapping information includes IP information for identifying the IP stream and PLP information for identifying the PLP.
US09680590B2 Method and apparatus for transmitting and receiving signals in wireless communication system
An apparatus and a method for allocating resources for transmitting an HARQ ACK/NACK signal for a downlink subframe using a PUCCH format 3 in a time division duplex (TDD) system using a single carrier are provided. Since the resources are allocated through a resource indicator transmitted using a power control field transmitted on a PDCCH of the downlink subframe, the resources for transmitting the HARQ ACK/NACK signal may be allocated by effectively using resources allocated to a duplicately transferred control signal.
US09680586B2 Method of controlling TDD Tx/Rx switching timing in cloud radio access network
Provided is a method for controlling a time division duplexing (TDD) Tx/Rx switching timing in a cloud radio access network (CRAN) that can finely control a switching timing between transmission and reception of TDD signals with an additional component added to a digital unit (DU) and a radio unit (RU) in the CRAN.
US09680578B2 Soft packet combining for superposition coding
A method is proposed to enable a UE performing codeword level interference cancellation (CW-IC) to know whether an interfering transport block (TB) is a new transmission or retransmission. With this knowledge, the UE knows whether the soft channel bits stored in a soft buffer are to be discarded or combined with the soft channel bits newly obtained.
US09680577B2 Method for removing interference in wireless communication system and device for same
A method by which a base station supports the removal of an interference signal from a reception signal of a terminal in a wireless communication system, according to one embodiment of the present invention, comprises the steps of receiving, from the terminal, information on capability relating to carrier aggregation (CA); determining a method for removing an interference signal of the terminal, on the basis of information on the capability relating to the CA; and transmitting, to the terminal, the determined interference signal removal method, wherein the information on the capability relating to the CA can include a CA bandwidth class and MIMO capability of the terminal for the respective bands of respective band combinations for the CA.
US09680566B2 Transmission apparatus and method
A transmission apparatus includes: a storage unit to store a table in which a wavelength terminated by each of transmission apparatuses is associated with each of the transmission apparatuses; a transmission unit to transmit a message including failure information to other transmission apparatus when a failure occurs; a switch controller to determine whether its own transmission apparatus is a last transmission apparatus that terminates the wavelength among transmission apparatuses that are present on a path up to a link where the failure, based on the table, when receiving the message from other transmission apparatus, and to perform a control of switching a transmission direction of a signal having the wavelength when the switch controller determines that its own transmission apparatus is the last transmission apparatus to terminate the wavelength; and a switch to switch a transmission direction of the signal for each wavelength under a control of the switch controller.
US09680564B2 Protection in metro optical networks
An optical network is configured to optimize network resources. The optical network includes multiple optical nodes, light paths between the multiple optical nodes, and a network monitoring device. The network monitoring device monitors the optical network to identify a failure in the optical network. When the failure is a fiber failure, light paths are re-routed around the fiber failure while maintaining the required bandwidth for the optical network. When the failure is a transponder card failure within one of the multiple nodes, a floating spare card may be provisioned to service a particular light path associated with the transponder card failure. When the failure is a node failure, transponder cards in some of the multiple optical nodes are provisioned to reconfigure some of the plurality of light paths to route traffic around the failed node.
US09680557B2 Method of operating relay station in wireless communication system
A method of operating a relay station in a wireless communication system is provided. The method includes operating in a first mode comprising a first sub-mode and a second sub-mode, in the first sub-mode a first downlink and a first uplink between a base station and the relay station being simultaneously activated, in the second sub-mode a second downlink and a second uplink between the relay station and a mobile station being simultaneously activated, and operating in a second mode comprising a third sub-mode and a fourth sub-mode, in the third sub-mode the first downlink and the second uplink being simultaneously activated, in the fourth sub-mode the first uplink and the second downlink being simultaneously activated.
US09680555B2 Apparatus and method for multiple antenna systems
An apparatus including a plurality of radio ports for interconnection with radio circuits, a plurality of antenna ports for interconnection with antennas, interconnection circuitry configured to enable interconnection of each of one or more radio ports to different non-overlapping sets of P antenna ports, where P is controllable and P=2p, p being a whole number; and at least one control port configured to receive a control signal for determining P.
US09680553B1 System and method for a beamformer
In accordance with an embodiment a beamforming circuit having a radio frequency (RF) front end and a plurality of beamforming delay circuits coupled to the RF front end. Each of the plurality of beamforming delay circuits includes a common delay circuit and a plurality of individual delay circuits coupled to the common delay circuit. Each of the individual delay circuits are configured to be coupled to an antenna element of a beamforming array.
US09680544B2 Beamforming codeword exchange between base stations
A first base station receives from a second base station at least one message comprising beamforming information indicating at least one second beamforming codeword. The at least one second beamforming codeword has a number of rows or columns equal to or less than a number of antenna ports employed by the second base station for beamforming. The first base station selects at least one first beamforming codeword. The selection is based, at least in part, on the beamforming information. The first base station transmits employing the at least one first beamforming codeword, signals on at least one resource block.
US09680543B2 Beamforming using base and differential codebooks
Embodiments of methods and apparatus for determining and/or quantizing a beamforming matrix are disclosed. In some embodiments, the determining and/or quantizing of the beamforming matrix may include the use of a base codebook and a differential codebook. Additional variants and embodiments are also disclosed.
US09680519B2 Protective case for mobile device with integrated latch
A protective case for a mobile device is disclosed. The protective case includes a front cover, a back cover, and a relatively rigid shell. The front cover includes multiple fold lines that extend across the cover and allow adjacent regions of the cover to rotate or move relative to each other. The shell is configured to receive and retain the mobile device while providing user access to the mobile device. The shell has an outer surface configured to include a latch with an integrated hook. In operation, the latch hooks and retains one end section of the front cover to maintain the device in an angled use position when open. When in the fully closed position the latch fits within an aperture defined within a back end region of the front cover. Magnets incorporated into the front cover assist in maintaining the case in the fully closed position.
US09680513B2 Signal transceiver
A signal transceiver is provided. The signal transceiver includes: signal convert circuit adapted to convert single-ended signals into differential signals; first power amplifier; receiving amplifier; impedance convert circuit; first capacitive circuit; second capacitive circuit; and first switch circuit; wherein output terminals of the signal convert circuit are connected with output terminals of the first power amplifier and first set of terminals of the first capacitive circuit; second set of terminals of the first capacitive circuit is connected with first set of terminals of the impedance convert circuit; second set of terminals of the impedance convert circuit is connected with input terminals of the receiving amplifier and first set of terminals of the second capacitive circuit; second set of terminals of the second capacitive circuit is connected with first set of terminals of the first switch circuit; and second set of terminals of the first switch circuit is connected to ground.
US09680507B2 Offset selection for error correction data
A method includes determining, at a decoder of a first device, an offset value corresponding to an offset between a first particular packet and a second particular packet. The first device includes a de-jitter buffer. The method also includes transmitting the offset value to an encoder of a second device to enable the second device to send packets to the first device based on the offset value.
US09680504B2 Controller, semiconductor memory system, data storage system and operating method thereof
An operating method of a controller includes iterating a first ECC decoding on a codeword read from a semiconductor memory device according to a first read voltage a predetermined iteration number until the first ECC decoding succeeds, wherein a value of the first read voltage is updated on basis of a number of an unsatisfied syndrome check (USC); and when the first ECC decoding fails until the predetermined iteration number, performing a second ECC decoding on the codeword by generating soft decision data according to the first read voltage, a value of which corresponds to the minimum number of the USC among the updated values during the iterating of the first ECC decoding.
US09680503B2 LDPC code matrices
An LDPC parity check matrix, includes a systematic portion having a plurality of systematic elements and a parity portion having a plurality of parity elements. The value of each systematic element determines a cyclic shift to be applied to rows of an identity submatrix corresponding to that element. The value of each parity element determines a cyclic shift to be applied to rows of an identity submatrix corresponding to that element. The weights of two or more columns of the parity portion are the same.
US09680502B2 Message page integrity verification in automotive network auto-negotiation
A transmitting device may implement a checksum for integrity verification for a message page during an auto-negotiation period. The checksum may provide redundancy to ensure the integrity of the message page after transmission. The checksum may be calculated based on the message page and appended to the message page for transmission. A receiving device may receive the message page with the appended checksum and calculate a checksum locally using the received message page. The calculated and received checksum may be compared by the receiving device to verify the integrity of the message.
US09680499B2 Data compression device and method
A data compression device including a processor to perform a procedure comprising: obtaining data of a predetermined number (Z) of digits in a time series; and performing a compression process on the data. The data is obtained by encoding a vibration state of a measurement target. The compression process includes: deleting upper digits when the upper digits do not include significant information; and adding a unique code to a top of the upper digits when the upper digits include significant information. A digit number (X) of the upper digits is smaller than the predetermined number (Z).
US09680494B2 Photoelectric conversion apparatus and image pickup system
When a level of a signal output from a pixel is higher than a comparison level, the signal output from the pixel is converted into a digital signal during a first period by using a first reference signal. If the level of the signal output from the pixel is lower than the comparison level, the signal output from the pixel is converted into a digital signal during a second period that is longer than the first period by using a second reference signal.
US09680478B2 Initializing a ring counter
A technique includes driving a node of a stage of a ring counter to a predetermined signal state; and clocking the ring counter to cause the signal state to propagate to at least one additional stage of the ring counter to initialize the ring counter with a reset sequence.
US09680477B2 Printed circuit board security using embedded photodetector circuit
Systems and methods to obstruct analysis of a microchip may include an electrical component of a microchip and a photodetector positioned within the microchip. The photodetector may be configured to sense electromagnetic radiation. Circuitry in electrical communication with the photodetector may be configured to initiate an action to obstruct analysis of the electrical component in response to a change in a level of the electromagnetic radiation.
US09680464B2 Semiconductor switch circuit
A semiconductor switch circuit includes a plurality of switching units connected in series between a high-voltage node and a low-voltage node, and a plurality of diodes provided in association with the plurality of switching units, respectively. Respective cathodes of the plurality of diodes are connected to the plurality of switching units, respectively, and the anode of the diode associated with the switching unit connected to the low-voltage node receives a predetermined power supply voltage. Each switching unit includes a semiconductor switching device, a gate drive circuit driving the semiconductor switching device, and a DC-DC converter receiving a DC voltage from a cathode of the associated diode and supplying drive power to the gate drive circuit.
US09680459B2 Edge-aware synchronization of a data signal
A signal comprising a first edge and a second edge is received. The first edge of the signal is synchronized with a first clock and the synchronized first edge of the signal is passed to an output. The synchronization results in a delay of the first edge of the signal. The second edge of the signal is passed to the output. The passed second edge of the signal has a delay that is less than the delay of the first edge of the signal by at least one clock cycle of the first clock.
US09680456B1 Digital-to-analog converter and high-voltage tolerance circuit
A digital-to-analog converter (DAC) and a high-voltage tolerance circuit are provided. The DAC includes a high-voltage tolerance circuit. The high-voltage tolerance circuit is configured to generate a reference voltage, and select the reference voltage or a first power-source voltage to control the node voltage of each branch of an operational amplifier circuit of the high-voltage tolerance circuit according the logical signal level of an input signal.
US09680455B2 Clamping circuit, power supply device including the same and driving method of power supply device
A power supply includes a power switch and a switch control circuit controlling a switching operation of the power switch using a comparison voltage generated according to an output, determining a clamping voltage by sensing an input voltage during a start-up period, and clamping the comparison voltage to the clamping voltage during the start-up period.
US09680454B2 Frequency tripler and local oscillator generator
A frequency tripler includes a double-frequency in-phase signal generator, a double-frequency quadrature signal generator and a mixer. The double-frequency in-phase signal generator is arranged for receiving at least an in-phase signal and a quadrature signal to generate a double-frequency in-phase signal whose frequency is twice that of the in-phase signal or the quadrature signal; the double-frequency quadrature signal generator is arranged for receiving at least the in-phase signal and the quadrature signal to generate a double-frequency quadrature signal whose frequency is twice that of the in-phase signal or the quadrature signal; and the mixer is arranged for receiving the in-phase signal, the quadrature signal, the double-frequency in-phase signal and the double-frequency quadrature signal to generate an output signal whose frequency is triple that of the in-phase signal or the quadrature signal.
US09680447B2 Saw filter having ground terminals separated
A SAW filter in which a plurality of IDT electrodes is disposed in the propagation direction of a SAW and ground terminals are separated. The present invention has an advantage in that the attenuation effect of the SAW filter is improved. Furthermore, a skirt characteristic on the high frequency side of a transmission stage and a skirt characteristic on the low frequency side of a reception stage can be improved. Furthermore, an equivalent pass band characteristic can be achieved and a skirt characteristic on the high frequency side and a skirt characteristic on the low frequency side can be improved. Furthermore, the number of bridge electrodes can be reduced and thus a process can be simplified because ground terminals are separated.
US09680446B2 Demultiplexing apparatus with heat transfer via electrodes
An elastic wave filter includes a transmission circuit provided on a first main surface of a first piezoelectric substrate and a reception circuit provided on a second main surface of a second piezoelectric substrate. A mounting board on which the elastic wave filter is mounted includes a first ground electrode opposed to the transmission circuit; a first rear surface ground electrode overlapped with the transmission circuit in plan view of a rear surface; a second ground electrode opposed to the reception circuit; a second rear surface ground electrode overlapped with the reception circuit in plan view of the rear surface; a line electrode used for connection between the first ground electrode and the second ground electrode; and a first via electrode and a second via electrode passing through the mounting board. An amount of heat transfer per unit time of the second via electrode is greater than an amount of heat transfer per unit time of the first via electrode.
US09680439B2 Method of fabricating acoustic resonator with planarization layer
A method is provided for fabricating a bulk acoustic wave (BAW) resonator device. The method includes forming an etch stop layer over a bottom electrode and a substrate; forming a dielectric layer on the etch stop layer; forming a photomask over the dielectric layer defining an opening over the bottom electrode; etching a portion the dielectric layer through the opening of the photomask to the etch stop layer to create a corresponding opening in the dielectric layer; removing the photomask, leaving un-etched protruding portions of the dielectric layer around the opening in the dielectric layer; and removing the protruding portions of the dielectric layer, a portion of the etch stop layer located over the bottom electrode, and a minimal portion of the bottom electrode to provide a planarized surface including a top surface of the bottom electrode and an adjacent top surface of the dielectric layer deposited over the substrate.
US09680438B2 Method and device for playing modified audio signals
A method and a device are provided for modifying audio signals in accordance with hearing capabilities of an individual who is listening to audio signals played by a music player. The method comprises the steps of: providing a music player operative to play audio signals, wherein the music player comprises a processor configured to modify audio signals that are about to be played, by taking into account the hearing capabilities of the individual; providing information that relates to the hearing capabilities of the individual; forwarding the information that relates to the hearing capabilities of the individual, from an electronic device to the music player; and using the music player processor to modify audio signals when the individual is listening to audio signals being played by the music player, wherein the audio signals are modified before they are played by taking into account the individual's hearing capabilities.
US09680429B2 Amplifier system
An amplifier system is described. The amplifier system may amplify an audio signal transmitted via a connected loudspeaker in a first mode of operation. In a second mode of operation the amplifier system may amplify a signal generated by the loudspeaker operated in reverse as a microphone. Because a loudspeaker is less sensitive than a microphone the amplifier system may be used to acquire audio at high sound pressure levels for example at a concert or while making a phone-call in a noisy environment for example with a high level of wind noise.
US09680427B2 Power amplifier having stack structure
A power amplifier having a stack structure comprises a first driver stage that receives a power voltage from a power supply and receives and amplifies an input signal; a second driver stage that receives the power voltage from the power supply, has an input terminal connected with an output terminal of the first driver stage, and receives and amplifies an output signal from the first driver stage; and a power stage that has a power input terminal connected with a ground terminal of the first driver stage and a ground terminal of the second driver stage and receives a virtual ground voltage, and has an input terminal connected with an output terminal of the second driver stage and receives and amplifies an output signal from the second driver stage.
US09680423B2 Under-sampling digital pre-distortion architecture
A amplifier system may include a predistorter receiving an input signal to generate a predistortion signal, a first converter receiving the predistortion signal to generate a preamplified signal, a power amplifier receiving the preamplified signal to generate an output signal based on the preamplified signal and the input signal, and a second converter sampling the output signal to generate a feedback signal. The power amplifier may produce a distortion signal at a first frequency, the second converter may sample the output signal using a timing signal with a second frequency that is lower than the first frequency to generate the feedback signal, and the predistorter, based upon the feedback signal, may predistort the predistortion signal to reduce the distortion signal at the first frequency.
US09680419B2 Power controllable wireless communication device
A power controllable wireless communication device includes a variable gain amplifier having a gain that can be controlled based on a gain control signal, a reference power generation circuit, which generates first reference power and second reference power differing from the first reference power, a sensor circuit supplied with selectively power of a high frequency signal output from the variable gain amplifier, and the first reference power and the second reference power generated by the reference power generation circuit, and a control circuit which generates the gain control signal based on a sensor output from the sensor circuit. When controlling power, the control circuit generates the gain control signal based on ratios among a first sensor output corresponding to the first reference power, a second sensor output corresponding to the second reference power, and a high frequency sensor output corresponding to the power of the high frequency signal.
US09680411B2 Method and device for the industrial wiring and final testing of photovoltaic concentrator modules
The invention relates to a method and to a device for the industrial wiring and final testing of photovoltaic concentrator modules, comprising a module frame, a lens disc, a sensor carrier disc, and electrical cable routing, having the following features: a) a laser contacting device for contactless connection of connecting lines between the individual sensor (11) and of connection elements (17) and of collector contact plates (19), wherein the cable routing on the sensor carrier disc (13) has in each case 5 CPV sensors connected in parallel as the basic structure, and said parallel circuits are connected in series, b) a device for testing electrical properties, wherein the CPV sensors (11) per se have a specific voltage applied thereto, and the light emitted therefrom via the lenses (15) is detected and evaluated, and c) a device for testing the tightness (5) of finished concentrator modules, wherein compressed air is applied to the interior of said modules and testing for the emission of compressed air is carried out.
US09680410B2 Corrugated roof sheet and photovoltaic assembly comprising the same
A corrugated roof sheet has a bottom, a first-side roof sheet edge portion, a second-side roof sheet edge portion, a retaining cap and a protruding portion. The first-side roof sheet edge portion has a height H1 from the bottom. The retaining cap covers the first-side roof sheet edge portion and has a lower fringe. The lower fringe has a height h2 from the bottom. The protruding portion is between the first-side roof sheet edge portion and the second-side roof sheet edge portion and has a height h3 from the bottom. The height h2 is greater than the height h3.
US09680405B2 Onboard motor controller
There is provided an onboard motor controller that starts a failsafe process in short time at a vehicle collision. A control circuit in the motor controller acquires an acceleration detected by an acceleration sensor. When the acceleration is equal to or higher than a prescribed value, the control circuit determines that a collision of the vehicle has occurred, and executes a switching process of a control mode of a motor. The control circuit immediately switches the control mode of a motor from voltage phase control to current vector control when the collision is detected. The control circuit reads current values from current detectors. When an overcurrent is detected, the control circuit executes a failsafe process to turn off the MOSFETs of an inverter. The control circuit stops a supply of electricity to the inverter by turning off a power supply relay, thereby stopping the rotation of the motor.
US09680397B2 Three-phase inverting apparatus and control method and paralleled power conversion system thereof
A three-phase inverting apparatus and a control method and a paralleled power conversion system thereof are provided. The control method is suitable for controlling a three-phase inverter having a plurality of switch sets, a first inductor, a second inductor, and a third inductor. The control method includes following steps: obtaining a DC bus voltage, a plurality of phase voltages, and a plurality of phase currents; obtaining inductances of the first, the second, and the third inductors; calculating a plurality of switch duty ratios by a division-summation control means according to the DC bus voltage, the phase voltages, current variations of the phase currents, the inductances, and a switching cycle based on a sinusoidal pulse width modulation (SPWM); and generating corresponding control signals based on the switch duty ratios so as to control a switching of the switch sets.
US09680395B2 Five-level PV inverter based on a multi-state switching cell
A five-level active neutral-point-clamping inverter for converting a bipolar DC-voltage (VDC+ and VDC−) to a three-phase AC output voltage, the converter comprising first, second and third input terminals (P, MP, N) and first, second and third output terminals, where the inverter further comprises a first multi-state switching cell (MSSC) comprising three input terminals respectively connected to the input terminals of the inverter and a first output terminal, a second MSSC comprising three input terminals respectively connected to the input terminals of the inverter and a second output terminal and a third MSSC comprising three input terminals respectively connected to the input terminals of the inverter and a third output terminal.
US09680393B1 Systems and methods for a transformerless power supply to limit heat generation at an output transistor via time varying current draws
Systems and methods are provided for a transformerless power supply configured to limit heat generation. A system includes a power supply input configured to receive power from a time-varying input voltage source. A phase control circuit is configured to generate a current control signal, where the current control signal commands power to be drawn from the power supply through an output transistor, where the current control signal commands the drawn power to have a minimum current when the time-varying input voltage is at a maximum, and where the current control signal commands the drawn power to have a maximum current when the time-varying input voltage is at a minimum. A power supply output is responsive to the output transistor, where the power supply output is configured to output power drawn from the power supply input via the output transistor, wherein the outputted power is at a consistent power level.
US09680392B2 Modular multi-level converter
Provided is a modular multi-level converter (MMC) including a plurality of sub-modules including switching elements, and a central control unit which assigns an address to each of the plurality of sub-modules for distinguishing each of the plurality of sub-modules, determines switching operation conditions of the plurality of sub-modules based on the assigned addresses, and outputs switching signals corresponding to the determined switching operation conditions. The central control unit determines a switching sequence of the plurality of the sub-modules according to the sequence of the assigned addresses.
US09680391B2 Multi-input scalable rectifier droop detector
A droop detector includes: a plurality of input nodes, each input node configured to receive a supply voltage; an output node; a plurality of detector modules, each detector module comprises: an input terminal coupled to each input node, an output terminal coupled to the output node; and an input tracking unit configured as a voltage follower to detect a droop in the supply voltage coupled to each input node and output an output voltage that follows the supply voltage on the output terminal when the droop is detected on the supply voltage; and a comparator coupled to the output node and configured to output a control signal when the droop is detected.
US09680389B2 Power conversion device
A power conversion device includes a main circuit that includes a diode of which cathode is connected to a positive-side power supply path formed between a rectifier circuit and an inverter; and a switching element that is connected between an anode of the diode and a negative-side power supply path formed between the rectifier circuit and the inverter. In the main circuit, a portion between a first terminal and a second terminal, which are provided on the positive-side power supply path, is opened and a reactor is provided between the second terminal and a third terminal, which is provided at a connection point between the diode and the switching element, thus, forming a boost chopper circuit.
US09680381B1 Circuit including rectifying elements and a charge storage element and a method of using an electronic device including a circuit having switching elements
A circuit can include a switching element, a charge storage element, a first rectifying element, and a second rectifying element. A current-carrying electrode of the switching element and a terminal of the charge storage element are coupled to each other. The other terminal of the charge storage element, an anode of the first rectifying element, and a cathode of the second rectifying element are coupled to a floating node. A cathode of the first rectifying element is coupled to an input terminal, and an anode of the second rectifying element is coupled to a reference node. In a particular embodiment, the circuit can be part of a power converter. The charge storage element can help to capture charge during a switching operation and release the captured charge during a subsequent switching operation. The charge storage element can help the circuit to operate more efficiently.
US09680379B2 DC-DC converter using a power driving signal with fixed on-time
A DC-DC converter includes a voltage converting block that converts an input supply voltage to an output voltage and includes a power switch turning on at on-time of a power driving signal, a power driving block that generates the power driving signal using an oscillation output signal, wherein a cycle of the power driving signal varies according to a cycle of the oscillation output signal and a length of the on-time of the power driving signal is fixed to a power time regardless of variation of the cycle of the oscillation output signal, a voltage-controlled oscillating block that generates the oscillation output signal, the cycle of which is controlled according to a level of an oscillation control signal, and a target tracking block that generates a feedback voltage and controls the level of the oscillation control signal such that a feedback voltage follows a target reference voltage.
US09680374B2 DC to DC boost converter utilizing storage capacitors charged by parallel inductor
A high frequency inductive emf circuit charges storage capacitors, one at a time, from a DC source to a voltage that is higher than the DC output voltage. After each storage capacitor is charged, it is disconnected from the charging circuit and then connected to an output device/regulator that uses the energy in each storage capacitor to provide the desired DC output voltage to a load. While one storage capacitor is being charged, a previously charged storage capacitor is being discharged through an output device/regulator. After being discharged, each storage capacitor is disconnected from its output device/regulator and reconnected to the charging circuit and is charged again. While being charged, the storage capacitors are in a parallel circuit to the inductor in the charging circuit. The inductor in the charging circuit and the DC source are never in a current loop with the load.
US09680369B2 Power factor correction circuit of power converter
A power factor correction (PFC) circuit of a power converter is disclosed. The power converter includes a primary side coil, a secondary side coil, an inductive coil, and a power switch. The PFC circuit includes a zero current detection circuit for detecting an inductive signal of the inductive coil to generate a detection signal; an error detection circuit for generating an error signal corresponding to an output voltage signal or an output current signal according to a reference signal; a ramp signal generating circuit for generating a ramp signal; a comparison circuit for comparing the ramp signal with the error signal to generate a comparison signal; and a trigger circuit for generating a control signal to control the power switch and for controlling the ramp signal generating circuit to adjust a slope of the ramp signal according to the detection signal and the comparison signal.
US09680359B2 Drive device for electric vehicle with respective motor generators having a coprime number of fasteners relative to each other
An electric vehicle drive device includes a casing; and a plurality of motor generators mounted in the casing, each of the motor generators including a plurality of fastening portions at which a stator of the motor generator is fixed to the casing, and a number of the fastening portions of one of the motor generators being coprime to a number of the fastening portions of at least one of the rest of the motor generators.
US09680353B2 Electric machine and method for cooling an electric machine
An electric machine includes an inner fan in an inner cooling circuit and an outer fan for producing an outer coolant flow that is separate from the inner cooling circuit. The inner and outer fans are connected to a common shaft of the electric machine and have opposite delivery directions along an axial direction of the electric machine. The outer fan is arranged in a fan housing which has an inlet opening for the inward flow of a coolant of the outer coolant flow, and includes an air directing device, which guides the coolant in a line section which extends in the radial direction of the electric machine from the inlet opening towards the outer fan.
US09680347B2 Electric motor/gear mechanism unit
The invention relates to an electric motor/gear mechanism unit including a housing, an iron-free rotor winding rotatably arranged in the interior of the housing, a collector connected to the rotor winding, a rotor shaft extending through the collector, and a gear mechanism which is connected to the rotor shaft and which has an output shaft. The present invention is so conceived that the gear mechanism is produced from a non-magnetic material and arranged in the interior of the rotor winding.
US09680339B2 Metal ribbon stator and motor comprising same
A stator made from a ribbon of metal having multiple layers of slit metal, and motors made therefrom are described. A ribbon having multiple layers of metal is formed into a stator such as by flattening or pleating the ribbon to form each pole of a stator having a plurality of stator teeth, or poles. The stator formed from the metal ribbon may be configured into any suitable type of motor, such as an axial transverse flux motor. A magnetic flux return may also be made out of metal ribbon.
US09680338B2 Inductively powered mobile sensor system
An inductively powered sensor system includes a primary conductive path 100 capable of being energized to provide an electromagnetic field in a defined space 1. An inductive power pick-up 120 is associated with a sensor 124 and is capable of receiving power from the field to supply the sensor 124. The system includes a first sensing means to sense the power available to the pick-up 120 and control means to increase or decrease the power available to the sensor dependant on the sensed power available. A method of inductively powering a sensor, an inductively powered sensor and an animal enclosure including one or more primary conductive path of an inductive power supply are also disclosed.
US09680328B2 Electronic apparatus and feed system
An electronic apparatus includes: a power reception section configured to receive first power from a feed unit through power transmission with use of a magnetic field or an electric field; a power input section configured to receive second power supplied from an external power source through wired connection; a switching section configured to output one of the first power supplied from the power reception section and the second power supplied from the power input section; and a secondary battery configured to be charged, based on power output from the switching section.
US09680321B2 Feeding apparatus and feeding method
A feeding apparatus configured to be supplied with electric-power from a noncontact power-feeding module and to feed electric-power to a power-feeding object, the feeding apparatus, includes: an electric-current variation detecting block configured to detect variation of power-feeding electric-current supplied from this noncontact power-feeding module; a battery configured to assist supply of electric-power from the noncontact power-feeding module; and a charger configured to perform setting for boosting, based on a request from the electric-current variation detecting block, wherein the battery assists supply of electric-power when the setting for boosting is performed.
US09680312B2 System and method for reactive power control in dynamic inductive power transfer systems
Systems and methods for dynamically tuning reactive power in an inductive power transfer system are disclosed. The system comprises a first plurality of coils operably coupled to a respective ferromagnetic material, configured to receive wireless power via the ferromagnetic material from a power source. The system further comprises a plurality of switches configured to selectively control power received by certain of the first plurality of coils. The system further comprises a second plurality of coils configured to receive current from respective ones of the first plurality of coils and deliver wireless power to a wireless power receiver. The system further comprises at least one control unit configured to selectively activate the switches. The switches may be set to provide power from the power source to a portion of the plurality of the second coils or selectively increase or decrease the reactive power load of the power source.
US09680308B2 Bidirectional demand response control
A method for managing allocation of electrical power includes selecting one or more power consuming entities for receiving a request to reduce electrical power usage (S23) based on data pertaining to past selections of entities for receiving requests to reduce power and a history of compliance with said requests (S22). A customized request to reduce power usage for each of the selected one or more power consuming entities is generated (S24). The generated customized request to reduce power usage is received at a corresponding power consuming entity and a cost associated with complying with the received customized request to reduce power usage is evaluated (S25). A commitment to comply with the received customized request to reduce power usage is returned when the evaluated cost is within a threshold of acceptability and negotiating a new request to reduce power when the evaluated cost is greater than a threshold of acceptability (S26).
US09680296B2 Fault detection protecting circuit
In a fault detection protecting circuit, an overheat detection unit is provided for each of communication channels on an IC chip, and detects the temperature in each communication channel as the detected temperature. A chip temperature detection unit detects the temperature at an arbitrary position on the IC chip as a reference temperature. A detection unit sets a predetermined ratio value regarding the difference between an overheat protective temperature and a reference temperature based on the detected temperature in each communication channel and the reference temperature, and identifies that the communication channel is in a state before overheat detection when the detected temperature exceeds a threshold value. A stop-control unit stops the output from one of the communication channels when the detection unit identifies that the communication channel is in a state before overheat detection and when it is identified that the communication channel is in an overcurrent state.
US09680292B2 Electrical device protective housing
Protective housings for an electrical device, such as a switches or receptacle, and methods for installing protective housings are disclosed. A protective housing for an electrical device includes a baseplate with an internal opening and first arcuate cutout along the internal opening. The protective housing also includes a first insert with a second arcuate cutout and at least one aperture. The first insert fits within the opening. The first and second arcuate cutouts form a through hole when the first insert is fitted within the opening.
US09680288B2 Optical amplification device
An optical amplification device includes: a semiconductor optical amplifier; a first detector that detects an input optical power of the semiconductor optical amplifier; a second detector that detects an output optical power of the semiconductor optical amplifier; and a controller that controls a driving current of the semiconductor optical amplifier, wherein the controller supplies a predetermined driving current to the semiconductor optical amplifier when an optical signal is not input to the semiconductor optical amplifier, the second detector detects an optical power of Amplified Spontaneous Emission (ASE) output from the semiconductor optical amplifier when the predetermined driving current is supplied to the semiconductor optical amplifier, and the controller controls the driving current of the semiconductor optical amplifier based on the input optical power of the semiconductor optical amplifier detected by the first detector, and the optical power of the ASE.
US09680282B2 Laser aiming for mobile devices
Aiming a device at a target within a use environment is described. An intensity level of ambient lighting associated with the use environment is detected and a corresponding signal is generated. An emission of a beam operable for the aiming of the device is controlled. Upon the generated signal corresponding to a first detected ambient lighting intensity level, a first laser is activated to emit the aiming beam at a first power intensity level. Upon the generated signal corresponding to a second detected ambient lighting intensity level, which exceeds the second detected ambient lighting intensity level, a second laser is activated to emit the aiming beam at a second power intensity level. The first power intensity level exceeds the second power intensity level.
US09680281B2 Laser system having switchable power modes
In a method, a laser pump module is set to a first power mode and pump energy is output at a first power level through the activation of a first subset of laser diodes. Laser light is emitted from a gain medium at the first power level in response to absorption of the pump energy. An operator input corresponding to a power mode setting is received. The laser pump module is switched to a second power mode and pump energy is output at a second power level through the activation of a second subset of the laser diodes. Laser light is emitted from the gain medium at the second power level in response to absorption of the pump energy.
US09680278B2 Semiconductor optical cryocooler
There is provided a laser cooling apparatus including: a laser for providing an emission; a silicon-on-insulator substrate; and a thin film microstructure thermally anchored to the silicon-on-insulator substrate, the thin film microstructure being made from a material selected from either a II-VI binary compound semiconductor or a II-VI tenary compound semiconductor.
US09680275B2 Wire singulating device
A wire singulating device includes a stationary plate and a movable plate that define a wire funnel and a wire channel therebetween. The movable plate is movable relative to the stationary plate to control a width of the wire channel. The wire funnel receives a wire bundle that includes plural wires. The wire channel is below the wire funnel and receives the wires from the wire funnel through a top opening in the wire channel. The wire channel directs the wires one at a time to a take away zone below a bottom opening of the wire channel. A wire transfer member below the bottom opening of the wire channel has a slot that receives the wire in the take away zone. The wire transfer member moves relative to the stationary plate and the movable plate to separate the wire in the slot from the wire bundle.
US09680272B2 Method for forming negative electrode and method for manufacturing lithium secondary battery
The number of steps is reduced in the formation process of an electrode. Deterioration of the electrode is suppressed. A highly reliable lithium secondary battery is provided by suppressing the deterioration of the electrode. A method for forming a negative electrode and a method for manufacturing a lithium secondary battery including the negative electrode are provided. In the method for forming the negative electrode, graphene oxide, a plurality of particulate negative electrode active materials, and a precursor of polyimide are mixed to form slurry; the slurry is applied over a negative electrode current collector; and the slurry applied over the negative electrode current collector is heated at a temperature higher than or equal to 200° C. and lower than or equal to 400° C. so that the precursor of the polyimide is imidized. The graphene oxide is reduced in heating the slurry to imidize the precursor of the polyimide.
US09680271B2 Sensor systems and methods for analyte detection
Systems for analyte detection are disclosed. The system includes absorption channels positioned along a surface of an object. The absorption channels are configured to trap an analyte. The system further includes a sensor embedded in the object and configured to detect the presence of the analyte. The sensor includes a light source configured to transmit light and a detector configured to detect a change in an intensity of light transmitted by the light source. The sensor further includes a cable configured to connect the light source to the detector, wherein the cable comprises detection regions, and wherein the detection regions include a portion of the cable exposed to the analyte in the absorption channel.
US09680270B2 Apparatus for enhanced merchandise display
A power distribution apparatus including a power supply conduit extending a length of a fixture and at least one power tap connected into the conduit, one embodiment of which may feature a saddle and at least one prong making operative contact with the power supply conduit. An electronic control module may be located proximate the saddle. The power tap may also be connected to a power distribution trough, which may have a plurality of walls, with lips, about a base. Power conductor strips may extend from the prongs along a length of the trough. Product enhancement devices may then access the power distribution trough at any point along the power distribution trough's length. A power-out-connector may be positionable along a power distribution trough for enhancement device access. The power-out-connector may feature at least one spring prong which interfaces with at least one lip and at least one power conductor strip.
US09680265B2 Female connector and method for manufacturing the same
The present disclosure relates to a female connector and a method for manufacturing the same. The female connector coupled with a male terminal unit in which a plurality of male terminals are arranged includes: a housing configured to have one side provided with a male insertion hole into which the male terminal unit is inserted and the other side provided with an insertion groove; a body configured to be inserted into the insertion groove to be coupled with the housing; and a female terminal configured to be formed on a surface of the body and provided with a pattern part electrically connected to the male connector by activating the surface by a laser.
US09680256B1 Connector system with connector position assurance
An electrical connector includes a housing and a connector position assurance (CPA) element. The CPA element includes a beam that is deflected from a blocked position to a clearance position by a mating connector that is loaded into a cavity of the housing. When the beam is in the blocked position, movement of the CPA element from an extended position to an inserted position is mechanically blocked by a protrusion of the housing that abuts the beam. The beam of the CPA element, when moved to the clearance position, clears the protrusion to allow the CPA element to move from the extended position to the inserted position. The housing may include a pair of such deflectable beams, each with a slot having an opening at its distal end. The opening of one of the beams aligns with the protrusion when the beam is deflected to its clearance position.
US09680252B2 Connector pair including a connector having a face portion and a magnetic portion
A connector pair comprises a connector and a mating connector. A movement of the connector to a first position along a first direction and a subsequent movement of the connector from the first position to a second position along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction completes a connection between the connector and the mating connector. The connector comprises a magnetic portion, and the mating connector comprises a mating magnetic portion. When the connector is located at the first position, the magnetic portion receives a force, which urges the connector to be moved toward the second position, from the mating magnetic portion. When the connector is located at the second position, the magnetic portion receives a force, which binds the connector at the second position, from the mating magnetic portion.
US09680245B2 Singulated elastomer electrical contactor for high performance interconnect systems and method for the same
A method and an electrical interconnect mechanism in which elastomeric pins are printed onto metal retainer tabs having at least one protrusion or tab extending laterally therefrom to engage a catch or recess of the laminated housing so as to locate each of the elastomeric pins and secure them within the housing. In one embodiment a champher may be employed with a catch or recess to engagely secure a second protrusion or tab extending laterally from another side of said elastomeric pin. In another embodiment the elastomeric pin may have a solid metal ring or a slide collar around the center of the pin wherein the ring has one or two tabs for engaging the recess in the housing and if preferred also the recess of a champfer.
US09680244B1 Header apparatus for providing electrical connection to a printed circuit board, and daughter card and circuit assembly incorporating the header apparatus
A header apparatus for providing electrical connection between a daughter card and a printed circuit board. The header apparatus may include a body having a base and a backing portion extending outwardly from the base portion. The header apparatus may include at least one pin extending through the base in a direction substantially parallel to the backing portion, and a gap formed between opposing surfaces of the backing portion and the at least one pin. The header apparatus may be configured to receive at least a portion of the daughter card at the gap to connect the header apparatus and the daughter card. The header apparatus may be connected to a daughter card and/or main printed circuit board, and may communicatively couple the daughter card and main printed circuit board.
US09680235B2 Insulated wire-terminal connection structure, wire harness, and insulated wire-terminal connection method
In a terminal connection method of inserting a wire tip of an insulated wire, which is formed by stripping a front end of an insulating cover to expose an aluminum core wire, into a pressure-bonding section of a female crimp terminal to pressure bond the insulated wire to the female crimp terminal via the pressure-bonding section, signs are formed on the outer circumferential face of an insulated tip of the insulating cover at a distance of an internal length of the pressure-bonding section from a conductor tip face of the conductor tip, and the wire tip is inserted up to the signs in the pressure-bonding section to pressure-bond the wire tip to the pressure-bonding section.
US09680232B2 Graded-ground design in a millimeter-wave radio module
A millimeter-wave radio frequency (RF) module is provided. The RF module includes a multilayer substrate having at least a front layer, a back layer, a plurality of middle layers, a first ground layer, and a second ground layer, wherein the first ground layer includes a graded-ground plane having a pair of non-overlapping ground lines connected at a single connection point through a graded connection, and wherein the second ground layer includes a double graded-ground plane having a pair of overlapping ground lines connected at a single connection point through a graded connection, wherein the first ground layer and the second ground layer provide a reference ground to a transmission line included in the multilayer substrate.
US09680231B2 Proximity wireless communication device
A proximity wireless communication device includes a first housing and a second housing, and they are provided with respective two antennas. In the first housing, a first antenna and a second antenna are configured to be disposed on different parallel planes, and in the second housing, a third antenna and a fourth antenna are configured to be disposed on different parallel planes. Then, the first antenna and the third antenna carry out non-contact near-field wireless communication facing in proximity and the second antenna and the fourth antenna carry out non-contact near-field wireless communication facing in proximity.
US09680222B2 Antenna structure and wireless communication device using the same
A wireless communication device includes a metallic housing and an antenna structure. The metallic housing includes a bottom frame and a side frame spaced from the bottom frame. The antenna structure includes a feed end plate, a ground end plate, a main radiator, and a coupling section. The ground end plate is coupled to the bottom frame. The main radiator is coupled between the feed end plate and the side frame. The coupling section is coupled to the main radiator and extending parallel to the bottom frame. A first end of the coupling section is coupled to a distal end of the feed end plate, and a second end of the coupling section extends towards the ground end plate, current is coupled from the feed end plate to the ground end plate via the coupling section and is coupled from the coupling section to the bottom frame.
US09680221B2 Configurable segmented antenna
A configurable segmented antenna is described herein. A monitor component can be configured to detect at least one parameter corresponding to one or more segments of an antenna integrated with a communications device. An antenna component can be configured to select at least one segment of the one or more segments in response to the at least one parameter. A control component can be configured to modify a quality of a signal according to the at least one parameter. Further, a transmission component can be configured to transmit the signal from the at least one segment based on the quality.
US09680215B2 Omnidirectional broadband antennas including capacitively grounded cable brackets
Disclosed are exemplary embodiments of omnidirectional broadband antennas and capacitively grounded cable brackets. In an exemplary embodiment, an omnidirectional broadband antenna generally includes a ground element, an antenna element, an annular element, and a cable bracket capacitively grounded to the ground element. The cable bracket is configured to allow soldering of a cable braid to the cable bracket for feeding the antenna element without direct galvanic contact between the cable braid and the ground element.
US09680213B2 Antenna element for wireless communication
The invention relates to an improved antenna element. Such an antenna element comprises a substrate, a first conductor and a second conductor. The substrate has at least a first lateral surface. The first conductor is provided on the first lateral surface, and includes a feed line portion and a monopole portion. The second conductor is provided at least partially on the same, first lateral surface, and includes: two ground planes which are disposed on the first lateral surface adjacent to the feed line portion of the first conductor at opposite sides thereof, and two stubs which are disposed on the first lateral surface at opposite sides of the respective of the two ground planes, and which extend in a direction parallel to the feed line portion of the first conductor. The two ground planes and the two stubs of the second conductor are arranged to form a coplanar waveguide.
US09680204B2 Antenna device
An antenna device of the present invention includes an antenna element which transmits or receives an electromagnetic wave having a specific frequency by being supplied with electric power, a conductive element which is formed of a conductive material, arranged so as to be spaced apart from and face the antenna element, and serves as a parasitic element, and a housing having a sealed space therein. The antenna element is provided inside the housing, and the conductive element is provided on outer surface of the housing, or in inner part of the housing, or in a mount member by which the housing is worn on a human body, or in a holding member for holding the housing; the conductive element is electromagnetically coupled to the antenna element, resonates with the specific frequency; and transmits or receives the electromagnetic wave.
US09680191B2 Electrolyte for lithium air battery and lithium air battery including the same
A lithium air battery including an electrolyte including lithium ion conductive polymers and lithium salts between a positive electrode and a lithium ion conductive solid electrolyte membrane. The lithium ion conductive polymers are hydrophilic matrix polymers.
US09680185B2 Organosilicon-containing electrolyte compositions having enhanced electrochemical and thermal stability
Described are electrolyte compositions and electrochemical devices containing them. The compositions include an organosilicon compound, an imide salt and optionally LiPF6. The electrolytes provide improved high-temperature performance and stability and will operate at temperatures as high as 250 C. An electrolyte composition comprising, in combination: an organosilicon compound and an imide salt and optionally UPF6; wherein when subjected to cyclic voltammetry at a plurality of cycles ranging from about 3V to about 5V and using a cathode current collector comprising aluminum versus Li/Lit electrodes the composition exhibits an oxidative corrosion current of about 0.10 mA/cm2 or less for a second and subsequent cycles.
US09680181B2 Solid polymer electrolyte composition and lithium secondary battery including the same
The present disclosure provides a solid polymer electrolyte composition including a polymer matrix, an organic solvent, and an additive agent containing polyhedral silsesquioxane, and also provides a lithium secondary battery including the same.
US09680180B2 Solid-state electrolytes based on fluorine-doped oxides
The use of particles of at least one crystalline oxide, preferably metal oxide, having an average particle size of less than 500 nm and a fluorine content of between 0.5 and 30% by weight, preferably between 0.5 and 5%, even more preferably between 1.0 and 4%, for the preparation of solid-state electrolytes, is described. Also described is a solid-state electrolyte, containing particles of at least one crystalline oxide, preferably metal oxide, having an average particle size of less than 500 nm, preferably between 10 and 500 nm, even more preferably between 50 and 300 nm; a fluorine content as noted above; an alkali or alkaline-earth metal content of between 0.5 and 10% by weight, preferably between 0.5 and 5%, even more preferably between 1 and 4%. Furthermore an inorganic-organic hybrid electrolyte obtainable by means of reaction of the aforementioned solid-state electrolyte with ionic liquids is described.
US09680179B2 Sulfide solid electrolyte material, cathode body and lithium solid state battery
The main object of the present invention is to provide a sulfide solid electrolyte material which copes with both the restraint of the increase in interface resistance and the restraint of the increase in bulk resistance. The present invention solves the above-mentioned problems by providing a sulfide solid electrolyte material characterized by containing at least one of Cl and Br.
US09680169B2 Humidification device, in particular for a fuel cell
A humidification device is provided with at least one stacked unit of water vapor-permeable membranes and of support frames. The support frames are stacked on each other. The membranes each are positioned between two of the support frames, respectively, and have edges clamped between the two support frames. The membranes are arranged parallel and spaced apart relative to each other. Between the two support frames, a supply air flow path extends on a first lateral face of the membrane and, angularly displaced to the supply air flow path, an exhaust air flow path extends on a second lateral face of the membrane facing away from the first lateral face. A flow opening of the supply air flow path and a flow opening of the exhaust air flow path are delimited by the two support frames and extend parallel to a plane of the membrane clamped between them.
US09680158B2 Highly active and durable fuel cell electro-catalyst with hybrid support
A fuel cell includes: (1) an anode; (2) a cathode; and (3) an electrolyte disposed between the anode and the cathode. At least one of the anode and the cathode includes an electro-catalyst dispersed on a hybrid support, the hybrid support includes a first, carbon-based support and a second support different from the first, carbon-based support, and a weight percentage of the second support is at least 10% relative to a combined weight of the first, carbon-based support and the second support.
US09680154B2 Battery
A battery, including a cathode, an anode, an electrolyte; the cathode including a cathode active material capable of reversibly intercalating-deintercalating ions; the anode including an anode current collector that does not participate in the electrochemical reaction; the electrolyte including a solvent capable of dissolving solute, the solute being ionized to at least an active ions that can be reduced to a metallic state during a charge cycle and be oxidized from the metallic state to the dissolved ion state during a discharge cycle and/or an intercalation-deintercalation ions that can deintercalate from the cathode active material during the charge cycle and intercalate into the cathode active material during the discharge cycle; the anode further comprising an anode active material formed on the anode current collector capable of being oxidized and dissolved to active ion state during the discharge cycle.
US09680149B2 Electrode material, paste for electrodes, and lithium ion battery
An electrode material includes an electrode active material having a carbonaceous film formed on a surface is used and which is capable of suppressing voltage drop when high-speed charge and discharge is carried out in a low-temperature environment.The electrode material has a particulate shape and is formed a carbonaceous film on surfaces of electrode active material particles. An average of discharge capacity ratios between a 35C discharge capacity at −10° C. of a single particle of the electrode material and a 1C discharge capacity at −10° C. of a single particle of the electrode material is 0.50 or more.
US09680148B2 Functionalized carbons for lithium-sulfur batteries
This invention provides for a functionalized porous carbon particle comprising a porous carbon particle linked to a functional group having affinity for a polysulfide, a porous solvent infused carbon particle comprising the porous carbon particle thereof, and a positive electrode comprising the porous carbon particle thereof.
US09680144B2 Electrode assembly, method of fabricating electrode assembly, and secondary battery including electrode assembly
An electrode assembly that includes a positive electrode assembly including a number of positive electrodes each having a positive electrode non-coating portion at a certain position, and a positive electrode tab coupling all the positive electrode non-coating portions, a negative electrode assembly including a plurality of negative electrodes each having a negative electrode non-coating portion at a certain position, and a negative electrode tab coupling all the negative electrode non-coating portions, and a separator disposed between each positive electrode and each negative electrode to insulate a region between the positive electrode and the negative electrode. The positive electrodes of the positive electrode assembly and the negative electrodes of the negative electrode assembly are stacked alternately.
US09680143B2 Polymer-bound ceramic particle battery separator coating
Porous, electrically insulating, and electrochemically resistant surface coatings that strengthen and protect separators and that improve the operational safety of electrochemical devices using such separators, the use of ultraviolet (UV) or electron beam (EB) curable binders to secure an electrically insulating, porous, ceramic particle coating on separators, and methods of producing polymer-bound ceramic particle separator coatings, separators and electrochemical devices by UV or EB curing slurries of reactive liquid resins and ceramic particles.
US09680142B2 Polyolefin microporous membrane, separator for non-aqueous secondary battery, non-aqueous secondary battery and method of producing polyolefin microporous membrane
A polyolefin microporous membrane, the membrane having, when measured by DSC, a degree of crystallinity of from 65 to 85%, a lamellar crystal/crystal ratio of from 30 to 85%, a crystal length of from 5 nm to 50 nm and an amorphous length of from 3 nm to 30 nm, and a polyolefin microporous membrane, the membrane having, when measured by X-ray diffractometry, crystal size of from 12.5 nm to 13.5 nm and a degree of crystallinity of from 64 to 68%.
US09680141B2 Separator comprising an organic-inorganic adhesion promoter
The invention relates to a process for producing a separator comprising the steps of: providing a sheetlike porous substrate, a solvent, ceramic particles and an adhesion promoter; preparing a slip by mixing the solvent, the adhesion promoter and the ceramic particles; coating the substrate with the slip and thermally drying the coated substrate to obtain the separator. The problem addressed is that of specifying a process useful for producing separators having a higher ceramic content. The problem is solved when the solvent used is a mixture of water and at least one organic component; the adhesion promoter used is a mixture of silanes and at least one thermally crosslinkable acrylic polymer; the slip is admixed with a carboxylic acid preparation and also with a defoamer component free from silicone oil.
US09680132B1 Display device and optical film
A display device including a substrate, a light absorption layer, an optical matching layer, a first transparent electrode, a light emitting layer, and a second transparent electrode is provided. The light absorption layer is disposed on the substrate, and the optical matching layer is disposed on the light absorption layer. The first transparent electrode is disposed on the optical matching layer, the light emitting layer is disposed on the first transparent electrode, and the second transparent electrode is disposed on the light emitting layer. An output luminance and a reflectance of ambient light are controlled by adjusting refractive indices of the optical matching layer and the light absorption layer.
US09680130B2 Display devices, display panels and manufacturing methods therefor
A display device, a display panel and a manufacturing method therefor are disclosed. The display panel can include a cover plate; an array substrate disposed opposite to the cover plate; an organic light emitting layer, which is of a top-emitting type or a bottom-emitting type, disposed between the cover plate and the array substrate; and at least one first transparent resin layer disposed between the organic light emitting layer and the cover plate. With the solution in the disclosure, the method for manufacturing the display panel is simplified.
US09680115B2 Light-emitting device and manufacturing method thereof
A light-emitting device having a curved light-emitting surface is provided. Further, a highly-reliable light-emitting device is provided. A substrate with plasticity is used. A light-emitting element is formed over the substrate in a flat state. The substrate provided with the light-emitting element is curved and put on a surface of a support having a curved surface. Then, a protective layer for protecting the light-emitting element is formed in the same state. Thus, a light-emitting device having a curved light-emitting surface, such as a lighting device or a display device can be manufactured.
US09680114B2 Flexible organic light emitting display and method for manufacturing the same
A flexible organic light emitting display and a method for manufacturing the same are disclosed. The method is: sequentially forming a first buffer layer, a switch array layer, a display unit layer, and a thin film package layer on a flexible underlay substrate. When the flexible organic light emitting display bends along the flexible underlay substrate, a first bending deformation force is generated. The first buffer layer is used to absorb the first bending deformation force, and the material of the first buffer layer is an organic insulating material.
US09680107B2 Compound and organic electronic device comprising the compound
Provided are a novel compound and an organic electronic device (OED) including the same. The novel compound has better hole injection and hole transport properties than a conventional material, and thus may enhance thermal stability and efficiency when used as a material for a hole injection or hole transport layer of the OED.
US09680101B2 Copolymer and organic solar cell comprising same
The present specification provides a copolymer and an organic solar cell including the same.
US09680098B2 Element manufacturing method and element manufacturing apparatus
An element manufacturing method and apparatus for efficiently manufacturing an element such as an organic semiconductor element. First, an intermediate product that includes a substrate and a protrusion extending in a normal direction of the substrate is provided. Next, in a stacking chamber conditioned to a vacuum environment, a stacked structure is formed by continuously stacking a lid member on the intermediate product at a side where the protrusion is provided. After this operation, the stacked structure is transported from the stacking chamber to a first pressure chamber coupled to the stacking chamber and conditioned to a first pressure higher than the pressure in the vacuum environment. Next, the stacked structure is further transported from the first pressure chamber to a separation chamber coupled to the first pressure chamber and conditioned to a vacuum environment, and then the stacked structure is separated into the intermediate product and the lid member.
US09680096B2 Tunable voltage margin access diodes
The present invention relates generally to high current density access devices (ADs), and more particularly, to a structure and method of forming tunable voltage margin access diodes in phase change memory (PCM) blocks using layers of copper-containing mixed ionic-electronic conduction (MIEC) materials. Embodiments of the present invention may use layers MIEC material to form an access device that can supply high current-densities and operate reliably while being fabricated at temperatures that are compatible with standard BEOL processing. By varying the deposition technique and amount of MIEC material used, the voltage margin (i.e. the voltage at which the device turns on and the current is above the noise floor) of the access device may be tuned to specific operating conditions of different memory devices.
US09680081B2 Precursor wire for Nb3Al superconducting wire, Nb3Al superconducting wire, method for producing precursor wire for Nb3Al superconducting wire, and method for producing Nb3Al superconducting wire
ProblemThere is proposed an innovative cross-sectional structure, with an idea contrary to the conventional one, utilizing the non-reactivity between Cu and Ta (or between Ag and Nb, Ta) in a high-temperature short-time heat treatment, thus achieving (1) the suppression of the low magnetic-field instability, (2) excellent wire drawability of a precursor wire, and (3) the reduction of the cost required for the incorporation of a stabilizer.Means for ResolutionThere is proposed a structure having an assembly of a plurality of single wires, wherein the assembly is covered with an outer cover (skin) formed from Nb or Ta, wherein each of the single wires has an Nb/Al composite filament region which is formed from a composite of Nb and Al mixed in an Nb:Al molar ratio of 3:1, and which is covered with a partition formed from Nb or Ta, and further covered with an interfilamentary barrier formed from Cu or Ag disposed around the partition.
US09680076B2 Light-emitting device, illumination device and backlight for display device
An LED chip (3) is disposed in a recessed portion (21p) formed by bending a metal lead frame (2). A reflector (4) has a resin reflection surface (4a) and the recessed portion (21p) has a metal reflection surface (21a). When the inclination angle of at least one metal reflection surface (21a) is θs2(°), the resin reflection surface (4a) has a sloped resin surface with an inclination angle of θs1(°) that is smaller than θs2(°). With θc(°) defined as the critical angle of light emitted from an LED chip (3) and incident on the interface between a light-transmissive resin (5) and an air layer, the sloped resin surface and metal reflection surface having a relationship of θs1<θs2, satisfies both a conditional expression (1): 45°−θc/2<θs1<θc and a conditional expression (2): 35°≦θs2≦55°.
US09680070B2 LED light source performance compensation apparatus, device and application thereof
An LED light source performance compensation apparatus and a white-light LED light-emitting device. The LED light source performance compensation apparatus comprises: a light transmissive supporting member (101), wherein the light transmissive supporting member (101) is provided with a light performance parameter regulation member (102); and after secondary light of which the wavelength is 380 nm-780 nm and which is emitted by an LED light source (103) passes through the performance compensation apparatus, light performance parameters are adjusted. The LED light source performance compensation apparatus can effectively regulate the light performance parameters of the LED light source, thereby remedying the defects of the secondary light emitted by an existing finished LED light source in terms of light performance parameters.
US09680060B2 Light emitting diode having a plurality of light emitting units
A light emitting diode includes a substrate including a concave-convex pattern having concave portions and convex portions, a first light emitting unit disposed on the substrate, a second light emitting unit disposed on the substrate, a first wire connecting the first light emitting unit to the second light emitting unit over the concave-convex pattern, and an insulation layer disposed between the concave-convex pattern and the wire. The insulation layer has a shape corresponding to the concave-convex pattern.
US09680057B2 Ultraviolet light-emitting devices incorporating two-dimensional hole gases
In various embodiments, light-emitting devices incorporate graded layers with compositional offsets at one or both end points of the graded layer to promote formation of two-dimensional carrier gases and polarization doping, thereby enhancing device performance.
US09680056B1 Ultraviolet light-emitting device with a heavily doped strain-management interlayer
A heteroepitaxy strain-management structure for a light emitting device includes: a substrate or template; an epitaxial layer to be epitaxially formed over the substrate or template, wherein a calculated in-plane compressive strain to be exerted by the substrate or template to the epitaxial layer is equal to or larger than 1%; and a heavily doped interlayer inserted in-between the epitaxial layer and the substrate or template; wherein the heavily doped interlayer is of substantially the same material composition as that of the epitaxial layer, with a thickness of 40-400 nm, and doped at a doping level in the range of 5×1019 to 5×1020 cm−3. Also provided is an ultraviolet light emitting device having a heteroepitaxy strain-management structure.
US09680055B2 Hetero-substrate, nitride-based semiconductor light emitting device, and method for manufacturing the same
A hetero-substrate, a nitride-based semiconductor light emitting device, and a method of manufacturing the same are provided. The hetero-substrate may include a substrate including a silicon semiconductor, a buffer layer disposed on the substrate, a first semiconductor layer disposed on the buffer layer and including a nitride semiconductor, a second semiconductor layer disposed on the first semiconductor layer and including a first conductive type nitride semiconductor having a first doping concentration, and a stress control structure disposed between the first semiconductor layer and the second semiconductor layer and including at least one stress compensation layer and at least one third semiconductor layer including a first conductive type nitride semiconductor having a second doping concentration that is the same or lower than the first doping concentration.
US09680041B2 Three-dimensional thin-film semiconductor substrate with through-holes and methods of manufacturing
A three-dimensional thin-film semiconductor substrate with selective through-holes is provided. The substrate having an inverted pyramidal structure comprising selectively formed through-holes positioned between the front and back lateral surface planes of the semiconductor substrate to form a partially transparent three-dimensional thin-film semiconductor substrate.
US09680039B2 Nanostructures and methods for manufacturing the same
A resonant tunneling diode, and other one dimensional electronic, photonic structures, and electromechanical MEMS devices, are formed as a heterostructure in a nanowhisker by forming length segments of the whisker with different materials having different band gaps.
US09680038B2 Photodetectors based on double layer heterostructures
A photodetector is provided with a thin film double layer heterostructure. The photodetector is comprised of: a substrate; a channel layer of a transistor deposited onto a top surface of the substrate; a source layer of the transistor deposited on the top surface of the substrate; a drain layer of the transistor deposited on the top surface of the substrate, the source layer and the drain layer disposed on opposing sides of the channel layer; a barrier layer deposited onto the channel layer; and a light absorbing layer deposited on the barrier layer. The light absorbing layer is configured to absorb light and, in response to light incident on the light absorbing layer, electrical conductance of the channel layer is changed through hot carrier tunneling from the light absorbing layer to the channel layer.
US09680029B2 Semiconductor memory device
A semiconductor memory device includes a bit line; two or more word lines; and a memory cell including two or more sub memory cells that each include a transistor and a capacitor. One of a source and a drain of the transistor is connected to the bit line, the other of the source and the drain of the transistor is connected to the capacitor, a gate of the transistor is connected to one of the word lines, and each of the sub memory cells has a different capacitance of the capacitor.
US09680025B2 TFT switch and method for manufacturing the same
The present invention proposes a TFT switch and a method for manufacturing the same. The TFT switch includes a gate, a drain, a source, a semiconductor layer and a fourth electrode. The drain is connected to a first signal, the gate is connected to a control signal to control the switch on or off. The source outputs the first signal when the switch turns on. The fourth electrode and the gate are respectively located at two sides of the semiconductor layer. The fourth electrode is conductive and is selectively coupled to different voltage levels, thereby reducing leakage current in a channel to improve switch characteristic when the switch turns off.
US09680024B2 Semiconductor device
To provide a semiconductor device that includes an oxide semiconductor and is miniaturized while keeping good electrical properties. In the semiconductor device, an oxide semiconductor layer filling a groove is surrounded by insulating layers including an aluminum oxide film containing excess oxygen. Excess oxygen contained in the aluminum oxide film is supplied to the oxide semiconductor layer, in which a channel is formed, by heat treatment in a manufacturing process of the semiconductor device. Moreover, the aluminum oxide film forms a barrier against oxygen and hydrogen, which inhibits the removal of oxygen from the oxide semiconductor layer surrounded by the insulating layers including an aluminum oxide film and the entry of impurities such as hydrogen in the oxide semiconductor layer. Thus, a highly purified intrinsic oxide semiconductor layer can be obtained. The threshold voltage is controlled effectively by gate electrode layers formed over and under the oxide semiconductor layer.
US09680021B2 Passivated and faceted fin field effect transistor
A fin field effect transistor (FinFET), and a method of forming, is provided. The FinFET has a fin having one or more semiconductor layers epitaxially grown on a substrate. A first passivation layer is formed over the fins, and isolation regions are formed between the fins. An upper portion of the fins are reshaped and a second passivation layer is formed over the reshaped portion. Thereafter, a gate structure may be formed over the fins and source/drain regions may be formed.
US09680016B2 Method for improving transistor performance through reducing the salicide interface resistance
An embodiment of the invention reduces the external resistance of a transistor by utilizing a silicon germanium alloy for the source and drain regions and a nickel silicon germanium self-aligned silicide (i.e., salicide) layer to form the contact surface of the source and drain regions. The interface of the silicon germanium and the nickel silicon germanium silicide has a lower specific contact resistivity based on a decreased metal-semiconductor work function between the silicon germanium and the silicide and the increased carrier mobility in silicon germanium versus silicon. The silicon germanium may be doped to further tune its electrical properties. A reduction of the external resistance of a transistor equates to increased transistor performance both in switching speed and power consumption.
US09680013B2 Non-planar device having uniaxially strained semiconductor body and method of making same
A method and a device made according to the method. The method comprises providing a substrate including a first material, and providing a fin including a second material, the fin being disposed on the substrate and having a device active portion, the first material and the second material presenting a lattice mismatch between respective crystalline structures thereof. Providing the fin includes providing a biaxially strained film including the second material on the substrate; and removing parts of the biaxially strained film to form a substantially uniaxially strained fin therefrom.
US09679991B2 Method for manufacturing semiconductor device using gate portion as etch mask
Embodiments of the disclosure relate to a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device including a field effect transistor with improved electrical characteristics. According to embodiments of the disclosure, self-aligned contact plugs may be effectively formed using a metal hard mask portion disposed on a gate portion. In addition, a process margin of a photoresist mask for the formation of the self-aligned contact plugs may be improved by using the metal hard mask portion.
US09679987B2 Fabrication methodology for optoelectronic integrated circuits
A method of forming an integrated circuit employs a plurality of layers formed on a substrate including i) n-type modulation doped quantum well structure (MDQWS) structure with n-type charge sheet, ii) p-type MDQWS, iii) undoped spacer layer formed on the n-type charge sheet, iv) p-type layer(s) formed on the undoped spacer layer, v) p-type etch stop layer formed on the p-type layer(s) of iv), and vi) p-type layers (including p-type ohmic contact layer(s)) formed on the p-type etch stop layer. An etch operation removes the p-type layers of vi) for a gate region of an n-channel HFET with an etchant that automatically stops at the p-type etch stop layer. Another etch operation removes the p-type etch stop layer to form a mesa at the p-type layer(s) of iv) which defines an interface to the gate region of the n-channel HFET, and a gate electrode is formed on such mesa.
US09679972B1 Thin strain relaxed buffers with multilayer film stacks
A semiconductor structure can include a substrate and a substrate layer. The substrate can be formed of silicon and the substrate layer can be formed of silicon germanium. Above the substrate and under the substrate layer there can be provided a multilayer substructure. The multilayer substructure can include a first layer and a second layer. The first layer can be formed of a first material and the second layer can be formed of second material. A method can include forming a multilayer substructure on a substrate, annealing the multilayer substructure, and forming a substrate layer on the multilayer substructure.
US09679967B1 Contact resistance reduction by III-V Ga deficient surface
A method for forming a semiconductor device includes forming a III-V semiconductor substrate and forming a gate structure on the III-V semiconductor substrate. The method also includes forming a thin spacer surrounding the gate structure and forming a source/drain junction with a first doped III-V material at an upper surface of the III-V semiconductor substrate. The method also includes oxidizing a surface the source/drain forming an oxidation layer; removing natural oxides from the oxidation layer on a surface of the source/drain to expose ions of the first doped material at least at a surface of the source/drain. The method further includes applying a second doping to the source/drain to increase a doping concentration of the first doped III-V material, forming metal contacts at least at the second doped surface of the source/drain; and then annealing the contact.
US09679958B2 Methods for manufacturing integrated multi-layer magnetic films
Methods of manufacture of integrated multi-layer magnetic films for use in passive devices in microelectronic applications. Soft ferromagnetic materials exhibiting high permeability and low coercivity are laminated together with insulating layers interposed. Electrical conductors coupled to interconnects are magnetically coupled to magnetic film layers to engender an inductor (self and mutual). Soft ferromagnetic materials are provided in an alternating array of parallel plate capacitors. Each alternating magnetic film is electrically coupled to either a primary or secondary electrical conductor interconnects and separated by an electrically insulating dielectric material. Alternatively, each alternating magnetic layer comprises an induced anisotropy material, which can also be combined with coiled conductor giving rise to a hybrid inductive/capacitive device. Also, soft ferromagnetic material are also selected and tuned to provide for FMR notch filtering.
US09679952B2 Organic electroluminescence display device
An organic electroluminescence display device including pixels, a first bank provided between the pixels and covering a periphery edge part of a pixel electrode, a second bank provided on a first upper surface of the first bank and including a second upper surface and a first side surface, an auxiliary wiring provided on the second upper surface and including a third upper surface and a second side surface, an organic electroluminescence layer in contact with the pixel electrode, the first and second banks, and the auxiliary wiring, a common pixel electrode bridging the pixels, the organic electroluminescence layer includes a first region in contact with the pixel electrode, the first upper surface and the first side surface, and a second region in contact with the auxiliary wiring and separated from the first region, and the common pixel electrode is in contact with the second side surface.
US09679950B2 Organic el display device
An organic EL display device includes a lower electrode that is provided at each pixel, a bank that surrounds an outer circumference of the lower electrode and overlaps an outer circumferential edge of the lower electrode, an organic layer that is formed on the lower electrode and the bank, and an upper electrode that is formed on the organic layer. The bank contains a hygroscopic material. According to this display device, it is possible to confine an influence of moisture which has permeated thereinto to a more restricted area.
US09679948B2 Image sensor having light guide members
Image sensors include a color photo-sensing photoelectric conversion device, a first color filter and a second color filter disposed under the color photo-sensing photoelectric conversion device, a first photodiode and a second photodiode disposed under the first color filter and the second color filter, respectively, a first light guide member disposed between the first color filter and the first photodiode, and a second light guide member disposed between the second color filter and the second photodiode.
US09679947B2 Semiconductor memory device
A plurality of first conductive layers are stacked at a predetermined pitch in a first direction perpendicular to a substrate. A memory layer is provided in common on side surfaces of the first conductive layers and functions as the memory cells. A second conductive layer comprises a first side surface in contact with side surfaces of the first conductive layers via the memory layer, the second conductive layer extending in the first direction. A width in a second direction of the first side surface at a first position is smaller than a width in the second direction of the first side surface at a second position lower than the first position. A thickness in the first direction of the first conductive layer at the first position is larger than a thickness in the first direction of the first conductive layer at the second position.
US09679936B2 Imaging systems with through-oxide via connections
An imaging system may include an image sensor package with through-oxide via connections between the image sensor die and the digital signal processing die in the image sensor package. The image sensor die and the digital signal processing die may be attached to each other. The through-oxide via may connect a bond pad on the image sensor die with metal routing paths in the image sensor and digital signal processing dies. The through-oxide via may simultaneously couple the image sensor die to the digital signal processing die. The through-oxide via may be formed through a shallow trench isolation structure in the image sensor die. The through-oxide via may be formed through selective etching of the image sensor and digital signal processing dies.
US09679929B2 Binary image sensors including quantum dots and unit pixels thereof
A binary image sensor includes a plurality of unit pixels on a substrate having a surface on which light is incident. At least one quantum dot is disposed on the surface of a substrate. A column sense amplifier circuit is configured to detect binary information of a selected unit pixel among the plurality of unit pixels from a voltage or a current detected from the selected unit pixel, and a processing unit is configured to process binary information of the respective unit pixels to generate pixel image information. Related devices and methods of operation are also discussed.
US09679923B2 Array substrate, method for manufacturing the same and display device
An array substrate includes a base substrate, a gate electrode, a gate insulating layer and an active layer arranged on the base substrate in a laminated way. The array substrate further includes a passivation layer, a source electrode, a drain electrode, a first electrode and a second electrode. A first via hole arranged in the passivation layer may include two sloped lateral faces arranged opposite to each other. The first electrode may at least partially cover one lateral face of the first via hole. The second electrode electrically connected to a common electrode lead may at least partially cover the other lateral face of the first via hole. The source electrode and the drain electrode may be connected to the active layer through a second via hole which is arranged in the passivation layer. The first electrode is electrically connected to the source electrode or the drain electrode.
US09679921B2 Display substrate and method of fabricating the same
Disclosed are a display substrate, of which productivity is improved by decreasing five mask (M) processes utilized for fabricating the display substrate used in a liquid crystal display device in a horizontal field (Plane to Line Switching (PLS)) mode to four mask processes, and a method of fabricating the same.
US09679920B2 Liquid crystal display
A liquid crystal display includes a first substrate, a gate line and a data line disposed on the first substrate, a first insulating layer disposed on the gate line and the data line, a first electrode disposed on the first insulating layer and having a flat form in a planar shape, a second insulating layer disposed on the first electrode, and a second electrode disposed on the second insulating layer and including a plurality of branch electrodes, where a width of a branch electrode of the plurality of branch electrodes is equal to or less than about 2 micrometers.
US09679918B2 Silicon nitride film, and semiconductor device
An object of the present invention is to apply an insulating film of cure and high quality that is suitably applicable as gate insulating film and protective film to a technique that the insulating film is formed on the glass substrate under a temperature of strain point or lower, and to a semiconductor device realizing high efficiency and high reliability by using it. In a semiconductor device of the present invention, a gate insulating film of a field effect type transistor with channel length of from 0.35 to 2.5 μm in which a silicon nitride film is formed over a crystalline semiconductor film through a silicon oxide film, wherein the silicon nitride film contains hydrogen with the concentration of 1×1021/cm3 or less and has characteristic of an etching rate of 10 nm/min or less with respect to mixed solution containing an ammonium hydrogen fluoride (NH4HF2) of 7.13% and an ammonium fluoride (NH4F) of 15.4%.
US09679916B2 Semiconductor integrated circuit
Provided is a semiconductor integrated circuit including: a plurality of first input/output cells arranged on a semiconductor integrated circuit substrate; a plurality of second input/output cells arranged on the semiconductor integrated circuit substrate along the plurality of first input/output cells; and a potential supply portion formed on a semiconductor package substrate, a portion of the potential supply portion protruding in a surface of the semiconductor package substrate, and configured to supply a predetermined potential to a target cell which is one of the plurality of first input/output cells and a cell neighboring the target cell among the plurality of second input/output cells through a region including the protruding portion.
US09679913B1 Memory structure and method for manufacturing the same
A memory structure includes a 3D array of memory cells, a plurality of first conductive lines disposed on the 3D array, a plurality of second conductive lines disposed on the first conductive lines, a top metal plate disposed on the second conductive lines, and at least one strapping structure. The second conductive lines and the first conductive lines extend on different directions. The at least one strapping structure is configured for the first conductive lines and correspondingly disposed on at least one dummy region of the 3D array. Each strapping structure includes a connecting structure and a jumping line. The jumping line is disposed on and coupled to the connecting structure, and coupled to the top metal plate. The jumping line and the second conductive lines extend on the same direction.
US09679912B1 Semiconductor device
According to one embodiment, a semiconductor device includes: a substrate; a stacked body; a columnar portion; and a plate portion. The substrate has a major surface. The stacked body includes a plurality of electrode layers stacked with an insulator interposed. The columnar portion includes a semiconductor body and a memory film. The memory film includes a charge storage portion. The plate portion is provided in the stacked body. The plate portion extends along the stacking direction of the stacked body and a major surface direction of the substrate. The plate portion includes a plate conductor and a sidewall insulating film. The sidewall insulating film provided between the plate conductor and the stacked body. The stacked body includes an air gap. The air gap is provided between the sidewall insulating film and the electrode layer.
US09679911B2 Semiconductor memory device and production method thereof
A semiconductor memory device according to an embodiment includes a memory cell array which has: a first conductive layer which is arranged in a first direction on a first semiconductor layer; a second conductive layer which is arranged in the first direction above the first conductive layer; a columnar second semiconductor layer which extends in the first direction; and a contact unit which electrically connects the first semiconductor layer and the second conductive layer. The contact unit has a first film which contains silicide as a first metal, and is in contact with the first semiconductor layer; and a second film which contains the first metal, is in contact with the first film, and is in contact with the first semiconductor layer with the first film interposed therebetween.
US09679904B2 Method of manufacturing semiconductor device
A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes: forming a conductive film over a semiconductor substrate; forming a first ferroelectric film over the conductive film; forming an amorphous second ferroelectric film over the first ferroelectric film; forming a transition metal oxide material film containing ruthenium over the second ferroelectric film; forming a first conductive metal oxide film over the transition metal oxide material film without exposing the transition metal oxide material film to the air; annealing and crystallizing the second ferroelectric film; and patterning the first conductive metal oxide film, the first ferroelectric film, the second ferroelectric film, and the conductive film to form a ferroelectric capacitor.
US09679901B1 Semiconductor device and manufacturing method thereof
A semiconductor device and a manufacturing method thereof are provided. The semiconductor device includes a substrate, a plurality of active areas, and an isolation structure. The substrate has a device region and a peripheral region surrounding the device region. The active areas are located in the substrate in the device region. When viewed from above, the edges of the ends of the active areas adjacent to the boundary of the device region are aligned with each other, and the width of the ends of the active areas adjacent to the boundary of the device region is greater than the width of the other portions of the active areas. The isolation structure is disposed in the substrate and surrounds the active areas and is located in the peripheral region.
US09679898B2 Semiconductor device having metal gate
A semiconductor device having metal gate includes a first metal gate structure and a second metal gate structure disposed in a first device region and in a second device region on a substrate respectively. The first metal gate structure includes a gate insulating layer, a first bottom barrier layer, a top barrier layer, and a metal layer disposed on the substrate in order, wherein the top barrier layer is directly in contact with the first bottom barrier layer. The second metal gate structure includes the gate insulating layer, a second bottom barrier layer, the top barrier layer, and the metal layer on the substrate in order, wherein the top barrier layer is directly in contact with the second bottom barrier layer. The first bottom barrier layer and the second bottom barrier layer have different impurity compositions.
US09679896B2 Moisture blocking structure and/or a guard ring, a semiconductor device including the same, and a method of manufacturing the same
A moisture blocking structure includes an active fin disposed on a sealing region of a substrate, the substrate including a chip region and the sealing region surrounding a periphery of the chip region, the active fin continuously surrounding the chip region and having a winding line shape in a plan view. A gate structure covers the active fin and surrounds the periphery of the chip region. A conductive structure is disposed on the gate structure, the conductive structure surrounding the periphery of the chip region.
US09679889B2 Semiconductor device including electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection circuit and manufacturing method thereof
A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device is provided. The method includes providing a substrate; forming a well region on the substrate; forming at least one first gate structure on the well region, wherein the first gate structure includes a gate insulating layer and a first gate electrode formed on the gate insulating layer, wherein the first gate electrode is formed having a first enclosed pattern on a surface of the well region; wherein an area inside the first enclosed pattern is defined as a first region, and an area outside the first enclosed pattern is defined as a second region; performing ion implantation on the first region such that the first region has a first conductivity type, and performing ion implantation on the second region such that the second region has a second conductivity type, wherein the first conductivity type and the second conductivity type are different.
US09679877B2 Semiconductor device comprising PN junction diode and Schottky barrier diode
A semiconductor device includes a MOSFET including a PN junction diode. A unipolar device is connected in parallel to the MOSFET and has two terminals. A first wire connects the PN junction diode to one of the two terminals of the unipolar device. A second wire connects the one of the two terminals of the unipolar device to an output line, so that the output line is connected to the MOSFET and the unipolar device via the first wire and the second wire. In one embodiment the connection of the first wire to the diode is with its anode, and in another the connection is with the cathode.
US09679875B2 Reduced volume interconnect for three-dimensional chip stack
A method of forming a reduced volume interconnect for a chip stack including multiple silicon layers, the method including: forming multiple conductive structures, each of at least a subset of the conductive structures having a volume of conductive material for a corresponding under bump metallurgy pad onto which the conductive structure is transferred that is configured such that a ratio of an unreflowed diameter of the conductive structure to a diameter of the corresponding pad is about one third-to-one or less; transferring the conductive structures to the silicon layers; stacking the silicon layers in a substantially vertical dimension such that each of the conductive structures on a given silicon layer is aligned with a corresponding electrical contact location on an underside of an adjacent silicon layer; and heating the interconnect so as to metallurgically bond multiple electrical contact locations of adjacent silicon layers.
US09679869B2 Transmission line for high performance radio frequency applications
This disclosure relates to a transmission line for high performance radio frequency (RF) applications. One such transmission line can include a bonding layer configured to receive an RF signal, a barrier layer, a diffusion barrier layer, and a conductive layer proximate to the diffusion barrier layer. The diffusion barrier layer can have a thickness that allows a received RF signal to penetrate the diffusion barrier layer to the conductive layer. In certain implementations, the diffusion barrier layer can be nickel. In some of these implementations, the transmission line can include a gold bonding layer, a palladium barrier layer, and a nickel diffusion barrier layer.
US09679866B2 Bonding stage and method of manufacturing the same
Provided is a bonding stage including: a rigid block (10) having a plurality of projections (11) on a surface (16) of the base body, upper surfaces of the projections being flat; a flat plate (20) fixed to supporting surfaces (18) on the projections (11); a ceramic plate (30) suctioned and fixed to the flat plate (20); a plate-shaped heater (40) disposed on a side of the rigid block (10) of the flat plate (20); and coil springs (50) disposed between the heater (40) and the rigid block (10), the coil springs (50) bringing the heater (40) into close contact with a surface of the flat plate (20) on the side of the rigid block (10).
US09679861B1 Integrated circuit package with active warpage control printed circuit board mount
An integrated circuit package may include a package substrate having a surface, first interconnects of a first size that are arranged in a substantially circular shape that is centered on the surface of the package substrate, and second interconnects of a second size that is different from the first size, where the second interconnects are arranged in a ring shape on the surface of the package substrate. The ring shape of the second interconnects is concentric with the substantially circular shape of the first interconnects. The integrated circuit package may further include third interconnects of a third size that are arranged in peripheral corner regions on the surface of the package substrate. The third size may be smaller or bigger than at least one of the first and second sizes.
US09679857B2 Semiconductor device and method including an intertial mass element
Disclosed is a semiconductor device comprising a stack of patterned metal layers separated by dielectric layers, the stack comprising a first conductive support structure and a second conductive support structure and a cavity in which an inertial mass element comprising at least one metal portion is conductively coupled to the first support structure and the second support structure by respective conductive connection portions, at least one of said conductive connection portions being designed to break upon the inertial mass element being exposed to an acceleration force exceeding a threshold defined by the dimensions of the conductive connection portions. A method of manufacturing such a semiconductor device is also disclosed.
US09679852B2 Semiconductor constructions
Some embodiments include a construction having conductive structures spaced from one another by intervening regions. Insulative structures are within the intervening regions. The insulative structures include dielectric spacers and air gaps between the dielectric spacers. Dielectric capping material is over the air gaps. The dielectric capping material is between the dielectric spacers and not over upper surfaces of the dielectric spacers. Some embodiments include a construction having a first conductive structure with an upper surface, and having a plurality of second conductive structures electrically coupled with the upper surface of the first conductive structure and spaced from one another by intervening regions. Air gap/spacer insulative structures are within the intervening regions. The air gap/spacer insulative structures have dielectric spacers along sidewalls of the second conductive structures and air gaps between the dielectric spacers. Dielectric capping material is over the air gaps.
US09679846B2 Semiconductor device and method of forming conductive layer over substrate with vents to channel bump material and reduce interconnect voids
A semiconductor device has a semiconductor die with a plurality of bumps formed over a surface of the semiconductor die. A first conductive layer having first and second segments is formed over a surface of the substrate with a first vent separating an end of the first segment and the second segment and a second vent separating an end of the second segment and the first segment. A second conductive layer is formed over the surface of the substrate to electrically connect the first segment and second segment. The thickness of the second conductive layer can be less than a thickness of the first conductive layer to form the first vent and second vent. The semiconductor die is mounted to the substrate with the bumps aligned to the first segment and second segment. Bump material from reflow of the bumps is channeled into the first vent and second vent.
US09679845B2 Necked interconnect fuse structure for integrated circuits
Interconnect fuse structures including a fuse with a necked line segment, as well as methods of fabricating such structures. A current driven by an applied fuse programming voltage may open necked fuse segments to affect operation of an IC. In embodiments, the fuse structure includes a pair of neighboring interconnect lines equidistant from a center interconnect line. In further embodiments, the center interconnect line, and at least one of the neighboring interconnect lines, include line segments of lateral widths that differ by a same, and complementary amount. In further embodiments, the center interconnect line is interconnected at opposite ends of a necked line segment. In further embodiments, the necked line segment is fabricated with pitch-reducing spacer-based patterning process.
US09679835B2 Method of manufacturing resin-encapsulated semiconductor device, and lead frame
A resin-encapsulated semiconductor device comprises a semiconductor chip mounted on a die pad. A plurality of leads each having an inner lead and an outer lead are arranged in spaced relation from the die pad with the inner leads facing the die pad. A metal plating layer is formed on top surfaces of the inner leads, and the inner leads are connected by metal wires to the semiconductor chip. An encapsulation resin encapsulates the semiconductor chip, die pad, metal wires and inner leads leaving the outer leads exposed. The outer edge of the metal plating layer coincides with the outer surface of the encapsulation resin and with the outer edge of the metal plating layer.
US09679834B2 Semiconductor dies with recesses, associated leadframes, and associated systems and methods
Semiconductor dies with recesses, associated leadframes, and associated systems and methods are disclosed. A semiconductor system in accordance with one embodiment includes a semiconductor die having a first surface and a second surface facing opposite from the first surface, with the first surface having a die recess. The system can further include a support paddle carrying the semiconductor die, with at least part of the support paddle being received in the die recess. In particular embodiments, the support paddle can form a portion of a leadframe. In other particular embodiments, the support paddle can include a paddle surface that faces toward the semiconductor die and has an opening extending through the paddle surface and through the support paddle.
US09679828B2 System-on-chip electronic device with aperture fed nanofilm antenna
An electronic device may include a first substrate, an electrically conductive feed line on the first substrate, an insulating layer on the first substrate and the electrically conductive feed line, a second substrate on the insulating layer, and an antenna on the second substrate and having nanofilm layers stacked on the second substrate. The antenna is coupled to the feed line through an aperture.
US09679821B2 Methods of revising overlay correction data
Provided are methods of generating and revising overlay correction data, a method of performing a photolithography process using the overlay correction data, and a method of performing a photolithography process while revising the overlay correction data. The method of revising the overlay correction data includes forming a plurality of overlay keys on a first set of wafers using first overlay correction data, measuring first overlay keys formed on first overlay coordinates in a first shot area of a first wafer among the first set of wafers, generating first overlay error data, and revising primarily the first overlay correction data using the first overlay error data, measuring second overlay keys formed on second overlay coordinates in a second shot area of a second wafer among the first set of wafers, generating second overlay error data, and revising secondarily the primarily revised first overlay correction data using the second overlay error data, and measuring third overlay keys formed on third overlay coordinates in a third shot area of a third wafer among the first set of wafers, generating third overlay error data, revising tertiarily the secondarily revised first overlay correction data, and generating second overlay correction data. The first overlay coordinates, the second overlay coordinates, and the third overlay coordinates are mutually exclusive.
US09679817B2 Semiconductor structures and methods of forming the same
A method of forming a semiconductor structure may include: forming a first dielectric layer having a first thickness over a substrate; removing a first portion of the first dielectric layer to expose a second region of the substrate; forming a second dielectric layer having a second thickness over the second region of the substrate; removing a second portion of the first dielectric layer to expose a third region of the substrate; forming a third dielectric layer having a third thickness over the third region of the substrate; and forming a first plurality of gate stacks comprising the first dielectric layer in a first region of the substrate, a second plurality of gate stacks comprising the second dielectric layer in the second region of the substrate, and a third plurality of gate stacks comprising the third dielectric layer in the third region of the substrate.
US09679814B2 Epitaxial lift off stack having a pre-curved handle and methods thereof
Embodiments of the invention generally relate to epitaxial lift off (ELO) thin films and devices and methods used to form such films and devices. In one embodiment, a method for forming an ELO thin film is provided which includes depositing an epitaxial material over a sacrificial layer on a substrate, adhering a flattened, pre-curved support handle onto the epitaxial material, and removing the sacrificial layer during an etching process. The etching process includes bending the pre-curved support handle to have substantial curvature while peeling the epitaxial material from the substrate and forming an etch crevice therebetween. Compression is maintained within the epitaxial material during the etching process. The flattened, pre-curved support handle may be formed by flattening a pre-curved support material.
US09679813B2 Semiconductor structure and process for forming plug including layer with pulled back sidewall part
A semiconductor process for forming a plug includes the following steps. A dielectric layer having a recess is formed on a substrate. A titanium layer is formed to conformally cover the recess. A first titanium nitride layer is formed to conformally cover the titanium layer, thereby the first titanium nitride layer having first sidewall parts. The first sidewall parts of the first titanium nitride layer are pulled back, thereby second sidewall parts being formed. A second titanium nitride layer is formed to cover the recess. Moreover, a semiconductor structure formed by said semiconductor process is also provided.
US09679810B1 Integrated circuit having improved electromigration performance and method of forming same
An aspect of the disclosure is directed to a method of forming an interconnect for use in an integrated circuit. The method comprises: forming an opening in a dielectric layer on a substrate; filling the opening with a metal such that an overburden outside of the opening is created; subjecting the metal to a microwave energy dose such that atoms from the overburden migrate to within the opening; and planarizing the metal to a top surface of the opening to remove the overburden, thereby forming the interconnect.
US09679806B1 Nanowires for pillar interconnects
An embodiment of the invention may include a semiconductor structure, and method of forming the semiconductor structure. The semiconductor structure may include a first set of pillars located on a first substrate. The semiconductor structure may include a second set of pillars located on a second substrate. The semiconductor structure may include a joining layer connecting the first pillar to the second pillar. The semiconductor structure may include an underfill layer located between the first and second substrate.
US09679805B2 Self-aligned back end of line cut
Embodiments of the present invention provide a method for self-aligned metal cuts in a back end of line structure. Sacrificial Mx+1 lines are formed above metal Mx lines. Spacers are formed on each Mx+1 sacrificial line. The gap between the spacers is used to determine the location and thickness of cuts to the Mx metal lines. This ensures that the Mx metal line cuts do not encroach on vias that interconnect the Mx and Mx+1 levels. It also allows for reduced limits in terms of via enclosure rules, which enables increased circuit density.
US09679801B2 Dual molded stack TSV package
Packages including an embedded die with through silicon vias (TSVs) are described. In an embodiment, a first level die including TSVs is embedded between a first redistribution layer (RDL) and a second RDL, and a second level die is mounted on a top side of the first redistribution layer. In an embodiment, the first level die is an active die, less than 50 μm thick.
US09679796B2 Anodized metal on carrier wafer
A method for processing a semiconductor wafer where an electrostatic layer is located on a surface of a handling wafer is used so the surface of the handling wafer may be handled with machinery that uses an electrostatic chuck. The electrostatic layer may be manipulated to increase or decrease the conductivity, and may be removed to allow light to pass through the handling wafer.
US09679789B2 Wafer processing apparatus
A wafer in which a modified layer is internally formed along planned dividing lines is placed on a placement table and a water tank allows the wafer placed on the placement table to be submerged in cleaning water. An ultrasonic supply unit supplies ultrasonic waves to the wafer submerged in the cleaning water. By the ultrasonic waves supplied by the ultrasonic supply unit, the wafer is divided along the planned dividing lines and is turned into small pieces to generate plural chips and the generated chips are cleaned.
US09679782B1 Planarization method, method for manufacturing semiconductor structure, and semiconductor structure
A planarization method includes at least two steps. One of the steps is to implant at least one impurity into a wafer to form a polish stop layer in the wafer. The other one of the steps is to polish a top surface of the wafer until reaching the polish stop layer.
US09679780B1 Polysilicon residue removal in nanosheet MOSFETs
A method is presented for forming a semiconductor device. The method includes depositing a sacrificial layer on a fin structure formed on a substrate and then filled with polysilicon, etching a portion of the polysilicon material via a first etching process, and pre-cleaning the surface native oxide layer. The method further includes etching the remaining polysilicon material via a second etching process, and removing polysilicon etch residue formed adjacent the fin structure by a cleaning process. The pre-cleaning is performed by applying NH3 (ammonia) and NF3 (nitrogen trifluoride) or by applying BHF (buffered hydrofluoric acid). The first etching process is RIE (reactive ion etching) and the second etching process involves applying NF3 and H2 (hydrogen gas).
US09679775B2 Selective dopant junction for a group III-V semiconductor device
An approach to providing a method of forming a dopant junction in a semiconductor device. The approach includes performing a surface modification treatment on an exposed surface of a semiconductor layer and depositing a dopant material on the exposed surface of the semiconductor layer. Furthermore, the approach includes alloying a metal layer with a dopant layer to form a semiconductor device junction where the semiconductor layer is composed of a Group III-V semiconductor material, the surface modification treatment occurs in a vacuum chamber to remove surface oxides from the exposed surface of the semiconductor layer, and each of the above processes occur at a low temperature.
US09679769B1 Integrated circuit packaging system with photoimagable dielectric-defined trace and method of manufacture thereof
A system and method of manufacture of an integrated circuit packaging system includes: a photoimagable dielectric layer having a trace opening for exposing the carrier; a trace within the trace opening; an inner solder resist layer directly on the photoimagable dielectric layer and the trace, the inner solder resist layer having a bond pad opening for exposing the trace; an integrated circuit over the inner solder resist layer, the integrated circuit electrically connected to the trace through the bond pad opening; an encapsulation directly on the integrated circuit and the inner solder resist layer; and an external interconnect electrically coupled to the trace and the integrated circuit.
US09679764B2 Semiconductor device structures comprising polycrystalline CVD diamond with improved near-substrate thermal conductivity
Disclosed is a semiconductor device structure including a III-V compound semiconductor material layer, a polycrystalline CVD diamond material layer, and an interface region, having a diamond nucleation layer, between the III-V compound semiconductor material layer and the polycrystalline CVD diamond material layer. A Raman signal generated from a region having the diamond nucleation layer exhibits an sp3 carbon peak at 1332 cm−1 having a full width half-maximum of no more than 5.0 cm−1. The Raman signal further exhibits one or both of the following characteristics: (i) an sp2 carbon peak at 1550 cm−1 having a height no more than 20% of a height of the sp3 carbon peak; and (ii) the sp3 carbon peak at 1332 cm−1 is no less than 10% of local background intensity. The diamond nucleation layer further includes an average nucleation density range of 1×108 cm−2 to 1×1012 cm−2.
US09679759B2 Type rectangular ion trap device and method for ion storage and separation
The present invention discloses a rectangular ion trap device and method for ion storage. The device comprises a front end cover including left electrode, middle layer insulator, and right electrode, wherein the left electrode and the right electrode are respectively positioned at both sides of the middle layer insulator; a rear end cover, wherein the rear end cover has the same axis as the front end cover, and the central position of the rear end cover electrode is penetrated; the front and rear electrodes and the upper and lower electrodes are symmetric along the axis of the front end cover, and these electrodes form a space region for ion storage about the axis between the front end cover and the rear end cover electrode. The present invention can increase the number of ions in storage within a unit time prominently.
US09679732B2 Break away door, trip unit and circuit breaker assembly including same
A hinge assembly includes a first portion having first and second receptacles and a second portion having first and second cylindrical members extending in opposite directions along a hinge axis and a thickened portion having a contoured outer surface disposed adjacent the cylindrical members. The second portion is moveable from: a first state wherein the first and second cylindrical members are disposed in the first and second receptacles such that the second portion is coupled to the first portion and generally free to rotate about the hinge axis through at least a predetermined degree range, and a second state in which the second portion is decoupled from the first portion responsive to the second portion being rotated beyond the predetermined degree range and the contoured outer surface interacting with a portion of the first portion.
US09679730B2 Circuit interrupter with wireless unit, communication system including the same and associated method
A circuit interrupter includes a first terminal structured to electrically connect to a power source, a second terminal structured to electrically connect to a load, separable contacts electrically connected between the first terminal and the second terminal and being moveable between a closed position and an open position, an operating mechanism structured to trip open the separable contacts, an electronic trip unit structured to detect a fault condition based on power flowing between the first and second terminals and to retrieve diagnostic or setting information associated with the circuit interrupter, and a wireless unit structured to provide the setting or diagnostic information associated with the circuit interrupter to an external device via a wireless communication protocol.
US09679724B2 Component for electric power system, and contact assembly and open air arcing elimination method therefor
A contact assembly for an electrical component includes: a bus member; and a switching assembly structured to move between first and second positions. The switching assembly includes: a stationary contact extending from the bus member, a movable contact engaging the stationary contact when the switching assembly is in the first position and disengaging the stationary contact when the switching assembly moves toward the second position, and a switching device coupled to the bus member. When the switching assembly is in the first position, the switching device and the stationary contact are electrically connected in parallel with the bus member and the movable contact. When the switching assembly moves from the first position toward the second position, the switching device disconnects power after the movable contact disengages the stationary contact in order that electrical disconnection between the bus member and the movable contact occurs within the switching device.
US09679723B2 Vacuum switching apparatus and contact assembly therefor
A contact assembly for a vacuum switching apparatus includes a contact member and a reinforcing member adapted to structurally reinforce the contact member. The contact member includes first and second opposing sides, and a contact thickness. The reinforcing member has a reinforcement thickness, which is less than the contact thickness. The contact member is made from a first material having a first coefficient of thermal expansion, and the reinforcing member is made from a second different material having a second coefficient of thermal expansion. The first coefficient of thermal expansion is substantially the same as the second coefficient of thermal expansion.
US09679720B1 Arc motivation device
A circuit interrupter including an arc extinguisher which functions to arrest an arc that develops between electrical contacts. The circuit interrupter includes a permanent magnet coupled at opposite ends to two magnetically permeable pole pieces that are configured to drive or urge an arc into toward an arc extinguisher. The device allows for arc motivation due to the magnetic field without requiring the use of electrical power and allows for a rugged, light-weight design.
US09679718B2 Knife switch safety device
A safety device is provided for use in conjunction with a knife switch disposed in a switch well. The safety device comprises an elongate base member having a head end and an insertion portion extending distally away therefrom. The insertion portion is configured for at least partial insertion into the switch well between the knife switch and an internal wall of the switch well when the knife switch is in its open configuration. The device further comprises a slot formed in at least a portion of the insertion portion of the base member. The slot is sized and positioned to receive at least a portion of the blade when the knife switch is in its open configuration and the insertion portion is inserted into the switch well between the knife switch and the internal wall.
US09679716B2 Modular electromechanical switching element
An electromechanical switching device for providing an electrical connection between terminals as a function of a switched state based on a manual activation, where the switching device has a rotatably mounted activation unit that can be activated manually and a switching unit which is connectable to the activation unit, the switching unit provides pat least two electrical terminals and electrically interconnects them as a function of the electrical switched state, for which purpose the switching unit has at least one switching element slideably mounted in a longitudinal direction of the switching device, the switching device has a coupling unit that mechanically interconnects the activation and switching units and that is configured to transmit the manual activation of the activation unit to the switching element of the switching unit, and where the electromechanical switching device is formed in a modular manner via at least the activation, coupling unit and switching units.
US09679715B2 Vehicle switch device
A vehicle switch device has a selection switch having an operation part that, when operated, selects at least one of a plurality of driving target vehicle components mounted on a vehicle, and an operation switch that is separately operable from the selection switch, and drives the selected driving target vehicle component when operated. The operation switch has a single holding operation knob that swings so as to have a front portion thereof pushed down or pulled up. The single holding operation knob is structured to allow a palm of a hand to be placed on an upper face thereof, and fingers of the hand other than a thumb to be placed on the front portion. The operation part is disposed on a side face of the holding operation knob.
US09679712B2 Switch assembly and method of using same
A switch assembly and method of using same comprises a switch assembly for operating a power take off unit on a lawn tractor, the switch assembly further includes a housing supporting a selectively locatable activation knob facilitated by an actuation assembly and an internal switch arrangement coupled to a printed circuit board within the housing. The internal switch arrangement comprises a microcontroller and switch for determining the relative position of the selectively locatable activation knob and provides a digital output signal for enabling or disabling a power take off unit based on the digital output signal.
US09679706B2 Device for disconnecting an electrical supply line with a high-intensity current
A disconnecting device having a plurality of modules for disconnecting an electrical supply line of an intensity higher than 1000 A. Each module includes a tight contact casing (10) having at least one fixed-contact conductive element (12, 14) in contact with a mobile-contact conductive element (20, 26), and a mechanism for interrupting the contact between the fixed-contact element and the mobile-contact element so as to disconnect the supply line; metal connection bars (60, 62, and 64, 66) for connecting to a current input and to a current output; and intermediate conductive elements such as blades (68, 70, et 72, 74) connected to the connection bars and to the casing. At least one of the mobile-contact elements includes a silver pellet fixed to the surface of the element, allowing the contact resistance between the mobile-contact element and the fixed-contact element to be reduced by half.
US09679700B2 Capacitor module and power conversion device
Provided is a capacitor module (10) for connection to a plurality of power conversion circuits, which includes: a dielectric part (11) that has a plurality of flat-film dielectric layers (18A, 18B) laminated; a capacitance formation part (12) that has conductors opposed to each other with the dielectric layers (18A, 18B) interposed therebetween within the dielectric part (11); and multiple pairs of output terminals (13A, 13B, 13C) that are connected respectively to the multiple power conversion circuits, where the multiple pairs of output terminals (13A, 13B, 13C) are connected to each other with the capacitance formation part (12) interposed therebetween.
US09679695B2 Tuning circuit and method for wireless power transfer systems
This disclosure provides systems, methods and apparatus for wireless power transfer and particularly wireless power transfer to remote systems such as electric vehicles. In one aspect, a wireless power transfer system includes a transmitter and a receiver. The transmitter includes a first inductive element and a current generator. The current generator supplies a current to the first inductive element to generate an electromagnetic field. The receiver includes a second inductive element, a tuning circuit, and a controller. The second inductive element receives wireless power from the electromagnetic field. The tuning circuit has a reactance and includes a plurality of capacitive elements connected to the second inductive element. The plurality of capacitive elements supply an output current to a load. The controller selectively connects the plurality of capacitive elements in a plurality of configurations. The tuning circuit has substantially the same reactance in each of the plurality of configurations.
US09679691B2 Wind turbine transformer arrangement
An improved transformer arrangement of a wind turbine is provided. A wind turbine transformer arrangement comprises a transformer that is arranged in the wind turbine. The transformer comprises a housing. The transformer housing is filled with an oil. The transformer arrangement comprises at least one decompression chamber and the interior of the transformer housing is connected to the interior of the decompression chamber by a pressure release tube in a way that an increase in the pressure in the transformer housing due to a malfunction of the transformer is transferred through the pressure release tube into the decompression chamber.
US09679689B2 Magnetic clamping device for magnetically clamping to a magnetically attracted material and having a dampening means
There is provided a magnetic clamping device (10) for magnetically clamping to a magnetically attracted material (30). The device comprises at least one permanent clamping magnet (14, 44) for magnetically clamping to the magnetically attracted material wherein the magnet is movable relative to the magnetically attracted material from a position remote from the magnetically attracted material to a clamping position for the clamping of the material by the magnet. The device also includes damping means (22, 24) for damping the movement of the clamping magnet to the clamping position. The damping means biases the clamping magnet away from the magnetically attracted material to assist release of the clamping magnet from the magnetically attracted material. In addition, the device has support means (16, 40, 58) to which the clamping magnet is mounted for the relative movement of the clamping magnet from the remote position to the clamping position and for withdrawing the clamping magnet relative to the magnetically attracted material to release the magnetically attracted material. There is also provided a method for clamping the magnetically attracted material (30) using the clamping device (10). The clamping device may, for example, be a device for securing a load to the magnetically attracted material, a lifting device, a device for holding a work piece in position, or a welding clamp.
US09679676B2 Copper wire rod and magnet wire
A copper wire rod with an excellent surface quality and a magnet wire, in which the occurrence of blister defects is suppressed, are provided. The copper wire rod has a composition consisting of: more than 10 ppm by mass and 30 ppm by mass or less of P; 10 ppm by mass or less of O; 1 ppm by mass or less of H; and the balance Cu and inevitable impurities, wherein hydrogen concentration after performing a heat treatment at 500° for 30 minutes in vacuum is 0.2 ppm by mass or less. The magnet wire includes: a drawn wire material produced by using the copper wire rod; and an insulating film coating an outer periphery of the drawn wire material.
US09679674B2 Dielectric mineral oil conditioned with graphene nanoflakes
The invention relates to a dielectric mineral oil composition for a transformer, formed by at least one dielectric mineral oil and graphene nanoflakes decorated with metal nanoparticles and/or ceramic nanoparticles. The dielectric mineral oil composition has improved thermal conductivity and stability.
US09679672B2 Low band gap conjugated polymeric compositions and applications thereof
In one aspect, electrically conductive conjugated polymeric compositions are described herein demonstrating compatibility with aqueous solvents and/or phases. The ability to provide aqueous compatible compositions from previously water insoluble conjugated polymeric systems, in some embodiments, can facilitate use of such systems in a variety of aqueous applications, including biological applications.
US09679671B2 Low ohmic loss radial superlattice conductors
Various examples are provided for low ohmic loss radial superlattice conductors. In one example, among others, a conductor includes a plurality of radially distributed layers that include a non-permalloy core, a permalloy layer disposed on and encircling the non-permalloy core, and a non-permalloy layer disposed on and encircling the permalloy layer. The non-permalloy core and non-permalloy layer can include the same or different materials such as, e.g., aluminum, copper, silver, and gold. In some implementations, the non-permalloy core includes a void containing air or a non-conductive material such as, e.g., a polymer. The permalloy layer can include materials such as, e.g., NiFe, FeCo, NiFeCo, or NiFeMo. In another example, a via connector includes the plurality of radially distributed layers including the permalloy layer and the non-permalloy layer disposed on and encircling the permalloy layer. The via connector can extend through glass, silicon, organic, or other types of substrates.
US09679669B2 Storage and transportation method for low level radioactive mixed wastes
A method for preparing low level radioactive hazardous wastes (LLHZ) for disposal in a landfill. The method includes providing a softsided transportable container at a hazardous debris collection site, where the softsided container has at least three layers of materials, an outer, middle and an inner layer, where the middle layer is a water impervious material. Each layer has a closable opening located on the top of the softsided layer. Hardsided closed containers containing LLHZ located in the interior of the hard container are loaded into the interior of the softsided container. Each layer of the softsided container is then closed, and the package transported and shipped to a disposal site for burial.
US09679664B2 Method and system for providing a smart memory architecture
A smart memory system preferably includes a memory including one or more memory chips, and a processor including one or more memory processor chips. The system may include a smart memory controller capable of performing a bit error rate built-in self test. The smart memory control may include bit error rate controller logic configured to control the bit error rate built-in self test. A write error rate test pattern generator may generate a write error test pattern for the bit error rate built-in self test. A read error rate test pattern generator may generate a read error test pattern for the built-in self test. The smart memory controller may internally generate an error rate timing pattern, perform built-in self test, measure the resulting error rate, automatically adjust one or more test parameters based on the measured error rate, and repeat the built-in self test using the adjusted parameters.
US09679662B1 Memory device
A memory device includes a semiconductor pillar, a first memory cell that includes a first memory film between a first word line and a side surface of the semiconductor pillar, a second memory cell that includes a second memory film between a second word line and the side surface of the semiconductor pillar, and a control circuit configured to carry out first and second operations on the first memory cell and the second memory cell during a reading operation. During the first operation, a read voltage is applied to the first word line and a read pass voltage is applied to the second word line, and during the second operation following the first operation, a first voltage is applied to the second word line, such that a potential of the second word line is lower than a potential of the semiconductor pillar.
US09679654B2 Continuous-time floating gate memory cell programming
Aspects of a continuous-time memory cell circuit are described. In various embodiments, the memory cell circuit may comprise a memory cell, a current source coupled to the memory cell, and circuitry for programming the memory cell at an adaptive rate, based on a target voltage for programming, using a feedback loop between a gate terminal of the memory cell and a reference control input. Based on the circuitry for programming, the memory cell may be programmed according to various voltage and/or current references, by linear injection and/or tunneling mechanisms. According to various aspects, the circuitry for programming drives a memory cell to converge to a voltage target for programming within a short period of time and to a suitable level of accuracy.
US09679639B2 Two part programming and erase methods for non-volatile charge trap memory devices
A semiconductor memory device includes a memory cell array including a plurality of memory cells, a peripheral circuit performing a program operation or erase operation of the memory cell array; and a control logic controlling the peripheral circuit. The control logic controls the peripheral circuit such that a first program allowable voltage applied to bit lines of the memory cell array during a first program operation of the program operation and a second program allowable voltage applied during a second program operation of the program operation are different from each other.
US09679638B2 Semiconductor device and method of operating the same
A semiconductor device and a method of operating the same are provided. The method includes performing a program operation on a memory cell so that a threshold voltage of the memory cell is greater than a main verifying voltage, and while the program operation is performed, a bit line voltage applied to a bit line connected to the memory cell gradually increases based on the threshold voltage of the memory cell and the number of times a program voltage is applied to a word line connected to the memory cell.
US09679637B1 Single-ended memory device with differential sensing
A memory device includes a first memory array comprising a first bit cell and a second bit cell that are configured to provide a first reference signal and a second reference signal, respectively; a second memory array comprising a third bit cell that is configured to store a first logical state; a reference signal provision (RSP) unit, coupled to the first memory array, and configured to short the first and second reference signals so as to provide an averaged reference signal; and a sensing amplifier, coupled between the RSP unit and the second memory array, and configured to use the averaged reference signal to read out the first logical state stored by the third bit cell.
US09679631B2 Systems and methods involving multi-bank, dual- or multi-pipe SRAMs
Systems and methods are disclosed for increasing the performance of static random access memory (SRAM). Various systems herein, for example, may include or involve dual- or multi-pipe, multi-bank SRAMs, such as Quad-B2 SRAMs. In one illustrative implementation, there is provided an SRAM memory device including a memory array comprising a plurality of SRAM banks and pairs of separate and distinct pipes associated with each of the SRAM banks, wherein each pair of pipes may provide independent access to its associated SRAM bank.
US09679627B2 Write verify programming of a memory device
A memory device is configured to identify a set of bit cells to be changed from a first state to a second state. In some examples, the memory device may apply a first voltage to the set of bit cells to change a least a first portion of the set of bit cells to the second state. In some cases, the memory device may also identify a second portion of the bit cells that remained in the first state following the application of the first voltage. In these cases, the memory device may apply a second voltage having a greater magnitude, duration, or both to the second portion of the set of bit cells in order to set the second portion of bit cells to the second state.
US09679626B2 Self-referenced magnetic random access memory
The present disclosure concerns a magnetic random access memory cell containing a magnetic tunnel junction formed from an insulating layer comprised between a sense layer and a storage layer. The present disclosure also concerns a method for writing and reading the memory cell comprising, during a write operation, switching a magnetization direction of said storage layer to write data to said storage layer and, during a read operation, aligning magnetization direction of said sense layer in a first aligned direction and comparing said write data with said first aligned direction by measuring a first resistance value of said magnetic tunnel junction. The disclosed memory cell and method allow for performing the write and read operations with low power consumption and an increased speed.
US09679613B1 TFD I/O partition for high-speed, high-density applications
A microelectronic package can include a substrate having first and second surfaces, first, second, and third microelectronic elements each having a surface facing the first surface, terminals exposed at the second surface, and leads electrically connected between contacts of each microelectronic element and the terminals. The substrate can have first, second, and third spaced-apart apertures having first, second, and third parallel axes extending in directions of the lengths of the apertures. The contacts of the first, second, and third microelectronic elements can be aligned with one of the first, second, or third apertures. The terminals can include first and second sets of first terminals configured to carry address information. The first set can be connected with the first and third microelectronic elements and not with the second microelectronic element, and the second set can be connected with the second microelectronic element and not with the first or third microelectronic elements.
US09679601B2 Post-write scan operations for interlaced magnetic recording
A storage device includes a data degradation management module that tracks a risk of data degradation by incrementing a track write counter of a first data track responsive to each data write command to a second data track, such as a data track directly adjacent to the first data track. If a count of the track write counter exceeds a count threshold, one or more post-write scan operations are performed to assess and/or repair data degradation of the first data track.
US09679600B2 Mechanical pre-fetching of cold storage media
Some embodiments include a cold storage system that processes an input/output (I/O) request. The cold storage system can have a buffer rack and one or more archival storage racks. The buffer rack can be closer to an I/O drive of the cold storage system than the archival storage racks. The cold storage system can operate a fetcher robot to pre-fetch a first data storage medium from the archival storage racks to the buffer rack. The cold storage system can operate a buffer robot to move a second data storage medium from a slot in the buffer rack to the I/O drive. The cold storage system can execute, according to the I/O request, an I/O operation on the second data storage medium at the I/O drive.
US09679599B1 Adaptive field adjustment of transducer power levels
Method and apparatus adaptively adjusting power levels of a data transducer in a data storage device. In some embodiments, an initial power value is applied to a powered element of a transducer to write user data from a host device to a rotatable data recording medium. An exception condition is declared responsive to a measured parameter. The transducer is used to read data from an evaluation track using a range of different input power values for the powered element. A different, new power value is selected for the powered element responsive to an error rate associated with each of the range of different input power values, with the new power value being lower than the initial power value. Thereafter, the new power value is applied to the powered element during a subsequent writing of user data to the rotatable data recording medium.
US09679596B2 Protection of a magnetic disk unit on a portable computing device
A portable computing device prevents a magnetic disk unit protecting function from impairing usability for a user when the processor is used as a tablet PC. The portable computing device includes a magnetic disk unit, a magnetic disk unit protecting section operable when predicting an occurrence of an impact to carry out a magnetic disk unit protecting function for retracting a head of the magnetic disk unit, and a detecting section that detects whether a user is holding the portable computing device or not, and responsive to detecting that the user is holding the portable computing device, temporarily deactivating the magnetic disk unit protecting function.
US09679594B1 Reflector configured to prevent reflection from a recording medium to an energy source
An apparatus includes a waveguide that has a core between the first and second cladding layers. A near-field transducer in the first cladding layer is configured to receive the energy from the waveguide and deliver the energy to a recording medium. A reflector in the second cladding layer is configured to reduce reflection of the energy from the recording medium back to an energy source.
US09679590B2 Magnetic devices including film structures
A device including a magnetic structure, the magnetic structure having a substrate adjacent surface and a second, opposing surface, the magnetic structure having a near field transducer (NFT), wherein the NFT includes gold or an alloy thereof, and is positioned at the second surface an overcoat structure; and a film structure, the film structure positioned between the magnetic structure and the overcoat structure, the film structure having a total thickness of not greater than about 100 Å, and the film structure including: a first interfacial structure having a first and a second opposing surface; a second interfacial structure having a first and a second opposing surface; and an intermediate structure wherein the first surface of the first interfacial structure is positioned adjacent the NFT of the magnetic structure, and the second surface of the second interfacial structure is positioned adjacent the overcoat structure, and the intermediate structure is positioned between the first interfacial structure and the second interfacial structure, and wherein the first interfacial structure includes one or more rare earth elements, one or more alkaline earth metals, one or more alkali metals, or a combination thereof.
US09679589B2 Magnetoresistive sensor with enhanced uniaxial anisotropy
A read sensor that includes a free layer having a magnetization that changes according to an external magnetic field. The read sensor also includes an additional magnetic layer and a non-magnetic layer. The non-magnetic layer may include a corrugated surface facing the additional magnetic layer. The corrugated surface is configured to enhance uniaxial anisotropy in the read sensor.
US09679588B1 Corrosion resistance in air bearing surfaces
A structure includes an air bearing surface including a plurality of material layers arranged in at least one dimension on the air bearing surface. The structure further includes a microelectronic device and a resistive heating element, which each include at least one of the plurality of material layers. The resistive heating element is electrically isolated from the microelectronic device. The microelectronic device is heated by said resistive heating element. Optionally, a structure includes a tape reader or a tape writer, located at an air bearing surface. A resistive heating element is electrically isolated from the tape reader or writer and heats the tape reader or the tape writer. Optionally, a method includes identifying a microelectronic device located at an air bearing surface, identifying a resistive heating element, which is electrically isolated from the microelectronic device, applying a bias current through the resistive heating element to heat the microelectronic device.
US09679584B1 Method of matching a digitized stream of audio signals to a known audio recording
A system and method matches a digitized stream of audio signals to a known audio recording by receiving an audio stream from an application. The method performs signal analysis on sound and silence in the audio stream to compute a stream audio print of the audio stream, to identify a pattern associated with the audio stream. The method compares the stream audio print to one or more known audio prints from a library of known audio prints. The method first applies a silence constraint to match periods of silence. If application of the silence constraint is successful, the method computes a total scoring metric function to identify a match between the stream audio print and the known audio print. The total scoring metric function employs a scoring metric function that is computed at a subset of temporal points in the non-silent portion of the audio stream audio print.
US09679574B2 Methods for watermarking media data
Methods are provided for encoding watermark information into media data containing a series of digital samples in a sample domain. The methods involve: dividing the series of digital samples into a plurality of sections in the sample domain, each section comprising a corresponding plurality of samples; processing the corresponding plurality of samples in each section to obtain a single energy value associated with each section; grouping the sections into groups, each group containing three or more sections; for each group, assigning a nominal bit value according to a bit assignment rule, assigning a watermark bit value and comparing the watermark bit value to the nominal bit value. If the nominal bit value and the watermark bit value do not match, modifying one or more energy values of one or more corresponding sections in the group where re-application of the bit assignment rule would assign the watermark bit value to the group.
US09679571B2 Encoder and encoding method for multi-channel signal, and decoder and decoding method for multi-channel signal
An encoder and an encoding method for a multi-channel signal, and a decoder and a decoding method for a multi-channel signal are disclosed. A multi-channel signal may be efficiently processed by consecutive downmixing or upmixing.
US09679560B2 Server-side ASR adaptation to speaker, device and noise condition via non-ASR audio transmission
A mobile device is adapted for automatic speech recognition (ASR). A user interface for interaction with a user includes an input microphone for obtaining speech inputs from the user for automatic speech recognition, and an output interface for system output to the user based on ASR results that correspond to the speech input. A local controller obtains a sample of non-ASR audio from the input microphone for ASR-adaptation to channel-specific ASR characteristics, and then provides a representation of the non-ASR audio to a remote ASR server for server-side adaptation to the channel-specific ASR characteristics, and then provides a representation of an unknown ASR speech input from the input microphone to the remote ASR server for determining ASR results corresponding to the unknown ASR speech input, and then provides the system output to the output interface.
US09679555B2 Systems and methods for measuring speech signal quality
A method for measuring speech signal quality by an electronic device is described. The method includes obtaining a modified single-channel speech signal. The method also includes estimating multiple objective distortions based on the modified single-channel speech signal. The multiple objective distortions include at least one foreground distortion and at least one background distortion. The method further includes estimating a foreground quality and a background quality based on the multiple objective distortions. The method additionally includes estimating an overall quality based on the foreground quality and the background quality.
US09679552B2 Active reduction of harmonic noise from multiple noise sources
A system and method for reducing harmonic noise caused by two or more noise sources by causing one or more loudspeakers to produce sounds that are at about the same frequencies as the noise and of substantially opposite phase. There is a noise canceller associated with each noise source. Each noise canceller includes a harmonic sine wave generator that generates an output sine wave. Each noise canceller also has an adaptive filter that uses a sine wave to create a noise reduction signal that is used to drive one or more transducers with their outputs directed to reduce noise caused by the noise sources. There is an overlap detector that compares the harmonic frequencies and, based on their proximity, alters the operation of one or more adaptive filters.
US09679548B1 String instrument fabricated from an electronic device having a bendable display
A string instrument that includes a bendable electronic display associated with an electronic device that is bent into a bowed shape. There are external strings that extend across the bow, a camera and a non-transitory storage medium that stores instructions to: form a plurality of virtual strings embedded in the bendable electronic display and associated with the plurality of external strings; receive input from the camera to identify a resting position of each of the external strings and identify a movement of each of the external strings from the resting position; responsive to input received from the camera, map the movement in the external strings to a corresponding movement of the virtual strings; and output the corresponding movement of the virtual strings to produce a sound.
US09679534B2 Emission unit brightness adjustment
An electronic device includes a display including an emission unit, a light sensor configured to generate a signal indicative of ambient light level, a memory in which filtering instructions and emission control instructions are stored, and a processor configured to implement the filtering instructions to generate at least one filtered representation of the ambient light level in accordance with the signal. The processor is further configured to implement the emission control instructions to determine whether the ambient light level is increasing or decreasing, and to generate a control signal that, based on the at least one filtered representation, increases a brightness level of the emission unit at a first rate if the ambient light level is increasing and that decreases the brightness level at a second rate if the ambient light level is decreasing. The first rate is greater than the second rate.
US09679533B2 Illumination apparatus with image projection
An illumination apparatus includes: an illumination light setter which sets illumination light for illuminating an illumination area which includes at least one of a space or an object; an image light setter which sets image light for projecting a projection image which includes at least one of a graphic or a character; and a light projector which emits the illumination light set by the illumination light setter, and projects the image light set by the image light setter.
US09679523B2 Controller for persistent display panel with SIMD module that transposes waveform data
A controller for a persistent display device has an overall table of waveform data corresponding to different transitions of pixels from all pixel states to all others for differing operating parameters. A hardware LUT module receives input values containing new and current pixel state data and indexes to identify update requests, stores in LUT table memory space mapping values that are segments of waveform data generated in run time according to the operating parameters of each update request, and places segments of waveform data corresponding to the update requests into LUT output memory space. A SIMD module transposes waveform data of the update requests from the LUT output memory space, and places the transposed waveform data in respective frame scan buffers. An interface receives the transposed waveform data for the display device to update an image displayed on the panel.
US09679522B2 Frequency domain processing of image used to drive multi-pixel lighting device output
A lighting system uses a multi-pixel lighting matrix, for example, having an n by m pixel matrix of light emitters, to provide illumination from a ceiling or wall. Instead of using an actual image or video, which may be distracting, the examples in this case manipulate a frequency domain representation, for example, in Fourier transform space. The representation is transformed to real time image space, to drive the matrix of the lighting device. Manipulation in the frequency domain can maintain image characteristics suitable to an intended illumination application yet produce an output illumination image on the matrix that is less obviously an image of an object and less likely to draw unnecessary attention from an occupant of the illuminated space.
US09679518B2 Display device
A display device includes a display unit in which a plurality of pixel circuits are disposed, each of the pixel circuits includes: a first switching element; a second switching element; and a control line which is connected to a gate electrode of the first switching element, and transmits a first control signal which controls switching ON and OFF of the first switching element, and the display device comprises: a first capacitive electrode that is part of the control line; and a second capacitive electrode which is opposite to the first capacitive electrode and is connected to a gate electrode of the second switching element, wherein a first capacitor is formed between the first capacitive electrode and the second capacitive electrode.
US09679515B2 LED driving circuit and control system
A Light-Emitting Diode (LED) driving circuit and a control system includes: a driving control circuit and a constant current channel group circuit, wherein the driving control circuit includes: a logic control circuit and a clock delay circuit; the logic control circuit is connected with the constant current channel group circuit, and is configured to control the ordered switching-on or switching-off of the constant current channel group circuit by virtue of a data control signal; and the clock delay circuit is connected with the logic control circuit, configured to acquire a timing control signal synchronous with the data control signal and output the timing control signal and integrated in the LED driving circuit.
US09679512B2 Shift register and driving method thereof, gate driving circuit, display apparatus
A shift register and driving method thereof, gate driving circuit, and display apparatus are provided. The shift register comprises: first input module configured to pull up potential of first node under the effect of signal received by input terminal; output module configured to pull up potential of output terminal under the effect of the potential of the first node; reset module configured to pull down the potential of the first node under the effect of signal received by reset terminal; and output pulling-down module configured to pull down the potential of the output terminal under the effect of first clock signal, wherein the above identified modules are connected to the first node; and second input module configured to connect the input terminal to the first node within operation time of the first input module and the output pulling-down module under the effect of the first clock signal.
US09679509B2 Positive feedback enhanced switching equalizer with output pole tuning
A switched equalizer for equalizing the frequency response of a channel with high-frequency attenuation. In one embodiment the differential input of the equalizer is fed to a switch that interchanges the complementary signals at the differential input, changing the sign of the received signal, at each transition of a clock at the Nyquist frequency. The switched signal is filtered by a low-pass filter with positive feedback enhancement at DC gain and digitized by a sense amplifier, and the digital output of the sense amplifier is inverted during every half-cycle of clock at the Nyquist frequency, restoring the sign of the input signal.
US09679507B2 Drive integrated circuit package and display device including the same
Provided is a drive integrated circuit package including: bumps configured to be coupled to test pads on a display panel to form coupling portions; a drive integrated circuit including a constant current source configured to provide a constant current to each of the coupling portions; and a voltage measurer configured to measure a voltage difference between terminals of each of the coupling portions.
US09679500B2 Physical-virtual patient bed system
A patient simulation system for healthcare training is provided. The system includes one or more interchangeable shells comprising a physical anatomical model of at least a portion of a patient's body, the shell adapted to be illuminated from behind to provide one or more dynamic images viewable on the outer surface of the shells; a support system adapted to receive the shells via a mounting system, wherein the system comprises one or more image units adapted to render the one or more dynamic images viewable on the outer surface of the shells; one or more interface devices located about the patient shells to receive input and provide output; and one or more computing units in communication with the image units and interface devices, the computing units adapted to provide an interactive simulation for healthcare training.
US09679495B2 Systems and methods for computerized interactive training
Interactive electronic training systems and methods are described herein. Certain embodiments provide preprogrammed video, audio, and/or textual presentations of training materials which provide information related to skills/information to be trained. A scenario including real or animated actors is presented, simulating an interaction. The training system presents related queries for the trainee who audibly responds. The training system stores a score based in part on a comparison of the trainee's response with an answer stored in training system memory. Optionally, the scores are substantially immediately presented by the system to the trainee.
US09679494B2 Performance monitoring systems and methods
Systems and methods for electronically providing coaching feedback to a user during an athletic activity are disclosed. The method may include receiving electronic data, collecting second electronic data, generating comparison electronic speed data by comparing the second electronic speed data to the first electronic speed data, prompting the user.
US09679489B2 Ride chaining
A system for determining a dispatch includes an input interface, a processor, and an output interface. The input interface is to receive a request for a first pickup including a first pickup location and a first destination. The processor is configured to determining a driver to dispatch to the first pickup location. The output interface is to provide a first pickup indication to the driver to go to the first pickup location. The input interface is further to receive a first pickup arrival indication indicating the driver arrived at the first pickup location. The output interface is further to provide a first destination indication indicating to the driver to go to the first destination. The input interface is further to receive a request for a second pickup including a second pickup location and a second destination.
US09679485B2 Determining a parking position based on visual and non-visual factors
A computer-implemented method includes: receiving, by a computing device, images of adjacent vehicles parked directly adjacent to an open parking space; determining, by the computing device, visual factors and non-visual factors of the adjacent vehicles based on the images; determining, by the computing device, risk scores for each of the adjacent vehicles based on the visual factor and the non-visual factors; determining, by the computing device, a parking position within the open parking space based on the risk scores; and outputting, by the computing device, information regarding the parking position.
US09679482B2 Road and path lighting system
A road and path lighting system having a lighting apparatus including a projection unit for projecting signals onto a projection area, and a communications module designed to control the projection unit on the basis of incoming input signals. The system also includes a lighting apparatus having a light source, a transmission unit, and a communications module for actuating the light source on the basis of data which is transmitted by the transmission unit, and a wireless data communications unit by which the transmission unit is connected wirelessly to a receiver of the communications module. The transmission unit preferably has an independent energy source. The transmission unit can also be designed as a sensor unit having a sensor, the sensor unit being provided on the lighting apparatus, in particular on the outside thereof. Further disclosed is, a method for outputting signals of the road and path lighting system.
US09679481B2 Systems and methods for variable detection based on traffic counter input
In an Electronic Article Surveillance (“EAS”) system a response is detected to an electromagnetic field. The response is caused by one or more objects present within the surveillance zone and an alarm condition is then selectively generated in accordance with one or more detection algorithms. A speed of a person traveling through the surveillance zone is measured, and if the speed exceeds a threshold then at least one characteristic of the detection algorithm(s) is varied to decrease a rigor of the detection algorithm.
US09679477B2 Vehicle and control method thereof
Disclosed is a vehicle, which senses a speed of the vehicle using a speed sensor unit and also senses a vehicle-to-vehicle distance between the vehicle and a first vehicle immediately ahead of the vehicle using a distance sensor unit and then determines a state of the vehicle based on the speed of the vehicle and the vehicle-to-vehicle distance. In this case, when the vehicle is in a first state, the vehicle displays a first image captured by a first camera unit on a first display unit. In addition, when the vehicle is in a second state, the vehicle displays a second image captured by a second camera unit on the first display unit. Here, the second camera unit is a camera unit stalled in a second vehicle, and the second vehicle being any one of one or more vehicles ahead of the vehicle.
US09679475B1 System and method for smart, rational and collaborative location tracking for trip planners
Methods and systems for collaborative location tracking. Commuters can be organized into a group according to commuter client devices (e.g., smartphones, tablet computing devices, etc.) respectively associated with the commuters. The commuter client devices are tracked as a group rather than individually and based on power efficient context-aware location data derived from the commuter client devices and a generated trip plan in association with data indicative of real-time dynamics so that power usage of individual commuter client devices is rationally minimized.
US09679474B2 Other-vehicle detection apparatus, driving assistance apparatus, and other-vehicle detection method
An other-vehicle detection apparatus includes: a sound source device mounted on a first vehicle and configured to output a non-audible region sound of a predetermined frequency range set in advance; a sound collection device mounted on the first vehicle and configured to collect sound information around the first vehicle; and a distinction device configured to distinguish a second vehicle based on a non-audible region sound included in the sound information collected by the sound collection device of the first vehicle.
US09679469B2 Remote control circuit
A remote control circuit includes a rectifying filter circuit coupled to an alternating current (AC) power source, a power supply module connected to the rectifying filter circuit; a leakage energy collecting circuit connected to the rectifying filter circuit; a remote control signal receiving circuit connected to the leakage energy collecting circuit; and a switch circuit connected to the remote control signal receiving circuit and the power supply module. When the remote control signal receiving circuit receives a remote power on signal, the remote control signal receiving circuit outputs a first signal to the switch circuit, and the switch circuit switches on the power supply module. When the remote control signal receiving circuit receives a remote power off signal, the remote control signal receiving circuit outputs a second signal to the switch circuit, the switch circuit switches off the power supply module.
US09679461B2 Safety device
A pre-crush sensor module for use with a safety device for an aerial lift having a basket or cage. The pre-crush sensor module having removably attachable sensor which provide a detection zone wherein the sensors detect obstacles. The sensor module also having an operator warning system and a relay to connect the sensors to the safety device.
US09679460B2 Monitoring system
An alert mode designation unit that sets an alert state when a mobile phone terminal is not located inside a communication zone with a master device, and sets an alert release state when the mobile phone terminal is located inside the communication zone with the master device, and an alarm output unit that outputs an alarm if detection information from a sensor indicates an abnormal state when the alert state is set by the alert mode designation unit are included in the master device, and the alarm output unit does not output the alarm when the alert release state is set by the alert mode designation unit.
US09679459B2 Distracting module system
A distracting module system includes a hydro pneumatic solution tank, a valve, a nozzle, a controller and a detecting system. The controller is programmed to receive a sensor alert signal from the detecting system and send an activation signal to the valve to regulate and control fluid movement from the hydro pneumatic solution tank through the valve and to the nozzle, and to deliver information related to the sensor alert signal and the activation signal to third party devices.
US09679448B2 Control and monitoring of battery-backed emergency lighting systems
The present disclosure is directed to a method, non-transitory computer readable medium and apparatus for remotely receiving information from and configuring a battery-backed emergency lighting system. In one embodiment, the method includes establishing a wireless communication session with a web server via a wireless fidelity (WiFi) connection, receiving a request for information related to the battery-backed emergency lighting system and a request to change a configuration of the battery-backed emergency lighting system over the wireless communication session, configuring the battery-backed emergency lighting system in accordance with the request to change the configuration and sending the information that is requested.
US09679441B2 Gaming device providing an award based on a count of outcomes which meets a condition
Methods and apparatus for providing an award based on a multiplicity of game outcomes. In one implementation the invention provides a method for providing a game. The method includes placing a bet by a player, playing of a game to produce a game outcome, evaluating a primary game outcome, paying a direct award if the primary outcome merits it, advancing a bonus accumulator if the primary outcome merits it, and if the bonus accumulator has advanced sufficiently, paying a bonus award to the player and clearing the bonus accumulator.
US09679411B2 Hardware management and reconstruction using visual graphics
In an approach for updating instructions of machine repairs to a user interface, a processor populates a quantity of machine components used to construct a machine model. A processor receives the machine model constructed from the quantity of machine components. A processor couples the machine model with a set of vital product data. A processor associates a set of instructions for a repair procedure with the machine model and the vital product data file. A processor generates a visual representation of the repair procedure specific to the machine model.
US09679409B2 System and method for simulating realistic clothing
Systems, methods, and computer-readable storage media for simulating realistic clothing. The system generates a clothing deformation model for a clothing type, wherein the clothing deformation model factors a change of clothing shape due to rigid limb rotation, pose-independent body shape, and pose-dependent deformations. Next, the system generates a custom-shaped garment for a given body by mapping, via the clothing deformation model, body shape parameters to clothing shape parameters. The system then automatically dresses the given body with the custom-shaped garment.
US09679404B2 Techniques for dynamic layout of presentation tiles on a grid
Techniques for an electronic montage system are described. An apparatus may comprise a logic device arranged to execute a montage application comprising a presentation component. The presentation component may be operative to detect when a display size or resolution has changed from one used for an original layout of a montage. The presentation component may reposition, or reflow, the tiles in the montage in the changed display in a way that preserves the spatial characteristics of the tiles to each other. An authoring component may reflow tiles automatically when a tile is deleted from a montage to minimize blank space between tiles. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US09679402B1 System and method for rapidly assessing system components with gauges
A method includes determining utilization metrics and range data for each of a plurality of system components and formatting for display a list comprising the plurality of system components and respective component attributes of the system components. The component attributes include the respective utilization metrics over a selected time range. The method further includes determining, using a processor, a selected system component based on a cursor position with respect to the list of system components and, in response to determining the selected system component, formatting for display a gauge indicative of the selected system component. The gauge includes an average utilization of the selected system component over the selected time range. The gauge also includes the range data that includes a minimum utilization of the selected system component over the selected time range and a maximum utilization of the selected system component over the selected time range.
US09679401B2 Generalized scatter plots
Color cell-based data placement systems, methods, and computer-readable storage media that visualize large amounts of multidimensional data on an output by rearranging data objects to variably grant more output space to areas with high data density and less output space to areas with low data density, and to variably rearrange overlapping data objects based on a number of data objects already placed at a preferred cell position for the data object.
US09679398B2 Rendering images using color contribution values of render elements
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for rendering an image. One of the methods includes, for each of a plurality of pixels of the image: maintaining current color data for each of a plurality of render elements generated by sampling color contribution values for the render element for the pixel; determining, for each of the plurality of render elements, whether or not to sample another color contribution value for the render element from the current color data for the render element for the pixel and the current color data for the render element for one or more pixels that neighbor the pixel in the image; and sampling a new color contribution value only for the render elements for which it was determined to sample another contribution value.
US09679391B2 Image pickup system and image pickup method
An image pickup system is an image pickup system in which an image pickup section and a confirmation section that displays a picked-up image from the image pickup section are separable, the image pickup system including: a first motion determination section that determines a motion of the image pickup section; a second motion determination section that determines a motion of the confirmation section; and a control section that controls at least one of the image pickup section and the confirmation section by obtaining a relationship between the motion of the image pickup section and the motion of the confirmation section based on determination results of the first and second motion determination sections.
US09679387B2 Depth-weighted group-wise principal component analysis for video foreground/background separation
A method separates foreground from background in a sequence of images, by first acquiring the sequence of images and a depth map of a scene by a camera. Groups of pixels are determined based on the depth map. Then, the sequence of images is decomposed into a sparse foreground component, and a low rank background component, according to apparent motion in the sequence of images, and the groups.
US09679383B2 Display control apparatus displaying image
An image capture apparatus 1 is equipped with: a CPU 11 that acquires a plurality of images; a normalization unit 54 that performs normalization such that an area of at least one of a plurality of acquired images satisfies a predetermined criterion; and a display control unit 56 that performs control such that a plurality of images including the images normalized by the normalization unit 54 are displayed in an output unit 19.
US09679375B2 Ovarian follicle segmentation in ultrasound images
A method includes constructing a variation image from an ovarian follicle B-mode ultrasound image, wherein the variation image is indicative of local variations in the ovarian follicle B-mode ultrasound image, constructing a binary image from the variation image and the ovarian follicle B-mode image, identifying connected components in the binary image, wherein each connected component corresponds to a different ovarian follicle candidate, constructing a coarse follicle mask from the binary image where each identified connected component represents a mask for a corresponding different ovarian follicle candidate in the binary image, optimizing contours of the follicles in the coarse follicle mask, and segmenting one or more ovarian follicles from the ovarian follicle B-mode ultrasound image with the optimized follicle mask.
US09679368B2 Radiographic image processing device, radiographic image processing method, and recording medium
A radiographic image processing device includes: an image acquisition section that acquires a subject image detected by a shielded detection portion and a non-shielded detection portion; an area information acquisition section that acquires area information which is information for specifying a non-shielded image area and a shielded image area; and a scattered ray suppression section that estimates spreading of scattered rays generated in a non-shielded subject portion, estimates that scattered rays that spread to the non-shielded image area from a shielded subject portion are not present, calculates a scattered ray component in each position in the non-shielded image area as the estimated scattered rays reach each position in the non-shielded image area, and suppresses the scattered ray component in each position in the non-shielded image area according to the calculated scattered ray component.
US09679366B2 Guided color grading for extended dynamic range
Novel methods and systems for color grading are disclosed. The color grading process for a visual dynamic range image can be guided by information relating to the color grading of other images such as the standard dynamic range image.
US09679363B1 System and method for reducing image noise
System and methods are provided for performing image noise reduction. Color estimation of a pixel in an image is performed, wherein the image is stored in a data structure in a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium and the pixel has an initial pixel value. A pixel-block size is selected for pixel block similarity calculations based at least in part on the color estimation. One or more first pixel blocks associated with the pixel of the selected pixel-block size are determined. One or more first pixel block average values for the one or more first pixel blocks are calculated. A weighted average of the first pixel block average values is calculated. The data structure is updated by replacing the initial pixel value of the pixel with the weighted average of the first pixel black average values.
US09679360B2 High-resolution light-field imaging
A relatively high-resolution image from a conventional camera can be computationally combined with a relatively low-resolution wavefront measurement from, for example, a Shack-Hartmann sensor in order to construct a relatively high-resolution light-field image.
US09679352B2 Method for operating a display device and system with a display device
A method for operating a display device Involves displaying at least one virtual object from a virtual observation position by virtual reality glasses, continuously detecting a position of the virtual reality glasses, determining, using the continuously detected position of the virtual reality glasses, whether the glasses are disposed in a specified region, and displaying the virtual object from the same virtual observation position by means of the display device as long as the virtual reality glasses are disposed in the specified region. A system includes virtual reality glasses.
US09679340B2 Multi-location learning-activity state management for distance education
A method for delivering distance education for real clients, each either a teacher client or a student client, at multiple teaching sites and a system using the method are provided. A multi-layer arrangement is used to arrange computing servers to be one first-level server and one or more second-level servers each communicable with the first-level server. Each server serves real clients located in a pre-determined site. Furthermore, each server sets up a virtual client to execute the teacher client's activity command so as to locally generate application-specific data, which are then stored in this server. When a communication link to a student client is re-established after an activity interruption, resynchronization of the student client's learning-activity state with the teacher client's is regained based on the locally-generated application-specific data stored in the server that serves the student client without a need to burden other servers.
US09679335B2 System and method for portfolio synchronization
A system and method for automated securities portfolio synchronization is provided. The system includes a lead trader account database, a follower account database, and a trade determination system. A follower provides a lead trader identification which is used to retrieve a lead trader portfolio from the lead trader account database for display to the Follower. The contents of the lead trader portfolio are compared to securities already owned by the follower and to a list of securities not to be purchased that is retrieved from the follower account database. The follower may then make adjustments to the lead trader portfolio and synchronize their portfolio to that of the lead trader.
US09679334B2 System and method for facilitating trading of multiple tradeable objects in an electronic trading environment
A system and method are provided for trading multiple tradeable objects. One example method includes displaying at least one combined quantity indicator representing a combined quantity associated with at least two tradeable objects, detecting an input associated with an order for a predetermined order quantity in relation to one of the combined quantity indicators, and allocating the order quantity between the at least two tradeable objects using at least one quantity allocation rule. In one example embodiment, a plurality of quantity allocation rules can be user-configurable, and different rules can be defined and applied in relation to different order types.
US09679333B2 Systems and methods for providing non-fully-transparent markets
Method and systems are provided herewith for providing non-fully-transparent markets that includes or involves the step or steps of receiving a request to reveal a bid or an offer, in which the request is submitted by a user of an electronic trading system; transmitting a price and a size that corresponds to the bid or the offer; waiting a pre-determined period of time; and executing the bid or the offer at a default price and a default size, in the event that the user does not submit a command to trade within the pre-determined period of time.
US09679330B2 Interface for enhanced continuity of browsing experience
Providing an online store interface that maintains continuity of a user browsing experience by layering a product view on top of referring product views or online-store pages such that a user can navigate back to the referring page without needing the previous page to reload, and re-navigate to the point the user left off. Providing the ability for an item preview to continue even when a user navigates the online store interface away from the preview page further preserves browsing continuity. The present technology also provides a mechanism for allowing users to specify favorite categories and have them listed as tabs in the user interface when the online store is browsed with an appropriate device.
US09679322B2 Secure messaging with user option to communicate with delivery or pickup representative
Systems and methods are disclosed for automated computer based notification systems. The systems and methods enable secure notification communication sessions. A representative method, among others that are disclosed herein, can be broadly summarized by the following steps: enabling a first party associated with a personal communication device (PCD) to input or select authentication information for use in connection with a subsequent notification communication session involving advance notice of a delivery or pickup of a good or service at a stop location by a mobile thing (MT); storing the authentication information; monitoring location or travel information in connection with the MT; causing initiation of the notification communication session to the PCD, in advance of arrival of the MT at the stop location, based at least in part upon the location or travel information associated with the MT; during the notification communication session, providing the authentication information to the PCD that indicates to the first party that the notification communication session was initiated by an authorized source; and during the notification communication session, enabling the first party to select whether or not to communicate with a second party having access to particulars of the pickup or delivery. An embodiment of a related system, among others, has a computer-based architecture with computer software, or code, that is stored in one or more memories and executed by one or more processors for performing the foregoing steps. Yet another embodiment of a related system can be implemented in software and/or hardware and has a means for performing each of the aforementioned steps.
US09679315B2 Systems and methods to bypass online advertisement blockers
Some embodiments provide an adblocking bypass system for ensuring that advertisements are loaded and presented on a user device running one or more adblockers. The adblocking bypass system is comprised of a bypass loader and a bypass proxy. The bypass loader is a component that is embedded within content publisher content. When the content publisher content is downloaded and parsed by a user device, the bypass loader executes by detecting the presence of any adblocker on the user device. If found, the bypass loader forwards any blocked advertisement calls to the bypass proxy. The bypass proxy retrieves the requested advertisements and returns them to the bypass loader which then reintroduces the advertisements in final content presentation or rendering. The bypass proxy may also modify the content publisher content by replacing any blocked advertisement calls embedded within the content with calls to the bypass proxy.
US09679314B1 Content selection using distribution parameter data
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for selecting content items for presentation along with publisher resources. In one aspect, a method includes receiving a request for a content item for presentation at a user device with a publisher resource; receiving, from a content item provider a first selection value for each of a plurality of content items provided by the content item provider; determining, for each of the content items and using accessed distribution parameters, a second selection value distinct from the first selection value; and determining, for each of the content items and independent of a bid corresponding to the content item, a combined selection value based on the first selection value for the content item and the second selection value for the content item.
US09679311B2 System and method for adding advertisements to a location-based advertising system
A location-based advertising system automatically analyzes messages posted on social networking systems or other publicly accessible or private computer systems for posting messages for viewing by others. The messages are analyzed to identify messages that contain offers, such as offers that may be construed as location-based offers. Information about the offers is extracted from the messages and placed in a database. The database may be used by a location-based advertising application to send advertisements to targeted users or to respond to user who are qualified according to their current or recent geographic location. Optionally or alternatively, merchants may send messages, such as e-mail messages or instant messages (IMs), to the system to notify the system of offers. These messages are also analyzed and information about their respective offers is extracted and placed in the database.
US09679308B2 Methods and systems for measuring brand uplift for search campaigns
Systems and methods for measuring brand uplift in a computer networked environment is provided. A data processing system can assign a first set of device identifiers to an experimental arm and a second set of device identifiers to a control arm. Computing devices associated with the experimental arm receive third-party content items promoting a brand for which a brand uplift experiment is performed, while computing devices associated with the control arm do not receive third-party content items promoting the brand. At the end of the experiment, a brand uplift metric value is computed by analyzing search query logs of the computing devices. The brand uplift metric value is then provided to an advertiser for display.
US09679306B2 Live advertisement preview display and distribution
A live advertisement (“ad”) preview may be used by an advertiser and/or publisher to ensure that an ad is displayed correctly and to maximize user interaction with the ad. The live ad preview may be provided before the general public has access to the ad. The live ad preview may include a display of the ad within a real-time version of a destination web page. The live ad preview of the ad in the destination web page may be distributed with a universal resource locator (“URL”) that may be distributed externally.
US09679303B1 Scratch cards and wagering game environments
A computerized method includes receiving, at an online wagering game establishment and from a number of persons, a link that comprises a request to play an electronic scratch card. The method includes presenting for play the electronic scratch card to the number of persons. The method includes dynamically assigning by the online wagering game establishment, results of the play of the electronic scratch card by the number of players, wherein the results comprise at least one of a loss or a win. The win comprises a bonus monetary amount. The bonus monetary amount is usable within the online wagering game establishment and non-usable external to the online wagering game establishment. The method includes outputting the results of the play of the electronic scratch card to the number of persons.
US09679300B2 Systems and methods for virtual agent recommendation for multiple persons
Systems, methods, and apparatus for implementing at least one virtual agent. In some embodiments, the at least one virtual agent is programmed to analyze first information regarding a first person; analyze second information regarding a second person different from the first person; and make a joint recommendation for a plurality of persons based at least in part on the first and second information, wherein the plurality of persons comprises the first person and the second person.
US09679296B2 Promotion code validation apparatus and method
A method including interacting with a promotion code provider programmatically, providing a promotion code to a validation function of the promotion code provider, and evaluating a response from the promotion code provider. The act of interacting with a promotion code provider can include controlling an interface that simulates user actions, such as but not limited to controlling an in-memory web browser through an API, where the API provides a set of functions for simulating user actions. Accordingly, the method can be used to quickly and easily determine whether one or more promotion codes, such as online coupons, are valid.
US09679293B1 Systems and methods for multifactor authentication
The invention provides a method for performing an authentication (and a system for performing the method), in conjunction with a transaction, utilizing a primary channel and a secondary channel. The method may include an authenticating entity, such as a bank, (1) receiving from a customer primary authentication information via a primary channel; (2) the authenticating entity processing the primary authentication information, and retrieving customer information based on the primary authentication information; (3) the authenticating entity transmitting secondary authentication information to the customer via a secondary channel, the secondary channel being different than the primary channel; (4) the authenticating entity receiving from the customer at least a portion of the secondary authentication information; and (5) the authenticating entity performing authentication processing on the secondary authentication information received from the customer. Based on the successful authentication of the primary authentication information and the secondary authentication information received from the customer, the authenticating entity approves the customer for the transaction.
US09679289B1 Hybrid device having a personal digital key and receiver-decoder circuit and methods of use
A hybrid device includes a personal digital key (PDK) and a receiver-decoder circuit (RDC). The PDK and RDC of the hybrid device are coupled for communication with each other. In one embodiment, the hybrid device also provides a physical interconnect for connecting to other devices to send and receive control signals and data, and receive power. The hybrid device operates in one of several modes including, PDK only, RDC only, or PDK and RDC. This allows a variety of system configurations for mixed operation including: PDK/RDC, RDC/RDC or PDK/PDK. The present invention also includes a number of system configurations for use of the hybrid device including: use of the hybrid device in a cell phone; simultaneous use of the PDK and the RDC functionality of hybrid device; use of multiple links of hybrid device to generate an authorization signal, use of multiple PDK links to the hybrid device to generate an authorization signal; and use of the hybrid device for authorization inheritance.
US09679283B2 Online purchase processing system and method
A system and method to use quick response (QR) codes encoded with merchant website identification codes and session GUID to register a user or code scanner with a merchant server, login the user or code scanner with the merchant server, and complete a purchase of an item or service within a virtual shopping cart of the merchant server. A code scanner can scan a QR code displayed on a device connected to the internet. An application server can receive an identification code from the code scanner and then transmit data indicating form fields to be filled in on a merchant webpage. A user profile can include data regarding the user and a payment instrument. The user profile data can prepopulate the form fields and the form field data can be transmitted to the merchant server to use for logging in the user and completing the purchase.
US09679280B2 Remote ordering system
A remote ordering system is provided using an electronic menu having a series of input devices associated with various menu items, and a wireless transmitter to send selected menu items to a receiving device for processing. A display to show selected menu items, an alpha-numeric keyboard, a non-cash payment device, and a printer for receipts are also contemplated for increased functionality. The menu may be remotely updated to reflect the customer's preferences or a change to the menu choices.
US09679277B2 System and method for processing closed loop cards at a merchant point of sale
Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and computer-readable storage media for redeeming a closed loop card/code funded with an amount of money. The system receives, at a merchant, an indication from a consumer of a desire to sell a closed loop account not issued by the merchant and receives a confirmation, via a computing device, of an amount of money in the closed loop account. The system presents the consumer with an offer to buy the closed loop account and receives from the consumer an acceptance of the offer. The system processes the closed loop account to yield a processed closed loop account such as by transferring the account to one of the merchant and an entity and applies a benefit to the consumer based on the processed closed loop account.
US09679274B1 Time proposals using variable access to time block information
Access to calendar data indicating the state of time blocks is varied according to visibility conditions associated with at least some of the time blocks. Parameters for a meeting are used to determine a state in which to indicate a block of time, which may conflict with the meeting. The state may be either an occupied or unoccupied state.
US09679268B2 Systems, methods, and computer program products for processing a package for shipping with a common carrier on a wireless computing device
Various embodiments of present invention provide systems, methods, and computer-program products containing executable code for processing a package for shipping with a common carrier. Various embodiments include a wireless computing device that may be one of several types of devices such as smartphones, mobile telephones, mobile computers, portable digital assistants, laptop computers, gaming devices, electronic tablets, or other types of similar devices. In particular embodiments, executable code is installed on the wireless computing device that, when executed, causes the device to perform certain functionality. For instance, in particular embodiments, the wireless computing device records an image of a shipping form being placed on a package, verifies the image is suitable for analysis and transmission, and extracts a tracking number from the image. Further, the wireless computing device transmits the image to a common carrier so that the carrier may process information extracted from the image to facilitate shipping the package.
US09679266B2 Systems and methods for intelligent batch processing of business events
Systems and methods are provided for intelligent batch processing of business events. An exemplary method includes accessing a business process having a plurality of events for execution, determining, using one or more hardware processors, a batch group for processing comprising at least one of the plurality of events, wherein the batch group is determined using a time delay for collecting the at least one of the plurality of events to determine the batch group, and submitting the batch group for processing the at least one of the plurality of events. The method may further include processing the batch group as a first transaction. Processing the first transaction may include determining a resource required by the at least one of the plurality of events and attempting to lock the resource for use during the processing the batch group.
US09679262B2 Image index routing
Apparatus for routing batch data to two or more vendors is provided. The apparatus may include a receiver configured to receive a first message from a queue manager. The first message may include a first message topic. The first message may also include a pre-routing database location. The pre-routing database location may be a location in a database where batch data is stored. The first message may also include batch data characteristics. The batch data characteristics may define characteristics of the stored batch data. The apparatus may also include a transmitter configured to transmit to a rules database the batch data characteristics. The apparatus may further include a receiver configured to receive a routing rule from the rules database. The routing rule may be based at least in part on the batch data characteristics.
US09679252B2 Application-controlled granularity for power-efficient classification
Systems and methods for providing application-controlled, power-efficient context (state) classification are described herein. An apparatus for performing context classification with adjustable granularity as described herein includes a classifier controller configured to receive a request for a context classification and a granularity input associated with the request; and a context classifier communicatively coupled to the classifier controller and configured to receive the request and the granularity input from the classifier controller, to select a resource usage level for the context classification based on the granularity input, wherein a granularity input indicating a higher granularity level is associated with a higher resource usage level and a granularity input indicating a lower granularity level is associated with a lower resource usage level, and to perform the context classification at the selected resource usage level.
US09679251B2 Augmented knowledge base and reasoning with uncertainties and/or incompleteness
A knowledge-based system under uncertainties and/or incompleteness, referred to as augmented knowledge base (AKB) is provided, including constructing, reasoning, analyzing and applying AKBs by creating objects in the form E→A, where A is a rule in a knowledgebase and E is a set of evidences that supports the rule A. A reasoning scheme under uncertainties and/or incompleteness is provided as augmented reasoning (AR).
US09679237B2 Board embedded with electronic device
The disclosed technology addresses the need in the art for a board embedded with an electronic device. In some embodiments, a board can be embedded with a Radio Frequency Emitting Device (RFED). The board can comprise at least a first layer and a second layer. The first layer can be made of a first paper based composite material and include at least a first enclosed cavity storing a RFED, wherein at least a portion of the first layer is coated with a moisture resistant material. The first layer can be affixed to the second layer that is made of a second material different than the first material, wherein at least a portion of the second layer is coated with the moisture resistant material.
US09679230B2 Print control apparatus, print control method, and non-transitory computer readable medium
A print control apparatus includes a setting unit. The setting unit selects one or more statuses to be obtained among statuses indicating states of as image output apparatus, in accordance with content displayed on a display that displays the selected statuses. The setting unit sets a polling interval at which polling is performed to obtain the selected statuses, in accordance with a frequency of change of the selected statuses. The setting unit sets the number of parallel processes in accordance with the number of selected statuses.
US09679229B2 Credential production device card substrate rotator
Some embodiments of a card rotator include a card receptacle, a feed roller, and a motor. The card receptacle is configured to rotate about a pivot access that is approximately perpendicular to a plane of a card substrate supported by the card receptacle. The feed roller is configured to discharge a card substrate from the card receptacle. The feed roller has an axis of rotation that is approximately perpendicular to the pivot axis. The motor is configured to drive rotation of the card receptacle about the pivot axis relative to the axis of rotation of the feed roller.
US09679220B2 Method, apparatus and computer program product for disparity estimation in images
In an example embodiment, a method, apparatus and computer program product are provided. The method includes facilitating receipt of an image of a scene and determining a graph based on connecting nodes of the image. The nodes are either pixels or superpixels of the image. The graph is determined by determining one or more connections of a node to one or more nodes belonging to a pre-defined image region around the node in the image. The connections are associated with edge weights that are determined based on at least one of similarity parameters and spatial distances between the node and the one or more nodes. The method includes determining disparity values at the nodes of the image based at least on performing tree based aggregation of a cost volume on the graph, where the cost volume is associated with the image and at least one view image of the scene.
US09679215B2 Systems and methods for machine control
A region of space may be monitored for the presence or absence of one or more control objects, and object attributes and changes thereto may be interpreted as control information provided as input to a machine or application. In some embodiments, the region is monitored using a combination of scanning and image-based sensing.
US09679198B2 Ingestion plan based on table uniqueness
Embodiments of the present invention disclose a method, computer program product, and system for a computer implemented method for processing tabular data. In various embodiments, an electronic document is received through a network, along with associated metadata. A plurality of table markers, or tabular data markers, are identified, in response to analyzing the received electronic document for said markers. References and citations associated with the plurality of tabular data markers are identified. A graphical representation of the relationship between identified tabular data markers and the identified references is generated. A uniqueness score is calculated, based on the generated graph and an ingestion plan is generated for the received electronic documents based on the calculated uniqueness score value.
US09679192B2 3-dimensional portrait reconstruction from a single photo
Systems and methods are disclosed herein for 3-Dimensional portrait reconstruction from a single photo. A face portion of a person depicted in a portrait photo is detected and a 3-Dimensional model of the person depicted in the portrait photo constructed. In one embodiment, constructing the 3-Dimensional model involves fitting hair portions of the portrait photo to one or more helices. In another embodiment, constructing the 3-Dimensional model involves applying positional and normal boundary conditions determined based on one or more relationships between face portion shape and hair portion shape. In yet another embodiment, constructing the 3-Dimensional model involves using shape from shading to capture fine-scale details in a form of surface normals, the shape from shading based on an adaptive albedo model and/or a lighting condition estimated based on shape fitting the face portion.
US09679190B2 Method and apparatus for collecting an electronic signature on a first device and incorporating the signature into a document on a second device
Disclosed embodiments are directed to systems and methods for linking more than one electronic device together to enable collection of an electronic signature or other information on a first device and incorporation of that signature or information into a document on a second device.
US09679185B2 Biometric identification device having sensing electrodes with multiple connection selections
A biometric identification device having sensing electrodes with multiple connection selections includes a plurality of sensing electrodes disposed on a surface of a substrate, each sensing electrode corresponding to a data readout selector and at least one reference voltage selector. The data readout selector has a first terminal connected to the sensing electrode and a second terminal connected to a corresponding data readout select trace. The reference voltage selector has a first terminal connected to the first terminal of the data readout selector and a second terminal connected to a corresponding reference voltage select trace. A control unit divides the sensing electrodes into at least one sensing area and at least one non-sensing area by means of the data readout selectors, the data readout select traces, the reference voltage selectors, and the reference voltage select traces.
US09679184B2 Acoustic wave fingerprint recognition unit and method for manufacturing thereof
The present disclosure provides an acoustic wave fingerprint recognition unit including a sensor circuit substrate, a film adhesive layer positioned on the sensor circuit substrate, a piezoelectric material layer positioned on the film adhesive layer and a protection layer positioned on the piezoelectric material layer. The film adhesive layer is formed of a film adhesive material, and the film adhesive material is composed of a film adhesive agent and an organic solvent. The film adhesive agent is an epoxy resin, and the organic solvent is a C3-C8 and carbonyl-containing organic solvent. The solid content of the film adhesive agent in the film adhesive material is in a range of 1%-90%. A method for manufacturing the acoustic wave fingerprint recognition unit is also provided herein.
US09679183B2 Finger biometric sensor including drive signal level updating and related methods
A finger biometric sensor may include an array of finger biometric sensing pixels and processing circuitry coupled thereto. The processing circuitry may be capable of acquiring initial data from the array based upon an initial drive signal level and with a finger positioned adjacent the array, and determining an updated drive signal level based upon the initial data. The processing circuitry may also be capable of acquiring finger biometric data from the array of finger biometric sensing pixels based upon the updated drive signal level and with the finger positioned adjacent the array.
US09679179B2 Method for processing information from a hand-held scanning device
A method implemented on a mobile device for selecting information on a paper document using a hand-held scanning device. The method provides an interface to the user, receives information from the hand-held pen scanning device connected to the mobile device and determines if the received information is valid information for the type of information to be selected. The invention further relates to using a remote computer for performing image processing and data extraction when more powerful resources are needed.
US09679174B2 System for the dynamic reading of data from transponders
A system is provided for dynamically reading data from transponders of tires disposed laterally on a same side of a vehicle. The system includes antennas, a sensor for each antenna, a reader, a controllable switch, and a programmable logic controller. The antennas are arranged to receive data transmitted by the transponders. Each sensor is positioned upstream of an effective reading area covered by a corresponding one of the antennas, and each sensor transmits a signal associated with passage of a tire. The reader is arranged to couple to the antennas in order to read and store data from the transponders. The switch is positioned between the antennas and the reader to provide a selective coupling between the reader and each of the antennas. The controller controls the switch as a function of wheel-passage sensor signals.
US09679173B2 Apparatuses and methods using command sets specific for controlling the operation of a type of the RFID transponder to which the command sets are transmitted
Certain exemplary aspects of the present disclosure are directed toward an apparatus in which a first circuit communicates with a plurality of different types of RFID transponders using radio frequency signals. A second circuit detects and communicates with the plurality of different types of RFID transponders via the first circuit, respectively using a command set for the type of RFID transponder that the first circuit is communicating with. The second circuit, in response to detecting an RFID transponder having configuration data for a new command set, accesses and uses the configuration data for the new command set to update a configuration of the second circuit to enable communication with the new type of RFID transponder.
US09679162B2 Application permission settings
Systems, device and techniques are disclosed for automatically determining a permission setting that indicates whether a permission is granted or denied to the application. The automatic determination may be made based on a previous selection by a user. Alternatively, an indication of a permission may be provided to a user and an indication of a permission setting may be received from the user. The permission setting received from the user may be assigned to a permission to an application. Permissions provided to a user may be ordered in a list based on permission or application popularity or frequency.
US09679152B1 Augmented reality security access
A method implemented on an augmented reality (AR) electronic device includes initiating a security access code software application on the AR electronic device. A user of the AR electronic device is identified. A first electronic computing device at or near a current location of the user is identified. The first electronic computing device is an input device for entry of a security code to permit access to a protected asset. A determination is made as to whether the user is authorized to access the protected asset. When a determination is made that the user is authorized to access the protected asset, a security access code is displayed on the AR electronic device. The security access code permits the user to access the protected asset via the first electronic computing device.
US09679147B2 System and method for automated security testing
According to some embodiments, a list of files comprising each file in a data repository that is associated with the website is determined. A list of user roles comprising each user role in the data repository that is associated with the website is determined. Each file in the list of files based on each user role in the list of user roles is attempted to be accessed and a report indicating the success or failure of the attempt to access each file in the list of files based on each user role in the list of user roles is created.
US09679144B2 Protecting privacy in web-based immersive augmented reality
An “AR Privacy API” provides an API that allows applications and web browsers to use various content rendering abstractions to protect user privacy in a wide range of web-based immersive augmented reality (AR) scenarios. The AR Privacy API extends the traditional concept of “web pages” to immersive “web rooms” wherein any desired combination of existing or new 2D and 3D content is rendered within a user's room or other space. Advantageously, the AR Privacy API and associated rendering abstractions are useable by a wide variety of applications and web content for enhancing the user's room or other space with web-based immersive AR content. Further, the AR Privacy API is implemented using any existing or new web page coding platform, including, but not limited to HTML, XML, CSS, JavaScript, etc., thereby enabling existing web content and coding techniques to be smoothly integrated into a wide range of web room AR scenarios.
US09679141B2 Detecting keylogging
A device may detect or emulate a sequence of keystrokes to be used to detect a keystroke logger application. The device may determine a sequence of characters associated with the sequence of keystrokes. The sequence of characters may correspond to the sequence of keystrokes or a portion of the sequence of keystrokes. The device may search a memory for the sequence of characters. The device may determine that the sequence of characters is stored in the memory based on searching the memory for the sequence of characters. The device may perform an action to counteract the keystroke logger application based on determining that the sequence of characters is stored in the memory.
US09679133B2 Contextual alert of an invasion of a computer system
Methods, systems, and computer-readable media for providing contextual feedback to a user of a computer system upon detection of an invasion of the computer system are provided herein. An invasion of the computer system is detected and a contextually appropriate alert is selected from a set of alerts. The alert is played immediately upon detection of the invasion so that the user is alerted to the invasion within close temporal proximity to the user's action that resulted in the invasion of the computer system. In addition, details of the invasion are logged to a diagnostic log file for later use by support personnel in repairing the computer system.
US09679131B2 Method and apparatus for computer intrusion detection
A method and apparatus for intrusion detection, the method comprising: receiving a description of a computerized system, the description comprising two or more entities, one or more attribute for each entity and one or more statistical rule related to relationship between the entities; receiving data related to activity of the computerized system, the data comprising two or more events; grouping the events into two or more groups associated with the entities; comparing the groups in accordance with the statistical rule, to identify a group not complying with any of the statistical rules.
US09679130B2 Pervasive package identifiers
A package identifier for a package from which an application is installed on a computing device is obtained. The package identifier is assigned to each of one or more processes created for running the application and, for each of the one or more processes, whether the process is permitted to access a resource of the computing device is determined based at least in part on the package identifier.
US09679122B1 Methods and apparatus for using credentials to access computing resources
Mechanisms for controlling access to credentials are disclosed. A computing device receives, at a first time, a request associated with a user to initiate a plurality of actions against a computing resource of a plurality of computing resources, the request including a credential identifier that identifies a credential. A memory is accessed, based on the credential identifier, to retrieve the credential identified by the credential identifier that was stored in the memory at a time prior to the first time, the credential comprising authentication information configured to authenticate the plurality of actions to the computing resource. The computing device communicates the request and the authentication information to an orchestration engine for execution of the plurality of actions against the computing resource.
US09679113B2 Medication adherence monitoring system and method
A medication management system is described that is operable to determine whether a user is actually following a protocol, provide additional assistance to a user, starting with instructions, video instructions, and the like, and moving up to contact from a medication administrator if it is determined that the user would need such assistance in any medical adherence situation, including clinical trial settings, home care settings, healthcare administration locations, such as nursing homes, clinics, hospitals and the like. Suspicious activity on the part of a patient or other user of the system is identified and can be noted to a healthcare provider or other service provider where appropriate.
US09679103B2 Phasing of heterozygous loci to determine genomic haplotypes
Haplotypes of one or more portions of a chromosome of an organism from sequencing information of DNA or RNA fragments can be determined. Heterozygous loci (hets) can be used to determine haplotypes. One allele on a first het can be connected (likely to be on the same haplotype) to an allele on a second het, thereby defining a particular orientation between the hets. Haplotypes can be assembled through these connections. Errors can be identified through redundant connection information, particularly using a confidence value (strength) for a particular connection. The connections among a set of hets can be analyzed to determine likely haplotypes for that set, e.g., an optimal tree of a graph containing the hets. Furthermore, haplotypes of different contiguous sections (contig) of the chromosome can be matched to a particular chromosome copy (e.g., to a particular parental copy). Thus, the phase of an entire chromosome can be determined.
US09679100B2 Environmental-surrounding-aware OPC
The present disclosure provides a method of performing optical proximity correction (OPC). An integrated circuit (IC) design layout is received. The design layout contains a plurality of IC layout patterns. Two or more of the plurality of IC layout patterns are grouped together. The grouped IC layout patterns are dissected, or target points are set for the grouped IC layout patterns. Thereafter, an OPC process is performed based on the grouped IC layout patterns.
US09679096B2 Method for retrieving a wiring schematic of an electrical installation
A method for reconstituting a diagram of an electrical installation including a plurality of electrical elements connected to a power source via protective elements arranged in an electrical panel. The wired electrical elements of the installation are identified using the electrical panel. The tree structure of the electrical connections of the elements identified and the position of each element in the arborescence are automatically determined. An electrical diagram of the installation is deduced using the tree structure of the electrical connections and the position of each element in the arborescence.
US09679095B1 Layout decomposition for multiple patterning lithography
Aspects of the disclosed techniques relate to techniques of layout decomposition for multiple patterning lithography. Data of a coloring graph are derived from layout data for a layout design. The coloring graph is simplified by repeatedly applying a plurality of graph simplification units. Each of the graph simplification units is configured to use a unique approach to simplify a graph. Based on the simplified coloring graph, the layout design is decomposed to generate decomposition information. The decomposition process may comprise applying a heuristic method for coloring if needed. The decomposition information may comprise information of one or more layout regions that cannot be decomposed.
US09679091B2 Computer designed resonant photodetectors and method of making
A method for designing a photodetector comprising an array of pixels: selecting at a material composition for the photodetector; determining a configuration of at least one pixel in the array of pixels using a computer simulation, each pixel comprising an active region and a diffractive region, and a photodetector/air interface through which light enters, the computer simulation operating to process different configurations of the pixel to determine an optimal configuration for a predetermined wavelength or wavelength range occurring when waves reflected by the diffractive element form a constructive interference pattern inside the active region to thereby increase the quantum efficiency of the photodetector. An infrared photodetector produced by the method.
US09679089B2 Methods and systems for mapping and processing building information modeling (BIM)-based data
A method for operating a building information modeling (BIM) system is provided. The method includes at a BIM server, in response to receiving a save tri-dimensional data command from a client computing device, associatively mapping identification data in each of a building model, a hierarchical structure of building model data, and a Construction Operations Building Information Exchange (COBie) spreadsheet and storing a representation of the associative mapping of the identification data for display in at least one of the BIM server and a client computing device in electronic communication with the server over a network.
US09679086B2 Method and apparatus for process window modeling
A photolithographic modeling process is disclosed. Optical and non-optical parts of a model of the photolithographic process are calibrated. With the non-optical part of the model one or more model corrections are determined between (i) modeled critical dimension data from an aerial image generated by the optical part of the model, and (ii) empirical critical dimension data from tangible structures made at only a first process combination of a first dose and a first defocus in the photolithographic process. Critical dimension data of the photolithographic process are predicted at a second process combination of a second dose and a second defocus in the photolithographic process.
US09679085B2 Printing a three dimensional object about a preformed structure
A computer program product includes a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, wherein the program instructions are executable by a processor to cause the processor to perform a method. The method includes obtaining a data file that includes print instructions for causing a three dimensional printer to print a three dimensional object, wherein the data file describes external surfaces of the object, and providing user instructions for positioning a preformed structure so that the three dimensional printer can print the object around the preformed structure, wherein the preformed structure has a size and a shape to be subsumed within the external surfaces of the object. The method further includes modifying the print instructions so that the printer will print the object around the preformed structure, and printing material around the preformed structure using the modified print instructions to form the object.
US09679082B2 Method and system for identifying and delivering enriched content
Methods, systems and programming for providing content. In one example, a request for content is received from a user. One or more parameters associated with a platform on which the requested content is to be presented are obtained. A plurality pieces of addition content are obtained based on the requested content or information associated with the user. Each piece of the addition content is associated with a user engagement metric. A layout of an enriched content page is determined based on the one or more parameters. The layout of the enriched content page includes one or more slots for presenting content. One or more pieces of the additional content are assigned to the one or more slots based on the user engagement metric. The enriched content page including the requested content and the one or more pieces of the additional content is transmitted to the platform.
US09679078B2 Search client context on online social networks
In one embodiment, a method includes accessing a social graph comprising nodes and a edges connecting the nodes, receiving from a first user a query inputted at a search client, the search client being associated with context data from a page associated with the search client, such that the context data identifies one or more nodes associated with the page, generating search results corresponding to the query, wherein each of the search results corresponds to a node, and scoring the search results based at least in part on the context data associated with the search client. The context data may identify a social context of the page, which can include tags, comments, likes, commenters, and the like.
US09679074B2 Social genome
Systems and methods are provided for processing a data stream in real time to identify connections between one or more social elements social elements and aggregating and storing the identified connections over a rolling time window. Social elements may be stored as nodes and connection between social elements may be stored as labeled connections between nodes. Other embodiments are provided.
US09679058B2 User interfaces for providing updated contact information
An Internet-based system capable of automatically maintaining contact-related information in any computer software application or digital device which stores or manages contact-related information. More particularly, the system allows users to automatically enter and maintain contact-related information in a digital address book or similar application or device (such as a wireless phone or PDA) with minimal or no manual entry of the contact-related information by the user. The system also allows contacts of the user (i.e. people who's contact information or partial contact information is present in the user's address book application) to make corrections to their contact-related information contained in the user's address book, request reciprocal contact information from the user, deny the user access to additional or corrected contact-related information and take other actions relative to managing the contact-related information which others (users) have about them.
US09679057B1 Apparatus for sharing image content based on matching
Apparatus are described for comparing a search criterion from a first device to a image collection digest of a second device. Based on the comparison, a presentation may be presented at the first device reflecting that the second device is communicatively coupled over a network. In one embodiment, the image collection digest is obtained from the second device, and the comparison is made at the first device. In another embodiment, the image collection digest is obtained at a server device, and the comparison is made at the server device. The search criterion may comprise one or more of subject face information, geographic information, temporal information, event information, and keyword information.
US09679054B2 Webpage media playback
Embodiments are provided for facilitating playback of media content on a webpage by a playback zone in a media playback system. Upon, or subsequent to opening a web-browsing interface, one or more playback zones of a media playback system may be identified, and links to a playable media item may be identified on a webpage to be displayed by the web-browsing interface. The webpage may then be modified such that a representation associated with the link may be selected to prompt a display of the one or more identified playback zones. A selection of one of the one or more identified playback zones may then cause the media item to be played in the selected playback zone.
US09679045B2 Establishing and querying methods of knowledge library engine based on emergency management
An establishing method of a knowledge library engine based on emergency management includes steps of extracting relevant data from unstructured text information, filtering out unwanted data and improving a structure of the relevant data, so as to ensure homogeneity of the relevant data; structurally analyzing a text content of obtained information, extracting a feature thereof and storing the feature in the feature library as a key word of a knowledge; and processing the obtained information with the automatic word segmentation module, then classifying a result according to an information classification standard, and establishing an association of the knowledge and information classification. A querying method of the knowledge library engine based on emergency management includes steps of: understanding semanteme, understanding knowledge, and querying knowledge.
US09679039B1 Continuous protection of data and storage management configuration
A system is provided for continuous protection of data and storage configuration metadata. Content protected by snapshots, for example, in connection with continuous snapshotting and/or continuous data protection, may be extended to include not only user data but further include configuration metadata of the storage management system. In particular, a user may want to rollback a storage management system to a past point due to performance or stability issues attributed to configuration changes. The system described herein enables rollback to prior states based on storage configuration metadata in addition to rollback of user data and provides for synchronization of the data and configuration metadata in connection with a rollback. The system also enables roll forward processing.
US09679030B2 Ontological subjects of a universe and knowledge processing thereof
The present invention discloses methods, systems, and tools for knowledge processing by building various data structures corresponding to uncovered informational data such as values of association strengths or significance measures and maps of ontological subjects of compositions or one or more content accompanying a request for service by a user. In one embodiment of the invention the method assigns and calculates an ontological subject association strength/value measures and spectrums to each composition or ontological subject. The resulting data, spectrums, and the adjacency matrix of the map are used to evaluate the merits of the compositions in the context of reference universes. It is also used as a research guiding tool for knowledge discovery or automatically generating high value compositions or new or less known knowledge about the ontological subjects of the universe. The invention serves knowledge seekers, knowledge creators, intelligent machines or robots, inventors, discoverer, as well as general public by assisting and guiding users to assess their work, identify their unknowns, optimize their research trajectory, and provide higher quality content. The method and system, thereby, is instrumental in increasing the speed and efficiency of knowledge acquisition, machine learnings, autonomous decision making, navigations, discovery, retrieval, as well as faster learning and problem solving.
US09679026B2 Methods and apparatus for bifurcating data storage for enabling implementation and manipulation of an interactive hierarchical entitlement structure
A method for bifurcating data storage to enable implementation and manipulation of an interactive entitlement structure is provided. The method may include displaying a GUI and copying information corresponding to the list of entitlements to using one or more features associated with the GUI. The method may copy from a remote System of Record to a cache memory local to the GUI. The method may include displaying on the GUI signatories with an entitlement authorization; receiving a modification of the entitlement authorization; and extracting a signature of a signatory with entitlement authorization. An input signal may be received that indicates an input signal indicator is hovering over the signatory and displaying, on the GUI, in response to the hovering indication, 1) a copy of the signature of the signatory; 2) a hierarchal list of signatories with current entitlement authorization; and/or 3) a listing of documents signed by a signatory.
US09679023B2 Flow-directed collaborative communication
Resolving a query received from a first node in a network includes accepting, by a second node in the network, ownership of the query from the first node, receiving, at the second node, an identification of a third node in the network, wherein the identification is received from a user of the second node and the user of the second node believes that a user of the third node has information necessary to resolve at least part of the query, and transferring, by the second node, ownership of the at least part of the query to the third node, wherein the accepting, the receiving, and the transferring dynamically generates a data structure that traces a propagation of the query, and the data structure is accessible to an origin of the query.
US09679017B2 Method and system for centralized control of database applications
According to one embodiment of the present invention, a system enables control of database applications. The system comprises a computer system including a database application to provide access to a database system, and at least one processor. The computer system requests retrieval of application specific property information for the database application from a data repository, and applies the retrieved application specific property information to the database application to control operation of the database application. Embodiments of the present invention further include a method and computer program product for controlling database applications in substantially the same manner described above.
US09679016B1 Checkpointing in distributed streaming platform for real-time applications
Software receives a data stream for an application running on a distributed streaming platform over a networked cluster of servers. The software converts the data into a plurality of data tuples structured according to a schema. The software repeatedly emits a plurality of the data tuples as a streaming window, which is separated from other streaming windows by a leading control tuple associated with an ordinal identifier for the streaming window. The streaming window is a sequential sequence of tuples that is associated with a recovery policy. Then the software emits a checkpointing tuple after a plurality of streaming windows. The checkpointing tuple causes checkpointing of an instance of an operator for the application when the checkpointing tuple is received by the instance. Each of the operations is executed by one or more processors in real time or near real time rather than offline.
US09679013B2 Generating and accessing a data table
A data sharing space (DSS) is generated for a base table having a set of rows with stored data. Requests are received to generate tables, each request including a query to the base table. A row from the set of rows is then accessed. The query is then applied to the row to generate results. An index value is then determined and a portion of the row is stored in the DSS based on the index value.
US09679012B1 Parallel streaming of external data
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for streaming external data in parallel from a second distributed system to a first distributed system. One of the methods includes receiving a query that requests a join of first rows of a first table in a first distributed system with second rows of an external table, the external table representing data in a second distributed system. Each of the segment nodes communicates with a respective extension service that obtains fragments from one or more data nodes of the second distributed system according to location information for the respective fragments, and provides to the segment node a stream of data corresponding to second rows of the external table. Each of the segment nodes computes joined rows between the first rows of the first table and the stream of data corresponding to second rows of the external table.
US09679002B2 Method for producing and using a recursive index of search engines
A method and an apparatus for creating and using recursive index in search engines. In particular, extracting text from an index of a search engine starting at an arbitrary position in the text, and analyzing texts for co-occurrence of words, and using said extraction and analysis for inferring implicit relationships among objects in sequences thereof. As such, utility of search engines to index and retrieve information represented by a sequence of objects different from text information objects are extended. A method and an apparatus extends the basic hit with at least two word identifications, one for the previous word and one for the next word.
US09678987B2 Method, apparatus and computer program product for providing standard real world to virtual world links
An apparatus for providing standard real world to virtual world links may include a processing element configured to receive indications of an image including an object, determine whether the object corresponds to a particular object having a predefined association based on a recognition of the object, and execute a function corresponding to the predefined association in response to the object corresponding to the particular object.
US09678986B2 Systems and methods for registering, administering, and using non-locational identifiers as locational addresses through location name and identifier registries
Systems and methods are provided for registering, curating, enabling, and controlling the use of non-locational identifiers, such as phone numbers and domain names, as physical addresses and location identifiers (LIDs) for purposes of providing instant access to enhanced cross-platform location information and services imbedded in other devices and services through an LID registry. An exemplary method for registration may include receiving a request from a requester to register a non-locational identifier owned by the requester and create an LID for a physical location, creating the LID within the LID registry by verifying that the LID is unique within the registry, that the requestor owns the LID, and registering the LID to the requestor within the LID registry. Users may then use the LIDs as physical addresses for purposes of navigation and obtaining information related to such physical locations only as authorized and controlled by the owners of such LIDs.
US09678980B2 Non-disruptive file system element reconfiguration on disk expansion
An apparatus is operable with a host and a data storage component for controlling expansion of storage, and comprises: an allocating component responsive to a user input for allocating an expanded target storage space to a file system element to thereby make an expanded file system element; a file system metadata component for maintaining file system metadata including metadata for said expanded file system element; a file system I/O component responsive to said file system metadata component for controlling file system I/O between said host and said storage component; and a synchronizing component responsive to said file system metadata component for synchronizing data between a source storage space and said expanded target storage space; wherein said file system I/O component is operable to use said file system metadata component to access said expanded file system element prior to completion of action of said synchronizing component.
US09678973B2 Multi-node hybrid deduplication
According to at least one embodiment, a data storage system is provided. The data storage system includes memory, at least one processor in data communication with the memory, and a deduplication director component executable by the at least one processor. The deduplication director component is configured to receive data for storage on the data storage system, analyze the data to determine whether the data is suitable for at least one of summary-based deduplication, content-based deduplication, and no deduplication, and store, in a common object store, at least one of the data and a reference to duplicate data stored in the common object store.
US09678962B2 Fixed content storage within a partitioned content platform using namespaces
Content platform management is enhanced by logically partitioning a physical cluster that comprises a redundant array of independent nodes. Using an interface, an administrator defines one or more “tenants” within the archive cluster, wherein a tenant has a set of attributes including, for example, namespaces, administrative accounts, data access accounts, and a permission mask. A namespace is a logical partition of the cluster that serves as a collection of objects typically associated with at least one defined application. Each namespace has a private file system such that access to one namespace (and its associated objects) does not enable a user to access objects in another namespace. A namespace has capabilities (e.g., read, write, delete, purge, and the like) that a namespace administrator can choose to enable or disable for a given data account.
US09678961B2 Method and device for associating metadata to media objects
Methods, systems, and devices for associating metadata with a media object that has been published on a plurality of social networks obtain a respective identifier by which the media object is identified on each of the plurality of social networks, retrieve metadata associated with the media object from each of the plurality of social networks using the corresponding identifier, and store the retrieved metadata in association with the media object.
US09678958B2 Populating user contact entries
Methods and apparatus for populating a contact entry of a user based on information obtained from one or more sources that are external to the contact entry. Some implementations are directed generally to analyzing text of a document associated with the user to identify contact information in the document. In some versions of those implementations, an affinity measure associated with the document may be determined that is indicative of an amount of interest of the user in the document and a contact entry may be populated with one or more aspects of the contact information based on the affinity measure satisfying a threshold.
US09678940B2 Location/event based dictionaries to facilitate communication in a virtual world location
Embodiments of the present invention address deficiencies of the art in respect to jargon usage in a location in a virtual world and provide a method, system and computer program product for location and event based dictionaries to facilitate communication in location in a virtual world. In an embodiment of the invention, a method for communication facilitation in a location within the virtual world can include identifying jargon in a message exchanged in a location in a virtual world, looking up a glossary entry for the jargon in a dictionary of jargon for the location in the virtual world, and rendering the glossary entry in connection with the jargon in the message.
US09678938B2 System, method and computer program product for templated export of content
Embodiments disclosed herein provide systems and methods for a templated export. In one embodiment, a method may include determining an export template responsive to a first user action, the first user action indicating a delivery endpoint. The method may further include preparing an asset for delivery to the delivery endpoint utilizing the export template. The asset may include zero or more files. The export template may include predetermined configuration and delivery parameters particular to the delivery endpoint. The prepared asset may be communicated to the delivery endpoint without any further user action.
US09678937B2 Single click in a partially protected cell of a table
Displaying a table in a user interface includes receiving data related to a position within the user interface selected by a user; determining a particular cell of the table corresponding to the position, wherein the particular cell includes an editable portion and a non-editable portion; and determining a particular location within the cell corresponding to the position. A determination is made whether the particular location corresponds to the editable portion of the particular cell; and, if so, positioning a cursor at the particular location; or when the particular location does not correspond to the editable portion of the particular cell, preventing editing at the particular location.
US09678936B2 Dynamic user experience workflow
A method for organizing an application workflow for users that may transmit, to a user device, a first content for a first field of multiple fields. The method may receive, in response to transmitting the first content and from the user device, user data for the first field. The method may obtain a dynamic set of fields selected from the fields, where a portion of the fields are excluded from the dynamic set of fields based on the user data. The method may select, according to a priority of the fields, a second field from the dynamic set of fields. The method may transmit, to the user device, a second content for the second field.
US09678935B2 Facilitating dynamic cross-block joining of reports in an on-demand services environment
In accordance with embodiments, there are provided mechanisms and methods for facilitating dynamic cross-block joining of reports in an on-demand services environment in a multi-tenant environment according to one embodiment. In one embodiment and by way of example, a method includes receiving, at a server computing device, a joining request to merge a plurality of reports into a joined report, each of the plurality of reports having data including customer relationship management (CRM) data, where the request is placed at a client computing device, and merging the plurality of report into the joined report. The joined report comprises a single report representing the merged plurality of reports. The method may further include facilitating access, via a user interface at the client computing device, to the plurality of reports represented as the joined report.
US09678933B1 Methods for auto-completing contact entry on mobile devices
Methods for implementing an auto-complete feature for contact entry on mobile devices are described. In some embodiments, a mobile device downloads from a server a number of contacts associated with a user, wherein the number of contacts is a subset of contacts in a contact list of the user. Upon receiving a partial contact entry from the user that includes a string of one or more characters, the mobile device identifies contacts from the downloaded contacts matching the partial entry. The mobile device displays no more than a preset number of matching contacts on the display of the mobile device at any one time, in a particular order, with an option for the user to display and fetch for more matching contacts. Other embodiments are also described.
US09678924B2 Method and data processing device for reconstructing a vector
A method for reconstructing a first vector from a second vector includes: storing code for the row vectors according to a first code and a second code; correcting the row vectors of the second vector corresponding to the first vector so that the row vectors of the second vector have the same code as the row vectors of the first vector; calculating the code of the column vectors of the second vector according to the second code; comparing the code of the row vectors of the second vector with the code of the column vectors of the first vector; identifying the columns in which the first vector is unequal to the second vector; the rows in which the first vector is unequal to the second vector; and the components in which the first vector is not equal to the second vector, and correcting the components of the second vector.
US09678913B2 Control apparatus, electronic device, and control method
A control apparatus that controls one or more first communication apparatuses and one or more second communication apparatuses configured to identify a logic level of a signal, the control apparatus includes a memory; and a processor coupled to the memory and configured to: acquire, from one of the one or more second communication apparatuses, a length of an undefined time period during which a level of the signal is undefined; determine, based on the length of the undefined time period, a length of a protection time period indicating a time period during which a logic level of the signal received by the second communication apparatus is maintained at a same level; and determine, based on the length of the protection time period, a rate of a signal transmitted to one of the one or more second communication apparatuses by one of the one or more first communication apparatuses.
US09678912B2 Pass-through converged network adaptor (CNA) using existing ethernet switching device
According to one embodiment, a method includes performing functionality of a management plane and a control plane for a switch system using a processor of an external host coupled to the switch system via one or more peripheral component interconnect express (PCIe) ports. The method also includes providing a direct memory access (DMA) facility between the external host and switching logic of the switch system. The switch system includes a PCIe interface block coupled to PCIe ports configured to couple to external PCIe devices. Also, the PCIe interface block includes logic configured to provide DMA for each PCIe lane thereof. The switch system also includes multiple switched Ethernet ports configured to couple to one or more external Ethernet devices and switching logic configured to switch between the multiple switched Ethernet ports and the PCIe ports using DMA and a local processor coupled to the PCIe interface block.
US09678909B1 Methods and systems of exchanging data between an electronic device and an external accessory
A method of exchanging data between an electronic device and an external accessory. In one example, the method includes receiving, at an interface of the electronic device, a connector of the external accessory. The method also includes transmitting, via a first pin of the interface, data between the external accessory and the electronic device, and interrupting, with an electronic processor of the electronic device, data transmission between the external accessory and the electronic device via the first pin of the interface. The method further includes while data transmission is interrupted, detecting, via the first pin of the interface, an activation of a talk actuator, and activating, via the electronic processor, a transmitter in response to detecting the activation of the talk actuator.
US09678904B2 PCI express data transmission
PCIe devices and corresponding methods are provided wherein a length of data to be transferred is aligned to a multiple of a double word length.
US09678899B2 Method and apparatus for providing memory protection
A method for providing memory protection within a signal processing system comprises receiving a memory access signal comprising at least one instruction memory region (IMR) indication. The IMR indication comprises an indication of a region of memory from which a memory access instruction was fetched, execution of said memory access instruction having resulted in the generation of the received memory access signal. The method further comprises comparing the IMR indication for the received memory access signal to at least one permitted memory region (PMR) indication for a target address of the received memory access signal, and determining whether a memory access being attempted by the memory access signal is permitted based at least partly on the comparison of the IMR indication for the received memory access signal to the PMR indication for the target address of the received memory access signal.
US09678893B2 Secure caching technique for shared distributed caches
The present invention relates to a secure caching technique for shared distributed caches. A method in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention includes: encrypting a key K to provide a secure key, the key K corresponding to a value to be stored in a cache; and storing the value in the cache using the secure key.
US09678884B1 System and method for warming cache
A method, computer program product, and computing system for receiving an indication of a cold cache event within a storage system. The storage system includes a multi-tiered data array including at least a faster data tier and a slower data tier. A data list that identifies at least a portion of the data included within the faster data tier of the multi-tiered data array is obtained from the multi-tiered data array. At least a portion of the data identified within the data list is requested from the multi-tiered data array, thus defining the requested data. The requested data is received from the multi-tiered data array.
US09678883B2 System and method for detecting false sharing
In one embodiment, a method for detecting false sharing includes running code on a plurality of cores, where the code includes instrumentation and tracking cache invalidations in the code while running the code to produce tracked invalidations in accordance with the instrumentation, where tracking the cache invalidations includes tracking cache accesses to a plurality of cache lines by a plurality of tasks. The method also includes reporting false sharing in accordance with the tracked invalidations to produce a false sharing report.
US09678871B2 Data flush of group table
A group table includes one or more groups. A synch command including a synch address range is received. An order data of the one or more groups is flushed is determined by whether the synch address range is included in the one or more groups.
US09678867B2 Method for changing the software in the memory of an electronic control unit
A method for changing software in a memory of an electronic control unit, wherein each memory address from the overlay memory can be assigned to a memory address in the read-only memory by an assignment information item. During a run time of the control unit, at least a functional part of a bypass routine that is to at least partially replace an original program routine is stored in an address range in the overlay memory, or a jump instruction is stored in the overlay memory as the first part of a bypass routine that refers to a second part of the bypass routine that is stored in an address range accessible to the processor. To activate an overlay functionality the address and/or the address range of the overlay memory are assigned to an address or address range of the program routine to be replaced.
US09678864B2 Data reallocation upon detection of errors
A device includes one or more data storage media having a main storage area, and includes a non-volatile cache memory and a controller. The controller stores a plurality of data packets into a plurality of physical locations in the main storage area. Each of the data packets is associated with a different logical block address (LBA), and each of the physical locations is associated with a different physical location address (PLA). The controller generates mapping information that links the different LBAs to the different PLAs. Upon detecting a soft error when reading a data packet stored in a physical location, the controller relocates the data packet associated with the soft error to a physical location of the non-volatile cache memory. The controller also marks the physical location as a suspect location. The controller updates the mapping information to reflect the relocation of the data packet associated with the soft error.
US09678852B2 Tracing the operations of a data processing apparatus using trace data source identifiers to respond to flush requests
An apparatus for processing data is disclosed in which the operations of data processing circuitry are monitored by one or more trace data sources which generate items of trace data indicative of the data processing operations performed by the data processing circuitry. Trace data source identifiers in a resulting trace stream indicate the source of items of trace data and a selected trace data source identifier is included in the trace stream in response to a received flush request signal. All items of trace data generated before the apparatus received the flush request signal are included in the trace stream before the selected trace data source identifier, such that the conclusion of the response of the apparatus to the flush request signal can be identified.
US09678847B2 Method and apparatus for short fault detection in a controller area network
A controller area network (CAN) includes a CAN bus having a CAN-H wire, a CAN-L wire, and a pair of CAN bus terminators located at opposite ends of the CAN bus. The CAN further includes a plurality of nodes including controllers wherein at least one of the controllers is a monitoring controller. The monitoring controller includes a CAN monitoring routine for detecting a wire short fault in the CAN bus and its location.
US09678841B2 Communication continuation during content node failover
Described herein are methods, systems, and software for accommodating failover of a content node in a content delivery network. In one example, a method of operating a control node includes receiving content requests issued by end user devices. The method further provides, for at least a first content request, mapping a first connection between a first end user device and a first content node, the first connection defined by at least a network address of the first end user device and a virtual next hop network address, and directing traffic associated with the first connection to the first content node using at least the virtual next hop network address. The method also includes identifying a service interruption associated with the first content node and, responsive to the service interruption, identifying a second content node to handle the communications for the first connection.
US09678833B2 Storage controller, storage system and storage control method
A storage controller, when writing n sets of data into a first storage device, adds dummy data to other sets of data except for a first set of data having a largest size among the n sets of data such that sizes of other sets of data become equal to the size of the first set of data, calculates (n−1) parities based on the first set of data and the other sets of data, and when reading the n sets of data from the first storage device, concurrently performs a processing of reading a second set of data having a smallest size among the n sets of data from the first storage device and a processing of restoring each of two or more sets of data in the n sets of data except for the second set of data, by using the (n−1) parities and the dummy data.
US09678830B2 Recovery improvement for quiesced systems
Methods and apparatuses for performing a quiesce operation during a processor recovery action is provided. A processor performs a processor recovery action. A processor retrieves a quiesce status of a computer system from a shared cache with a second processor. A processor determines a quiesce status of the first processor based, a least in part, on the retrieved quiesce status of the computer system.
US09678826B2 Fault isolation method, computer system, and apparatus
A fault isolation method, computer system, and apparatus, which are capable of monitoring a state of a second endpoint device in the extended domain, and setting a device state record according to the state of the second endpoint device; after an access request between the second endpoint device and the primary domain is received, querying the device state record according to identifier information that is of the second endpoint device and in the access request, and determining the state of the second endpoint device; and if the state of the second endpoint device is a fault state, discarding the access request to prevent communication between the faulty second endpoint device and the primary domain and prevent spreading a fault to the primary domain, thereby ensuring system reliability.
US09678815B2 Information processing system, information processing apparatus, and method of controlling them
There is provided a technique of enabling to easily identify the association between process results in a plurality of components which are executed in association with an RPC. An information processing system in which an application of a first component performs an RPC for a functional function of a second component, the system comprises: a stub of the first component configured to receive the RPC and transmit an RPC message to the second component; and a skeleton of the second component configured to receive the RPC message from the stub and control execution of a predetermined function. The stub generates an RPC message having a header in which a sequence identifier acquired from the first management unit is embedded, and transmits the generated RPC message, and the skeleton extracts a sequence identifier from the header of the received RPC message.
US09678800B2 Optimum design method for configuration of servers in a data center environment
A method, system and product for automatic systems configuration. The method comprising: obtaining utilization of workloads of processing units, wherein at least a portion of the workloads include transferring of data to other processing units; and automatically determining, by a processor, a system configuration, wherein the system configuration comprises assigning to plurality of physical locations the processing units, wherein in at least one physical location the system configuration assigns two or more processing units, wherein the system configuration indicates throughput requirement between the plurality of physical locations.
US09678793B2 Resource-based job scheduling
Resource-based optimization is used to resolve some abnormal job terminations. An abnormal job termination is analyzed to determine if a resource shortage caused the termination. For a resource-dependent termination, the job is rescheduled for a time when sufficient resources are available.
US09678787B2 Framework for authoring data loaders and data savers
Implementing static loaders and savers for the transfer of local and distributed data containers to and from storage systems can be difficult because there are so many different configurations of output formats, data containers and storage systems. Described herein is an extensible componentized data transfer framework for performant and scalable authoring of data loaders and data savers. Abstracted local and distributed workflows drive selection of plug-ins that can be composed by the framework into particular local or distributed scenario loaders and savers. Reusability and code sparsity are maximized.
US09678781B2 Methods of and data processing systems for handling an accelerator's scheduling statistics
A data processing system comprises one or more processors that each execute one or more operating systems. Each operating system includes one or more applications. The system also comprises an accelerator that provides a shared resource for a plurality of the applications, an input/output module comprising one or more input/output interfaces for the submission of tasks to the accelerator, a hypervisor that manages the allocation of the input/output interfaces to the one or more operating systems and a storage area accessible by the hypervisor and the accelerator. The accelerator is capable of writing one or more selected pieces of information representative of one or more scheduling statistics of the accelerator periodically to the storage area without having received a request for the one or more selected pieces of information from the hypervisor.
US09678778B1 Virtual cluster as a service (VCIaaS)
Provided are methods and systems for providing users with a cluster of virtual machines (VMs) on-demand, whereby a group of VMs are provisioned together. Virtual Cluster as a Service (VClaaS) relaxes many restrictions on virtualizing VMs and provides performance benefits at the same or similar encapsulations and security measures that Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) typically provides. The VClaaS system enables users to provision an entire cluster of VMs at a time, and also allows for relaxing the isolation barrier between the machines while maintaining the encapsulation barrier for the cluster as a whole, thereby providing users with improved networking, caching, and scheduling experiences.
US09678777B2 Administering virtual machines in a distributed computing environment
In a distributed computing environment that includes hosts that execute a VMM, with each VMM supporting execution of one or more VMs, administering VMs may include: assigning, by a VMM manager, the VMMs of the distributed computing environment to a logical tree topology, including assigning one of the VMMs as a root VMM of the tree topology; and executing, amongst the VMMs of the tree topology, a scatter operation, including: pausing, by the root VMM one or more executing VMs; storing, by the root VMM in a buffer, a plurality of VMs to scatter amongst the other VMMs of the tree topology; and sending, by the root VMM, to each of the other VMMs of the tree topology a different one of the VMs stored in the buffer.
US09678776B2 Suppress newer facilities when simulating an older machine
Suppressing enabled newer facilities of an older simulated machine. This makes the native machine appear just like the corresponding older simulated machine. The invention creates the Allowed Facilities Table (AFT) that includes all the facilities of each simulated machine that needs to be supported and queries all the installed facilities of the simulated machine. It reads each machine facility of the simulated machine and checks the AFT that includes the state of all the facilities that are allowed to be enabled for the simulated machine to see if this installed facility is also enabled in the AFT. If the installed facility is also enabled in the AFT, then this facility may be used by the software without any problems. Otherwise, this facility should not be used. A system and program product for carrying out the method are included.
US09678773B1 Low latency computational capacity provisioning
A system for providing low latency computational capacity is provided. The system may be configured to maintain a pool of virtual machine instances, which may be assigned to users to service the requests associated with the users. The system may further be configured to receive a request to acquire compute capacity for executing a program code associated with a particular user, determine whether the pool of virtual machine instances includes a container that may be used to execute the program code therein, and cause the program code of the particular user to be executed in the container.
US09678772B2 System, method, and computer-readable medium
A system includes circuitry configured to receive a request to diagnose a first virtual machine coupled to a first network, the first virtual machine being identified in the first network based on a first address and identified in a second network based on a second address; transmit, to a to a router coupled between the first network and the second network, a request that an association be made between a third address and the first address based on the first request; and diagnose the first virtual machine via the router based on the third address, the third address being translated into the first address by the router based on the association.
US09678771B2 Autonomic virtual machine session lingering of inactive virtual machine sessions by a virtualization computing platform
Virtual machine sessions may be hosted by a virtualization computing platform. A portion of the virtual machine sessions that are inactive may be identified. The virtualization computing platform may continue to host the virtual machine sessions that are inactive. A determination may be made that utilization of one or more resources associated with the virtualization computing platform exceeds a threshold. Responsive to determining that utilization of the one or more resources associated with the virtualization computing platform exceeds the threshold, the virtualization computing platform may cease to host one or more of the portion of virtual machine sessions that are inactive.
US09678768B2 Management system, management apparatus, and management method
A system includes a physical machine that controls a virtual machine to execute a processing by using hardware resources of the physical machine, and a management apparatus includes a processor configured to execute: detect a first quantity of the hardware resources used by the virtual machine larger than a specific quantity set based on a second quantity of the hardware resources assigned to the virtual machine in accordance with a first usage fee corresponding to the virtual machine, calculate a second usage fee of the virtual machine based on a third quantity larger than the second quantity, and modify the second quantity to meet with the third quantity when the second usage fee is lower than the first usage fee.
US09678764B2 Classifying application protocol interfaces (APIS) as affecting user experience
Example embodiments relate to classifying application protocol interfaces (APIs) in terms of their relation to user experience. Example embodiments may determine that a user action occurred and monitor a first thread separate from a user interface (UI) thread of the computing device. The first thread may process a first API in response to the occurrence of the user action. A determination may be made as to whether the first API being processed on the first thread is related to the user action. Responsive to the first API being related to the user action, a determination may be made as to whether the first API causes the first thread to update the UI thread of the computing device. Responsive to the UI thread being updated, the first API may be tagged as affecting user experience.
US09678759B2 Multisystem and method of booting the same
A method of booting a multisystem including a first core and a second core, the method includes: executing a boot loader of the first core; setting a network interface of the first core to be in an enable state; detecting the second core that is connected to the network interface of the first core; mapping a first memory of the first core to a second memory of the second core; loading a booting image of the first core and a booting image of the second core on the first memory; and transferring the booting image of the second core loaded on the first memory to the second core via a network.
US09678756B2 Forming instruction groups based on decode time instruction optimization
Instructions are grouped into instruction groups based on optimizations that may be performed. An instruction is obtained, and a determination is made as to whether the instruction is to be included in a current instruction group or another instruction group. This determination is made based on whether the instruction is a candidate for optimization, such as decode time instruction optimization. If it is determined that the instruction is to be included in another group, then the other group is formed to include the instruction.
US09678755B2 Instruction sequence buffer to enhance branch prediction efficiency
A method for outputting alternative instruction sequences. The method includes tracking repetitive hits to determine a set of frequently hit instruction sequences for a microprocessor. A frequently miss-predicted branch instruction is identified, wherein the predicted outcome of the branch instruction is frequently wrong. An alternative instruction sequence for the branch instruction target is stored into a buffer. On a subsequent hit to the branch instruction where the predicted outcome of the branch instruction was wrong, the alternative instruction sequence is output from the buffer.
US09678752B2 Scheduling apparatus and method of dynamically setting the size of a rotating register
A scheduling apparatus for dynamically setting a size of a rotating register of a local register file during runtime ids provided. The scheduling apparatus may include a determiner configured to determine whether a non-rotating register of a central register file is sufficient to schedule a program loop; a selector configured to select at least one local register file to which a needed non-rotating register is allocated in response to a determination that the non-rotating register of a central register file has a size which is sufficient to loop a program loop; a scheduler configured to schedule a non-rotating register of the at least one selected local register file.
US09678748B2 Methods, systems and computer-readable media for managing a local stack
The technologies provide a method and system for managing a local stack in an information processing environment. In accordance with a disclosed embodiment, the method may include classifying a type of a page as one or more of a permanent entry, a transient entry, a combination entry and a null entry. Further, the method can include storing the page in the local stack for a definite period based on the type of the page. A usage of the local stack can be determined based on an action performed on the page within the information processing environment.
US09678743B2 Method and system for monitoring a software artifact
A computer system is provided, comprising: a transceiver; and a processor configured to facilitate: collecting and storing information related to a software project having one or more software artifacts, the information including: a project identifier, artifact identifiers for the artifacts used by the project, information about the temporal version for the artifacts, and contact information for a project user; collecting, from a repository, artifact metadata associated with the software artifacts, the artifact metadata including: information identifying the artifact, information about security risks associated with the artifact, information about a license associated with the artifact, or information indicative of a level of use or user rating of the artifact; periodically monitoring the metadata to determine whether there has been any actionable change in the artifact metadata; and notifying the project user using the contact information if it is determined that there has been an actionable change in the artifact metadata.
US09678739B2 Cluster update system
A locking system may place a persistent object on each of the devices in a computer cluster. The objects may indicate that an update is being performed on the devices so that other systems may not also update the devices. When an update has completed, the objects may be removed. The objects may include an identifier for the system owning the objects, as well as other information regarding the update. In some cases, the objects may include executable code and perform some of the update functions on the various devices.
US09678737B2 Method for distributing large-sized Linux software packages
A method for distributing large-sized Linux software packages, in a field of a Linux software distribution, includes steps of: installing a Linux minimal system; obtaining a log file of the installing, and setting a cache of a local download rpm; building an environment for creating iso, and creating a working directory; testing an environment dependency of a developed software and packaging into rpm packages, copying the downloaded rpm packages within the cache into the working directory, and registering; installing tools of createrpo and mkisofs for generating a disc; editing a kickstart file, ks.cfg; generating and modifying a comps.xml to designating the rpm packages and dependencies thereof which are required within a software archive of the system; generating an iso file of gcloud, and verifying with MD5 value. The method is applicable to a large-sized software package distribution by overcoming version verification and vulnerability to network.
US09678730B2 Decision tree ensemble compilation
In one embodiment, a decision tree is evaluated in interpreted mode while statistics are collected. The decision tree is then represented as source code, and each decision in the decision tree is annotated with instructions determined based on the collected statistics. The source code is compiled into machine code, and the machine code is optimized based on the instructions annotating each decision in the decision tree.
US09678729B2 Dependency-driven co-specialization of specialized classes
The loading or operation of a specialized class may trigger the specialization of other classes. A compiler may be configured to recognize dependency relationships between generic classes and to describe the classes in terms of the type variables of the triggering types (e.g., the types and/or type parameterizations) that trigger the specialization of classes based on the specialization of a first class. A compiler may include information, such as structural references, indicating dependency relationships between classes when generating class files. Thus, the class file may include information indicating that a class extends a class resulting from applying a specialization code generator to an argument. Loading a first class may trigger the loading of a second class described by a structural description such that a specializer (and/or class loader) may apply the structural description to generate and load the second class for the particular parameterization.
US09678728B1 Version compatibility
A method, system, and program product for creating compatibility between two program interfaces comprising determining differences the interfaces; and generating code to create a compatibility layer between the first interface and second interface based on the differences between the interfaces.
US09678709B1 Processing sound using collective feedforward
Personal audio systems and methods are disclosed. A personal audio system includes a processor to generate a personal audio stream by processing an ambient audio stream in accordance with an active processing parameter set, a circular buffer memory to store a most recent snippet of the ambient audio stream, and an event detector to detect a trigger event. In response to detection of the trigger event, a controller may transmit, to a knowledgebase remote from the personal audio system, the most recent snippet of the ambient audio stream and associated metadata.
US09678707B2 Identification of audio content facilitated by playback device
An example playback device includes one or more processors and a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the playback device to perform functions. The functions include receiving digital data representing audio content. The functions further include sending at least a portion of the digital data to an identification system configured to identify the audio content based on the at least a portion of the digital data. The functions further include receiving information associated with the audio content from the identification system. The functions further include, in response to receiving the information associated with the audio content from the identification system, sending the received information to a control device that is configured to control the playback device. The functions further include playing the audio content via one or more speakers electrically connected to the playback device via a wired connection.
US09678704B2 NFC-enabled digital apparatus and method of NFC-based information transmission
An NFC-enabled digital apparatus is disclosed. The apparatus includes a touch screen display and a near field communication (NFC) module comprising an NFC antenna and an NFC controller. In response to tagging between the NFC-enabled digital apparatus and the external NFC terminal, an NFC communication channel is established between the NFC enabled-digital apparatus and the external NFC terminal for data communication therebetween.
US09678701B2 Handheld measuring device comprising a user interface responsive to changes in a displacement sensed by a displacement sensor
A measuring device is provided including a user interface responsive to changes in a displacement sensed by a displacement sensor. The measuring device (e.g., a handheld caliper or micrometer) includes a displacement sensor, a display, a signal processing and control portion, and a user interface. The displacement sensor includes a readhead and a scale displaceable relative to one another along a measuring axis under the manual control of a user, with the display being connected to the readhead. In a first user interface mode, displacement measurement values are displayed and are responsive to changes in the displacement of the displacement sensor. In a second user interface mode, operation control elements are displayed in the user interface and an operation control element action visible in the user interface (e.g., movement of a selection indicator) is responsive to changes in the displacement of the displacement sensor.
US09678696B2 Distributed printing system set via printer driver
Example systems and related methods may relate to distributed printing. A client device associated with a plurality of candidate print devices can receive a request for distributed printing. The client device can determine a plurality of print devices from among the plurality of candidate print devices. Each print device in the plurality of print devices can be configured to service at least part of the request for distributed printing. The client device can determine a plurality of print job portions that collectively satisfy the request for distributed printing. Then, for each designated print device of the plurality of print devices, the client device can: allocate one or more print job portions to the designated print device and provide the allocated one or more print job portions to the designated print device.
US09678693B2 Method of setting wireless connection via near field communication function and image forming apparatus for performing the method
A method of configuring a wireless connection of an image forming apparatus via near field communication (NFC) is provided. The method includes receiving, by the image forming apparatus, wireless configuration information and Internet protocol (IP) address configuration information from a mobile device when the mobile device is tagged by the image forming apparatus, performing, user authentication of the mobile device with respect to the image forming apparatus, establishing communication between the image forming apparatus and an access point (AP) based on the wireless configuration information, and assigning an IP address to the image forming apparatus based on the IP address configuration information.
US09678690B2 Big data algorithm and platform solution for 3D visualization services
A method for generating a 3D object for visualizing multivariate data includes gathering subscriber information about subscribers of a network, receiving a user request to generate the 3D object, and generating object-data specifying a three-dimensional contour that models a relationship between at least two variables of the subscriber information and a measure. The three-dimensional contour is based on the received request and on the subscriber information, and the object data is generated in a format that is printable by a 3D printer. The object data is transmitted to the user.
US09678681B2 Secured multi-tenancy data in cloud-based storage environments
A mechanism is provided for multi-tenancy data security. A storage device receives a request for storage from a client device. Responsive to the request for storage being from an existing tenant, the storage device determines whether there is allocated unused storage in a freed space storage pool associated with the existing tenant. Responsive to the allocated unused storage existing in the freed space storage pool, the storage device re-allocates all or a portion of the allocated unused storage existing in the freed space storage pool to an active storage pool associated with the existing tenant in order to satisfy the request such that the client device accesses the allocated unused storage in the active storage pool.
US09678676B2 Method for storage devices to achieve low write amplification with low over provision
A solid state drive (SSD) includes an SSD control module configured to determine frequencies corresponding to how often data stored in respective logical addresses associated with the SSD is updated and form groups of the logical addresses according to the frequencies, and a memory control module configured to rewrite the data to physical addresses in blocks of an SSD storage region based on the groups.
US09678667B2 Techniques for maintaining device coordination in a storage cluster system
Various embodiments are generally directed to techniques for maintaining and using a quorum of nodes within a cluster of a storage cluster system to perform coordinated operations. An apparatus includes a network interface of a node of multiple nodes of a storage cluster system to receive a command from another device to cause the node to become unavailable to remain within a quorum of the nodes; an update coordination component to enable one node at a time to have authority to update node status data, the node status data comprising indications of states of the multiple nodes; and a command evaluation component to cooperate with the update coordination component to obtain the authority, analyze the indications to determine a current status of the quorum when the node has the authority, and determine whether to accept the command based on whether unavailability of the node causes loss of the quorum.
US09678652B2 Automatic data sharing between multiple graph elements
A method of automatically sharing data between graph elements is provided. First sample data is generated to render an instance of a first graph element type in a first cell. An indicator is received that indicates selection of a second graph element type and dropping of an indicator of the second graph element type into the first cell. Second sample data is generated to render an instance of the second graph element type in the first cell overlaid with a second instance of the first graph element type in the first cell. A common axis is used for the second instance of the first graph element type and the instance of the second graph element type. Data points used for the common axis are automatically shared between the second instance of the first graph element type and the instance of the second graph element type.
US09678649B2 Method for displaying photos and electronic device for using the same
The invention provides a method for displaying photos. The method of the present invention comprises displaying a photo marked with a burst shooting icon, wherein the displayed photo corresponds to a photo group having a plurality of photos successively taken in a burst mode. A selection signal is received through the burst shooting icon. Upon the received selection signal, one of the photos in the photo group is displayed accompanying with a tool bar, wherein the tool bar at least includes a seek bar and a play key. An operating signal is received through the tool bar and upon the received operating signal, the photos in the photo group are displayed.
US09678641B2 Configurable computation modules
Input may be received indicating selection of multiple modules from a plurality of predefined configurable computation modules and to configure the selected modules. Configuring the selected modules may include defining one or more module inputs to each selected module and may also include defining one or more connections between modules of the selected multiple modules. The selected modules may be assembled based on the respective define one or more module inputs to each selected module and the defined one or more connections between modules. The assembled selected module may enable analysis to be performed on data received at the respective one or more module inputs.
US09678640B2 View management architecture
Multi-display computing environments are often represented as a unified coordinate space, where each display presents application views within a coordinate region. Such arrangements may enable features such as application views that span multiple displays, but such features may not appeal to users. Additionally, such representations may complicate the application of layouts to particular displays while maintaining relationships among application views. Instead, a view management architecture may generate a user interface collection comprising, for respective displays, an arrangement of view entries for respective views presented on the display. Entries for new views may be added to the arrangement for a particular display, and may be contained within an application container encapsulating all views of an application on the display. This multi-display representation enables display layouts to be applied to the views within a particular display while preserving relationships among views presented by each of several displays of the computing environment.
US09678636B2 Modalities for brokered engagements
Described are techniques for providing broker services to consumers with service providers according to a user selected modality type including an anonymous user modality type.
US09678629B2 Focusing on multiple selected rows within a data table
Techniques are described for scrolling through a data table containing a list of items. A portion of a list of items can be presented in a container. During scrolling, selected items can become locked to a boundary of the container. When an item becomes locked, the item remains at a fixed position within the container, even during scrolling. A second container configured to present locked items can be generated once a predefined number of selected items have become locked within the container. The locked item can be moved from the container to the second container, thus freeing up available space within the container for the scrolling of items within the data table.
US09678628B2 Method for generating control-code by a control-code-diagram
A method for generating control-code, where at least one function-block and/or function-block-connection is specified. The method includes providing an indexed database containing data of at least part of an existing control-diagram with function-blocks and function block-connections; displaying a diagram-entry-field for specifying the control-diagram by defining the at least one function-block and/or the function block-connection and receiving a user input thereof; comparing received user input with the data of the indexed database to identify at least one similar part of the at least one control-diagram; displaying an assisting-menu with the at least one similar part of the at least one control-diagram; receiving an acceptance or rejection of the at least one similar part of the at least one control-diagram; inserting, in case of acceptance, the at least one similar part of the at least one control-diagram from the indexed database in the diagram-entry-field; and translating the completed control-diagram in the control-code.
US09678618B1 Using an expanded view to display links related to a topic
Documents relating to a topic may be presented to users using visually expandable views. In one implementation, a web page may include a number of topics each presented in a visual area that is presented to a user as one of two views, the two views including, for each of the particular topics: a first view in which a link to a document relating to the topic is presented to a user, and a second view, expanded visually relative to the first view, in which links, to a number of different types of documents and associated with a number of different domains, relating to the particular topic, are presented to the user.
US09678617B2 Shared real-time content editing activated by an image
Systems and methods for instantiating collaboration interfaces via object recognition are disclosed. An object recognition engine communicatively coupled to a database and an electronic device receives sensor data related to an object and identifies an object characteristic. A component is selected having criteria satisfied by the object characteristic and a collaboration interface is instantiated on the electronic device. This can allow a user to edit content related to an object. A substantially identical collaboration interface can be instantiated on a second electronic device to allow collaboration among user with respect to content related to the object.
US09678616B2 Graphics command management tool and methods for analyzing performance for command changed before application modification
Methods, systems, graphical computer interfaces, and computer readable media are disclosed to enable optimizing video frame rendering characteristics for an application. The method includes rendering a video frame and capturing push buffer settings representing the rendering of the video frame. The method also includes modifying an aspect of the push buffer settings while bypassing the application, and re-rendering the frame with the modified aspect. The method further enables comparing the rendering with the re-rendering, and presenting comparison results. Graphical user interfaces are provided to enable the functionality, without having to modify code of the application to appreciate what potential changes to the application can present in terms of performance rendering and processing efficiencies.
US09678606B2 Method and device for determining a touch gesture
The invention relates to a device, in particular, a touch sensitive device, and more in particular, a single-touch sensitive device configured to recognize gestures, such as zoom, rotate, flick, using specific characteristics based on a single-touch localization system. The invention also relates to a method for recognizing/identifying gestures, such as zoom, rotate, flick, in a low-end device equipped with such as a single-touch sensitive device which is able to recognize one single point at a time.
US09678604B2 Digitizer-integrated display module
To provide a rigid digitizer-integrated display module, the display module includes a display panel for forming an image, a digitizer module formed on the bottom side of the display panel to detect electromagnetic type digitizer input, and a non-magnetic metal structure enclosing the bottom sides of the mold frame and the digitizer and the outer periphery of the mold frame.
US09678594B2 In-cell touch panel and display device
An in-cell touch panel and a display device are disclosed, a common electrode layer is reused as self-capacitance electrodes in accordance with self-capacitance principle. A pattern of common electrode layer is designed such that the common electrode layer is partitioned into a plurality of mutually independent self-capacitance electrodes along strip-like slits and a direction crossing the slits. The touch sensing chip can determine a touch position by detecting capacitance value variation of self-capacitance electrodes in a touch period. The in-cell touch panel can save production costs and improve production efficiency, and also can avoid light leakage caused by cutting common electrode layer and influence on display effect.
US09678591B2 Method and apparatus for sensing touch
Aspects of the present disclosure are directed towards methods, systems, and apparatuses that include a pressure-sensor arrangement including a plate structure and a plurality or array of pressure-sensor cells. Additionally, the methods, systems, and apparatuses include integrated circuitry communicatively coupled to the pressure-sensor arrangement that senses pressure changes exhibited by changes in capacitance or vibrational characteristics.
US09678580B2 Human-to-computer interfaces
The invention relates to an improved keyboard and keyboard driver for facilitating a reduction in the number of key presses required to create or delete a given data string (i.e. mnemonics, abbreviations, words, sentences, paragraphs etc.). The keyboard includes an array of keys having multi-character indicia and an interface system comprising data storage means; data processing means; and data display means, wherein the data processing means reduces key presses by filtering data stored within the data storage means by initial character, as determined by the character or characters ascribed to a data input key initially pressed by a user, and prioritizing the filtered data in real-time according to user-configurable prioritization parameters (using qualitative and/or quantitative information relating to each data string stored within the storage means). The invention also provides improved calculator functionality and function-lock keys. Taken together, the keyboard and keyboard driver of the invention (which may be implemented in isolation or together) promotes ease of use, reduced user-interactivity, elevated efficiency and thus enhanced productivity that in turn yields improved accuracy and flexibility.
US09678579B2 Mobile cast receivers for computing and entertainment devices
In one general aspect, a computing system includes a cast terminal including a keyboard component and a display component physically coupled to the keyboard component, and a central computing device. The keyboard component includes a first communication module configured to transmit keystroke data over a first wireless network to the central computing device using a first wireless communication protocol. The display component includes a second communication module configured to receive multimedia data over a second wireless network from the central computing device using a second wireless communication protocol. The central computing device includes a third communication module configured to receive the keystroke data from the first wireless network, and a fourth communication module configured to transmit the multimedia data over the second wireless network.
US09678573B2 Interaction with devices based on user state
A device identifies users who is trying to interact with it and monitors their state. Using this user state information, the device dynamically adjusts a user interface, speech grammars, screen flow, input options, and the like to tailor interaction with the device to the user. The user interface and device interaction may also be influenced by user-specific settings or profiles. The device may prevent or allow user interaction with the device based on the user's state, such as a position relative to the device. For example, the device may prevent or allow the user from using a set of speech or gesture commands or other interaction sets based on the user's position or relative location.