US09021006B2

Software capabilities of a video analytics device are obtained. The software of the video analytics device is configured. An output from the video analytics device is received. The output is sent to a user device.
US09021004B2

A circuit arrangement and method couple a hardware-based pseudorandom number generator (PRNG) to an execution unit in such a manner that pseudorandom numbers generated by the PRNG may be selectively output to the execution unit for use as an operand during the execution of instructions by the execution unit. A PRNG may be coupled to an input of an operand multiplexer that outputs to an operand input of an execution unit so that operands provided by instructions supplied to the execution unit are selectively overridden with pseudorandom numbers generated by the PRNG. Furthermore, overridden operands provided by instructions supplied to the execution unit may be used as seed values for the PRNG.
US09021001B2

The generation of individual-specific information having a good reliability and uniqueness is made possible with a little circuit scale. For this purpose, in an individual-specific information generation apparatus, a plurality of digital circuits are in the same circuit configuration. Each of the digital circuits outputs a fixed or a random number output value individually without their output with respect to a certain input being determined unambiguously among the digital circuits. In each of the digital circuit, an order is defined in advance. A random number judgment unit judges whether the output value is a random value or fixed, for each of the plurality of digital circuits. An individual-specific information generation unit generates the individual-specific information based on information of the order defined in the digital circuit judged by the random number judgment unit as having a fixed output value among the plurality of digital circuits and the output value.
US09020989B2

Systems and methods for managing data, such as metadata. In one exemplary method, metadata from files created by several different software applications are captured, and the captured metadata is searched. The type of information in metadata for one type of file differs from the type of information in metadata for another type of file. Other methods are described and data processing systems and machine readable media are also described.
US09020987B1

A method is used in managing updating of metadata of file systems. Changes in metadata of a file of a file system are stored in a journal upon receiving an I/O request for the file of the file system. The I/O request results in update of metadata of the file of the file system. The journal includes metadata transactions upon the file system. Changes to metadata of the file are stored in a volatile memory of a data storage system upon receiving subsequent I/O requests resulting in update of metadata of the file of the file system. Metadata of the file of the file system is updated with information derived from metadata changes stored in the journal.
US09020986B1

A geometry dataset describing locations of geographic features with high precision and an information dataset describing locations of geographic features with low precision are established. The location of a geometry feature included in the geometry dataset is plotted in a geographic region and the locations of information features included in the information dataset are also plotted. A set of information features having plotted locations bounded by the location of the geometry feature is identified. An information feature in the set is selected based on a comparison of metadata of the geometry feature with metadata of the information feature. Data from the geometry feature and the selected information feature are conflated and the conflated data are stored. The conflated data are used for purposes including providing map data to users of clients.
US09020980B2

Methods and systems allowing content owners to make their content available to broadcasters over a network or communications medium such as via the Internet.
US09020979B2

The capturing of rich database metadata includes: capturing partitioned column metadata of a database as mappings defined by a plurality of constraint statements; defining non-standard user-defined types of the database according to a schema; defining physical representations of columns of the database according to the schema; and storing the defined mappings, the defined user-defined types, and the defined physical representations of columns to a catalog of the database. Application enumerated data values in the database may also be defined according to the XML schema and stored to the catalog of the database. In this manner, the database management system may manage application constraints, user-defined types, and physical representations of data for applications referencing the same database using the metadata information stored in the catalog of the database.
US09020974B2

A law enforcement officer involved in a traffic stop is provided with a means to submit details of contraband locations within the stopped vehicle to a cloud-based server or database. This method of submitting information allows any other officer to be able to retrieve up-to-date information regarding the location of contraband hidden with a particular vehicle. The data submitted, stored, and accessed from the cloud-based server or database may include methods and instructions for accessing the hiding places, or other relevant information useful for an officer to retrieve contraband.
US09020971B2

Certain implementations may include systems and methods for populating entity fields based on hierarchy partial resolution. According to an example implementation, a method is provided that may include identifying one or more first matching records in a hierarchical database, where matching records include one or more fields having an associated first matching field value that at least partially matches a received portion of a first query term. The method may include outputting, for display, one or more first matching field values of the one or more first matching records and receiving a second indication input signifying a selection of one of the one or more first matching field values.
US09020963B2

A method for providing assets in a collaboration medium includes receiving information from an entity; analyzing the information to identify metadata; searching a system to locate assets relevant to the identified metadata; filtering the assets located on the system according to at least one of a predetermined user profile or a environment profile; sending pointers to the filtered assets on the entity's system to a second entity's system; and displaying pointers to the filtered assets in the collaboration medium.
US09020961B2

Embodiments of articles, apparatuses, devices and/or systems for manipulating hierarchical sets of data are disclosed herein including, for example, an apparatus that includes a computing platform to transform between a tree and a condensed array of numerals.
US09020959B2

A method for providing contextual support for a publish-subscribe system includes the steps of receiving a user-defined objective of subscription relating to a topic provided from a subscriber to the publish-subscribe system, and determining one or more topics related to the subscriber provided objective of subscription. The method also includes the steps of filtering through a plurality of feeds related to the subscriber provided objective of subscription fed to the publish-subscribe system from one or more feed sources to provide a filtered list of feeds, aggregating through the filtered list of feeds to provide an aggregated list of feeds, and inferencing through the aggregated list of feeds to determine one or more of the plurality feeds that are relevant to the subscriber provided objective of subscription.
US09020958B2

Various embodiments sort data. In one embodiment, a matrix D including a set of data values is received. A matrix Q is received, and includes a set of columns and a set of rows. The matrix Q further includes a sorting of each column of the matrix D. Each of these rows corresponds to a sorting. Each of a set of values in each of the set of columns in the matrix Q identifies a row in the matrix D. At least one sub-matrix D′ of the matrix D is identified. A set of columns of the sub-matrix D′ is restricted to one or more columns of the matrix D. A processor sorts the sub-matrix D′ by rows based on the sorting of the set of columns of the matrix D as given in the matrix Q, and based on the set of data values in the matrix D.
US09020954B2

Aspects of the present invention provide a tool for hash-based indexing. In an embodiment, a ranked dataset having a plurality of data items is obtained. Every data item in the ranked dataset has a ranking with respect to every other data item in the ranked dataset. A ranking triplet matrix is created based on the ranked dataset. The ranking triplet matrix has a set of ranking triplets, each of which indicates the relative ranking for a pair of the data items in the ranked dataset. This ranking triplet can be merged with a hash table obtained using a standard hash function and the data items can be indexed based on the results.
US09020950B2

A system and method for generating tag glossaries and use thereof is provided. A set of tags is accessed. Each tag is associated with a glossary that includes one or more terms and definitions for the terms. A new tag is generated and a new glossary is generated for the new tag based on the glossaries associated with the set of tags. The tag glossaries can be used to provide context for documents associated with the tags, to determine appropriate tags for untagged documents, to help in search for other documents, and to build indices for documents or collections of documents.
US09020946B2

Embodiments include a method of aggregating data from a plurality of QuickBooks (QB) files that may be in physically separate locations, and having at least one account name in common. In one embodiment, the method includes, assigning a different parent account identification (ID) number to each differently named parent account. The method includes creating an entry in a hash table for each parent account ID, the contents of the entry being a collection of rows including a row for each different sub account of the parent account, wherein data for multiple instances of like named parent accounts are aggregated, the key of the entry in the hash table being the parent account ID.
US09020935B2

Standard word lists that are often used for such operations as predictive text, spell checking, and word completion are based on general linguistic data that might not accurately reflect actual text usage patterns of particular users. Systems and methods of building and using a custom word list for use in text operations on an electronic device are provided. A collection of text items associated with a user of the electronic device is scanned to identify words in the text items. A weighting is then assigned to each identified word, and the words and corresponding weightings are stored.
US09020933B2

Systems and methods for identifying inadequate search content are provided. Inadequate search content, for example, can be identified based on statistics associated with the search queries related to the content.
US09020929B2

A database monitor tracks performance statistics and information about the execution of different SQL statements. In particular, the monitor tracks information about the individual instructions that comprise a complex query. The performance statistics and information from these individual elements provide insight into a query's performance and may show why a query's performance is below expectations.
US09020928B2

Methods and apparatuses for processing streaming data using programmable logic are disclosed. With an exemplary embodiment, a programmable logic device can be used to sort streaming data and provide a processor with access to the sorted data. With another exemplary embodiment, an Internet search engine can include a programmable logic device to perform match operations in response to search queries for web pages. With another exemplary embodiment, a programmable logic device is configured to perform match operations on streaming data while a processor is freed to perform other tasks.
US09020927B1

Methods, systems, and apparatus for determining resource quality based on resource competition. In an aspect, a method comprises: for each of a plurality of resource locators: generating first value for the resource locator that indicates, for a plurality of first sets of search results that each include the resource locator, a number of occurrences of other resource locators that were impressed and not selected when the resource locator was selected; generating a second value for the resource locator that indicates, for a plurality of second sets of search results that each include the resource locator, a number of occurrences of other resource locators that were selected when the resource locator was impressed and not selected; and generating, based on a difference between the first value and the second value, an adjustment factor for the resource locator for adjusting a score associated with the resource locator during a search operation.
US09020912B1

A method, computer readable medium, and network traffic management apparatus that accesses data in a compressed file system includes obtaining an original write request from a client computing device including at least object data. The object data is compressed into a plurality of compressed blocks. A mapping of each compressed block to a portion of the object data compressed therein is generated, wherein the portion of the object data compressed therein is represented in the mapping by a unique object identifier, a start offset, and a length. The compressed blocks and the mapping are stored in at least one data storage device. At least one data access request for at least a portion of the object data is serviced based on the mapping.
US09020911B2

Provided are a computer implemented method, computer program product, and system for matching names. For a first bitmap distribution, it is determined whether a first bitmap signature of a query name and a second bitmap signature of a target name have a number of character n-grams overlapping that meet or exceed a threshold to generate a first preliminary value. For a second bitmap distribution that is different from the first bitmap distribution, it is determined whether a third bitmap signature of the query name and a fourth bitmap signature of the target name have a number of character n-grams overlapping that meet or exceed a threshold to generate a second preliminary value. The first preliminary value and the second preliminary value are combined, and, if the combination results in a value of true, it is determined that the query name and the target name are to be further processed.
US09020905B2

A system to synchronize a database and a non-database resource includes an application to transmit a request to a service provider to perform an action. The service provider receives the request and performs the action, the action not being under commit coordination. The service provider further inserts an entry into an action-reversal table to reverse the action and makes the insertion permanent. The service provider, on behalf of the application, then deletes the entry from the action-reversal table. The application may then be configured to perform one of the following: (1) make the delete permanent by performing a COMMIT; and (2) roll back the delete by performing a ROLLBACK. At a later time, the service provider may reverse the action in the event the entry remains in the action-reversal table. Corresponding methods and articles of manufacture (i.e., computer-readable media) are also disclosed herein.
US09020899B2

A method includes determining, by a processor, that a write request indicates a clone file that was cloned from a file in a first fileset. The clone file is of a second fileset and a clustered file system comprises the first fileset and the second fileset. A data block of the clone file affected by the write request is determined. The method includes determining that the data block at a current location cannot be modified. In response to a determination that the data block at the current location cannot be modified, the method includes implementing the write request with respect to the data block at a different location and indicating that the data block at the different location can be modified for subsequent write requests that indicate the clone file.
US09020895B1

A processing system stores a backup of virtual machine data on a storage device in a primary network storage system. A virtual machine running on a primary host machine, which is coupled to the primary network storage system, generates the virtual machine data. A replication software module replicates the backup of the virtual machine data from the primary network storage system to a secondary network storage system. In the event of a failure on the first network storage system, disaster recovery services module restores the virtual machine data from the secondary network storage system to cause the virtual machine to run on a secondary host machine coupled to the secondary network storage system, wherein the disaster recovery services module is coupled to the primary host machine and the secondary host machine over a network.
US09020893B2

Asynchronous namespace maintenance in a distributed replicated data storage system is disclosed. An access device/program serving as a front end to the distributed replicated data storage system updates a batch of updated meta data about stored data items when data items are stored in the distributed replicated data storage system. When the elapsed time since the last batch of data item meta data was stored exceeds a first threshold value or the current batch size exceeds a second threshold value, the access device/program stores the current batch of updated meta data as an object in the distributed replicated data storage system, receiving a batch object identifier for the stored batch of updated meta data, and distributes the batch object identifier to other access devices and/or access programs which retrieve the batch of updated meta data and update their namespaces.
US09020891B1

Disclosed are various embodiments for reducing locking in a distributed data store that includes a primary data store and one or more secondary data stores. An update to a data item that is to be applied to the distributed data store is obtained in one or more computing devices. The update is applied to a cached version of the data item when a lock is held. The update is replicated to the one or more data stores after the lock is released. It is determined that the update is durably persisted in the distributed data store after obtaining a replication confirmation from each of at least a predetermined number of the secondary data stores.
US09020886B2

A diagnostic tool comprises a memory device which stores a database of parametric performance data of a collection of transaction terminals possibly owned by different entities. Each time the tool is authorized to connect to a transaction terminal the database is accessed by a processor and a determination is made whether one or more parameter of the transaction terminal lies within a threshold amount of a statistical measure based upon the parametric performance data of the collection of transaction terminals.
US09020885B2

A system and method comprising, sharing information between a plurality of participants in a collaboration; and exposing a set of functions that enable a participant in the plurality of participants to share the information, the set of functions comprising: first functions to facilitate establishing a context in which to interact with the plurality of participants; and second functions to facilitate storing and retrieving values from a shared state, wherein the shared state is accessible within the context.
US09020884B2

A computer system for storing of business information to be transferred from a consultant to a buyer includes a database system for maintaining configurable business information organized into a plurality of information components and a server connected to the database system and connectable to the buyer and the consultant. The server is operable to receive a selection of an information component and configure the information component in accordance with consultant instructions. The configuration includes establishing a data value library and creating an information setting the server is operable to integrate the information setting into at least one work flow entity and integrate the at least one work flow entity into a process design.
US09020875B1

Described is a system for catastrophe prediction. The system generates a time series of observables at multiple time steps from data observed from a complex system. A surrogate time series based on the time series of observables is then generated. Inferred network structures for both the time series of observables and the surrogate time series are reconstructed. Next, spatial autocorrelation for each inferred network structure in both the time series of observables and the surrogate time series is computed. A statistical test of a detected trend between the time series of observables and the surrogate time series is computed to determine if the detected trend occurred by chance. Finally, an early warning signal of the detected trend occurring by chance is generated.
US09020874B2

In a support vector regression approach to forecasting power load in an electrical grid, a feature learning scheme weights each feature in the input data with its correlation with the predicted load, increasing the prediction accuracy. The kernel matrix for the input training data is computed such that features that align better with the target variable are given greater weight. The resulting load forecast may be used to compute commands sent to demand response modules.
US09020873B1

Systems, apparatus, methods and articles of manufacture provide for implementing a decision engine using a finite state machine for conducting randomized experiments. According to some embodiments, methods may include initializing a decision engine comprising at least one state machine, receiving information defining for the at least one state machine, states and transitions between the states, receiving information defining at least one set of weighted choices, receiving an indication of an occurrence of an event, executing the decision engine to select randomly using the at least one state machine a weighted choice based on the event, and transmitting to the application an indication of the identified random choice.
US09020872B2

A technique for detecting missing rules (mr) with most general conditions in a rule project (1) having a given scope with a fixed number of objects of a given type, wherein each rule (r) is defined by at least one test (t) in respect to at least one condition of at least one attribute (age, value) of the object, the method comprising the steps of finding at least one missing case not covered by the rules (r), identifying a list of tests (t) that occur in the rules (r), generalizing the missing case into a family of missing cases (mc) in terms of the tests (t) occurring in the rules (r), generalizing the family of missing cases (mc) into a missing rule (mr), and generating missing rules (mr) with most general conditions.
US09020860B2

A system and method for preparing mail packages to be sent to recipients includes a carrier envelope with a front address window and a back window. A content document having a style code printed on it is positioned at the back of the carrier envelope. The content style code is positioned to be visible through the back window of the carrier envelope. A reply envelope is enclosed with an address area aligned with the front window of the carrier envelope. Mail packages are prepared by storing a corresponding content style for the recipient. While transported, the content style code is scanned. From the style code, a recipient having the corresponding content style is selected from the stored list. That recipients name and address are printed onto the address area of the reply envelope.
US09020859B2

Methods, systems, and apparatus include computer programs encoded on a computer-readable storage medium, and include a method for fraud prevention. A method includes receiving registration information for a user, including identities of the user and an authenticating device and a payment source identifier, and storing the registration information. A payment authorization request relating to a transaction purported to be by the user and including the payment source identifier is received. Using the payment source identifier, the identity of the user and the authenticating device is retrieved. A communication is provided to the user including transaction information. The message is delivered to the user at the authenticating device. The method also includes receiving (and subsequently forwarding) either a payment authorization or a payment repudiation responsive to the communication from the user by way of the authenticating device.
US09020853B2

Smart card transactions allow consumers to load value onto and make purchases using smart cards with a mobile telephone handset over the telecommunications network. To load the smart card, the handset receives a request to load value. The handset generates a funds request message and sends the message to a funds issuer computer that debits a user account. Next, the handset authenticates the smart card and receives a response message including approval to load. The handset validates the response and loads the value onto the smart card. For payment, the handset sends an order request message to the merchant server computer, and in return receives a purchase instruction message. The handset processes the message locally, and sends a draw request message to a payment server computer. The payment server computer sends an approval to debit the smart card. The handset validates the approval and debits the smart card.
US09020851B2

Methods, systems, and articles of manufacture consistent with the present invention provide for conducting financial transactions over a network. A user requests to execute at least one financial transaction with at least one of a number of parties, each of the parties corresponding to a data processing system on the network. Real-time financial information relating to the financial transaction is obtained, and the user can test and confirm that the financial transaction with the at least one party can take place prior to execution of the financial transaction.
US09020842B2

The present invention provides a computer system and method for facilitating a transaction between a buyer and a seller. The seller is one of multiple available providers of a product and/or service. Initially, the buyer sends out an order, and the order is automatically verified. A seller is then determined based on at least one desirable characteristic of that particular seller. Then, the order is automatically translated into a format understandable by the desired seller. The order is communicated to the desired seller and the status of the order is later communicated to the buyer.
US09020838B2

A portable device which assists shoppers. The device identifies items of merchandise, and retrieves information about the items from a remote location. The items can be identified based on their labels, by image recognition, by their location, by the shopper, or by other approaches. This additional or enhanced information about the items can then be overlaid on the real-time display of the portable device, such that the shopper has access to said information and can associate it easily to the relevant items.
US09020828B2

A method, a system and a computer program product are disclosed for referencing medical electronically available patient-related data records which are stored in a distributed manner in a computer-based network, including a multiplicity of computer-based entities. In at least one embodiment, a request for patient-related data records is generated on the basis of an original identifier and is sent to an index server. By accessing a table, the index server checks whether entries or data records are stored for the respective patient in the respective repository. If so, it inserts this reference to the storage location into the result. The request is forwarded from index server to index server until all index servers have been processed, so that the end result can be forwarded to the requesting workstation with all references to requested patient-related data records.
US09020811B2

A system and method for processing audio text files includes a content repository storing audio text files. A text transformer linguistically analyzes the audio text files within a content of multiple lexicons to form edited text results and creates a reflection repository having reflection files therein corresponding to the audio text files from the edited text results. A search engine searches the reflection files and a user device displays a first reflection file from the reflection files or a first audio text file from the audio files in response to searching.
US09020809B1

A method includes accessing data specifying a set of actions, each action defining a user device operation and for each action: accessing a corresponding set of command sentences for the action, determining first n-grams in the set of command sentences that are semantically relevant for the action, determining second n-grams in the set of command sentences that are semantically irrelevant for the action, generating a training set of command sentences from the corresponding set of command sentences, the generating the training set of command sentences including removing each second n-gram from each sentence in the corresponding set of command sentences for the action, and generating a command model from the training set of command sentences configured to generate an action score for the action for an input sentence based on: first n-grams for the action, and second n-grams for the action that are also second n-grams for all other actions.
US09020806B2

The subject disclosure is directed towards automated processes for generating sentence completion questions based at least in part on a language model. Using the language model, a sentence is located, and alternates for a focus word (or words) in the sentence are automatically provided. Also described is automated filtering candidate sentences to locate the sentence, filtering the alternates based upon elimination criteria, scoring sentences with the correct word and as modified the alternates, and ranking the alternates. Manual selection may be used along with the automated processes.
US09020790B2

Computer-implemented electronic document design systems and methods allowing a user to integrate user-specific location maps into custom printed products. During the creation of an electronic design of a product intended for subsequent printing, user-provided location information is received by a server computer and used to generate a user map suitable for high quality printing. Lower resolution display and thumbnail versions of the map suitable for displaying to the user of the client system are generated.
US09020787B2

Embodiments of the invention provide methods enabling reliable simulation of objects in contact scenarios. Embodiments of the invention utilize methods providing three parameter-independent guarantees. According to embodiments of the invention, simulations of well-posed problems: have no interpenetrations; obey causality, momentum and energy conservation laws; and complete in finite time.
US09020782B2

A method and apparatus for controlling of ski vibration consisting an accelerator/actuator sub-system attached to the ski and a adaptive vibration control application residing in the user smart-phone and communicating with the accelerometer/actuator sub-system over Bluetooth radio interface is disclosed. The adaptive vibration control application extracts vibration frequencies and amplitudes from signal received from an accelerometer, separates such frequencies according to their types—bending or torsional, and after thresholding and scaling by the ski calibration parameters and by the user desired ski response, apply such signal to the control loop and consequently to the actuators to provide vibration dampening force. In one embodiment, such actuators are attached to the ski, while in another embodiment such actuators are embedded into the ski.
US09020774B2

An encoder system includes: a first single-rotation absolute encoder that outputs a first signal corresponding to an angular position of a first rotatable shaft; a power transmission device that transmits the power of the first shaft to a second rotatable shaft with a predetermined transmission ratio; a second single-rotation absolute encoder that outputs a second signal corresponding to an angular position of the second shaft; and a signal processing section that generates data related to the rotation count of the first shaft based on at least the first signal and the second signal.
US09020773B2

The calibrating breathalyzer comprises an alcohol sensor, a non-volatile memory, a processing unit or processor, a display and a housing to house these components. The processing unit can calibrate the breathalyzer using the user's body as a simulator based on the user's metabolism rate, type and amount of alcohol consumed by the user. The processing unit determines a sample time to receive a breath sample from the user based on a time to a predetermined calibration point from the drinking start time calculated using the user's metabolism rate and the determined maximum alcohol level. The BAC % measurement based on the user's breath sample at the sample time is used as a reference point in calibrating the breathalyzer.
US09020768B2

A process variable transmitter controls a signal on a communication loop. A diagnostic component on the transmitter compares an expected signal level on the communication loop with an actual value to detect on-scale errors.
US09020755B1

A method of determining a position of a moving vehicle. A global position is detected by a global positioning device of at least one parked vehicle in a vicinity of the moving vehicle. The global position is determined as a function of signals broadcast by a plurality of satellites. Errors associated with the broadcast signals are determined. A correction error that provides a solution for eliminating the errors associated with the broadcast signals is determined. The correction error is transmitted to the moving vehicle. The correction error is applied to a received global positioning signal received by the moving vehicle. A global position of the moving vehicle is determined as a function of the correction error. The determined global position of the moving vehicle is applied in a vehicle application.
US09020752B2

The present invention relates to a method for positioning a user inside a building, wherein the user has a user carried device and the device is provided with a direction sensor and a movement sensor. The method includes providing the user carried device with a vector map of the building, wherein the vector map includes vectors and nodes representing possible movement paths for the user in the building; determining a starting point in the vector map, receiving movement information from the movement sensor, receiving direction information from the direction sensor, receiving a magnetic field map at the user carried device, wherein the magnetic field is detectable by the user carried device, and estimating a new position of the user based on the vector map, the movement information, the direction information and the property map.
US09020745B2

A separate panel may be used to display business icons near images of business entries, if the GIS does not include a business's front door geolocation. Users may place icons that represent business entities near the entrances to the entity. Also, a concise but extensive display of business listing data (e.g., reviews, summaries, services, hours, etc.) in the display near the geolocation and the presentation of further information upon user actions such as a mouse-overs, may avoid browsing away from the viewing application in order to learn more about the business.
US09020741B2

Traffic information is provided to an in-vehicle unit of a vehicle located in a shadow portion of a large-sized vehicle and to an in-vehicle unit of a vehicle at a location separated from an intersection 193. A UHF beacon unit 112 is installed at the intersection 193, thereby distributing the traffic information using a UHF beacon signal having a diffraction characteristic. This arrangement can allow the in-vehicle unit of the vehicle located in the shadow portion of the large-sized vehicle as well to receive the traffic information. Further, since the UHF signal propagates far, this arrangement can allow the in-vehicle unit of the vehicle at the location separated from the intersection 193 as well to receive the traffic information. The UHF beacon unit 112 transmits, to a plurality of concentric zones, UHF beacon signals with different traffic information set therein for the different zones, by time division. At this time, the UHF beacon unit 112 transmits the UHF beacon signals with the different traffic information set therein, with different transmission output powers.
US09020737B2

A control apparatus for an internal combustion engine includes a fuel injection portion that carries out fuel injection for the internal combustion engine, a recirculation portion that recirculates to an intake system evaporative gas of injected fuel that has been mixed with lubricating oil for the internal combustion engine, a parameter acquisition portion that acquires a fuel mixture parameter corresponding to an amount of fuel that has been mixed with the lubricating oil, an engine stop portion that performs engine stop control to temporarily stop the internal combustion engine when a predetermined stop condition is fulfilled, and a stop condition correction portion that corrects a stop condition of the engine stop control on the basis of at least the fuel mixture parameter.
US09020736B2

Disclosed is a fault diagnosis apparatus for an airflow meter for determining that the airflow meter has a fault when a divergence ratio, i.e., a divergence value of an estimated intake-air quantity with respect to an actual intake-air quantity obtained by the airflow meter is greater than a fault-determination reference value determined based on a rotation speed of an internal combustion engine. The apparatus determines that the airflow meter is normal when the engine speed is higher than or equal to a predetermined speed under a specific condition that the divergence value is less than or equal to the reference value, and also maintains a current determination result when the engine speed is less than the predetermined speed under the specific condition, thereby determining, based on the engine speed, whether the airflow meter is normal or the current determination result is maintained, and thus improving the fault-diagnosis accuracy.
US09020735B2

A variety of methods and arrangements for controlling the operation of an internal combustion engine in a skip fire variable displacement mode are described. In one aspect, the working chamber firing that are selected to deliver the desired engine output are determined at least in part based on torque feedback. The torque feedback may be an indication of the torque output of the engine or the torque experienced at some other location in the drive train. In some embodiments, the torque feedback signal is filtered to remove high frequency components of the torque feedback signal in order to help stabilize the system. In another aspect, other operational parameters are used as feedback in the determination of the firing sequence. In yet another aspect, a filter is arranged to filter a feedback signal to provide a filtered feedback signal that is used in the determination of the working chamber firings.
US09020730B2

A safety interlock system for a motor vehicle has a plurality of object sensors capable of detecting the presence of an object such as a pedestrian in the danger zone at the front of the vehicle, rear the vehicle or proximate to the wheels. A door sensor is capable of detecting the open or closed state of the vehicle doors. An interlock override switch and a control circuit are also connected to the safety interlock system. The control circuit is capable of activating the safety interlock system when a door open signal is received. When the safety interlock system is activated the control circuit may engage the brakes to prevent motion of the vehicle if an object signal is received from the object sensor.
US09020727B2

A vehicle braking assist device for a host vehicle includes a risk potential computing part that computes a risk potential of the host vehicle with respect to an obstacle in the travelling direction of the host vehicle, an accelerator operation state sensor that detects the operation state of an accelerator, and a braking force application device that applies a first braking force on the host vehicle when the risk potential is higher than a predetermined first threshold and the detected operation state of the accelerator indicates that the accelerator is not being operated, and that applies a second braking force on the host vehicle irrespective of the operation state of the accelerator when the risk potential is higher than a predetermined second threshold, the risk potential represented by the second threshold being higher than the risk potential represented by the first threshold.
US09020724B2

An electric braking device for a vehicle. The device includes: front wheel and/or rear wheel braking modules that are not powered when the vehicle is in a standby state; at least one on-board computer; at least one user control module which, upon a user's request, delivers a power supply control signal to control the power supply to the braking modules and braking control signals to activate the braking modules when the modules are powered; and a mechanism for cutting the power supply to the braking modules once the vehicle has zero speed and the wheels are immobilized under action of the braking modules. The device can reduce the power consumption of vehicles.
US09020715B2

A hierarchical control system for a tandem axle assembly for a vehicle is provided. The hierarchical control system includes a vehicle level controller, an actuator, a shift controller, and a sensor. The shift controller is capable of placing the tandem axle assembly in at least a first operating condition and a second operating condition using the actuator. In response to the sensor and an operating condition of at least one of the power source and the transmission of the vehicle, the shift controller adjusts a manner of placing the tandem axle assembly in at least one of the first operating condition and the second operating condition. The hierarchical control system facilitates performing a shifting procedure in an automatic manner or as desired by an operator of the vehicle without excessively increasing a cost and a complexity of the tandem axle assembly.
US09020712B2

In order to enable a transmission to reliably perform a switching to a parking range thereof, a vehicle control device includes a shift-by-wire device which switches a shift range of a transmission mounted on a vehicle in accordance with a request by an electric signal, an acceptance unit which accepts a request for switching to a parking range of the transmission, a detection unit which detects that switching to the parking range of the transmission has been settled, and a braking device which generates a braking force when the acceptance unit accepts a request for switching to the parking range of the transmission, from the time of acceptance of the request for switching until the detection unit detects settlement of the switching to the parking range.
US09020709B2

An excavation control system includes a working unit, hydraulic cylinders, a prospective speed obtaining part, a relative speed obtaining part, a speed limit selecting part and a hydraulic cylinder controlling part. The prospective speed obtaining part obtains first and second prospective speeds depending on first and second intervals between first and second monitoring points of the bucket and a designed surface, respectively. The relative speed obtaining part obtains first and second relative speeds of the first and second monitoring points relative to the designed surface, respectively. The speed limit selecting part selects one of the first and second prospective speeds as a speed limit based on relative relations between the first and second relative speeds and the first and second prospective speeds, respectively. The hydraulic cylinder controlling part limits a relative speed of one of the first and second monitoring points to the speed limit.
US09020708B2

In drive control of an operating machine configured to drive a structure by a hydraulic motor configured to be driven by operating oil supplied from a hydraulic pump through a control valve and an electric motor configured to cooperate with the hydraulic motor, a speed command generated based on a manipulation amount of a remote control valve configured to determine an operation amount of the structure is subjected to speed feedback control performed based on an actual rotation speed of the hydraulic motor and pressure difference feedback control performed based on an operating oil pressure difference between a suction port and discharge port of the hydraulic motor.
US09020697B2

Methods and systems for a device discovery daemon that bases access of a communication device to an on board vehicle network on device location are provided.
US09020687B2

A wireless transmitter using Wi-Fi or long range Bluetooth wireless devices for emitting a signal including one of the vehicle ID or the VIN. The signal is received by one or more deployed RF receivers. The received data can be utilized to aid an individual in locating a parking location of a specific vehicle, for use in recognizing the vehicle for passage through a tollway, a gate, or any other controlled passageway. The system is capable of operating either indoors or outdoors. The one of the vehicle ID or the VIN obtained through the emitted signal from the vehicle RF device can be associated with a payment account for payment of tolls, parking, etc. Receipt and decoding of the vehicle ID or the VIN can additionally be used to initiate telematics or other applications using an association with the vehicle identifier.
US09020686B2

A sensor control apparatus connected to a gas sensor includes a microcomputer containing a ROM (first storage section), and an EEPROM (second storage section) independently of the ROM. The ROM stores an anomaly diagnosis program containing at least one type of anomaly determination process. The EEPROM stores one or more flags set so as to represent whether the corresponding anomaly determination process is valid or invalid. The states of the one or more flags can be readily changed from an externally connected PC. A CPU executes a series of processing steps of the anomaly determination processes, and then obtains a determination result thereof when the CPU determines that the anomaly determination process is valid, with reference to the one or more flags.
US09020683B1

A diagnostic system for diagnosing faults in a trailer electrical system generally includes a mode determination module that determines a current operating mode to be one of a sleep mode, a normal mode, a situational awareness mode, and an adaptive calibration mode. A first mode module operates when the current operating mode is the normal mode and during operation, diagnoses an open circuit fault of the trailer electrical system based on a comparison of a current load on the trailer electrical system and an average load.
US09020681B2

A method of displaying navigation limits for a planned travel route of a vehicle is presented here. The method calculates estimated navigation limits for the vehicle using an onboard subsystem of the vehicle, where the estimated navigation limits represent self-assessed navigation accuracy of the vehicle relative to the planned travel route. Contracted navigation limits are acquired for the vehicle, where the contracted navigation limits represent specified navigation accuracy of the vehicle, relative to the planned travel route, as mandated by a third party navigation controller. A navigation display is rendered on an onboard display element such that it includes graphical representations of the planned travel route, at least one of the estimated navigation limits, and at least one of the contracted navigation limits.
US09020680B2

A method for determining a direction of travel for a following vehicle ensures that the following vehicle follows a path indicative of that of a target vehicle. The target vehicle extends in longitudinal (X) and lateral (Y) directions, the longitudinal direction (X) corresponding to an intended direction of travel of the following vehicle. The method may include determining a measured lateral offset (ΔYmeasure) between the following and target vehicles. The method may also include measuring a lateral position change parameter corresponding to an actual performed, ongoing and/or impending lateral position change of the following vehicle, an actual performed, ongoing and/or impending lateral position change of the target vehicle, or a combination thereof. The method may further include determining a lateral offset modification measure (OY) using the lateral position change parameter, and using the measured lateral offset (ΔYmeasure) and lateral offset modification measure (OY) when determining the direction of travel.
US09020679B2

Systems, methods and devices for the automated delivery of goods form one to another using a robotic tug and accompanying cart. A computer within the tug or cart stores an electronic map of the building floor plan and intended paths for the tug to take when traversing from one location to the next. During the delivery, a variety of different sensors and scanners gather data that is used to avoid obstacles and/or adjust the movement of the tug in order to more closely follow the intended path. The system preferably includes both wired and wireless networks that allow one or more tugs to communicate with a tug base station, a primary network located at the site of the delivery and a remote host center that monitors the status and data collected by the tugs.
US09020673B2

A hybrid vehicle includes an internal combustion engine (22), a motor (MG2), and a secondary battery (50), and travels in an electric-powered travel mode and in a hybrid travel mode. In the hybrid vehicle, an execution travel mode is set to one of two travel modes including an electric-powered travel priority mode where the hybrid vehicle travels with priority being given to the electric-powered travel mode over the hybrid travel mode, and a hybrid travel priority mode where the hybrid vehicle travels with priority being given to the hybrid travel mode over the electric-powered travel mode. When the execution travel mode is switched while the internal combustion engine (22) is being operated, the internal combustion engine (22) and the motor (MG2) are controlled so that charging/discharging electric power for charging or discharging the secondary battery (50) is gradually changed and the hybrid vehicle travels in the switched execution travel mode (S750 to S800).
US09020670B2

A torque management strategy for an HEV having an engine operating with a fixed throttle position to better manage NVH while the vehicle is stationary or decelerating and the engine is generating more torque than a requested torque uses excess engine torque to charge the battery until the requested torque is below a torque loss threshold. Partial fuel injector cut off is avoided to reduce or eliminate associated NVH by adjusting a misfire torque limit to the expected or estimated engine torque produced during operation at the fixed throttle position until the requested torque results in complete fuel cut off to all cylinders.
US09020662B2

The present invention provides a computer-implemented method of producing a description of aircraft intent expressed using a formal language. The description may be used to predict aircraft trajectory, for example by air traffic management. Rules are used in association with information provided to generate a set of instructions describing both the aerodynamic configuration of the aircraft and the motion of the aircraft. These instructions are checked to ensure that they describe unambiguously the aircraft's trajectory. The instructions are then expressed using a formal language.
US09020660B2

A system and method for efficiently and continuously allowing vehicles to travel through an intersection. The method includes broadcasting a synchronization signal to all vehicles that will be entering the intersection and broadcasting an intersection flow time to all of the vehicles that will be entering the intersection that identifies which travel lanes travel in what direction. The method also includes identifying an arrival synchronization pattern for all of the vehicles that will be entering the intersection and controlling a speed of the vehicles traveling through the intersection and a time for the vehicles entering the intersection so that vehicles traveling in perpendicular or cross directions to the intersection will simultaneously travel through the intersection without colliding with each other.
US09020649B2

A management framework is disclosed that achieves maximum energy storage device lifetime based on energy storage device life estimation and the price of energy.
US09020646B2

The current application is directed to intelligent controllers that initially aggressively learn, and then continue, in a steady-state mode, to monitor, learn, and modify one or more control schedules that specify a desired operational behavior of a device, machine, system, or organization controlled by the intelligent controller. An intelligent controller generally acquires one or more initial control schedules through schedule-creation and schedule-modification interfaces or by accessing a default control schedule stored locally or remotely in a memory or mass-storage device. The intelligent controller then proceeds to learn, over time, a desired operational behavior for the device, machine, system, or organization controlled by the intelligent controller based on immediate-control inputs, schedule-modification inputs, and previous and current control schedules, encoding the desired operational behavior in one or more control schedules and/or sub-schedules.
US09020641B2

Disclosed herein are an obstacle sensing module and a cleaning robot including the same. The cleaning robot includes a body, a driver to drive the body, an obstacle sensing module to sense an obstacle present around the body, and a control unit to control the driver, based on sensed results of the obstacle sensing module. The obstacle sensing module includes at least one light emitter including a light source, and a wide-angle lens to refract or reflect light from the light source so as to diffuse the incident light in the form of planar light, and a light receiver including a reflection mirror to again reflect reflection light reflected by the obstacle so as to generate reflection light, an optical lens spaced from the reflection mirror by a predetermined distance, to allow the reflection light to pass through the optical lens, and an image sensor, and an image processing circuit.
US09020639B2

Robotic systems according to the invention include a frame or body with two or more wheels rotatably mounted on the frame or body and a motor for independently driving each wheel. A system controller generates a signal for actuating each motor based on information provided by one or more sensors in communication with the system controller for generating feedback signals for providing reactive actuation of the motors for generating one or more functions selected from the group consisting of forward motion, backward motion, climbing, hopping, balancing, throwing and catching. A power source is included for providing power to operate the drive motors, system controller and the one or more sensors.
US09020638B2

A position control method for controlling a position of a movable portion, includes: performing control of allowing the movable portion to approach a predetermined position by moving the movable portion; and performing control of moving the movable portion to the predetermined position by moving the movable portion and detecting a relative position of the movable portion with respect to the predetermined position by using an imaging unit.
US09020629B2

Loads that act on all the bearings that support a main spindle are derived from a variation in the state of the main spindle and, in addition, raceway surface contact pressures of the respective bearings are analyzed, so it is possible to accurately keep track of the state of each bearing. Then, when the raceway surface contact pressure exceeds a corresponding threshold, a machining condition is changed to execute control such that the raceway surface contact pressure does not exceed the corresponding threshold, and, furthermore, when the raceway surface contact pressure exceeds the corresponding threshold even when the machining condition is changed, the main spindle is controlled to stop, so it is possible to prevent a seizure of each bearing. Thus, it is possible to improve machining accuracy by controlling the main spindle with high accuracy.
US09020617B2

A control system includes a clustered architecture having a master controller, a central control section including one or more first remote controllers under direct control of the master controller, and a distributed control section including a cluster controller controlled by the master controller. The cluster controller controls the activities of one or more second remote controllers. Each of the first and second remote controllers are utilized to drive one or more axes.
US09020612B1

In a patient suffering from neural impairment, stimulation is provided to sensory surfaces of the face and/or neck, or more generally to areas of the body that stimulate the trigeminal nerve, while performing an activity intended to stimulate a brain function to be rehabilitated. The simulation may then be continued after the performance of the activity has ceased. It has been found that the patient's performance of the activity is then improved after stimulation has ceased. Moreover, it tends to improve to a greater extent, and/or for a longer time, when the post-activity stimulation is applied, as compared to when postactivity stimulation is not applied.
US09020606B2

Disclosed is a device for anchoring a brain lead that includes an anchoring ring with a circular base and a flange joining together where the inner walls form an aperture define a passage of a lead. Outer walls engage with a burr hole to secure the ring to the cranium, and a septum is contained within the aperture of the anchoring ring. Because the septum is already placed in the aperture when the trocar is removed from the brain, the body of the brain lead is immediately clamped by the elastic material of the septum while the tip of trocar is removed from the slit of septum. Friction between the lead body and the elastic material prohibits any movement of the lead caused by handling.
US09020599B2

Delivery of peripheral nerve field stimulation (PNFS) in combination with one or more other therapies is described. The other therapy delivered in combination with PNFS may be, for example, a different type of neurostimulation, such as spinal cord stimulation (SCS), or a drug. PNFS and the other therapy may be delivered simultaneously, in an alternating fashion, according to a schedule, and/or selectively, e.g., in response to a request received from a patient or clinician. A combination therapy that includes PNFS may be able to more completely address complex or multifocal pain than would be possible through delivery of either PNFS or other therapies alone. Further, the combination of PNFS with one or more other therapies may reduce the likelihood that neural accommodation will impair the perceived effectiveness PNFS or the other therapies.
US09020596B2

An improved technique is described for dealing with the detection of fusion beats when capture verification is performed by a cardiac pacing device such as during a capture threshold determination procedure. Schemes for classifying heart beats may misclassify beats as fusion beats due to feature/morphology changes in the test electrogram waveform that may occur even when capture is achieved.
US09020583B2

Disclosed herein is a framework for facilitating patient signal analysis. In accordance with one aspect, at least one region of interest within a cycle of a waveform of patient signal data is identified. The identified region of interest may be segmented into portions using amplitude percentage categories. A sequential morphological data series may be generated by compiling time intervals of the segmented portions. One or more sequential signal parameters may be calculated based on the sequential morphological data series. A report may then be generated based at least in part on the one or more sequential signal parameters.
US09020571B2

A mobile terminal is provided. The mobile terminal includes a body having at least one predetermined flexible portion, a display provided in the body to output image information, an actuator provided in the body to transform a shape of the body from an original shape to a transformed shape and a controller configured to control the actuator to transform the shape of the body when a preset condition is satisfied.
US09020569B2

A main processor of mobile phone changes from power saving state to active state for changing display in response to a sub processor for sensors, the main processor returning to the power saving state after changing the display. The main processor changes from power saving state to active state for storing information from the sub processor, the main processor returning to the power saving state after the storing function. The main processor selects the stored display data on the basis of the information from the sub processor to change display. The main processor receives and stores information from the sub processor in the boot up process or before finishing the operation. The sub processor is in the active state so as to control the sensor even in a case where the main processor is in the power saving state.
US09020565B2

Systems and methods for providing a user interface for mobile devices enable data and services available through the mobile device to be represented as a set of tiles maintained in a display space. The tiles provide a snapshot of the current state of content available through the mobile device without requiring any interaction by the user. The tiles and display space are customizable and can be dynamically updated to display content to a user. In addition, tiles can provide functionality, including simple tasks to a user without requiring the user to navigate away from the tile display space. Tiles can also provide quick access to start software applications. Tiles can be organized in the display space by the user or the tiles can be automatically grouped based upon associated metadata.
US09020561B2

A control system is provided with a cloud storage including a plurality of corporate servers, a plurality of download sites, and a plurality of online stores; a plurality of base stations connected to the cloud storage and connected to a control device over the Internet respectively; a control device including a charging socket and a HDTV port; a display device including a HDTV port; and a connection member for interconnecting the control device and the display device. The charging socket is adapted to charge a device capable of connecting to the Internet (e.g., smartphone) or a cellular phone.
US09020556B2

Methods, apparatus and systems are described for a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) to manage its transmission power. A power headroom report (PHR) may be triggered based on changes to backoff or the impacts of backoff. Additional backoff may be used to calculate a maximum output power of the WTRU and may be indicated by a domination indicator to network resources. The WTRU may be configured to eliminate triggers caused by virtual PHRs. Furthermore, the WTRU may be configured to respond to rapid changes to backoff.
US09020555B2

A system and method for dynamically optimizing the performance of indoor distributed antenna systems communicate to user equipment is disclosed. The user equipment measures information describing the downlink signals such as the downlink data rates, the quality of the received signal, and the location of the user equipment. A service module collects this information and determines an optimized power level for each of the antenna units. The service module may optimize only one antenna unit power level or a subset of the antenna units within the distributed antenna system in a preferred embodiment. One or more of the antenna units then transmits downlink signals with the optimized power levels. The optimized power level may be less than the initial power level in a preferred embodiment. As a result, the performance of the indoor distributed antenna systems is enhanced.
US09020549B2

Example embodiments described herein are directed to systems and methods by which a group of base stations (BS) can configure pilot signals in time and time-frequency, using interference management resources (IMR) and/or channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS) resources, so that the user equipment (UE) such as mobiles and laptops can measure certain possible channel quality indicators (CQI) that correspond to specific channel and interference conditions that can arise during actual data submission. Using these values, example embodiments utilize an interpolation algorithm by which the group of base stations can estimate other possible CQI corresponding to a different set of channel and interference conditions.
US09020546B2

A scheme to reduce the problem of radio interference between wireless devices such as MTC devices in a multi-RAT scenario. Wireless devices are configured (S10) for interference reporting in accordance with their capabilities. Information is collected, not only on interference measurements reported by the wireless devices, but also on device signatures (S12) and transmission patterns (S14) for the purpose of attributing interference, suffered by a reporting device, to one or more offending devices (S16). One or more mitigation techniques is then applied to the offending device and/or the reporting device (S20-S24). The scheme provides an additional stability mechanism for existing interference mitigation and co-existence schemes by using device management and avoiding potential conflicts across diverse systems. Under the assumption that geographically co-located devices are all using a common service platform, the centralized algorithm permits more efficient solutions than existing interference mitigation solutions.
US09020544B2

A method and apparatus for deriving presence information of a mobile device at a presence node in a wireless system, the method having the steps of: analyzing a message received from the mobile device to determine a message type; and allocating a state for the mobile device depending on the message type found in the analyzing step. The apparatus is a presence node for deriving and maintaining presence information of a mobile device in a wireless system, the mobile device communicating with a network node, the presence node having: a communication system for communicating with the network node; a processor; and an application running on the processor, the application having means for analyzing a message received from the mobile device at the network node to determine a message type; and allocating a state for the mobile device depending on the message type found in the analyzing step.
US09020542B2

Systems and methods for user-initiated location-based services through messaging. Using a messaging client running on a communication device, a user transmits location information via a text and/or instant message to a recipient. The location information may be obtained from a GPS program or other location determining program accessible or installed on the user's communication device. A network identifier such as a URL is created based on the location information and is appended into the message. When the recipient selects the network identifier, electronic content such as a graphic map including the sender's location is displayed on the recipient's communication device.
US09020537B2

Aspects of the invention provide techniques and systems for delivering geographically-relevant content to a mobile device. Geolocation and orientation data is taken from the mobile device, including directional orientation and a vertical angle of the mobile device as it is being pointed at a physical locale. Based on the geolocation and orientation data, an angular field of view is identified relative to a real-world coordinate system. Geospatial data describing the field of view is transmitted to a central server, which, based on geospatial coordinates of pre-defined virtual locales identifies the spatially corresponding virtual locale(s) and sends spatial definitions and structurally-organized content related to the virtual locale(s) back to the device. Users provide input signals to the mobile device to indicate navigational commands related to the content, and the display of the content on the device is iteratively updated based on the input signals and detected changes in the geolocation and orientation data of the device.
US09020534B2

Systems, methods, devices, and computer program products are described for generating an aggregated group profile of access terminal users in an identified geographic region (e.g., at an entertainment venue). A group profile request may be received for a set of mobile access terminal users in the identified geographic region. User profile information may be requested for each of the users. User profiles may be aggregated to generate an aggregated group profile. The aggregated group profile may be distributed (e.g., for use in selecting advertisements at an entertainment venue to reflect the users currently in attendance).
US09020529B2

In the field of mobile computing, a user of a mobile device takes a picture of a nearby landmark or building or street and transmits that picture via his device's wireless link to a remote server. The server has the capability of identifying the location from the photo by matching it against publicly available online collections of images, such as Flickr. The server executes a location identification algorithm to match the received photo to those in the collection to determine the actual location of the photo. Typically the images in the collections have metadata, such as textual tags. Upon identifying the most likely location of the received photo from the user, the server transmits back to the user's mobile computing device an indication of the location, such as a textual location description from the tag, a map or directions to a particular location. This is especially useful in a city or dense urban environment and where the mobile computing device does not have GPS capability or its GPS is inoperative.
US09020528B2

A data management system for a mobile device includes a communications module storing content created by a user of the system for delivery to a customer. A database module is connected to the communications module, matching customer data with user data and an identified geographic location of the customer in three-dimensional space to calculate a target customer for content delivery. A streaming module is connected to the database module which serves the content to the target customer. A priority module is connected to the streaming module for prioritizing the delivery of content to the target customer. The priority module determines an appropriate schedule for the delivery of the content to the target customer. The streaming module sends a notification to the mobile device that the content is available. The priority module receives, and authenticates with the database module, a first authorization by the target customer to deliver the content.
US09020527B2

An asset tracking system that optimizes the value per ping by tying the ping to movement of the asset. The asset tracking device will send a ping to a remote host (i.e., receiver) when pre-determined condition(s) regarding the movement are met, conditions such as time between movements, the pattern of movement, and number of movements within a time period. In such a manner, the value per ping is optimized, leading to increased battery life and decreased operational cost. To satisfy these conditions and exception events, the asset tracking device is equipped with appropriate sensors, actuators, and trigger mechanism(s). The sensors and actuators detect movements and/or confirm or recognize a sequence of movements. When the detected movements and/or sequence of movements match a predetermined, recognized pattern or condition, the trigger mechanism is activated, after which a data ping is sent.
US09020515B2

A communication system performs an uplink communication and a downlink communication using respective radio resources that at least partially overlap each other in both time and frequency, which may cause interference to occur in at least one downlink terminal due to at least one uplink terminal. The at least one uplink terminal and the at least one downlink terminal may process the interference according to a rate split scheme, an interference control scheme, and the like. Interference occurring between at least one transmit antenna and at least one receive antenna of a base station may be processed according to an echo cancellation scheme and the like.
US09020511B2

An automatic mutual discovery femtocell system and associated method are provided. Each femtocell includes: a system information self-definition and update module for pre-defining or automatically updating a self-defined system information block (SIB), a broadcast information module, a scanning module, and an analysis and connection establishment module. The self-defined SIB includes at least one of an identity code, an IP address, a UTRA absolute radio frequency channel number (UARFCN), a cell parameter identity (CPI), and a group identity. The latest self-defined SIB of a host femtocell is broadcasted to surroundings, a self-defined SIB of a neighboring cell of the host femtocell is scanned and analyzed, and a connection is established with the femtocell corresponding to the self-defined SIB. Without involving manual intervention or relying on wired networks, the femtocells can quickly discovering one another and updating changes in neighboring femtocells, thereby enhancing efficiency of collaborative operations.
US09020504B1

A method and corresponding apparatus to help avoid a scenario where a wireless communication device registers within a first radio access network (RAN) but then fails to transition from that first RAN to engage in a communication on a second RAN. When a WCD detects coverage of the first RAN, the WCD may condition its registration with the first RAN on the WCD also being within coverage of the second RAN.
US09020501B2

Methods for determination and residency of service provider of a multi-card mobile terminal are provided. A method for the residency of the multi-card mobile terminal comprises: when some or all cards belong to the same service provider, said cards will reside in the same cell. Some embodiments of the present invention acquire IMSI corresponding to each card and extract HPLMN or EHPLMN from the IMSI to identify from card storage information rapidly and accurately cards in the mobile terminal that belong to the same service provider, and make those cards reside in the same cell during starting-up stage, cell reselection, or network recovery under the circumstance of a plurality of cards belonging to the same service provider, thus reducing the realization difficulties in measurement, idle standby, synchronous maintenance, etc., stabilizing the system and optimizing the performance of mobile terminal.
US09020475B2

A method is provided for passing information through a network during overload and subsequent actions to reduce congestion. An exemplary method includes receiving an origination request from a mobile device of a calling party, detecting an overload condition, transmitting a message request to a terminating network element associated with a called party in response to the origination request during the overload condition, receiving an acknowledgement of receipt of the message request, and denying the origination request. In this manner, high resource requests (e.g. a voice call) may be converted into lower resource requests (e.g. text or voicemail messages), or the resource request may be deferred to a more appropriate time.
US09020470B2

A method and apparatus for managing history data of messages received from and transmitted to other users by a user of a mobile communication device is provided. Message history data is extracted from received and transmitted messages and stored such that a user of the mobile communication device may easily input a conditional request to the device and view message history data associated with a specific other user or message history data identified by conditional data input to the device.
US09020460B2

Disclosed are a smart alarm providing terminal and an alarm proving method thereof. The smart alarm providing terminal includes an alarm unit to drive an alarm of the terminal, a voice conversation unit to perform a voice conversation function between a user and the terminal, a user information provision unit to provide different personalized information according to respective users, a memory unit to store data to perform the voice conversation function and to provide the personalized information, and a controller to control the voice conversation unit and the user information provision unit so as to enable the voice conversation function and provision of the personalized information when the alarm of the terminal is driven.
US09020451B2

A parallel amplifier, a switching supply, and a radio frequency (RF) notch filter are disclosed. The parallel amplifier has a parallel amplifier output, such that the switching supply is coupled to the parallel amplifier output. Further, the RF notch filter is coupled between the parallel amplifier output and a ground. The RF notch filter has a selectable notch frequency, which is based on an RF duplex frequency.
US09020449B2

Mobile phone handsets include a CMOS front end configured for operating across multiple transmit and receive frequencies. The front end typically includes multiple receivers, each covering a different band allocated for cellular service, and requires large, expensive and power-intensive A/D converters and DSPs. Front-end circuits disclosed herein operate with a broadband software-defined radio (SDR), and include a receive Low Noise Amplifier (LNA), transmit Power Amplifier (PA), and an antenna matching network. The front-end provides broadband operation using relatively low power, and minimizes noise in the received signal.
US09020443B1

A measure of signal strength is determined based on a signal received within a communication network. For example, a communication device, such as a mobile telephone, may determine the measure of signal strength within the communication network. A reception status is determined based on the measure of signal strength. A color of a skin of a communication device is caused to change from a first color to a second color, based on the reception status.
US09020439B1

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a method directed towards applying an average radio calibration result obtained from one or more units of a manufacturing order to another unit of the manufacturing order and performing a verification test on the other unit to determine whether the other unit is calibrated to a pre-determined specification. Other embodiments may be described and/or claimed.
US09020437B2

A wireless speaker audio system configured to receive audio information wirelessly transmitted by an audio source including first and second wireless transceivers. The first wireless transceiver establishes a bidirectional secondary wireless link with the audio source for receiving and acknowledging receipt of the audio information. The first and second wireless transceivers communicate with each other via a primary wireless link. A wireless audio system including an audio source and first and second wireless transceivers. The first and second wireless transceivers communicate via a primary wireless link. The audio source communicates audio information to the first wireless transceiver via a secondary wireless link which is configured according to a standard wireless protocol. The first wireless transceiver is configured to acknowledge successful reception of audio information via the secondary wireless link.
US09020433B2

An efficient wireless connection protocol is described.
US09020432B2

A mobile communication device (98b) includes: an appliance information obtainment unit (98n) that obtains appliance information (98n1) by proximity wireless communication (98c1) with an appliance (98a) installed in a home (99), the appliance information specifying the appliance (98a); a position information obtainment unit (98j) that obtains position information (98j1) of the mobile communication device when the proximity wireless communication (98c1) is performed; and a transmission unit (98o) that transmits transmission information (98o1) to a server (98c) in the case where the proximity wireless communication (98c1) is performed, the transmission information including the appliance information (98n1) and the position information (98j1).
US09020430B2

The methods, apparatus, systems and computer program products provide for sensing a magnetic field, emitted by a short-range communication source, to activate short-range communication modules in a mobile terminal. In addition to sensing the magnetic field, the terminal may rely on other parameters, such as operational state of the terminal, contextual information and the like, to determine if the short-range communication module should be activated. As such, the invention reduces the overall power consumption of the terminal by limiting the active state of the short-range communication module. By conserving power the mobile terminal is capable of operating for longer periods of time without requiring charging or replacement of the power supply.
US09020427B2

A point of sale device including an LCD display, a contactless payment antenna arranged in propinquity to the LCD display, LCD control circuitry and contactless communication circuitry associated with the contactless payment antenna, the LCD control circuitry and the contactless communication circuitry operating at least partially in time coordination with each other in order to prevent interference therebetween.
US09020426B2

A wireless communications system may include a plurality of wireless communications devices (WCDs). A source WCD from among the plurality of WCDs may be configured to designate message data for at least one target WCD from among the plurality of WCDs, where the message data has a security restriction associated therewith. At least one intermediary WCD from among the plurality of WCDs may be configured to wirelessly receive the message data from the source WCD when in proximity thereto, and with restricted access to the message data based upon the security restriction. The at least one target WCD may be configured to wirelessly receive the message data from the at least one intermediary WCD when in proximity thereto and with less access restriction to the message data than the at least one intermediary WCD.
US09020419B2

Wireless relay modules for networked communications between a medical device and a remote monitoring device via wireless relay networks and/or internet-accessible wireless communications networks. The wireless relay module includes a receiver, a first transmitter coupled to the wireless relay network, a second transmitter coupled to the internet-accessible wireless communication network, a controller and a display. The controller is coupled to the first and second transmitters, and controls the wireless relay module to select one of the transmitters for transmitting medical device data over one of the two respective networks. The controller generates an alarm signal and stores storing wirelessly-received medical device data in a memory of the wireless relay module upon detecting a changed characteristic for a power source of the wireless relay module. The controller also generates an alarm upon detecting a change in a characteristic of a signal transmitted by the medical device.
US09020409B2

A belt unit includes an endless belt member, a first roller provided on an inner circumferential surface side of the belt member, and a stretching member provided on the inner circumferential surface side of the belt member. The stretching member is configured to stretch the belt member. A circumferential length of the belt member at a center portion in a widthwise direction of the belt member is shorter than a circumferential length of the belt member at an end portion in the widthwise direction of the belt member.
US09020408B2

A fixing device configured to heat-fix a developer image on a recording sheet, the fixing device includes: a flexible cylindrical member; a nip member configured to slidingly contact an inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical member; a heating member that is arranged at an inside of the cylindrical member and is configured to heat the nip member; a stay configured to support the nip member with surrounding the heating member; a backup member configured to interpose the cylindrical member between the nip member and the backup member; a cover member that is arranged at the inside of the cylindrical member and is configured to cover the stay from an opposite side to the heating member; and a first support member configured to support the cover member and form a gap between the stay and the cover member.
US09020402B2

An approach is provided for reducing an amount of residual toner remaining in a rotating container. The approach involves causing a rotatable vessel configured to contain a toner to be rotated by way of a drive train. The rotatable vessel includes a body section having a substantially round cross-section, a first end at one axial end of the body section, a second end axially distal the first end, and helical features on an internal surface of the body section configured to transport at least a portion of the toner in an axial direction between the first end and the second end as the rotatable vessel is rotated. The approach also involves causing the drive train to impart a periodic pulse to the rotatable vessel. The periodic pulse causes at least a portion of the toner contained by the rotatable vessel to be agitated.
US09020400B2

An image forming apparatus includes a measurement unit configured to irradiate a measurement image with light, and measure the light reflected from the measurement image, a white reference plate disposed in a position opposite to the measurement unit, a correction unit configured to correct a measurement result of the measurement image, based on a measurement result of the white reference plate acquired by the measurement unit, and a temperature detection unit configured to detect temperature in a vicinity of the measurement unit, wherein the correction unit corrects, in a case where a difference between a temperature detected by the temperature detection unit and a temperature shown when previously measuring the white reference plate is less than a predetermined value, a measurement result of the measurement image using a previous measurement result of the white reference plate without measuring the white reference plate with the measurement unit.
US09020385B2

An image forming apparatus includes a fixing device, a motor, and a control device. The fixing device includes a heating member, a drive roller in contact with the heating member at a nip portion therebetween, and a memory configured to store an outer diameter of the drive roller. The motor is configured to drive the drive roller. The control device is configured to read the outer diameter from the memory, adjust a rotation speed of the motor such that the rotation speed of the motor becomes smaller as the outer diameter read from the memory becomes larger, and drive the motor at an adjusted rotation speed.
US09020379B2

When a toner image formed on the surface of a photosensitive drum is transferred onto an intermediate transfer belt, a transfer bias is applied to a primary transfer portion. When a patch formed in an upstream image forming station and transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt and a patch formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum pass through the primary transfer portion, a passing bias different from the transfer bias is applied to the primary transfer portion. A control section controls a laser beam scanner as an exposure member not to expose the surface of the photosensitive drum to which the passing bias is applied.
US09020378B2

Patch background data at each position of a background where a toner patch is formed in the second rotation is estimated from background measurement data at a plurality of positions detected in the first rotation and patch neighborhood measurement data detected in the second rotation at a plurality of positions where no toner patch is formed. Since the apparatus can execute density measurement before the light emission amount of a density sensor stabilizes, the time required for density measurement can be shorter than before. Since the change ratio of the light emission amount and the variation of the reflected light amount from the background are reflected on the patch background data, the density measurement accuracy can be improved.
US09020371B2

An embodiment of this disclosure involves printing color outputs on sheets, reading the color outputs and adjusting a calibration parameter.
US09020363B2

After a startup of an optical transmitter, a control is started in such a way that a modulation amplitude of a driving signal of a phase modulator is set as 0, and that an operational point of a bias voltage is set as the lowest point of light transmission characteristics of the phase modulator. When the operational point of the bias voltage reaches the lowest point, the modulation amplitude of the driving signal is gradually increased from 0 to 2Vπ.
US09020361B2

An optical signal transmitter of the present invention includes: two phase modulating portions; a phase shifter which displaces carrier phases of two output lights from the phase modulating portions by π/2; a multiplexing portion which multiplexes two signal lights, carrier phases of the two signal lights being made orthogonal to each other by the phase shifter; a drive signal electrode portion which supplies a differential data signal to each of four paths of interference optical waveguides, each of the two phase modulating portions having the interference optical waveguides, the differential data signal having an amplitude which is equal to a half-wave voltage Vπ of the two phase modulating portions; a drive amplifier which amplifies the differential data signal to be supplied to each of the four paths of the interference optical waveguides; a data bias electrode portion which supplies a total of four data bias voltages to two arms, each of the two phase modulating portions having the two arms; an orthogonal bias electrode portion which supplies an orthogonal bias voltage to the phase shifter; a data bias power supply portion that adjusts delay times in the two phase modulating portions by applying the data bias voltages to the data bias electrode portion; an orthogonal bias power supply portion that adjusts a delay amount relative to a light output from at least one of the two phase modulating portions by applying the orthogonal bias voltage to the orthogonal bias electrode portion; a dither signal adding portion that adds a dither signal to at most three of the four data bias voltages; a dither detecting portion which detects a wave that is n-times a dither component from an output of the multiplexing portion (where n is an integer equal to or greater than one); and an orthogonal bias control portion which feeds back a detection result of the dither detecting portion to the orthogonal bias power supply portion. The orthogonal bias power supply portion adjusts the delay amount relative to the light output from at least one of the two phase modulating portions by controlling the orthogonal bias voltage to be applied to the orthogonal bias electrode portion based on feedback from the orthogonal bias control portion.
US09020355B2

A VLC (Visible Light Communication) modulation system and method thereof, which includes a visible light generating device and a visible light receiving device. The visible light generating device includes a visible light emitting module and an arbitrary waveform generator. The arbitrary waveform generator further includes a first finite impulse response filtering unit, a pre-distortion amount control unit, and a second finite impulse response filtering unit.
US09020352B2

The present invention relates to an optical communication module, which includes: a first bidirectional multiplexer; a second bidirectional multiplexer; an optical fiber for connecting the first bidirectional multiplexer and the second bidirectional multiplexer to each other; one or more first light emitting devices connecting to the first bidirectional multiplexer, and operating in a first light emitting wavelength band; one or more first light receiving devices connecting to the first bidirectional multiplexer, and operating in a first light receiving wavelength band; one or more second light receiving devices connecting to the second bidirectional multiplexer, and operating in a second light receiving wavelength band; and one or more second light emitting devices connecting to the second bidirectional multiplexer, and operating in a second light emitting wavelength band. The second light emitting wavelength band includes the first light receiving wavelength band, and the first light emitting wavelength band includes the second light receiving wavelength band. The first light receiving wavelength band is different from the second light receiving wavelength band.
US09020347B2

A network is described in which a base optical point-to-point (P2P) network can be reconfigured to a target network topology. This reconfigurable architecture customizes the network topology for different classes of applications to maximize throughput. In particular, the network can function efficiently at high-radix and low-radix traffic patterns. This capability is obtained using configurable electrical circuit switches at each node in the network. These configurable electrical circuit switches can be set so that incoming packets are directly routed to a specified output (either a local destination or an outgoing optical link) without: delay, contention, or buffers. In this way, predefined network topologies can be configured with improved node-to-node bandwidths when compared to the original P2P network by leveraging unused optical links. Furthermore, because the electrical circuit switches can be reconfigured, the network topology can be dynamically reconfigured to suit applications or application phases.
US09020338B2

A method for optically transmitting data between a transmitter and a receiver is disclosed, in which a color coding method based on a plurality of elemental colors is provided for the coding and transmission of the data, which color coding method involves a respective elemental color being sent by a respective transmitter-end optical radiation source and being received at the receiver end by a respective optical radiation receiver. The method provides for a control loop to be formed between the transmitter and the receiver, wherein the transmitter sends calibration messages to the receiver, and wherein a piece of compensation information is ascertained by comparing at least one channel property of at least one received calibration message with a corresponding channel property of at least one previously sent calibration message, and wherein the transmitter takes the compensation information as a basis for adjusting at least one transmission parameter.
US09020336B1

A rotating mirror digital streak camera including means to convert an image presented to a roughly cylindrical image plane into a plurality of discrete zones, a sensor being adapted to capture the image data associated with each such zone, and a means to assemble the collected data to reconstruct the original image that is swept across the image plane as an essentially uninterrupted image.
US09020335B2

An accessory clip is shown which can be used to provide an attachment point for an associated strap for carrying an object by the strap. The accessory clip has a base with an inner planar surface and an outer planar surface separated by a thickness which forms a sidewall for the clip. A bail element is attached to the sidewall and can move relative to the clip base. A carrying strap can be attached to the bail element. The accessory clip has a threaded shaft which extends outwardly from the base inner planar surface. The threaded shaft has a thru bore provided therein which transverses the threaded shaft at a generally right angle thereto, the thru bore being filled with a resilient plastic material which protrudes slightly at either of two opposite ends of the thru bore. The resilient plastic material helps to secure the threaded shaft within a mating threaded receptacle of an object to be carried.
US09020329B2

The present signal processing device includes an operating unit, an editing database, a conflict detection unit and a conflict display unit. The operating unit is configured to output a plurality of pieces of editing result information and a single or plurality of editing IDs identifying pieces of result information in association with each other. The editing database holds the plurality of pieces of editing result information and the single or plurality of editing IDs in association with each other. The conflict detection unit detects a difference between or differences among the plurality of pieces of editing result information associated with the same editing ID as a single or plurality of conflict states based on the plurality of pieces of editing result information and the single or plurality of editing IDs to be obtained from the editing database. The conflict display unit displays the single or plurality of conflict states.
US09020325B2

Systems and methods are described for automatically driving portions of a video production workflow according specifications governed by a data-rich storyboard. Embodiments operate in context of a novel video production workflow in which much or all of the production expertise of a traditional production workflow collaborates at a storyboard phase of the workflow to architect a single, data-rich storyboard according to concepts and rules. The rich storyboard is generated and stored in a data framework that drives specifications over the workflow in such a way that portions of the workflow can be automated and consistently repeated. For example, the rich storyboard drives generation of automated coaches for acquisition and pre-auditing of individualized story assets from storymakers. The rich storyboard can then drive automated rendering of the assets into multiple, individualized storyvine video products that each conforms to the rich storyboard concepts, rules, and specifications.
US09020323B2

Provided are a communication apparatus and program which improve the operability for a user before and during data communication. The communication apparatus includes a plurality of communication units that establish electric field coupling or magnetic field coupling with a communication device located within a predetermined distance, a storage unit storing control information indicative of predetermined control contents in association with the respective communication units, a control information acquisition section that acquires, from the storage unit, control information associated with that communication unit which has established the electric field coupling or the magnetic field coupling, and a control unit that controls communication of that of the communication units which has established the electric field coupling or the magnetic field coupling by using the control information acquired by the control information acquisition section.
US09020322B2

A connector cover includes a body having a lower recessed portion configured to receive a portion of a reflecting connector of a type that retains the ends of optical fibers therein and has a reflector that redirects or turns the optical signals. The body has an upper housing portion that covers the reflector when the reflecting connector is received in the lower recessed portion of the body. The body also has a pair of arms extending from a forward end of the body. Each arm has a distal end with an arm distal end engagement. The arms are configured to engage a portion of an optical transceiver module.
US09020318B2

A conductor packaging assembly for packaging a plurality of conductors is provided. The assembly includes a housing and a plurality of connectors organized in the housing. The housing includes a first half and a second half hingedly attached with each other at one ends thereof and configured to removably attach with each other at their other ends to allow an open and closed position of the housing. Further, an inner strip is attached to the first half and/or the second half, a connector organizer is removably attached to the inner strip, and the connector organizer includes a plurality of connector mounting portions for removably attaching the plurality of connectors to the plurality of connector mounting portions.
US09020313B2

An optical cable includes an optical fiber ribbon core wire provided with an optical fiber having a core and a cladding that surrounds the core, a sheath that surrounds the optical fiber ribbon core wire, and a braid arranged inside the sheath. The braid is formed to include wires woven with each other. In the optical cable, the wire that forms the braid is pushed into the sheath so that the sheath is integrated with the braid.
US09020312B2

Provided is a connecting channel that has manufacturing tolerance, can suppress light loses, improves reliability of the connecting channel, and connects an optical device and an optical waveguide. The connecting channel includes first silicon layer (3) that has rib-shaped part (3′) extending in a longitudinal direction of the connecting channel, and second silicon layer (6) that is stacked on first silicon layer (3) to partially overlap rib-shaped part 3′, and extends in the longitudinal direction. Second silicon layer (6) has tapered part (W) tapered toward one end in the longitudinal direction, and is located away from an upper portion of rib-shaped part (3′) at an end surface of one end in the longitudinal direction.
US09020305B2

A digital image of the object is captured and the object is recognized from plurality of objects in a database. An information address corresponding to the object is then used to access information and initiate communication pertinent to the object.
US09020303B2

An interpolation computation unit (3B) treats, as positions of interest, positions where pixels within a high-resolution image (D30) occupy when the high-resolution image (D30) is superimposed on a low-resolution image (D01), and for each position of interest, obtains a pixel value for a pixel assumed to exist at the position of interest by performing an interpolation computation using pixel values of a plurality of pixels within the low-resolution image (D01). An interpolation coefficient calculation unit (3A) obtains interpolation coefficients (D3A) having values that increase with increasing strength of correlation of the pixels in the plurality of pixels in the low-resolution image with the pixel of interest, and outputs the interpolation coefficients to the interpolation computation unit (3B). Angles of edges and shapes of edges are not classified into any predetermined patterns; therefore, it is possible to perform suitable interpolation computations regardless of edge shape.
US09020302B2

A method and a digital filter, for use with photo and video images, includes using a camera or video camera equipped with sensors and an electronic shutter to capture a plurality of frames of low resolution and producing one frame of high resolution. A plurality of frames are exposed. Initial images are in the form of a continuous sequence of frames with high-speed capture. The frequency of the frames is inversely proportional to the magnitude of that part of the light-sensitive region of the sensor that is being scanned. The initial images are aligned and an enhanced image is produced. The enhanced image is filtered using a nonlinear filter which includes a neural network that is pretrained using a test image including radial and sinusoidal test charts, as well as reference points.
US09020293B2

A method to detect and remove noise in image reconstruction. The method includes integration of filters and phase unwrapping algorithms for removing speckle noise, residual noise and noise at the lateral surface of height discontinuities. The method is used for generating a noise-free unwrapped phase map and hence, a successful image reconstruction of an object image.
US09020289B2

An image processing apparatus is configured for compressing image data by combining spatial frequency conversion, quantization, and entropy coding. The apparatus includes a block division section, a spatial frequency conversion section, a quantization section, an encoding section, and a selection section. The encoding section generates code data by performing the entropy coding for each of a plurality of change candidate values. The values include a value of quantized data in a pixel block after performing the spatial frequency conversion and peripheral values within a predetermined range. The selection section selects a change value of the quantized data from the plurality of change candidate values based on a size of the code data of each of the plurality of change candidate values, and sets the code data corresponding to the selected change value as the code data.
US09020285B2

A compressor includes a memory storing a de-compression pixel value de-compressed after a pixel value is compressed, a direct compression unit compressing a pixel value corresponding to a compression target pixel, and a first difference compression unit configured to compress a difference value between the pixel value corresponding to the compression target pixel and a decompression pixel value corresponding to at least one reference pixel, an error evaluation unit, and a decompression unit. The error evaluation unit compares a pixel value error of the direct compression unit before and after compression with a difference value error of the first difference compression unit before and after compression and outputs a compression value obtained through compression of the direct compression unit or a compression value obtained through compression of the first difference compression unit together with an identifier indicating a compression method, based on the comparison result, to the decompression unit.
US09020273B2

An image processing method capable of appropriately increasing a resolution of an input image in which an edge direction that is a direction along an edge included in the input image is identified; a shape of an application region that is a region including at least a part of the edge is determined according to the identified edge direction; an image similar to an image within the application region having the determined shape is searched for; and an output image is generated by performing a resolution conversion process on the input image using the similar image so that the input image includes high-frequency components.
US09020271B2

Systems and methods for clustering a plurality of feature vectors. A hierarchical clustering algorithm is performed on the plurality of feature vectors to provide a plurality of clusters and a cluster similarity measure for each cluster representing the quality of the cluster. Each cluster of the plurality of clusters with a cluster similarity measure meeting a threshold value is accepted. A clustering algorithm is performed on each cluster that fails to meet the threshold value to provide a set of subclusters each having an associated cluster similarity measure. Each subcluster having a cluster similarity measure meeting the threshold value is accepted.
US09020267B2

According to one embodiment, an information processing apparatus includes a storage processor and a search module. The storage processor stores document data and character codes, the document data including stroke data corresponding to strokes input by a handwriting operation and the character codes corresponding to the stroke data. The search module performs at least one of a handwriting search according to strokes of a first search key and a character search according to a character code of a second search key, stroke data corresponding to the strokes of the first search key retrieved from the document data in the handwriting search and stroke data corresponding to the character code of the second search key retrieved from the character codes in the character search.
US09020264B2

An image management device clusters acquired images (S201) and generates blocks by grouping the images (S202). Next, the image management device calculates an intra-block importance degree of each cluster in each generated block (S204), calculates cluster importance degrees by accumulating the calculated intra-block importance degrees of each cluster (S205), and calculates an image importance degree based on the calculated cluster importance degrees (S206).
US09020260B2

CPU performs a process to obtain image data, and defines a predetermined range in the obtained image data. Further, CPU extracts outlines of images falling within the predetermined range, and selects a closed line among the extracted outlines. Then, an image processing unit and CPU converts an image surrounded by the selected closed-line into a painterly rendering image.
US09020252B2

An image recognition method and an image recognition system can be applied to fetal ultrasound images. The image recognition method includes: (a) adjusting the image with a filter operator to decrease noise and to homogenize an image expression level of the pixel units within an individual object structure; (b) analyzing the image by a statistic information function, determining a foreground object pixel unit and a background pixel unit according to a max information entropy state of the statistic information function; and (c) searching by a profile setting value and recognizing a target object image among the foreground object pixel unit. The image recognition method can not only increase the efficiency of identifying the object of interests within the image and measuring the object of interests, but also improve the precision of measurements of the object of interests.
US09020250B2

This invention presents a universal framework for the discovery, understanding and matching of dress styles. In one embodiment, a computer-implemented method for building a universal dress style learner is disclosed, said method comprising: learning human skin models; detecting skin using the learned human skin models; collecting a set of dress images worn by a model; computing a set of style features based on the skin detected for at least one subset within the set of dress images; computing a set of clusters on the at least one subset of dress images based on at least one subset of the set of style features; validating the set of clusters for the at least one subset of style features; and computing a set of validated style features and a style basis.
US09020243B2

Techniques are disclosed relating to automatically adjusting images. In one embodiment, an image may be automatically adjusted based on a regression model trained with a database of raw and adjusted images. In one embodiment, an image may be automatically adjusted based on a model trained by both a database of raw and adjusted images and a small set of images adjusted by a different user. In one embodiment, an image may be automatically adjusted based on a model trained by a database of raw and adjusted images and predicted differences between a user's adjustment to a small set of images and a predicted adjustment based on the database of raw and adjusted images.
US09020238B2

A stereoscopic image generation method and a stereoscopic image generation system that can generate, from an original image, a stereoscopic image that allows the viewer to perceive a natural stereoscopic effect are provided. The method includes a characteristic information acquisition step of acquiring characteristic information for each of pixels, a depth information generation step of generating depth information for each of the pixels on the basis of the characteristic information, and a stereoscopic image generation step of generating a stereoscopic image on the basis of the pieces of depth information.
US09020236B2

A method for intraoral imaging obtains a digital image of one or more teeth and detects first and second boundaries. At each of the first and second boundaries, there is calculated a boundary ratio of mean gray-scale values for the tooth area on one side of the boundary to mean gray-scale values for background areas on the other side. The calculated boundary ratios are stored. A third ratio of the mean gray-scale values for the tooth area near the first boundary to the mean gray-scale values for the tooth area near the second boundary is calculated and stored. A vector is formed and stored that contains at least the calculated boundary ratios and the third ratio. The tooth surface is classified as either smooth or occlusal according to the stored vector. The image data is processed according to the classification and processing results are reported.
US09020234B2

A contouring module (22, 24) iteratively adjusts contours delineating a radiation target region and risk regions in a planning image. An intensity modulation optimization module (30) generates a radiation therapy plan conforming with dosage or dosage constraints (26) for the radiation target region and the risk regions delineated by the contours. A differential analysis module (40) is configured to invoke the intensity modulation optimization module (30) to estimate partial derivatives of an output of the intensity modulation optimization respective to the contours. The contouring module (22, 24) is configured to invoke the differential analysis module (40) after each iterative contour adjustment to estimate the partial derivatives respective to the contour segments and to render the contour segments on a display of the planning image with the contour segments coded based on the estimated partial derivatives to indicate impact of the contour segments on the intensity modulation optimization.
US09020223B2

The invention relates to a method for non-invasive reproducible determination of a corrected surface on a 3D bone surface model constructed from 3D medical image of a bone having a deformation consisting in a bump overgrowth at the head-neck junction; wherein said corrected surface comprises: i) a 3D spherical corrected surface patch on the head portion of said 3D bone surface model, and ii) a 3D smooth transition corrected surface patch on the neck portion of said 3D bone surface model, contiguous to said 3D spherical corrected surface patch; Said corrected surface patches are defined by a set of parameters comprising: iii) at least one first parameter (a*) representing a spherical extent value of said 3D spherical corrected surface patch, iv) and a set of at least one second parameter, said set determining the 3D correction boundary of said corrected surface patches, such that said corrected surface patches are continuous with said 3D bone surface model along said boundary.
US09020221B2

Certain aspects of an apparatus and method for automatic ER/PR scoring of tissue samples may include for determining a cancer diagnosis score comprising identifying a positive stained nucleus in a slide image of the tissue sample, identifying a negative stained nucleus in the slide image, computing a proportion score based on number of the positive stained nucleus identified and number of the negative stained nucleus identified and determining the cancer diagnosis score based on the proportion.
US09020210B2

An image processing system includes a storing section that stores a database in which specific pose data representing each of specific poses of a human, and effect manipulation data specifying each of manipulations applied to an image are registered in association with each other, a human region detecting section that detects a human region that is a region where a human appears in an image on which to perform image processing, a human pose recognizing section that recognizes a pose of the human in the human region detected by the human region detecting section, a matching section that finds the specific pose data matching the pose recognized by the human pose recognizing section, by referencing the database, and a manipulating section that applies a manipulation to the image on the basis of the effect manipulation data associated with the specific pose data found by the matching section.
US09020206B2

A method for determining the effective cleaning of bath tissue. The method can include providing at least one pair of worn underwear; optionally, cutting the pair of worn underwear and laying it flat with the inside surface exposed; scanning an image of the exposed, inside surface of the underwear, the image including at least a portion of the underwear likely to have fecal staining; capturing with the image at least one color standard; selecting image points in areas of the scanned image visually appearing clean and areas of the scanned image visually appearing stained with fecal staining; optionally, converting the Red, Green, Blue (RGB) color to L*a*b* color values; utilizing analysis software to characterize other areas of the scanned image corresponding to image points having similar color to the image points selected as clean or stained with fecal staining; classifying the entire image, pixel by pixel, into defined portions of the underwear that are clean or stained with fecal staining; and, calculating areas corresponding to portions of the underwear stained with fecal staining.
US09020199B2

A secondary curve, the ends of which coincide with the inner corner and the outer corner of the eye, is determined successively, and the total of the edge values of the pixels overlapping the secondary curve is calculated as an evaluation value. Next, a characteristic curve is generated on the basis of data made up of the calculated evaluation value and the Y-coordinate of the intersection between the secondary curve and a straight line passing through the center of a line segment whose ends coincide with the inner corner and the outer corner of the eye. Then, the reference positions for the upper eyelid and the lower eyelid of the eye are set on the basis of the result of an attempt to detect a pixel group occurring because of the red-eye effect in a search area defined on the basis of peaks in the characteristic curve.
US09020197B2

A sensor unit is installed to a target object and detects a given physical amount. A data acquisition unit acquires output data of the sensor unit in a period including a first period for which a real value of a value of m time integrals of the physical amount is known and a second period that is a target for motion analysis. An error time function estimating unit performs m time integrals of the output data of the sensor unit and estimates a time function of an error of a value of the physical amount detected by the sensor unit with respect to the real value of the value of the physical amount detected by the sensor unit based on a difference between a value of m time integrals of the output data and the real value for the first period.
US09020193B2

Disclosed are methods and apparatuses for searching images. An image is received and a first search path is defined for the image. The first search path may be a straight line, horizontal, and/or near the bottom of the image, and/or may begin at one edge and move toward the other. A transition is defined for the image, distinguishing a feature to be found. The image is searched for the transition along the first search path. When the transition is detected, the image is searched along a second search path that follows the transition. The apparatus includes an image sensor and a processor. The sensor is adapted to obtain images. The processor is adapted to define a first search path and a transition for the image, to search for the transition along the first search path, and to search along a second search path upon detecting the transition, following the transition.
US09020190B2

Alerts to object behaviors are prioritized for adjudication as a function of relative values of abandonment, foregroundness and staticness attributes. The attributes are determined from feature data extracted from video frame image data. The abandonment attribute indicates a level of likelihood of abandonment of an object. The foregroundness attribute quantifies a level of separation of foreground image data of the object from a background model of the image scene. The staticness attribute quantifies a level of stability of dimensions of a bounding box of the object over time. Alerts are also prioritized according to an importance or relevance value that is learned and generated from the relative abandonment, foregroundness and staticness attribute strengths.
US09020182B2

The present invention provides a removable speaker structure for electronic device, which uses the space for the optical disk drives in electronic devices such as notebook computers or in docking stations. After removing the optical disk drive, the removable speaker can be placed. The removable speaker comprises a main module and a speaker module. The speaker module can be removed form the main module for playing multimedia data and enhancing its sound effects.
US09020167B2

In some embodiments, a media device is configured so that it automatically causes a first predetermined channel to be displayed on an output device when a user sends a request signal to the media device to turn the output device off. The media device may be configured so that it causes the output device to shut off after the first predetermined channel has been on for a dwell period of time after the request signal has been received. The dwell period of time may be approximately two seconds. In some embodiments, a media device is configured so that it automatically causes a first predetermined channel to be displayed on an output device when a user sends a request signal to the media device to turn the output device on. In some embodiments, the media device is a television device. In other embodiments, the media device is a radio device.
US09020159B2

A noise control device includes the following structural elements. A signal memory records both of a noise signal supplied from a noise microphone and an error signal supplied from an error microphone. A filter coefficient calculator calculates a fixed filter coefficient of a control filter by using data recorded in the signal memory. A filter coefficient renewing section renews, at a given timing, a filter coefficient set at a fixed filter in a control filter to a filter coefficient read out from the filter coefficient calculator.
US09020149B1

Disclosed are various embodiments for obtaining a service request from a client, the service request including plaintext data to be encrypted and associated metadata. Ciphertext data is generated based upon the plaintext data. The ciphertext data is stored in a record in a data store of a cryptographic device. A service response is provided to the client, which includes a record identifier for the record in the data store.
US09020148B2

A method for protecting a key intended to be used by an electronic circuit in an encryption or decryption algorithm, including the steps of: submitting the key to a first function taking a selection value into account; storing all or part of the result of this function in at least two registers; when the key is called by the algorithm, reading the contents of said registers and submitting them to a second function taking into account all or part of the bits of the registers; and providing the result of the combination as an input for the algorithm, the second function being such that the provided result corresponds to the key.
US09020143B2

Methods and apparatus are provided for a managing at least one network address book of a user at a TS in a UPnP home network. A request to update a contact entry is received from a TCP that is coupled to the TS in the UPnP home network. The request includes contact information associated with at least one entity of the contact entry, and an identifier of a source of the contact entry. It is determined whether the identifier in the request is associated with any of one or more network address books in one or more WAN servers coupled to the TS via a WAN. When the identifier is associated with at least one of the one or more network address books, the contact entry in the at least one network address book is updated based on the contact information. When the identifier is not associated with any of the one or more network address books, the contact entry in a local address book in the TS is updated based on the contact information.
US09020142B2

A method of predicting expected performance of a processing center system is accessed. The method includes receiving performance information from a performance monitoring system associated with the processing center system. A computer model of the processing center system is developed based on the performance information. The method further includes generating predictions based on the computer model, and analyzing the predictions to generate performance scenarios for the processing center system.
US09020140B2

A system and method to provide telephonic teleservices management is provided. The system may comprise a session management module used to establish a session with an agent via a telephone of the agent. An agent management module may manage a work state of the agent within a plurality of sequential calls between the agent and a plurality of customers. During the session, the connection with the agent remains established between each of the sequential calls. A hub management module manages a call hub during a call of the plurality of sequential calls between the agent and a customer of the plurality of customers.
US09020139B2

A modular interactive voice recognition (“IVR”) overlay system and a method of processing calls. The system provides an application server, a plurality of agent workstations and a graphical user interface (“GUI”) to allow a hybrid approach to processing calls using an automated IVR and live agents. The system and method allow a single agent to process multiple calls simultaneously and is compatible with existing IVR systems and can be implemented as an add-on to existing IVR systems.
US09020136B2

The present disclosure includes a system and method for blended telephone network and computer network customer support interactions. The system may include a web server, one or more controllers, a telephone exchange, a monitoring server, and one or more client devices. The method may include receiving a multimedia support request, establishing a multimedia communications session, instructing a telephony application associated with the multimedia communications session to place a telephone call, routing and connecting the telephone call to an available endpoint, identifying the available endpoint when the telephone call is connected to the available endpoint, and transmitting an invitation to participate in the multimedia communications session to the available endpoint.
US09020131B2

A method may include receiving a call from a caller and determining whether the call has been queued for at least a predetermined period of time. The method may also include interacting with the customer via an interactive voice response unit, in response to determining that the call has been queued for at least the predetermined period of time, to offer a call back service to the customer. The call back service may include a scheduled call back or an immediate type call back when an agent is available. The method may further include receiving, from the customer and via the interactive voice response unit, an indication that the customer would like a call back and queuing the call back.
US09020118B2

Embodiments of the present invention provide methods and systems for intelligent routing. An intelligent routing processing module sets at least one intelligent routing trigger condition and at least one corresponding intelligent routing policy in advance, and an incoming call or message is processed according to intelligent routing contact manners in the intelligent routing policy. The intelligent routing trigger condition includes relevant information of the incoming call or message and the intelligent routing policy may include more than one intelligent routing contact manner. The embodiments of the present invention may provide more intelligent routing contact manners and intelligent routing policies for communication routing technology and may make full use of subscriber presence information.
US09020117B2

Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, implementing and using techniques for managing telephone calls. Upon completion of a telephone call, a telephone services subscriber is provided with a post-call interface. The post call interface allows the subscriber to define how future telephone calls from the caller are to be managed. Instructions are received from the subscriber through the post-call interface. The instructions pertain to the management of future telephone calls from the caller. The received instructions are saved.
US09020115B2

Inmate communications can include establishing a communication, between an inmate device and a registered device, and storing information associated with the communication in a local data store.
US09020113B2

A method (10) of and a server (60) and telecommunication system (30) for establishing communication (11) from a first party (31) having a first party identity to a second party (32) having a second party identity, wherein said first party identity is withheld for said second party (32). A token or correlation identifier (67) unique for the communication is generated (15), and the token or correlation identifier (67) is associated (16) with the first party identity for establishing a further communication in the telecommunication system (30) between the first party (31) and the second party Calling party (32) based on this token or correlation identifier (67).
US09020104B2

The present invention provides a method of adjusting an X-ray optical apparatus which includes: an X-ray source; and a reflective structure where at least three reflective substrate arranged with an interval and X-rays which are incident into a plurality of passages whose both sides are put between the reflective substrates are reflected and parallelized by the reflective substrate at both sides of each passage to be emitted from the passage. When one edge of the reflective structure is an inlet of the X-ray and the other edge is an outlet of the X-ray, a pitch of the reflective substrates at the outlet side is larger than a pitch at the inlet side. The method comprises adjusting the relative positions of the X-ray source and the reflective structure so as to reduce a penumbra amount formed by the X-ray emitted from each of the passages.
US09020100B2

An apparatus and method for inspecting personnel or their effects. A first and second carriage each carries a source for producing a beam of penetrating radiation incident on a given subject. A positioner provides for relative motion of each beam vis-à-vis the subject in a motion, the vertical component of which is one-way. A detector receives radiation produced by at least one of the sources after the radiation interacts with the subject.
US09020099B1

The miniaturized pipe inspection system for measuring corrosion and scale in small pipes utilizes scattered radiation, which is measured by high efficiency solid scintillation gamma detector/spectrometer inserted inside the tube and separated from its bulky photomultiplier tube (PMT) and associated electronics by light pipe or fiber optic cable whose diameter can be very small. The light signal produced in the scintillation material is transmitted through the light pipe to outside the pipe to be inspected, where a PMT and electronic components including gamma ray energy analyzers are located. Gamma spectroscopy combined with gamma counting allows for multiple gamma ray primary and multiple backscattered radiation, thereby yielding high accuracy and high reliability of obtained corrosion, erosion and deposits data.
US09020098B2

A radiation imaging apparatus according to the present invention includes a radiation source, a reflective structure where at least three reflective substrates are arranged with an interval and radiations being incident into a plurality of passages whose both sides are put between the reflective substrate are reflected and parallelized by the reflective substrate at both sides of the passage to be emitted from the passage, a radiation detector, and an image construction unit that constructs an image of an object based on an intensity of the radiation which is emitted from each of the passages, transmits the object and is detected by the radiation detector. When one edge of the reflective structure is an inlet of the radiation and the other edge is an outlet of the radiation, a pitch of the reflective substrates at the outlet is larger than a pitch at the inlet.
US09020090B2

This document's object is to provide an axial power distribution control method in which only the control of an axial power distribution in a nuclear reactor with a simple operation with a clear operational target keeps the control of a xenon oscillation, thereby suppressing the xenon oscillation to an extremely small magnitude in advance at the same time. An axial power distribution control method comprises an axial offset calculation step of calculating an axial offset of the current power distribution (AOP) and axial offsets of the power distributions (AOX, AOI) which would give the current xenon and iodine distributions under equilibrium conditions, respectively, based on relative powers (PT, PB) in the upper and lower halves of the nuclear reactor core, a parameter calculation step of calculating parameters (DAOPX, DAOIX), a trajectory display step of displaying a trajectory to plot the parameters (DAOPX, DAOIX) on one and the other axis, respectively, an allowable range excess judgment step of judging if the axial offset of the current power distribution (AOP) exceeds an allowable range, an alarming step of giving the alarm when the AOP exceeds the allowable range, and a control rod moving step of controlling the movement of control rods to guide the plot to the major axis of an ellipse formed by the trajectory of said parameters upon receipt of the alarm.
US09020088B2

The present invention proposes a digital system and method of measuring (estimating) non-energy parameters of the signal (phase, frequency and frequency rate) received in additive mixture with Gaussian noise. The first embodiment of the measuring system consists of a PLL system tracking variable signal frequency, a block of NCO full phase computation (OFPC), a block of signal phase primary estimation (SPPE) and a first type adaptive filter filtering the signal from the output of SPPE. The second embodiment of the invention has no block SPPE, and NCO full phase is fed to the input of a second type adaptive filter. The present invention can be used in receivers of various navigation systems, such as GPS, GLONASS and GALILEO, which provide precise measurements of signal phase at different rates of frequency change, as well as systems using digital PLLs for speed measurements.
US09020082B2

A method includes, by a detector, receiving from a low frequency equalizer a data signal and an error signal, matching a tail portion of the data signal to a tail portion of an extended filter-pattern, and, based upon the error signal at a given location of the data signal and upon the imbalance, producing an output signal indicating whether a long-term residual intersymbol interference of the data signal in the error signal has a positive sign or a negative sign. The tail portion of the extended filter-pattern includes an imbalance between a count of each of the possible values and an unfixed sequence. The data signal includes data points with one of at least two possible values.
US09020079B2

A processor, comprising a first data input configured to receive a stream of samples of a first signal having a spectral space, the stream having a data rate of at least 4 GHz; a second data input configured to receive a stream of samples of a second signal; a multitap correlator, configured to receive the first stream of samples and the second stream of samples, and producing at least one correlation output for each respective sequential sample of the first signal received; and a programmable control configured to alter a relationship of the stream of samples of the first signal and the stream of samples of the second signal, to thereby select, under program control, an alterable correlation output.
US09020056B2

Method for transmitting and receiving signals over at least one channel between at least one transmitter and at least one receiver, the channel comprising at least one group of sub-channels, the group comprising at least one sub-channel, including the procedures of estimating at least one line characteristic of the channel and selecting a transmission scheme for each group of the at least one group of sub-channels according to the estimated line characteristic, wherein the transmission scheme is selected between a single spatial stream transmission scheme and a multiple spatial stream transmission scheme.
US09020042B2

A system and a corresponding method for temporal modification of audio signals, to increase or reduce the playback rates of an audio and/or a video file in a client-server environment. The system and method improve the efficiency of serving streaming media to a client so that the client can select an arbitrary time-speedup factor. The speedup system performs many of the pre-calculations once, at the server, so that the bandwidth needs are reduced and the client's computational load is minimized. The final time-scale-modification can be either done completely on the server, thus reducing the client's needs, or partly on the client's computer to minimize latency, and to reduce on-the-fly computational load from the server that serves multiple clients concurrently.
US09020037B2

A motion vector coding apparatus includes a motion vector coding unit that codes a motion vector inputted from a motion vector detecting unit. A motion vector for each current block is coded based on a difference between the motion vector and a predicted vector obtained from motion vectors for previously coded neighboring blocks. The predicted vector is generated by one of: the motion vectors referring to the same picture are selected from among the motion vectors for the neighboring blocks; the motion vectors for neighboring blocks are ordered in the predetermined order and the motion vectors of the same order rank are selected; and the predicted vector for a second motion vector of the current block is the first motion vector, and when the second motion vector and the first motion vector refer to different pictures, the first motion vector is scaled based on temporal distance between the pictures.
US09020034B2

A motion vector coding apparatus includes a motion vector coding unit that codes a motion vector inputted from a motion vector detecting unit. A motion vector for each current block is coded based on a difference between the motion vector and a predicted vector obtained from motion vectors for previously coded neighboring blocks. The predicted vector is generated by one of: the motion vectors referring to the same picture are selected from among the motion vectors for the neighboring blocks; the motion vectors for neighboring blocks are ordered in the predetermined order and the motion vectors of the same order rank are selected; and the predicted vector for a second motion vector of the current block is the first motion vector, and when the second motion vector and the first motion vector refer to different pictures, the first motion vector is scaled based on temporal distance between the pictures.
US09020033B2

A method, apparatus and a computer readable medium for skipping macro blocks of a compressed video. The method includes, for at least one INTER frame, saving a set of macro blocks including at least one of a macro block having a motion vector greater than a predetermined motion vector threshold, a macro block having positional correspondence to at least one macro block having a motion vector, a macro block having a size greater than a predetermined macro block size threshold, and a macro block having positional correspondence to a second macro block in a previous group of pictures, the second macro block having a motion vector. The method deletes and marks as skipped one or more remaining macro blocks, and merges the set in an order to create a compressed frame including a skipped macro block. The processor implements the method, and the computer readable medium contains processor instructions.
US09020032B2

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for encoding or decoding a video signal. According to the present invention, a plurality of reference units for image prediction of the current unit is acquired and combined to obtain a unit prediction value, thereby improving the accuracy of image prediction. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method for inducing a variety of reference units using a motion vector prediction value or a motion vector which is used in conventional inter-prediction, and also relates to a method which combines the reference units so as to obtain the prediction value for the current unit. In addition, the present invention relates to a method which involves acquiring a plurality of reference units for a merging mode, and combining the reference units so as to perform image prediction.
US09020018B2

A calibration system may be provided for calibrating wireless communications circuitry in an electronic device during manufacturing. The calibration system may include data acquisition equipment and calibration computing equipment for receiving and processing test and calibration signals from wireless communications circuitry to be calibrated. During testing and calibration operations, a device may be provided with initial pre-distortion calibration values. The initial pre-distortion calibration values may be generated at least in part based on calibration operations performed for other wireless electronic devices. The device may generate a test signal using the initial pre-distortion calibration values. The calibration system may determine whether the test signal is within an acceptable range of a known reference signal. If the test signal is outside of the acceptable range, the calibration system may generate a set of corrected pre-distortion calibration values to be used in generating wireless communications signals during normal operation of the device.
US09020017B2

A signal processing method, device, and system are provided. The method includes: sending, through a first user port, a crosstalk detection signal in a connected line, and receiving, through a second user port, an error sample of an actual downlink signal fed back by a terminal side in a connected line; and estimating, according to the actual downlink signal and the crosstalk detection signal, a coefficient of a pre-coder of a DSLAM to obtain an estimated coefficient of the pre-coder, where the coefficient of the pre-coder is used to cancel far-end crosstalk on the line connected to the second user port when the first user port sends an SELT signal.
US09020016B2

A test and measurement instrument including a time domain channel configured to process a first input signal for analysis in a time domain; a frequency domain channel configured to process a second input signal for analysis in a frequency domain; and an acquisition system coupled to the time domain channel and the frequency domain channel. The acquisition system is configured to acquire data from the time domain channel and the frequency domain channel. Time domain and frequency domain data can be time aligned.
US09020010B2

The invention relates to a method that includes transfer of data encoded on the basis of a first encoding scheme via an interface between a baseband assembly and a radio-frequency assembly of a mobile radio transceiver. The method further includes transfer of a data sequence which is encoded on the basis of the first encoding scheme and which identifies a change of encoding scheme from the first encoding scheme to a second encoding scheme. Lastly, the method includes transfer of data encoded on the basis of the second encoding scheme via the interface.
US09020002B2

Photonic integrated circuits on silicon are disclosed. By bonding a wafer of compound semiconductor material as an active region to silicon and removing the substrate, the lasers, amplifiers, modulators, and other devices can be processed using standard photolithographic techniques on the silicon substrate. A silicon laser intermixed integrated device in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present invention comprises a silicon-on-insulator substrate, comprising at least one waveguide in a top surface, and a compound semiconductor substrate comprising a gain layer, the compound semiconductor substrate being subjected to a quantum well intermixing process, wherein the upper surface of the compound semiconductor substrate is bonded to the top surface of the silicon-on-insulator substrate.
US09020000B2

Optical pulse source comprising optical pump laser for generating optical pump pulses at repetition rate Rf; a nonlinear optical element comprising an optical fiber for generating supercontinuum pulses; a gating device provided operable to selectively control the launch of pump pulses into the optical fiber at a reduced, lower repetition rate Rr=Rf/N in order to generate supercontinuum pulses at different user selectable repetition rates lower than the pump pulse repetition rate; first and second optical amplifiers; wavelength tunable optical bandpass filter; wherein the optical fiber can generate supercontinuum pulses having a supercontinuum spanning from below 450 nm to greater than 2000 nm; and wherein said optical pulse source comprises an all-fiber source wherein said optical pump laser comprises a fiber oscillator, said gating device comprises a fiber coupled optical modulator, and the optical pump pulses are launched into the optical fiber without the use of free space optics.
US09019999B2

A compact, optically-pumped solid-state microchip laser device uses efficient nonlinear intracavity frequency conversion for obtaining low-cost green and blue laser sources. The laser includes a solid-state gain medium, such as Nd:YVO4, and a nonlinear crystal. The nonlinear crystal is formed of periodically poled lithium niobate or periodically poled lithium tantalate, and the crystal is either MgO-doped, ZnO-doped, or stoichiometric to ensure high reliability. The nonlinear crystal provides efficient frequency doubling to translate energy from an infrared pump laser beam into the visible wavelength range. The laser device is assembled in a package having an output aperture for the output beam and being integrated with an optical bench accommodating a laser assembly. The package encloses and provides heat sinking for the semiconductor diode pump laser, the microchip laser cavity assembly, the optical bench platform, and electrical leads.
US09019998B1

A tunable fiber ring laser with a gain clamped semiconductor optical amplifier is a ring laser source working at room temperature. The laser has an inner cavity disposed inside an outer cavity. A pair of circulators disposed in the inner cavity is configured to assure counter-propagation of light between the inner cavity and the outer cavity. A gain-clamped semiconductor optical amplifier (GC-SOA) is formed by combining a semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) and a fixed filter in conjunction with the pair of circulators. A Fiber Fabry-Perot Tunable Filter (FFP-TF) is disposed in the outer cavity and connects to the pair of circulators via a polarization controller and a fused coupler.
US09019995B2

Methods, apparatuses, and systems are presented for switching between channels of encoded media data involving receiving encoded media data including reference frames and dependent frames for a plurality of channels, wherein each dependent frame refers to at least one reference frame. Frames associated with a first channel from the plurality of channels are decoded to generate a decoded signal for the first channel. While decoding frames associated with the first channel, data corresponding to at least one reference frame associated with a second channel from the plurality of channels are stored. In response to a control signal for switching from the first to the second channel, at least one dependent frame associated with the second channel is decoded by utilizing the stored data corresponding to the at least one reference frame associated with the second channel, to generate a decoded signal for the second channel.
US09019993B2

The present invention relates to a method for confirming the delivery of a data packet in a mesh network by sending an acknowledgement (ACK) to an ingress mesh point (IMP). A mesh network comprises a plurality of mesh points that are wirelessly linked together. A data packet sent by a station (STA) is received by an IMP. A MAC frame is generated for transmission of the data packet and the frame is forwarded to an egress mesh point (EMP) in order to provide a service by the mesh network. The MAC frame includes a field comprising an IMP address and an EMP address. When the EMP, (or optionally an intermediate mesh point), receives a data packet successfully, the EMP or the intermediate mesh point sends an ACK to the IMP or preceding mesh point.
US09019990B2

A method of an aspect is performed in an Internet Protocol (IP) packet fragment reassembly system of a cellular network. The method is one of reassembling IP packet fragments that are destined for wireless devices. The method includes a step of receiving a plurality of encapsulated IP packet fragments. Each of the encapsulated IP packet fragments have an encapsulation header, an outer IP header, and an inner IP header. The method also includes a step of determining that the encapsulation headers indicate that the IP packet fragments are encapsulated. The method further includes a step of reassembling the IP packet fragments into a reassembled IP packet. A more fragments (MF) bit is set in the inner IP header of each, except for a last one, of the IP packet fragments.
US09019982B2

Disclosed is a wireless communication base station device that can suppress increases in terminal power consumption while being able to perform CCE allocation flexibly. In the device, a search space setting unit (103) sets search space for each wireless communication terminal device that communicates using multiple downlink unit bands. When the aggregation level of a CCE that is allocated control information addressed to the wireless communication terminal devices is less than a threshold value, an allocating unit (106) allocates the control information to a CCE inside the search space established in a single one of the multiple downlink unit bands. When the aggregation level is greater than the threshold value, the control information is allocated distributed to the CCEs inside the search spaces established for each of the multiple downlink unit bands.
US09019975B2

Converged Enhanced Ethernet (CEE) tunneling over Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe) bus. An initiating device, connected to a CEE network, initiates a command. An encoding device encodes a CEE frame comprising the command, target device address, initiator signals, and an address of a CEE switch closest to the target device, connected to a PCIe network. The initiating device transmits an inquiry to the CEE switch through the CEE frame. The CEE switch comprises an address table with an entry specifying a generic PCIe device. The CEE switch is configured to convert the CEE frame into PCIe readable signals and to transmit them to PCIe devices. The initiating device receives a response indicating a PCIe acknowledgement from a corresponding device from the PCIe devices. The corresponding device is associated with the target device address. Based on the response, the initiating device initiates a transaction to the corresponding device through CEE frames.
US09019973B1

A first network device receives a control message at an interface from a second network device, wherein the first network device and the second network device use a multipoint service that provides layer two (L2) connectivity between L2 networks. The control message specifies one or more L2 addresses of customer network devices that are provided connectivity to an autonomous system by the second network device, wherein the control message identifies the L2 addresses as static L2 addresses that are to be persistently maintained at the first network device as reachable by the interface. In response to receiving the control message and by the first network device, the first network device stores the L2 addresses as persistently maintained static L2 addresses being reachable by the interface at which the control message was received.
US09019972B2

A system and method for monitoring and controlling operations, of a gateway is disclosed. The system is configured to allow an end user to monitor and/or control data streams appearing on one or more customer premises equipment (CPE) interfaces of a gateway, even where the data streams are of different types such as voice, video or computer data. The system comprises a processor within the gateway that may be configured to receive data from an external network, generate the data streams from the received data, and provide the generated data streams to corresponding CPE devices. The processor may be further configured to receive commands from the corresponding CPE devices, determine a type of the received commands, and perform operations on the generated data streams based on the determined type of the received command to execute the desired monitoring and/or control functions.
US09019969B2

A gateway for interconnecting different networks includes a network access means for interconnecting a first network that provides a wireless access function to a mobile station with a second network that provides a network access function to the mobile station. The gateway further includes a first tunnel establishment means for establishing, in the first network, a first tunnel between the gateway and a base station accessing one or more mobile stations via wireless communications, for transmission of different packets to the respective mobile stations. The gateway further includes a second tunnel establishment means for establishing a second tunnel between the gateway and the second network, for packet transmission, a tunnel-mobile station connecting means for connecting the first tunnel with the mobile station, and a tunnel-to-tunnel interworking means for interworking the second tunnel with the first tunnel.
US09019965B2

A data packet routing system is provided wherein: at least one terminal belonging to a private IPv4 network is connected to a gateway itself connected to an IPv6 network; at least one interface device at the interface between said IPv6 network and a public IPv4 network implements a translation function comprising exchanging a private IPv4 address with a public IPv4 address. The gateway allocates to the terminal an IPv6 address by providing an IPv6 prefix with the private IPv4 address of the terminal in its private IPv4 network; said gateway verifying whether IPv4 address conflict exists, and if IPv4 it does exist, for replacing said private IPv4 address locally with a substitute private IPv4 address. A method is provided that routes an IPv4 data packet sent by a source terminal belonging to a first IPv4 domain via an IPv6 domain to a destination terminal belonging to a second IPv4 domain.
US09019960B2

A method to reduce latency in a data link communication is provided. The method includes compressing a data packet to be uplinked from a ground station to an aircraft communications addressing and reporting system (ACARS) in an aircraft and determining a packet size of the data packet. The aircraft communications addressing and reporting system is configured to receive packets having a packet size less than or equal to a first threshold packet size. An Iridium router based unrestricted digital inter-working connectivity solution data service is implemented to uplink the compressed data packet if the packet size exceeds a second threshold packet size. A short burst data service is implemented to uplink the compressed data packet if the packet size is less than or equal to the second threshold packet size.
US09019950B2

The present disclosure relates to a method for routing data between a sending unit and a receiving unit linked by a network in a processing system comprising several units, the method comprising steps of routing data in the network between the sending unit and the receiving unit, and of applying a process to the routed data, the process comprising several steps which are applied to the data by different units in the network receiving the data, to use latency times in data routing.
US09019949B2

An adapter, base band processing unit and a base station system. The adapter includes a frame obtaining logic unit configured to obtain an uplink data frame based on a received radio frame. A frame synchronizing logic unit configured to manage a frame tag of the uplink data frame. A time feedback logic unit configured to feedback to the base band processing unit an arrival time of a downlink data frame that is received from the base band processing unit. The base band processing unit includes a time synchronizing module configured to determine generation time of a current downlink data frame based on at least an arrival time of a previous downlink data frame that was a previous feed back from the adapter. A frame synchronizing module configured to manage a frame tag of the generated current downlink data frame.
US09019946B1

A method and apparatus in which multiple Internet Protocol (IP) based wireless data transmissions are simultaneously provided between a wireless device and a server, including providing multiple antennas, multiple T/R units, multiple processors and multiple I/O ports on the wireless device. The method includes receiving multiple IP data packets on the I/O ports at substantially the same time, and sending multiple data packets from the wireless device to the server, whereby the transmission rate between the wireless device and the server is increased.
US09019943B2

Systems and methods for improved communications using tunneled direct link setup are described herein. The systems and methods relate to discovery, link setup, channel switching, multicasting, link selection, and quality of service implemented in conjunction with tunneled direct link setup.
US09019936B2

The performance and ease of management of wireless communications environments is improved by a mechanism that enables access points (APs) to perform automatic channel selection. A wireless network can therefore include multiple APs, each of which will automatically choose a channel such that channel usage is optimized. Furthermore, APs can perform automatic power adjustment so that multiple APs can operate on the same channel while minimizing interference with each other. Wireless stations are load balanced across APs so that user bandwidth is optimized. A movement detection scheme provides seamless roaming of stations between APs.
US09019932B2

An apparatus and a method are described by which a request for providing aperiodic channel information with respect to a selected downlink component carrier of a plurality of component carriers is received, the selected downlink component carrier is determined, channel information with respect to the selected downlink component carrier is established, and the channel information with respect to the selected downlink component carrier is sent.
US09019931B2

A communications apparatus is provided. A controller module generates a suggested sub-frame pattern describing suggested arrangement of one or more almost blank sub-frame(s) in one or more frame(s) and schedules control signal and/or data transmissions according to the suggested sub-frame pattern. A transceiver module transmits at least a first signal carrying information regarding the suggested sub-frame pattern to a peer communications apparatus. The peer communications apparatus does not schedule data transmissions in the almost blank sub-frame(s).
US09019928B2

The present invention relates to a wireless communication system, and more specifically, a method and an apparatus for controlling an inter-cell collision are disclosed. A method for transmitting collision information from a transmission/reception apparatus, which is connected to first and second base stations, according to one embodiment of the present invention, comprises the following steps: obtaining a first scheduling information, generated by the first base station, with regard to a first user equipment, and a second scheduling information, generated by the second base station, with regard to a second user equipment; generating the collision information based on the first scheduling information and the second scheduling information which are obtained; and transferring the collision information to the first and second base stations.
US09019926B2

A method and apparatus of allocating a resource for a plurality of logical channels is provided. A transmitter acquires a plurality of available resources for a plurality of component carriers, and allocates the plurality of available resources to the plurality of logical channels based on the priority of each of the plurality of logical channels. The resources are further allocated based on a first amount of data associated with each of the plurality of logical channels. Any remaining resources are allocated based on a second amount of data associated with each of the plurality of logical channels.
US09019924B2

Methods and apparatuses schedule resources and identify resource scheduling in a MU MIMO wireless communication system. A method for identifying resource scheduling for a UE includes receiving downlink control information; identifying, from the downlink control information, one or more DM-RS ports assigned to the UE and a PDSCH EPRE to DM-RS EPRE ratio; and identifying data intended for the UE in a resource block in a downlink subframe using the one or more DM-RS ports and the PDSCH EPRE to DM-RS EPRE ratio. A method for scheduling resources includes identifying one or more DM-RS ports to assign to a UE and a PDSCH EPRE to DM-RS EPRE ratio for identifying data intended for the UE in a resource block in a downlink subframe; and including an indication of the one or more DM-RS ports and the PDSCH EPRE to DM-RS EPRE ratio in downlink control information.
US09019904B2

A method and apparatus for multiplexing reference signals in a predetermined number of Code Division Multiplexing (CDM) groups to balance power across Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) symbols are disclosed. In a wireless communication system, orthogonal sequences used for spreading the reference signals are allocated such that the order of orthogonal sequences allocated to a subcarrier of one CDM group has a predetermined offset with respect to the order of orthogonal sequences allocated to a subcarrier of another CDM group, adjacent to the subcarrier of the one CDM group.
US09019896B2

Systems, methods, and devices for low overhead paging in a wireless communications network are described herein. In one aspect, a wireless communications device comprises a processor and a transmitter. The processor is configured to compress a bitmap of a paging message to obtain a compressed paging message. The bitmap is associated with a plurality of receiver identifiers, and each of the plurality of receiver identifiers associated with at least one receiver of a set of receivers. The compressed bitmap comprises a block bitmap and a plurality of sub-block bitmaps. Each bit of the block bitmap comprises a logical OR of a subset of the bitmap, and each sub-block bitmap corresponds to a bit of the block bitmap. The transmitter is electronically coupled with the processor and configured to transmit the compressed paging message to at least one receiver.
US09019894B2

When a connecting destination base station apparatus included in a message including an identifier of a base station apparatus serving as a connecting destination of a mobile station apparatus is different from a connecting source base station apparatus stored in an EPS bearer context, rearrangement of local PDN connection is requested to an L-PGW unit of the connecting destination base station apparatus and local PDN connection is deleted. After establishment of a wireless bearer is completed between the mobile station apparatus and the connecting destination base station apparatus, the connecting destination base station apparatus is instructed to start proxy transmission of neighbor advertisement instead of the mobile station apparatus. In base stations that support local IP access, when UE performs service request processing or handover processing between home base stations, it is possible to continue communication session using local IP access while suppressing alterations to existing system to the minimum.
US09019892B2

An access system and method for transmitting Ethernet signals and mobile communication signals. The system includes a near-end host unit and remote-end user units. Through the near-end host unit, the Ethernet signals and mobile communication signals can be combined. The near-end and remote-end host units are connected through four pairs of twisted pairs. The combined Ethernet and mobile communication signals are sent to a user terminal for providing broadband access service and wireless access service. Premises network resources can be used without re-laying category 5 cables, so the investment is less and it is quick and convenient to provide service. Furthermore there needs to be added only one host unit beside the optical network unit equipment, and replace the user terminal simultaneously. Power is not needed to be taken at the user's home. The placement position of the terminal is flexible without being limited by the power-taking positions.
US09019881B2

A method for waking up a Node B (NB) cell is provided. When a User Equipment (UE) in an idle state arrives in an area of a Home NB cell in which the UE ever resided, but does not search out signals of the Home cell, the UE reports Proximity Indication (PI) information to a network side through a specific Tracking Area Update (TAU) process; when determining that there is need to wake up the NB cell according to footprint information which is reported by the UE and obtained in the specific TAU process, the network side wakes up the NB cell. The method ensures that the UE in an idle state wakes up the sleeping Home NB cell (or macro cell) in time and gets service from the Home NB cell (or macro cell), thus a network coverage problem caused by cell sleeping for saving energy is avoided.
US09019879B2

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for transmitting and receiving system information update control information in a sleep mode in a wireless communication system. According to one aspect of the present invention, a method in which a terminal in a sleep mode receives system information update control information in a wireless communication system comprises: receiving, by the terminal from a base station, system information update control information including information on whether or not each of a plurality of secondary super frame header subpacket information elements (hereinafter, referred to as “S-SFH SP IEs”) is changed during a listening window; and receiving a changed S-SFH SP IE using the system information update control information.
US09019878B2

A mechanism for a wireless device to obtain access to network connectivity through a WAN-enabled device. The wireless device may use peer-to-peer communication to request the WAN-enabled device enter a mode in which it serves as an access point to its WAN. The wireless device may then associate with the WAN-enabled device in its role as an access point to access connectivity services. Such a capability may be used, for example, to allow a wireless computing device to gain access to the Internet through a smartphone or other device that has Internet access, and can also be configured to communicate in accordance with the Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi Direct standards.
US09019875B2

The disclosure provides a system, end and method for transmitting 1x messages. The method comprises: when a sending terminal needs to send a plurality of 1x messages to a receiving terminal through a non-1x network, carrying the plurality of 1x messages in one message. With the technical solution of the disclosure, the problem that it is unable to ensure that a plurality of 1x Layer3 messages is transmitted synchronously under the related inter-working situation and the problem of the processing time sequence of messages are solved.
US09019860B2

The present invention discloses a method, a terminal and a communication system for starting a compressed mode, wherein the method comprises: a terminal receiving information of a target cell to be measured from a radio network controller; according to the information of the target cell to be measured, the terminal determining a transmission gap pattern sequence; according to the determined transmission gap pattern sequence, the terminal starting a compressed mode to perform a measurement to the target cell. In accordance with the present invention, the problem that a compressed mode can not be started in the case of load balancing mechanism or service bearer feature mechanism is solved, and the Quality of Service (QoS) of the terminal as well as the performance of the system are enhanced.
US09019856B2

A method and an apparatus for transmitting Channel State Information (CSI) having a reporting mode and being transmitted from a User Equipment (UE) over a PUSCH transmission in an Uplink (UL) cell associated with a Downlink (DL) cell in response to the UE receiving a Downlink Control Information (DCI) format that includes a CSI request field indicating CSI transmission corresponding to one of CSI process sets associated with measurements of respective reference signals are provided. The method includes obtaining, from the CSI request field, an indication of a CSI process set for a CSI transmission; and transmitting the CSI for the CSI process set indicated by the CSI request field, wherein the CSI request field includes 2 bits of a first CSI process set having a first set of interpretations.
US09019844B2

A user equipment (UE) in a communication system measures the power received in a bandwidth on possible downlink carriers in a frequency band that is supported by the UE in order to search for available carriers. Search times can be decreased on average by using a specially configured filter to process the received power measurements and then determining likely carriers based on the filtered values. Metrics from the filter can be used to indicate both where to perform cell search and where not to perform cell search.
US09019842B2

A relay device comprises: a packet type determining unit that determines: whether a received packet is a monitoring packet, sent by a first communication device that monitors a network connection state, set the first communication device as the sending source, and set a second communication device that is monitored as the sending destination; and whether the received packet is a monitoring response packet sent as the response to the monitoring packet with sending source address and destination address of monitoring packet interchanged; a transfer processing unit that receives the monitoring packet and transfers it to a destination; a monitoring unit that monitors receipt of the monitoring response packet within a specified period; and a failure notification packet sending unit that generates a failure notification packet and sends it to a specified destination, when the monitoring response packet is not received within the specified period.
US09019824B2

In one embodiment, a method comprises identifying an age of payload data in a data packet by a wireless network node configured for transmitting the data packet to a multi-hop destination via a wireless mesh network; determining by the wireless network node a schedule for the data packet reaching the multi-hop destination; and the wireless network node prioritizing queuing of the data packet for Collision Sense with Multiple Access and Collision Avoidance (CSMA-CA) based wireless transmission in the wireless mesh network based on the corresponding age, relative to the schedule and respective ages of other data packets awaiting transmission by the wireless network node to the destination, where a higher-aged data packet relative to the schedule is granted a higher priority than a lower-aged data packet relative to the schedule.
US09019822B2

Systems, methods, and devices for compressing block acknowledgment (ACK) frames/packets are described herein. In some aspects, a method of communicating in a wireless network includes generating a compressed block acknowledgment frame comprising a physical layer header, the physical layer header including at least one of the following: a block acknowledgment identifier, a starting sequence number of the compressed block acknowledgement frame, and a bitmap. The method further includes transmitting the compressed block acknowledgment frame.
US09019818B2

In one exemplary aspect of this invention a method includes buffering data in a user equipment and, in response to an amount of buffered data exceeding a threshold value, triggering the generation of a buffer status report and the sending of the buffer status report to a network access node, where the threshold value is a function of the capacity of a currently allocated uplink data transmission resource and some certain amount of time. In another exemplary embodiment the triggering of the generation of the buffer status report and the sending of the buffer status report to a network access node occurs when an amount of buffered data in a buffer of a particular logical channel group exceeds a maximum value associated with one of a plurality of buffer status report tables that is currently in use.
US09019814B1

In general, techniques are provided for receiving a first control plane message that indicates the reachability of the second PE network device as a designated forwarder in an Ethernet segment. The techniques include receiving a second control plane message comprising information that indicates, in the event of a network failure at the second PE router, that the third PE network device of the plurality of PE network devices is the designated forwarder in the layer two segment. The techniques also include forwarding layer two frames to the second PE network device identified as the designated forwarder in the layer two segment; and responsive to determining a network failure at the second PE network device, configuring, based at least in part on the second control plane message, a forwarding plane of the first PE network device to forward layer two frames to the third PE network device as the designated forwarder.
US09019812B2

The present invention discloses a method, system, and device for managing addresses on an Ethernet ring network. The method includes: receiving, by a master node on an Ethernet ring network, a failure message from a node connected to at least one of two ends of a failed link on the Ethernet ring network; determining, according to the failure message, a specific virtual local area network affected by the failure on the Ethernet ring network; and sending an instruction message for flushing a media access control address forwarding table to a specific node accessed by the specific virtual local area network on the Ethernet ring network, where the instruction message carries an identifier of the specific virtual local area network, so that the specific node deletes addresses related to the specific virtual local area network.
US09019802B2

The solar battery includes a plurality of cells having a same electromotive force with each other. The display device further includes a display means to display time, and a control means to control operation of the display means. The electromotive force of the solar battery is lower than a deterioration-start voltage of the rechargeable battery. The electromotive force of the cells is higher than a lower-limit driving voltage of the display device, in which a number of such cells equals a total number of cells include in the solar battery minus one. A driving voltage of the display means is lower than the aforementioned lower-limit driving voltage, and an operational voltage of the control means is lower than the aforementioned lower-limit driving voltage.
US09019794B2

In some examples, a memory device includes multiple memory banks equipped with an isolation switch and dedicated power supply pins. The isolation switch of each memory bank is configured to isolate the memory bank from global signals. The dedicated power supply pins are configured to connect each of the memory banks to a dedicated local power supply pads on the package substrate to provide local dedicated power supplies to each of the memory banks and to reduce voltage transfer between memory banks over conductors on the device, the device substrate, or the package substrate of the memory device.
US09019783B2

Disclosed is a method of controlling a semiconductor memory device including a write driver. A method of controlling a phase change memory device includes turning on switches connected to a global bit line and a local bit line, respectively, enabling a write driver connected to the switches, enabling a word line, and enabling a memory cell to be accessed by the word line, wherein control is performed so that electric charges supplied from the write driver through the switches are charged when the write driver is enabled.
US09019776B2

A memory access circuit includes a write data circuit and a first write switch circuit. The write data circuit is used for receiving double data rate data or single data rate data, and outputting odd term data and even term data of adjusted double data rate data or adjusted single data rate data. The first write switch circuit is used for outputting the odd term data of the adjusted double data rate data to an odd block of a memory and outputting the even term data of the adjusted double data rate data to an even block of the memory when the write data circuit receives the double data rate data, and outputting the adjusted single data rate data to the even block or the odd block of the memory when the write data circuit receives the single data rate data.
US09019768B1

A semiconductor device includes active strips. Active strip stack selection structures electrically couple to the active strip stacks at positions between the first and second ends, and select particular ones of the active strip stacks for operations. In one embodiment, different pads coupled to opposite pads have a higher voltage, depending on the memory cell selected for read. The same active strip stack selection structure can act as a pair of side gates for opposite sides of a first active strip stack, and as one side gate for each of the adjacent active strip stacks. Each active strip stack can have: a first structure from a first set acting as first and second side gates on a first side of word lines; and a second structure and a third structure from a second set respectively acting as third and fourth side gates on the second side of word lines.
US09019767B2

A nonvolatile memory device includes a channel vertically extending from a substrate, a plurality of memory cells stacked along the channel; a source region connected to a first end portion of the channel, and a bit line connected to a second end portion of the channel, wherein the first end portion of the channel that adjoins the source region is formed as an undoped semiconductor layer or a semiconductor layer doped with P-type impurities.
US09019765B2

A device comprises a non-volatile memory array, a first selection circuit selecting whether to make a first connection path between a first bit line and a first circuit node, and selecting whether to make a second connection path between the first bit line and a second circuit node, a power supplying circuit supplying a power supply voltage to the first circuit node, the power supply voltage being, when the first connection path is selected to be made, supplied to the first bit line, and a first voltage supplying circuit supplying a first voltage to the second circuit node, the first voltage being, when the second connection path is selected to be made, supplied to the first bit line, the first voltage and the power supply voltage being higher than a ground potential, and the first voltage being higher than the power supply voltage.
US09019760B2

A memory device is provided, including a back gate including a first portion of electrically conductive material, a first portion of dielectric material arranged on the back gate, a semiconductor nanobeam arranged on the first portion of dielectric material, a second portion of dielectric material covering the semiconductor nanobeam, a portion of material configured to receive electrons and holes, and configured to store electrical charges and covering the second portion of dielectric material, a third portion of dielectric material covering the portion of material configured to perform storage of electrical charges, and a front gate including a second portion of electrically conductive material covering the third portion of dielectric material.
US09019759B2

Techniques for providing a semiconductor memory device are disclosed. In one particular exemplary embodiment, the techniques may be realized as a semiconductor memory device including a plurality of memory cells arranged in an array of rows and columns. Each memory cell including a first region, a second region, and a body region capacitively coupled to at least one word line and disposed between the first region and the second region. Each memory cell also including a third region, wherein the third region may be doped differently than the first region, the second region, and the body region.
US09019758B2

A spin transfer torque magnetic random access memory (STTMRAM) element includes a composite fixed layer formed on top of a substrate and a tunnel layer formed upon the fixed layer and a composite free layer formed upon the tunnel barrier layer. The magnetization direction of each of the composite free layer and fixed layer being substantially perpendicular to the plane of the substrate. The composite layers are made of multiple repeats of a bi-layer unit which consists of a non-magnetic insulating layer and magnetic layer with thicknesses adjusted in a range that makes the magnetization having a preferred direction perpendicular to film plane.
US09019755B2

A memory unit includes memory cells each having a memory element and a transistor, word lines and first and second bit lines, and a drive section. In performing setting operation for a first memory element located on one word line and in performing resetting operation for a second memory element located on the one word line, the drive section applies a given word line electric potential to the one word line, and sets an electric potential of a bit line on a lower electric potential side out of the first and the second bit lines corresponding to the first memory element to a value higher than a value of an electric potential of a bit line on the lower electric potential side corresponding to the second memory element by an amount of given electric potential difference.
US09019753B2

A write tracking control circuit includes an input node, and a first transistor configured to pre-charge a word bit line connected to at least two memory cells. The write tracking control circuit further includes a second transistor configured to pre-charge a read bit line connected to the at least two memory cells. The write tracking control circuit further includes a first delay circuit between the input node and the first transistor, the first delay circuit configured to introduce a first delay time, wherein a gate of the first transistor is connected to the first delay circuit. The write tracking control circuit further includes a second delay circuit between the input node and the second transistor, the second delay circuit configured to introduce a second delay time different from the first delay time, wherein a gate of the second transistor is connected to the second delay circuit.
US09019752B1

Static random access memory (SRAM) global bitline circuits for reducing glitches during read accesses, and related methods and systems are disclosed. A global bitline scheme in SRAM can reduce output load, reducing power consumption. In certain embodiments, SRAM includes an SRAM array. The SRAM includes a global bitline circuit for each SRAM array column. Each global bitline circuit includes memory access circuit that pre-charges local bitlines corresponding to bitcells in SRAM array. The data read from selected bitcell is read from its local bitline onto aggregated read bitline, an aggregation of local bitlines. The SRAM includes bitline evaluation circuit that sends data from aggregated read bitline onto global bitline. Instead of sending data based on rising transition of clock trigger, data is sent onto the global bitline based on falling transition of clock trigger. A global bitline scheme can be employed that reduces glitches and resulting increases in power consumption.
US09019751B2

Various integrated circuits and methods of operating the integrated circuits are disclosed. The integrated circuit may include a circuit having one or more electrical parameters resulting from process variations during the manufacture of the integrated circuit, and a voltage source configured to supply a voltage to the circuit to power the circuit, wherein the voltage source is further configured to adjust the voltage as a function of the one or more electrical parameters.
US09019750B2

The present invention provides a dynamic random access memory apparatus includes a first chip and a second chip. The first chip includes a plurality of memory cells and a plurality of through-silicon vias (TSVs). The plurality of memory cells are arranged in an array. First terminals of the TSVs are respectively coupled to the memory cells. The first chip and the second chip are overlapped, the second chip includes a plurality storage capacitors. Second terminals of the TSVs are respectively coupled to the storage capacitors storage capacitors.
US09019746B2

A resistive memory device includes a plurality of memory cells, each of which is configured to store a normal data, a first reference data corresponding to a first resistance state and a second reference data corresponding to a second resistance state, a data copy unit configured to temporarily store the normal data read from a selected memory cell and generate a copied cell current based on the stored normal data, a mirroring block configured to temporarily store the first and second reference data read from the selected memory cell, and to generate a first reference current and a second reference current based on the stored first and second reference data, respectively, and a sensing unit configured to sense the stored normal data based on the copied cell current and the first reference current and the second reference current.
US09019745B1

Structures and methods for controlling operation of a programmable impedance element are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a method of programming/erasing the programmable impedance element can include: (i) receiving a program/erase command to be executed on the programmable impedance element; (ii) generating, in response to the program/erase command, a program/erase pulse for performing a program/erase operation on the programmable impedance element; (iii) generating a time delay from the program/erase pulse, where the time delay includes additional delay to allow for at least partial dissipation of one or more effects caused by the program/erase operation; and (iv) performing, after the time delay has elapsed, a verify operation to determine if the program/erase operation has successfully programmed/erased the programmable impedance element.
US09019742B2

A circuit, method, and system for using multiple-state One-Time Programmable (OTP) memory to function as a multiple-bit programmable (MTP) memory. The OTP memory can have N (N>2) distinct resistance states, that can be differentiated by at least N−1 reference resistances, can be functionally equivalent programmed N−1 times. The multiple-state OTP memory can have a plural of multiple-state OTP cells that can be selectively programmed to a resistance state. The reference resistance can be set to determine a state of the from the programmed multiple-state OTP cells.
US09019741B2

The present invention pertains to the technical field of one-time programmable memory (OTP), and in particular to a one-time programmable memory unit, OTP, and method of fabricating the same. The OTP unit comprises a lower electrode, an upper electrode and a storage medium layer placed between the upper electrode and the lower electrode, the storage medium layer comprises a first metal oxide layer and a second metal oxide layer, wherein an adjoining area for programming is formed between the first metal oxide layer and the second metal oxide layer. The OTP comprises a plurality of the above-described one-time programmable memory units arranged in rows and columns. The OTP unit and the OTP have such characteristics as low programming voltage, small unit area, being able to integrate into a back-end structure of integrated circuit, great process flexibility, and the method of fabricating the OTP unit and the OTP is relatively simple and low in cost.
US09019739B2

According to example embodiments of inventive concepts, a three-dimensional semiconductor device may include: a memory cell array including memory cells that may be arranged three-dimensionally, the memory cell array including a left side opposite a right side, and a top side opposite a bottom side in a plan view; at least one word line decoder adjacent to at least one of the left and right sides of the memory cell array; a page buffer adjacent to the bottom side of the memory cell array; and a string selection line decoder adjacent to one of the top and bottom sides of the memory cell array.
US09019737B2

A CAM device for comparing a search key with a plurality of ternary words stored in a CAM array includes one or more population counters, a pre-compare memory, and a pre-compare circuit. The present embodiments reduce the power consumption of CAM devices during compare operations between a search key and ternary words stored in a CAM array by selectively enabling the match lines in the CAM array in response to pre-compare operations between a set of population counts corresponding to the masked search key and a set of population counts corresponding to the ternary words stored in the CAM array.
US09019729B2

A switched mode power converter controller outputs a switch control signal for a switch, receives sensed voltage and primary current input signals, and includes a constant current mode controller to process voltage input signals and generate output control signals for controlling converter peak current and/or switching frequency operational; a constant voltage mode controller processes the voltage input signal and generates output control signals for converter peak current and/or switching frequency operational parameters; a primary peak current adjuster processes primary current input and output control signals from the current and voltage mode controllers to configure the switch control signal to turn off the switch; a switching frequency adjuster processes output control signals from the current and voltage controllers to configure the switch control signal to turn on the switch. The constant current controller is enabled if the constant voltage controller signals represent operation with maximum peak current and switching frequency.
US09019722B2

A gas turbine engine installation is provided that has a plurality of flexible printed circuit board (FPCB) harnesses to transfer electrical signals, including electrical power, around a gas turbine engine. The plurality of FPCB harnesses is held to the gas turbine engine installation using clips that have at least two jaws. Each jaw has two sets of opposing teeth that do not intermesh, and cannot intermesh when pushed together. This allows more than one FPCB harness to be held by one clip without the risk of damaging the FPCB harnesses. Preventing the teeth from intermeshing also allows subsequent FPCB harnesses to be inserted into the clip without undue difficulty even after a first FPCB harness has already been inserted.
US09019721B2

A connection port module is mounted to a side wall of a housing of an electronic device. The electronic device includes a control circuit. The connection port module includes a rotating box, a circuit board, and at least one connection port. The rotating box is formed with at least one opening. The circuit board is electrically coupled to the control circuit. The connection port corresponds in number to the opening and is electrically coupled to the circuit board. The connection port is disposed correspondingly to the opening. The rotating box is pivotable relative to the housing between a first position and a second position.
US09019720B1

Components within a portable device are arranged around a perimeter of a display component to reduce the height of the portable device. Components such as a battery, a main logic board, a wireless networking interface, and so forth may be distributed around a display component such as an electrophoretic display. Distribution of components around the perimeter of the display component rather than behind the display component reduces the height. Furthermore, the placement of components in the perimeter provides a structure for a user to grip the portable device or for placement of user actuable controls.
US09019718B2

Electrical connectors, electrical modules, and systems are provided. In one aspect, an electrical connector includes a housing defining a side surface, an electrical conductor supported by the housing and including an engagement portion proximate the side surface of the housing. The engagement portion is adapted to engage another electrical conductor of another electrical connector. The connector also includes a magnet supported by the housing proximate the side surface of the housing, a projection extending from the side surface of the housing, and a receptacle defined in the side surface of the housing. In other aspects, an electrical module includes at least one of these electrical connectors. In further aspects, a system includes a plurality of these modules and the modules are selectively couplable together.
US09019711B2

There is provided an electronic device that includes a housing including six sides at right angles to each other, a first side of the six sides including an opening, a first backplane arranged on a second side so as to oppose to the opening, a second backplane arranged on a third side adjacent to the second side, a circuit board which is inserted toward the first backplane through the opening to be coupled with both of the first backplane and the second backplane with use of a plurality of connectors, the circuit board including a specified corner, and a guide. The guide is configured to shift the circuit board toward the second backplane while the specified corner slides with contacting a portion of the guide which is arranged on a fourth side of the six sides opposed to the third side.
US09019706B2

A server cabinet, for containing a removable server including a power input port and a connecting element, includes a container, an electrically conductive component, a power supply, a signal connecting base and a rack management controller. The electrically conductive component is connected to the power input port. The power supply is connected to the electrically conductive component to supply power. The signal connecting base includes connectors connected to the connecting element. With the server removed, the power input port and the connecting element are separated from the electrically conductive component and the connector, respectively. The rack management controller is electrically connected to the signal connecting base. With the connecting element electrically connected to the connector, the rack management controller communicates with the server via the connecting element and the one connector and determines the position of the server according to the position of the connector connected to the server.
US09019705B2

A server system and a server thereof are provided. The server system includes a rack, a server, and a fan module, wherein the server and the fan module are located in the rack. The server includes a chassis, a circuit board, a first heat source, a second heat source, a liquid cooling device, and a shielding cover. The circuit board is disposed on the chassis, and the first heat source and the second heat source are disposed on the circuit board. The liquid cooling device is thermally connected to the second heat source covered by the shielding cover. When the fan module is in operation, outside air is taken into the server by the fan module. The flow rate of an air flow passing by the first heat source is greater than that of another air flow passing by the second heat source capped by the shielding cover.
US09019703B2

In at least one embodiment, the invention includes a modular re-configurable computer and storage system and method of configuring the system. The system includes a chassis having a plurality of slots for blocks that in at least one embodiment include processor blocks, storage blocks, power blocks, communications blocks, cooling blocks, application service blocks such as cloud blocks, and special-purpose blocks. In a further embodiment, the chassis includes at least one wiring harness with a plurality of connection points for any blocks present in the chassis to facilitate communication, power, and user interaction.
US09019696B2

According to one aspect, the invention provides a device with a flexible display screen. The flexible display screen is rollable around an axis between a rolled-up state and an unrolled state. For stiffening the screen, stiffening elements are attached to the flexible display screen. The stiffening elements are compressible. They are compressed when the display screen is in a rolled-up state, so as to decrease the size of the rolled-up display device. Therefore, the invention strengthens the display, while at the same time retains a reasonable size of the display in the rolled-up state.
US09019680B2

The invention relates to a horn spark gap with a deion chamber (8) with a non-blowout design having a multi-part insulating housing as supporting and accommodating body for the horn electrodes (1, 2) and the deion chamber (8) and means for conducting the arc-induced gas flow, wherein the insulating housing is divided in the plane spanned by the horn electrodes and forms a first and a second half-shell. According to the invention, the horn electrodes (1, 2) have an asymmetrical form. The arc running region (11) between the electrodes is delimited in the direction of the deion chamber by a plate-shaped insulating material (20), wherein the plate-shaped insulating material (20) is inserted into a respective first shaped portion of the respective half-shell in a form-fitting manner. Furthermore, the first shaped portions accommodate a ferromagnetic deposit (21) of the arc running region (11).
US09019678B2

A protection component includes: a package substrate; a first fuse unit disposed in the package substrate, having a first fusing region; a second fuse unit disposed in the package substrate, having a second fusing region which is close to the first fusing region; and a first buried cave disposed in the package substrate corresponding to the first and second fusing regions. When one of the first and second fusing regions is blown out, the first buried cave assists energy of fuse melting to break the other of the first and second fusing regions.
US09019676B2

A system for protecting an electrical junction having a first pin and a second pin is provided. The system includes a first circuit protection device coupled to the first pin and configured to sense at least a first current and a second circuit protection device coupled to the second pin and configured to sense at least a second current. Each of the first circuit protection device and the second circuit protection device includes a trip mechanism configured to interrupt current flowing through a respective circuit protection device and a trip unit operatively coupled to the trip mechanism. The trip unit is configured to activate the trip mechanism based on a determination that a respective current exceeds a predetermined threshold.
US09019673B2

Systems, methods, and devices relating to fault detection and short circuit current management support in power transmission and distribution networks using multiple inverter based power generation facilities. A fault detection process uses the waveshape (or the rate of change of the current) of the distributed generator output short circuit current to determine if a trip signal is required to disconnect the inverter based power generation facility from the transmission and distribution network. The process operates on DGs such as photovoltaic (PV) based solar farm. The present invention applies to the entire 24-hour period operation of inverter based DGs (e.g., solar farms, wind farms, fuel cell based DGs, etc.).
US09019669B1

A distributed electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection circuit is provided. At frequencies beyond 10 GHz, the parasitic capacitance of primary ESD protection voltage clamping devices, such as diodes, hampers adequate insertion and return loss, in spite of lumped inductor tuning. An ESD protection circuit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure solves the problem by distributing the diode, or voltage clamping device, capacitance among several sections of an artificial transmission line. The power and ground ESD return paths are also distributed to ensure a constant current density in the voltage clamping segments, even for fast charged-device model (CDM) discharge events. By sharing the ESD return paths between differential inputs (or outputs), these return paths have no impact on differential return or insertion loss.
US09019668B2

An integrated circuit having charged-device model (CDM) electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection includes an I/O circuit, at least one CDM ESD protection device, and at least one internal circuit. The integrated circuit further includes at least one TSV (Through Silicon Via) each being coupled between a ground of at least one ground of the input/output circuit and one of the at least one ESD protection device, wherein each of the at least one ESD protection device is coupled between one of the at least one TSV and a ground of one of the at least one internal circuit.
US09019666B2

The electronic device includes a first (BP) and a second (BN) terminal and electronic means coupled between said two terminals; the electronic means include at least one block (BLC) comprising an MOS transistor (TR) including a parasitic bipolar transistor, the MOS transistor having the drain (D) thereof coupled to the first terminal (BP), the source (S) thereof coupled to the second terminal (BN) and being additionally configured, in the event of a current pulse (IMP) between the two terminals, to operate in a hybrid mode including MOS operation in a subthreshold mode and operation of the parasitic bipolar transistor. The device can comprise two blocks (BLC1, BLC2) connected symmetrically between the two terminals (BP, BN) with a triac (TRC) the trigger of which is connected to the common terminal (BC) of the two blocks.
US09019662B2

According to an embodiment, a head stack assembly includes an arm including a swaged seat surface with swaged hole, a load beam supporting a head, and a baseplate secured to a proximal end portion of the load beam, including an annular protrusion secured to the swaged hole of the arm by swaging, and secured to the swaged seat surface. The arm includes a distal end portion located on a longitudinal end side of the arm with respect to the center of the swaged hole and being less rigid than the other portion of the arm around the swaged hole.
US09019659B1

A magnetic element can have at least a write pole configured with a write pole tip that has a tip surface oriented at a first angle with respect to an air bearing surface (ABS), a first bevel surface extending from the ABS and oriented at a second angle with respect to the ABS, and a second bevel surface extending from the ABS and oriented at a third angle with respect to the ABS. The first, second, and third angles may be configured to be different and non-orthogonal to each other.
US09019654B2

Arrangements relate to a data storage system. The data storage system can include a data storage tape. The data storage tape can be arranged in a concertina format. In such a format, the data storage tape can include a plurality of tape segments. Each tape segment can be separated from a neighboring tape segment by a fold. In some arrangements, the data storage tape arranged in a concertina format can be received within a housing.
US09019653B2

A product, according to one embodiment, includes a magnetic recording tape having opposite ends, a longitudinal axis of the magnetic recording tape being defined between the ends. The magnetic recording tape has at least one servo track, the at least one servo track having a plurality of first magnetic bars and a plurality of third magnetic bars oriented to form chevron-like patterns with the first magnetic bars. The first magnetic bars each have a longitudinal axis oriented at a first angle between 2 and 88 degrees from the longitudinal axis of the magnetic recording tape. The third magnetic bars each have a longitudinal axis oriented at a second angle between 2 and 88 degrees from the longitudinal axis of the magnetic recording tape, the second angle having a different numerical absolute value than the first angle.
US09019648B1

According to one embodiment, a magnetic disc device includes a magnetic disc in which servo data is recorded in a servo area; a magnetic head provided for the magnetic disc; a determination unit that determines an SSW range in the servo area; and a servo control unit that performs servo control of the magnetic head based on the servo data recorded in the SSW range.
US09019633B2

The catadioptric system includes a first optical imaging system (catadioptric part) causing a light flux from an object to form an intermediate image and a second optical imaging system (dioptric part) causing the light flux from the intermediate image to form an image. In the first optical imaging system, the light flux sequentially passes a first transmissive portion, a second reflective portion, a first reflective portion and a second transmissive portion. In the second optical imaging system, consecutive four lens surfaces among plural lens surfaces placed between an aperture stop and an image surface have a negative combined refractive power, and a condition of −0.52<φ4n—max·Ymax<−0.14 is satisfied, φ4n—max represents a maximum value of the negative combined refractive power, and Ymax represents a maximum object height in a field-of-view of the catadioptric system at the object.
US09019630B2

A lens assembly of optical imaging system includes a first lens element, a second lens element, and a third lens element. The first lens element with positive refractive power has a convex object-side surface near an optical axis. The second lens element with negative refractive power has a concave object-side surface near the optical axis, and is made of plastic. The object-side surface and the image-side surface of the second lens element are aspheric. The third lens element with negative refractive power has an image-side surface being concave near the optical axis and convex away from the optical axis, and is made of plastic. The object-side surface and the image-side surface of the third lens element are aspheric.
US09019622B2

Provided is a zoom lens, including, in order from an object: a first lens group (G1) having positive refractive power; a second lens group (G2) having negative refractive power; a third lens group (G3) having positive refractive power; and a fourth lens group (G4) having positive refractive power. The first lens group (G1 includes only, in order from the object, a cemented lens of a negative lens (L11) and a positive lens (L12), and a positive meniscus lens (L13) having a convex surface facing the object, an aperture stop (S) for determining brightness is disposed to the object side of the third lens group (G3), and upon zooming, all of the four groups (G1 to G4) move and the aperture stop (S) moves together with the third lens group (G3), and the conditional expression νdp1>85.0 is satisfied, where νdp1 denotes an Abbe number of the positive lens (L12), which is disposed closest to the object in the first lens group (G1), at the d-line as a standard.
US09019620B2

In a zoom lens, at least a first group of negative optical power and a second group of positive optical power are included from an object side, when zooming is performed from a wide-angle end to a telephoto end, a distance between the first and the second groups is reduced and an aperture is moved together with the second group. The first group is formed with a front group composed of only negative lenses and a rear group which is composed of two lenses, a positive and a negative from the object side and which has a positive optical power as a whole and the zoom lens satisfies a conditional formula: 0.06
US09019618B2

Disclosed herein is a variable focal length lens system including: a first lens group having a positive refracting power; a second lens group having a negative refracting power; a third lens group having a negative refracting power; a fourth lens group having a positive refracting power; and a fifth lens group having a positive refracting power; all of the first to fifth lens groups moving, when a positional state of the variable focal length lens system changes from a wide angle end state to a telephoto end state; the fifth lens group being configured from a first sub lens group and a second sub lens group; and the variable focal length lens system satisfying the following expression (1): 0.5
US09019610B2

A zoom lens includes, in order from an object side to an image side, a first lens unit having a positive refractive power, a second lens unit having a negative refractive power, a third lens unit having a positive refractive power, and a fourth lens unit having a positive refractive power. In the zoom lens, each lens unit moves to perform zooming. In addition, an amount of movement Mm of the fourth lens unit when zooming from a wide angle end to an intermediate zooming position, an amount of movement Mt of the fourth lens unit when zooming from the wide angle end to a telephoto end, a focal length fw of an entire system at the wide angle end, and focal lengths f3 and f4 of the respective third lens unit and fourth lens unit are properly set.
US09019608B2

An objective of the present invention is to alleviate streaky display unevenness that occurs in liquid crystal display elements when feeding optical function film from a continuous roll having score lines in the width direction thereof and bonding the optical function film on a liquid crystal panel. A continuous roll comprises an optical film laminate (15) that is in the form of a continuous web wound into a roll and comprises at least an optical function film (10) and a carrier film (13) releasably placed on the optical function film (10). The optical function film (10) is divided into a plurality of cut pieces by score lines (16) formed along a widthwise direction of the optical film laminate (15). It is possible to resolve the problem by making the bending rigidity per unit longitudinal length of the optical function film fall within a specific range.
US09019605B2

An optical isolator capable of creating a larger safe buffer area for optical beam(s) and a manufacturing method thereof are disclosed. The optical isolator includes a sandwich type wafer, a first polarizer, a Faraday rotator and a second polarizer. The first polarizer works as the incident plane of the FSI (free space isolator), while the second polarizer works as the outgoing plane of the FSI. The direction in which the second polarizer passes the polarized beam is at a 45° angle with respect to the first polarizer. The manufacturing method includes marking the edge of the second polarizer. FSIs processed by this method provide a larger buffer area for the optical beam(s) and/or a lower manufacturing cost, even though the size of the FSI is unchanged.
US09019602B2

There is provided a screen scattering system. The system has a transparent substrate forming a substrate layer, and wide band gap materials made of 0D, 1D and 3D elements forming a scattering layer. The 0D, 1D and 3D elements are in the form of nanostructures aligned uniformly on said substrate layer.
US09019587B2

A display device provided with an MEMS light valve, comprising: a substrate, a fixed grating located on the substrate, an MEMS light valve for controlling the opening and closing of the fixed grating; a guide is disposed on the substrate. The MEMS light valve comprises: a movable grating, a movable electrode and fixed electrodes; the moveable grating is located in the guide and is electrically connected to the guide when contacting the guide; one end of the movable electrode is fixedly connected with the movable grating, and the other end is suspended; and the fixed electrodes and the movable electrode form a capacitor. When a potential difference forms between the fixed electrodes and the movable electrode, the movable electrode drives the movable grating to move in the guide, thereby opening and closing the fixed grating. Therefore, the MEMS light valve sensitivity can be enhanced and reliability is improved.
US09019580B2

An image forming apparatus capable of performing gradation correction without causing a user to perform a troublesome operation. The image forming apparatus includes an image reading unit that reads an original. A chart is formed on a recording material, and the recording material having the chart formed thereon is conveyed to the image reading unit via a shared conveying path used for both of reading the original and forming an image on the recording material. The conveyed recording material is read by the image reading unit, and gradation correction is performed based on the chart read by the image reading unit.
US09019577B2

An image processing device includes a width specifying part, a parameter value specifying part, and a density correcting part. The width specifying part specifies a width between both ends of an input image of a book about each line of the input image. The parameter value specifying part specifies a value of a density correcting parameter corresponding to the width specified by the width specifying part. The density correcting part corrects density of each line on the basis of the value of the density correcting parameter specified by the parameter value specifying part.
US09019570B1

A method, system, and algorithm detects graphite responses in optical mark recognition documents using inexpensive visible-light scanners. The invention is invariant to the numerous background colors and artwork in typical optical mark recognition documents. A superposition of a graphite response image and a background image is modeled. The background image in turn is modeled as a superposition of screening, artwork, lines, and machine text components. A sequence of image processing operations and a pattern recognition algorithm is used to isolate the graphite response image from a test document by systematically removing the components of the background image. The image processing operations consist of grayscale and color segmentation and the application of the Hough transform. Components that are not removed by image processing operations are identified by calculating their texture features, and removed using a multivariate Gaussian classifier.
US09019565B2

An image scanning apparatus and method are provided. The image scanning apparatus includes a scanner that scans a manuscript to generate a scan image, an image processor that calculates a manuscript boundary on the generated scan image as an equation and compensates a distortion of the scan image using the calculated equation, and a storage member that stores the scan image of which the distortion has been compensated.
US09019564B2

An image processing apparatus, when correcting image data using correction information, corrects skew of the image in the sub-scanning direction that is formed by the image forming unit by correcting the image data also at an end portion of an area where an image forming unit forms the image.
US09019553B2

A method for controlling printing for causing a printing apparatus which can print on a sheet of paper having a size other than a predetermined size to print data generated by an application capable of allocating pages corresponding to a sheet of paper having the predetermined size to a printing area includes setting a first paper size to the application in which a predetermined printing area is determined, acquiring a second paper size corresponding to the predetermined printing area and setting the second paper size to the application based on page allocation of the first paper size to the predetermined printing area, and notifying a printer driver of the second paper size. Consequently, printing can be performed by a simple operation so that print data suitably fits into a page width of a sheet of paper, even when a printing area aspect ratio can be arbitrarily determined.
US09019542B2

There is provided a management server in which a print log analysis unit of a device management application analyzes a job log collected from an MFP device to detect a pair of reprint related jobs, determines whether a reprinted job is useless or useful for the detected pair of jobs, and a print log analysis result report generation unit generates an analysis result report based on a determination result to outputs the generated report. If a detection result includes a pair of jobs, in which one job has been printed based on default print settings and the other job has been reprinted based on changed print settings, it is determined that the job printed based on the default print settings is a useless job.
US09019538B2

An image forming system includes a print server, a request unit configured to cause the print server to request, from an image forming apparatus recently connected to a network, a resource relating to image forming processing available to the image forming apparatus, a providing unit configured to provide the resource from the image forming apparatus to the print server, through the network, in response to the request from the request unit, and a registration unit configured to store the provided resource in a storage unit and register, in a database, resource information relating to the provided resource, in the print server.
US09019534B2

According to one embodiment, an image forming apparatus includes an authenticating section, a permitting section, and an input section. The authenticating section authenticates a user. The permitting section permits the user authenticated by the authenticating section to execute a new job using data associated with the user and stored concerning already-completed jobs. The input section enables the user to change at least one of conditions for execution of the new job with respect to the already-completed jobs permitted by the permitting section and input the condition.
US09019523B2

A printing system comprising a printing device and a server configured to perform data communication with the printing device. The printing device comprises a printing unit configured to print an image on a printing sheet, an attachment unit to which a removable medium is removably attached, a first communication interface configured to communicate with the server, and a first controller configured to acquire at least part of data in the removable medium attached to the attachment unit, control the first communication interface to transmit the acquired data to the server, delete the data in the removable medium corresponding to the acquired data. The server comprises a second communication interface configured to communicate with the printing device, a server-side storage configured to store the acquired data, and a second controller configured to store the acquired data received by the second communication interface in the server-side storage.
US09019520B2

A printer driver includes an assigning unit that assigns a setting value based on storage location information specifying a storage location for each setting value; a compressing unit that converts each of the setting values thus assigned to have a format identifying each storage location, and generates compressed data therefrom; a storage unit that stores each piece of the compressed data compressed by the compressing unit in a storage location specified by the storage location information; a first decompressing unit and a second decompressing unit that decompress the compressed data stored in the storage location; a setting window displaying unit that displays a print setting window using each of the setting values obtained by decompression performed by the first decompressing unit; and a print data generating unit that generates print data using each of the setting values obtained by decompression performed by the second decompressing unit.
US09019514B2

A system and method for producing a wide range of metallic appearances using halftones of a nano-particle metallic ink, such as, for example, nano-silver, are presented. In exemplary embodiments of the present invention, a nano-particle metallic ink, such as, for example, nano-silver, can be made to produce a range of appearances from, for example, bright silver to dull oxidized aluminum, by changing halftone level of the silver inks, changing the substrate surface properties and introducing small amounts of other colored inks, such as process or spot, in either an underprinting or overprinting of the metallic ink. In exemplary embodiments of the present invention, InkJet printing of a single metal-pigmented ink can be effected, and its metallic appearance can very quickly be adjusted to match a given package design.
US09019511B2

A coordinate measurement machine having a feeler whose position is determined optically and a lens for use in such a machine and a method for making a lens for a coordinate measurement machine, having a flexible feeler having a sensing tip, positioned substantially at the focal point of the objective lens.
US09019510B2

A plurality of laser positioning units are used to position an X-Y stage. In each laser positioning unit, a mirror constantly reflects laser beam to an optical position sensor, where the mirror is integrally mounted on a rotation unit which is integrally mounted on X-Y stage, where the laser diode is mounted on another rotation unit. Each rotation unit includes a fine rotation stage and a coarse rotation stage. When moving the X-Y stage, fine stages constantly rotate mirror or/and laser to reflect the laser beam onto the optical position sensor, the amount of rotations and geometry of position of laser and mirror gives precisely the position of moving stage. The fine stages and coarse stages in different laser positioning units work alternatively to position the stage, and the fine stages are calibrated if coarse stages moves.
US09019503B2

A sensing system is provided that includes a transmitter assembly with a light source and a microdisplay device, wherein the transmitter assembly defines an optical beam transmission path to provide illumination of a substantially one-dimensional (1D) region of a target area, the microdisplay device comprising a plurality of controllable elements for causing the illumination to be a substantially 1D pattern of light along the 1D region. The system further includes a receiver assembly for defining a return optical signal transmission path from the 1D region and collecting return optical signals from the 1D region. The system also includes a processing component for generating sensor information associated with the 1D region by processing the return optical signals from the 1D region with return optical signals from adjacent 1D regions using a distributed compressive sensing (DCS) technique.
US09019484B2

Optical systems and methods are described that provide greater solving power for thin-film measurements in general, and provide a unique model-free solution for single-layer films in particular.
US09019462B2

Embodiments of the present invention provide an array substrate and a method for manufacturing the same, and a display device. The method comprises: depositing a first transparent electrode layer on a base substrate, coating first photoresist on the transparent electrode layer, and performing exposure and development on the first photoresist to retain the first photoresist at a location where a first transparent electrode is to be formed, so that a first photoresist pattern is formed; etching the first transparent electrode layer with the first photoresist pattern, so as to form the first transparent electrode; and depositing a second transparent electrode layer on the base substrate after the etching, and then performing a photoresist lifting-off process on the first photoresist pattern to remove a part of the second transparent electrode layer on the first photoresist pattern so that a second transparent electrode is formed.
US09019459B2

The present invention provides a liquid crystal display panel which can prevent an electric short circuit (leakage) between a pair of substrates with no additional production step in the case where a multilayer spacer is used. The present invention is a liquid crystal display panel comprising: a pair of substrates; and a liquid crystal layer between the substrates, wherein a first substrate of the substrates has a support substrate, a plurality of pixel electrodes, transparent colored layers of plural colors overlapping with the pixel electrodes, and a multilayer spacer formed of a stacked body of three or more resin layers including transparent colored layers of plural colors, and a second substrate of the substrates has a supporting substrate and a common electrode.
US09019457B2

A liquid crystal display element comprises a first and a second substrates, a vertical alignment liquid crystal layer, and a first and a second polarizers arranged to cross approximately their absorption axes and an alignment direction of liquid crystal molecules when no voltage is applied at almost 45 degrees. At least one of the electrodes comprises a polyline extending to an extending direction as a whole and having no straight line in parallel to the extending direction along an electrode edge, and the polyline is formed along an edge of at least one of the first and the second electrodes where the alignment directions when a voltage is applied and when no voltage is applied are opposite to each other if the polyline is a straight line along the extending direction.
US09019456B2

A touch sensitive in-plane switching (IPS) liquid crystal display (LCD) includes a liquid crystal layer, an active-matrix transistor layer with an electrode pair, a color filter substrate, and a sensing electrode layer. The sensing electrode layer may be disposed above or below the color filter substrate, and the sensing electrode layer may include two parts that are disposed above and below the color filter layer respectively.
US09019455B2

A liquid crystal display device includes a vertical alignment liquid crystal layer, first and second substrates, first and second electrodes, and a pixel region which includes first, second, third and fourth liquid crystal domains in which liquid crystal molecules are tilted in first, second, third and fourth directions, respectively. The first liquid crystal domain is located close to at least a part of an edge of the first electrode, the second liquid crystal domain is located close to at least a part of another edge of the first electrode, the third liquid crystal domain is located close to at least a part of still another edge of the first electrode, and the fourth liquid crystal domain is located close to at least a part of yet another edge of the first electrode.
US09019453B2

A liquid crystal display includes a plurality of pixels, a first substrate, a second substrate, and a liquid crystal layer disposed between the first and second substrates. The first substrate includes a first base substrate and a pixel electrode provided on the first base substrate to correspond to each of the pixels. The second substrate includes a second base substrate facing the first base substrate and a common electrode provided on the second base substrate. The common electrode forms an electric field having an equipotential surface substantially parallel to an upper surface of the first base substrate in cooperation with the pixel electrode. The liquid crystal layer is disposed between the pixel electrode and the common electrode and includes a liquid crystal composition having an anisotropic dielectric constant equal to or smaller than −2.9 and equal to or larger than −1.7.
US09019452B2

The present invention discloses a compensation system and a liquid crystal display apparatus used for a liquid crystal panel. The compensation system comprises a first biaxial retardation film and a second biaxial retardation film respectively disposed on either side of the liquid crystal panel. An in-plane retardation value of the first biaxial retardation film at a wavelength of 550 nm is Ro1. An out-of-plane retardation value in a thickness direction is Rth1. An in-plane retardation value of the second biaxial retardation film at the wavelength of 550 nm is Ro2. An out-of-plane retardation value in a thickness direction is Rth2. Wherein: 30.8 nm≦Ro1≦91 nm; 70.4 nm≦Rth1≦208 nm; 21 nm≦Ro2≦93.8 nm; Y1≦Rth2≦Y2; Y1=0.00424817×Rth12−1.9854256×Rth1+277.7: Y2=−0.003333×Rth12−0.033459×Rth1+234.2. The present invention effectively reduces light leakage of the liquid crystal panel in dark mode by disposing the double-layered biaxial retardation films having reasonable retardation values.
US09019448B2

A display apparatus includes a light guide plate to emit light that enters through a side surface of the light guide plate through an upper surface of the light guide plate, a light source arranged on at least one side of the light guide plate, a reflection plate arranged under the light guide plate, a color filter layer arranged above the light guide plate, and an optical shutter arranged above the color filter layer to transmit or block at least a part of light according to electric control, wherein the color filter layer includes a transmission type color filter to transmit light in a particular wavelength band and reflect light in other wavelength bands.
US09019442B2

A stereoscopic image display device includes a back bezel, a backlight module disposed on the back bezel, a frame set surrounding and positioning the backlight module, and a liquid crystal panel receiving light emitted from the backlight module; wherein the liquid crystal panel is surrounded and supported by the frame set and has a transparent plate attached to the display surface of the liquid crystal panel. There is a stereoscopic image producing layer formed at a side of the transparent plate facing the display surface of the liquid crystal panel. The transparent plate, the frame set, and the back bezel constitute the outward appearance of the stereoscopic image display device.
US09019441B2

A liquid crystal display device includes at least one engagement structure for fixing a bezel (10) to a chassis (40). The engagement structure includes a recessed portion (42) formed in a side surface (41) of the chassis and a pair of arms (50a, 50b) formed in a side wall (11) of the bezel. The pair of arms is each cantilevered and placed such that the fixed ends (51a, 51b) are positioned outward relative to the free ends (52a, 52b), respectively. The pair of arms can mutually support each other by being elastically deformed toward the chassis, and the free ends of the arms are at least partially fitted in the recessed portion of the chassis when the pair of arms is in the mutually supporting state, thus fixing the bezel to the chassis. Consequently, it is possible to reduce the width of the frame area and to automate the process of fixing the bezel.
US09019437B2

The present invention is directed to display technologies. More specifically, various embodiments of the present invention provide projection display systems where one or more laser diodes are used as light source for illustrating images. In one set of embodiments, the present invention provides projector systems that utilize blue and/or green laser fabricated using gallium nitride containing material. In another set of embodiments, the present invention provides projection systems having digital lighting processing engines illuminated by blue and/or green laser devices. In one embodiment, the present invention provides a 3D display system. There are other embodiments as well.
US09019435B2

A controlling device is automatically configured to issue a communication directly to a first controllable appliance to control a functional operation of the first controllable appliance in the event that the first controllable appliance is determined to be unresponsive to a command communication transmitted to the first controllable appliance via a digital communications link or to issue a communication to a second controllable appliance to control the functional operation of the first controllable appliance via a digital communications link in the event that first controllable appliance is determined to be responsive to a command communication transmitted to the first controllable appliance via a digital communications link.
US09019433B2

Gradation transform considering a scene transitional direction is executed for a video signal. The statistic of the luminance distribution of the input video signal is detected. The transitional direction of brightness of a scene of the input video signal is detected. A transform characteristic in transforming the gradation characteristic of the input video signal is set based on the detection results of the statistic and transitional direction.
US09019425B2

An image pickup unit includes: an image pickup section having a plurality of pixels each including a photoelectric conversion device and a field effect transistor; and a driving section, by using the transistor, that executes read driving and reset driving on a signal charge stored in the pixel. The driving section intermittently executes the reset driving a plurality of times in a one-frame term, and executes on-operation of the transistor by applying, to the transistor over at least one resetting term in the one-frame term or over a partial term in the at least one resetting term, a second voltage that is lower than a first voltage applied in a resetting term in the one-frame term other than the at least one resetting term.
US09019415B2

Described herein are methods and devices that employ a dual shutter button feature associated with an image capture device to recommend a capture mode to a user based on one or more parameters analyzed by the image capture system. As described, providing a primary shutter button and a secondary shutter button enables the user to capture in both a standard capture mode by using the primary shutter button and in an alternate mode by using a secondary shutter button.
US09019413B2

The present disclosure relates to a method of image preview in an image pickup apparatus. One embodiment is directed to a method that includes acquiring from an image sensor an image of a scene observed by an image sensor of the apparatus, generating a preview image obtained by applying to the acquired image a resolution reduction process to adapt it to the resolution of a display screen of a viewfinder of the image pickup apparatus, displaying the preview image on the display screen, generating an image of an area of the scene by extracting an area from the acquired image, and displaying the area image superimposed on the preview image or alternately with the preview image, the area image displayed having a resolution higher than that of the preview image and inferior or equal to that of the acquired image.
US09019398B2

There is provided a communication apparatus. The holding unit holds communication setting information for communicating wirelessly with an external apparatus. The communication unit communicates wirelessly with the external apparatus using the communication setting information held by the holding unit. The connection unit connects a recording medium. The determination unit determines whether or not the recording medium connected to the connection unit has a communication function for communicating wirelessly with an apparatus, which is different from the communication apparatus, using communication setting information that has been written into a specific recording region of the recording medium. The writing unit writes the communication setting information held by the holding unit into the specific recording region of the recording medium in a case where it has been determined that the recording medium connected to the connection unit has the communication function.
US09019394B2

An optical system includes, in order from the object side, an aperture, a first lens having a positive refractive power, a second lens having a negative refractive power, a third lens having a positive refractive power, a fourth lens having a positive refractive power and having a meniscus shape with a convex surface facing the image side, and a fifth lens having a negative refractive power. The optical system satisfies a certain condition.
US09019393B2

Embodiments provide a video processing system that can include a video processor, a decompression component, and a demosaicing component. The video processing system can be configured to decompress and demosaic compressed raw video data such that the video data is substantially visually lossless.
US09019389B2

An image pickup apparatus that reduces a camera shake and a motion blur during close-up shooting performed by increasing shooting magnification and depth of field. A control unit determines an aperture value and a shutter speed based on information on shooting magnification and a photometry result. In a situation where luminance information based on photometry result is the same, the aperture value is set larger when the shooting magnification is larger than a first value than when not larger than the same, and in a situation where the shooting magnification is larger than the first value and the luminance information is the same, the aperture value is set larger and the shutter speed is set lower when neither a camera shake nor a motion of an object within an imaging screen has occurred than when either has occurred.
US09019382B2

A diagnosis unit for an electronic camera comprises a housing and a coupling device for coupling the diagnosis unit to an objective connection of a camera or to a camera objective, wherein the coupling device surrounds a light exit opening of the housing. The diagnosis unit further comprises at least one light source arranged in the housing for outputting a diagnosis illumination through the light exit opening, and an interface for electrically connecting the diagnosis unit to a camera. A camera system comprises a diagnosis unit and an electronic camera having an image sensor.
US09019375B1

There is provided in one embodiment a target locator and interceptor imaging and sensing assembly. The assembly has a disc shaped aerodynamic member configured to spin and self-position in flight, a plurality of pulsed thrusters positioned on the member, and a plurality of imaging and sensing devices positioned along a perimeter of the member. The assembly further has one or more munitions devices coupled to one or more detonators, both being coupled to the aerodynamic member. The assembly further has one or more antenna devices positioned on the member and in communication with a first processor device on the member. The first processor device receives data obtained by the plurality of imaging and sensing devices and wirelessly transmits the data to a second processor device not positioned on the member. The assembly further has a power supply powering the assembly.
US09019373B2

A monitoring device includes an indicating unit configured to indicate an object to be monitored; a camera to acquire time-series images; a predicting unit configured to predict the position of destination of the characteristic points belonging to a first aggregation including characteristic points having an amount of movement larger than a reference amount of movement set in advance; a detecting unit configured to detect the position of center of gravity of the changed area; a determining unit configured to determine the positions of destination as an indicating position when representative amount of movement is larger than a first threshold value and determine the position of center of gravity as the indicating position when the representative amount of movement is smaller than the first threshold value; and a control unit configured to control the indicating unit to cause the indicating unit to indicate the indicating position are provided.
US09019364B2

A visual inspection system [100] includes a remote end [110] that is moved through a conduit [1] with a flexible pushrod [400]. The remote end [110] having at least one carriage assembly [130] with encoders [140] indicating a distance traveled within the conduit [1]. The visual inspection device [100] has a longitudinal camera [150] to identify view down the length of the conduit [1], but also has at least one transverse camera [160] adapted to visually inspect an inside surface [3] of the conduit [1]. Also, the transverse camera [160] may be used to inspect other conduits that connect to conduit [1].
US09019359B2

An apparatus for obtaining an image and measurements of a foot is disclosed. The apparatus includes a housing holding a plate with a top surface to allow a user to stand on the apparatus. Within the interior of the housing is a compact mirror assembly arrangement that includes a plurality of mirrors to reflect the image of the foot from the top surface of the plate to at least one camera within the interior of the housing. The compact mirror assembly includes a top-facing mirror running along the longitudinal direction of the housing at an angle to the bottom surface. The top-facing mirror reflects the image of the foot from the top surface towards an angled mirror. The angled mirror is perpendicular to the bottom surface and is angled facing the top-facing mirror. The angled mirror reflects the image of the foot reflected from the top-facing mirror towards the camera.
US09019358B2

What is disclosed is a novel system and method for simultaneous spectral decomposition suitable for image object identification and categorization for scenes and objects under analysis. The present system captures different spectral planes simultaneously using a Fabry-Perot multi-filter grid each tuned to a specific wavelength. A method for classifying pixels in the captured image is provided. The present system and method finds its uses in a wide array of applications such as, for example, occupancy detection in a transportation management system and in medical imaging and diagnosis for healthcare management. The teachings hereof further find their uses in other applications where there is a need to capture a two dimensional view of a scene and decompose the scene into its spectral bands such that objects in the image can be appropriately identified.
US09019352B2

A two-parallel-channel reflector (TPCR) with focal length and disparity control is used after being combined with an imaging device. A left parallel channel and a right parallel channel are formed in the TPCR, so that the imaging device can synchronously perform an imaging operation on a left side view and a right side view of a scene, so as to obtain a stereoscopic image. Each parallel channel is bounded by two curved reflecting mirrors, so that captured light rays may be parallelly reflected in the channel, and an operator may adjust a convergence angle and an interocular distance between the left side view and the right side view, so as to control the focal length and disparity during imaging as require.
US09019351B2

A three-dimensional image measuring apparatus includes a measurement platform, a movable optical head, a three-dimensional calculator module, a moving module and a calibration controlling module. The movable optical head includes a beam splitter unit, a projecting module, an image-capturing module and an indicator module. The measurement platform supports an object under measurement. The projecting module generates a structure light of parallel sinusoid strips pattern to the object under measurement. The image-capturing module includes image-capturing units facing the object under measurement from different directions or angles. Each image-capturing unit is configured to capture a reflection image which is formed from the structure light of parallel sinusoid strips pattern reflected by the object under measurement. The indicator module projects an alignment beam onto the object under measurement for forming an alignment mark. The calibration controlling module selectively drives the moving module to move the movable optical head according to the alignment mark.
US09019343B2

[Object] To enable a receiver compatible with MVC to adequately handle dynamic change in the contents of distribution and to perform correct stream reception.[Solution] A broadcasting station 100 transmits a first transport stream TS1 and a second transport stream TS2 in a time-sharing manner. The TS1 includes the video elementary streams of a base view and a predetermined number of non-base views. The TS2 includes a video elementary stream of two-dimensional (2D) image data. Stream association information for associating the base view and a predetermined number of non-base views is inserted into the TS1. A receiver 200 recognizes that the TS1 has been transmitted, based on the stream association information, and also recognizes association between the base view and non-base views. The receiver 200 can adequately handle dynamic change of the TS1 and TS2, i.e., dynamic change in the contents of distribution, and perform correct stream reception.
US09019334B2

An optical device is provided with an optical unit for forming an optical path of a laser beam, and a housing defining an internal space for accommodating the optical unit. The housing includes a partition for dividing the internal space into a first space and a second space. The optical unit includes a sensor arranged in the first space to detect the laser beam in the second space, a mirror arranged in the second space to define a direction of the optical path, a drive source arranged in the second space to operate the mirror to adjust the direction of the optical path, a power line for supplying power to the drive source, and a signal line for transmitting an output signal of the sensor. The signal line extends in the first space and the power line extends in the second space.
US09019320B2

An object is to provide a display device that achieves low power consumption and an improved quality of moving and still images. A display device comprises: a display panel provided with a plurality of pixels each including sub-pixels with color filters of red, green, and blue, and a sub-pixel for controlling a transmission of white light; a backlight area including light sources of red, green, blue, and white; an image switch circuit that switches the display panel between a moving image mode and a still image mode; and a display control circuit that controls in the moving image mode a luminance of the light sources of red, green, and blue included in the backlight area, and controls in the still image mode a luminance of a light source of white included in the backlight area.
US09019315B2

An exemplary information-processing device includes: a first display controller configured to display selectively on a display a first image and a second image including the first image in a reduced size; and a second display controller configured, while the second display is displayed on the display, to display an indicator image on the display, the indicator image indicating a position of an image to be displayed when display of the second image is changed to display of the first image.
US09019314B2

At the first scale size, a predetermined first arrangement position is determined as the arrangement position of an image to be arranged on a map. At the second scale size larger than the first scale size, the second arrangement position closer to the shooting location of the image than at a position corresponding to the first arrangement position on the map at the second scale size is determined as the arrangement position.
US09019312B2

In an electronic device, a control unit determines a state of changes of tilt angles detected by a tilt sensor, modifies at least one of control information stored in a control information storage unit, and a tilt direction and tilt angle detected by the tilt sensor, depending on the determined state of the changes, and changes the display orientation of a display unit on the basis of the modification result. The tilt sensor detects the tilt direction and tilt angle of the display unit with respect to the vertical downward direction. The control information storage unit stores the control information indicating correlations between display orientations of the display unit and tilts of the own device. A detected tilt data storage unit stores detected tilt data indicating a history of tilt directions and tilt angles detected by the tilt sensor.
US09019305B2

A system provides a display image enabling a user to visualize and compare blood flow characteristics over time at selected points in an angiographic X-ray image. A system and user interface enables user interaction with a medical vessel structure image to determine individual vessel blood flow characteristics. The system includes a user interface cursor control device and a display processor for generating data representing a single composite display image. The composite display image includes, a first image area showing a patient vessel structure and contrast agent flow through the patient vessel structure over a first period of time and a second image area showing a graph of contrast agent concentration in a particular portion of the vessel structure over a second period of time. The particular portion of the vessel structure is selected in response to user command using the cursor control device.
US09019301B2

A medical image display apparatus 1 having a display component 9, an image data storage part 31, an information storage component 32, an operation component 10, and a control part 2. The display component 9 displays a medical image display screen P on which image display regions P1 to P4 are defined. The image data storage part 31 stores image data of medical images. The information storage component 34 stores process associating information 32a for associating combinations of the image display regions P1 to P4 with the processing content of image data of medical images. The control part 2, when two medical images displayed on different image display regions of the image display regions P1 to P4 have each been designated using the operation component 10, instructs to execute, for at least one image data of said two medical images, the process indicated in the processing content associated with the combination of the image display regions in which these two medical images are displayed by the process associating information 32a.
US09019298B2

A technique for rendering an image of hair in a computer-generated scene is described. The scene includes a virtual light source and a hair virtual object comprising a material model. A hair shading function partly defining the material model is accessed. A set of random values is generated. The hair shading function is importance sampled by converting the set of random values into a set of light direction samples based on a Cauchy distribution. The probability density function of each converted light direction sample uses a Cauchy distribution. A light color value and a hair color value are computed for each light direction sample of the set of light direction samples. The light color values and the hair color values are weighted to determine a set of weighted values. A characteristic of a pixel representing part of the virtual object is determined based on the set of weighted values.
US09019295B1

A processor-implemented method and mobile device for tagging media with personalized information is disclosed. An input component of the mobile device receives selection for one or more first media and passes the selection to the processor. The input component receives a request to tag the selected first media with personalized information, where the personalized information includes second media, which may include images or textual information. The second media corresponding to the personalized information is displayed and an input selection is received. The processor in the mobile device processes copies of the selected first media and of the selected second media using a blending computer code, thereby creating a blended media. The copy of the selected first media is a background feature and the copy of the selected second media is a foreground feature. The blended media is stored and displayed on the mobile device.
US09019285B2

A semiconductor integrated circuit device of the present invention connected to a memory in which display data for a display device is stored, and is adapted to read out the display data from the memory to transfer the same to the display device, the semiconductor integrated circuit device comprising: a display data buffer for holding the display data; a memory controller for prefetching the display data in page-size units of the memory to cause the same to be held by the display data buffer and, upon completing prefetching of one page, closing the page to cause the memory to shift into a power saving mode; and a display device controller for transferring the display data held in the display data buffer to the display device.
US09019278B2

Systems, methods and products for animating non-humanoid characters with human motion are described. One aspect includes selecting key poses included in initial motion data at a computing system; obtaining non-humanoid character key poses which provide a one to one correspondence to selected key poses in said initial motion data; and statically mapping poses of said initial motion data to non-humanoid character poses using a model built based on said one to one correspondence from said key poses of said initial motion data to said non-humanoid character key poses. Other embodiments are described.
US09019277B2

A curve division device is provided enabling a multiprocessor system to perform effective curve division on Bézier curves. The curve division device comprises: N (N≧2, N being an integer) processor elements; a reception unit receiving curve information indicating a Bézier curve; a first execution unit causing the N processor elements to execute a division algorithm of taking the curve information as initial input data and repeatedly (i) generating two divided curves by dividing the Bézier curve indicated by the input data, (ii) selecting one of the divided curves according to the assigned setting value, and (iii) defining new input data indicating the divided curve selected for subsequent division, until the divided curve selected by each processor element is different; and a second execution unit causing each processor element to execute a determination algorithm of determining line segments approximating a divided curve resulting from the division algorithm.
US09019275B2

In one example, a method for rendering graphical objects on a display includes rendering each of a plurality of graphical objects within respective layers. The plurality of graphical objects includes first, second and third graphical objects. The second graphical object is directly linked to the first graphical object and the third graphical object is directly linked to the second graphical object. The method additionally includes receiving user input manipulating one of the graphical objects in a manner that affects a directly linked graphical object. The method additionally includes re-rendering the manipulated graphical object and the directly linked graphical object without re-rendering graphical objects that are not directly linked to the manipulated graphical object.
US09019271B2

A Z culling method, a three-dimensional graphics processing method using Z-culling, and an apparatus thereof are provided. The Z-culling method includes the following steps. A Z cache memory is provided to buffer a cover mask and a dynamic maximum depth value corresponding to each tile. A draw mask, a draw maximum depth value, and a draw minimum depth value calculated according to the tile and a drawn part are obtained. Moreover, whether the drawn part is completely included in a known part of the cover mask is judged, and coordinated with a comparison of the draw minimum depth value and the dynamic maximum depth value, so as to determine whether to discard the drawn part and whether to update the cover mask and the dynamic maximum depth value in the Z cache memory. Accordingly, the bandwidth taken up in the system memory is reduced efficiently.
US09019266B2

This patent application relates generally to systems, methods, and computer program products for home and/or landscape design.
US09019263B2

Methods, systems, and apparatuses are described for driving an adaptable light manipulator and a pixel array in a coordinated fashion so as to achieve a selected one of a plurality of possible viewing configurations of an adaptable two-dimensional/three-dimensional image display. Methods, systems, and apparatuses are also described for driving an adaptable light manipulator, a pixel array and a non-uniform light generator in a coordinated fashion so as to achieve a selected one of plurality of possible viewing configurations of an adaptable two-dimensional/three-dimensional image display.
US09019262B2

Systems and methods are provided for transforming a displayed three-dimensional image corresponding to a position and orientation of a field of view of an imaging probe. A three dimensional image of a tissue in a first co-ordinate space can be displayed. A field of view of an imaging probe in a second co-ordinate space can be configured, where the imaging probe has a plurality of transmitters removably connected to it, the transmitters operable to determine the position and orientation of the field of view relative to the positions of the transmitters in the second co-ordinate space. The first and second co-ordinate spaces can be co-registered, and the position and orientation of the field of view in the second co-ordinate space can be transformed to the first co-ordinate space. The three-dimensional image can be displayed to correspond to the transformed position and orientation of the field of view.
US09019261B2

A right virtual camera and a left virtual camera are set on a straight line passing through a reference virtual camera and extending perpendicular to a camera direction of the reference virtual camera, in accordance with the reference virtual camera set within a virtual space. A right background image and a left background image are generated such that the right background image and the left background image have relative relation in accordance with positional relation between the right virtual camera and the left virtual camera.
US09019258B2

Provided is a display device including a pixel array forming by arranging a plurality of pixels whose display grayscale are controlled according to a pixel signal written, a signal line drive unit that outputs a pixel signal, to a plurality of signal lines, with a polarity according to a polarity signal, a scan line drive unit that drives the plurality of signal lines and performs a writing of the pixel signal output to the signal line into the pixels, a polarity signal generation unit that generates the polarity signal instructing the polarity of the pixel signal to be reversed, and supplies the result to the signal line drive unit, and a frame cycle set unit that generates the vertical start pulse in such a manner that a period of the number of vertical clocks that is not a multiple of the N is one frame period.
US09019257B2

A gate driving circuit of a display panel is provided. A gate driving voltage is accurately adjusted by the gate driving circuit according to an environmental temperature, given that the characteristics of a thermistor and a hysteresis loop are taken into consideration. Accordingly, the power loss caused by switching states of a display panel can be reduced.
US09019241B2

A system for generating calibration information for an optical imaging touch display device includes a calibration tool and a processor. The calibration tool is disposed within an image capturing range of an image capturing unit, and has a surface with mark patterns. Each adjacent pair of the mark patterns defines a pattern boundary. The calibration tool is disposed such that the pattern boundary forms a predefined positional relationship with a corresponding predefined location on the optical imaging touch display device. The processor receives an image frame corresponding to an image of the surface of the calibration tool, performs edge detection on the image frame to determine a position of each of at least one detected pattern edge, and generates the calibration information with reference to the position thus determined and the corresponding predefined location.
US09019226B2

A method and apparatus for scanning a first set of electrodes of a capacitive sense array using a first sensing mode to identify a presence of an object in proximity to the capacitive sense array, where scanning using the first sensing mode identifies objects not in physical contact with the capacitive sense array. The first set of electrodes is scanned using a second sensing mode to determine a location of the object in relation to the capacitive sense array, where rescanning using the second sensing mode determines locations of objects in physical contact with the capacitive sense array.
US09019225B2

The invention disclosed an electromagnetic pointer control method, the method comprising the following steps. First of all, an electromagnetic pointer is applied upon an electromagnetic input apparatus. Then a corresponding distance table is generated according to the moving distance of electromagnetic pointer upon the electromagnetic input apparatus, and a pressure gradient value range corresponding to the distance table is generated. Finally, a tip pressure of the electromagnetic pointer is calculated according to a maximum pressure gradient value in the pressure gradient value range and a pressure gradient value corresponding to the moving distance of electromagnetic pointer.
US09019222B2

In a method for motion detection of an electronic device, data on a touch screen of the electronic device is shared to a user. The method prevents the touch screen from being touched inadvertently when the electronic device is handed to or is picked up by the user. The method determines whether a movement of the electronic device is generated, wherein the movement is a motion generated when the electronic device is handed to the user. When the movement is generated, the method further locks a display of the touch screen, and determines whether the movement is finished. When the movement is finished, the method unlocks the display of the touch screen.
US09019215B2

A display with integrated touch sensor and a driving method thereof are provided. The display comprises a display data driving circuit that supplies analog video data voltages to data lines of a display panel during a display period and maintains the voltage of the data lines at the same specific DC voltage during a touch sensor driving period; a display scan driving circuit that sequentially supplies scan pulses synchronized with the analog video data voltages to the gate lines of the display panel during the display period; a touch sensor driving circuit that sequentially supplies driving pulses to the Tx lines of the display panel during the touch sensor driving period; and a touch sensor readout circuit that receives a touch signal from the mutual capacitances via the Rx lines of the display panel during the touch sensor driving period.
US09019208B2

A state display device includes: a key operating section which receives input from a user; light sources which are formed by an R lighting element, a G lighting element, and a B lighting element, and which are provided in the vicinity of the key operating section; and a control unit which controls the lighting of each one of the RGB lighting elements of the light sources.
US09019202B2

Method for selecting content items, comprising determining a location in a space, the location depending on at least one of a position, an orientation or a movement of a selection device in a real world environment surrounding the selection device; determining a virtual tag included in a set of virtual tags as a selected virtual tag, the selected virtual tag being associated with the determined location; and selecting a subset of content items of a set of content items, the subset of content items being associated with the selected virtual tag.
US09019194B2

A liquid crystal display includes a liquid crystal display panel displaying modulated data based on a frame frequency, light sources generating light to be irradiated into the liquid crystal display panel, a scanning backlight controller calculating a turn-on duty ratio of a pulse width modulation (PWM) signal for controlling turn-on and turn-off operations of the light sources, and a light source driver. The light source driver synchronizes a frequency of the PWM signal with the frame frequency or with a frequency, that is faster than two times the frame frequency, based on the result of a comparison between the turn-on duty ratio of the PWM signal and a previously determined critical value, and then sequentially drives the light sources along a data scanning direction of the liquid crystal display panel.
US09019191B2

A stage circuit including an output unit for supplying first or second power source to an output terminal is disclosed. The stage circuit may comprise a bidirectional driver for respectively supplying signals supplied to first and second input terminals, a first driver, and a second driver. The second driver controls the output unit to output the second power source to the output terminal without any voltage loss, corresponding to a second clock signal.
US09019185B2

A method for reducing crosstalk of a liquid crystal display is disclosed. The method includes receiving digital information of an original left eye image and an original right eye image, determining if the gray level values of the pixels in each scanning lines of the left eye image is the same with that of a corresponding pixel in the right eye image, adjusting the gray level values of the pixels to be a first target gray level value of a first gray level table when the comparing result is the same, adjusting the gray level values of the pixels to be a second target gray level value combination of a second gray level table when the comparing result is not the same, and transmitting the digital information of the sorted left eye image and the right eye image after the adjusting steps are executed.
US09019182B2

An organic light emitting display includes pixel circuits at crossing regions of scan lines, data lines, first emission control lines, and second emission control lines, a pattern detecting unit for detecting a specific pattern of an image to be displayed, an emission control line driver for supplying a first emission control signal to the first emission control lines, and for supplying a second emission control signal to the second emission control lines, and a timing controller for controlling the emission control line driver so that a supply order of the first and second emission control signals corresponds to whether the specific pattern is detected.
US09019181B2

A driver apparatus for an electroluminescent display comprising a plurality of rows to be scanned and a plurality of columns which intersect the rows to form a plurality of pixels, comprises addressable row drivers, each row driver applying an output voltage to its associated row when addressed. The value of the output voltage is approximately equal to the numerical average of the threshold voltage for the electroluminescent display and the voltage required to provide the maximum desired pixel luminance for the electroluminescent display. Bipolar column drivers each supply an output voltage to its associated column. The output voltage is either positive or negative depending on the desired luminance of the pixels. The range of both positive and negative column output voltages is from zero volts to about one half of the difference between the threshold voltage and the voltage to provide the desired maximum pixel luminance for the electroluminescent display.
US09019179B2

A pixel circuit of an organic light emitting diode (OLED) is provided. The pixel circuit includes an OLED, a first transistor, a second transistor and a capacitor. The OLED receives a first voltage. A terminal of the first transistor is coupled to the OLED, and another terminal of the first transistor receives a second voltage. A terminal of the second transistor is coupled to the terminal of the first transistor, another terminal of the second transistor is coupled to a control terminal of the first transistor, a control terminal of the second transistor receives a scan signal. The capacitor is coupled between the control terminal of the first transistor and a third voltage. When the scan signal is enabled, the second voltage is set to a data voltage, the third voltage is set to a reference voltage, and the first voltage is set to a low voltage.
US09019170B2

A display device and a method for controlling the same are disclosed, in which some area of a curved area is used as an additional display area of the other display area in accordance with a location of a user if a area where image data are displayed includes the curved area.
US09019167B2

A transceiving circuit (1, 1′) for contactless communication comprises transmitter means (3) being adapted to generate an electromagnetic carrier signal and to modulate the carrier signal according to transmitting data, and an antenna (5) being connected to and driven by the transmitter means (3) with the modulated carrier signal. At least one impedance-matching capacitor (C1a) is arranged serially to the antenna (5).
US09019160B2

The CSRR-loaded MIMO antenna systems provide highly compact designs for multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) antennas for use in wireless mobile devices. Exemplary two element (2×1), and four element (2×2) MIMO antenna systems are disclosed in which complementary split-ring resonators load patch antennas elements. The overall dimensions of the exemplary MIMO antenna system designed for operation from 750 MHz to 6 GHz band remain within 100×50×0.8 mm2.
US09019156B2

A positioning apparatus, positioning method and storage medium are described. According to one implementation, a positioning apparatus includes a first positioning section, a second positioning section, a first calculating section, a control section and a specifying section. The first positioning section performs positioning of the positioning apparatus. The second positioning section performs positioning of displacement of the positioning apparatus. The first calculating section calculates a positioning accuracy of displacement. The control section controls measurement operation of the first and the second positioning sections based on the positioning accuracy calculated by the first calculating section. The specifying section specifies a present position of the positioning apparatus based on a measured result of the first and second positioning sections.
US09019147B1

Provided in one embodiment is a weather radar system, comprising: processing electronics configured to: determine (i) a presence of a turbulence at a target based on the weather radar return data received from an input device as a result of at least one scan of the target and (ii) positional information, which comprises at least one altitudinal coordinate of at least one of the target and the turbulence; and display the positional information with respect to the weather radar system on a weather image on a vertical situation display.
US09019141B2

An imaging apparatus and a method of driving the same that can generate a digital data of a high resolution pixel signal are provided. The imaging apparatus includes: a pixel (10-1) for generating a signal by photoelectric conversion; a comparing circuit (30-1) for comparing a signal based on the pixel with a time-dependent reference signal; a counter circuit (40-1) performing a counting operating until an inversion of a magnitude relation between the signal based on the pixel and the time-dependent reference signal; and a selecting circuit (30-2) for setting a time-dependent change rate of the reference signal, according to a signal level of the signal based on the pixel.
US09019139B2

An A/D converter system that has a ranging detector that receives and characterizes an input signal. The characterizing sets a coarse range selection based on a level of the input signal. A higher level input signal has a higher level ranging. An A/D converter includes a compression system that compresses based on the ranging output signal by converting different numbers of bits for different level ranging output signal. A higher level input signal is more higher compressed and produces a digital output indicative of the input signal, which is compressed by different amounts based on the ranging output signal. By scaling in this way, the resolution of the A/D converter is scaled on the basis of shot noise level of the image sensor.
US09019138B2

A solid-state imaging device having an analog-digital converter, and an analog-digital conversion method are described herein. An example of a solid-state imaging device includes a column processing section that includes a low-level bit latching section. The low-level bit latching section receives a comparator output from a comparator and a count output from a counter, and the low-level bit latching section latches a count value.
US09019136B2

A sigma-delta modulator is provided for generating a digital output signal. The sigma-delta modulator is used to generate a digital output signal. The sigma-delta modulator includes a multi-stage loop filter and a quantizer. The multi-stage loop filter receives an analog input signal and generates an integrated output signal according to the analog input signal. The quantizer is coupled to the multi-stage loop filter. The quantizer receives the integrated output signal and quantizes the integrated output signal to generate the digital output signal. Different feed-forward paths of the sigma-delta modulator are available for different frequency bands.
US09019133B1

An apparatus and method for selecting a keyboard key based on a position of a presence of a conductive object on a sensing device and a pre-defined area of the keyboard key. The apparatus may include a sensing device and a processing device. The sensing device may include a plurality of sensor elements to detect a presence of a conductive object on the sensing device. Multiple keyboard keys are assigned to pre-defined areas of the sensing device. The processing device is coupled to the sensing device using capacitance sensing pins, and may be operable to determine a position of the presence of the conductive object, and to select a keyboard key based on the position of the conductive object and the pre-defined areas of the sensing device.
US09019130B2

Systems and methods are disclosed for automated computer-based notification systems. A representative method, among others that are disclosed herein, can be broadly summarized by the following steps: engaging in a first one or more data transfers with a first personal communications device (PCD) for scheduling an order relating to arrival or departure of a mobile thing (MT) at a stop location and to pickup or delivery of a good or service at the stop location; during the first one or more data transfers, requesting and permitting input or selection of time information relating to the pickup and/or delivery of the good and/or service at the stop location; permitting the MT to arrive at or depart from the stop location based upon the input or selection of the time information; causing initiation of a second one or more data transfers with the first PCD or a second PCD designated during the first one or more data transfers, prior to expiration of the time information related to the pickup or delivery of the good or service at the stop location; and during the second one or more data transfers, permitting a change to the time information associated with the order that was established during the first one or more data transfers; and permitting the MT to arrive at or depart from the stop location at a later time based upon the change in the time information that was established during the second one or more data transfers. A representative system, among others, can be a computer system that has been programmed to perform the foregoing steps.
US09019129B2

A mobile computing device can be used to locate a vehicle parking location in weak location signal scenarios (e.g., weak, unreliable, or unavailable GPS or other location technology). In particular, the mobile device can determine when a vehicle in which the mobile device is located has entered into a parked state. GPS or other primary location technology may be unavailable at the time the mobile device entered into a parked state (e.g., inside a parking structure). The location of the mobile device at a time corresponding to when the vehicle is identified as being parked can be determined using the first location technology as supplemented with sensor data of the mobile device. After the location of the mobile device at a time corresponding to when the vehicle is identified as being parked is determined, the determined location can be associated with an identifier for the current parking location.
US09019127B2

A method to develop a system for management of warnings and electronic procedures for an aircraft, comprising a database of parameters relating to the warnings and to logic and procedures, the aircraft comprising ATA equipment, comprises definition and calculation of maturity criteria for development of the system, which comprises, in order: A) verification of warnings in the database with respect to predefined lists of warnings and calculation of a maturity criterion, B) if the criterion of A>predetermined threshold, verification of the coherence of the logic for the warnings then definition and calculation of a maturity criterion, C) if the criterion of B>predetermined threshold, verification of the existence of the procedures and, for each warning, analysis of its logic with respect to its procedure, then definition and calculation of a maturity criterion, the system being fully set up when the latter criterion>predetermined threshold.
US09019126B2

Method and system of traffic information comprising a mobile device (1) connected to a connected host server (2) via a wireless network (4), wherein said host server (2) is adapted to download updated standard traffic information xml files (6) from traffic information server (3) connected to the Internet (5), wherein the method comprises the steps of identifying the current GPS location of the mobile device and transmitting said current GPS location to the host server, defining a relevant area surrounding said current GPS location of the mobile device, extracting, from updated standard traffic information xml files, road segments totally or partially included in said relevant area, preparing and compressing a relevant subset of traffic info data, transmitting it to the mobile device, processing said subset of traffic info data in the mobile device to display traffic information.
US09019121B1

Aspects of the present disclosure are directed toward the use of broadcast transmissions to multiple endpoint devices. These broadcast transmissions can be particularly useful for reducing the communication bandwidth used during transmission of configuration data to the endpoint devices. In order to implement the broadcast communications, the present disclosure describes a mechanism for configuring targeted endpoint devices to be responsive to the broadcast communications. For instance, a configuration command can be sent to each of the targeted endpoint devices. The configuration command can include a virtual ID. The targeted endpoint devices can configure themselves to listen for subsequent broadcast messages addressed to the virtual ID. Configuration data can then be sent using the virtual ID and associated broadcast messages.
US09019102B2

A service method of gas appliances includes: Detecting the gas appliances at the client ends to generate detecting signals. Transmitting the detecting signals to a service end. Identifying which client end the detecting signals come from. Examining the detecting signals to find whether the gas appliance has an abnormal condition; and informing the client end when the abnormal condition is found. After all, the service end may monitor the gas appliances at the client end, and inform the client for repair when the gas appliance has detected an abnormal signal or has damaged parts.
US09019095B2

Systems and methods for integrating alarm processing and presentation of alarms for a power generation system are described. A template or graphical user interface (GUI) for displaying information associated with alarms may be generated for various types of alarms. Information associated with an alarm may be identified based on certain criteria and stored in a template associated with the alarm for presentation to a user. One or more status messages may be output to a display such a that a user or other person responsible for responding to an alarm may receive a current status associated with an alarm, including that an alarm has been processed and is ready to be acted upon. An alarm may be analyzed, categorized, and escalated based on historical information associated with the alarm, as well as determinations made by a user based on information stored in a template associated with alarm.
US09019092B1

Sensors installed at a vehicle may automatically detect that a disturbance event, such as a collision, has occurred at the vehicle. A disturbance response module installed at the vehicle may automatically determine whether the vehicle was running and whether the vehicle was moving when the disturbance event occurred. The disturbance response module may determine that the vehicle was parked in response to a determination that the vehicle was not running and not moving when the disturbance event occurred. A communication module installed at the vehicle may automatically transmit a notification message that indicates a disturbance event has occurred at the vehicle.
US09019091B2

An interior rearview mirror system includes a rearward facing camera, an interior rearview mirror assembly and a video display screen disposed behind a mirror reflective element of the interior rearview mirror assembly. The video display screen is viewable by a driver of the vehicle when the driver is normally operating the vehicle, and the video display screen is operable to display information for viewing by a driver of the vehicle through the mirror reflective element when the mirror assembly is normally mounted in the vehicle and when the video display screen is operated to display information. When the vehicle is executing a reversing maneuver, the video display screen displays images captured by the rearward facing camera to assist the driver in reversing the vehicle, and the video display screen is operable to display other information.
US09019080B2

A sensor of a communication device detects whether a card associated with an account is present within a range. Responsive to the communication device detecting the card is outside the range of the sensor longer than a user specified time limit, the communication device sends a first communication to an account provider system via a network for the card to automatically place an account associated with the card on hold, wherein the account provider system blocks transactions to the account when the account is placed on hold. Responsive to the communication device detecting the card return within the range of the sensor, the communication device sends a second communication to the account provider system via the network to automatically reactivate the account associated with the card, wherein the account provider system allows transactions to the account when the account is reactivated.
US09019070B2

Described herein are systems and methods for managing access control devices. In overview, an access control device is configured to function on the basis of an applied set of configuration data. For example, the manner in which the device processes an access request is dependent on the configuration data. A device according to an embodiment of the present invention is configured to locally maintain plurality of uniquely applicable sets of configuration data. Each set, when applied, causes the device to function in accordance with a respective mode of operation. The device is configured to change which set of configuration data is applied in response to a predetermined command, thereby allowing the device to shift between modes of operation relatively quickly and without the need to download additional configuration data. In some cases, the modes of operation correspond to threat levels, and the use of such access control devices allows a change in threat level to be applied across an access control environment quickly and with minimal bandwidth requirements.
US09019063B2

An M-winding coupled inductor includes a first end magnetic element, a second end magnetic element, M connecting magnetic elements, and M windings. M is an integer greater than one. Each connecting magnetic element is disposed between and connects the first and second end magnetic elements. Each winding is wound at least partially around a respective one of the M connecting magnetic elements. The coupled inductor further includes at least one top magnetic element adjacent to and extending at least partially over at least two of the M connecting magnetic elements to provide a magnetic flux path between the first and second end magnetic elements. The inductor may be included in an M-phase power supply, and the power supply may at least partially power a computer processor.
US09019060B2

An electrical conductor provided with an electrical insulation system surrounding the conductor, the insulation includes a first insulation layer surrounding the conductor and a second insulation layer surrounding the first insulation layer. The second insulation layer includes a second polymer and a second filler in the form of chromium oxide (Cr2O3), iron oxide (Fe2O3), or a mixture of chromium oxide and iron oxide, wherein the first insulation layer includes a first polymer and a first filler including dispersed nanoparticles.
US09019041B2

A one input to four output power divider is operable in a specified frequency band, and includes a first microstrip power divider, a first quarter-wavelength microstrip which has an end coupled electrically to one output terminal of the first microstrip power divider, a second microstrip power divider which has an input terminal coupled electrically to another end of the first quarter-wavelength microstrip, a second quarter-wavelength microstrip which has an end coupled electrically to the other output terminal of the first microstrip power divider, and a third microstrip power divider which has an input terminal coupled electrically to another end of the second quarter-wavelength microstrip.
US09019040B2

An elastic wave surface acoustic wave duplexer includes an antenna terminal, a transmission filter, a reception filter, and a plurality of elastic wave resonators connected in series between the antenna terminal and the reception filter. The reception filter is a longitudinally coupled resonator-type surface acoustic wave filter including a plurality of IDT electrodes and arranged along a propagation direction of elastic wave. A combined capacitance of the plurality of surface acoustic wave resonators is smaller than a capacitance of the IDT electrodes and included in the plurality of IDT electrodes and connected to the antenna terminal.
US09019039B1

An RF bandpass filter includes a cascaded series of a first subfilter and a second subfilter. Each subfilter includes a respective inverter, voltage-controlled capacitor and inductor. A first selected one of the first subfilter and the second subfilter is a pseudo low pass filter and a second selected one of the first subfilter and the second subfilter is a pseudo high pass filter. The RF bandpass filter is configured to separately control a bandwidth and center frequency of output RF energy. The bandwidth may be controlled to be substantially fixed over a significant substantial range. The center frequency and bandwidth are controlled by adjusting a voltage input to one or more of the voltage-controlled capacitors.
US09019036B2

A power combiner/divider having a waveguide, a plurality of amplifiers disposed on a supporting structure, a plurality of probes, each one having a first end electrically coupled to an output of a corresponding one of the plurality of amplifiers and a second end projecting outwardly from the supporting structure and into the waveguide. The probes are disposed in a common region of the waveguide. The region has a common electric field maximum within the waveguide. A first portion of the probes proximate the sidewalls have lengths different from a second portion of the probes disposed in a region distal from the sidewalls of the waveguide. The waveguide is supported by the support structure. The power combiner is a monolithic microwave integrated circuit structure.
US09019034B2

A non-reciprocal circuit element includes a permanent magnet, a microwave magnetic body to which a direct current magnetic field is applied by the permanent magnet, a first center electrode that is wrapped around the microwave magnetic body, is connected at one end to an input port, and is connected at another end to an output port, a second center electrode that is wrapped around the microwave magnetic body while intersecting with the first center electrode so as to be insulated from the first center electrode, is connected at one end to the output port, and is connected at another end to a ground port, a first matching capacitance connected between the input port and the output port in parallel with the first center electrode, a terminating resistance connected between the input port and the output port in parallel with the first center electrode, and a second matching capacitance connected between the output port and the ground port. A sub-center electrode is connected in parallel to a portion of the second center electrode.
US09019030B1

A memristor-based emulator including a memristor circuit for use in digital modulation that includes a first current feedback operational amplifier (CFOA) having multiple terminals in communication with a capacitor Cd and in further communication with a resistor Ri. A second CFOA having multiple terminals is in communication with the first CFOA and is adapted to be in further communication with a voltage vM to provide an input current iM for integration by a capacitor Ci. A nonlinear resistor is in communication with the second CFOA. A third CFOA having multiple terminals is in communication with the nonlinear resistor and is in further communication with the first CFOA and a resistor Rd. The third CFOA and the resistor Rd act as an inverting amplifier associated with the nonlinear resistor to increase a current gain to increase a difference between ON and OFF values of a resistance of a realized memristor.
US09019027B2

An oscillation device is provided. The oscillation device includes: a main circuit portion, a heating unit, first and second crystal units, first and second oscillator circuits, a frequency difference detector, a first addition unit, an integration circuit unit, a circuit unit configured to control an electric power to be supplied to the heating unit, a compensation value obtaining unit, and a second addition unit. The compensation value obtaining unit is configured to obtain a frequency compensation value for compensating an output frequency of the main circuit portion based on an integrated value output from the integration circuit unit, and based on a change in the clock signal due to a difference between the temperature of the atmosphere and the temperature setting value of the heating unit. The second addition unit is configured to add the frequency compensation value to a frequency setting value.
US09019022B2

The present invention discloses an Oven Controlled Crystal Oscillator and a manufacturing method thereof. The Oven Controlled Crystal Oscillator comprises a thermostatic bath, a heating device, a PCB and a signal generating element, where the signal generating element is used for generating a signal of a certain frequency, the heating device, the PCB and the signal generating element are mounted in the thermostatic bath, the signal generating element is mounted in a groove formed on one side of the PCB, while the heating device is mounted against the other side of the PCB that is opposite to the groove. The signal generating element may be a passive crystal resonator or an active crystal oscillator. The Oven Controlled Crystal Oscillator according to the invention is advantageous for a small volume and a high temperature control precision.
US09019018B2

An integrated circuit (10) has an internal RC-oscillator (20) for providing an internal clock signal (CLI) having an adjustable oscillator frequency. The integrated circuit (10) further comprises terminals (101, 102) for connecting an external LC tank (30) having a resonance frequency and a calibration circuit (40) which is configured to adjust the oscillator frequency based on the resonance frequency of the LC tank (30) connected during operation of the integrated circuit (10). An internal auxiliary oscillator (46) is connected to the terminals (101, 102) in a switchable fashion and is configured to generate an auxiliary clock signal (CLA) based on the resonance frequency. The calibration circuit (40) comprises a frequency comparator (47) which is configured to determine a trimming word (TRW) based on a frequency comparison of the internal clock signal (CLI) and the auxiliary clock signal (CLA). The LC tank (30) to be connected is an antenna for receiving a radio signal.
US09019007B2

A highly linear, variable capacitor array constructed from multiple cells. Each cell includes a pair of passive, capacitor components connected in anti-parallel. The capacitor components may be Metal Oxide Semiconductor (MOS) capacitors. A control circuit applies bias voltages to bias voltage terminals associated with each capacitor component, to thereby control the overall capacitance of the array.
US09019006B2

A reference voltage is maintained stable against disturbance noise and self-noise of an internal circuit. A reference voltage stabilizer circuit for stabilizing the reference voltage to be supplied through at least one of first or second signal lines includes a preceding-stage circuit including a capacitive path connected between the first and second signal lines; and a subsequent-stage circuit including a resistive path connected between the first and second signal lines, and a resistive circuit inserted, between the capacitive path and the resistive path, into one of the first or second signal lines through which the reference voltage is supplied.
US09019000B2

A driver circuit for a semiconductor switching device includes a drive power source, a capacitor and four switches, which form a bridge circuit. The capacitor is provided between the four switches. In one cycle of application of a voltage to a gate of the semiconductor switching device to turn on the semiconductor switch, the first and the second switches, which are diagonal, are turned off and the third and the fourth switches, which are diagonal, are turned on to charge the capacitor. Then only the first switch is turned on to apply the voltage to the gate, and lastly only the second switch is turned on to discharge the capacitor thereby to apply a negative voltage to the gate of the semiconductor switching device.
US09018992B1

Systems and methods associated with control of clock signals are disclosed. In one exemplary implementation, there is provided a delay-lock-loop (DLL) and/or a delay/phase detection circuit. Moreover, such circuit may comprise digital phase detection circuitry, digital delay control circuitry, analog phase detection circuitry, and analog delay control circuitry. Implementations may include configurations that prevent transition back to the unlocked state due to jitter or noise.
US09018982B2

This document discusses, among other things, apparatus and methods for a detection circuit. In an example, the detection circuit can include a voltage divider configured to receive a first supply voltage from an external device coupled to the detection circuit, first and second transistors configured to receive a control voltage from the voltage divider and to couple an output to ground when the control voltage exceeds a first threshold, and a bias circuit configured to bias the first transistor to set the first threshold.
US09018952B2

A method for producing a time-series of images of a subject with a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system is provided. The MRI system is used to acquire a time-series undersampled k-space data set, in which a selected number of k-space data subsets in the time-series data set includes both image data and calibration data. Moreover, the calibration data in each of these selected number of k-space data subsets includes a portion of a desired total amount of calibration data. For example, each of these selected number of k-space data subsets include calibration data that is acquired by sampling a different partition of a calibration data sampling pattern. A time-series of images of the subject is then produced by reconstructing images of the subject from the acquired time-series of undersampled k-space data sets. These images are substantially free of undersampling artifacts.
US09018942B2

A magnetically-based position sensor. The sensor includes a magnet assembly that moves along a path, a common collector, one or more magnetic sensing elements, a first variable collector, and a second variable collector. The one or more magnetic sensing elements are coupled to the common collector. The first and second variable collectors are coupled to one of the one or more magnetic sensors and are configured to collect a magnetic field. The first and second variable collectors are positioned to transmit some of the magnetic flux generated by the magnet assembly as the magnet assembly moves along the path. The first variable collector and the second variable collector have a geometry and orientation such that the flux collected by the first and second variable collectors varies as the magnet moves along the path.
US09018941B2

Described herein is a biasing circuit for a magnetic-field sensor; the magnetic-field sensor is provided with a first detection structure, which generates a first electrical detection quantity as a function of a first component of an external magnetic field, and a second detection structure, which generates a second electrical detection quantity as a function of a second component of an external magnetic field. The biasing circuit electrically supplies the first detection structure and the second detection structure in respective biasing time intervals, at least partially distinct from one another, which preferably do not temporally overlap one other.
US09018936B2

A method of identifying multi-phase devices in a time trace disaggregation process can include detecting a multi-phase transition, identifying multi-phase devices based on the detecting, and processing the multi-phase devices separate from single-phase devices. The method can also include initializing a multi-phase array and, for each of a plurality of supply legs, determining whether a qualified transition exists. If so, the method can further include determining whether there is a pending multi-phase transition. If so, the method can further include determining whether the pending multi-phase transition is positive. If so, the method can further include creating a multi-phase instance. The method can also include storing the multi-phase instance in the multi-phase array.
US09018935B2

A method for operating a metal detection apparatus that comprises a transmitter unit with a drive circuit that alternately applies two different drive voltages via a first set of two drive switches to a first tail and via a second set of two drive switches to a second tail of a transmitter coil that is coupled to a receiver coil, which is connected to the input of a receiver unit. A system adapted to operate according to an exemplary method is also provided. In one embodiment, at least a first waveform is generated for controlling the first set of drive switches and at least a second waveform is generated for controlling the second set of drive switches, wherein the first and second waveforms that correspond to a selected operating frequency are shifted relative to one another in order to allow a desired drive current to flow through the transmitter coil.
US09018932B2

An initial voltage generation circuit includes a reference voltage generator, a reference voltage selector, at least one initial voltage level regulator, and a plurality of stabilization capacitors. The reference voltage generator generates a plurality of reference voltage candidate groups. The reference voltage selector includes a plurality of selection switch groups and a plurality of switch control circuits. Each selection switch group includes a plurality of parallel switches. Each switch control circuit corresponds to a selection switch group for generating a switch signal to control the selection switch group to output a reference voltage candidate of a corresponding reference voltage candidate group. Each initial voltage level regulator generates an inner reference voltage according to a power-up signal, and a stabilization capacitor corresponding to the initial voltage level regulator is used for stabilizing the inner reference voltage.
US09018929B2

A voltage regulator integrated circuit comprises a control circuit driving at least one power switch to provide a regulated voltage at an output of an inductor/capacitor (LC) circuit coupled to the at least one power switch; an error amplifier having a first input coupled to a feedback signal representative of the regulated output voltage and a second input coupled to a reference signal; and a compensation network coupled to an output of the error amplifier and configured to provide a compensation voltage. The compensation network includes at least one digitally programmable resistor array and at least one digitally programmable capacitor array. Each array provides a plurality of user selectable component values. The control circuit includes a pulse modulator configured to modulate an input voltage based on the compensation voltage.
US09018921B2

A control circuit for use in a battery charger circuit that includes a switching voltage regulator, with the control circuit having a constant current charging mode and a constant voltage charging mode. A switcher controller is provided which configured to control a state of a top side switching transistor and a low side transistor of the switching voltage regulator in response to at least one error signal. A power path transistor switch is disposed intermediate an output of the switching voltage regulator and a first node for receiving a first terminal of a battery to be charged. Feedback circuitry is further provided to produce a first error signal relating to a difference between a first voltage and a first target voltage, with the first voltage being between the output of the switching voltage regulator and a second node for receiving a second terminal of the battery to be charged, with the first error signal being used by the switcher controller when the control circuit is in the constant voltage charging mode for controlling the top and low side switching transistors.
US09018918B2

Power management techniques are disclosed. For instance, an apparatus may include a bidirectional voltage converter circuit, and a control module that selectively operates the bidirectional voltage converter circuit in a charging mode and a delivery mode. The charging mode converts a voltage provided by an interface (e.g., a USB interface) into a charging voltage employed by an energy storage module (e.g., a rechargeable battery). Conversely, the delivery mode converts a voltage provided by the energy storage module into a voltage employed by the interface. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US09018917B2

A driving circuit for an N-channel Metal Oxide Semiconductor (NMOS) transistor can include a charge pump unit and a driver coupled to the charge pump. The charge pump can receive a source voltage and output an output voltage higher than the source voltage, where the source voltage is applied to a source terminal of the NMOS transistor. The driver receives the output voltage of the charge pump unit and converts the output voltage to a driving voltage operable for conducting the NMOS transistor.
US09018899B2

A wireless charging device comprises an electronic switch and a transmitting coil (L1) electrically connected with a power source in sequence. A control end of the electronic switch is connected with a transmitting control unit. The wireless charging device further comprises a current limiting resistance (R1) connected in serial with the transmitting coil. The wireless charging device further comprises a compensation capacitor (C1) connected in parallel with the transmitting coil. An insert total electromagnetic coupling structure is further employed for charging. Such wireless charging device is particularly suitable for electronic cigarette, with low cost, stable and reliable working status and high efficiency, and specific heat sink is not required.
US09018872B2

To provide a motor control circuit that variably controls the speed of a motor, in which an appropriate advance angle value corresponding to the speed of the motor that is set can be automatically set. The motor control circuit according to the present invention includes an advance angle setting means that adds a reference advance angle value to an advance angle correction value obtained by multiplying a proportional coefficient by a correction amount and outputs an advance angle setting signal, and an advance angle setting correction means that uses a ratio of a correction reference period relative to a period of a reference signal input from the outside as a correction amount and corrects the reference advance angle value by an advance angle correction value obtained by multiplying the correction amount by a predetermined proportional coefficient of the advance angle setting means.
US09018869B2

A motor control device includes an acceleration portion for increasing a target number of rotations of a motor every predetermined calculation cycle until the target number of rotations of the motor reaches an upper limit number of rotations, which is set on the basis of a reached position of a driven object from a reference position, the driven object is driven by the motor so that a position of the driven object is changed, a deceleration portion for decreasing the target number of rotations of the motor every calculation cycle after the target number of rotations reaches the upper limit number of rotations, and a main control portion for controlling a drive of the motor on the basis of the target number of rotations.
US09018863B2

Starting from the known rotating electromechanical converter comprising a stator with magnetic circuits and polyphase energizing windings, a first, inner, rotor with magnetic circuits and polyphase energizing windings, and a second (inter)rotor between this first rotor and the stator, provided with permanent magnetic members for co-operation with the magnetic circuit of at least the stator, the invention proposes to provide means for modifying the state of magnetization of at least a part of the respective areas of the second rotor which each lie between two successive permanent magnetic members.
US09018860B2

The LED lighting device of the present invention includes: a power supply circuit connected between a light source including a light emitting diode and a power source and including a series circuit of a switching device and an inductor; an inductor current detector configured to provide a measurement value indicative of an inductor current flowing through the inductor; a drive circuit configured to turn on the switching device at a predetermined period and turn off the switching device when the measurement value is equal to a first threshold or more; a load current detector configured to measure a load current flowing through the light source; and a protection device configured to, when the load current measured is equal to a second threshold or more, perform a protection operation of changing, to reduce the load current, a circuit constant of a power supply path in which the load current flows.
US09018858B2

A method of operating a lighting fixture comprising a plurality of discrete illumination sources of distinguishably different color coordinates comprises determining target color coordinates and luminous flux at which to operate the lighting fixture, determining input electrical power values for each of the plurality of discrete illumination sources that substantially produce the target color coordinates and luminous flux by referencing a calibration data lookup table having calibration data based on measurements of the plurality of discrete illumination sources, determining a color mixing zone defined by three distinguishably different color coordinates of the plurality of discrete illumination sources within which the target color coordinates lie according to the calibration data, determining luminous flux ratios for each of the plurality of discrete illumination sources having one of the three distinguishably different color coordinates defining the color mixing zone that substantially produces the target color coordinates, and determining input electrical power levels for each of the plurality of discrete illumination sources that generate the determined luminous flux ratios.
US09018856B2

A driver circuit for driving light emitting diodes (LEDs). The driver circuit includes a string of LEDs divided into n groups, the n groups of LEDs being electrically connected to each other in series, a downstream end of group m−1 being electrically connected to the upstream end of group m. The driver circuit also includes a power source coupled to an upstream end of group 1. The driver circuit further includes a plurality of current regulating circuits, where each current regulating circuit is coupled to the downstream end of a corresponding group at one end and coupled to a ground at another end and includes a sensor amplifier and a cascode having two transistors. The driver circuit also includes a phase control logic for sending a signal to each of the current regulating circuits to thereby control a current flow through each of the current regulating circuits.
US09018847B2

Thyristor dimming circuits and methods are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a thyristor dimming circuit can include: (i) a thyristor and a rectifier bridge configured to receive a sinusoidal AC voltage, and to generate a phase-loss input voltage; (ii) a power stage circuit configured to have the phase-loss input voltage applied thereto, the power stage circuit having a main switch and being configured to drive a lamp load through electrical conversion; and (iii) a discharging circuit configured, during a first predetermined time interval, to control the main switch to operate with a fixed duty cycle at a fixed frequency, where the first predetermined time interval begins prior to an absolute value of the sinusoidal AC voltage being reduced to zero, the first predetermined time interval ending when the phase-loss input voltage is again applied to the power stage circuit.
US09018845B2

Provided is a circuit for adjusting light-emitting diode (LED) current; the circuit comprises: a single-output constant current source (21), a multi-path LED output circuit (22) and a control bus (20) connected to the multi-path LED output circuit (22); any given LED output circuit comprises: a load circuit (23), an adjustment circuit (24), a current regulation circuit (25) and an adjustment control circuit (26). The circuit for adjusting LED current provided in the technical solution of the present invention adjusts the current of each LED output circuit via the load circuit, the adjustment circuit, the current regulation circuit and the adjustment control circuit, thus adjusting characteristic parameters such as color, color temperature, color rendering index, brightness and the like of the LED light source, thereby avoiding the problem of high cost caused by using multi-path constant current DC/DC circuit to adjust the current of each path.
US09018829B2

An ion source includes an ion chamber housing defining an ion source chamber, the ion chamber housing having a side with a plurality of apertures. The ion source also includes an antechamber housing defining an antechamber. The antechamber housing shares the side with the plurality of apertures with the ion chamber housing. The antechamber housing has an opening to receive a gas from a gas source. The antechamber is configured to transform the gas into an altered state having excited neutrals that is provided through the plurality of apertures into the ion source chamber.
US09018819B2

A brushless, single coil motor without laminations, with an alternate polarity permanent magnetic rotor and a stator having enhanced magnetic properties by soft iron parts backing up both rotor and stator.The stator is having a plurality of wires grouped into packets, where the wires are connected continuously and terminating solely in two free stator lead ends, energized with pulses from a simple electronic circuit, to start and run the motor.
US09018813B2

A linear actuator, especially for telescopic lifting columns (7) comprising a reversible electric motor (16) and a transmission (17) located in a box-shaped housing (14). A Linear movable activation element (18), preferably a spindle unit (19-21) connected to the transmission (17) is secured to the housing (14)). The activation element is intended for moving an adjustable element, e.g. a table top in the structure into which the actuator should be incorporated. The housing (14) is equipped with internal reinforcements (32) for strengthening said housing in its longitudinal direction and possibly also in its transverse direction. Thus a linear actuator with sufficient rigidity for use in sitting/standing tables without cross member is achieved.
US09018811B2

The invention relates to a stator assembly (7) for an electric motor (1), in particular for a rotatory claw pole motor, including: an electrically conductive stator (8, 9) having a winding channel extending in the circumferential direction; a stator winding (6) extending in the winding channel; feed lines (5) for electrically contacting the stator winding (6); and a contact element (13) that electrically connects one of the feed lines (5) to the stator.
US09018810B2

A stator for a brushless, electronically commutated electric motor having a stator core wound with stator windings and control electronics for controlling the stator windings. The stator core together with the stator windings are enclosed in a molded encapsulation made of a plastic material of a defined thermal conductivity (λSt). The temperature sensor is arranged on the outside at the encapsulation, and the control electronics are designed such that they calculate the temperature in the region of the stator windings on the basis of the temperature detected by the temperature sensor taking into account a specific stator temperature profile stored in a memory. Furthermore, the invention relates to a brushless, electronically commutated electric motor having a stator as described above.
US09018809B2

In one possible embodiment, a motor charging system for connection with a battery is provided having a rotor and a stator. The stator has delta H-bridge connected windings. The delta H-bridge includes an inverter at one side and a switching means at another side with each winding being connected between inverter pole switches and switching means pole switches. An A/C power port is connected to the windings such that when the switching means is off the A/C power port is connected to the battery bus via the windings and the inverter.
US09018805B2

A machine such as a ship's engine has a superconducting component requiring cooling for its operation, and includes a cooling system. The cooling system is operable in first and second modes. In a cool-down phase the cooling system is run in the first mode providing relatively high heat transfer from the superconducting component. On attainment of a desired operating temperature the cooling system is run in the second mode, providing lower heat transfer. This enables a reduced cool-down time of the machine, while allowing economical operation in normal service. The higher level of cooling in the first mode used during the start-up procedure can involve a colder cryogen, or a greater flow of coolant. One way of achieving the latter is to circulate the coolant in normally evacuated regions during the cool-down phase, and then re-establishing the vacuum in these regions for normal service operation.
US09018789B2

A wind turbine drive train (1) comprising a gearbox (2), a generator (3) and a coupling (4) located between an output shaft (5) and a rotor shaft (6). The gearbox and the generator are separate components which have their own housings (7, 8). The output and rotor shafts are respectively supported by a shaft bearing arrangement (15) and a generator rotor shaft bearing arrangement (18a, 18b). The generator housing is directly connected to the gearbox housing. The drive train further comprises a gearbox output module (14), which comprises the output shaft, the shaft bearing arrangement and an output shaft bearing housing (16). The gearbox output module at least partly extends into the generator and the gearbox output module at least partly extends beyond a plane (P) defined by the generator. The coupling extends through the rotor shaft and is coupled, on a generator side (G), to the generator rotor shaft.
US09018779B2

An improved apparatus for extracting power from waves is provided. The apparatus (10) comprises at least one pair of buoyant body members (12A,12B) connected to one another by a coupling (14) which permits relative rotation between the body members (12A,12B) about first and second non-parallel axes of rotation (A,B). The apparatus further comprises a power extraction system comprising at least one power extraction element (16) having a first end connected to a first of the body members (12A) and a second end connected to a second of the body members (12B) such that the element resists and extracts power from the relative rotation between the body members (12A,12B).
US09018774B2

A Chip Scale Package (CSP) and a method of forming the same are disclosed. Single chips without the conventional ball mountings, are first attached to an adhesive-substrate (adsubstrate) composite having openings that correspond to the input/output (I/O) pads on the single chips to form a composite chip package. Ball mounting is then performed over the openings, thus connecting the I/O pads at the chip sites to the next level of packaging directly. In another embodiment, the adhesive layer is formed on the wafer side first to form an adwafer, which is then die sawed in CSPs. Then the CSPs with the adhesive already on them are bonded to a substrate. The composite chip package may optionally be encapsulated with a molding material. The CSPs provide integrated and shorter chip connections especially suited for high frequency circuit applications, and can leverage the currently existing test infrastructure.
US09018770B2

A chip package includes: a substrate having a first surface, a second surface, and a side surface connecting the first and the second surfaces; a dielectric layer located on the first surface; conducting pads comprising a first and a second conducting pads located in the dielectric layer; openings extending from the second surface towards the first surface and correspondingly exposing the conducting pads, wherein a first opening of the openings and a second opening of the openings next to the first opening respectively expose the first and the second conducting pads and extend along a direction intersecting the side surface of the substrate to respectively extend beyond the first and the second conducting pads; and a first and a second wire layers located on the second surface and extending into the first the second openings to electrically contact with the first and the second conducting pads, respectively.
US09018766B2

A semiconductor device includes: a contact hole formed over a structure including a conductive pattern; a contact plug formed in the contact hole; a first metal silicide film surrounding the contact plug; and a second metal silicide film formed over the contact plug.
US09018751B2

A semiconductor module system includes a module substrate and a semiconductor substrate having a through wire interconnect bonded to an electrode on the module substrate. The through wire interconnect includes a via, a wire in the via having a first end bonded to a substrate contact on the semiconductor substrate and a polymer layer at least partially encapsulating the wire. The semiconductor module system can also include a second substrate stacked on the semiconductor substrate having a second through wire interconnect in electrical contact with the through wire interconnect.
US09018746B2

One embodiment is directed towards a packaged chip including a lead frame. At least one chip is mounted on the lead frame. At least one edge the lead frame has a solder flow impeding feature located thereon. The solder flow impeding feature includes an integral portion of the lead frame that extends in a first projection outward at an edge of the lead frame and parallel to an external surface of the lead frame. An internal surface of the first projection is aligned with an internal surface of the main portion of the lead frame. The solder flow impeding feature also includes a second projection that extends from an external side of the first projection in a direction generally perpendicular to the first projection.
US09018732B2

A dielectric thin film element that includes a substrate, a close-adhesion layer formed on one principal surface of the substrate, a capacitance section having a lower electrode layer formed on the close-adhesion layer, a dielectric layer formed on the lower electrode layer, and an upper electrode layer formed on the dielectric layer, and a protective layer formed to cover the capacitance section, wherein the end of the close-adhesion layer is exposed from the protective layer.
US09018731B2

Various embodiments provide inductor devices and fabrication methods. An exemplary inductor device can include a plurality of planar spiral wirings isolated by a dielectric layer. The planar spiral wirings can be connected by conductive pads formed over the dielectric layer and by conductive plugs formed in the dielectric layer. In one embodiment, a third planar spiral wiring can be formed over a second planar spiral wirings that is formed over a first planar spiral wiring. The third planar spiral wiring can be configured in parallel with the first third planar spiral wiring. The second planar spiral wiring can be configured in series with the first and third planar spiral wirings configured in parallel.
US09018728B2

A semiconductor apparatus includes: a first sheet-like member having a light receiving surface of an imaging device and a first connection terminal disposed thereon, the imaging device generating an image by receiving incident light from a light collecting section for collecting external light disposed thereon; a second sheet-like member having a second connection terminal to be connected to the first connection terminal provided thereon; a conductive bonding portion made of a conductive material and bonded with the first connection terminal; and a bonding wire connecting the conductive bonding portion and the second connection terminal, wherein the bonding wire is disposed along the plane of the first sheet-like member such that reflected light from the bonding wire does not impinge on the light receiving surface.
US09018725B2

An image sensor package includes a crystalline handler having opposing first and second surfaces, and a cavity formed into the first surface. At least one step extends from a sidewall of the cavity, wherein the cavity terminates in an aperture at the second surface. A cover is mounted to the second surface and extends over and covers the aperture. The cover is optically transparent to at least one range of light wavelengths. A sensor chip is disposed in the cavity and mounted to the at least one step. The sensor chip includes a substrate with front and back opposing surfaces, a plurality of photo detectors formed at the front surface, and a plurality of contact pads formed at the front surface which are electrically coupled to the photo detectors.
US09018721B1

In one preferred embodiment, a semiconductor photodiode is provided which includes a substrate layer fabricated from a Si32 radioisotope of a first type of conductivity material and a thick-field oxide layer formed on the substrate layer. The oxide layer has a selectively patterned area to form an open region on the substrate layer. The semiconductor photodiode further includes a dopant material of a second conductivity material, which is different from the first conductivity material. The dopant material is formed within the open region on the substrate layer to form a photodiode junction. The semiconductor photodiode further includes an enclosure package enclosing the semiconductor diode for containing any radiation from the radioisotope.
US09018716B1

A metal migration-proof touch panel structure is proposed to solve the problem: metal migration occurs in the active area of a metal mesh-based touch panel and causes short circuit in metal traces. The present invention is characterized in indirectly linking the ESD dummy to the ground terminal via an ESD protection element to replace the conventional design that directly connects the ESD dummy with the ground terminal. Thus, the ESD dummy and the ground terminal are normally in an open-circuit state. While ESD interference occurs, the ESD protection element an impedance approaching zero ohms and fast conducts the energy to the ground terminal to drain off the energy. The ESD protection element is a varistor or a transient voltage suppressor.
US09018712B2

A method is provided for fabricating a transistor. The method includes providing a semiconductor substrate having a first region; and forming a first gate structure on a surface of the semiconductor substrate in the first region. The method also includes forming trenches in the semiconductor substrate at both sides of the first gate structure; and forming a first stress layer with one surface lower than the surface of the semiconductor substrate in the trenches. Further, the method includes forming a second stress layer containing carbon atoms with a surface leveling with or higher than the surface of the semiconductor substrate on the first stress layer; and forming a source region and a drain region in the semiconductor substrate at both sides of the first gate structure.
US09018705B2

An ESD transistor is provided. The ESD transistor includes a collector region on a substrate, a base contact region on the substrate, an emitter region spaced apart from the base contact region, a sink region disposed vertically below the collector region, and a buried layer disposed horizontally under the sink region.
US09018695B2

A semiconductor device and a method for manufacturing the same are disclosed, which can form a gate electrode material only in a recess of a buried gate cell structure, improve a Gate Induced Drain Leakage (GIDL) of a gate electrode material and a junction (i.e., drain region), prevent the gate electrode material from overlapping with the junction (i.e., drain region), and adjust the depth of junction, thereby improving channel resistance. The method for manufacturing a semiconductor device includes forming a device isolation region defining an active region over a semiconductor substrate, burying a gate electrode material in the semiconductor substrate, forming a gate electrode pattern by etching the gate electrode material, wherein the gate electrode pattern is formed at sidewalls of the active region including a source region, and forming a capping layer in the exposed active region.
US09018686B2

A device comprises: a first plurality of fins on a semiconductor substrate, the first plurality of fins including a semiconductor material and extending perpendicular from the semiconductor substrate; a second plurality of fins on the semiconductor substrate, the second plurality of fins including a semiconductor material and extending perpendicular from the semiconductor substrate; a chemox layer deposited on lower portions of the fins of the first plurality of fins; and a dielectric layer deposited on the fins of the second plurality of fins. The dielectric layer is thicker than the chemox layer.
US09018683B2

The purpose of the present invention is to improve the efficiency of conversion between terahertz electromagnetic wave energy and direct current energy via plasma waves in a terahertz electromagnetic wave conversion device with a field effect transistor structure. This invention has an HEMT structure having a substrate, an electron transit layer, an electron supply layer, a source and a drain, and includes a first and second group of gates. The gate length of each finger of the first group of gates is narrower than the gate length of each finger of the second group of gates, and each finger of each group of gates is disposed between the source and the drain on the same cycle. A first and second distance from each finger of the first group of gates to two fingers of the second group of gates adjacent to each finger are unequal lengths.
US09018674B2

A semiconductor includes a drift zone of a first conductivity type arranged between a first side and a second side of a semiconductor body. The semiconductor device further includes a first region of the first conductivity type and a second region of a second conductivity type subsequently arranged along a first direction parallel to the second side. The semiconductor device further includes an electrode at the second side adjoining the first and second regions. The semiconductor device further includes a third region of the second conductivity type arranged between the drift zone and the first region. The third region is spaced apart from the second region and from the second side.
US09018673B2

A disclosed Zener diode includes, in one embodiment, an anode region and a cathode region that form a shallow sub-surface latitudinal Zener junction. The Zener diode may further include an anode contact region interconnecting the anode region with a contact located away from the Zener junction region and a silicide blocking structure overlying the anode region. The Zener diode may also include one or more shallow, sub-surface longitudinal p-n junctions at the junctions between lateral edges of the cathode region and the adjacent region. The adjacent region may be a heavily doped region such as the anode contact region. In other embodiments, the Zener diode may include a breakdown voltage boost region comprising a more lightly doped region located between the cathode region and the anode contact region.
US09018667B2

A semiconductor chip assembly includes a semiconductor device, a heat spreader, a conductive trace and first and second adhesives. The semiconductor device is electrically connected to the conductive trace and thermally connected to the heat spreader. The heat spreader includes a post and a base. The post extends upwardly from the base through an opening in the first adhesive, and the base extends laterally from the post. The first adhesive extends between the base and the conductive trace and the second adhesive extends between the post and the conductive trace. The conductive trace provides signal routing between a pad and a terminal.
US09018666B2

There is provided a semiconductor light emitting device that minimizes reflection or absorption of emitted light, maximizes luminous efficiency with the maximum light emitting area, enables uniform current spreading with a small area electrode, and enables mass production with high reliability and high quality. A semiconductor light emitting device according to an aspect of the invention includes first and second conductivity type semiconductor layers, an active layer formed therebetween, first electrode layer, and a second electrode part electrically connecting the semiconductor layers. The second electrode part includes an electrode pad unit, an electrode extending unit, and an electrode connecting unit connecting the electrode pad unit and electrode extending unit.
US09018657B2

A semiconductor light emitting element (1) including of a substrate (110) composed of sapphire; a laminated semiconductor layer (100) composed of an n-type semiconductor layer (140), a light emitting layer (150) and a p-type semiconductor layer (160) provided on the substrate (110); a first electrode (170) formed in the p-type semiconductor layer (160); and a second electrode (180) formed in the n-type semiconductor layer (140). Further, the first electrode (170) includes a first conductive layer (171) composed of an oxide transparent conductive material laminated on the p-type semiconductor layer (160); a reflection layer (172) which contains silver laminated on the first conductive layer (171); a second conductive layer (173) composed of an oxide conductive material laminated on the reflection layer (172); and a coating layer (174) provided so as to cover the first conductive layer (171), the reflection layer (172) and the second conductive layer (173).
US09018650B2

A high luminance semiconductor light emitting device including a metallic reflecting layer formed using a non-transparent semiconductor substrate is provided. The device includes a GaAs substrate; a metal layer disposed on the GaAs substrate; and a light emitting diode structure. The light emitting diode structure includes a patterned metal contact layer and a patterned insulating layer disposed on the metal layer, a p type cladding layer disposed on the patterned metal contact layer and the patterned insulating layer, a multi-quantum well layer disposed on the p type cladding layer, an n type cladding layer disposed on the multi-quantum well layer, and a window layer disposed on the n type cladding layer. The GaAs substrate and the light emitting diode structure are bonded by using the metal layer.
US09018646B2

A photoconductor comprising a layer stack with a semiconductor layer photoconductive for a predetermined wavelength range between two semiconductor boundary layers with a larger band gap than the photoconductive semiconductor layer on a substrate, wherein the semiconductor boundary layers comprise deep impurities for trapping and recombining free charge carriers from the photoconductive semiconductor layer, and two electrodes connected to the photoconductive semiconductor layer, for lateral current flow between the electrodes through the photoconductive semiconductor layer.
US09018641B2

A method for manufacturing a radiation-emitting component (1) in which a field distribution of a near field (101, 201) in a direction perpendicular to a main emission axis of the component is specified. From the field distribution of the near field, an index of refraction profile (111, 211, 511) along this direction is determined. A structure is determined for the component such that the component will have the previously determined index of refraction profile. The component is constructed according to the previously determined structure. A radiation-emitting component is also disclosed.
US09018638B2

A MOSFET device is provided. An N-type epitaxial layer is disposed on an N-type substrate. An insulating trench is disposed in the epitaxial layer. A P-type well region is disposed in the epitaxial layer at one side of the insulating trench. An N-type heavily doped region is disposed in the well region. A gate structure is disposed on the epitaxial layer and partially overlaps with the heavily doped region. At least two P-type first doped regions are disposed in the epitaxial layer below the well region. At least one P-type second doped region is disposed in the epitaxial layer and located between the first doped regions. Besides, the first and second doped regions are separated from each other. The first doped regions extend along a first direction, and the second doped region extends along a second direction different from the first direction.
US09018635B2

An embodiment of an integrated electronic device formed in a semiconductor body delimited by a lateral surface, which includes: a substrate made of a first semiconductor material; a first epitaxial region made of a second semiconductor material, which overlies the substrate and defines a first surface; a second epitaxial region made of a third semiconductor material, which overlies the first surface and is in contact with the first epitaxial region, the third semiconductor material having a bandgap narrower than the bandgap of the second semiconductor material; an active area, extending within the second epitaxial region and housing at least one elementary electronic component; and an edge structure, arranged between the active area and the lateral surface, and including a dielectric region arranged laterally with respect to the second epitaxial region, which overlies the first surface and is in contact with the first epitaxial region.
US09018627B2

In semiconductor surface inspection apparatus, foreign matter that sticks to the wafer can reduce the quality of the wafer. The present invention is directed to improving the internal cleanliness of the apparatus. Specifically, during rotation of a semiconductor wafer, foreign matter suspended in an atmosphere surrounding the wafer is attracted to a central section of the wafer, and that while heading from the central section of the wafer, towards an outer edge thereof, the foreign matter is most likely to stick to the wafer. In conventional techniques, sufficient consideration is not given to such likelihood of foreign matter sticking. This invention supplies a medium from two directions to an inner circumferential section of a substrate. In accordance with the invention, foreign matter that sticks to a wafer can be reduced more significantly than in the conventional techniques.
US09018617B2

A topological insulator structure includes an insulating substrate and a magnetically doped TI quantum well film located on the insulating substrate. A material of the magnetically doped TI quantum well film is represented by a chemical formula of Cry(BixSb1-x)2-yTe3. 0
US09018611B2

A semiconductor storage device according to an embodiment includes a first conductive layer, a variable resistance layer, an electrode layer, a first liner layer, a stopper layer, and a second conductive layer. The variable resistance layer is provided above the first conductive layer. The electrode layer contacts an upper surface of the variable resistance layer. The first liner layer contacts the upper surface of the electrode layer. The stopper layer contacts the upper surface of the first liner layer. The second conductive layer is provided above the stopper layer. The first liner layer is made of a material having a property for canceling an influence of an orientation of a lower layer of the first liner layer, the property of the first liner layer being superior compared with that of the stopper layer.
US09018605B2

A nuclear fusion reactor first wall component includes a copper alloy element, an intermediate metal layer made from niobium and a beryllium element, directly in contact with the intermediate metal layer. The intermediate niobium layer is further advantageously associated with a mechanical stress-reducing layer formed by a metal chosen from copper and nickel. This mechanical stress-reducing layer is in particular arranged between the intermediate niobium layer and the copper alloy element. Furthermore, when the mechanical stress-reducing layer is made from pure copper, a layer of pure nickel can be inserted between the niobium and the pure copper before diffusion welding. Such a component presents the advantage of having an improved thermal fatigue behavior while at the same time preventing the formation of intermetallic compounds at the junction between the beryllium and the copper alloy.
US09018597B2

In the case of a conventional gas field ionization ion source, it was not possible to carry out an analysis with a high S/N ratio and a high-speed machining process because the current amount of an ion beam is small. In view of these problems, the present invention has been devised, and its object is to obtain a large ion beam current, while suppressing a probability of damaging an emitter electrode. The present invention is characterized by a process in which an ion beam is emitted at least in two operation states including a first operation state in which, when a first extraction voltage is applied, with the gas pressure being set to a first gas pressure, ions are emitted from a first ion emission region at the apex of the emitter electrode, and a second operation state in which, when a second extraction voltage that is higher than the first extraction voltage is applied, with the gas pressure being set to a second gas pressure that is higher than the first gas pressure, ions are emitted from a second ion emission region that is larger than the first ion emission region.
US09018594B2

A thermal neutron detector includes a planar detector housing having two glass panels spaced apart by a gas-tight seal defining a detection chamber. Lithium foils adhered to inner surfaces of the glass panel emit alpha particles and tritons in response to incident thermal neutrons, and an inert detection gas is ionized to generate drift electrons. A planar array of detection wires is spaced from the lithium foils and extends outside the detection chamber. Electronic bias applies a field voltage between the wires and the lithium foils to establish a drift electric field to attract the drift electrons to the wires and provide a large electric field to cause electron multiplication. Detection circuitry detects electric signals in the wires generated by the drift of positive ions away from the wires and interprets the electrical signals as incidence of thermal neutrons on the detector.
US09018582B2

A passive radiometric imaging device and a corresponding method for scanning a scene and reconstructing an image of said scene provide an improved image quality. The device comprises a radiometer for detecting radiation and a processing means for subsequently determining pixel values of pixels of the image to be reconstructed. A cost calculation unit calculates costs for the radiation samples of said data sub-set according to a predetermined cost function, said costs indicating the level of noise in the respective radiation sample. An optimization unit determines a pixel value as a label value from a set of label values, a label indicating a radiation sample or a group of radiation samples of the respective data sub-set, by determining an extremum of energy values determined for different radiation samples or different groups of radiation samples of the respective data sub-set by use of an energy function.
US09018576B2

Disclosed is a low drop-out voltage regulator circuit with a distributed output network coupled to a pixel array for use in image sensor circuitry. The regulator circuit comprises voltage regulating circuitry and a distributed output network, wherein the distributed output network comprises drive transistors disposed along and connected between a supply track and an output track. The spatial distribution of the drive transistors improves heat dissipation within the regulator circuit, and a combination of low current flow and regulated output voltage reduces IR drop across the output track. The improved heat dissipation increases device lifespan and performance, whereas the reduction in IR drop across the output track provides better pixel response, readout uniformity, and image quality.
US09018573B2

A solid-state image sensing device comprises a unit pixel containing a photoelectric conversion element for detecting a light to generate photoelectrons and at least one electrode for forming an MOS diode structure, a first contact point connected to a first voltage supply for supplying a first voltage to the electrode, a second contact point connected to a second voltage supply for supplying a second voltage higher than the first voltage to the electrode, a first capacitor disposed between the first and second contact points, a change-over switch connected to one of the first and second contact points to selectively switch a voltage applied to the electrode to the first voltage or the second voltage, and pixel drive circuits for driving the change-over switch, thereby alternately applying the first voltage and the second voltage to the electrode to generate, hold, transfer, reset, or discharge the photoelectrons.
US09018568B2

The present invention provides a heating glass including a glass; a transparent conductive oxide (TCO) layer formed on one surface of the glass; and a thermal conductive pattern formed on the transparent conductive oxide layer, and a method of manufacturing the same.
US09018565B2

An apparatus for producing holes in dielectric workpieces in the form of thin sheets and substrates, in particular of glass or glass-like materials and semiconductors is provided. The apparatus includes individual high-voltage electrodes that are symmetrically arranged on an electrode holder around the hole to be produced in the workpiece. The apparatus also includes individual counter electrodes that are arranged on a counter electrode holder. The electrodes and counter electrodes can be connected in a permutating manner to a high-voltage source for the discharge of high-voltage flashovers.
US09018557B2

A gas-insulated type circuit breaker including a housing defining a gas volume for a dielectric insulation gas; a first arcing contact member and a second arcing contact member, wherein the first arcing contact member and the second arcing contact member are movable relative to each other along an axis; a first nominal contact member and a second nominal contact member, wherein the first nominal contact member and the second nominal contact member are movable relative to each other along the axis; and a first nominal contact shielding arrangement including an inner shield member and an outer shield member, wherein the inner shield member and the outer shield member are arranged coaxially about the axis. The first nominal contact member is arranged co-axially between the inner shield member and the outer shield member, and is movable relative to the inner shield member and to the outer shield member.
US09018553B1

A device and method are disclosed for use in sealing a toggle-operated apparatus mounted upon a panel. The actuator of the apparatus initially is in an operating position extending along a given axial direction and is movable through angular displacement away from that orientation into another operating position, by an operating force applied in a transverse direction. A boot member of the device is constructed of a resiliently flexible elastomeric material and includes an apical section for placement over the actuator upon sealing the apparatus, and an intermediate section configured and dimensioned to facilitate angular displacement of the apical section, along with angular displacement of the actuator to operate the apparatus, while reducing any resulting resilient biasing force tending to return the apical section toward orientation in the given axial direction to less than any transversely directed force capable of moving the actuator out of the another operating position.
US09018543B2

A rotary mechanism includes an accommodating slot structure, a supporting arm, a pivoting portion and a resilient component. The accommodating slot structure is disposed on the bezel. The accommodating slot structure includes a pivot hole structure and an opening structure, respectively formed on the lateral surface and a bottom of the accommodating slot structure. The supporting arm is disposed on the door. The pivoting portion is disposed on the surface of the supporting arm. The pivoting portion is disposed inside the pivot hole structure, so that the supporting arm is rotatably disposed inside the accommodating slot structure. The resilient component is movably accommodated inside the opening structure. A first end of the resilient component is resiliently connected to the lateral surface of the accommodating slot structure. A second end of the resilient component points the surface of the supporting arm, to prevent the pivoting portion from separation.
US09018540B2

A wired circuit board includes an insulating layer to be formed with an opening extending therethrough in a thickness direction of the wired circuit board, a conductive layer formed on one surface of the insulating layer in the thickness direction and including a one-side terminal portion, an other-side terminal portion formed on the other surface of the insulating layer in the thickness direction, disposed so as to overlap the opening and the one-side terminal portion when projected in the thickness direction, and used to be connected to an electronic element via a conductive adhesive, and a conductive portion filling the opening to provide electrical conduction between the one-side terminal portion and the other-side terminal portion.
US09018537B2

A surface-mountable electronic device free of leads has a plurality of solderable connection surfaces at its lower side, with at least one of the connection surfaces having a rectangular portion. The outline of this rectangular portion corresponds to a connection surface of the JEDEC Standard MO-236 or of any other standard according to which the respective connection surface should not extend directly up to a side edge of the lower device side. The at least one connection surface furthermore has an extension section which extends, starting from the rectangular portion, in the direction of a side edge of the lower side of the device.
US09018533B2

Provided are: a cover-lay film which has an electromagnetic wave shielding function and excellent flexibility, enables a reduction in the thickness of a flexible printed wiring board, and eliminates the necessity of connecting a layer for shielding electromagnetic noise, to the ground circuit of the flexible printed wiring board; a method for manufacturing the same; and a flexible printed wiring board. Employed is a cover-lay film including: a base material film which has a roughened surface (textured surface) created on at least a part of one surface, and an unroughened surface (non-textured surface) excluding the roughened surface; and a deposition film made of a conductive material which is formed on a surface of the base material film on the side where the roughened surface has been created.
US09018528B2

Provided is a method for producing a wiring harness including a sealing member having higher airtightness, the method including a coat formation step of forming a coat of a composition solution by providing the composition solution that contains at least a photo polymerization initiator, a thermal radical polymerization initiator, and a polymerizable compound to an exposed bunched portion and a coated bunched portion that is adjacent to the exposed bunched portion of the bunch of electric wires, and a curing step of irradiating the coat formed on the exposed bunched portion and the adjacent coated bunched portion with light to photocure the coat and to thermally cure the coat by heat of the photocure and heat of collected light.
US09018526B2

An electrical device cover configured for mounting over an electrical device comprises a frame including a frame channel and an frame opening. The frame opening is defined by at least four sides and is large enough to receive at least one electrical device. A sliding tab comprising a screw channel is provided, the sliding tab is slidably coupled with the frame channel and is slidable to a closed position in which the screw channel at least partially surrounds a box mounting screw of the at least one electrical device.
US09018523B1

An electrical substation is shown and described. The electrical substation has a plurality of substation components selected from a group consisting of circuit breakers, transformers, voltage regulators, switchgear, control houses, and structural members. Each of the plurality of substation components is supported above ground-level. An animal mitigation system surrounds each of the plurality of substation components. The animal mitigation system is a shroud constructed around a substation component or a portion of a substation component to provide a barrier to entry to an internal volume of the shroud in which the component or portion of the component is housed.
US09018521B1

A multijunction solar cell comprising an upper first solar subcell having a first band gap; a middle second solar subcell adjacent to the first solar subcell and having a second band gap smaller than the first band gap; a graded interlayer adjacent to the second solar subcell; the graded interlayer having a third band gap greater than the second band gap; a third solar subcell adjacent to the interlayer, the third subcell having a fourth band gap smaller than the second band gap such that the third subcell is lattice mismatched with respect to the second subcell; and a distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) layer adjacent to the upper first subcell.
US09018508B2

A sensor obtains an angular rate of a stick member. A sound source map includes plural areas disposed in a virtual space. CPU presumes a direction of a turning axis of the stick member based on the angular rate obtained by the sensor, while a user is operating the stick member, calculates an angular rate of a top of the stick member based on the angular rate obtained by the sensor with the angular rate in the longitudinal direction of the stick member removed, calculates a position of the holding member in the virtual space after a predetermined time, based on the recent direction of the turning axis of the stick member and recent angular rate of the top of the stick member, and sends a sound generating unit a note-on event of a musical tone assigned to an area corresponding to the calculated position among the plural areas.
US09018506B1

System and method creates audible sound representations for atoms and molecules. Musical notes or musical note combinations (chords) are assigned to each element in elemental periodic table. Musical notes or musical note combinations (chords) are assigned to atomic and molecular bonds (covalent and ionic, intra and inter molecular interactions) and to all molecular functional groups. This invention creates a new representation format, the audible sound format, for atoms and molecules in addition to text and image formats currently used in schools, universities, research institutes and industries, etc.
US09018505B2

An automatic accompaniment apparatus is provided. The apparatus is provided with a music database having music data of plural musical pieces recorded therein, the music data including melody information and chords corresponding to the melody information, a performance recording unit for recording performance information for giving an instruction of generating a musical tone in response to performed operation, a music searching unit for searching for music data including melody information corresponding to the performance information in the performance recording unit through the music database, a chord judging unit for judging chords from the performance information in the performance recording unit, a chord selecting unit for selecting one of the chords included in the music data found by the music searching unit and the chords judged by the chord judging unit, and an automatic accompaniment unit for giving an instruction of generating accompaniment in accordance with the selected chords.
US09018487B2

According to the invention, there is provided seed and plants of the corn variety designated CV794771. The invention thus relates to the plants, seeds and tissue cultures of the variety CV794771, and to methods for producing a corn plant produced by crossing a corn plant of variety CV794771 with itself or with another corn plant, such as a plant of another variety. The invention further relates to corn seeds and plants produced by crossing plants of variety CV794771 with plants of another variety, such as another inbred line. The invention further relates to the inbred and hybrid genetic complements of plants of variety CV794771.
US09018483B1

A novel maize variety designated PH1JPA and seed, plants and plant parts thereof. Methods for producing a maize plant that comprise crossing maize variety PH1JPA with another maize plant. Methods for producing a maize plant containing in its genetic material one or more traits introgressed into PH1JPA through backcross conversion and/or transformation, and to the maize seed, plant and plant part produced thereby. Hybrid maize seed, plant or plant part produced by crossing the variety PH1JPA or a locus conversion of PH1JPA with another maize variety.
US09018481B2

According to the invention, there is provided seed and plants of the hybrid corn variety designated CH984051. The invention thus relates to the plants, seeds and tissue cultures of the variety CH984051, and to methods for producing a corn plant produced by crossing a corn plant of variety CH984051 with itself or with another corn plant, such as a plant of another variety. The invention further relates to genetic complements of plants of variety CH984051.
US09018477B2

According to the invention, there is provided seed and plants of the hybrid corn variety designated CH985672. The invention thus relates to the plants, seeds and tissue cultures of the variety CH985672, and to methods for producing a corn plant produced by crossing a corn plant of variety CH985672 with itself or with another corn plant, such as a plant of another variety. The invention further relates to genetic complements of plants of variety CH985672.
US09018473B1

A soybean cultivar designated 36120411 is disclosed. The invention relates to the seeds of soybean cultivar 36120411, to the plants of soybean cultivar 36120411, to the plant parts of soybean cultivar 36120411, and to methods for producing progeny of soybean cultivar 36120411. The invention also relates to methods for producing a soybean plant containing in its genetic material one or more transgenes and to the transgenic soybean plants and plant parts produced by those methods. The invention also relates to soybean cultivars or breeding cultivars, and plant parts derived from soybean cultivar 36120411. The invention also relates to methods for producing other soybean cultivars, lines, or plant parts derived from soybean cultivar 36120411, and to the soybean plants, varieties, and their parts derived from use of those methods. The invention further relates to hybrid soybean seeds, plants, and plant parts produced by crossing cultivar 36120411 with another soybean cultivar.
US09018472B1

A soybean cultivar designated 34251723 is disclosed. The invention relates to the seeds of soybean cultivar 34251723, to the plants of soybean cultivar 34251723, to the plant parts of soybean cultivar 34251723, and to methods for producing progeny of soybean cultivar 34251723. The invention also relates to methods for producing a soybean plant containing in its genetic material one or more transgenes and to the transgenic soybean plants and plant parts produced by those methods. The invention also relates to soybean cultivars or breeding cultivars, and plant parts derived from soybean cultivar 34251723. The invention also relates to methods for producing other soybean cultivars, lines, or plant parts derived from soybean cultivar 34251723, and to the soybean plants, varieties, and their parts derived from use of those methods. The invention further relates to hybrid soybean seeds, plants, and plant parts produced by crossing cultivar 34251723 with another soybean cultivar.
US09018471B1

A soybean cultivar designated S130090 is disclosed. The invention relates to the seeds of soybean cultivar S130090, to the plants of soybean cultivar S130090, to the plant parts of soybean cultivar S130090, and to methods for producing progeny of soybean cultivar S130090. The invention also relates to methods for producing a soybean plant containing in its genetic material one or more transgenes and to the transgenic soybean plants and plant parts produced by those methods. The invention also relates to soybean cultivars or breeding cultivars, and plant parts derived from soybean cultivar S130090. The invention also relates to methods for producing other soybean cultivars, lines, or plant parts derived from soybean cultivar S130090, and to the soybean plants, varieties, and their parts derived from use of those methods. The invention further relates to hybrid soybean seeds, plants, and plant parts produced by crossing cultivar S130090 with another soybean cultivar.
US09018467B2

The invention relates to the soybean variety designated A1035346. Provided by the invention are the seeds, plants and derivatives of the soybean variety A1035346. Also provided by the invention are tissue cultures of the soybean variety A1035346 and the plants regenerated therefrom. Still further provided by the invention are methods for producing soybean plants by crossing the soybean variety A1035346 with itself or another soybean variety and plants produced by such methods.
US09018466B2

The invention relates to the soybean variety designated 01046975. Provided by the invention are the seeds, plants and derivatives of the soybean variety 01046975. Also provided by the invention are tissue cultures of the soybean variety 01046975 and the plants regenerated therefrom. Still further provided by the invention are methods for producing soybean plants by crossing the soybean variety 01046975 with itself or another soybean variety and plants produced by such methods.
US09018463B2

A soybean cultivar designated S120078 is disclosed. The invention relates to the seeds of soybean cultivar S120078, to the plants of soybean cultivar S120078, to the plant parts of soybean cultivar S120078, and to methods for producing progeny of soybean cultivar S120078. The invention also relates to methods for producing a soybean plant containing in its genetic material one or more transgenes and to the transgenic soybean plants and plant parts produced by those methods. The invention also relates to soybean cultivars or breeding cultivars, and plant parts derived from soybean cultivar S120078. The invention also relates to methods for producing other soybean cultivars, lines, or plant parts derived from soybean cultivar S120078, and to the soybean plants, varieties, and their parts derived from use of those methods. The invention further relates to hybrid soybean seeds, plants, and plant parts produced by crossing cultivar S120078 with another soybean cultivar.
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