US09113548B2
Disclosed herein is a radio frequency shield device that includes, an outer cover having one or more displacement protrusions extending from an outer cover bottom surface and one or more cover fasteners, an inner cover positioned inside the outer cover, wherein at least a portion of the inner cover is deflected downward by the displacement protrusions, and a plurality of fence walls having one or more fence fasteners for interlocking with the cover fasteners, wherein the inner cover is positioned at least partially over the fence walls to form at least one of a primary seal and secondary seal.
US09113547B2
In some embodiments, same layer microelectronic circuit patterning using hybrid laser projection patterning (LPP) and semi-additive patterning (SAP) is presented. In this regard, a method is introduced including patterning a first density region of a laminated substrate surface using LPP, patterning a second density region of the laminated substrate surface using SAP, and plating the first and second density regions of the laminated substrate surface, wherein features spanning the first and second density regions are directly coupled. Other embodiments are also disclosed and claimed.
US09113544B2
A method for producing hyperthermal molecular hydrogen is disclosed and use of same for selectively breaking C—H or Si—H bonds without breaking other bonds are disclosed. A hydrogen plasma is maintained and protons are extracted with an electric field to accelerate them to an appropriate kinetic energy. The protons enter into a drift zone to collide with molecular hydrogen in gas phase. The cascades of collisions produce a high flux of hyperthermal molecular hydrogen with a flux many times larger than the flux of protons extracted from the hydrogen plasma. The nominal flux ratio of hyperthermal molecular hydrogen to proton is controlled by the hydrogen pressure in the drift zone, and by the length of the drift zone. The extraction energy of the protons is shared by these hyperthermal molecules so that average energy of the hyperthermal molecular hydrogen is controlled by extraction energy of the protons and the nominal flux ratio. Since the hyperthermal molecular hydrogen projectiles do not carry any electrical charge, the flux of hyperthermal hydrogen can be used to engineer surface modification of both electrical insulating products and conductive products. When this method of generating a high flux of hyperthermal molecular hydrogen is applied to bombard organic precursor molecules (or silicone, or silane molecules) with desirable chemical functionality/functionalities on a substrate, the C—H or Si—H bonds are thus cleaved preferentially due to the kinematic selectivity of energy deposition from the hyperthermal hydrogen projectiles to the hydrogen atoms in the precursor molecules. The induced cross-linking reactions produce a stable molecular layer having a controllable degree of cross-linking and retaining the desirable chemical functionality/functionalities of the precursor molecules.
US09113537B2
The present invention relates to a method and system that provides independent control over lighting within a computer case. Each inverter module is provided with its own switch to facilitate independent control of illumination. Preferably, the switches are located in a bus that fits within a drive bay and the inverter is directly mounted onto the housing that contains the switch. In another embodiment, the inverter is integrated in a printed circuit board that is inserted into the card slots (e.g. ISA, VESA, PCI, and PCI-Express card slot) on the mother board of the computer. Therefore, the on and off of CCFL inverter can be controlled by software application through the ISA, VESA, PCI, or PCI-Express bus.
US09113531B2
The method for mixing light of LED cluster is disclosed. Firstly, a plurality of LED cluster are provided, then the step is importing the related data, then the step for the continuous genetic algorithm and the merit function are respectively carried out, finally the step for exporting data is achieved. The applied field of the invention is able to comprise LED cluster, fluorescence light source array, and fluorescence lamp array, as well as the other light source field etc.
US09113519B2
An LED driving apparatus converts AC input power into predetermined DC output power and supplies the DC output power to an LED load. The LED driving apparatus includes a switching element Q1 to be turned on and off, a ripple current reducer 3a that is connected in series with the LED load and reduces current ripples of the LED load, and a controller CNT that turns on and off the switching element according to a feedback voltage taken from a connection point of the LED load and ripple current reducer, thereby controlling the DC output power to a predetermined value.
US09113515B2
Apparatus and associated methods relate to an electrical interface design architecture to independently excite each of a network of light strings and/or light string controllers with any of a number of independent excitation signals. In an illustrative example, each of the light strings may receive a selected one of the excitation signals conducted via a wiring assembly to an interface formed as a plug or a corresponding socket. In some embodiments, the interface may galvanically connect one or more of the excitation signals to a corresponding load according to user-selection of a relative orientation between the plug and the socket. In some implementations the load may include a down-stream controller that draws operating power through a selected one of the conductors at the interface. In various implementations, the interface may supply a load such as a multi-channel cable or single channel light string, for example.
US09113511B2
A method, system, and apparatus that can be used to operate a display device in an energy efficient manner. The energy efficient display device can effectively and efficiently compensate for changes in ambient light incident at a display screen of the display device using an internal ambient light sensor to provide control signals to a backlight driver.
US09113496B2
The present invention relates to a method which involves determining a relay terminal in an M2M communication system, and transceiving data to/from a base station or other terminal through the determined relay terminal, and to a method for constructing frames for transceiving data in the M2M communication system. By means of the data-transceiving method, an M2M terminal can transmit/receive a signal to/from a base station or other M2M terminal, and frames of a base station and M2M terminal can be efficiently constructed, wherein said method includes: receiving, by a first terminal of a wireless access system, a first message including a relay operation parameter, which is information that indicates a transmitting or receiving operation, from a base station during a downlink section and/or uplink section within a frame; and transceiving, by the first terminal, data to/from the base station or other terminal on the basis of the received relay operation parameter.
US09113494B2
A method and a wireless communication system for providing downlink (DL) control signalling for a communication apparatus are provided. In the method, at least two scheduling cells are configured for providing DL control signalling, and the DL control signalling is provided on one or more of the at least two scheduling cells for a scheduled cell.
US09113493B2
An apparatus in a Base station (BS) and an apparatus in a Mobile Station (MS) are provided for allocating and requesting, respectively, uplink resources in a wireless communication system. The apparatus in the MS includes a transmitter for sending, to a base station, a predetermined Channel Quality Information CHannel (CQICH) codeword over a pre-allocated CQICH in a silence period, when an uplink bandwidth for an extended real-time Polling Service (ertPS) is not allocated to the mobile station, to inform the base station that the mobile station has data to send; and a receiver for receiving, from the base station, information related to an uplink bandwidth supporting a maximum rate allocated by the base station, in response to the CQICH codeword.
US09113483B2
There are provided measures for spectrum sharing for cellular-controlled offloading using an unlicensed band. Such measures exemplarily comprise initiating an offloading of traffic from a cellular link on a cellular band to an unlicensed link on an unlicensed band, wherein the unlicensed link is synchronized with the cellular link, and sensing a channel on the unlicensed band in a symbol-synchronized sensing duration of at least one symbol length at the beginning of a predetermined subframe of the unlicensed band.
US09113477B2
Method and apparatus to allocate radio resources for transmitting a message part in an enhanced RACH
A method and apparatus for allocating resources to a wireless transmit receive unit (WTRU) includes the WTRU transmitting a signature sequence to a Node B, receiving an acknowledge signal from the Node B, and determining a default resource index. The resource index is associated with enhanced dedicated channel (E-DCH) parameters.
US09113461B2
An automobile device transmits automobile data to a server in a communication network. The automobile device records the automobile data received from one or more sensors installed in an automobile. The automobile device transmits a random access preamble on an uplink carrier to a base station when a pre-defined condition is met. The automobile device encrypts the automobile data and transmits the encrypted automobile data to a server via a base station.
US09113454B2
A method of allocating channels in a user equipment is disclosed. In particular, a method of allocating a plurality of Dedicated Physical Channels (DPCHs) and Enhanced Dedicated Channels (E-DCHs) in a user equipment of a multicode transmission system. The method includes determining whether a High Speed Downlink Shared Channel (HS-DSCH) is configured for the user equipment (UE) and determining a number of codes used by the DPCH and the E-DCH. The method further includes allocating the DPCH and the E-DCH channels to an I branch or a Q branch based on the number of codes used by the DPCH and the E-DCH and the HS-DSCH configuration.
US09113450B2
Systems and methods are disclosed for a WTRU to operate using multiple schedulers. The WTRU may exchange data with the network over more than one data path, such that each data path may use a radio interface connected to a different network node and each node may be associated with an independent scheduler. For example, a WTRU may establish a RRC connection between the WTRU and a network. The RRC connection may establish a first radio interface between the WTRU and a first serving site of the network and a second radio interface between the WTRU and a second serving site of the network. The RRC connection may be established between the WTRU and the MeNB and a control function may be established between the WTRU and the SCeNB. The WTRU may receive data from the network over the first radio interface or the second radio interface.
US09113432B2
Systems, apparatus and methods for a mobile device and a base station almanac server to throttle crowdsourcing information are presented. The crowdsourcing information is used to improve a location of a base station in a base station almanac. A portion of the base station almanac is provided to a mobile device. For example, the mobile device may identify its current cell and request the base station almanac. The mobile device records crowdsourcing information to identify, for each particular base station of at least one base station, a cellular identifier for the particular base station, optional ranging information between the particular base station and the mobile device, and an independent position of the mobile device. The independent position of the mobile device may be formed from global navigation satellite system (GNSS) or station signals independent of the at least one base station.
US09113425B2
Provided is a communication device which can handle variation in transmission power accompanying switching of a modulation system.Included are: a receiving unit which receives a signal for which modulation according to a modulation system including a first modulation system and a second modulation system is performed based on modulation system designation information by an external transmission device, demodulates the received signal based on modulation system control information, and outputs the received data; a reception level measurement unit which measures a signal level of the signal, and outputs a reception level; an information extracting unit which outputs the modulation system control information based on the received data; a designation information output unit which outputs the modulation system designation information according to a modulation system switching threshold which was set based on a transmission power variation width which is a variation width when transmission power at a time when the signal is transmitted by the transmission device varies before and after switching of the modulation system between the first modulation system and the second modulation system by the transmission device; and a transmission unit which transmits the modulation system designation information to the transmission device.
US09113423B2
In methods and devices GNSS reception quality can be used to determine the maximum output power of a Home UE, i.e. a UE served by home base station and is based on the insight that GNSS reception quality may be used for estimation of the interference caused by transmissions of an HUE on an existing network. The power of the HUE need be restricted to keep interference within limit. The estimation of the interference, and the determination of the HUE maximum output power, is based on the GNSS reception quality in the HUE, or the GNSS reception quality in the HBS or on a combination of the GNSS reception in the HUE and the HBS. In one embodiment a combined metric based on the GNSS reception quality and one or more cellular radio measurement is used to determine the maximum output power of the HUE. The GNSS reception quality measurements and the cellular measurements used for deriving the combined metric can be performed in the HUE and/or in the HBS or in both. Hereby a number of advantages over current systems and methods can be achieved. For example, the interference from the HUE (served by the home BS) to other cellular network e.g. macro network or relay nodes is reduced. The GNSS or A-GNSS receiver in the UE and/or home BS are exploited for setting an appropriate maximum output power of the HUE. The HUE served by the home BS is able to operate at its maximum possible output power level whenever possible without significantly generating interference towards the surrounding network.
US09113422B2
An information format and apparatus used by a base station to make a scheduling decision when the base station allocates resource to a terminal in a mobile communication system are provided. Operations of a terminal to report a maximum transmission power accurately to the base station in a scheduling process are also provided. A method for calculating a maximum transmit power in a constant manner regardless of a channel status is also provided.
US09113419B2
Methods and apparatus for transmitting power setting information in a downlink Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH) in a communication system. In this communication system, a plurality of methods for calculating traffic-to-pilot ratios (T2P) are established. In addition, a mapping scheme between a plurality of overhead signals and a plurality of reference signal (RS) overhead ratios, ηRS, and the plurality of T2P calculation methods is established. A user-specific T2P ratio PB,k/PRS for certain OFDM symbols, a RS overhead ratio ηRS and a calculation method selected from the plurality of T2P calculation methods are assigned to a wireless terminal. Then, an overhead signal corresponding to both of the assigned RS overhead ratio ηRS and the assigned T2P calculation method is selected in accordance with the mapping scheme and is transmitted to the wireless terminal. In addition, the user-specific traffic-to-pilot ratio PB,k/PRS is transmitted to the wireless terminal. The wireless terminal may calculate the traffic-to-pilot ratios across different transmission antennas and different OFDM symbols in dependence upon the received traffic-to-pilot ratio PB,k/PRS, and the RS overhead ratio and the T2P calculation method indicated by the RS overhead signal.
US09113415B2
Apparatus and systems, as well as methods and articles, may operate to enter an idle state of a wireless device for a selected amount of time responsive to a combined clear channel assessment indication.
US09113414B2
A standby method for a handheld mobile terminal includes acquiring a physical state parameter of the terminal when it is determined that a handheld mobile terminal is in a no-operation state. It can be judged whether the physical state parameter satisfies a corresponding preset standby condition. The terminal is controlled to immediately enter a standby state when the physical state parameter satisfies the corresponding preset standby condition.
US09113399B2
A method for searching for a radio cell is provided comprising determining, for each of a plurality of frequencies, a reception strength value indicating the reception strength within a first bandwidth around the frequency, wherein the first bandwidth is smaller than a second bandwidth with which a radio cell to be searched is operated; determining, based on the determined reception strength values, a spectral position for a radio cell at which a cell search is to be carried out; and carrying out a cell search at the determined spectral position.
US09113398B2
Systems and methods for channel scanning for multirole device are disclosed. One implementation relates to a method for servicing functions by a multirole device. The method comprises dividing a channel scan over a plurality of channels into a plurality of channel scan time periods, and repeatedly time division multiplexing a time period for the servicing of one of a station (STA) function and an access point (AP) function, a time period for the servicing of the other of the STA function and the AP function, and a channel scan time period for each of the plurality of channel scan time periods.
US09113391B2
A mobile terminal comprising: a positioning module arranged to determine a geographical location of the mobile terminal; a local transceiver for connecting to local wireless access networks; and processing apparatus for communicating with a first, packet-based network by forming connections with the wireless local area networks using the local transceiver. The processing apparatus is configured to determine measures of connection quality experienced by the mobile terminal on ones of the connections, and to record the determined measures in a database associating measures of connection quality with geographical locations. The processing apparatus is further configured to control activation of the local transceiver to scan for subsequent availability of one or more of the wireless local area networks, in dependence on one or more of the measures of connection quality and associated geographical locations in the database relative to the geographical location of the mobile terminal as determined by the positioning module.
US09113388B1
A first base station receives a first message comprising one or more parameters indicating whether a wireless device supports configuration of a number of channel state information (CSI) processes. The first base station transmits at least one second message comprising configuration parameters of CSI reference signals. The first base station transmits, to a second base station after making a handover decision, at least one third message comprising at least one of the one or more parameters and the configuration parameters of the CSI reference signals.
US09113382B2
A mobile station for receiving delay-sensitive data from a wireless communications network is provided with a data buffer and cell reselection controller. The data buffer receives data from the network and stores the data for communication to a delay-sensitive data application. The cell reselection controller selectively inhibits cell reselection in order to meet requirements of the delay-sensitive data application. By intelligently controlling cell reselection, delay sensitive data may be received in a more reliable fashion, thereby increasing performance of the data application.
US09113381B2
An apparatus and method for performing handover in a multiple component carrier system. In an aspect, a method of a target Base Station (BS) performing handover in a multiple component carrier system includes receiving service state information, including information about at least one candidate cell, from a source BS through a handover request message, calculating a final determination value for determining a final cell for a User Equipment (UE) which is a subject of the handover based on the service state information, selecting the final cell by comparing the final determination value and the information about the candidate cell, and sending a handover request Acknowledgement (ACK) message, including information about the selected final cell, to the source BS.
US09113373B2
Aspects disclosed herein relate to enabling specification of different bit rates in each direction for NFC peer communications. In one example, a target NFC device may be configured to receive a parameter selection request including a first bit rate value to be used for transmissions from an initiator NFC device to the target NFC device and a second bit rate value to be used in the other direction, and to function in either a first or a second target sub-state based on the first bit rate value. In another example, an initiator NFC device may be configured to determine a first bit rate value to be used for transmissions from an initiator NFC device to a target NFC device and a second bit rate value to be used in the other direction, and to transmit the first and second bit rate values in a parameter selection request message.
US09113366B2
A method including collecting position information indicating a position of an area to which a wireless communication service is not provided, transmitting the position information from the mobile terminal to a wireless base station using a random access procedure for setting up a communication channel between the wireless base station and the mobile station, and identifying the area which is within a cell range of the wireless base station and to which the wireless communication service is not provided.
US09113364B2
An extended wireless access point may have many distributed radio units connected to associated processing units via a radio transmission network comprising commodity switches controlled by one or more network controllers. The one or more network controllers may use a load balancing algorithm to select a processing unit to process a signal received by a distributed radio unit. The radio units may receive a wireless signal, and generate compressed samples of the wireless signal for transport via the radio transmission network and processing by a selected processing unit. Similarly, a processing unit may generate and transmit via the radio transmission network compressed samples for decompression and transmission by a radio unit.
US09113356B2
A method of preparing data packets for transport over a telecommunications transport network is disclosed. The data packets relate to different ones of a plurality of services. The method includes inspecting each of the data packets to identify the service to which the data packet relates. The identified service of the packet is mapped to a Quality of Service (QoS) type. A bandwidth profiling scheme is applied to the data packets, the profiling scheme identifying and marking each data packet according to whether or not the data packet conforms with a predetermined committed information rate for the QoS type. The marked data packets are forwarded for transport through the transport network. Related devices are also disclosed.
US09113355B2
A method of handling signaling and data transmission for machine-type communication (MTC) for a network node in a mobile communication environment is disclosed. The method comprises receiving a non-access stratum (NAS) request message from a mobile communication device when the network control node is congested; and sending a trigger delivery failure report to a network gateway node in the core network to reject a trigger request message received from the network gateway node for triggering the mobile communication device.
US09113354B2
Systems and methods are presented for effectively utilizing a Backhaul link shared by two or more wireless system Operators, such that data rates from multiple Core Network data sources to the shared Backhaul link, and data rates from multiple sets of Subscriber Stations to the shared Backhaul link, are controlled so that a combined downlink rate substantially does not exceed a predetermined Backhaul data rate, and a combined uplink rate substantially does not exceed a predetermined Backhaul data rate, thereby preventing an overloading of the shared Backhaul link. Further, communication rates of different data sets within the downstream and upstream, respectively, are dynamically altered to provide best overall service within the downstream and upstream, respectively, while not overloading the shared Backhaul link.
US09113353B1
A non-transitory processor-readable medium stores code to cause a processor to receive a performance indicator associated with a first mode. The code causes the processor to calculate, using the performance indicator associated with the first mode, a first metric value associated with a first metric and an objective of the first mode. The code causes the processor to calculate, using the first metric value, a second metric value associated with a second metric and an objective of a second mode. The second metric value partially compensates for a change in a performance indicator associated with the second mode when the first metric value is implemented. The code causes the processor to send a signal associated with the first metric value and a signal associated with the second metric value to an antenna module such that the antenna module implements the first metric value and the second metric value.
US09113343B2
A method of determining the location of a mobile device is provided. The method receives a signal with a known radio transmission pattern at the mobile device from each of several transmitting devices. The method correlates each received signal with a corresponding signal that has a same known radio transmission pattern to determine the time the signal traveled between the corresponding transmitting device and the mobile device. The method determines the location of the mobile device based on the time the signal travelled between the corresponding transmitting device and the mobile device. In some embodiments, determining the location of the mobile device does not require calculating a distance between the mobile device and any of the transmitting devices. In some embodiments determining the location of the mobile device includes solving a function that is dependent on the time the signals traveled between each corresponding transmitting device and the mobile device.
US09113332B2
A method and apparatus are provided for managing authentication of a user of a telecommunications network of an operator. The method includes the following steps: on receipt of a request for access to a service provided by the operator of this network by the user, issuing a request for identification of an authentication server destined for an authentication location server, the request including at least one identifier of the user; and on receipt of a response comprising an identifier of an authentication server associated with the identifier of the user, issuing a request for authentication of the user at the server identified for the requested service.
US09113331B2
An identifier, required by a radio access network controller in order to support resource allocation associated with a predetermined condition, is sent from a core network to the radio access network controller independently of the predetermined condition. The identifier is thus available to the radio access network controller for verification of mobile user identity, regardless of whether it is needed to support resource allocation. A radio access network controller can receive an identifier in a communication sent by a core network according to a communication protocol. The radio access network controller terminates the communication protocol to access the communication, and uses the identifier for verification of mobile user identity.
US09113329B2
A method for prompting the user to scan a radio token in proximity with a mobile device and detecting, via a radio token compatible mechanism within the mobile device, when the radio token passes within a communications distance from the radio token compatible device. So as to provide future indication of the approximate location of the radio token in relation to the mobile device.
US09113319B2
Provided is a method of generating a user-oriented virtual private community without the need for a server. The method includes generating a first virtual private community for a predetermined user including at least one communication device of the predetermined user.
US09113318B2
Management of multiple subscriber identity modules by a server is disclosed. The server includes one or more processors, and one or more memories storing instructions, that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the server, for each subscriber identity module belonging to a set of subscriber identity modules of a user of a mobile terminal, to: cause an analysis on use of the subscriber identity module; cause a prediction of a future activity status change of the subscriber identity module on the basis of the analysis; and cause an action affecting the activity status of the subscriber identity module on the basis of the prediction.
US09113311B2
A user device may receive a portion of multicast content and may obtain transmission information associated with the portion of the multicast content. The transmission information may identify parameters or radio conditions under which the portion of the multicast content is being received by the user device. The user device may provide, to a server device, the transmission information, and may receive content that remedies a condition, associated with the portion of the multicast content. The condition may be detected, by the server device, based on the transmission information.
US09113294B2
A method for positioning an IP location and a server are provided. The method comprises: obtaining location data of mobile terminals used by a plurality of users in a preset period to generate a first geographic location data set; pre-processing the first geographic location data set to obtain a second geographic location data set; obtaining a first selected location and a second selected location of each user according to the second geographic location data set; obtaining IP address data corresponding to fixed terminals used by the plurality of users to generate an IP address data set; pre-processing the IP address data set to obtain a plurality of IP sections; obtaining a plurality of first selected locations and second selected locations corresponding to the users of each IP section; and clustering the plurality of first selected locations and second selected locations to obtain the IP location of the IP section. The present disclosure achieves an IP positioning precision on a street level and has advantageous of simple arrangement and fast response speed.
US09113290B2
Techniques for facilitating wireless communications include receiving a registration request (such as a mobile internet protocol MIP registration request, and transmitting, based on the received registration request, an accounting message indicating support of an accounting mode. The accounting mode may, for example, include performing accounting for a mobile station at a packet data serving node (PDSN) that is serving the mobile station.
US09113288B2
A system and method of communicating using a vehicle telematics unit and an in-vehicle audio system includes detecting a vehicle event at the vehicle telematics unit; terminating any existing short-range wireless connections between the vehicle telematics unit and wireless devices carried by a vehicle occupant; establishing a short-range wireless connection between the vehicle telematics unit and the in-vehicle audio system; and providing communications between the vehicle occupant and a central facility using the short-range wireless connection established between the vehicle telematics unit and the in-vehicle audio system.
US09113286B1
Technologies for network and device management are disclosed. A described technique includes mapping a local network associated with a user to create a network map of one or more discovered devices that are communicatively coupled with the local network; determining device information about the one or more discovered devices, the device information including one or more device identifications corresponding to the one or more discovered devices; storing the network map and the device information in a profile associated with the user; and providing a centralized management interface for managing the one or more discovered devices. The interface can be configured to present information including the network map, the device information, and one or more notifications. The one or more notifications can be based on an analysis of the device information and the network map.
US09113285B2
The present invention relates to a method for transmitting/receiving control information for an M2M device, and a device for same. A method of transmitting Machine to machine (M2M) device control information from a base station in a wireless communication system according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: transmitting a first message including at least one M2M identifier (ID) field to the at least one M2M device; and transmitting at least one second message including resource allocation information for the at least one M2M device to the at least one M2M device. The first and second messages have different types of formats.
US09113277B2
An implantable hearing prosthesis for a recipient patient is described. An implantable receiving coil transcutaneously receives an externally generated communication data signal. An implantable signal processor is in communication with the receiving coil and converts the communication data signal into an electrical stimulation signal. An implantable transducer housing is fixedly attachable to skull bone of the patient. An implantable drive transducer is in communication with the signal processor and removably engageable with the transducer housing for applying to the transducer housing a mechanical vibration signal based on the electrical stimulation signal for audio perception by the patient.
US09113263B2
A microphone includes a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) circuit and an integrated circuit. The MEMS circuit is configured to convert a voice signal into an electrical signal, and the integrated circuit is coupled to the MEMS circuit and is configured to receive the electrical signal. The integrated circuit and the MEMS circuit receive a clock signal from an external host. The clock signal is effective to cause the MEMS circuit and integrated circuit to operate in full system operation mode during a first time period and in a voice activity mode of operation during a second time period. The voice activity mode has a first power consumption and the full system operation mode has a second power consumption. The first power consumption is less than the second power consumption. The integrated circuit is configured to generate an interrupt upon the detection of voice activity, and send the interrupt to the host.
US09113261B2
To provide an insulator, which supports a fixed pole in a unidirectional condenser microphone in a shareable manner among microphones that are different in the distance between acoustic terminals from one another. Coarse adjustment is performed on an insulator 31 including a plurality of sound holes 32 drilled therein by acoustically closing a predetermined sound hole 32 among the plurality of sound holes 32 by a predetermined sound hole closing means, and fine adjustment is performed by applying a predetermined amount of compressive force to an acoustic resistance member 40 by an acoustic resistance adjusting means 50 (adjustment nut 51), so as to adjust acoustic resistance present in a sound wave passage from a rear acoustic terminal to the back of a diaphragm.
US09113256B2
An acoustic playback system including a digital filter; and a plurality of digital modulators each of which output a digital signal to one of a plurality of speakers configured with speakers driven by digital signals having different play back bandwidths; wherein the digital filter converts a digital audio signal which is input into a plurality of digital audio signals of a plurality of frequency bandwidths corresponding to play back bandwidths of the plurality of speakers, and outputs each of the digital audio signals of the plurality of frequency bandwidths to one of the plurality of digital modulators; each of the plurality of digital modulators outputs the modulated digital signal to the speaker of a play back bandwidth corresponding to a frequency bandwidth of the digital audio signal which is input by performing miss match shaping after noise shaping to a digital audio signal which is input; and each number of bits of a digital signal which is output by each of the digital modulators is different is provided.
US09113254B2
An earbud (100) includes an acoustic duct (201) and a driver sub-housing (202). The acoustic duct and driver sub-housing can be integrally manufactured via a two-shot injection molding process. The acoustic duct can be rigid while the driver sub-housing is flexible and/or pliant to flex when the acoustic duct pivots relative to the driver sub-housing.
US09113252B2
A waterproof ear-jack connector includes: an ear-jack connector housing, a contact terminal, and a baffle. The ear-jack connector housing is disposed with a space running through the ear-jack connector housing, the space is used for accommodating an earphone plug; the baffle is located at a tail opening of the ear-jack connector housing, and tightly contacts the tail opening of the ear-jack connector housing, so as to seal the tail opening of the ear-jack connector housing; the contact terminal tightly presses against an inner wall of the space, and passes through from a hole disposed on the baffle; and the shape of the hole matches a cross section of the contact terminal, so that the hole is plugged by the contact terminal. The ear-jack connector itself is equipped with a waterproof function, thereby facilitating the thinning of an electronic product.
US09113247B2
A device and a method reduce direction dependent spatial noise. The device includes a plurality of microphones for measuring an acoustic input signal from an acoustic source. The plurality of microphones form at least one monaural pair and at least one binaural pair. Directional signal processing circuitry is provided for obtaining, from the input signal, at least one monaural directional signal and at least one binaural directional signal. A target signal level estimator estimates a target signal level by combining at least one of the monaural directional signals and at least one of the binaural directional signals, which at least one monaural directional signal and at least one binaural directional signal mutually have a maximum response in a direction of the acoustic source. A noise signal level estimator estimates a noise signal level by combining at least one of the monaural directional signals and at least one of the binaural directional signals, which at least one monaural directional signal and at least one binaural directional signal mutually have a minimum sensitivity in the direction of the acoustic source.
US09113245B2
A headset or earphone is provided, having an electro-acoustic reproduction transducer with an oscillator coil arranged in an axis. An amplifier is coupled to the electro-acoustic reproduction transducer. The headset or earphone also has a magnetic interference sensor for measuring a magnetic interference field. A correction unit, for analyzing an output of the magnetic interference sensor and for producing a compensation signal, is coupled to the magnetic interference sensor. In addition, the headset or earphone also includes an adding unit for adding the compensation signal to an input signal and for outputting the result to the amplifier.
US09113233B2
At least a first image, such as a motion video image, is prepared for integration with at least a second image, such as a motion video image and/or a still image. The first image may be a barker, and the second image may be a menu or programming guide. To prepare the first image for integration, a first compressed image is formed, restricted to a first region of a first image area by representing at least one segment of a first image within the first region with a reference to another segment of the first image within the first region. The second image may also be prepared for integration by forming a second compressed image. The second compressed image may be restricted to a second region of a second image area by representing at least one segment of the second image within the second region with a reference to another segment of the second image within the second region. The first and second images are combined by selecting a portion of the first compressed image, selecting a portion of the second compressed image, and combining the selected portions to form an integrated image.
US09113221B2
An apparatus, method and data structure for generating at least one table in a broadcast environment, are provided. The apparatus includes a generator to generate an event information table (EIT) and an extended text table (ETT). The ETT has program guide information for an n-hour span and has a transmission interval. The ETT has a transmission interval and program description information according to the EIT. The transmission interval of the EIT is shorter than the transmission interval of the ETT.
US09113220B2
An electronic program guide (EPG) for facilitating obtaining copies of selected programs includes a plurality of program listings, the program listings including listings for previously broadcast programs available for downloading to a user's recording device, programs currently being broadcast available for downloading to the user's recording device, and programs which may be recorded on the user's recording device during a future broadcast of the programs. This EPG merges two models of distribution for broadcast content (e.g., EPGs) and video on demand (VOD) systems (e.g., video catalogs) to address the problem of acquiring a recording of a program that was broadcast in the past. The EPG of the present invention provides a combined, unified user interface whereby a user may easily obtain a copy of any one or more of past, current, or future programs.
US09113212B2
A system and method for time-shifted viewing of broadcast television programs is disclosed. Simultaneous recording and playback are provided by using buffer storage as the source and destination of compressed or uncompressed digital video/audio programs. Full VCR-like control is provided for all playback within the buffer storage. Playback and control of recorded programs may be initiated by the user at any time after initiation of the broadcast program with simultaneous continuous recording of the ongoing live broadcast. Larger archival storage and removable is also provided for storing and building a library of programs. Viewer playback control data may be stored as part of the program or used as edit points prior to archival. Numerous options are provided for features such as continuous automatic recording in a circular buffer fashion, program archival editing, Internet interfaces, multiple-channel recording and more.
US09113209B2
A television signals receiver for receives and stores television signals encoded at a variable data rate. Time information is generated based on the time of receipt of the signals that defines the duration of the television signals when output in decompressed form at a substantially constant data rate. The received signals are then written to a file on a hard disk 13 in received order together with the time information. The time information of signals stored in the file is monitored and old signals are deleted from the file such that the file stores signals corresponding to a predetermined period of time.
US09113183B2
Systems and methods for monitoring and updating user availability based upon presence and television viewing behavior are described herein. In one embodiment, a presence system is used to detect a user's presence to update the user's availability status. The availability status is then used to update a contact list, voicemail message, and/or busy message. In further embodiments, user preferences are used in combination with presence data to update the user's availability status. In still further embodiments, a user's television viewing behavior is used in combination with the presence data, user preferences, or both to update the user's availability status. Alternative embodiments provide systems and methods in accordance with the present invention for other interactive devices.
US09113180B2
An apparatus, method and data structure for generating at least one table in a broadcast environment, are provided. The apparatus includes a generator to generate an event information table (EIT) and an extended text table (ETT). The ETT has program guide information for an n-hour span and has a transmission interval. The ETT has a transmission interval and program description information according to the EIT. The transmission interval of the EIT is shorter than the transmission interval of the ETT.
US09113174B2
A predictive coding apparatus which performs predictive coding for each picture forming a moving picture, comprising: a prediction processing unit configured to perform prediction processing for each predetermined block unit of a picture to be coded, a transformation unit adapted to orthogonally transform and quantize a result of the prediction processing by the prediction processing unit to generate multi-valued data, a binarization unit configured to convert the multi-valued data into binary data, a detection unit configured to detect an amount of the binary data, a coding unit configured to perform arithmetically coding of the binary data to create coded data, and a multiplexing unit configured to multiplex, onto the coded data, information indicating the amount of the binary data detected by the detection unit to generate a coded data stream.
US09113166B2
An apparatus and method for video encoding/decoding considering impulse signal are disclosed. The method for video encoding includes generating a predicted block from predicting a current block and subtracting the predicted block from the current block to generate an M×N residual block, and encoding an A×B residual block containing residual signals of an impulsive component in the M×N residual block to generate a bitstream. The apparatus and the method of the present disclosure improve coding efficiency by efficiently encoding or decoding the residual signals of the impulse component in encoding or decoding videos.
US09113161B2
Provided is a video system equipped with a video display apparatus and video viewing glasses used for viewing a video displayed on the video display apparatus. The video display apparatus includes: a display section for displaying the video; a synchronizing signal generator for generating an external synchronizing signal in synchronism with the video to notify a display end of a frame constituting the video in synchronism with the video; and a synchronizing signal transmitter for transmitting the external synchronizing signal to the video viewing glasses. The video viewing glasses include: a synchronizing signal receiver for receiving the external synchronizing signal; an optical filter section having a pair of optical filters for adjusting light amounts to be transmitted to left and right eyes of a viewer, respectively; and an optical filter controller for controlling the optical filter section in response to the external synchronizing signal.
US09113158B2
A method of driving a display panel includes outputting a data voltage of a first-eye data frame to a plurality of data lines of the display panel in a first normal frame, and outputting a partial line data voltage of the first-eye data frame to a first partial line of the plurality of data lines of the display panel in a first partial frame, where a polarity of the partial line data voltage of the first-eye data frame in the first partial frame is substantially the same as a polarity of the data voltage of the first-eye data frame outputted to the first partial line of the plurality of data lines in the first normal frame, and where an interval of the first partial frame is less than an interval of the first normal frame.
US09113157B2
The display device includes: a display unit configured to display a combined image formed by dividing a plurality of different images into divided images and arranging the divided images in a predetermined order; a separating unit configured to separate the plurality of images included in the combined image; and a correcting unit configured to correct the gray scale data of a pixel that displays one of the plurality of images included in the combined image that the viewer is supposed to see, wherein the correcting unit includes: a shift amount generating unit configured to generate a shift amount used to adjust the gray scale data of each pixel that displays one of the plurality of images included in the combined image; and a determining unit configured to determine a correction amount used to correct the gray scale data using the shift amount generated by the shift amount generating unit.
US09113156B2
A display device includes: a light source which emits light; a light deflector having a deflection region in which the light from the light source is deflected toward a predetermined position; a liquid crystal panel on which the image is formed by the light from the light deflector; and a control unit which determines a total number of right and left eyes of one or more users and controls operation of the light deflector based on the determined total number of right and left eyes, wherein the control unit segments the deflection region into a plurality of deflection subregions based on the determined total number of right and left eyes and controls light deflection in the deflection subregions to deflect the light from the light source toward different positions at the same time.
US09113150B2
A system and method for recording a collaborative session includes two phases. One is performed in real-time and includes determining portions of a composite image of collaborative session content that are constant over time or preprocessed. The portions are removed from the composite image of the collaborative session content. Remaining content of the composite image and any of the portions not already compressed is compressed and stored. A second phase is performed when off-line and includes decoding the remaining content of the composite image and the portions to reconstruct the composite image of the collaborative session content and formatting the composite image.
US09113145B2
Apparatus and a method for matching contrast between images of a stereo image pair. A first contrast value corresponding to first pixel information of first image is determined and a second contrast value corresponding to second pixel information of second image is determined. The first and second contrast values are compared and the image having the lower contrast value is selected for compensation. A tone mapping function is generated and applied to the pixel information corresponding to the selected image for generating compensated image pixel information corresponding to the selected image.
US09113141B2
A determination and query is performed on wireless channel on which video data is transmitted from a transmitting wireless display or WiDi device. Based on a channel capacity and implementing an algorithm, the encoding bit rate at the transmitting WiDi device. is adaptively adjusted based on the determined channel capacity.
US09113134B2
A display control apparatus: in a virtual three-dimensional space in which is disposed a three-dimensional model of an object contained in a moving image picked up by performing successive imaging operations once by using an imaging device, draws a plurality of thumbnail images extracted from the moving image to the respective positions of the imaging device at the time when the thumbnail images were picked up and draws information that relates the thumbnail images in order in which they were picked up, thereby generating a bird's eye-display image which provides a bird's-eye-view drawing of the virtual three-dimensional space containing the three-dimensional model and the thumbnail images; and causes a display unit to display the bird's eye-display image.
US09113125B2
In one embodiment, an apparatus may include a processor circuit and a keyframe indexing module that is operative on the processor circuit to map sensor data from a first sensor to a set of video data, where the sensor data and video data correspond to an event. The keyframe indexing module may be further operative on the processor circuit to identify one or more key portions of the set of sensor data, index the one or more key portions to respective mapped one or more video frames of the video data, and generate a first keyframe index to identify the one or more video frames.
US09113124B2
A method of providing one or more snapshots extracted from video footage includes displaying a first image in a first display area. The first image is associated with a first capture time. The method also includes displaying a first plurality of preview images in a second display area. The first plurality of preview images are associated with times prior to the first capture time. The method further includes displaying a second plurality of preview images in a third display area. The second plurality of preview images are associated with times subsequent to the first capture time. Moreover, the method includes selecting at least one of the first image, one of the first plurality of preview images, or one of the second plurality of preview images and saving the selected image to a memory.
US09113123B2
A communication apparatus includes a communication unit that outputs a predetermined request for acquiring a predetermined logical address acquired by an external apparatus to the external apparatus, and a control unit that controls the communication unit to transmit a command using the predetermined logical address acquired from the external apparatus, wherein the predetermined logical address is related to a device type of the communication apparatus.
US09113120B2
According to one embodiment, an image processing apparatus includes an acquisition unit, a clustering unit, a detection unit, and a correction unit. The acquisition unit is configured to acquire a moving image including a plurality of frames. The clustering unit is configured to cluster frames having a similar scene to the same group in the moving image. The detection unit is configured to detect at least one object region from each frame clustered to the same group, and to calculate a color distribution of the object region of the each frame. The correction unit is configured to select a typical color distribution of the object region from the color distribution of the each frame, and to correct a color of the each frame clustered to the same group, based on the typical color distribution.
US09113113B2
The spatial frequency analysis contained in the compressed image is used not only for decompression of images but also for the selection of an appropriate gamut mapping algorithm. Computation resources are then saved because no specific spatial frequency analysis is required for the selection of an appropriate gamut mapping algorithm.
US09113097B2
An image capturing apparatus is provided. A synchronizing signal generation unit generates a short-term vertical synchronizing signal VDS and a long-term vertical synchronizing signal VDL, one cycle of which is equal to N cycles of VDS. An exposure control unit performs short-term exposure and long-term exposure for the predetermined number of lines of an image sensor according to VDS and VDL. The exposure control unit starts a read operation of pixel signals for a long-term exposure line in synchronism with VDL, and starts a read operation of pixel signals for a short-term exposure line in synchronism with VDS, which does not overlap a read period Fr_L Readout of pixel signals of a long-term exposure line.
US09113089B2
Methods to generate, and devices to use, an adaptive tone curve generation operation are disclosed. Tone curves so generated have been found to produce stable tone mapping in a wide range of operational environments, including during multi-exposure fused images (e.g., during high dynamic range image fusion). In general, techniques are disclosed that use a content-load histogram in combination with image capture device noise information to adaptively bound a tone curve's slope and, therefore, the resulting tone curve. As used here, a content-load histogram is a histogram that captures spatial, color or other information carried by an image's pixels at various gray levels.
US09113088B2
Provided is a photographing apparatus including: first and second light sources that respectively transmit a first light having a first spectral radiant characteristic and a second light having a second spectral radiant characteristic; an image device that captures an image of a subject by using the transmitted lights sources; a storage unit that stores a first reference output ratio corresponding to the first light and a second reference output ratio corresponding to the second light; and a determiner that determines a regular reflection area of the light sources by using a first captured image acquired by capturing an image of the subject by using the first light, a second captured image acquired by capturing an image of the subject by using the second light, the first reference output ratio, and the second reference output ratio.
US09113086B2
A multi-step exposed image acquisition method by an electronic shutter and a photography apparatus using the same are provided. The photography apparatus includes a controller configured to divide an image sensor into a plurality of areas and separately control an exposure time with respect to the plurality of areas of the image sensor and a display configured to display an image on which the exposure times for the areas has been controlled. Accordingly, a multi-step exposed image can be acquired from an image having varying brightness.
US09113081B2
Included is a flat box shaped housing 1 having, on a main surface 1a thereof, a rectangular image display surface 2. Two images whose vertical directions are different from each other by 90 degrees are displayed on the image display surface 2. An imaging sensor 5 is disposed at a portion surrounding the image display surface 2, at a part away from center lines of the image display surface 2 in the height direction and the width direction. An optical axis of the imaging sensor 5 is tilted toward a reference point located on a perpendicular line that perpendicularly intersects the image display surface 2 at the center of the image display surface 2. With the above described configuration, an image captured from a fine angle is obtained.
US09113078B2
Methods and apparatuses are disclosed to correct for tilt and/or perspective distortion in image capture devices. In some embodiments, the method may include reading an orientation measurement associated with a relative position of an image capture device with respect to an object, determining if the orientation measurement is less than a threshold, and in the event that the orientation measurement is less than the threshold, correcting an image obtained by the image capture device. In some embodiments, the apparatus may include an image sensor, a memory coupled to the image sensor, an orientation measurement device coupled to the image sensor, and a distance measurement device coupled to the image sensor, where the image data may be stored in the memory along with a measurement from the accelerometer and along with a measurement from the distance measurement device.
US09113073B2
An imaging apparatus includes a display unit, a touch panel, a frame display controller, an imaging controller. The frame display controller displays a frame for focus on the display unit if an operation portion approaches the touch panel, and moves the frame for focus in accordance with the movement of the operation portion that approaches the touch panel. The imaging controller performs focusing on the subject in the frame for focus and then performs imaging in response to a photography instruction.
US09113071B2
An imaging device includes a display unit which displays an image, a focus unit which detects a focus deviation, and a display controller which causes the display unit to display a composite image in which a first image of a region of at least a portion of a second image of the image data, and the second image are superposed and combined. The region is in a position in accordance with the focus deviation.
US09113066B2
Disclosed herein is an imaging device including an imaging lens; a microlens array section; an imaging element; and a transporting section adapted to transport the microlens array section.
US09113057B2
Technologies that enable correcting for the non-linear relationship between scene irradiance and digital pixel intensity values of an image of the scene produced by a camera. Imaging noise is used as a signal from which a corrective function is derived. Noise distributions from the image are evaluated to determine the radiometric response function of the camera, from which an inverse response function is computed and used for calibration.
US09113056B2
An image capturing apparatus includes a temporary image accumulating unit in which still images are stored, the still images being captured automatically and continuously regardless of an instruction of a user; an image capturing timing data storage unit in which image capturing timing data is stored, the image capturing timing data including speech information based on sound data and delay time information which are associated with each other; an image capturing timing data specifying unit specifying image capturing timing data containing speech information corresponding to the sound data from the plurality of image capturing timing data; a sound event detecting unit detecting a sound event from the sound data; and a temporary image selecting unit selecting the still image captured at a time before the sound event from the temporary image accumulating unit based on the sound event and the delay time of the specified image capturing timing data.
US09113045B2
An electronic endoscopic apparatus includes an endoscopic scope, an imaging device provided in the endoscopic scope, a signal processing unit processing a captured image signal obtained by the imaging device to generate an observation image, a monitor device displaying the observation image, and a control unit controlling the signal processing unit to generate a high definition observation image and a high sensitivity observation image as the observation image, in which the control unit makes the signal processing unit generate the high sensitivity observation image at the time of screening the inside of the biological body, and generate the high definition observation image at the time of precise inspecting for an interest area in the body.
US09113028B2
An image processing apparatus capable of executing loop playback of a video from a start position desired by a system user without requiring setting thereof in advance. A button displayed on a console section shifts a playback position of the video to a desired position according to an operation by a user. A comparative determination section determines whether or not a shifted playback position shifted backward. When the shifted playback position shifted backward, a video controller stores the shifted playback position as a start position of a loop playback section and the playback position before being shifted as an end position of the same, and gives an instruction for controlling loop playback of the loop playback section defined by the start position and the end position.
US09113026B2
According to one aspect, embodiments herein provide a CCD sensor comprising a pixel array having a first segment configured to produce a first tap signal responsive to receipt of electromagnetic radiation from a scene to be imaged, a second segment configured to produce a second tap signal responsive to receipt of the electromagnetic radiation from the scene, a region of interest including a portion of the first segment adjacent the second segment and a portion of the second segment adjacent the first segment, and a processor configured to receive the first and second tap signals, perform level correction on one of the first and second tap signals based on magnitudes of the first and second tap signals, and perform gain correction on one of the first and second tap signals based on a comparison between magnitudes of the first and second tap signals corresponding to the region of interest.
US09113010B2
A portable hand-held device is provided having an image sensor for capturing images, and a processor chip for image processing the images captured by the image sensor. The processor chip has an on-chip interface for receiving the captured images and four interconnected processing units configured to process the received images.
US09113004B2
A method for performing auto-cleaning in a printer, which is designed for printing on a substrate, may include periodically printing an auto-cleaner print on the substrate in a predetermined frequency. The method may also include scanning the auto-cleaner print to obtain scanned image data of the auto-cleaner print. The method may further include analyzing the scanned image data to determine extent of presence of artifacts indicative of dirt or ink residue. The method may also include based on the extent of presence of the artifacts modifying the frequency.
US09113003B2
A sheet loading device including a document feeder, an image reading unit, an image forming, a discharge member, and a combined tray. The combined tray functions as a document feeding tray which loads the document to feed to the image reading unit when the combined tray is opened, and the combined tray functions as the discharge tray which loads the recording medium when the combined tray is closed.
US09113002B2
A method for identifying relevant information of an object using a mobile terminal that has a built-in camera, a processor, and memory for storing programs to be executed by the processor is provided. The method includes automatically generating a plurality of image frames while the built-in camera pointing at the object; automatically transmitting one or more of the plurality of image frames to a remote server, wherein different transmitted image frames satisfy distinct predefined conditions; receiving information from the server when at least one of the transmitted image frames matches an image stored at the server, wherein the image corresponds to the object and is associated with information relevant to the object; and displaying the information relevant to the object at the mobile terminal.
US09112998B1
Methods, media, and network devices are provided for detecting errors in caller identifier records. A caller name provider is identified for a terminating endpoint that is a recipient of a communication from a transmitting device. The caller name provider receives queries for caller identifier information that will be transmitted to the terminating endpoint. The caller name provider returns records having the caller identifiers in response to the queries. When the records contain an error, the caller name providers receive update requests from a calling party of the transmitting device. The update requests include changes to the records that correct the errors.
US09112997B2
A method for operating a user communication device (18a, 18b, 19a, 19b), and a program and user communication device that operate in accordance with that method. An interface (2d, 2b, 23, 22) of the communication device (18a, 18b, 19a, 19b) is operated to enter identifiers identifying respective calling sources (18a, 18b, 19a, 19b) from which call signals may be received. The interface also is operated for entering into the device (18a, 18b, 19a, 19b) electrical signals representing corresponding audible signals that are to be individually generated in response to calls being received from the respective calling sources (18a, 18b, 19a, 19b). The identifiers are stored in a memory (2c, 24) in association with respective ones of the electrical signals. Accordingly, when a call signal is later received from one of the calling sources, an identifier included in the signal is correlated to a corresponding stored identifier and to a corresponding stored electrical signal, and the audible signal represented by that electrical signal is then generated to indicate the receipt of the call from the calling source.
US09112993B1
A shower transmitter/receiver speaker system is an electronic device that is able to be paired to a cell phone, a lap top, or a tablet and is able to receive voice and streaming music transmissions from the cell phone. The shower transmitter/receiver speaker system is also able to place phone calls or transmit voice commands to the cell phone. The shower music receiver assembly is able to receive and amplify the audio to a user preferred volume using the control button volume adjustment.
US09112986B2
Providing supplemental audio signal processing for a Bluetooth audio link. A wireless device may establish a bi-directional wireless audio link with a Bluetooth device. An indication may be received that the Bluetooth device supports audio signal processing. A device type of the Bluetooth device may be determined. The wireless device may perform one or more audio signal processing operations on audio data transmitted to and/or received from the Bluetooth device via the bi-directional wireless audio link. The audio signal processing operations may be selected based on the device type of the Bluetooth device, and may be performed in addition to audio signal processing operations which may be performed on the audio data by the Bluetooth device.
US09112980B2
A method for selectively reviewing a conference includes synchronously recording an audio conference and content presented in a conference user interface to generate a recorded conference, the conference user interface published to a client device associated with one or more participants, using a characteristic of the conference user interface to index the recorded conference and providing a review interface, responsive to at least one indicator that identifies content of interest within the recorded conference. A conferencing system includes client devices with respective displays, a conference host computer operating a web server and coupled to the client devices via one or more networks, and a data store coupled to the conference host computer. The data store includes a synchronously recorded audio conference and content presented in a conference user interface that defines a recorded conference. The recorded conference includes an index responsive to a characteristic of the conference user interface.
US09112976B2
A device may process a call, receive a request to forward the call at a call extension point, obtain information about parked calls from a queue that stores information associated with the parked calls, determine whether the call may be parked or forwarded to a terminating device based on the information, park the call at the call extension point when it is determined that the call may not be forwarded, and forward the call to the terminating device when it is determined that the call may be forwarded.
US09112974B1
A real-time speech analytics system (“RSTA system”) detects speech in a specific context during a call involving a contact center agent and a remote party. Upon detecting the speech, an event message is generated by the RTSA system and transmitted to a checkpoint and alert reporting module, which is configured update a checkpoint widget. The checkpoint widget provides visual information as to the status of the checkpoints encountered during the call and is displayed using a computer display associated with a workstation used by the agent handling the call. As checkpoints are encountered during the call, the checkpoint indicators in the widget are modified to reflect occurrence of the checkpoint. Each checkpoint indicator may have text associated with it, informing the user of the nature of checkpoint. The checkpoint widget may be displayed to the agent and/or a supervisor, allowing ready determination of the status of the call.
US09112969B2
A communication terminal, system and method utilize a communication device that activates a speech to text application so that subsequent audio that is received from a caller is converted into text. A caller may then provide audio in response to a question. A caller may send input by pressing a button on a communication device for example, to activate the speech to text application, speak an answer, and then press a button to indicate that an answer to a question is complete. The spoken answer may be converted into text and may then be stored, parsed, and then assigned to an object representing the question posed to a caller. The stored text assigned to the object representing the question may then be used to populate different forms or databases for subsequent use or for displaying to a user via a display device of that person's computer device.
US09112968B1
Additional information and/or status messages are routed to a telephone 124 by a gateway device 110 via a caller identification (ID) process. The gateway device determines when a status or information message is available and distributes the message to the telephone when a user answers the telephone. In a similar fashion, a user can call a special telephone number on a plain old telephone system (POTS) 202, hang up the telephone 204 and receive a status/information message as a caller ID message upon a callback by the POTS.
US09112967B2
Disclosed are an anonymous communication system and a transmission method of an information transmission unit in the anonymous system. The method includes: after receiving an information transmission unit sent by a sending party, storing the information transmission unit in a storage pool, inserting the information transmission unit into a preset ordering queue, and generating more than one piece of index information according to content of the information transmission unit and information of the sending party; setting more than one index matching information of a receiving party; according to the index matching information of the receiving party, inquiring index information of the storage pool, finding out an information transmission unit set which meets the index matching information, selecting one information transmission unit from the set according to an ordering situation of each information transmission unit in the set in the ordering queue and a preset delivery strategy, delivering the information transmission unit to the receiving party, and adjusting the ordering queue according to a delivery situation. By means of the present disclosure, the degree of association between the receiving party and the content of the information transmission unit as well as the sending party can be improved, and the user response rate and activity can be improved.
US09112964B2
A mobile device and a method for providing security to a mobile device having two or more communication domains is provided. The mobile device receives a communication service request. The communication domain of the communication service request is determined, the request domain being one of the two or more communication domains of the mobile device. A set of applicable restrictions is then determined from a list of communication restrictions comprising restrictions on use of services of the mobile device for each of the two or more communications domains. These applicable restrictions are then applied to the communication service request by the mobile device.
US09112963B2
The number of operation keys is normally on the order of 12 to 20, corresponding to numeral keys and specialized keys, even for a portable telephone device capable of sending signals to, and receiving signals from, the Internet. In order to input Japanese language characters, including kanji, and specialized characters as data, a complex operation is necessary for switching the input mode. With the present invention, display devices are formed in operation keys for inputting information to electronic devices such as portable information terminals, typically portable telephone devices, and information terminals, typically personal computer or stationary telephone devices. A user is able to recognize the operation keys by characters, symbols, and numerals displayed in the operation keys by the display devices. The user is able to recognize the operation keys even in a dark location in accordance with the present invention.
US09112957B2
Wireless power receiving apparatus 150 is retrofitted to a portable electrical device 100 to enable the device to receive power wirelessly. The apparatus comprises a power-receiving element 200 adapted to be attached to the device, e.g. by adhesive 201, and also being adapted to receive power wirelessly from a transmitter of power when the element and transmitter are in proximity with one another. One or more power connectors 203 are connected electrically to the power-receiving element and are adapted to be connected, when the apparatus is in use, to one or more corresponding power connectors 101 of the portable electrical device to deliver power received by the element to the device. The power-receiving element may be in the form of a sticker or may be carried by or incorporated in a replacement cover portion for the portable electrical device.
US09112951B2
A controller for an echo suppressor configured to suppress a residual echo of a far-end signal included in a primary error signal, the controller adapted for operation with a primary adaptive filter configured to form a primary echo estimate of the far-end signal included in a microphone signal and an echo canceller configured to cancel that primary echo estimate from the microphone signal so as to form the primary error signal, the controller comprising: a secondary adaptive filter configured to form a secondary echo estimate of the far-end signal comprised in the microphone signal; and control logic operable in at least two modes selected in dependence on a convergence state of the primary adaptive filter, the control logic being configured to control activation of the echo suppressor in dependence one or more transient or steady state decision parameters.
US09112942B2
A method, apparatus and computer program product useful for communicating media content, over a computerized network, in accordance with download duration time. One exemplary method may comprise receiving, by a client, a first portion of a media content having a first quality. In response to an indication from a user, a change of quality to a second quality is determined. The client receives a second portion of the media content having the second quality. Whereby received media content by the clients comprises portions having different qualities.
US09112939B2
Techniques described herein provide for cloud-based media delivery that accepts or ingests media content, transcodes it according to various media profiles to create a plurality of video files, and provides notification that at least a portion of the video files is ready for delivery. The notification can be provided using a notification Unique Resource Locator (URL), which can be provided in a request to prepare the media content for delivery. Business rules can be used to customize the cloud-based media delivery based on any of a variety of factors, such as requesting party, media type, and the like.
US09112932B1
A method and computer readable medium for providing Enterprise conferencing is provided. In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, a first SIP INVITE message is exchanged between a Media Gateway of the Enterprise and a first Media Server of a Conferencing Service Provider. Then, an Application Server of the Conferencing Service Provider establishes conference call resources at the Conferencing Service Provider. A first RTP session is established between the Media Gateway and the first Media Server, and then a PROMPT AND COLLECT message is sent from the Application Server to the first Media Server to gather data from the caller for establishing the Enterprise conferencing. After receipt of the data by the Application Server, an SIP INFO message is sent from the Application Server to a second Media Server of the Conferencing Service Provider, selecting the second Media Server to host the call.
US09112930B2
Disclosed herein are representative embodiments of tools and techniques for updating services in sharing-experience sessions during communications calls. According to one exemplary technique, a first computing device initiates a communications call and receives capability information for a second computing device. The capability information for the second computing device includes information indicating attributes of a service supported by the second computing device. Additionally, the first computing device evaluates the capability information to determine that the service is supported by the first and second computing devices. The first computing device initiates a sharing-experience session that includes the service. An update message comprising update information for the service is received, and based on the received update information, content of the service is updated.
US09112923B1
Lawfully-authorized electronic surveillance is performed. A call associated with a first party to be surveilled is verified, on a per-call basis. Packets associated with the call are sent to a second party. Copies of the packets are sent to a surveillance receiver.
US09112920B2
In a handoff system and method for a dual mode terminal, the handoff system includes: a dual mode terminal which receives a message containing location information of a router of a second network while performing handoff from a first network to the second network, and which transmits a registration request message containing the location information of the router; and a home agent which transcodes data transmitted from a content providing server to be adapted for a bandwidth of the second network on the basis of information contained in the registration request message received from the dual mode terminal, and which transmits the transcoded data to the dual mode terminal.
US09112913B2
In one aspect of the invention, a system for sharing resources in an ad-hoc peer-to-peer network is presented. The ad-hoc peer-to-peer network includes a host device that is associated with a resource. A security application of the host device allows the user of the host device to share the resource with other devices in the network. The security application also allows the user to establish access policies for certain known devices within the network. An access policy established for a known device specifies what rights the known device has with respect to accessing the resource. The access policy has the characteristics of inheritance. Thus, when a device requests to access the resource, the security application of the host device determines an access policy for the device based on access policies of one or more of the known devices.
US09112906B2
A mobile communication device with a wireless module and a controller module is provided. The wireless module performs wireless transceiving to and from a service network. The controller module determines a data transmission parameter associated with a first protocol layer according to a link quality of the service network and a number of transmission layers supported for spatial multiplexing associated with a second protocol layer. Particularly, the first protocol layer is hierarchically higher than the second protocol layer in a multi-layer protocol stack. Also, the controller module detects a transfer failure rate for data transmission using the data transmission parameter via the wireless module, and reduces the data transmission parameter by a predetermined ratio in response to the transfer failure rate being higher than a predetermined threshold.
US09112905B2
Various methods of authenticating an access terminal are presented in the case where the access terminal is roaming within a visited network. An access terminal sends a device authentication message to a visited validation server or a home validation server, where the device authentication message includes an access terminal identifier and authentication data generated at least in part using the validation key. In some embodiments, the authentication data may include a digital signature by a validation key associated with the access terminal identifier. Such a signature can be authenticated by either the visited validation server or the home validation server. In other embodiments, the authentication data may include an access terminal authentication token sent to the visited validation server. The visited validation server can authenticate the device authentication message by comparing the access terminal authentication token with an access terminal authentication token obtained from the home validation server.
US09112903B2
The invention can be used for enabling service discovery. Service discovery can be enabled by requesting, by a first apparatus from a gateway entity, information on apparatuses capable of providing a predetermined service and being located in proximity of the first apparatus, receiving, by the first apparatus from the gateway entity, a predetermined resource identifier associated with a second apparatus capable of providing the predetermined service and being located in proximity of the first apparatus, the predetermined resource identifier being received as a response to the request, and sending, by the first apparatus, a resource request to the second apparatus using the predetermined resource identifier associated with the second apparatus. Service discovery can also be enabled by receiving, by a first apparatus, a resource request sent by a second apparatus using a predetermined resource identifier associated with a wireless service of the first apparatus, wherein the second apparatus is located in proximity of the first apparatus, determining whether the wireless service of the first apparatus is to be made available to the second apparatus, initiating the wireless service at the first apparatus in case it is determined, that the wireless service is to be made available to the second apparatus, creating a response to the resource request, inserting into the response a parameter required for establishing a connection to the wireless service of the first apparatus, and sending the response to the second apparatus.
US09112902B2
Real-time service composition is provided by a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) transport binding for Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) messages. A SOAPAction header and SOAP envelope can be included in a SIP message to identify a requested service. The SIP message recipient can parse out the SOAP envelope and forward same to a corresponding Web Service. An intermediary node, including a SIP Proxy, can evaluate incoming SIP/SOAP messages and provide requested services to which they have access. Service discovery and subscription are facilitated by adding Universal Description, Discovery and Integration (UDDI) services requests and responses.
US09112897B2
A system comprises an end-user device including a browser and a security component capable of executing a security policy, the security policy to be downloaded from a website; and a website including a security policy downloadable to the security component.
US09112886B2
An approach is provided for securely storing sensitive data values. A primary facility is provided that directly or indirectly receives requests from a requestor to store an actual data value. The primary facility obtains a replacement value associated with the actual value and encrypts the actual value, and the replacement value is transmitted to the requestor. The replacement and encrypted values are stored in a master copy database at the primary facility, and copies thereof are stored in distributed secondary databases. When the requestor needs an actual data value, the requestor transmits the replacement value either to the primary facility for retrieval of data from the master database, or to the secondary facility for retrieval from the respective secondary database. The chosen facility retrieves the encrypted value from its respective database using the replacement value, decrypts the encrypted value, and transmits the actual value back to the requestor.
US09112881B2
Embodiments of the invention provide systems and methods for using a presence-based network to provide caller identification information. According to one embodiment, a method of providing information related to a communication can comprise receiving a publication of one or more presence attributes. The one or more presence attributes can comprise at least one attribute indicating caller identification information. A presence profile can be associated with an entity. For example, the entity can comprises a party to the communication. The presence profile can be updated based on the received presence attributes. The attribute indicating caller identification information can be provided to one or more subscribers to the presence information such as the entity associated with the presence profile, another party to the communication, another authorized principal, etc.
US09112879B2
A system and method for network authentication is provided. A network access device is operable to establish a communications with an internal network. A client device is operable to request and establish the communications over the internal network by interfacing with the network access device. A processor is operable to interface with the network access device to establish the communications between the client device and the internal network. The processor is also operable to establish a communications level for the communications based on the location of the client device.
US09112870B1
Session information is received in a processing device and processed to generate a message in a message queuing protocol format. The resulting message is provided to a message queuing protocol server. The session information may comprise at least a portion of a session initiation protocol (SIP) message, and may be received in a SIP component, which may comprise a SIP endpoint. In processing the session information to generate the message in the message queuing protocol format, at least a portion of the session information may be incorporated into an advanced message queuing protocol (AMQP) message that is transmitted to an AMQP server. The SIP component may comprise a user agent coupled to an AMQP message listener and an AMQP message sender. The SIP component may also receive an AMQP message from the AMQP server, process the message to generate session information, and provide the session information to a user device.
US09112867B2
A method and system for enforcing access control to system resources and assets. Security attributes associated with devices that initiate transactions in the system are automatically generated and forwarded with transaction messages. The security attributes convey access privileges assigned to each initiator. One or more security enforcement mechanisms are implemented in the system to evaluate the security attributes against access policy requirements to access various system assets and resources, such as memory, registers, address ranges, etc. If the privileges identified by the security attributes indicate the access request is permitted, the transaction is allowed to proceed. The security attributes of the initiator scheme provides a modular, consistent secure access enforcement scheme across system designs.
US09112866B2
Methods and devices for controlling access to resources are disclosed herein. In one example embodiment, the method comprises: executing an application at a first computing device, wherein an attempt to access a computing resource on the computing device is made by the application; determining that the application is not configured to access the computing resource, in response to the attempt; displaying, in a user interface of the computing device, a permission request to allow the application to access the computing resource; and transmitting data from the computing device to the application server, the data notifying the application server that the attempt to access the computing resource was made by the application when the application was not configured to access the computing resource, and the data being usable by the application server to determine whether a corresponding computing resource on at least one different computing device is likely to be accessed when the application is executed on the at least one different computing device.
US09112863B2
User access for a requested resource is controlled through a computer network within a protected data environment of a computer environment. An exception list comprising an Identifier stored within the protected data environment for granting user access of an unauthorized user is defined. At least one allowed access property relation for user access is defined when accessed by the unauthorized user. An Identifier of a user access request of the unauthorized user is checked in the exception list. A One-Time Identifier is created. The One-Time Identifier is assigned according to the allowed property relation. The requested resource is delivered to the unauthorized user by using the assigned One-Time Identifier.
US09112857B2
The invention relates generally to a smart card device that is configured to facilitate wireless network access and credential verification. The device combines the features of the SIM with Common Access Card or Personal Identity Verification card features to allow a network subscriber to invoke secure payment transactions over a carrier's network. The system includes data storage for maintaining a plurality of network and transaction instrument profiles and a profile gateway for receiving transaction information from a payment gateway, sending an authorization request to a user's mobile device, receiving a transaction authorization from the mobile device, and sending transaction information to a payment gateway to finalize the payment transaction. The system further includes a protocol element that facilitates communication between the device and a transceiver for wireless communication between a mobile device and a computing system.
US09112851B2
Techniques for integrating a security protocol in an application include receiving a web protocol request generated by the application at an interceptor, the interceptor configured to read and write the web protocol request; receiving a selection of a role comprising one or more validation aspects and a plurality of extended application components; based on reading the web protocol request, retrieving configuration data associated with the web protocol request; adding the plurality of extended application components using the configuration data; and executing the web protocol in the application using the selected role.
US09112850B1
The invention provides one or more consortia of networks that identify and share information about users and/or user devices. User devices may be identified by tag-based computer information. A time stamp may be inserted into time based computer tags such as a cookies indicating when they were created. Such time stamp information can be encrypted and analyzed during future attempts to access a secure network such as a customer attempting to log into an online banking account. When the time stamp information from the tag is compared to other selected information about the user, device and/or account, including but not limited to last account log-in date/time or account creation date, the invention may be used to detect suspicious activity. The invention may be use for identity-based applications such as network security, the detection of fraudulent transactions, identity theft, reputation-based communities, and law enforcement.
US09112840B2
Verification of privacy of Web Real-Time Communications (WebRTC) media channels via corresponding WebRTC data channels, and related methods, systems, and computer-readable media are disclosed. In this regard, in one embodiment, a method for verifying privacy of a WebRTC media channel comprises establishing the WebRTC media channel between first and second WebRTC clients using a keying material. The method further comprises establishing a corresponding WebRTC data channel between the first and second WebRTC clients using the keying material, and negotiating, in the WebRTC data channel, a cryptographic key exchange. The method also comprises generating a first and a second Short Authentication String (SAS) based on the cryptographic key exchange in the WebRTC data channel. The method further comprises displaying the first SAS and the second SAS, such that a mismatch between the first SAS and the second SAS indicates an existence of a man-in-the-middle (MitM) attacker.
US09112838B2
Among other things, in controlling a download of one or more files from a server to a mobile device, account is taken of at least two of: an urgency of the file, the existence of a user-indicated preference about the download, a power status of the mobile device, and a network connectivity status of the mobile device.
US09112836B2
A processor receives a request to access secure data. The processor translates the request in order to locate the secure data in a secure data store. The processor retrieves the secure data from the secure data store. The processor encodes the secure data to generate protected secure data. The processor transmits the protected secure data from the secure data store to at least one instantiated virtual machine in a cloud-based network.
US09112832B1
A mobile Internet device (MID) having an operating system, a user interface framework, and telephony functionality. A web server is integrated into the operating system and configured for servicing HTTP requests. Telephony functionality is operable by said OS. Multiple such MID's are configurable as a peer-to-peer network, or peer-to-peer social network.
US09112829B2
A system and method for dynamic updating of display windows using a pushed stream of data.
US09112825B2
A computer-implemented system is provided for monitoring performance of a media player launched by a web browser. The media player is referenced by a document that defines a web page and is implemented as a plug-in to the web browser. Upon accessing the web page, the web browser launches the media player. The media player in turn launches a performance monitor that is implemented as a plug-in to the media player. The performance monitor subscribes to event listener objects exposed by the media player and receives event data that is reported by the event listener objects. Performance metrics pertaining to the media player are derived from the event data.
US09112824B2
The subject matter of this specification can be implemented in, among other things, a method that includes establishing federation links between a message broker system and neighbors of the message broker system. The method includes identifying shortest paths between the message broker system and other message broker systems. The method includes receiving a request to forward a message from a source message broker system to destination message broker systems. The method includes identifying source paths between the source message broker system and the message broker system, intermediate message broker systems along the source paths, and destination paths between the message broker system and remaining ones of the destination message broker systems that neighbor the message broker system other than ones of the intermediate message broker systems. The method includes delivering the multicast message to the remaining ones of the destination message broker systems.
US09112822B2
An apparatus may include a messaging module configured to suggest a message segment in order to draft a message. A contextual characteristic determiner may be used to determine contextual characteristics of the apparatus, the recipient of a call, and/or the user of the apparatus and thereby the messaging module may suggest the message segment based on the contextual characteristics. The contextual characteristics may include user emotions, which may be recognized by an emotion recognizer. Message segments may also be based on prior messaging history. Thereby, the apparatus may suggest message segments in order to more easily draft messages when, for example, initiating or responding to attempted voice communications. Further, the apparatus may include a reminder scheduler which is configured to schedule a reminder to respond to an attempted voice communication.
US09112818B1
In a method for processing packets, a storage region for a packet is determined based on a queue with which the packet is associated. The storage region includes a committed area reserved for storage of packets associated with the queue, and an area that is shared by multiple queues for packet storage. A first part of the packet is stored in the committed area, a second part is stored in the shared area, and both parts are accounted for. A network device for processing packets comprises a plurality of queues and a storage area including a committed area and a shared area. The network device further comprises a packet queuing engine configured to store a first part of a packet in the committed area, store a second part of the packet in the shared area, and account for the storage of the first and the second parts of the packet.
US09112814B2
According to one embodiment, a wireless communication terminal including a receiver, a first processor, a first storage, a second storage, a second processor, and a transmitter is provided. The receiver receives one physical packet that includes at least one frame body field, a first field including information on a length of the frame body field, a second field used to detect an error of the frame body field, and a sequence number field including a sequence number corresponding to the frame body field. The second storage retains a successively and successfully received maximum sequence number on the basis of a result of the first processor. The transmitter transmits a response frame indicating the successively and successfully received maximum sequence number when the first processor extracts at least one correct frame body.
US09112811B2
Some embodiments provide a network system that includes a first network and a second network. The first network includes several unmanaged switching elements. The second network includes several managed switching elements. The network system includes a particular managed switching element for communicating network data between the first and second networks.
US09112807B2
A method for managing information in a network includes identifying a first network entity storing a requested object, receiving the object from the first network entity, and storing the object in a storage area based on a parameter. The storage area is coupled to a second network entity which received the request and the object from the first network entity, and the parameter is indicative of an amount of energy for the second network entity to receive the object from the first network entity.
US09112804B2
A virtual network is implemented on a physical network. A virtual network data packet is tunneled through the physical network via encapsulation within a physical network data packet and via transmission of the physical network data packet through the physical network. A network congestion notification capability of the virtual network is preserved and modified during transmission of virtual network data through the physical network and vice-versa. Congestion notification metadata can be copied from a header of a virtual network data packet to a header of a physical network data packet when the virtual network data packet is encapsulated into the physical network data packet. Congestion notification metadata can be copied from a header of a physical network data packet to a header of a virtual network data packet when the virtual network data packet is decapsulated from the physical network data packet.
US09112802B2
Systems and methods for optimizing system performance of capacity and spectrum constrained, multiple-access communication systems by selectively discarding packets are provided. The systems and methods provided herein can drive changes in the communication system using control responses. One such control responses includes the optimal discard (also referred to herein as “intelligent discard”) of network packets under capacity constrained conditions. The systems and methods prioritize packets and make discard decisions based upon the prioritization. Some embodiments provide an interactive response by selectively discarding packets to enhance perceived and actual system throughput, other embodiments provide a reactive response by selectively discarding data packets based on their relative impact to service quality to mitigate oversubscription, others provide a proactive response by discarding packets based on predicted oversubscription, and others provide a combination thereof.
US09112796B2
Method, computer program product, and system to assist in distribution of packets between a plurality of switch elements in a distributed switch, by monitoring an attribute of each of the plurality of switch elements including a first switch element and a first surrogate switch element, the first surrogate switch element in a first level of a hierarchy and configured using a default hierarchy configuration, the default hierarchy configuration forwarding a data frame to at least one of: a destination switch element of the data frame, and a second surrogate switch element, the second surrogate switch element in a second hierarchy level; computing a score, based on the monitored attribute, for each of the switch elements; and upon determining the score of the first switch element is greater than the score of the first surrogate switch element, designating the first switch element as the first surrogate switch element.
US09112791B2
The invention relates in general to a communications network, and more particularly, to methods and apparatus for protecting such a network. The methods and apparatus disclose the providision path protection in a communications network (14) having a plurality of nodes including at least one access node (24, 26, 28, 30). A connection-oriented worker path (23) is set up between a first distribution node (22) and the at least one access node. A connection-oriented protection path (21) is also set up between a second distribution node and the at least one access node. A connection-oriented interface path (52) is also set up between the first and second distribution nodes. Traffic from an upstream node (16, 18) is switched to the interface path (52) at one of the distribution nodes (20, 22). Traffic may be switched to the protection path (21) in response to detecting a fault (54) in the worker path.
US09112786B2
A system provides congestion control and includes multiple queues that temporarily store data and a drop engine. The system associates a value with each of the queues, where each of the values relates to an amount of memory associated with the queue. The drop engine compares the value associated with a particular one of the queues to one or more programmable thresholds and selectively performs explicit congestion notification or packet dropping on data in the particular queue based on a result of the comparison.
US09112785B2
A packet-switched, fault-tolerant, vehicle communication internetwork (100, 400, 500) comprising port-based VLANs. Two or more VLANs are embodied where a source node (110, 410, 510, 610) comprises two or more network interface circuits (130,140, 415,425, 515,525, 630,640), and where looping is precluded via specific VLAN tagging and switch ports (131-134, 200, 300, 420, 430, 435, 445, 455, 465, 535, 540, 545, 560, 575, 585, associated with at least one specific VLAN. A destination node (120, 440, 450, 460, 570, 580, 590, 620) may feedback packets to the source node via a general VLAN tag along pathways associated with the two or more specific outgoing VLAN tags.
US09112784B2
A system for hierarchical occupancy based congestion management includes a buffer embodied in a computer readable storage medium including a plurality of buffer units for storing packets of a data flow received from sources. The system includes a buffer manager that stores information about the packets stored in the buffer, including a selection criterion associated with each of the plurality of sources and a congestion estimator that monitors a congestion level in the buffer. The system also includes a occupancy sampler that randomly selects at least two occupied buffer units from the plurality of buffer units and identifies the source of the packet stored in each of the occupied buffer units and a congestion notification message generator that generates a congestion notification message; wherein if the congestion level in the buffer exceeds a threshold value the congestion notification message is sent to the identified source with a higher selection criteria.
US09112781B2
Network operating methods provide a first packet switch coupled to a second packet switch via a primary packet tunnel having an active status and one or more inactive backup packet tunnels having an inactive status. The methods access data describing at least one performance characteristic of the primary packet tunnel and, based at least on the data, deactivate the primary packet tunnel while still operational and activate one of the backup packet tunnels. Network operating methods provide a first device coupled to a second device via an active primary packet tunnel and one or more inactive backup packet tunnels, access data describing performance characteristics of the one or more backup packet tunnels, and, based at least on the data, deactivate the primary packet tunnel and activate one of the backup packet tunnels.
US09112780B2
Techniques that assist in processing of failure detection protocol (FDP) packets. Techniques are provided that assist a CPU of a network device in processing incoming FDP packets. In one embodiment, only a subset of FDP packets received by the network device is forwarded to the CPU for processing, the other FDP packets are dropped and not forwarded to the CPU. In this manner, the amount of processing that a CPU of the network device has to perform for incoming FDP packets is reduced. This enables the network device to support newer FDPs with shorter periodic interval requirements.
US09112777B1
In a system that provides network-based infrastructure services, customer resources are tagged in accordance with policies provided by the customers. Resources may be automatically tagged upon creation based on the provided policies. In addition, existing resources may be analyzed and automatically tagged to indicate characteristics of the resources that may be of interest to the customer. The customers may also specify configuration policies in terms of resource tags, and the system may be configured to apply and/or enforce the configuration policies.
US09112776B2
A method and an apparatus for rapidly resuming, at times of failures, network traffic in a connection-oriented network by using an alternative route pre-computed and stored locally in nodes along an initial route without requiring signaling of upstream nodes or a master server.
US09112771B2
Disclosed are a system and a method for catching top users. The system may comprise: a filter (10) configured to sample flows from the hosts and remove the flows not satisfying a constraint; an tracker (20) configured to record a first estimated flow count for each host and to determine a first set of hosts from the plurality of hosts in term of the estimated flow count; and an estimator (30) configured to determine a second estimated flow count for each of the determined hosts and select a second set of hosts from the determined hosts based on the second estimated flow count.
US09112767B2
According to at least one example embodiment, a method and a corresponding accumulator scoreboard for managing bundles of rule matching threads processed by one or more rule matching engines comprise: recording, for each rule matching thread in a given bundle of rule matching threads, a rule matching result in association with a priority corresponding to the respective rule matching thread; determining a final rule matching result, for the given bundle of rule matching threads, based at least in part on the corresponding indications of priorities; and generating a response state indicative of the determined final rule matching result for reporting to a host processor or a requesting processing engine.
US09112756B1
A system and method involve channelizing a received signal into two or more narrowband channels, each narrowband channel having an overlapping frequency portion, creating matched narrowband channels by matching the unknown amplitude, phase, and delay of at least two of the narrowband channels, coherently summing the matched narrowband channels into a wideband channel, and equalizing the wideband channel using an equalizing filter to generate a coherent wideband channel.
US09112753B2
Embodiments of the invention provide an interleaver design and header fields for ITU-T G.hnem. The header may comprise two parts that are separately encoded. A common header segment is encoded alone, and an embedded header segment is encoded with payload data. The interleaver operates on blocks having a size based upon a total number of input bits in an FEC codeword block, a total number of bits loaded on symbols that span a half mains cycle, or a maximum fragment size of 3072 bits. The blocks may be repeated before interleaving. Each block and its repetitions may be interleaved together, such as for header data, or each block and repetition may be interleaved separately, such as for payload data. Cyclic padding may be used on each block to create an integer number of symbols for transmission.
US09112749B2
Methods, systems, apparatuses, and/or computer-readable media for providing device management via application modification may be provided. In some embodiments, a request to perform an action may be received. Upon determining that the action is associated with a metered resource, a further determination may be made as to whether the request complies with at least one management policy. In response to determining that the request complies with the at least one management policy, the requested action may be authorized and/or caused to be performed.
US09112742B2
An apparatus comprising a memory and a processor coupled to the memory, wherein the memory includes instructions that when executed by the processor cause the apparatus to perform the following receive an incoming signal at a sampling rate that is greater than a symbol rate associated with the incoming signal, replicate a plurality of data streams from the incoming signal, apply a plurality of fractional delays for the data streams, and perform an adaptive equalization on a plurality of data blocks generated from the data streams, wherein the fractional delay is applied to the data streams independently of the adaptive equalization, and wherein the adaptive equalization implements taps spaced at a fraction of a symbol interval associated with the incoming signal.
US09112740B2
A decision feedback equalizer that can operate at higher speed is provided. The decision feedback equalizer includes a weighting addition circuit (adder 21, coefficient units Tap1a, Tap2 to Tapn) that sums an input signal to weighted versions of feedback signals FB1 to FBn, n being an integer not less than 2. The decision feedback equalizer also includes a decision circuit 11 that decides whether or not the result of addition by the weighting addition circuit is not less than a defined threshold value and that outputs the result of the decision to outside and to a shift register (latch circuits L2 to Ln). The decision circuit operates in synchronism with a clock signal. The shift register sequentially holds the result of decision of the decision circuit 11 in synchronism with the clock signal, and outputs the contents held by its component registers as feedback signals FB2 to FBn. The decision feedback equalizer includes a decision circuit 12 that decides whether or not the result of addition by the weighting addition circuit is not less than a defined threshold value and that outputs the result of decision as feedback signal FB1. The second decision circuit operates in synchronism with the clock signal.
US09112726B2
A data transfer system of this invention includes a plurality of transfer apparatuses (11-14) and a control apparatus (10). On condition that data transfer to a transfer apparatus of a transmission destination is completed before a requested transfer completion time, the control apparatus (10) builds a data transfer tree serving as a data transfer path from a transfer apparatus of a transmission source to the transfer apparatus of the transmission destination. Each of the transfer apparatuses (11-14) transfers data in accordance with the tree. This allows to guarantee to complete transfer to transfer apparatuses of a plurality of transmission destinations up to a requested transfer completion time even when a transfer apparatus of one transmission source transfers a file to the transfer apparatuses of the plurality of transmission destinations by multicast.
US09112725B2
Systems and methods for tagging packets in a wireless network are described. The methods can comprise detecting initial entry of subscriber equipment into a wireless network at a first base station and generating a network tag for the subscriber equipment, the network tag associating the subscriber equipment with the first base station. The tag can be distributed to other base stations and, upon reentry of the subscriber equipment to the network, a network connection can be configured for the subscriber equipment based on the tag. Detecting initial entry includes receiving a network entry packet including a unique identifier associated with the subscriber equipment. The network connection can be configured by providing an IP address assigned to the subscriber equipment and the IP address may be distributed through a relay agent instantiated for the network connection. The network tag can be an IEEE 802.1q tag, MPLS tag, etc.
US09112724B2
In one embodiment, a first multiple spanning tree (MST) region configuration for an MST process may be maintained at a switch in a computer network, where the first configuration has a virtual local area network (VLAN)-to-instance (VI) mapping that maps each of one or more VLANs to one of one or more MST instances in the MST region. The switch may subsequently receive a second MST region configuration that has a different VI mapping than the first configuration, and may determine one or more VLANs of the second configuration that have a different VI mapping from the first configuration (“affected VLANs”). Accordingly, in response to a trigger to apply the second configuration at the switch, the affected VLANs are blocked for a delay, and the second configuration may be applied at the switch without restarting the MST process.
US09112721B2
Systems and methods for handling wake-up messages in a Controller Area Network (CAN) are described. In some embodiments, a method may include operating a CAN controller in a selected one of a plurality of operating modes in response to the detection of an event or activity on a CAN bus. The method may also include handling, by the CAN controller, a CAN message using a message handling protocol associated with the selected one of the plurality of operating modes, for example, while a host processor operates in a low power mode. In various implementations, each of the plurality of operating modes may correspond to a different amount of power consumption by the CAN controller. The method may further include transmitting a selected one of a plurality of response messages by the CAN controller over the CAN bus, in some cases, without waking up the processor from the low power mode.
US09112717B2
Systems and methods for performing a method for reducing power consumption in MoCA devices that are connected via a coax network are provided. One method according to the invention includes, in a home network having a plurality of network modules, one of said plurality of network modules being a network controller, each of said plurality of network modules being connected to a coax backbone, communicating over the coax backbone between the plurality of network modules. The method further includes using the master module to receive requests sent over the coax backbone from the plurality of network modules for bandwidth to transmit bursts. The master module may establish an order of transmission opportunities for the plurality of network modules to follow when transmitting bursts directly to other network modules via the coax backbone. The method may also include using the master module to toggle each of the networked modules between a running power state and a standby power state. The standby power state may include an active mode and an idle mode. In the active mode, a networked node is configured to transmit and/or receive packets of information. In the idle mode, the networked node is configured to maintain a link to the network while powering down a portion of the circuit blocks, thereby reducing power consumption of the networked node.
US09112699B1
A cryptographic system makes everyday data objects, such as a document or conversation, unreadable to anyone other than the owner or those currently having permission to access the data objects. The cryptographic system is transparent by requiring no additional effort on the part of any user in the encryption/decryption process other than entering a user identifier and password. Each document is encrypted with a unique encryption key. Changes to data object access permissions are immediately honored and enforced by enabling or disabling access to certain decryption keys. Decryption of data objects requires information known only to the owner of the data object or those permitted to access the data object. This decryption information is not stored anywhere in the system.
US09112698B1
A cryptographic device includes a key addition module, a first module, and a key module. The key addition module generates an input block based on a cipher key and a plaintext block. The first module generates an output block by performing a plurality of rounds of processing on the input block. The key module, for each of the rounds, provides a round key based on the cipher key. The first module includes an inversion module that, for each of the rounds, performs a matrix inversion operation on first intermediate data to generate second intermediate data. In a first round of the rounds, the first intermediate data is set equal to the input block. The first module also includes a combined operation module that, for each of the rounds, updates the first intermediate data by performing an affine transformation operation and a mix columns operation on the second intermediate data.
US09112697B2
Various embodiments provide for systems and methods for wireless communications that implement transmitter protection schemes using spatial combining. The protection scheme implemented by some embodiments provides for a number of benefits, including without limitation: hitless protection; constant power monitoring for each wireless channel being utilized; extra gain to wireless signals transmitted; beam steering, beam hopping, and beam alignment capabilities; and varying levels of transmission path protection (e.g., 1+1 protection, or 1+N protection). Additionally, the features of some embodiments may be applied to a variety of wireless communications systems including, for example, microwave wireless systems, cellular phone systems and WiFi systems.
US09112687B2
Systems and methods for allocating and transmitting uplink data block transmissions with piggy-backed ACK/NACK bitmap field are provided. In a specific example, a mobile station receives a request for a data block combined with control information (DBCCI). The mobile station responds by transmitting a DBCCI using at least one timeslot corresponding to a timeslot used for the request. At least some of the time, the mobile station sends data blocks in an order different than that would be otherwise used (e.g. block sequence order).
US09112684B2
A method according to an embodiment of the invention includes receiving and transmitting signals over a time division duplex (TDD) communication path. Signals are received over the TDD communication path via a first portion of a first frequency band. The first frequency band is adjacent to a second frequency band and to a third frequency band. The first frequency band is different from the second frequency band and from the third frequency band. A first frequency division duplex (FDD) communication path can be operable in the second frequency band. A second FDD communication path can be operable in the third frequency band. Signals are transmitted over the TDD communication path via a second portion of the first frequency band that is different from the first portion of the first frequency band.
US09112680B2
The invention relates to a method for distribution of a set of credentials from a credential issuer to a credential user. The credential user is provided with a user device. A first channel and a second channel are provided for communication between the user device and the credential issuer. A shared key is distributed between the user device and the credential issuer by means of the second channel. A binary representation of the set of credentials with a predefined maximum level of deviation from a uniform distribution is generated. The binary representation of the set of credentials is encrypted by means of the shared key. The encrypted set of credentials is distributed via the first channel from the credential issuer to the user device. The encrypted set of credentials is decrypted by the user device by means of the shared key.
US09112678B2
In order to limit use of content, when a source receives a request for transmitting content from a sink, the source performs an authentication process. When the authentication is successful, the source transmits to the sink key information necessary for decrypting the encryption applied to the content. The sink can receive the content by receiving the key information and by decrypting the encryption applied to the content by using the key information.
US09112673B2
A reception circuit has: a phase detector that detects a phase code based on a phase of data in relation to a first clock signal; a calibration signal generator that, in a calibration mode, adjusts a frequency of the first clock signal or the data so that the phase code detected by the phase detector changes; a calibrator that, in the calibration mode, stores a difference between the phase code and an ideal value of the detected phase, and that, in a normal operation mode, outputs the ideal value in correspondence with the phase code detected by the phase detector; and a phase adjustor that, in the normal operation mode, adjusts a phase of the first clock signal based on the phase code detected by the phase detector and the ideal value, and that outputs to the phase detector.
US09112667B1
Current or past physical location of a target device in a communication network, including: (included and excluded) points, surfaces, regions, point- and integrated-probabilities, nearest-(physical)-neighbors, whether the device is properly integrated, and otherwise, and combinations or conjunctions thereof. Countermeasures exist for those targets which are uncooperative with geolocation. Multiple measurements provide a statistical basis for establishing a probability density function, which may be augmented or refined using domain information, intermediate routing pathways, or overlap of multiple such probability density function. Alternatively, a geolocation may be provided by a formula or a table reference, in response to a measured flight-time, a probability, and possibly other network routing parameters, such as hop count.
US09112661B1
A method and apparatus for receiving data in high-speed applications wherein an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) samples a received signal and a data decoder implemented with a tree search algorithm detects the bits of the sampled data for timing recovery. In some embodiments, a Viterbi detector is implemented to provide accurate bit detection for data output while tree search detected data is used to determine the optimal sampling phase for the ADC. In some embodiments, after the phase acquisition stage of timing recovery has completed, the tree search decoder may decrease the rate of data detection to maintain phase tracking.
US09112660B2
A method of symbol detection in an electronic device employing multi-user multiple input multiple output (MU-MIMO) communication over a first transmission layer of first and second transmission layers comprises various steps. A receiver comprises processing circuitry for performing these steps. A transmitted signal is received. The transmitted signal is decoded by detecting data symbols within the transmitted signal for the first transmission layer by performing Maximum Likelihood (ML) detection on the first transmission layer. ML detection comprises performing a search across all possible symbol constellation points in a set of constellation points available for the second transmission layer.
US09112647B2
Methods and devices provide a feedback message having unequal error protection. The feedback message may include channel quality indicators. The channel quality indicators may have different levels of error protection based on a transmission property.
US09112646B1
One embodiment relates to an interpolator-based clock and data recovery (iCDR) circuit. The iCDR circuit includes an automatic gain control circuit arranged to generate an interpolation jump size signal when a targeted sampling detection signal is asserted. The targeted sampling detection signal may be asserted when sampling by the phase detector of the iCDR circuit is within a targeted range. The interpolation jump size signal may indicate a number of phase steps to shift an interpolation state signal if a jump is indicated by a filtered feedback signal. Other embodiments and features are also disclosed.
US09112642B2
A method is disclosed for safe communication between a communication system by way of an OFDM method between a master and a slave, the master being able to communicate via a management channel and via a payload data channel with the slave. In an embodiment, the master assigns frequency spectra to be used for the payload data channel. The master is allocated an address of the slave and the master subsequently allocates the address to one of the frequency spectra to be used for the payload data channel. The slave stores the address transferred to it in its first microcontroller and the slave stores the address received via the payload data channel in the second microcontroller. The slave then checks whether the stored addresses match.
US09112635B2
An access subnetwork node herein comprises one or more add-drop modules, each module including one or more passive optical filters. The one or more add-drop modules are configured to selectively drop a fixed band of wavelength channels from an access subnetwork, via a passive directional coupler, to each of multiple client nodes that actively select to receive client-specific channels within the fixed band. The one or more add-drop modules are also configured to selectively add the fixed band of wavelength channels to the access subnetwork, as received via a passive directional coupler from the multiple client nodes that actively select to transmit client-specific channels within the fixed band. With an access subnetwork node and a client node configured in this way, embodiments herein reduce the complexity and accompanying cost of nodes in an optical network, while also maintaining flexibility for assigning wavelength channels in the network.
US09112634B2
A method, an apparatus, and a computer program product for wireless communication are provided in which PAPR for an input of an AGC in a wireless receiver is generated. The AGC may provide a gain-controlled signal to a correlator when the PAPR of the input does not exceed the threshold ratio and may clamp the gain of the gain-controlled signal when PAPR of the input is large. A large PAPR may cause termination of search for a signal of interest in a current channel. The search may be resumed in a non-adjacent channel.
US09112632B2
In one embodiment, a physical (PHY) layer (lower protocol stack layer) of a device may add a timestamp to a received frame, and pass the frame and timestamp up the protocol stack toward a synchronization (sync) recognition layer (upper protocol stack layer). The sync recognition layer determines whether the frame relates to synchronization, and if so, places the timestamp into a data structure along with a frame association for recovery by followup processing. Conversely, in another embodiment, the sync recognition layer may add to a frame for transmission a frame ID having an indication of whether to timestamp the frame and may pass the frame and frame ID down the protocol stack toward the PHY layer. The PHY layer determines whether the frame ID indicates that the frame is to be timestamped, and if so, places a timestamp corresponding to frame transmission into a data structure with the frame ID.
US09112630B1
In a network device communicatively coupled to a master clock via a plurality of different communication paths, a clock synchronization module is configured to determine a plurality of path time data sets corresponding to the plurality of different communication paths based on signals received from the master clock via the plurality of different communication paths between the network device and the master clock. A clock module is configured to determine that at least one of the plurality of path time data sets is inaccurate based on accuracy metrics corresponding to the plurality of path time data sets, and determine a time of day as a function of a remainder of one or more path time data sets, in the plurality of path time data sets, not determined to be inaccurate. The device may detect and/or mitigate “man-in-the-middle” attacks aimed at a clock synchronization protocol.
US09112629B2
Configuring a node (410) of a synchronization network involves identifying (10) possible alternative time synchronization trails arranged to carry time synchronization information for time synchronization at the node, and possible alternative frequency trails, arranged to carry frequency synchronization information for frequency synchronization at the node. Using information about the sources (20), a comparison of the trails (30) is biased to increase a likelihood of choosing time synchronization and frequency trails which share the same source, over a likelihood of choosing trails with different sources. This can help avoid divergence and consequent bit errors arising from phase errors, resulting from trails having different sources. It can encompass for example changing both to a new common source, or changing one or both trails while still using the old common source.
US09112628B2
This invention relates to methods and devices for compensating for path asymmetry, particularly with reference to time and frequency synchronization. The invention has particular application where time and frequency synchronization over packet networks using, for example, the IEEE 1588 Precision Time Protocol (PTP) is being carried out. Typically communication path delays between a time server (master) and a client (slave) are estimated using the assumption that the forward delay on the path is the same as the reverse delay. As a result, differences between these delays (delay asymmetries) can cause errors in the estimation of the offset of the slave clock from that of the master. Embodiments of the invention provide techniques and devices for compensating for path delay asymmetries that arise when timing protocol messages experience dissimilar queuing delays in the forward and reverse paths.
US09112626B2
A stratum-1 configuration for a timing network is defined. The stratum-1 configuration includes a single active stratum-1 server usable in ensuring that the servers in the network use the same primary reference time to synchronize their clocks. The servers in the network are synchronizing to the same root primary reference time and synchronization accuracy is not dependent on the quality of an external time source or of the existence of an external time source at the stratum-1 server.
US09112622B2
User is allowed to designate a desired mode defining the respective numbers of channels and mixing buses, and processing for mixing input signals of the number of channels corresponding to the designated mode is performed repetitively to generate signals for the individual buses. The time of arrival of the last step in the mixing processing for the number of channels, corresponding to the designated mode, is detected to output an accumulation result obtained at the last step, and new accumulation is started with a digital audio signal inputted at a step following the last step. Digital audio signals processed by a first signal processing circuit are stored into a memory and transmitted to a second signal processing circuit via a cascade-connection. The second signal processing circuit adds the audio signal, processed for each of the steps, to audio signals input via the cascade-connection and writes added signal into the memory.
US09112618B2
A method comprises encoding and modulating a first set of frames such that a latency associated with demodulating and decoding the first set of frames is less than a first time interval, encoding and modulating a second set of frames such that a required latency associated with demodulating and decoding the first set of frames is less than a second time interval, transmitting the first set of frames and the second set of frames via a transmitter, and blanking the transmitter during a null interval associated with transmitting the second set of frames, wherein the null interval and the second time interval are less than or equal to the first time interval.
US09112616B2
An optical transceiver system is provided that comprises multiple parallel transceiver modules that are mounted on a card. The transceiver card is small in terms of spatial dimensions, has very good heat dissipation characteristics, and is capable of simultaneously transmitting and receiving data at a rate equal to or greater than approximately one Tb per second (1 Tb/s). A plurality of the transceiver systems may be interconnected to achieve a communications hub system having even higher bandwidths. In addition, the transceiver system may be configured such that each card has a routing controller mounted thereon for performing router functions. The router functions include, for example: causing signals received by one transceiver module on the card to be routed to and transmitted by another of the transceiver modules; causing signals received by one transceiver module on the card to be retransmitted by the same transceiver module over one of it's optical transmit channels; and causing signals received by one transceiver module on the card to be routed to and transmitted by a transceiver module on a different card.
US09112605B2
The present disclosure includes a method of determining optical signal-to-noise ratio (OSNR) of a signal, comprising separating one polarization component from a plurality of polarization components in an optical signal, selecting one wavelength from a plurality of wavelengths in the optical signal, delaying a first portion of the one polarization component of the one wavelength of the optical signal, shifting a phase of the first portion by a first amount and the first amount plus pi radians, causing the first portion to interfere with a second portion, measuring a power of the interference of the first and second portions, receiving the power of the interference, and comparing the power of the interference when the phase is shifted by the first amount with the interference when the phase is shifted by the first amount plus pi radians to determine OSNR. The present disclosure also includes associated devices.
US09112591B2
Provided is an encoding/decoding apparatus and method of multi-channel signals. The encoding apparatus and method of multi-channel signals may encode phase information of the multi-channel signals using a quantization scheme and a lossless encoding scheme, and the decoding apparatus and method of multi-channel signals may decode the phase information using an inverse-quantization scheme and a lossless decoding scheme.
US09112582B2
A network apparatus for eliminating interference between transport ports includes a plurality of transport ports, a plurality of seed comparators, and a control unit. The plurality of seed comparators are coupled to the plurality of transport ports, respectively, wherein a first seed comparator is utilized for comparing a first seed of a first transport port with a second seed of a second transport port and accordingly generating a comparing result. The controlling unit is coupled to the plurality of seed comparators and the plurality of transport ports, for generating a control signal to cancel interference between the plurality of transport ports according to the comparing result.
US09112576B2
A first transparent relay station (RS) can receive a signal from a base station (BS) corresponding to superordinate node of the first transparent RS or a second RS corresponding to superordinate non-transparent RS the first transparent RS through a downlink receive zone, and the first transparent RS can transmit the signal received through the downlink receive zone to a mobile station (MS) through a downlink transmit zone, wherein a downlink subframes of the first transparent RS is located the downlink receive zone and the downlink transmit zone in order.
US09112567B2
A method and apparatus for compensation of noise in a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) device through modulation of a received signal is described. The method includes determining an amplitude signal proportional to an amplitude of a transmitter signal and associated noise; processing the amplitude signal to derive a correction signal; and modulating a received signal during a receive period with the correction signal to substantially remove the associated noise from the received signal. An RFID device and an RFID transceiver integrated circuit (IC) are also described.
US09112560B2
Control channel information transmission method, and base station and terminal using the same method
A radio communication system that includes an encoder configured to perform error correction coding for control channel information by a given error correction coding rate and a modulator configured to perform modulation of the error correction coded control channel information for transmission according to a given modulation scheme, code decimation being performed for the error correction coded control channel information prior to the modulation, and the code decimation being different according to whether Multi Input Multi Output is applied or not.
US09112559B2
A method at user equipment ‘UE’, the method comprising: determining one or more radio channel estimates from received signals; selecting a precoding index fulfilling an optimization criterion based on the one or more radio channel estimates and a reduced precoding matrix, wherein the reduced precoding matrix comprises properties of a single beam for each of one or more polarization planes, and the reduced precoding matrix corresponds to an expanded precoding matrix comprising properties of a plurality of beams for each of one or more polarization planes; and transmitting a precoding matrix indicator ‘PMI’ based on the selected precoding index.
US09112544B2
The method and system supports multiple bandwidth traffic over a single CPRI (common public radio interface) link (109) using a single bandwidth DMA (direct memory access) engine (505) and fast Fourier transform/inverse fast Fourier transform processing. (402, 404) The invention exploits fast Fourier transform/inverse fast Fourier transform properties and is particularly suitable for supporting LTE (Long Term Evolution) cellular communication systems (100) The CPRI Media Access Control is configured in each CPRI lane to run at the maximum bandwidth among the bandwidths required. In the uplink, lower bandwidth data samples are padded with zeros and flexible positioning may be used to arrange the data in a CPRI frame. In the downlink, the radio equipment receiver (106) only processes the relevant data and ignores any interpolated samples. The invention is compatible with CPRI and LTE standards.
US09112542B2
A wireless power repeater for transferring power from a wireless power transmitter to a wireless power receiver according to the embodiment includes a repeater resonant unit resonance-coupled with the wireless power transmitter for transferring the received power to the wireless power receiver, and a first shielding unit having a shape to be transformed according to pressure applied to the wireless power repeater for adjusting an amount of a magnetic field transferred from the repeater resonant unit to the wireless power receiver.
US09112536B2
A method includes destructively reading bits of a spin torque magnetic random access memory, using error correcting code (ECC) for error correction, and storing inverted or non-inverted data in data-store latches. When a subsequent write operation changes the state of data-store latches, parity calculation and majority detection of the bits are initiated. A majority bit detection and potential inversion of write data minimizes the number of write current pulses. A subsequent write operation received within a specified time or before an original write operation is commenced will cause the majority detection operation to abort.
US09112531B2
Systems and methods for data processing particularly related local iteration randomization in a data decoding circuit. In some cases a data processing system may include: a layered data decoding circuit, a value generator circuit, and a selector circuit. The layered data decoding circuit is configured to iteratively apply a data decoding algorithm up to a selected number of times to a decoder input to yield a decoded output in accordance with a layer order. The value generator circuit is operable configured to generate an adjusted number of times where the adjusted number of times is less than a default number of times. The selector circuit is operable configured to select one of the default number of times and the adjusted number of times as the selected number of times.
US09112521B2
Mixed-signal circuitry, comprising: an array of ADC units configured to operate in a time-interleaved manner, and each operable in each of a series of time windows to convert an analog input value into a corresponding digital output value, each conversion comprising a sequence of sub-conversion operations, each successive sub-conversion operation of a sequence being triggered by completion of the preceding sub-conversion operation; and a controller, wherein: at least one of the ADC units is operable to act as a reporting ADC unit and indicate, for each of one or more monitored said conversions, whether or not a particular one of the sub-conversion operations completed during the time window concerned; and the controller is operable to consider at least one such indication and to control the circuitry in dependence upon the or each considered indication.
US09112508B2
According to one embodiment, a radio frequency (RF) transceiver includes a local oscillator generator (LOGEN) circuit configured to receive an adaptive supply voltage. The LOGEN circuit is coupled to a variable power supply for providing the adaptive supply voltage. A process monitor for the LOGEN circuit is in communication with the variable power supply through a power supply programming module. As a result, the adaptive supply voltage can be adjusted according to data supplied by the process monitor. A method for adaptively powering a LOGEN circuit comprises providing power to an RF device, monitoring a process corner of said LOGEN circuit, determining a supply voltage corresponding to the process corner, and adjusting the supply voltage to adaptively power the LOGEN circuit.
US09112507B2
A phase-locked loop (PLL) circuit includes a voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) having a VCO input for receiving a control voltage and a VCO output, a feedback loop between the VCO input and the VCO output, and a start-up circuit having a start-up circuit input and a start-up circuit output. The start-up circuit output is coupled to the VCO input and the start-up circuit input is coupled to the VCO output. The start-up circuit provides a voltage at its start-up circuit output during a start-up phase, which terminates after a predetermined number of feedback pulses are detected by the start-up circuit.
US09112506B2
A touch panel has multiple first-axis sensing lines and multiple second-axis sub-sensing sets. Each first-axis sensing line has a second-axis sensing set formed therein with multiple second-axis sensing part of the second-axis sensing set spaced apart along the first axis. The second-axis sub-sensing parts at each identical coordinate of the second axis are connected to constitute a second-axis sensing line, and the first-axis sensing lines and the second-axis sensing lines are mutually crossed. As the second-axis sub-sensing parts constituting each second-axis sensing line are separately enclosed in different first-axis sensing lines, the capacitance values of capacitive coupling between the first-axis sensing lines and the second-axis sensing lines are relatively higher and more stable.
US09112503B2
An electromagnetic coil drive device has a semiconductor switch connected in series with an electromagnetic coil for controlling a current supplied to the coil; a capacitor; a comparator for comparing a voltage to charge and discharge the capacitor with two different voltages, for generating a signal to operate on-off of the semiconductor switch in accordance with a result of a comparison; a first charging circuit to charge the capacitor based on a voltage applied to the coil; and a discharging circuit to discharge the capacitor. The first charging circuit has a first resistor and at least one compensating circuit connected in parallel with the first resistor; and a resistor and a Zener diode are connected in series in the compensating circuit.
US09112499B2
Field programmable gate arrays using resistivity-sensitive memories are described, including a programmable cell comprising a configurable logic, a memory connected to the configurable logic to provide functions for the configurable logic, the memory comprises a non-volatile rewriteable memory element including a resistivity-sensitive memory element, an input/output logic connected to the configurable logic and the memory to communicate with other cells. The memory elements may be two-terminal resistivity-sensitive memory elements that store data in the absence of power. The two-terminal memory elements may store data as plurality of conductivity profiles that can be non-destructively read by applying a read voltage across the terminals of the memory element and data can be written to the two-terminal memory elements by applying a write voltage across the terminals. The memory can be vertically configured in one or more memory planes that are vertically stacked upon each other and are positioned above a logic plane.
US09112496B2
A circuit and a system that uses the circuit for connecting a plurality of input channels to a receiving device. The circuit includes a plurality of DMOS switches, each of which connects a respective one of the input channels to the receiving device in response to a respective control signal. The control signals are referenced to a ground signal. Each input channel includes a common mode voltage that is non-referenced to the ground signal. The circuit also includes a switch driver that generates the control signals such that the input channels are activated one at a time.
US09112465B2
A programmable gain amplifier (PGA) includes an op amp, an input circuit, a feedback circuit, and a calibration circuit. The input circuit is connected between a PGA input node and an op-amp input node and selectively applies the analog input signal to the op-amp input node. The feedback circuit is connected between an op-amp output node and the op-amp input node and applies the amplified analog output signal as a feedback signal to the op-amp input node. The calibration circuit is connected between a calibration reference node and the op-amp input node and selectively connects the calibration reference node directly to the op-amp input node without traversing any of the input circuit. The PGA may be implemented as a single-ended or differential amplifier. The PGA avoids reduced linearity resulting from series combinations of switches in the input circuit when configured for its normal operating mode.
US09112455B2
In a signal amplifying circuit, a flow rate signal, inputted between flow rate signal input terminals of a connector, is inputted into one input terminal and the other input terminal of an instrumentation amplifier through resistive elements and subjected to differential amplification. The amplified output signal thereof is outputted to a sample hold circuit through a coupling capacitor. The flow rate signals, inputted between the flow rate signal input terminals, are buffered by buffer amplifiers, and output signals thereof are outputted to a fault detecting circuit. An interconnection, which connects one of the flow rate signal input terminals and a non-inverting input terminal of one of the buffer amplifiers, is guarded by a guard ring pattern. An interconnection, which connects the other one of the flow rate signal input terminals and a non-inverting input terminal of the other one of the buffer amplifiers, is guarded by another guard ring pattern.
US09112453B2
An operational amplifier circuit including a main circuit, a compensation capacitor, a power circuit, and a set of switches is disclosed. The main circuit has an output terminal. The compensation capacitor has a first end connected to an internal node of the main circuit and a second end connected to the output terminal of the main circuit. The power circuit provides a current or a voltage as predetermined. The set of switches connects the power circuit to the compensation capacitor. When the main circuit is not in an output state, the set of switches is switched to allow the power circuit to provide the current or voltage to the compensation capacitor. When the main circuit is in the output state, the set of switches is switched to disconnect the power circuit from the compensation capacitor and allow the main circuit to return to an output circuit state and operate normally.
US09112449B2
A self-powered power crystal oscillator XO includes a crystal unit and a power injection module. The crystal unit is arranged to oscillate to generate an oscillation signal. The power injection module is coupled to the crystal unit, and is arranged to intermittently inject energy to the crystal unit.
US09112438B2
A control apparatus for a rotary electric machine includes: operating unit for operating a DC-AC conversion circuit including a switching element so as to control a controlled variable of the rotary electric machine, the switching element selectively connects positive and negative terminals of a DC power source to respective terminals of the rotary electric machine and conduction period setting unit, in response to a rotational speed of the rotary electric machine, for setting a conduction period during which the respective terminals of the rotary electric machine, and the positive and negative terminals of the DC power source are allowed to be electrically connected therebetween via the switching element. The conduction period setting unit set the conduction period as a manipulated variable so as to reduce electromagnetic force distortion at a frequency corresponding to a resonant frequency of the rotary electric machine.
US09112432B2
Provided are flexible piezoelectric generators and methods of manufacturing the same. The piezoelectric generator includes a first insulation layer disposed on a first electrode, a piezoelectric structure disposed on the first insulation layer, a second insulation layer disposed on the piezoelectric structure, and a second electrode disposed on the second insulation layer.
US09112431B2
In a method for calibration, a piezo-actuator (1) is actuated in a motor vehicle by a control circuit and an output stage. The piezo actuator is, in particular, part of the injection valve. The piezo-actuator (1) is subjected to an electric calibration pulse that is in the high-level signal range thereof when the control circuit and the output stage are in operation, the frequency thereof being modified over time. The associated electric impendence curve over the frequency is determined and evaluated during the calibration pulse. The output stage is controlled by the control circuit in such a manner that the calibration pulse is generated.
US09112429B2
A power converter has one set of two semiconductor switches performing switching actions, each of which is formed of an FET and a free wheel diode connected in anti-parallel to the FET, and a smoothing capacitor, and convers power by complementary switching actions of the FETs in the semiconductor switches. The power converter is provided with a current sensor that detects a direction of a current flowing through the semiconductor switches and a gate generation portion that skips ON signals of PWM gate signals of the semiconductor switches when the direction of the current flowing through the semiconductor switches is negative.
US09112427B2
A method for operating an electrical circuit, in particular of a converter is described. The circuit, in at least one embodiment, includes a line-side converter that is coupled to a capacitor. The line-side converter includes at least two series connections, each including at least two power semiconductor elements, and each of the at least two series connections being connected parallel to the capacitor. The line-side converter is coupled to an energy supply system. The DC voltage that is present at the capacitor is determined. A maximum voltage is predetermined. If the DC voltage present at the capacitor is determined to be greater than the maximum voltage, then at least two of the power semiconductor elements are switched into their conductive state in such a manner that the capacitor is discharged in the direction of the energy supply system.
US09112422B1
Low-voltage outputs are provided by full-bridge rectification using controlled switches with fault detection monitoring of circuit conditions and disabling switches upon detection of a fault to decouple the converter from the system. Common-source dual MOSFET devices include elements arranged in alternating patterns on the die. Common-source dual synchronous rectifiers include control circuitry powered from the voltage across the complementary switch. A DC-to-DC transformer converts power using a fixed voltage transformation ratio. A clamp phase may be used to reduce power losses, control the output resistance, effectively regulate the voltage transformation ratio, provide narrow band output regulation, and control the rate of change of output voltage. A new point of load converter includes input driver circuitry removed from and output circuitry located at the point of load, with a transformer located near the output circuit and an AC bus between the driver circuit and the primary winding of the transformer.
US09112414B2
Provided is a matrix converter including a power converter, a commutation controller, and a compensator. The power converter includes a plurality of bidirectional switches. The commutation controller performs one of a three-step commutation operation and a four-step commutation operation by the bidirectional switches as a switch source and the bidirectional switches as a switch destination when an input terminal to be connected to an output terminal is switched by on/off control of the bidirectional switches. The compensator compensates for an output voltage error generated when the input terminal to be connected to the output terminal is switched, based on a potential difference before and after the switching of the input terminal to be connected to the output terminal, an output current of the output terminal, and capacitance between input and output terminals of unidirectional switches.
US09112407B2
A quasi-resonant device for a switching power, a quasi-resonant system for a switching power, and a method for a quasi-resonant control of a switching power are provided. The quasi-resonant device includes: a degaussing time sampling module, configured to sample a degaussing time Tds of a secondary coil of the transformer according to a feedback signal output by the switching power after the switching tube is turned off; a valley sampling module, configured to sample a resonant valley signal of the quasi-resonant module according to the feedback signal; a time producing module, configured to produce a time T with a predetermined ratio D by processing the degaussing time Tds; and a logic processing module, configured to obtain a first valley signal after the time T, and the first valley signal works as a switching signal T′ to turn on the switching tube.
US09112406B2
The present document relates to charge pump voltage doublers for use in integrated circuits. A charge pump circuit configured to generate an output voltage Vout at an output of the circuit from an input voltage Vin at an input of the circuit is described. The circuit further comprises a boosting capacitor coupled at a first side to the output node of the first P-type switch and coupled at a second side to a capacitor control signal. Furthermore, the circuit comprises control circuitry configured to provide a capacitor control-signal-which alternates between a low level and a high level, and configured to generate first and second control signals based on the capacitor control signal for alternating the first and second P-type switches between on-states and off-states, respectively, such that electrical energy is transferred from the input to the output of the circuit using the boosting capacitor.
US09112392B2
Various embodiments of the disclosure include a dynamoelectric machine support system. In some embodiments, a support system for a dynamoelectric machine is disclosed, the support system having: a housing; a skeletal frame attached to the housing and at least partially contained within the housing; and at least one adjustment mechanism for applying a force to the skeletal frame to modify a stiffness of the skeletal frame.
US09112389B2
In accordance with one embodiment, a machine for generating electrical energy comprises a housing. A rotor has interior blades for rotation in response to receipt of material. The rotor has an outer surface and an inlet. A first magnet assembly is secured to the outer surface of the rotor. A first stator winding is in electromagnetic communication with the corresponding first magnetic assembly, such that if the rotor rotates a first electromagnetic signal energizes the first stator windings based on the flow of material into or through the inlet.
US09112388B2
This disclosure discloses a motor including a motor body unit configured to output rotation power, a brake unit fixed to a housing of the motor body unit with a bolt, and a collar. The collar is arranged between the motor body unit and the brake unit, and in which the bolt is inserted. The collar forms a space between the housing of the motor body unit and a fixing member of the brake unit. The collar is fixed with its end portion being inserted into at least one of the housing and the fixing member.
US09112386B2
An improved configuration for an electric motor has an inner rotor and an outer stator wherein each stator coil is arranged radially outwardly of its respective stator pole and configured to create a magnetic flux path forming a closed magnetic circuit that flows in directions parallel to the longitudinal axis of the motor, rather than circumferentially about the longitudinal axis of the motor. The magnetic flux created by the stator coil is directed from the stator pole, across the air gap to a corresponding rotor pole, and back to the stator pole to form a closed magnetic circuit path. All stator poles are therefore magnetically isolated from each other.
US09112385B2
A force-controlled electric hand including: an electric motor; a rotary-linear motion conversion mechanism converting rotary motion from the electric motor to linear motion; a pair of finger bases including a movable finger base which moves linearly in parallel with a first axial line through the rotary-linear motion conversion mechanism by power from the electric motor; a pair of fingers fixed to the pair of finger bases to grip a target workpiece by linear motion of the movable finger base; and a force sensor provided at least at one of the pair of finger bases to detect gripping force of the pair of fingers. The force sensor has a pair of parallel beams extending in parallel with a second axial line vertical to the first axial line and detects the gripping force based on an amount of displacement of the parallel beams in a direction of the first axial line.
US09112384B2
The invention relates to a method and an arrangement for avoiding stray currents in a wind power plant. There is an insulating power source having a galvanic decoupled secondary side, an electrical load coupled to the secondary side of the insulating power source through an electrical conductor and a stray current sensitive mechanical component of the wind power plant. The insulating power source is located at a first side of the stray current sensitive mechanical component and the load is located at a second side of the stray sensitive mechanical component. The electrical conductor is coupled to a common ground potential at the second side.
US09112376B2
An AC backup power system controls a power supply to selectively connect to a primary AC power source or a backup AC power source through a switching module. The switching module is controlled by a monitoring module. The monitoring module has a power monitoring unit, a first circuit switch, a second circuit switch, and a first processor. When the power monitoring unit detects an interruption of primary AC current, the first circuit switch that is normally closed is immediately turned off. The first processor then drives the switching module to connect to the backup AC power source. Once the backup AC power source reaches the zero-crossing point, the second circuit switch is turned on so that the backup AC power source provides power to the power supply. The power supply receives power at the zero-crossing point to avoid problems of sparks and coke deposition.
US09112374B2
A system (1-2) for efficiently transferring harvested vibration energy to a battery (6) includes a piezo harvester (2) generating an AC output voltage (VP(t)) and current (IPZ(t)) and an active rectifier (3) to produce a harvested DC voltage (Vhrv) and current (Ihrv) which charge a capacitance (C0). An enable circuit (17) causes a DC-DC converter (4) to be enabled, thereby discharging the capacitance into the converter, when a comparator (A0,A1) of the rectifier which controls switches (S1-S4) thereof detects a direction reversal of the AC output current (IPZ(t)). Another comparator (13) causes the enable circuit (17) to disable the converter (4) when the DC voltage exceeds a threshold (VREF), thereby causing the capacitance be recharged.
US09112370B2
A rechargeable battery module including a plurality of battery cells connected in series, a charging transistor, a balancing circuit and a control chip. The charging transistor is operative to convey a charging current to charge the battery cells. Based on voltage levels of the battery cells, the control chip disables the charging transistor and controls the balancing circuit to perform a first stage battery balance process. After finishing the first stage battery balance process, the control chip enables the charging transistor to charge the battery cells again. After being switched to a constant voltage charging mode, the control chip controls the balancing circuit based on the voltage levels of the battery cells to perform a second stage battery balance process.
US09112367B2
A wireless power transmission system, a method and an apparatus for tracking a resonance frequency in the wireless power transmission system, are provided. A device of the wireless power transmission system includes a resonator configured to receive and output a power from another resonator of another device. The device further includes a power supply unit configured to provide, to a device load, the power output from the resonator. The device further includes a calibration load configured to receive the power output from the resonator in a calibration mode of the device to match resonance frequencies of the resonator and the other resonator. The device further includes a controller configured to selectively connect the resonator to the power supply unit or the calibration load, based on whether the device operates in the calibration mode.
US09112361B2
A combined system reinforces the safety of lithium ion batteries by redesign of electrolyte and the charging current a) modifying the electrolyte to inhibit or prevent dendrite growth preferably by the addition of lithiated polyphenoxy polyethylene glycol and/or a second surface active compound chosen from the family of fluorosurfactants, and/or a modest amount of lithium or sodium borate, b) modifying the charging cycle by a so-called ripple current in order to inhibit or prevent dendrite growth (ripple current meaning oscillation in the amount of amperage or voltage in the charging cycle), c) programmable battery management systems with temperature and electrical limits integrated in order to eliminate from the circuit and bypass malfunctioning cells based on past performance of the charging cycle and voltage endpoints achieved, d) minimizing any transient currents and voltages into or out of the battery system and e) maintaining a cool atmosphere in the battery space.
US09112350B2
A power supply (20) for providing a desired current to an electric load (23) broadly comprises: a current limiter (21) for providing a desired current; a current sensor (28) for determining the actual current supplied by the current limiter and providing a feedback signal (30, 31) to the current limiter for causing the current limiter to reduce the error between the desired and the actual currents; and a test circuit (24) for temporarily changing the actual current sensed by the current sensor to a level different from the desired current for causing the current limiter to adjust the magnitude of the current provided thereby; whereby the operation of the power supply may be tested. The invention also provides an improved method of operating such a power supply.
US09112346B2
In one general aspect, an apparatus can include an input terminal, an output terminal and a ground terminal. The apparatus can also include an overcurrent protection device coupled between the input terminal and the output terminal. The apparatus can further include a thermal shunt device coupled between the output terminal and the ground terminal, the thermal shunt device being configured to, at a threshold temperature, operate in a thermally-induced low-impedance state.
US09112345B2
A system and method for limiting in-rush current from a power source to a load includes sensing that a load has been electrically connected to receive electrical power from the power source. A current limiter circuit is configured to at least inhibit electrical current flow from the power source to the load for a predetermined time period. After the predetermined time period, the current limiter circuit is configured to no longer at least inhibit the electrical current flow from the power source to the load. Upon sensing that the load has been electrically disconnected from the power source, the current limiter circuit is reconfigured to at least inhibit electrical current flow from the power source to a load that may be subsequently connected to receive electrical power from the power source.
US09112341B2
A cable fixing member is provided including a pair of bracket members that hold a cable therebetween and a fitting part that fits into the pair of bracket members. The fitting part includes a convex portion having an arc-shaped cross sectional face formed in one bracket member of the pair of bracket members; and a concave portion formed in the other bracket of the pair of bracket members and having an arc-shaped cross sectional face with which the convex portion is fitted, wherein the pair of bracket members are rotatably formed with the fitting part as a rotation center, so that facing surfaces of the pair of bracket members that hold the cable can be opened and closed.
US09112340B2
A cable tray and at least one side wall bracket secured to the cable tray is disclosed. The cable tray has a plurality of transverse and longitudinal wires. The side wall bracket has an upper loop with a first end and a second end. Curved portions extend from the first end and the second end of the upper loop. An angled leg extends from each curved portion. The angled legs are defined by a U-shaped inside leg portion and a hook that leads to an outside leg portion. The inside leg portion of each angled leg engages a first surface of side longitudinal wires and bottom longitudinal wires and the outside leg portion of each angled leg engages a second surface opposite the first surface of side longitudinal wires and bottom longitudinal wires to secure the side wall bracket to the cable tray.
US09112329B2
Stimulating emission via thulium's lasing transition from the 3H4 manifold to the 3H6 manifold yields light at wavelength of about 820 nm. Unfortunately, excited thulium ions also transition from the 3H4 manifold to the long-lived 3F4 manifold, where they become trapped and can no longer participate in the lasing transition. If the enough of the thulium population becomes trapped in the 3F4 manifold, the gain medium becomes transparent at the pump wavelength, rendering population inversion difficult or impossible. Fortunately, the size of the population in the 3F4 manifold can be limited by selecting an appropriate crystal host and thulium doping concentration, pumping the thulium with pulses shorter than the 3F4 manifold's lifetime, cooling the gain medium to low temperature (e.g., 77 K), stimulating emission from the 3F4 manifold, upconversion pumping of the thulium from the 3F4 manifold to the 3H4 manifold, or transferring energy from thulium in the 3F4 manifold to a co-dopant.
US09112322B2
An electrical connector having a body, first and second female interfaces, a female connector, one to four side interfaces and a connecting pin. The body has a longitudinal axis with a passage extending between the first and second female interfaces. The side interfaces extend from the body and are substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. The interfaces have a distal end and a bus electrically connected to the female connector. The ends of the connecting pin are adapted to snugly engage louver-type connectors on male interfaces, which are inserted into the first and second female interfaces. The electrical connector is designed to minimize the distance between the first and second ends of the body. The side interfaces of the electrical connector can be designed to accommodate different high voltage connectors.
US09112320B2
Communications connectors include a plurality of input contacts that are arranged as differential pairs of input contacts, a plurality of first output contacts that are electrically connected to respective ones of the plurality of input contacts, and a first pair of second output contacts that are electrically connected by a pair of conductive paths to one of the differential pairs of input contacts. The first output contacts are configured to physically contact respective ones of a plurality of first contacts of a second communications connector. Moreover, each contact of the first pair of second output contacts is electrically in parallel to a respective one of the first output contacts when the communications connector is mated with the second communications connector.
US09112319B2
A modular electrical connector module includes an outer panel, an outlet box and an interchangeable socket module. The interchangeable socket module has at least one connector and is disposed in the outlet box yet demountable. The interchangeable socket module is exposed to the exterior via an opening defined by the outer panel for easy maintenance accessibility.
US09112314B2
A connector cage includes a bezel, having a plurality of slots formed therein, and a cage structure including upper and lower sides and multiple partitions extending between the upper and lower sides to define receptacles for receiving cable connectors. Multiple tabs protrude out of at least one of the sides in locations at which the tabs fit into the slots in the bezel, and are folded over the slots so as to secure the cage structure to the bezel. The cage may also include multiple snap-on spring subassemblies, each spring subassembly secured to a front end of a respective partition and comprising leaves that bow outward to contact the shells of the connectors that are inserted into the receptacles adjacent to the partition.
US09112305B2
When a male terminal connector (10) and a female terminal connector (50) are engaged with each other, projecting inclined faces (20a) and partition wall inclined faces (59) which are opposed to each other are brought into contact or made opposed to each other, and, fitting projections (61) insert into fitting recesses (21) in such a manner that the fitting projections (61) and the fitting recesses (21) are held with gaps between them.
US09112300B2
An electrical connector suitable, for example, for connecting high voltage carrying cables in a low pressure environment comprises a housing having a conducting surface and a plurality of cable insertion parts, each cable insertion part comprising an electrical conductor configured to connect to an electrical cable and an insulating sleeve surrounding the electrical conductor, wherein the housing surrounds the plurality of cable insertion parts.
US09112291B2
A terminal contact point structure includes: an insertion portion for a conduction portion of a counterpart terminal to be inserted; and contact portions disposed at the insertion portion and configured to contact the conduction portion of the counterpart terminal. The contact portions are disposed in a plurality of rows in a direction perpendicular to an insertion direction of the conduction portion of the counterpart terminal to form a contact group. The contact portions in the contact group are positioned displaced to each other backward-forward in the insertion direction to contact, at different timings respectively, the conduction portion of the counterpart terminal being inserted.
US09112284B2
A wireless handheld or portable device includes a communication module with a MIMO system that provides multiband MIMO operation in first and second frequency bands. The MIMO system includes first and second radiating systems, a ground plane common to the two radiating systems, first and second radio frequency systems, and a MIMO module. The first and second radiating systems both operate in the first and second frequency bands and respectively include first and second radiating structures coupled to the ground plane, which respectively have first and second radiation boosters that fit in an imaginary sphere having a diameter smaller than ¼ of a diameter of a radiansphere of a longest wavelength of the first frequency band. The first and second radiofrequency systems respectively modify impedance of the first and second radiating structures to provide impedance matching to the first and second radiating systems within the first and second frequency bands.
US09112282B2
A passive intermodulation modulation reducing structure for a multicarrier reflector system, including a plurality of flexible reflector gores, each gore having a thin layer of conductive metal, a first layer of dielectric material laminated to one face of the conductive metal, and a second layer of dielectric material laminated to an opposite face of the conductive metal. Capacitive coupling joins the reflector's RF components. The structure can be a deployable parabolic reflector for a satellite antenna.
US09112279B2
A mode filter for an antenna having at least one element aperture is provided. The mode filter includes at least one waveguide extension to extend the at least one element aperture, and at least one two-by-two (2×2) array of quad-ridged waveguide sections connected to a respective at least one waveguide extension. When the at least one waveguide extension is positioned between the at least one element aperture and the at least one two-by-two (2×2) array of quad-ridged waveguide sections, undesired electromagnetic modes of the antenna are suppressed.
US09112265B2
A method for manufacturing an antenna structure is disclosed. Employing steps of mixing with a catalyst and embedding a metal insert can simplify steps for manufacturing the antenna structure. Further, a non-conductive frame produced by the process disclosed herein can exhibit waterproof effect. The catalyst mentioned above is mixed with a plastic and then injected into a mold to form the non-conductive frame. The metal insert mentioned above is disposed in the mold before the step of injecting the plastic. Alternatively, the metal insert is embedded in the non-conductive frame after the step of injecting the plastic.
US09112263B2
An embodiment of an electronic communications device, including: a body of semiconductor material defining at least one integrated electronic circuit and having a top surface; an electromagnetic shield; a radiant element; and a capacitive element formed by a first electrode and a second electrode, the radiant element being set on the top surface and being ohmically coupled to the first electrode and the second electrode by means of a first connection element and a second connection element, respectively, the electromagnetic shield being set between the radiant element and the top surface and forming at least the second electrode.
US09112260B2
The subject matter described herein relates a microstrip antenna. In one implementation, the microstrip antenna comprises a dielectric substrate, a first metallic layer on a first side of the dielectric substrate and a second metallic layer on a second side, opposite to the first side, of the dielectric substrate. The first metallic layer on the dielectric substrate comprises one or more end-to-end slots to divide the first metallic layer into a plurality of microstrip patches. The microstrip antenna also comprises a feed circuit which is electromagnetically coupled to the plurality of microstrip patches and the second metallic layer.
US09112259B2
A multiband antenna, includes a main antenna, a coupling unit, and a matching unit. The main antenna includes a feed portion, a bent portion, a radiation portion, and an extending portion in a same plane. One end of the feed portion is connected to the coupling unit. The bent portion is perpendicularly connected to the other end of the feed portion. The radiation portion is parallel with the feed portion and perpendicularly connected to one end of the bent portion away from the feed portion. The extending portion is connected to one end of the radiation portion away from the bent portion, the coupling unit is parallel with the main antenna and connected to the matching unit, the matching unit feeds signals to and grounds the multiband antenna.
US09112245B2
A rechargeable battery module includes a battery cell, a load detector, a temperature sensor, a power consumption classifier and a battery charging controller. The power consumption classifier classifies a power consumption of the battery cell based on the load detected by the load detector and the temperature sensed by the temperature sensor. The battery charging controller collects a series of classified results output from the power consumption classifier to control a charging rate of the battery cell accordingly.
US09112219B2
A multi-stack fuel cell system is disclosed where multiple fuel cell stacks can be efficiently connected together. The fuel cell system includes a plurality of fuel cell modules include a sealed planar fuel cell stack that has internal manifold channels for transport of fuel and air to fuel cells within the stack and transport of tail gas and spent air away from fuel cells within the stack. Each of the fuel cell stacks is mounted on a base manifold, and the base manifold has side openings in fluid communication with the stack internal manifold channels. The side openings on the base manifold are configured so that the modules can be efficiently connected together.
US09112216B2
The present invention discloses an apparatus and method for managing a battery pack, which can rapidly and accurately diagnose the coupling state of a bus bar to battery modules in the battery pack. In accordance with the present invention, provided is an apparatus for managing a battery pack having a plurality of battery modules and a bus bar coupled between the battery modules to electrically connect the battery modules, the apparatus comprising a coupling detection unit for detecting the coupling state of the bus bar to the battery modules; and a controlling unit for determining whether the coupling state of the bus bar has a defect on the basis of the coupling state detected by the coupling detection unit.
US09112215B1
Methods and systems for regenerating a fuel cell are disclosed, comprising sparging a catholyte liquid with a gaseous oxygen-containing flow stream. In addition, the gaseous byproducts in the catholyte can be collected and then converted to liquid forms for easy disposal. In some embodiments, the regeneration process comprises intermittently regenerating an oxidant flow stream, for example, based on detected conditions. In some embodiments, the regeneration process comprises switching between different modes of oxidant regeneration, for example, based on detected conditions.
US09112214B2
A battery separator comprises a multi-layered film, individual layers of film having been bonded together by heat and pressure, having a peel strength of greater than or equal to 40 grams per inch (1.6 g/mm) and a thickness of ≦25 microns. A method for making a battery separator comprises the steps of: extruding and winding up a first precursor film, extruding and winding up a second precursor film, unwinding the first and second precursor films, stacking up the first and second precursor films to form a single stacked precursor, laminating the single stacked precursor film, winding up the laminated single stacked precursor film, stacking up a plurality of laminated single stacked precursor films, and making microporous the stacked plurality of laminated single stacked precursor films.
US09112212B1
Provided are novel methods of fabricating electrochemical cells containing high capacity active materials that form multilayered solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) structures on the active material surface during cell fabrication. Combining multiple different SEI layers on one surface can substantially improve cell performance by providing each layer with different properties. For example, an outer layer having a high electronic resistance may be combined with an inner layer having a high ionic permeability. To form such multilayered SEI structures, formation may involve changing electrolyte composition, functionalizing surfaces, and/or varying formation conditions. For example, formation may start with a boron containing electrolyte. This initial electrolyte is then replaced with an electrolyte that does not contain boron and instead may contain fluorine additives. In certain embodiments, cell's temperature is changed during formation to initiate different chemical reactions during SEI formation. Variations in multilayered SEI structures may be also achieved by varying current rates.
US09112202B2
A battery module includes a first unit cell arranged parallel to a second unit cell and a spacer arranged between the first and second unit cell. Each of the first and second unit cells includes a first electrode terminal and a second electrode terminal having a polarity opposite to that of the first electrode terminal. The spacer includes a main body and a first wall portion extending upward from the main body, and the first wall portion is disposed at and between the first electrode terminal of the first unit cell and the second electrode terminal of the second unit cell. The first electrode terminal of the first unit cell is juxtaposed to the second electrode terminal of the second unit cell.
US09112201B2
There are provided a hydrogen production apparatus, a fuel cell system and operation method thereof, which can more reliably suppress degradation due to oxidation of a catalyst in a hydrogen production apparatus even when start-ups and shutdowns are repeated without a purge operation during the shutdowns. The hydrogen production apparatus includes a reforming part, a shift reaction part, and a selective oxidation reaction part having a selective oxidation catalyst bed packed with a selective oxidation catalyst, wherein the hydrogen production apparatus has an oxygen absorbent bed packed with an oxygen absorbent capable of absorbing oxygen and capable of being regenerated by a reducing gas, and the oxygen absorbent bed and the selective oxidation catalyst bed are stacked with the oxygen absorbent bed on the downstream side, and the hydrogen production apparatus has means for opening the downstream of the oxygen absorbent bed to the atmosphere. The fuel cell system has this hydrogen production apparatus. The operation method of this fuel cell system includes opening the downstream of the oxygen absorbent bed to the atmosphere upon shutdown of the fuel cell system, and regenerating the oxygen absorbent using a hydrogen-containing gas during hydrogen production by the hydrogen production apparatus.
US09112197B1
A Fuel Cell Motor, or, Fuel Cell Engine, and system are described. A central output shaft is mounted with a novel set of rotationally capable fuel cells, of various shapes and configurations. These fuel cells when supplied by hydrogen and oxygen fuels generate electricity. That electricity so generated is channeled to electromagnet winding poles that are mounted on top of these rotationally capable fuel cells and also to the nearby stator electromagnetic poles. The current in the armature electromagnet poles produces magnetic fields which interacts with the congruent magnetic fields produced by the stator electromagnetic winding poles, to cause a rotational motion on the armature poles, adjoined to the central output shaft; henceforth, accomplishing the operations of an electric motor.
US09112182B2
A light-emitting device comprising: an organic electroluminescence element that has a light-emitting surface and emits light from the light-emitting surface; and a structure layer that is provided directly or indirectly on the light-emitting surface of the organic electroluminescence element, wherein the structure layer has a concavo-convex structure on a surface of the structure layer, the surface being opposite to the organic electroluminescence element, the concavo-convex structure including a first streak array extending in a first direction that is parallel to the surface, a second streak array extending in a second direction that is parallel to the surface and intersects the first direction, and a third streak array extending in a third direction that is parallel to the surface and intersects the first direction and the second direction, the concavo-convex structure includes flat surface portions parallel to the light-emitting surface and an inclined surface portion that is inclined with respect to the light-emitting surface, and a projected area formed by projecting the inclined surface portion upon a plane parallel to the flat surface portions in a direction perpendicular to the flat surface portions is 0.1 times or less times a total area of the flat surface portions.
US09112170B2
It is an object to provide an element structure which is suitable for a light-emitting element using a phosphorescent compound. It is another object to provide a light-emitting element with high luminous efficiency by using the element structure. In particular, it is another object to provide a light-emitting element with high luminous efficiency and long life. A light-emitting element is manufactured, which includes a first light-emitting layer and a second light-emitting layer provided to be in contact with each other between a first electrode and a second electrode, where the first light-emitting layer includes a hole transporting host material and a phosphorescent compound, and the second light-emitting layer includes an electron transporting host material and the phosphorescent compound.
US09112159B2
Some embodiments provide a compound represented by Formula 1: wherein R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, R6, R7 and R8 are independently H, C1-C3 alkyl, or C1-3 perfluoroalkyl; HT is optionally substituted carbazoyl, optionally substituted phenylcarbazolyl, optionally substituted (phenylcarbazolyl)phenyl, optionally substituted phenylnaphthylamine, or optionally substituted diphenylamine; and ET optionally substituted benzimidazol-2-yl, optionally substituted benzothiazol-2-yl, optionally substituted benzoxazol-2-yl, optionally substituted 3,3′-bipyridin-5-yl, optionally substituted quinolin-8-yl, optionally substituted quinolin-5-yl, or optionally substituted quinoxalin-5-yl. Other embodiments provide an organic light-emitting diode device comprising a compound of Formula 1.
US09112157B2
The composition described here comprises at least one hole-transporting compound, wherein the hole-transporting compound comprises a core covalently bonded to at least two arylamine groups, wherein the arylamine group optionally comprises one or more intractability groups. The composition can provide good film formation and stability when coated onto hole injection layers. Solution processing of hole transporting layers of OLEDs can be achieved with the composition described here. Good mobility can be achieved.
US09112154B2
A polymer compound comprising a constitutional unit represented by the following formula (2) and a constitutional unit represented by the following formula (1), wherein R1 represents an alkyl group or the like, and R2 and R3 each independently represent a hydrogen atom or the like, —Ar1— (2) wherein Ar1 represents an arylene group or the like. A hydrogen atom in the group represented by Ar1 may be substituted by an alkyl group, aryl group or the like.
US09112149B2
A memory element with reduced degradation of memory characteristics that is caused by deterioration of a memory layer, a method of manufacturing the memory element, and a memory device are provided. The memory element includes a first electrode, a memory layer, and a second electrode in this order. The memory layer includes a resistance change layer containing fluoride, and an ion source layer disposed between the resistance change layer and the second electrode.
US09112145B1
Providing for rectified-switching of a two-terminal solid state memory cell is described herein. By way of example, the subject disclosure provides a solid state device exhibiting rectified resistive switching characteristics that can be fabricated with semiconductor fabrication techniques. The solid state device can comprise a metal ion layer adjacent to an electrically resistive diffusion layer, which is at least in part permeable to conductive ions of the metal ion layer. A pair of electrodes can be placed, respectively, on opposite sides of the adjacent ion layer and electrically resistive diffusion layer to facilitate operating on the two-terminal solid state memory cell. In operation, a program voltage induces conductive ions to form a semi-stable conductive filament within the diffusion layer, which partially deforms in response to reduction in the program voltage. A suitable rectifier voltage re-establishes electrical conductivity, with much lower electrical conductivity for voltages lower than the rectifier voltage.
US09112144B2
A method of fabricating a memory cell includes forming a bottom electrode on a substrate, a variable resistive material layer on the bottom electrode, and a top electrode on the variable resistive material layer. A first metal oxide layer interposes the top electrode and the variable resistive material layer. In an embodiment, the first metal oxide layer is a self-formed layer provided by the oxidation of a portion of the top electrode. In an embodiment, a second metal oxide layer is provided interposing the first metal oxide layer and the variable resistive material layer. The second metal oxide may be a self-formed layer formed by the reduction of the variable resistive material layer.
US09112135B2
A piezoelectric element is provided with an element body, which has a pair of principal faces opposed to each other and an end face extending in a direction in which the pair of principal faces are opposed to each other, so as to connect the pair of principal faces, and which is comprised of a piezoelectric ceramic material; a pair of electrodes arranged respectively on the pair of principal faces; and a resin covering an entire area of the end face and arranged so as to make contact with the pair of electrodes. The resin has two edges in the aforementioned direction projecting outward in the aforementioned direction from the respective electrodes.
US09112134B2
A resonator according to the present invention includes a supporting substrate, a piezoelectric layer, a pair of excitation electrodes, and a bonding layer. The piezoelectric layer is made of a piezoelectric material. The pair of excitation electrodes is formed on the upper surface of the piezoelectric layer so as to excite bulk acoustic waves. The bonding layer has a cavity formed therein so as to face the excitation electrode pair through the piezoelectric layer, and the bonding layer bonds the supporting substrate to the lower surface of the piezoelectric layer.
US09112131B2
A spin MOSFET includes a first ferromagnetic layer having a fixed magnetization direction, a first tunnel barrier, a second ferromagnetic layer having a variable magnetization direction, and a nonmagnetic semiconductor layer provided in that order on a substrate. The nonmagnetic semiconductor layer has lower and upper faces and a side faces serving as a channel. A third ferromagnetic layer having a fixed magnetization direction is provided on the upper face of the nonmagnetic semiconductor layer, wherein the magnetization direction of each of the first to third ferromagnetic layers is in parallel or antiparallel to a direction from the third ferromagnetic layer to the first ferromagnetic layer. A nonmagnetic layer is provided on the third ferromagnetic layer, and a gate insulating film and gate electrode are provided in that order on the side face of the nonmagnetic semiconductor layer.
US09112124B2
With a light emitting device of a package formed by two types of molded resins, entry of water from between the molded resins may cause the light emitting device to be incapable of turning on. A light emitting device of the present invention includes: a package that has an opening at an upper surface thereof; a first molded resin that forms a part of the upper surface of the package; a second molded resin that forms an inner wall surface of the opening of the package; a lead frame that is buried in the package so as to be partially exposed at a bottom surface of the opening of the package, the lead frame having an end portion externally projected outside from a side surface of the package; and a light emitting element that is connected to an upper surface of the lead frame being exposed at the bottom surface of the opening. The second molded resin is higher than the first molded resin in light reflectance to light emitted from the light emitting element. The upper surface of the lead frame buried in the package is disposed so as to be spaced apart from the interface between the first molded resin and the second molded resin.
US09112122B2
A light-emitting device (100) is provided with a metal part (2) atop a planar LED substrate (1), and an LED element (3) is disposed atop the metal part (2). A glass substrate (5) is provided to an upper surface of the LED element (3), and a wavelength conversion part (6) is formed on an upper surface of the glass substrate (5). The wavelength conversion part (6) comprises a light-transmissive ceramic layer formed by heating a mixture containing a phosphor, an organometallic compound, a layered silicate mineral, an inorganic particulate, an organic solvent, and water.
US09112121B2
Disclosed is a light emitting device having a wavelength converting layer. The light emitting device comprises a plurality of semiconductor stacked structures; connectors for electrically connecting the plurality of semiconductor stacked structures to one another; a single wavelength converting layer for covering the plurality of semiconductor stacked structures; an electrode electrically connected to at least one of the semiconductor stacked structures; and at least one additional electrode positioned on the electrode, passing through the wavelength converting layer to be exposed to the outside, and forming a current input terminal to the light emitting device or a current output terminal from the light emitting device. Since the single wavelength converting layer covers the plurality of semiconductor stacked structures, the plurality of semiconductor stacked structures can be integrally mounted on a chip mounting member such as a package or a module.
US09112120B2
The present invention provides a white light source satisfying a relational equation of −0.2≦[(P(λ)×V(λ))/(P(λmax1)×V(λmax1))−(B(λ)×V(λ))/(B(λmax2)×V(λmax2))]≦+0.2, assuming that: a light emission spectrum of the white light source is P(λ); a light emission spectrum of black-body radiation having a same color temperature as that of the white light source is B(λ); a spectrum of a spectral luminous efficiency is V(λ); a wavelength at which P(λ)×V(λ) becomes largest is λmax1; and a wavelength at which B(λ)×V(λ) becomes largest is λmax2. According to the above white light source, there can be provided a white light source capable of reproducing the same light emission spectrum as that of natural light.
US09112112B2
Disclosed is a subminiature LED element and a manufacturing method thereof. The subminiature LED element includes a first conductive semiconductor layer, an active layer formed on the first conductive semiconductor layer, and a semiconductor light emission element of a micrometer or nanometer size including a second conductive semiconductor layer formed on the active layer, wherein the outer circumference of the semiconductor light emission element is coated with an insulation film. The manufacturing method includes 1) forming a first conductive semiconductor layer, an active layer and a second conductive semiconductor layer in order on a substrate, 2) etching the first conductive semiconductor layer, the active layer and the second conductive semiconductor layer so that the LED element has a diameter of a nanometer or micrometer level, and 3) forming an insulation film on the outer circumference of the first conductive semiconductor layer, the active layer and the second conductive semiconductor layer and removing the substrate. Therefore, a subminiature LED element of a nanometer or micrometer size may be effectively produced by combining a top-down manner and a bottom-up manner, and light emission efficiency may be improved by preventing a surface defect of the produced subminiature LED element.
US09112108B2
An energy source for supplying an autonomous electrical load system with electrical energy includes a thermogenerator device configured to generate a thermoelectric voltage to be fed to the electrical load system. The thermogenerator device is under the influence of a temperature difference between a warmer first thermal coupling device and a colder second thermal coupling device. The energy source further includes a microfluidic cooling device having a heat-absorption region, a heat-emission region, and a closed microfluidic circulation system configured to circulate a fluid between the heat-absorption region and the heat-emission region. The heat-absorption region has a thermally conductive connection to the second thermal coupling device. The heat-emission region is configured to be coupled to an external heat sink using a thermally conductive connection such that the circulating fluid carries thermal energy away from the second thermal coupling device and transports the thermal energy to the external heat sink.
US09112104B2
Epitaxial growth methods and devices are described that include a textured surface on a substrate. Geometry of the textured surface provides a reduced lattice mismatch between an epitaxial material and the substrate. Devices formed by the methods described exhibit better interfacial adhesion and lower defect density than devices formed without texture. Silicon substrates are shown with gallium nitride epitaxial growth and devices such as LEDs are formed within the gallium nitride.
US09112086B2
To provide a photoelectric conversion device which has little light loss caused by light absorption in a window layer and has favorable electric characteristics. The photoelectric conversion device includes, between a pair of electrodes, a light-transmitting semiconductor layer which has one conductivity type and serves as a window layer, and a silicon semiconductor substrate having a conductivity type for forming a p-n junction or a silicon semiconductor layer having a conductivity type for forming a p-i-n junction. The light-transmitting semiconductor layer can be formed using an inorganic compound containing, as its main component, an oxide of a metal belonging to any of Groups 4 to 8 of the periodic table. The band gap of the metal oxide is greater than or equal to 2 eV.
US09112083B2
A semiconductor device is provided that includes a Group III nitride based superlattice and a Group III nitride based active region comprising at least one quantum well structure on the superlattice. The quantum well structure includes a well support layer comprising a Group III nitride, a quantum well layer comprising a Group III nitride on the well support layer and a cap layer comprising a Group III nitride on the quantum well layer. A Group III nitride based semiconductor device is also provided that includes a gallium nitride based superlattice having at least two periods of alternating layers of InXGa1-XN and InYGa1-YN, where 0≦X<1 and 0≦Y<1 and X is not equal to Y. The semiconductor device may be a light emitting diode with a Group III nitride based active region. The active region may be a multiple quantum well active region.
US09112067B2
An object relates to an electrode of a semiconductor device or a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, which includes a bonding step, and problems are: (1) high resistance of a semiconductor device due to the use of an Al electrode, (2) formation of an alloy by Al and Si, (3) high resistance of a film formed by a sputtering method, and (4) defective bonding in a bonding step which is caused if a bonding surface has a large unevenness. A semiconductor device includes a metal substrate or a substrate provided with a metal film, a copper (Cu) plating film over and bonded to the metal substrate or the metal film by employing a thermocompression bonding method, a barrier film over the Cu plating film, a single crystal silicon film over the barrier film, and an electrode layer over the single crystal silicon film.
US09112062B2
A semiconductor device includes a first semiconductor package including a first mold part, a second semiconductor package including a second mold part, a connecting pattern configured to electrically connect the first and second semiconductor packages to each other, and a molding pattern between the first and second semiconductor packages. The molding pattern extends to cover at least a portion of a sidewall of only the second semiconductor package.
US09112061B2
A semiconductor device includes an insulating substrate, a semiconductor chip, an insulating layer, and a sealing layer. The insulating substrate has an opening. A semiconductor chip is disposed in the opening. An insulating layer is disposed on a first surface of the insulating substrate. The insulating layer covers the opening. The sealing layer is disposed on a second surface of the insulating substrate. The sealing layer seals the semiconductor chip and the opening.
US09112059B2
It is an object of the present invention to provide a copper-based bonding wire whose material cost is low, having excellent ball bondability, reliability in a heat cycle test or reflow test, and storage life, enabling an application to thinning of a wire used for fine pitch connection. The bonding wire includes a core material having copper as a main component and an outer layer which is provided on the core material and contains a metal M and copper, in which the metal M differs from the core material in one or both of components and composition. The outer layer is 0.021 to 0.12 μm in thickness.
US09112044B2
A three-dimensional (3-D) non-volatile memory device includes a plurality of word line structures extended in parallel and including a plurality of interlayer dielectric layers and a plurality of word lines that are alternately stacked over a substrate, a plurality of channels protruding from the substrate configured to penetrate the plurality of interlayer dielectric layers and the plurality of word lines, and an air gap formed between the plurality of word line structures.
US09112043B2
A display device includes a first wiring functioning as a gate electrode formed over a substrate, a gate insulating film formed over the first wiring, a second wiring and an electrode layer provided over the gate insulating film, and a high-resistance oxide semiconductor layer formed between the second wiring and the electrode layer are included. In the structure, the second wiring is formed using a stack of a low-resistance oxide semiconductor layer and a conductive layer over the low-resistance oxide semiconductor layer, and the electrode layer is formed using a stack of the low-resistance oxide semiconductor layer and the conductive layer which is stacked so that a region functioning as a pixel electrode of the low-resistance oxide semiconductor layer is exposed.
US09112042B2
A thin film transistor suitable for being disposed on a substrate is provided. The thin film transistor includes a gate electrode, an organic gate dielectric layer, a metal oxide semiconductor layer, a source electrode and a drain electrode. The gate electrode is disposed on the substrate. The organic gate dielectric layer is disposed on the substrate to cover the gate electrode. The source electrode, the drain electrode and the metal oxide semiconductor layer are disposed above the organic gate dielectric layer, and the metal oxide semiconductor layer contacts with the source electrode and the drain electrode. Because the channel layer of the thin film transistor is a layer of metal oxide semiconductor formed at a lower temperature, thus the thin film transistor can be widely applied into various display applications such as flexible display devices.
US09112038B2
An object is to increase field effect mobility of a thin film transistor including an oxide semiconductor. Another object is to stabilize electrical characteristics of the thin film transistor. In a thin film transistor including an oxide semiconductor layer, a semiconductor layer or a conductive layer having higher electrical conductivity than the oxide semiconductor is formed over the oxide semiconductor layer, whereby field effect mobility of the thin film transistor can be increased. Further, by forming a semiconductor layer or a conductive layer having higher electrical conductivity than the oxide semiconductor between the oxide semiconductor layer and a protective insulating layer of the thin film transistor, change in composition or deterioration in film quality of the oxide semiconductor layer is prevented, so that electrical characteristics of the thin film transistor can be stabilized.
US09112028B2
An apparatus including a device including a channel material having a first lattice structure on a well of a well material having a matched lattice structure in a buffer material having a second lattice structure that is different than the first lattice structure. A method including forming a trench in a buffer material; forming an n-type well material in the trench, the n-type well material having a lattice structure that is different than a lattice structure of the buffer material; and forming an n-type transistor. A system including a computer including a processor including complimentary metal oxide semiconductor circuitry including an n-type transistor including a channel material, the channel material having a first lattice structure on a well disposed in a buffer material having a second lattice structure that is different than the first lattice structure, the n-type transistor coupled to a p-type transistor.
US09112022B2
A super junction semiconductor device includes a super junction structure including first and second areas alternately arranged along a first lateral direction and extending in parallel along a second lateral direction. Each one of the first areas includes a first semiconductor region of a first conductivity type. Each one of the second areas includes, along the first lateral direction, an inner area between opposite second semiconductor regions of a second conductivity type opposite to the first conductivity type. A width w1 of the first of the first semiconductor region in a transistor cell area is greater than in an edge termination area, and a width w2 of each one of the second semiconductor regions in the transistor cell area is greater than in the edge termination area.
US09112020B2
Various embodiments provide transistor devices and fabrication methods. An exemplary transistor device with improved carrier mobility can be formed by first forming a confining layer on a semiconductor substrate to confine impurity ions diffused from the semiconductor substrate to the confining layer. An epitaxial silicon layer can be formed on the confining layer, followed by forming a gate structure on the epitaxial silicon layer. A portion of the epitaxial silicon layer can be used as an intrinsic channel region. A source region and a drain region can be formed in portions of each of the epitaxial silicon layer, the confining layer, and the semiconductor substrate.
US09112018B2
An insulating substrate includes: a transparent insulating layer; a first metal layer that is provided on a first face of the transparent insulating layer; and a second metal layer that is provided on a second face of the transparent insulating layer that is opposite from the first face. The first face of the transparent insulating layer is formed with an exposed section that is an area not provided with the first metal layer. The second metal layer includes an area that is overlapped with the exposed section when seen in an orthogonal direction to the first face.
US09112017B2
A semiconductor device includes an N type well region in a P type substrate. A source region of a MOSFET is laterally separated from a boundary of the well region, which includes the drain of the MOSFET. An insulated gate of the MOSFET extends laterally from the source region to at least just past the boundary of the well region. A polysilicon layer, which forms a first plate of a capacitive anti-fuse, is insulated from an area of the well region, which forms the second plate of the anti-fuse. The anti-fuse is programmed by application of a voltage across the first and second capacitive plates sufficient to destroy at least a portion of the second dielectric layer, thereby electrically shorting the polysilicon layer to the drain of the HVFET.
US09112013B2
Provided are a semiconductor device having a high breakdown voltage and attaining the restraint of the action of a parasite bipolar transistor, and a method for producing the device. A high-breakdown-voltage p-channel-type transistor included in the semiconductor device has a first n-type semiconductor layer arranged in a semiconductor substrate and at a main-surface-side (upside) of a p-type region in the semiconductor substrate, and a local n-type buried region arranged just below a first p-type dopant region to contact the first n-type semiconductor layer.
US09112001B2
A method of forming a package system includes providing a first substrate having a metallic pad and at least one metallic guard ring. The method further includes bonding the metallic pad of the first substrate with a semiconductor pad of a second substrate, wherein the at least one metallic guard ring is configured to at least partially interact with the semiconductor pad to form at least a first portion of an electrical bonding material between the first and second substrates.
US09111999B2
When performing plasma assisted etch processes for patterning complex metallization systems of microstructure devices, the probability of creating plasma-induced damage, such as arcing, may be reduced or substantially eliminated by using a superior ramp-up system for the high frequency power and the low frequency power. To this end, the high frequency power may be increased at a higher rate compared to the low frequency power component, wherein, additionally, a time delay may be applied so that, at any rate, the high frequency component reaches its target power level prior to the low frequency component.
US09111994B2
A semiconductor device and a method of fabricating the same are provided. The semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate in which a multi-depth trench is formed, the multi-depth trench including a shallow trench and a deep trench arranged below the shallow trench, a first dielectric material formed in partial area of the multi-depth trench, the first dielectric material including a slope in the shallow trench that extends upward from a corner where a bottom plane of the shallow trench and a sidewall of the deep trench meets, the slope being inclined with respect to the bottom plane of the shallow trench, and a second dielectric material formed in areas of the multi-depth trench in which the first dielectric material is absent.
US09111986B2
Fabrication methods, device structures, and design structures for a bipolar junction transistor. An intrinsic base layer is formed on a semiconductor substrate, an etch stop layer is formed on the intrinsic base layer, and an extrinsic base layer is formed on the etch stop layer. A trench is formed that penetrates through the extrinsic base layer to the etch stop layer. The trench is formed by etching the extrinsic base layer selective to the etch stop layer. The first trench is extended through the etch stop layer to the intrinsic base layer by etching the etch stop layer selective to the intrinsic base layer. After the trench is extended through the etch stop layer, an emitter is formed using the trench.
US09111968B2
An optimized plasma processing chamber configured to provide a current path is provided. The optimized plasma processing chamber includes at least an upper electrode, a powered lower electrode, a heating plate, a cooling plate, a plasma chamber lid, and clamp ring. Both the heating plate and the cooling plate are disposed above the upper electrode whereas the heating plate is configured to heat the upper electrode while the cooling plate is configured to cool the upper electrode. The clamp ring is configured to secure the upper electrode to a plasma chamber lid and to provide a current path from the upper electrode to the plasma chamber lid. A pocket may be formed between the clamp ring and the upper electrode to hold at least the heater plate, wherein the pocket is configured to allow longitudinal and lateral tolerances for thermal expansion of the heater plate from repetitive thermal cycling.
US09111960B2
Semiconductor devices with vertical channel transistors, the devices including semiconductor patterns disposed on a substrate, first gate patterns disposed between the semiconductor patterns on the substrate, a second gate pattern spaced apart from the first gate patterns by the semiconductor patterns, and conductive lines crossing the first gate patterns. The second gate pattern includes a first portion extending parallel to the first gate patterns and a second portion extending parallel to the conductive lines.
US09111958B2
A threshold voltage adjusted long-channel transistor fabricated according to short-channel transistor processes is described. The threshold-adjusted transistor includes a substrate with spaced-apart source and drain regions formed in the substrate and a channel region defined between the source and drain regions. A layer of gate oxide is formed over at least a part of the channel region with a gate formed over the gate oxide. The gate further includes at least one implant aperture formed therein with the channel region of the substrate further including an implanted region within the channel between the source and drain regions. Methods for forming the threshold voltage adjusted transistor are also disclosed.
US09111950B2
A process for preparing a semiconductor structure for mounting to a carrier is disclosed. The process involves causing a support material to substantially fill a void defined by surfaces formed in the semiconductor structure and causing the support material to solidify sufficiently to support the semiconductor structure when mounted to the carrier.
US09111946B2
A first area of a first surface of an encapsulated component can be thinned, the component including: a semiconductor chip having an active surface opposite the first surface, and an encapsulant extending outwardly from edges of the semiconductor chip. An entire area of the active surface may be aligned with the first area. After the abrading, a second area of the encapsulated component beyond the first area may have a thickness greater than a thickness of the first area. The second area can be configured to fully support the abraded encapsulated component in a state of the encapsulated component being manipulated by handling equipment.
US09111945B2
A package having ESD (electrostatic discharge) and EMI (electromagnetic interference) preventing functions includes: a substrate unit having a ground structure and an I/O structure disposed therein; at least a semiconductor component disposed on a surface of the substrate unit and electrically connected to the ground structure and the I/O structure; an encapsulant covering the surface of the substrate unit and the semiconductor component; and a metal layer disposed on exposed surfaces of the encapsulant and side surfaces of the substrate unit and electrically insulated from the ground structure, thereby protecting the semiconductor component against ESD and EMI so as to improve the product yield and reduce the risk of short circuits.
US09111943B2
A multi-chip module (MCM) that includes alignment features is described. This MCM includes at least two substrates having facing surfaces with positive features disposed on them. Note that a given positive feature on either of the surfaces protrudes above the surface. Furthermore, the two substrates are mechanically coupled by these positive features. In particular, a given one of the positive features on one of the surfaces mates with a given subset of the positive features on the other of the surfaces. Additionally, the given subset of the positive features includes two or more of the positive features.
US09111933B2
A distributed active transformer is provided comprising a primary and a secondary winding. The primary winding comprises a first set of conductive vias extending in a direction between a first surface and a second surface of an element, a first set of first electrically conductive lines extending along the first surface, and a first set of second electrically conductive lines extending along the second surface. The secondary winding comprises a second set of conductive vias extending in a direction between the first surface and the second surface, a second set of first electrically conductive lines extending along the first surface, and a second set of second electrically conductive lines extending along the second surface. When energized, the primary winding generates magnetic flux extending in a direction parallel to the first surface and the second surface. The secondary winding receives energy transferred by the magnetic flux generated by the primary winding.
US09111930B2
A package includes an interposer, which includes a core dielectric material, a through-opening extending from a top surface to a bottom surface of the core dielectric material, a conductive pipe penetrating through the core dielectric material, and a device die in the through-opening. The device die includes electrical connectors. A top package is disposed over the interposer. A first solder region bonds the top package to the conductive pipe, wherein the first solder region extends into a region encircled by the conductive pipe. A package substrate is underlying the interposer. A second solder region bonds the package substrate to the interposer.
US09111929B2
Devices and methods for their formation, including electronic assemblies having a shape memory material structure, are described. In one embodiment, a device includes a package substrate and an electronic component coupled to the package substrate. The device also includes a shape memory material structure coupled to the package substrate. In one aspect of certain embodiments, the shape memory material structure is formed from a material selected to have a martensite to austenite transition temperature in the range of 50-300 degrees Celsius. In another aspect of certain embodiments, the shape memory material structure is positioned to extend around a periphery of the electronic component. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US09111922B2
A semiconductor device includes a source electrode pad formed to a front surface of a semiconductor chip and a metal clip (metal plate) to which a lead is electrically connected. The metal clip includes a chip-connecting portion electrically connected to the source electrode pad via a conductive bonding material, a lead-connecting portion electrically connected to the lead via a conductive bonding material, and an intermediate portion positioned between the chip-connecting portion and the lead-connecting portion. Further, between the intermediate portion and the chip-connecting portion, a step portion, which has shear surfaces disposed to face each other, is provided interposing a joining portion.
US09111921B2
In one implementation, a semiconductor package includes a control conductive carrier having a die side and an opposite input/output (I/O) side connecting the semiconductor package to a mounting surface. The semiconductor package also includes a control FET of a power converter switching stage having a control drain attached to the die side of the control conductive carrier. The control conductive carrier is configured to sink heat produced by the control FET into the mounting surface. The semiconductor package includes a sync conductive carrier having another die side and another opposite I/O side connecting the semiconductor package to the mounting surface, and a sync FET of the power converter switching stage having a sync source attached to the die side of the sync conductive carrier.
US09111912B2
Embodiments of the present disclosure include a semiconductor device and methods of forming a semiconductor device. An embodiment is a method of forming a semiconductor device, the method including bonding a die to a top surface of a first substrate, the die being electrically coupled to the first substrate, and forming a support structure on the top surface of the first substrate, the support structure being physically separated from the die with a top surface of the support structure being coplanar with a top surface of the die. The method further includes performing a sawing process on the first substrate, the sawing process sawing through the support structure.
US09111909B2
The semiconductor integrated circuit device employs on the same silicon substrate a plurality of kinds of MOS transistors with different magnitudes of tunnel current flowing either between the source and gate or between the drain and gate thereof. These MOS transistors include tunnel-current increased MOS transistors at least one of which is for use in constituting a main circuit of the device. The plurality of kinds of MOS transistors also include tunnel-current reduced or depleted MOS transistors at least one of which is for use with a control circuit. This control circuit is inserted between the main circuit and at least one of the two power supply units.
US09111900B2
A power semiconductor device comprising a power semiconductor module and a heat sink and a method for its manufacture. The heat sink has a first cooling housing component, with a cutout passing therethrough, and a second cooling housing component, with a cooling plate arranged in the cutout. The first and second cooling housing components are configured and arranged relative to one another so that a cavity is formed at the side of the cooling plate facing away from the power semiconductor components. The cooling plate is connected to the first cooling housing component by a first weld seam which extends circumferentially therearound. The first weld seam seals the cooling plate in relation to the first cooling housing component, and the second cooling housing component is connected to the first cooling housing component. The inventive power semiconductor device has good heat conduction from the power semiconductor components to a heat sink.
US09111892B2
A organic EL display panel includes an inter-layer insulation film, a pixel electrode, auxiliary wiring, a partition layer, an organic light-emitting layer, and a common electrode. The inter-layer insulation film has at least one paired concave portion and non-concave portion disposed in a region over the auxiliary wiring, a top face of the concave portion being concave with respect to a top face of the non-concave portion, and the auxiliary wiring includes a part over the concave portion and a part over the non-concave portion, a top face of the part over the concave portion being concave with respect to a top face of the part over the non-concave portion.
US09111890B2
An organic light emitting display device including: a first emission area including a first organic light emitting diode; a second emission area arranged adjacent to the first emission area and not overlapping with the first emission area, the second emission area including a second organic light emitting diode; a pixel circuit unit electrically connected to the first organic light emitting diode and the second organic light emitting diode; and a transmissive area adjacent to the first and second emission areas and not overlapping with the first and second emission areas, the transmissive area configured to transmit external light therethrough.
US09111886B2
The disclosed method is for manufacturing organic EL displays that comprise a substrate and multiple organic EL elements that are disposed in a matrix form on said substrate, and wherein said organic EL elements comprise pixel electrodes that are disposed on said substrate, an organic layer that is disposed on said pixel electrodes and a counter-electrode that is disposed on said organic layer. The organic EL display manufacturing method comprises a step for forming banks that delineate the organic layer on the substrate, a step for coating the region delineated by said banks with a solution comprising an organic material and forming the organic layer, a step for detecting defectively formed portions of said organic layer, a step for removing said defectively formed portions, a step for forming a recessed part or a protruding part around the region from which said poorly formed portion has been removed, and a step for re-coating the region from which said defectively formed portion was removed with the solution comprising the organic material.
US09111884B2
Semiconductor materials, particularly III-V materials used to form, e.g., a finlike structure can suffer structural damage during chemical mechanical polishing steps. This damage can be reduced or eliminated by oxidizing the damaged surface of the material and then etching away the oxidized material. The etching step can be accomplished simultaneously with a step of etching back a patterned oxide layers, such as a shallow trench isolation layer.
US09111878B2
A method includes providing an integrated circuit (IC) die assembly that includes a substrate and an IC die mounted on a portion of a major surface of the substrate, dispensing an interface material on the IC die, positioning a portion of a heat spreader in contact with the interface material, and dispensing an adhesive between one side of the heat spreader facing the IC die assembly and exposed portions of a major surface of an encapsulant on the substrate.
US09111868B2
A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate configured to include a channel, first and second ohmic contacts supported by the semiconductor substrate, in ohmic contact with the semiconductor substrate, and spaced from one another for current flow between the first and second ohmic contacts through the channel, and first and second dielectric layers supported by the semiconductor substrate. At least one of the first and second ohmic contacts extends through respective openings in the first and second dielectric layers. The second dielectric layer is disposed between the first dielectric layer and a surface of the semiconductor substrate, and the second dielectric layer includes a wet etchable material having an etch selectivity to a dry etchant of the first dielectric layer.
US09111863B2
A method for manufacturing a dummy gate in a gate-last process and a dummy gate in a gate-last process are provided. The method includes: providing a semiconductor substrate; growing a gate oxide layer on the semiconductor substrate; depositing bottom-layer amorphous silicon on the gate oxide layer; depositing an ONO structured hard mask on the bottom-layer amorphous silicon; depositing top-layer amorphous silicon on the ONO structured hard mask; depositing a hard mask layer on the top-layer amorphous silicon, and trimming the hard mask layer so that the trimmed hard mask layer has a width less than or equal to 22 nm; and etching the top-layer amorphous silicon, the ONO structured hard mask and the bottom-layer amorphous silicon in accordance with the trimmed hard mask layer, and removing the hard mask layer and the top-layer amorphous silicon.
US09111859B2
According to an embodiment, a non-volatile memory device includes a first interconnection extending in a first direction, a plurality of second interconnections provided side by side on the first interconnection and extending in a second direction intersecting the first direction and a memory layer provided on a side surface of each second interconnection. The device also includes a control element provided between each of the second interconnections and the first interconnection, an element part extending in the second direction, and a control electrode facing a side surface of the element part via a first insulating film. An adjustment part is provided on the first interconnection and adjacent to a control element connected to a second interconnection disposed at an end position of the second interconnections arranged in the first direction, and a first outer electrode provided between the adjustment part and the control element disposed at the end position.
US09111854B2
A non-volatile memory of an embodiment includes a plurality of memory cells, each of the memory cells including a plurality of transistors including a first to fourth transistors, a first non-volatile element, a second non-volatile element, a first node, and a second node, the first and second transistors being connected in series with the first non-volatile element, the third and fourth transistors being connected in series with the second non-volatile element, the first node being disposed between the first and second transistors, the second node being disposed between the third and fourth transistors, gates of the first and third transistors being connected to one of first wiring lines, a gate of the second transistor being connected to the second node, a gate of the fourth transistor being connected to the first node, the first transistor being connected between one of second wiring lines and the first node.
US09111853B2
Methods of forming doped elements of semiconductor device structures include forming trenches having undercut portions separating stem portions of a substrate. The stem portions extend between a base portion of the substrate and overlying broader portions of the substrate material. A carrier material including a dopant is formed at least on the sides of the stems in the undercut portions of the trenches. The dopant is diffused from the carrier material into the stems. As such, the narrow stem portions of the substrate become doped with a targeted dopant-delivery method. The doped stems may form or be incorporated within buried, doped, conductive elements of semiconductor device structures, such as digit lines of memory arrays. Also disclosed are related semiconductor device structures.
US09111846B1
Assembly structure for connecting multiple dies into a system-in-package chip and the method thereof
The present invention discloses an efficient way to connect multiple integrated circuit dies using redistribution layers (RDL) for making wire connections. Antenna diodes are used to create ground paths so as to remove non-sticking pads on the RDL to ensure the integrity of the wire connections before packaging the multiple integrated circuit dies into a system-in-package (SIP) chip, thereby eliminating unnecessary yield loss in a functional test caused by the non-sticking pads. In another aspect, electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection can be provided through the antenna diodes across two different power domains by disposing a diode in one integrated circuit die for ESD protection of a terminal in another integrated circuit die.
US09111836B2
A semiconductor device includes a photodiode, a first transistor, a second transistor, and a third transistor. The second transistor and the third transistor have a function of retaining a charge accumulated in a gate of the first transistor. In a period during which the second transistor and the third transistor are off, a voltage level of a voltage applied to a gate of the second transistor is set to be lower than a voltage level of a source of the second transistor and a voltage level of a drain of the second transistor, and a voltage level of a voltage applied to a gate of the third transistor is set to be lower than a voltage level of a source of the third transistor and a voltage level of a drain of the third transistor.
US09111830B1
Provided is a focal plane array that includes an array of photodetectors, with each photodetector being in electrical communication with a corresponding one of an electrode of a read out integrated circuit. The array of photodetectors include an insulating layer, a blocking layer comprising at least one blind via, and an active layer formed between the insulating layer and the blocking layer. A first portion of the blocking layer transmits radiation having a first wavelength and reflects radiation having second wavelength that is lower than that of the first wavelength. A diameter of the at least one blind via is selected to allow radiation of the second wavelength to pass through the at least one blind via.
US09111828B2
The present invention relates to a solid-state imaging device having good focusing properties, a method for manufacturing such a solid-state imaging device, and an electronic apparatus. The solid-state imaging device has a semiconductor substrate 11 and a photoelectric conversion part formed in the semiconductor substrate 11. In the solid-state imaging device, a laminate including an organic material layer and an inorganic material layer is formed on the semiconductor substrate with at least one stress relaxation layer 22 interposed between the organic and inorganic material layers. This technology is applicable to, for example, solid-state imaging devices having pixels and microlenses placed thereon.
US09111822B2
The present invention provides a thermally and electrically conductive apparatus that can provide both thermal conductivity and electrical conductivity for one or more electronic devices connected thereto. The apparatus comprises a thermally conductive element that is in thermal contact with one or more electronic devices and optionally in contact with a heat dissipation system. A portion of the thermally conductive element is surrounded by a multilayer coating system comprising two or more layers. The multilayer coating system includes alternating electrically insulating and electrically conductive layers in order to provide paths for the supply of electric current to the one or more electronic devices. A conductive layer of the multilayer coating system may be selectively patterned to connect to one or more electronic devices. In this manner, the combination of an electronic circuit carrier and a thermally conductive element can unify thermal conductivity with the provision of power and/or communication into a single integrated unit for use with electronic devices.
US09111819B2
An inventive semiconductor device includes a semiconductor chip having a passivation film, and a sealing resin layer provided over the passivation film for sealing a front side of the semiconductor chip. The sealing resin layer extends to a side surface of the passivation film to cover the side surface.
US09111810B2
A circuit board (1) includes a plurality of transistor elements on an insulating substrate (2). At least one of the plurality of transistor elements is an oxide TFT (10) including, as a channel layer (11), an oxide semiconductor. At least one of the plurality of transistor elements is an a-SiTFT (20) (i) being different from the oxide TFT (10) in functions as circuit components and (ii) including, as a channel layer (21), an amorphous silicon semiconductor. The oxide TFT (10) is a top gate transistor, and the a-SiTFT (20) is a bottom gate transistor. This provides: a configuration that can (a) enhance the performance of the circuit board equipped with the TFTs differing in their respective functions as circuit components and (b) reduce the area necessary for mounting the TFTs; and a method for producing the circuit board.
US09111800B2
A plurality of integrated circuit features are provided in the context of an array of memory cells including a plurality of word lines and a plurality of bit lines. Each memory cell includes a floating body or is volatile memory. The aforementioned features may include, among others, an option whereby the foregoing bit lines may be situated below a channel region of corresponding memory cells, etc.
US09111798B2
A memory includes a first memory cell and a second memory cell formed over the first memory cell. Each of the first memory cell and the second memory cell includes a channel region comprising silicon and carbon, a control gate, and a dielectric stack between the channel region and the control gate. A carbon content of the channel region of the second memory cell is less than a carbon content of the channel region of the first memory cell.
US09111794B2
In a method for producing a semiconductor device, Si pillars that include i-layers, N+ regions that serve as lower impurity regions, N+ regions and a P+ region that serve as upper impurity regions, and i-layers are formed by using SiO2 layers as an etching mask. Thus, surrounding gate MOS transistors (SGTs) are produced in which the upper impurity regions and the lower impurity regions respectively function as impurity layers constituting a source or a drain of the SGTs formed in upper portions and lower portions of the Si pillars.
US09111783B2
Replacement metal gates well suited for self-aligned contact formation are made by replacing the dummy gate with a recessed polysilicon layer and then effecting an aluminum-polysilicon substitution. The resulting upper polysilicon layer is easily removed from the recessed aluminum layer, which can then be protected with a protective dielectric layer for subsequent formation of a source or drain contact hole.
US09111773B2
A three dimensional shallow trench isolation structure including sets of parallel trenches extending in two perpendicular directions may be formed by depositing a conformal deposition in a first set of parallel trenches, oxidizing the second set of trenches to enable selective deposition in said second set of trenches and then conformally depositing in said second set of trenches. In some embodiments, only one wet anneal, one etch back, and one high density plasma chemical vapor deposition step may be used to fill both sets of trenches.
US09111772B1
An electronic array may include a first electronic component which has a first operation voltage, a second electronic component which has a second operation voltage, wherein the second operation voltage is different from the first operation voltage and wherein the first electronic component and the second electronic component are arranged over each other, an isolation layer between the first electronic component and the second electronic component, wherein the isolation layer electrically isolates the first electronic component from the second electronic component, at least one connection layer formed at least partially between the isolation layer and the first electronic component or between the isolation layer and the second electronic component, wherein the connection layer includes a first portion and a second portion, wherein the first portion and the second portion each extend from the corresponding electronic component to the isolation layer, wherein the first portion includes an electrically isolating material which fixes the isolation layer to the corresponding electronic component and wherein the second portion includes an electrically conductive material which electrically couples the corresponding electronic component to the isolation layer.
US09111768B2
Semiconductor devices, methods of manufacture thereof, and methods of forming resistors are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes forming a first insulating material over a workpiece, and forming a conductive chemical compound material over the first insulating material. The conductive chemical compound material is patterned to form a resistor. A second insulating material is formed over the resistor, and the second insulating material is patterned. The patterned second insulating material is filled with a conductive material to form a first contact coupled to a first end of the resistor and to form a second contact coupled to a second end of the resistor.
US09111767B2
Embodiments of semiconductor devices and driver circuits include a semiconductor substrate having a first conductivity type, an isolation structure (including a sinker region and a buried layer), an active device within area of the substrate contained by the isolation structure, and a diode circuit. The buried layer is positioned below the top substrate surface, and has a second conductivity type. The sinker region extends between the top substrate surface and the buried layer, and has the second conductivity type. The active device includes a source region of the first conductivity type, and the diode circuit is connected between the isolation structure and the source region. The diode circuit may include one or more Schottky diodes and/or PN junction diodes. In further embodiments, the diode circuit may include one or more resistive networks in series and/or parallel with the Schottky and/or PN diode(s).
US09111766B2
A transistor device includes a source region, a drift region, and a body region arranged between the source region and the drift region. A gate electrode is adjacent to the body region, and dielectrically insulated from the body region by a gate dielectric. A field electrode arrangement is adjacent to the drift region and the body region, spaced apart from the gate electrode in a first direction that is perpendicular to a vertical direction in which the source region and the drift region are spaced apart, and includes a field electrode and a field electrode dielectric. The field electrode dielectric dielectrically insulates the field electrode at least from the drift region. The field electrode arrangement has a first width adjacent the drift region, and a second width adjacent the body region and the first width is larger than the second width.
US09111764B2
A bridge circuit is provided. The bridge circuit includes a first integrated semiconductor device having a high-side switch, a second integrated semiconductor device having a low-side switch electrically connected with the high-side switch, a first level-shifter electrically connected with the high-side switch and integrated in one of the first integrated semiconductor device and the second integrated semiconductor device, and a second level-shifter electrically connected with the low-side switch and integrated in one of the first integrated semiconductor device and the second integrated semiconductor device. Further, an integrated semiconductor device is provided.
US09111763B2
Disclosed herein is a semiconductor device, including: a first substrate including a first electrode, and a first insulating film configured from a diffusion preventing material for the first electrode and covering a periphery of the first electrode, the first electrode and the first insulating film cooperating with each other to configure a bonding face; and a second substrate bonded to and provided on the first substrate and including a second electrode joined to the first electrode, and a second insulating film configured from a diffusion preventing material for the second electrode and covering a periphery of the second electrode, the second electrode and the second insulating film cooperating with each other to configure a bonding face to the first substrate.
US09111761B2
An in-situ process is described incorporating plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition comprising flowing at least one of a Si, Si+C, B, Si+B, Si═B+C, and B+C containing precursor, and a N containing precursors at first times and removing the N precursor at second times and starting the flow of an oxidant gas and a porogen gas into the chamber. A dielectric layer is described comprising a network having inorganic random three dimensional covalent bonding throughout the network which contains at least one SiCN, SiCNH, SiN, SiNH, BN, BNH, CBN, CBNH, BSiN, BSiNH, SiCBN and SiCBNH as a first component and a low k dielectric as a second component adjacent thereto.
US09111756B2
Methods and apparatus are provided for an integrated circuit with a transistor and a resistor. The method includes depositing a first dielectric layer over the transistor and the resistor, followed by an amorphous silicon layer. The amorphous silicon layer is implanted over the resistor to produce an etch mask, and the amorphous silicon layer and first dielectric layer are removed over the transistor. A contact location on the transistor is then silicided.
US09111751B2
A silicon carbide semiconductor device including an SBD measuring a temperature of a silicon carbide semiconductor element. The silicon carbide semiconductor device includes a MOSFET formed on a silicon carbide epitaxial substrate, and an SBD section measuring a temperature of the MOSFET. The SBD section includes an n-type cathode region in a surface portion of a silicon carbide drift layer; an anode titanium electrode formed on the cathode region, the electrode serving as a Schottky electrode; an n-type cathode contact region of a higher concentration than that of the cathode region, formed in the surface portion of the silicon carbide drift layer to make contact with the cathode region; a cathode ohmic electrode formed on the cathode contact region; and a first p-type well region formed within the silicon carbide drift layer to surround peripheries of the cathode region and the cathode contact region.
US09111748B2
A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes forming thin films on substrates by performing a cycle a predetermined number of times. The cycle includes: supplying a process gas into a process container and confining the gas in the container including an outer reaction tube and an inner reaction tube having a flat top inner surface at an upper end portion covering a portion of a top surface of the support arranging and supporting the substrates and including a communication section connecting an inside of the inner reaction tube to an inside of the outer reaction tube, wherein the communication section is disposed at a region other than a region horizontally encompassing a substrate arrangement region; maintaining a state where the gas is confined in the container; and exhausting the gas from the container via the communication section and a space between the inner and outer reaction tubes.
US09111745B2
A method of producing rectangular seeds for use in semiconductor or solar material manufacturing includes connecting an adhesive layer to a top surface of a template, the template including a plurality of parallel slots, and drawing alignment lines on the adhesive layer, the alignment lines aligned with at least some of the parallel slots. The method also includes connecting quarter sections to the alignment layer such that an interface between a rectangular seed portion and a curved wing portion of each quarter section is aligned with at least one of the alignment lines drawn on the adhesive layer, and slicing each of the quarter sections to separate the rectangular seed portions from the curved wing portions.
US09111741B2
The invention “Ion Trap Array (ITA)” pertains generally to the field of ion storage and analysis technologies, and particularly to the ion storing apparatus and mass spectrometry instruments which separate ions by its character such as mass-to-charge ratio. The aim of this invention is providing an apparatus for ion storage and analysis comprising at least two or more rows of parallel placed electrode array wherein each electrode array includes at least two or more parallel bar-shaped electrodes, by applying different phase of alternating current voltages on different bar electrodes to create alternating electric fields inside the space between two parallel electrodes of different rows of electrode arrays, multiple linear ion trapping fields paralleled constructed in the space between the different rows of electrode arrays which are open to adjacent each other without a real barrier. This invention also provides a method for ion storage and analysis involving with the trapping, cooling and mass-selected analyzing of ions by this apparatus mentioned which constructs multiple conjoint linear ion trapping fields in the space between the different rows of electrode arrays.
US09111739B2
It is arranged so that living tissue that has not been pretreated can be adopted as a sample of interest. A sample is introduced into at least a tip portion of a hollow insulated sample holder 11 having a small hole 11a in the tip portion. A slender metal wire 12, which has been inserted into the sample holder 11 from the rear, is projected outwardly from the sample holder 11 through the hole 11a while being brought into contact with the sample. A high voltage is applied to the slender metal wire 12 at least in a portion of a time period in which the tip of the slender metal wire 12 is being projected outwardly from the hole 11a, thereby ionizing, by electrospray, the sample adhering to the tip of the slender metal wire 12. The ions are introduced into an analyzing apparatus and are analyzed.
US09111712B2
The system includes a glow discharge cell connected to a plasma torch. The glow discharge cell includes an electrically conductive cylindrical vessel having an inlet, an outlet, and a hollow electrode. The hollow electrode has an inlet and outlet. A first insulator seals the first end of the electrically conductive cylindrical vessel around the hollow electrode and maintains a substantially equidistant gap between the electrically conductive cylindrical vessel and the hollow electrode. A non-conductive granular material is disposed within the substantially equidistant gap. The plasma arc torch includes a cylindrical vessel, a tangential inlet connected to the outlet of the electrically conductive vessel of the glow discharge cell, a tangential outlet, an electrode housing connected to the cylindrical vessel such that a first electrode is aligned with a longitudinal axis of the cylindrical vessel and extends into the cylindrical vessel, and a hollow electrode nozzle connected to the cylindrical vessel.
US09111711B2
One or more embodiments of the invention concern a device comprising: a cathode that lies on a cathode plane and includes, in an active region, one or more cathode straight-finger-shaped terminals with a main extension direction parallel to a first reference direction; for each cathode terminal, one or more electron emitters formed on, and in ohmic contact with, said cathode terminal; and a gate electrode that lies on a gate plane parallel to, and spaced apart from, said cathode plane, does not overlap the cathode and includes, in the active region, two or more gate straight-finger-shaped terminals with a main extension direction parallel to the first reference direction; wherein the gate terminals are interlaced with said cathode terminal(s).
US09111706B2
The present disclosure provides a touch sensing device and a method for fabricating the same. The touch sensing device comprises a touch panel and a flexible printed circuit board, wherein the touch panel comprises a first bonding mark and the flexible printed circuit board has a bonding surface bonded to the touch panel and has a non-bonding surface. The flexible printed circuit board comprises a second bonding mark disposed on the non-bonding surface. The second bonding mark and the first bonding mark have a relationship of contraposition.
US09111703B2
Sensor stack venting techniques are described. In one or more implementations, one or more vent structures are formed within layers of a pressure sensitive sensor stack for a device. Vent structures including channels, holes, slots, and so forth are designed to provide pathways for gas released by feature elements to escape. The pathways may be arranged to convey outgases through the layers to designated escape points in a controlled manner that prevents deformities typically caused by trapped gases. The escape points in some layers enable at least some other layers to be edge-sealed. Pathways may then be formed to convey gas from the edge-sealed layer(s) to an edge vented layer(s) having one or more escape points, such that feature elements in the edge-sealed layer(s) remain protected from contaminants.
US09111700B2
A thin push button structure includes a main board, a circuit board, an elastic element, a supporting plate, a key top and a frame. The circuit board is disposed on the main board and formed with a plurality of cavities. The supporting plate includes a seat, an extending portion and a contacting portion. The seat is formed with a window at the central region and connected to the contacting portion by the extending portion. The elastic element is disposed on the circuit board. The key top includes a main body and a plurality of posts that extend therefrom. The frame includes a through opening and a plurality of alignment grooves at the periphery of the opening. The frame sleeves the key top, and the posts are received by the alignment grooves. The key top caps the contacting portion and is movable within the alignment grooves and the cavities.
US09111698B2
The method comprising displacing the formed electric arc towards an electrode located in an intermediate position between both main electrodes; a separating the formed electric arc into two secondary electric arcs, a semiconductor switch, normally open, connecting the intermediate electrode to one of the main electrodes; closing the semiconductor switch in order to extinguish the secondary electric arc between both electrodes connected by the semiconductor switch; opening the semiconductor switch in order to extinguish the other secondary electric arc. The disclosure further relates to a protection method and a protection device, notably a protection device specially designed for applying the method.
US09111695B2
An electrical switching device includes a switching mechanism, a housing element, a cover element and a test button, which is movable between a non-actuated position and an actuated position. When the test button is moved from the non-actuated position into the actuated position, the switching mechanism disconnects at least one moveable contact from at least one fixed contact of the switching mechanism. Further, a blocking element is movable between a first position and a second position, so that the blocking element, when the cover element is closed, is held by the cover element in the first position against a pre-tensioning force in the direction of the second position. Further, when the cover element is opened, the blocking element moves the test button from the non-actuated position into the actuated position.
US09111694B2
The present invention provides an electric double layer capacitor having a high withstanding voltage, less deterioration, and excellent long-term reliability, especially an effect of suppressing expansion. The present invention relates to an electrolyte solution for an electric double layer capacitor. The solution comprises an electrolyte-salt-dissolving solvent (I) and an electrolyte salt (II). The electrolyte-salt-dissolving solvent (I) contains a fluorine-containing chain ether and a nitrile compound.
US09111690B2
A method is used to manufacture a multilayer electronic component including a multilayer composite including internal electrodes having ends that are exposed at a predetermined surface of the multilayer composite. In the method, the exposed ends of the internal electrodes are coated with a metal film primarily composed of at least one metal selected from the group consisting of Pd, Au, Pt and Ag and having a thickness of at least about 0.1 μm by immersing the multilayer composite in a liquid containing a metal ion or a metal complex. Then, a continuous plating layer is formed by depositing a plating metal on the ends of the internal electrodes exposed at the predetermined surface of the multilayer composite, and subsequently growing the deposits of the plating metal so as to be connected to each other. Thus, exposed ends of the internal electrodes are electrically connected to each other.
US09111686B2
A flexible supercapacitor and a preparation method thereof are provided. The flexible supercapacitor includes a polymer-based solid electrolyte layer, two active layers respectively disposed on opposite surfaces of the polymer-based solid electrolyte layer, and two electron conducting layers disposed on outer exposed surfaces of the two active layers.
US09111685B2
A hydrophobic film is formed on the electrode foil surface by adding a straight-chain saturated dicarboxylic acid represented by the general formula: HOOC(CH2)nCOOH (wherein n indicates an integer from 9 to 11) to the electrolytic solution for medium/high-voltage electrolytic capacitor. Addition of a large amount of water to the electrolytic solution is allowed since this hydrophobic film suppresses the hydration reaction between the electrode foil and water. Further, it is possible to retain good lifespan property of the electrolytic capacitor in a medium/high-voltage electrolytic solution by having low specific resistance property and by suppressing the hydration decomposition of the electrode foil, wherein the electrolytic solution is azelaic acid, sebacic acid, 1-methyl-azelaic acid, 1,6-decanedicarboxylic acid, or a salt thereof dissolved in a solvent having ethylene glycol as the main component.
US09111672B2
A multilevel magnetic system described herein includes first and second magnetic structures that produce a net force that transitions from an attract force to a repel force as a separation distance between the first and second magnetic structures increases. The multi-level magnetic system is configured to maintain a minimum separation distance between a transition distance where the net force is zero and a separation distance at which a peak repel force is produced.
US09111670B2
According to one embodiment, a monolithic cassette with graded electrical resistivity is presented. The monolithic cassette has a continuous grain structure between a first end and a second end; wherein electrical resistivity of the monolithic cassette is graded such that the resistance varies continuously from the first end to the second end. Methods and compositions for forming the monolithic cassette are also presented.
US09111662B2
Disclosed is cathode active material comprising a combination of a lithium manganese composite oxide having a spinel structure represented by the following Formula 1 with a lithium nickel composite oxide represented by the following Formula 2, the cathode active material having a broad potential region at 3.0 to 4.8V upon initial charge: LixMyMn2−yO4−zAz (1) wherein 0.9≦x≦1.2, 0
US09111661B2
A cable for high-voltage electronic devices including an inner semiconductive layer, a high-voltage insulator, an outer semiconductive layer, a shielding layer, and a sheath which are provided on an outer periphery of a cable core part in the order mentioned, wherein the high-voltage insulator is made of an insulating composition whose temperature dependence parameter DR found by the following expression is 1.0 or less: DR=log R23° C.−log R90° C. (where R23° C. is volume resistivity (Ω·cm) at 23° C. and R90° C. is volume resistivity (Ω·cm) at 90° C.). The cable for high-voltage electronic devices is small in diameter and has an excellent withstand voltage characteristic.
US09111656B2
The invention provides a method for collimating a radiation beam, the method comprising subjecting the beam to a collimator that yaws and pitches, either separately or simultaneously relative to the incident angle of the beam. Also provided is a system for collimating radiation beams, the system comprising a collimator body, and a stage for pitching and yawing the body. A feature of the invention is that a single, compact mask body defines one or a plurality of collimators having no moving surfaces relative to each other, whereby the entire mask body is moved about a point in space to provide various collimator opening dimensions to oncoming radiation beams.
US09111654B2
An ion guide is disclosed comprising a plurality of electrodes. A first device is arranged and adapted to apply a RF voltage to at least some of the electrodes in order to form, in use, a pseudo-potential well which acts to confine ions in a first direction within the ion guide. A second device is arranged and adapted to apply a DC voltage to at least some of the electrodes in order to form, in use, a DC potential well which acts to confine ions in a second direction within the ion guide. A third device is arranged and adapted to cause ions having desired or undesired mass to charge ratios to be mass to charge ratio selectively ejected from the ion guide in the second direction.
US09111647B2
A system in a package (SiP) includes a first semiconductor die having a nonvolatile memory and trim/repair circuitry, and a second semiconductor die having a volatile memory and trim/repair circuitry. The first and the second semiconductor die are in a same package. The nonvolatile memory of the first semiconductor die is configured to store trim/repair values for each of the first and the second semiconductor die. The trim/repair circuitries of the first and second semiconductor die are configured to, in response to a reset of the second semiconductor die, copy the trim/repair values from the nonvolatile memory of the first semiconductor die to the volatile memory of the second semiconductor die.
US09111645B2
Embodiments of a memory device are described. This memory device includes a signal connector which is electrically coupled to a command/address (CA) link, and an interface circuit, which is electrically coupled to the signal connector, and which receives CA packets via the CA link. A given CA packet includes an address field having address information corresponding to one or more storage locations in the memory device. Moreover, the memory device includes control logic having two operating modes, where, during a first operating mode, the control logic decodes address information in the CA packets using full-field sampling, and, during the second operating mode, the control logic decodes a portion of the address information in the CA packets using sub-field sampling.
US09111644B2
Provided is a readout circuit capable of detecting inversion of retained data caused by a noise, such as static electricity. The readout circuit is configured to retain opposing data in a first latch circuit and a second latch circuit in a readout period so as to be capable of detecting an anomaly of the retained data by making use of the fact that the data in the first latch circuit and the second latch circuit are inverted in the same direction due to a noise, such as static electricity.
US09111638B2
An SRAM bit cell comprises a first inverter including a PMOS transistor and an NMOS transistor, and a second inverter including a PMOS transistor and an NMOS transistor. The first and second inverters are cross-coupled to each other. A plurality of pass transistors couple the inverters to bit lines. Approximately one-half of a supply voltage is provided to the bit lines during pre-charge operations.
US09111628B1
Read margin measurement circuitry for measuring the read margin of floating-gate programmable non-volatile memory cells. In some embodiments, the read margin of a cell with a floating-gate transistor in a non-conductive state is measured by periodically clocking a counter following initiation of a read cycle; a latch stores the counter contents upon the cell under test making a transition due to leakage of the floating-gate transistor. Logic for testing a group of cells in parallel is disclosed. In some embodiments, the read margin of a cell in which the floating-gate transistor is set to a conductive state is measured by repeatedly reading the cell, with the output developing a voltage corresponding to the duty cycle of the output of the read circuit.
US09111626B2
A memory system includes: a bit counter and a regression analyzer. The bit counter is configured to generate a plurality of count values based on data read from selected memory cells using a plurality of different read voltages, each of the plurality of count values being indicative of a number of memory cells of a memory device having threshold voltages between pairs of the plurality of different read voltages. The regression analyzer is configured to determine read voltage for the selected memory cells based on the plurality of count values using regression analysis.
US09111618B2
Data capacity efficiency is improved by de-duplicating data assigned with a code that is different for each data. A flash memory module includes a plurality of flash memory chips and a memory controller. Each flash memory chip includes a plurality of blocks, each block including a plurality of physical pages, each physical page being a unit for writing/reading data. The memory controller is configured to manage a first set and a second set of user data and a guarantee code associated with the user data. If the first set and the second set of user data are the same, then the same data sets are stored in a first physical page and the first and second guarantee codes are stored in a second physical page.
US09111608B2
A method of operation in a memory controller is disclosed. The method includes receiving a strobe signal having a first phase relationship with respect to first data propagating on a first data line, and a second phase relationship with respect to second data propagating on a second data line. A first sample signal is generated based on the first phase relationship and a second sample signal is generated based on the second phase relationship. The first data signal is received using a first receiver clocked by the first sample signal. The second data signal is received using a second receiver clocked by the second sample signal.
US09111602B2
A system and method for accurately distributing a master reference voltage to a plurality of local circuits within a system. A central master reference voltage is distributed to a plurality of local circuits as a difference in the voltage of a pair of conductors oriented substantially spatially parallel. Local reference voltages are generated based on the master reference voltage and a local voltage source.
US09111594B2
A semiconductor integrated circuit device includes a first signal line and a second signal line, and a sense amplifier that includes a plurality of PMOS transistors and a plurality of NMOS transistors. The sense amplifier is configured to sense amplify a potential difference between the first signal line and the second signal line. The junction regions of the NMOS and PMOS transistors having the same conductivity type, and to which the same signal is applied, are formed in one integrated active region.
US09111593B2
The invention relates to a differential sense amplifier for sensing data stored in a plurality of memory cells of a memory cell array, including a first CMOS inverter having an output connected to a first bit line and an input connected to a second bit line complementary to the first bit line, and a second CMOS inverter having an output connected to the second bit line and an input connected to the first bit line (BL). Each CMOS inverter includes a pull-up transistor and a pull-down transistor, with the sense amplifier having a pair of precharge transistors arranged to be respectively coupled to the first and second bit lines, to precharge the first and second bit lines to a precharge voltage. The precharge transistors are constituted by the pull-up transistors or by the pull-down transistors.
US09111578B1
Systems and methods are disclosed for recording density variation of data tracks. In some embodiments, an apparatus may comprise a circuit configured to record data to a first track of a data zone at a first recording density, and record data to a second track of the data zone at second recording density different from the first recording density. Recording density may be measured as a bits per inch (BPI) value for a data track. Different recording densities may be applied based on a width of the target track. In some embodiments, such as for shingled magnetic recording (SMR), data may be recorded to partially overlapped tracks at a first density, and to non-overlapped tracks at a second density.
US09111576B2
Apparatuses and methods for prefetching data are disclosed. A method may include receiving a read request at a data storage device, determining a meta key in an address map that includes a logical block address (LBA) of the read request, wherein the meta key includes a beginning LBA and a size field corresponding to a number of consecutive sequential LBAs stored on the data storage device, calculating a prefetch operation to prefetch data based on addresses included in the meta key, and reading data corresponding to the prefetch operation and the read request. An apparatus may include a processor configured to receive a read request, determine a first meta key and a second meta key in an address map, calculate a prefetch operation based on addresses included in the first meta key and the second meta key, and read data corresponding to the prefetch operation and the read request.
US09111571B2
An image processing apparatus for processing a plurality of moving image files each including moving image data relating to continuity of time between the moving image data other moving image file, performs an editing process for deleting a portion of the moving image data of one scene including a plurality of the moving image files, and changes the identification information of the moving image file in accordance with the editing process, wherein in accordance with the editing process for deleting a portion of the moving image data of the one scene being performed, the identification information of at least one of the plurality of moving image files included in the one scene is changed.
US09111570B1
Embodiments of the present invention disclose methods, computer program products, and systems for replicating data stored on a tape cartridge on one or more computing devices. In one embodiment, when priming a first tape cartridge for writing of data, the first tape cartridge is configured for replication to a second tape cartridge. Subsequently, after loading the first tape cartridge into a first tape drive, data stored on the first tape cartridge can be directly transmitted from the first tape drive to a second tape drive in which the second tape cartridge is loaded without using an intermediate host computer system to facilitate data transfer.
US09111561B1
A disk drive dynamic wave shaper (DWS) write driver includes a write current generator that produces a baseline output current for the write current pulses and an overshoot current generator that produces an overshoot current with different values. The overshoot current is added to the baseline current, with the value of the overshoot current amplitude (OSA) being selected in response to the frequency of transitions in the write data signal. The write driver includes logic circuitry that detects the pattern of transitions. Transitions that are immediately followed by a transition will receive a larger-than-nominal OSA1, transitions that are not immediately followed by a transition and that are not preceded by a long sequence of non-transitions will receive a nominal OSA2, and transitions after longer sequences of non-transitions will receive a smaller-than-nominal OSA3.
US09111556B1
A stainless steel suspension component such as a mount plate is chemically activated by exposure to an activating solution. Gold is then spot plated onto the mount plate in the activated area using an elastomeric mask that is clamped over the mount plate. A component may then be bonded to the gold bond pads. The component may include a PZT microactuator bonded to the gold bond pads using a conductive adhesive such as silver epoxy. The gold acts as an interface metal that provides to a low resistance and environmentally robust ground path for the microactuator.
US09111554B2
An optical data recording medium, in which irradiation of a light beam is used for recording and/or reproducing data includes (i) a substrate having an a rise and/or a recess which are a light-incident surface, (ii) a reflective layer, provided on the light-incident surface of the substrate, for reflecting the light beam, (iii) a light absorption layer for converting, to heat, a light of the light beam to heat on the surface of the reflective layer, (iv) a reproducing layer, provided on the surface of the heat-light converting layer, having a transmittance that changes in accordance with a light intensity distribution of the light beam. The optical data recording medium is excellent in super-resolution property, and enables reproduction of a shorter mark length.
US09111550B1
A write transducer for a disk drive magnetic head includes a ferromagnetic write yoke having a write pole protruding towards an air bearing surface. The write transducer also includes a ferromagnetic side shield, and a ferromagnetic buffer layer disposed between the write yoke and the side shield. A first non-magnetic layer is disposed between the side shield and the ferromagnetic buffer layer. A second non-magnetic layer is disposed between the ferromagnetic buffer layer and the write yoke. The ferromagnetic buffer layer extends in a direction normal to the air bearing surface by a buffer layer throat height in the range of 10 nm to 500 nm. In certain embodiments, such a write transducer may advantageously reduce undesired wide area track erasure, without unacceptably degrading write field rise time for acceptable on-track writing data rate.
US09111545B2
The present invention relates to a hand-held communication aid and method that assists the deaf-dumb and visually impaired individuals to communicate with each other and with normal individuals. The method enables deaf-dumb and visually impaired individuals to communicate with each other and with normal individuals on remote communication means without any hardware improvization. The method enables face to face communication and remote communication aid for deaf-dumb and visually impaired individuals. This method requires no modifications in hand-held communication device used by normal individual.
US09111544B2
A system and method for compensating audio signal components is disclosed. The method includes detecting, by a microphone, a sound signal. The sound signal comprises audio signal components resulting from reproducing an audio signal of an audio source and speech signal components corresponding to a speech signal from a person. The sound signal is filtered to whiten the sound signal. The audio signal components in the whitened sound signal are then compensated. The whitening of the compensated sound signal is removed. The filtering of the audio signal is performed using at least two filters in an alternating way, each filter using time-dependent filter coefficients.
US09111538B2
Methods, systems and articles for receiving, by a telecommunication device, audio input through a unified audio interface are disclosed herein. The telecommunication device is further configured to perform at least one of a dictation action, an incoming message processing action, a navigation action, a content lookup action, or a contact lookup action while continuously or substantially continuously receiving voice commands from a user. In some aspects, the telecommunications device may continuously receive and process voice command while operating in a driving mode, which may be initiated by the telecommunications device.
US09111535B2
Provided are a method and an apparatus for decoding an audio signal. A method for decoding an audio signal encoded by a layered sinusoidal pulse coding scheme using one or more sinusoidal pulses includes decoding the encoded audio signal, setting a smoothing frequency band of the decoded audio signal according to a layer structure of the layered sinusoidal pulse coding scheme, dividing the smoothing frequency band into one or more subbands, and smoothing the decoded audio signal on a subband-by-subband basis. Accordingly, a decoding operation time can be reduced and the quality of a synthesized signal can be improved by variably setting a frequency band to be smoothed, when decoding an audio signal encoded by a layered sinusoidal pulse coding scheme using one or more sinusoidal pulses.
US09111526B2
A method of decomposing a multichannel audio signal is described. The method includes, for each of a plurality of frequency components of a segment in time of the multichannel audio signal, calculating a corresponding indication of a direction of arrival. The method also includes, based on the calculated direction indications, selecting a subset of the plurality of frequency components. The method further includes, based on the selected subset and on a plurality of basis functions, calculating a vector of activation coefficients. Each activation coefficient of the vector corresponds to a different basis function of the plurality of basis functions.
US09111525B1
This disclosure details the implementation of apparatuses, methods and systems for audio processing and transmission. Some implementations of the system are configured to provide a method for encoding an arbitrary number of audio source signals using only a small amount of (transmitted or stored) information, while facilitating high-quality audio playback at the decoder side. Some implementations may be configured to implement, a parametric model for retaining the essential information of each source signal (side information). After the side information is extracted, the remaining information for all source signals may be summed to create a reference signal from which noise information for the original source signals may be reconstructed. The reference signal and the side information form the new collection of information to be transmitted or stored for subsequent decoding.
US09111521B2
A modular horn type loudspeaker and a modular horn array formed of modular loudspeakers. An acoustic horn includes a first acoustic module. The first acoustic module includes a first acoustic driver and a first acoustic duct, for conducting acoustic energy from the first acoustic driver. The first acoustic duct has a first opening through which acoustic energy is radiated. The first acoustic duct is characterized by a first centerline. A second acoustic module includes a second acoustic driver and a second acoustic duct, for conducting acoustic energy from the acoustic driver. The second acoustic duct has a second opening through which acoustic energy is radiated. The second acoustic duct is characterized by a second centerline. The first module and the second module are configured to be positioned and held in place so that the first and second openings are aligned to form a substantially continuous diffraction slot and so that the first and second centerlines are normal to an arc and intersect at a first one of a plurality of angles.
US09111520B2
A flexural disk transducer is located in a shell or enclosure primarily for underwater use. Compression chambers adjacent to the transducer capture sound from bands on the disk and waveguides are used to direct the sound forward along a single propagation axis. An acoustic delay line is built into one waveguide to compensate for phase differences between the bands.
US09111498B2
Controlling a head-mounted display includes providing a head-mounted display, the head-mounted display includes a switchable viewing area that is switched between a transparent viewing state and an information viewing state. The transparent viewing state is transparent with respect to the viewing area and enables a user of the head-mounted display to view the scene outside the head-mounted display in the user's line of sight. The information viewing state is opaque with respect to the viewing area and displays information in the switchable viewing area visible to a user of the head-mounted display. An external environmental state detector provides an external stimulus notification in response to a detected change in the external environment and causes the viewing state to automatically switch in response to the external stimulus notification.
US09111496B2
A signal supply circuit supplies, to a control line, a control signal which is set so as to have a precharge potential during a precharge period before start of a writing period and which is set so as to have a gray scale potential corresponding to a designated gray scale of each pixel in a time division manner during the writing period. A plurality of switches controls connection between the signal lines and the control line. A control circuit controls the plurality of switches so as to be concurrently turned on during a precharge period and controls the plurality of switches so as to be turned on sequentially during a plurality of unit periods of the writing period. The control circuit sets an initial unit period after elapse of the precharge period among the plurality of unit periods so as to be longer than the other unit periods.
US09111495B2
A Liquid Crystal Display (LCD), a backlight used for the LCD and a method for producing the LCD and the backlight are provided which are capable of inhibiting an increase in component counts and in assembling processes and of reducing them, thereby achieving low costs. A display image is obtained by arranging a backlight section being able to perform scanning as a single unit in a manner that it positionally matches a liquid crystal displaying section. The backlight section is provided with a plurality of scanning electrodes and light emitting layers each providing a different luminescent color, and being spatially separated from each other on a principal face of the backlight and scanning is performed on a plurality of light emitting layers providing a different luminescent color.
US09111487B2
A display device and a method of driving the same are provided. The display device includes a plurality of display pixels, a plurality of data lines that are connected to the display pixels, and a plurality of sensing lines that are connected to the display pixels. Each display pixel includes: a driving transistor that has a control terminal, an input terminal, and an output terminal; a capacitor that is connected to the control terminal of the driving transistor; a first switching transistor that is connected to the data line and the control terminal of the driving transistor; a light-emitting element that receives a driving current from the driving transistor to emit light; a second switching transistor that is connected between the sensing line and the light-emitting element; and a third switching transistor that is connected between the output terminal of the driving transistor and the light-emitting element.
US09111485B2
A system for maintaining a substantially constant display white point over an extended period of operation of a color display formed by an array of multiple pixels in which each of the pixels includes multiple subpixels having different colors, and each of the subpixels includes a light emissive device. The display is generated by energizing the subpixels of successively selected pixels, and the color of each selected pixel is controlled by the relatives levels of energization of the subpixels in the selected pixel. The degradation behavior of the subpixels in each pixel is determined, and the relative levels of energization of the subpixels in each pixel are adjusted to adjust the brightness shares of the subpixels to compensate for the degradation behavior of the subpixels. The brightness shares are preferably adjusted to maintain a substantially constant display white point.
US09111484B2
An electronic device may have one or more imaging sensors. The imaging sensors may be used in combination with an optional mechanical gesture to analyze the lighting conditions of the environment around the electronic device. The electronic device may set auto-exposure, auto-white balance, and auto-focus settings based on the analysis. The electronic device may include a shaped display. The imaging sensors may be used in calibration of a projector for the shaped display and may be used in sending touch inputs associated with the shaped display. The electronic device may be able to capture a photograph during video capture. The electronic device may generate a display screen that identifies which portions of the scene being imaged correspond to the video and which portions correspond to the photograph.
US09111483B2
To provide a display device with high image quality and fewer terminals. The present invention is made with a focus on the positional relation between a serial-parallel conversion circuit and an external connection terminal for supplying a serial signal to the serial-parallel conversion circuit. The structure conceived is such that a serial-parallel conversion circuit and an external connection terminal for supplying a serial signal to the serial-parallel conversion circuit are provided close to each other so that an RC load between the serial-parallel conversion circuit and the external connection terminal is reduced.
US09111482B2
A display device is equipped with a control device that controls operation of a first and a second display section, and a memory device that stores image data of an image to be displayed on the first and the second display section as image data of one combined image. The control device includes a rewriting device that rewrites the images on the first and the second display section by dividing and supplying the image data of one combined image respectively to the first and the second display section, and a power supply stopping device that stops supply of a power supply potential, upon judging that one of the images on the first and the second display section is not to be rewritten, to the one of the first and the second display section.
US09111481B2
A display device including pixels has formed therein at least two drive blocks each made up of pixel rows. Each of the pixels includes: a drive transistor; a first electrostatic capacitor and a second electrostatic capacitor; an organic EL element; a first switching transistor provided between the source and the drain of the drive transistor; and a second switching transistor that supplies a signal current to the organic EL element. Each of the pixels in a kth drive block includes a third switching transistor provided between a first signal line and the first electrostatic storing capacitor, and each of the pixels in a k-th drive block includes a fourth switching transistor provided between a second signal line and the first electrostatic storing capacitor. A second control line for controlling conduction of the first switching transistor is connected to each of the pixels in a same one of the drive blocks.
US09111480B2
A liquid crystal display that includes a plurality of pixels configured to display four colors, and a color gamut mapping unit configured to convert three color input image signals into four color image signals, wherein when the three color input image signals include yellow, the color gamut mapping unit converts the three color input image signals based on a hue shift of the yellow.
US09111473B1
Apparatus, systems and methods that facilitate eye tracking using a contact lens are provided. In some aspects, the contact lens includes: a substrate; an antenna, disposed on or within the substrate, that harvests radio frequency energy; an integrated circuit, disposed on or within the substrate, that receives power from the antenna; and electrical components, disposed on or within the substrate, that determine motion of an eye over which the contact lens is placed, and perform tracking of the eye based, at least, on the motion. For example, the motion of the eye can be determined based on telemetry components fabricated on or within a substrate of the contact lens. In some aspects, the contact lens can include light emitters that radiate light in a direction of the gaze of the wearer of the contact lens. A heads-up device can perform eye tracking based on the direction of the light beams.
US09111467B2
Provided is a sealing system for sealing of doors of transport vehicles comprising at least one door with at least one first electrical contact and a corresponding door frame with at least one second electrical contact, where the first and the second contact are arranged on the same side of the door and the door frame and are electrically connected to build an open electrical circuit, and a seal to be attached to the closed door and the door frame suitable to close the open electrical circuit between first and second electrical contact in order to indicate the closure of the door. Additionally provided is a portable logging device for recording the sealing of doors as used by the sealing system and to a method to operate such a sealing system.
US09111461B2
A kit for demonstrating or explaining the action of a mineral ion scavenger in an oral care composition. A method for demonstrating or explaining the action of a mineral ion scavenger in an oral care composition. A kit and/or method for providing perceptible confirmation of the action and/or effectiveness of an oral care composition comprising a mineral ion scavenger.
US09111449B2
A method for determining the state of occupation of a plurality of scheduled areas by vehicles, comprising the steps of: associating with each area to be monitored a transmitter which periodically transmits a signal of fixed power; receiving in a concentrator the plurality of signals emitted by said plurality of transmitters; examining said plurality of signals and determining the occupied/vacant state of each area to be monitored; periodically transmitting a signal comprising information on the occupied/vacant state of each monitored area to an operating center; generating information indicative of the state of occupation of a plurality of areas.
US09111445B1
A control arrangement for overriding automated control of sets of traffic lights at a string of intersections. The control arrangement comprises a control unit and a plurality of base units. The control unit comprises electrical circuitry disposed to generate at least one command signal and to wirelessly transmit the at least one command signal comprising traffic light control instructions to the base units. The control unit electrical circuitry comprises a control unit processor. Each of the base units include an electrical circuitry comprising a base unit processor and a receiver, the receiver being disposed to receive the at least one command signal from the control unit, and pass the command single onto other base units, wherein the circuitry comprises a hard wire connection disposed to connect to the mechanical connector of an automated traffic light controller.
US09111440B2
Provided is a refrigerator, which includes a display part and a control part. The display part displays information. The control part controls the display part. The display part includes a first display part for displaying information related to an additional function except for a cooling function, and a second display part for displaying temperature information related to the cooling function.
US09111439B2
A method and system for programming a universal remote control (URC) to operate with a remote-controlled device is disclosed. Programming codes for the remote-controlled device may be transferred from an original remote control using a programming interface. The transfer may be performed directly with the URC. The transfer may also be performed using consumer-premises equipment of a multimedia content distribution network. The URC may be configured to use at least one of the programming codes to remotely control the remote-controlled device.
US09111436B2
Systems and methods relating to integration of circuitry including a transmitter or transceiver component into energy storage devices, such as battery packs for portable electronic equipment. Further embodiments also relate to providing a tuned miniature antenna and/or encapsulating such antenna inside the energy storage device.
US09111432B2
A system for transmitting information in a wireless network includes at least one mobile transponder, each transponder adapted to be on the person of a user; an area controller gateway for controlling and managing the network, the area controller gateway operatively connected to the at least one mobile transponder; and a central monitoring station adapted to receive information from the at least one mobile transponder via the area controller gateway and to transmit other information to the at least one mobile transponder via the area controller gateway. The central monitoring station is operatively connected to the area controller gateway by an interne or cellular connection. The system may include a repeater adapted to receive information from the at least one mobile transponder and to transmit said information to the area controller gateway. The mobile transponder may be a duress pendant to provide duress notification or coverage to the user.
US09111429B2
Disclosed are an apparatus and a method for managing alarms based on state information received from systems. The method includes receiving alarms including state information of a remote control system; displaying an alarm queue including at least one of the received alarms; setting important alarms from among the alarms displayed in the alarm queue; and deleting the important alarm from the alarm queue when a user confirms the important alarm or a signal notifying a recovery to a normal state of a system corresponding to the important alarm is received.
US09111428B2
A merchandise security device for displaying an electronic item of merchandise includes a strain relief block configured for attachment to the merchandise and an alarming power cable configured for being electrically coupled to a power input port provided on the merchandise. The alarming power cable is routed through the strain relief block for reducing strain applied to the alarming power cable, which may prevent damaging the power input port or the portion of the alarming power cable extending between the strain relief block and the power input port.
US09111423B2
A gaming machine executes a process of randomly determining symbols to be rearranged on a reel unit. The gaming machine executes a process of determining a combination formed by the symbols. The gaming machine executes a process of selecting from a plurality of choices an indication effect which is executed before the rearrangement of the symbols on the reel unit, based on the determined combination. The gaming machine executes a process of executing the selected indication effect by a notification device.
US09111422B2
A video poker machine configured to allow a player to play a card game includes at least one display device, at least one input device, and at least one computer configured to display at least a first hand and a second hand of at least five cards all face up, each hand including the same five cards. A player is provided an option to play a hand by selecting none, one or more than one of the face up cards from the first hand and the second hand and any additional hands as cards to be held. Each of the cards not selected to be held are discarded from each hand and replaced with a face up card. The player is provided a pre-established amount based on the amount of a wager made on the hand if the resulting cards of the hand comprise a predetermined poker hand ranking.
US09111419B2
A bonus event for Blackjack card games is provided. The bonus event has two or more designated bonus element, such as card hands. If one of the bonus elements is achieved as the result of play of a first Blackjack game, the bonus event is triggered. A bonus award is paid to the player if the player receives remaining required bonus elements as a result of the play of additional Blackjack games during the bonus period. The game is preferably played against a dealer at a video Blackjack machine and offers the player the opportunity for awards for each Blackjack game win and one or more additional bonus awards.
US09111406B2
Embodiments of the invention provide devices and systems for the transfer of information using multi-point contact on a capacitive surface. In one embodiment, the invention provides a device comprising: a first surface having a plurality of contact points arranged in a pattern and a second surface having a contact area electrically connected to the plurality of contact points, whereby the plurality of contact points on the first surface is activated by a user contacting the contact area on the second surface.
US09111404B2
The present invention relates to a vending apparatus for at least one medicinal product, comprising of a housing, storage means adapted to store the at least one medicinal product, an input means adapted to process a costumer request for a medicinal product, processing means adapted to process the costumer request and being adapted to execute an interactive product-related training procedure to the customer, and delivery means for handing out the medicinal product to the costumer after passing the training procedure, wherein access to the medicinal product is only approved by the processing means if the customer successfully passes the training procedure.
US09111400B2
In an abnormal driving behavior detection system for a vehicle, an obtainer repeatedly obtains an observed value indicative of at least one of a running condition of the vehicle and a driver's driving operation of the vehicle. A mode-probability calculator calculates, each time an observed value is obtained at a given obtaining timing as a target obtained value, a mode probability for each of driving modes as a function of one or more previous observed values. A deviation calculator obtains a predicted observed value for each driving mode using a driver's normal behavior model defined therefor, and calculates a deviation of the target observed value from the predicted observed value for each driving mode. An abnormality determiner determines whether there is at least one driver's abnormal behavior based on the mode probability for each driving mode and the deviation calculated for each driving mode.
US09111394B1
A workflow for 3D content authoring, delivery, and rendering is facilitated based on pre-authored image projections to obtain improvements in authoring efficiency. Additionally, a content delivery platform centered on such pre-authored image projections provides a mechanism for significantly improving streaming efficiency for 3D worlds. Multiple images encode primary surface detail of 3D worlds in real-time applications. Examples of such projections include images that can be as rich as film frames, feature animation frames, high end digital renders, concept paintings, or any suitable combination thereof. An algorithm for improved image projection camera path trajectories, sampling selection, and blending may be implemented by various systems and methods to facilitate smooth transitions during movements of a player within a game set in the 3D space. In addition, a back-projection technique may be implemented by various systems and methods to propagate revisions of one or more projections.
US09111392B2
Unlike a static primitive, where the depth function is planar, the depth function for a moving and defocused triangle is a rational function in time and the lens parameters. Compact depth functions can be used to design an efficient depth buffer compressor/decompressor, which significantly lowers total depth buffer bandwidth usage. In addition, this compressor/decompressor is substantially simpler in the number of operations needed to execute, which makes it more amenable for hardware implementation than previous methods.
US09111381B2
Line segments are classified according to orientation to improve list mode reconstruction of tomography data using graphics processing units (GPUs). The new approach addresses challenges which include compute thread divergence and random memory access by exploiting GPU capabilities such as shared memory and atomic operations. The benefits of the GPU implementation are compared with a reference CPU-based code. When applied to positron emission tomography (PET) image reconstruction, the GPU implementation is 43× faster, and images are virtually identical. In particular, the deviation between the GPU and the CPU implementation is less than 0.08% (RMS) after five iterations of the reconstruction algorithm, which is of negligible consequence in typical clinical applications.
US09111380B2
Some embodiments provide a mapping application for rendering map portions. The mapping application includes a map receiver for receiving map tiles from a mapping service in response to a request for the map tiles needed for a particular map view. Each map tile includes vector data describing a map region. The mapping application includes a set of mesh building modules. Each mesh building module is for using the vector data in at least one map tile to build a mesh for a particular layer of the particular map view. The mapping application includes a mesh aggregation module for combining layers from several mesh builders into a renderable tile for the particular map view. The mapping application includes a rendering engine for rendering the particular map view.
US09111379B2
Methods and systems for performing x-ray computerized tomographic (CT) reconstruction of imaging data on a rotatable portion of the system, such as a ring-shaped rotor. The rotor may include an x-ray source, and x-ray detector system and a processor, coupled to the detector system, for performing tomographic reconstruction of imaging data collected by the detector system.
US09111369B2
Disclosed herein are various embodiments of a graphics accelerator, which may include an integrated circuit. The integrated circuit may include a local memory; a direct memory access (DMA) engine; a processor; and one or more processing pipelines. The local memory stores graphics data that includes a plurality of pixels. The DMA engine transfers the graphics data between the local memory and an external memory. The processor performs at least one operation, in parallel, on components of at least a portion of the pixels. The one or more processing pipelines process the graphics data. The graphics accelerator works on operands and produces outputs for one set of pixels while the DMA engine is bringing in operands for a future set of pixel operations, and transfers data from the external memory to the one or more processing pipelines by directing data to the one or more pipelines.
US09111365B2
An edge-adaptive interpolation and noise filtering method is provided including performing primary interpolation on a first color, based on a first preset number of directions, with respect to a first color window obtained from an input image window, estimating an edge direction within a primary interpolated first color window obtained by the primary interpolation, based on a second preset number of directions, the second preset number of directions being larger than the first preset number, with respect to the primary interpolated first color window, performing secondary interpolation on the first color, based on the estimated edge direction, with respect to the primary interpolated first color window, and performing interpolation on a second color, based on the estimated edge direction, with respect to a second color window obtained from the input image window.
US09111362B2
A method for applying histogram equalization to an image comprises calculating a histogram of at least one image portion of an input image to obtain histogram data representing the number of occurrences of different brightness values in said at least one image portion. Said histogram data is filled up such that substantially all brightness values have a minimum number of occurrences. A cumulative distribution function is calculated from said filled up histogram data and is equalized in a predetermined range. Finally, said at least one image portion of the input image is remapped based on said equalized cumulative distribution function.
US09111357B2
A system and method for identifying pills by determining a size and shape of each pill in a digital image. The system includes a background grid organized as a grid of alternating-colored shapes. The system also includes a digital camera, a processor and a memory. The processor is used to receive and process the digital image taken by the digital camera so as to determine contours for each pill in the image. The contour determination is refined and is used to determine size and shape information for each pill.
US09111351B2
A device may obtain, from a camera associated with a reference object, depth image data including objects in a first frame and a second frame; identify features of the objects in the first frame and the second frame; and track movements of the features between the first frame and the second frame. The device may also identify independently moving features in the second frame, based on the tracking movements; remove the independently moving features from the depth image data to obtain a static feature set; and process the depth image data corresponding to the static feature set to detect changes in the relative position of objects in the first frame and the second frame. The processor may further translate the changes in relative position into corresponding movement data of the camera and provide the corresponding movement data to an inertial navigation system.
US09111333B2
A method and apparatus for position coding of three dimensional mesh models are described including estimating a symbol probability of a non-empty-child-cell Cl,k, where Ql,k denotes the kth cell at layer l, wherein the symbol probability is estimated based on an accuracy of a fitted plane P, sub-dividing the non-empty-child-cell to produce a sub-cell, if the non-empty-child-cell has more than one vertex, determining if there are more unprocessed non-empty-child-cells at layer l, if there are no more unprocessed non-empty-child-cells at layer l, determining if all non-empty-child-cells at layer l have only one vertex and a distance between the center of the sub-cell and a point inside the sub-cell is less than or equal to a first threshold and entropy coding symbols representing a position of the non-empty-child-cells, if all non-empty-child-cells at layer l have only one vertex and the distance between the center of the sub-cell and the point inside the sub-cell is less than or equal to the first threshold.
US09111328B2
Embodiments relate to compression and decompression of textures. A texel block (10) is compressed by specifying two major directions in the texel block (10) and defining the profiles of how the texel values change along the respective directions. The resulting compressed texel block (30) comprises two value codewords (31, 32), two line codewords (35-38) and a function codeword (33, 34). The two value codewords (31, 32) are employed to calculate two texel values for the texel block (10). The line codewords (35-38) are employed to determine equations of two lines (20, 22) coinciding with the two major directions in the texel block (10). Signed distances are calculated for each texel (12) from the texel position in the texel block (10) and to the two lines (20, 22). The signed distances are input to a function defined by the function codeword (33, 34) to output two values from which weights are calculated and applied to the two texel values in order to get a representation of the texel value of a texel (12).
US09111319B2
A system for sharing academic articles and credential information for a plurality of academic users is described herein. Embodiments of the system, computer program product and computer-implemented method perform a process for gathering data related to the academic user and a process for determining a reputation ranking for the academic user by executing the steps of: creating a user profile for the academic user from attribute information gathered from a user profile prompt, enabling the user profile from the academic user to be viewed by academic and non-academic users and selected for ranking by other academic users, enabling the other academic users to provide a rank selection for the user profile for the academic user according to at least one of research quality, credentials, research articles, and user activity, and determining a reputation ranking for the user profile from the rank selection of the other academic users.
US09111317B2
A social networking system allows a user to insert media information into content posted by the user, where the media information identifies a media item that the user is consuming while composing the posted content. When a user of a social networking system composes content via a composer interface, the user may select an option on the composer interface to record audio using a microphone on the user's device. A media item is identified from the recorded audio and information about the identified media item is added to the user's posted content. The system may also update information about the identified media item and the composing user.
US09111300B2
In one example, we describe methods and systems for automated online merchant charity donations. In one embodiment, a donation agent interacting with a merchant website can offer an online user an option to allocate at least a portion of a payment for or price of a purchase, associated with a transaction made by the user via the merchant website, to be donated by a merchant corresponding to the merchant website on behalf of the user to a charity of the user's choosing. If the online user exercises the option, the donation agent can calculate an amount of the donation to be made and store the calculated donation amount in a database. The donation agent can disburse the calculated donation amount to the charity selected by the customer. The method also works for the off-line model. The points earned can be combined with a college scholarship award mechanism. The system and method describe authentication and the way the charity funding is distributed, with respect to the college tuition and scholarship award.
US09111289B2
A system and method for providing automatic high-value listing feeds for online computer users is disclosed. A particular embodiment includes obtaining publisher information corresponding to a plurality of publisher content items from a plurality of publisher sites; obtaining merchant information including value information corresponding to the plurality of publisher content items; using a processor, the publisher information, and the merchant information to generate a set of high-value feeds for transfer to the plurality of publisher sites, the set of high-value feeds each being ranked corresponding to a quality score computed for each listing item of each high-value feed; and transferring the set of high-value feeds to corresponding publisher sites of the plurality of publisher sites.
US09111283B1
An authentication method includes RFID readers authenticating RFID tags using public-key cryptography. A tag manufacturer or other legitimate authority produces a tag private-public key pair and stores the tag private key in externally unreadable tag memory and the tag public key in externally readable tag memory. The authority produces a master private-public key pair and distributes the master public key to readers in the field. The authority generates a tag-specific electronic signature based on at least the tag public key and the master private key and stores this signature in externally readable tag memory. A reader authenticates the tag by retrieving the tag public key and electronic signature from the tag, verifying the authenticity of the tag public key using the master public key and the electronic signature, challenging the tag, receiving a response from the tag to the challenge, and verifying the response using the tag public key.
US09111277B2
A computer-implemented method for performing an electronic transaction using a payment computer coupled to a database is provided. The transaction includes an item purchased in association with a vehicle and initiated by a cardholder with a merchant. The method includes receiving, at the payment computer, an authorization request message from the merchant, the authorization request message including first transaction data, wherein the first transaction data includes a vehicle identifier for identifying the vehicle; transmitting an authorization response message from the payment computer to the merchant; storing, within the database, the first transaction data including the vehicle identifier; storing, within the database, other transaction data associated with other purchased items for the vehicle, wherein the first transaction data and the other transaction data define a total transaction data associated with the vehicle; and tracking, by the vehicle identifier, the total transaction data for access by the cardholder.
US09111274B2
A system may include a communication interface configured to communicate with a mobile device and processing logic. The processing logic may be configured to receive authorization from the mobile device, when the mobile device is located proximate to the system, for a first payment for a good or service, and transmit a communication to the mobile device subsequent to receiving the authorization from the mobile device, where the communication is transmitted when the mobile device is not located proximate to the system. The processing logic may further be configured to receive authorization from the mobile device for a second payment in response to the communication.
US09111273B2
Techniques for checking into a retail establishment are provided. A retailer provides a substrate having a magnetic-field encoded tag. A consumer waves the consumer's device over the tag to electronically capture the magnetic-field encoded tag. The consumer's device is used to communicate the tag to a retailer to validate that the consumer is physically present and now checked into the retail establishment of the retailer.
US09111272B2
A method and system for processing payment transaction at a computing device is provided. The method includes receiving a payment request at the computing device from a purchaser terminal, the payment request including purchaser information, determining whether payment information associated with the purchaser information exists at the computing device, and processing payment transaction using the payment information if it is determined that the payment information associated with the purchaser information exists at the computing device.
US09111271B2
A system and method for controlling financial transactions is disclosed. A customer, using a wireless device, identifies a point of sale and the amount of a transaction at that point of sale is first communicated to a central service and then transmitted to the wireless device for display at the wireless device. The customer can either accept the transaction amount to complete the transaction or reject the amount to cancel the transaction. The customer may have to enter a password or personal identification number to verify the authorization to use the wireless financial system. The customer is billed for the transaction via credit, debit, ATM or other methods, such as the wireless carrier or an internet provider.
US09111266B2
The present invention relates to systems and methods for collecting and disbursing electronic gratuities. According to one embodiment, a device for submitting gratuities by credit card is provided at a place of business or other appropriate location. A method of using this device is disclosed, whereby consumers pay a predetermined or adjustable gratuity amount by inserting a credit card into the device. According to another embodiment, technological infrastructure is provided to transmit encrypted payment information such that the acquiring bank of the device provider obtains authorization for gratuity transactions conducted using the device. The acquiring bank is thus enabled to credit the device provider's merchant account or disbursal accounts with electronic gratuity payments less acquisition fees. According to another embodiment, a method of disbursing gratuity shares to employees of the business is provided, wherein processing fees are collected by the device provider.
US09111265B2
One or more transactions, and their audited update actions, operating on a database may be identified by a step ID. The step ID may include a first set of bits identifying a time the step was created. The step ID may also include a second set of bits uniquely identifying a step created at a certain time from other step created at the same time. The first set of bits may be generated from a coordinated universal time (UTC) that does not change with local seasons, such as daylight saving time.
US09111263B2
A template and/or knowledge associated with a synchronous meeting are obtained by a computing device. The computing device then adaptively manages the synchronous meeting based at least in part on the template and/or knowledge.
US09111261B2
A method, system, and article for management of email communication content across a computer system network. An archive of email communications is retained on storage media in communication with the network. In addition, email communication is retained on storage media in communication with a client machine in the network. To mitigate duplication of email communications, duplicate communications are replaced with a hyperlink to the archive communication. This replacement supports removal of the duplicate communication from the storage media in communication with the client machine.
US09111260B2
Techniques and mechanisms are provided that allow participants in an electronic messaging conversation (e.g. email or instant message) to retrieve information related to words and phrases in the electronic messaging conversation without leaving the electronic messaging environment. An electronic messaging environment is provided that includes user interface tools that allow a user to (1) select text within the EM conversation, (2) submit the text to an information retrieval service, such as a search engine, and (3) display the results generated by the information retrieval service. To facilitate the selection of relevant text, certain “suggested words” within the conversation may automatically be highlighted by the instant messaging client. Various techniques are provided for customizing which words are suggested, which sources are searched, and which search terms are used.
US09111259B2
The present invention relates to analyzing communications involving a given user and determining a ranked list of the most relevant contacts for the user based on the analysis. As subsequent communications are analyzed, the list may be updated in a systematic fashion to provide a dynamic and up-to-date ranking of the most relevant contacts for the user at any given time. By having access to an up-to-date, ranked list of their most relevant contacts, the user can more readily initiate communications with others and avoid searching or sorting through more traditional contact listings.
US09111256B2
A computationally implemented system and method that is designed to, but is not limited to: electronically receiving user status information regarding a particular individual living being including living being identification associated with the particular individual living being to at least in part electronically generate, based at least in part upon the user status information, one or more selection menus electronically identifying at least in part one or more candidate ingestible products, the electronically generated one or more selection menus to be electronically outputted to provide, via electronically enabled input in response thereto, selection opportunity of the one or more candidate ingestible products subject to ingestion by the particular individual living being prior to selection of at least one candidate ingestible product as at least one selected ingestible products via the electronically enabled input in response to the electronically outputted one or more selection menus.
US09111252B1
An ultra-high frequency radio frequency identification reader-writer wirelessly sends a product information signal to an ultra-high frequency antenna. The ultra-high frequency antenna sends the product information signal to an ultra-high frequency side dual interface memory unit. The ultra-high frequency side dual interface memory unit utilizes an energy of the product information signal to update a product data corresponding to the product information signal. When a processing unit and a high frequency side dual interface memory unit are driven, the processing unit fetches the product information signal from the ultra-high frequency side dual interface memory unit. The processing unit sends the product information signal to the high frequency side dual interface memory unit. The high frequency side dual interface memory unit updates the product data corresponding to the product information signal.
US09111245B2
A method and apparatus for displaying information about a group of harnesses. Logical data of a database comprising a group of identifiers comprising a group of harness identifiers and a group of vehicle identifiers of a database is displayed. A selected identifier of the group of identifiers is received. Modeling data is displayed, wherein the modeling data comprises a harness set related to a model of a vehicle that is associated with a vehicle identifier and is related to the selected identifier.
US09111243B2
A method, apparatus and computer-usable medium for creating a Global Process Template (GPT) that describes standardized aspects of a business process used by clients of multiple Shared Service Centers (SSCs), wherein the GPT defines uniform business processes, core business processes, and local business processes.
US09111234B2
A method for enabling notifications pertaining to an asset is disclosed. The method receives information from a first reporting source about an asset. In addition, information from a second reporting source about the asset is also received. A database is then populated with the information from the first reporting source and the information from the second reporting source such that information from the first reporting source and information from the second reporting source can be accessed from the database. A state machine for the asset is maintained based on the received information which enables providing notifications pertaining to the asset.
US09111233B2
A computing device learns over time how to identify task reminders that are most likely to be helpful to a user in different contexts. The task reminders can remind the user of activities that the user needs to do. The computing device displays a graphical user interface (GUI) that contains the task reminders identified as being most likely to be helpful to the user in the user's current context. The computing device updates the task reminders in the GUI as the user's context changes. In this way, the computing device can present task reminders that are likely to be currently helpful to the user while suppressing task reminders that are less likely to be helpful to the user at the current time.
US09111231B2
A method for associating a web session with a particular member of a group of users includes: receiving a plurality of training web sessions, each training web session including one or more web events generated by a respective known user having one or more demographic attributes; training one or more binary classifiers using the training web sessions and the demographic attributes of the users; receiving a plurality of target web sessions, each target web session including one or more web events that are generated by a respective unknown member of a group of users, wherein each user has one or more demographic attributes; and applying one or more of the binary classifiers to the target web sessions such that a respective target web session is uniquely associated with a member based on, at least in part, the demographic attributes of the member.
US09111230B2
A device lattice arrangement including a plurality of devices, a plurality of physical connections for the plurality of devices, wherein each of the plurality of devices are coupled to at least two of the plurality of physical connections, a plurality of identity labels associated with individual devices of the plurality of devices and an arrangement of identity labels such that pairs of devices of the plurality of devices connected by some number of the plurality of connections have different identity labels.
US09111227B2
An object of the present invention is to reduce a prediction error even if a monitoring target system has a plurality of patterns of use. A monitoring data analyzing apparatus includes a log data file 21 configured to accumulate log data including monitoring data in a monitoring target system set as a target of performance management, a data classifying section 11 configured to classify the log data into a plurality of groups on the basis of characteristics of use status data included in the log data and indicating statuses of use of components of the monitoring target system, and a regression-model generating section 12 configured to execute a regression analysis of the log data and generate a regression model for each of the groups.
US09111222B2
Certain aspects of the present disclosure support a technique for utilizing a memory in probabilistic manner to store information about weights of synapses of a neural network.
US09111218B1
A method and system of classifying documents is provided. The method includes receiving a stream of documents from at least one user wherein each document includes a topic of information relating to a customer support issue or sentiment. The method includes classifying each of the received documents using a plurality of trained classifiers, the classification based on a voting by the trained classifiers, each document labeled according to a similar topic. A drift of the topic of one or more of the classifications is determined wherein the drift is related to the received documents that include information relating to an unclassified customer support issue or sentiment. If the determined drift exceeds a predetermined threshold range, rebuilding the plurality of classifiers to include a second set of classifiers trained to recognize the unclassified customer support issue or sentiment.
US09111213B2
A method is provided for predictive modeling of a physical process in order to determine and implement a solution to the physical process. The method includes storing representations of relevant physical relationships, observations, and outcome probabilities related to the physical process in a memory of a computer, recursively analyzing the stored representations by the computer, and generating at least one tree structure that models the physical process, the tree structure including at least one root node, a plurality of decision nodes, and a plurality of end nodes. The method also includes determining a solution to the physical process based on criterion variables, by the computer using the tree structure of the physical process to arrive at an end node, and implementing a physical solution to the physical process, the physical solution being based on the determined solution.
US09111211B2
The present disclosure is directed to systems and methods that score content, URLs, domains, phrases or any entity based on an expected relevance to an individual user which may be based on that user's previous engagement with digital resources. A server receives identification of a plurality of actions of a user, which may include a click by the user on a link associated with a digital resource of a plurality of digital resources. The server may receive identification of actions of the user to share one or more digital resources of the plurality of digital resources. The server may identify a plurality of keywords from content of the plurality of digital resources, classify patterns from the actions of the users and the keywords and generate, based on the pattern classification, a relevance score responsive to receiving a user identifier and a digital resource keyword.
US09111210B2
In an information processing apparatus, if the number of specific items of a plurality of setting items included in pre-registration information selected by a selection portion is equal to or less than a threshold, a change portion changes a setting content of the specific item to a content within a range of use authority. A setting screen display portion displays a setting screen for setting the specific item whose setting content has been changed by the change portion. A second display control portion displays an authentication screen if the setting content of the specific item is set on the setting screen so as to be outside the range of the use authority.
US09111207B2
A terminal apparatus may receive first information relating to a first function executing apparatus from the first function executing apparatus. The first function executing apparatus may be configured to execute a print function. The terminal apparatus may cause a display mechanism of the terminal apparatus to display a first image indicating M1 items of communication schemes by using the first information. Each of the M1 items of communication schemes may be a communication scheme available for the first function executing apparatus to receive print data.
US09111202B2
A solution for evaluating a printing configuration for an electronic document in which one or more presentation attributes of a physical reproduction (e.g., a printed copy) of the electronic document are considered. A perceived quality of the physical reproduction of the electronic document can be determined using a set of properties of the electronic document and the one or more presentation attributes. The perceived quality can be utilized in various ways as part of a printing process.
US09111201B1
A hand-held printer is disclosed. The hand-held printer includes an image sensor configured to determine a color having plurality of color components associated with a print medium, an image processing module configured to process image data into a plurality of color layers; and a print module configured to receive information related to the plurality of color components from the image sensor and information related to the plurality of color layers from the image processing module. The print module being configured to enhance at least one of the plurality of color layers based on at least one of the corresponding plurality of color components associated with the print medium.
US09111200B2
An image forming apparatus includes the following: a stamp shape data generation unit configured to generate stamp shape data indicating a shape of a stamp image, wherein the stamp image includes stamp color data indicating a color of the stamp image; a stamp combining unit configured to (i) generate planes of the stamp shape data corresponding to color components of the stamp color data, wherein a color density of each plane of the stamp shape data is equal to a color density of a corresponding color component of the stamp color data, and (ii) combine the planes of the stamp shape data with respective planes of image data to form a combined image; and an output execution unit configured to execute an output operation on the combined image.
US09111198B2
A print control method executes a process of adding a command to print data output from an application to a communication port in a computer having a communication port and executing a specific process by an application installed on an application layer and operating under an operating system on the OS kernel layer, the method including: the computer acquiring the print data at the OS kernel layer before the print data is received by the communication port; determining on the application layer if each command of the acquired print data is a print instruction command for an object that should be printed at a different print speed than the standard speed; and adding and outputting to the communication port a command that changes the print speed before the print instruction command when the command is determined to be a print instruction command for printing an object at a different speed.
US09111194B2
This present invention serves to simplify manufacture of a contactless data transmission device (50). This device (50) has an electrically insulating carrier (1), a circuit element arranged on the carrier (1) made from a continuous antenna conductor track (2) in the form of at least one spiral winding (4, 5, 6) and respectively one terminal contact (15, 16) at the ends thereof as well as an electronic component (3) with at least two contact points (11, 12) electrically connected with the circuit element. The electronic component (3) is placed in a mounting region (10) above the at least one spiral winding (4, 5, 6). The at least two contact points (11, 12) of the component (3) are electrically connected with a respective terminal contact (15, 16) of the antenna conductor track (2). At least one spiral winding (4, 5, 6) is branched outside the mounting region (10) between two respective branching points (7′, 7″; 8′, 8″; 9′, 9″) into at least two spiral winding branches (4′, 4″; 5′, 5″; 6′, 6″). The data transmission device (50) is a component part of a valuable and/or security document (100).
US09111191B2
A method of producing antennas for RFID devices includes cutting or otherwise physically separating the antennas from a preformed sheet of conductive material that includes apertures in the conductive material. Cutting locations relative to the apertures may be selected based on desired performance characteristics of the antenna and/or of the RFID device for which the antenna is to be used. The cutting locations may include one or more cuts through the aperture, and other cuts that do not pass through an aperture. The cutting locations may be selected as a function of such parameters as the desired bandwidth of the antenna and the operating frequency of the antenna. The method allows production of antennas with different characteristics, from a previously-prepared supply of sheet conductive material. This facilitates the ability to make small production runs of antennas, and/or to reduce the lead time for providing antennas with specified characteristics.
US09111189B2
An apparatus to package an electronic device. The apparatus includes a composite plastic package that is durable to environmental conditions. In particular, a mold process to produce a plastic composite material package and support an electronic component inserted therein. At least one injection nozzle supplies a specified level of plastic composite material into the mold to produce a substantially hermetically sealed package. A multi-patch antenna provides increased receiver sensitivity. An inductive battery power option provides a user flexibility to charge a tracking device and communicate near-field signals and energy with a tracking monitoring station.
US09111181B2
Detecting and flagging likely confidential content in photographs to prevent automated dissemination
Automatic distribution of image data, such as a digital photographs, is prevented or delayed if the photograph is determined to likely contain confidential data. Online photo streaming services, albums, social media accounts, and backup services can be a source of inadvertent disclosure of confidential information due to these automatic dissemination functions of modern photo capturing devices. Detection criteria to trigger the blocking of dissemination may include recognition of faces of co-workers and clients, recognition of business furnishings such as whiteboards and conference room equipment, as well as geotags where the image was captured, the time, day of week, and date at which it was captured, and network identifiers associated with the network on which the capturing device is connected.
US09111176B2
Image matching device 300 of the invention includes feature image extracting sections 303, 304 extracting one or more partial object images containing a local structural feature from an object image and extracting one or more partial reference images containing the local structural feature from each reference image, first image detecting section 306 setting each of the partial object images as an image of interest and detecting a first partial image most similar to the image of interest from a set of partial reference images, second image detecting section 307 detecting a second partial image most similar to the first partial image from a set of partial object images, and determination processing section 305 determining whether or not the image of interest matches the second partial image and outputting the result of the determination.
US09111175B2
Method for registering a three dimensional (3D) pre acquired image coordinates system with a Medical Positioning System (MPS) coordinate system and a two dimensional (2D) image coordinate system, the method comprising acquiring a 2D image of a volume of interest, the volume including an organ, the 2D image being associated with the 2D coordinate system, acquiring MPS points within the organ, the MPS points being associated with the MPS coordinate system, the MPS coordinate system being registered with the 2D coordinate system, extracting a 3D image model of the organ from a pre acquired 3D image of the volume of interest, estimating a volumetric model of the organ from the acquired MPS points, and registering the 3D coordinate system with the MPS coordinate system by matching the extracted 3D image model and the estimated volumetric model of the organ.
US09111160B1
The present disclosure envisages a computer implemented non-intrusive remote monitoring and capturing system for remotely monitoring operations on a plurality of workstations from an administrator. The system includes a first application installed on the workstations and a second application on the administrator. The first application executed on the workstations and the second executed on the administrator communicates with each other via a network. The first application of the workstation receives an electronic signal from a supervisor administering the administrator. The first application includes a first receiver having an extractor which is capable of extracting a first operation and a second operation command from the received electronic signal. Both the first operation command and the second operation command are embedded in a format selected from the group consisting of an email format, a short message service (SMS) format, a missed call format, a voice command format and a combination thereof within the electronic signal.
US09111150B2
A certain amount of unique data of a target is extracted from image information that was read, and it is determined whether or not the target is valid on the basis of the extracted unique data. Processes are executed by means of an image reading unit which extracts an image by scanning a target, an individual difference data calculating unit which calculates individual difference data from the obtained image, an individual difference data comparing unit which compares the calculated individual difference data, and a determination unit which determines whether or not to grant validation.
US09111134B1
Computer implemented methods for generating a non-transient record of feature locations and/or facial expression parameters characterizing a person's face. A video sequence of a specified individual person is received and a feature locator update model is applied to the video sequence. The feature locator update model is derived by defining a set of training images, generating a set of facial feature displacements for each training image with associated image sample vectors, and training a regularized linear regression which maps from image sample vectors to displacement vectors, wherein the regularization includes a spatial smoothness term within the shape-free sample space. A feature location and/or a facial expression parameter is then extracted, based on the feature update model, characterizing the location, and/or the expression, of the feature of the face of the specified individual person.
US09111132B2
An image processing device that identifies a characteristic of a lip from a face image including a mouth of a person has a representative skin color determination unit that determines a representative color of a skin in the face image, a candidate color determination unit that sets a plurality of regions in the face image such that at least one of the regions contains a part of the lip, and determines representative colors of the regions as candidate colors, and a representative lip color determination unit that determines a representative color of the lip from the plurality of candidate colors, in accordance with a difference in hue and saturation between the representative color of the skin and each candidate color.
US09111119B2
An apparatus includes a processor and a memory to implement a method to provide a proof that two or more instances of a data structure type are as trustworthy as each other.
US09111114B1
Coarse-grained system-wide database privileges are transformed into new finer-grained database object privileges that are user-centric and specific to particular objects by creating an object class defining certain generic operations on objects, and defining within the object class a new object that embodies permissible actions on a particular database object. The new object is stored in a catalog table that comprises an object privilege table and is associated in the object privilege table with a consolidated grouping of object privileges of users relative to the new object.
US09111110B2
A content management system implementing methodologies providing retroactive shared content item links is disclosed. The content management system and methodologies allow a team administrator of a team to configure a team-wide shared link policy that determines whether non-team members can access content items associated with team accounts using shared links generated for the content items by team members. The team shared link policy has two settings. In a first setting, the content management system allows non-team members to use shared links generated by team members to access content items associated with team accounts. In a second setting, the content management system blocks access to the content items by non-team members. Shared links are retroactive in the sense they do not need to be regenerated after the team shared link policy has been changed from the second setting back to the first setting.
US09111108B2
A system for controlling access rights of a software developer party with respect to artifacts having computer operated functions of a computer program includes an access control database which has policies that control access by a party to the artifacts in an application development environment. The system includes an application development environment having the artifacts. The system includes an access policy controller in communication with the access control database and the application development environment which implements the policies and controls access by the party to the artifacts being controlled. At least a first of the plurality of artifacts has a part being modifiable by the party and operative with all other artifacts of the plurality of artifacts after being modified.
US09111086B2
In an external system, a request handler may receive, at the external system, a logon ticket from a proprietary software system, the logon ticket associated with a request from a user of the proprietary system for access to the external system. A ticket handler may provide the logon ticket to an authentication service which is configured to perform a validation of the logon ticket at the proprietary system. A session manager may receive, from the authentication service and based on the validation, a user session and access rights related to the requested access. An access control manager may provide the requested access to the user via the proprietary system, according to the access rights and within the user session.
US09111081B2
An approach is provided in which a server receives a first request from a client over a command port connection. The server, in turn, sends a first phase authentication token to the client over the command port and receives a second request from the client over a management port connection. In response, the server sends a second phase authentication token to the client over the management port connection, which the server receives back from the client over the command port connection. In turn, the server authenticates the client to utilize the command port connection accordingly.
US09111078B2
A slot management system includes a download and configuration server-based sub-system and method for use with game devices, systems, and methods. The slot machine management system is provided to enable users to monitor, control, and modify game devices and other related activities.
US09111075B1
Authentication mechanisms are disclosed herein that authenticate user access to enterprises. For example, either an enterprise associated number or a social security number (SSN) can be provided to the enterprise to enter a first level. Then, any one of a ZIP code number, a device calling/contacting number, a date of birth, and a portion of the SSN can be provided to access applications in the first level. Lastly, a PIN can be provided to enter a second level of the enterprise. Additionally, these authentication mechanisms can be added and/or changed. In the former case, if a user used a SSN to enter the mentioned first level of the enterprise, then a date of birth can be used to update an authentication mechanism. Alternatively, if a user used an enterprise number to gain such access, then part of the SSN can be used for the update. If the user wants to change the authentication mechanism, the date of birth can be used for the update.
US09111073B1
A user generates a pattern in a matrix (or two-dimensional grid) and enters a user name and an associated password. This username, password and pattern are stored locally on a computing device or are transmitted to a remote computer server for later authentication. Upon authentication, an input matrix is displayed. The user enters the password into the matrix in the form of the pattern, and also enters the username. The computer retrieves the previously stored pattern and password with the username. The previously stored pattern is used to read the input password from the input matrix. A match with the stored password indicates authentication. Alternatively, the input matrix only includes the pattern and password is entered separately. The input matrix may also be filled with random characters to improve security. The stored pattern is compared to the input pattern using image analysis or by comparing a set of coordinates.
US09111069B1
A method and apparatus for detection of DLP violations with language detection are described. A DLP product may monitor data content associated with the computing system, and identify a language of the data content. Based on the identified language, the DLP product identifies from among multiple DLP policies a first set of one or more DLP policies that are applicable for the identified language (referred to herein as language-specific DLP policies). The DLP product scans the data content using the first set to detect a violation of one of the DLP policies in the data content, and performs a DLP action in response to the detected violation.
US09111068B2
An integrated circuit device is provided comprising a circuit board and one or more digital signal processors implemented thereon. The digital signal processor comprises a data unit comprising a function core configured to perform a specific mathematical expression in order to perform at least a portion of a specific application and an instruction memory storing one or more instructions configured to send commands to the control unit and the data unit to perform the specific application, and a control unit configured to control the flow of data between a plurality of memory banks and the function core for performing the specific application, and the plurality of memory banks coupled to each of the one or more digital signal processors and comprising at least two or more local memory banks integrated onto the circuit board.
US09111064B2
A device includes a plurality of connectors on a top surface of a package component. The plurality of connectors includes a first connector having a first lateral dimension, and a second connector having a second lateral dimension. The second lateral dimension is greater than the first lateral dimension. The first and the second lateral dimensions are measured in directions parallel to a major surface of the package component.
US09111060B2
This disclosure relates generally to field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs). Some implementations relate to methods and systems for partitioning FPGA circuit designs to facilitate certification. In one aspect, a method includes generating a hardware description language (HDL) implementation of a circuit design. The method additionally includes partitioning the design into a first portion and a second portion. In some implementations, the second portion corresponds to a safety-critical portion of the design while the first portion corresponds to a non-safety-critical portion. The method additionally includes generating first configuration settings for the first portion and generating second configuration settings for the second portion. The method additionally includes verifying, or providing to a third-party certification body for verification, the first configuration settings for the first portion and the second configuration settings for the second portion. The method further includes providing the configuration settings for the second portion for programming into a PLD.
US09111059B2
A dynamically reconfigurable framework manages processing applications in order to meet time-varying constraints to select an optimal hardware architecture. The optimal architecture satisfies time-varying constraints including for example, supplied power, required performance, accuracy levels, available bandwidth, and quality of output such as image reconstruction. The process of determining an optimal solution is defined in terms of multi-objective optimization using Pareto-optimal realizations.
US09111054B2
A data center design tool is described herein. The tool receives a number of design specifications for a proposed facility of the data center. The tool determines requirements of the data center based on the design specifications. Further, the tool receives an equipment component input and attributes of the equipment component input for the data center. The tool determines additional equipment component inputs and additional attributes based on the received design specifications, the determined requirements, and the received equipment component inputs and attributes.
US09111049B2
An apparatus is provided for coupling a Universal Serial Bus (USB) device and a USB host. The apparatus includes a memory and a controller. The memory includes one or more descriptor entries. The controller is configured to obtain a descriptor of the USB device upon detection of the USB device on a USB bus, and compare the descriptor to a specific descriptor entry to generate a comparing result. Then the controller enables or disables a link path between the USB host and the USB device according the comparing result.
US09111036B2
An unwind data system stores unwind data for a target module in memory pages in main memory prior to an introspection tool making an attempt to generate a backtrace for the target module. The unwind data system detects a trigger in a user script, which includes instructions to generate a backtrace for the target module using the introspection tool. The trigger corresponds to a section of software code of the target module. The unwind data system locates the unwind data in the memory pages in the main memory for the section of software code of the target module and unwinds the section of software code to generate a backtrace using the unwind data located in the memory pages in the main memory.
US09111033B2
Compiling source code for debugging, including: receiving, by an optimizing compiler from a debugger, a user specification of preferred breakpoint locations in the source code; compiling, by the optimizing compiler, the source code, wherein compiling includes inserting a snapshot at one or more of the preferred breakpoint locations, and recording the location of each inserted snapshot; and providing, to the debugger by the optimizing compiler, the recorded locations of each inserted snapshot along with the compiled source code.
US09111030B1
Systems, methods, and computer-readable media are disclosed for testing a software application. An exemplary method includes storing a control file identifying a test case for testing a software application. A first expect result may be extracted from a device storing expected results of the software application, the first expected result being identified by the control file. A first actual result may be extracted from a device storing actual results output by the software application, the first actual result being identified by the control file. The first expected result may be compared with the first actual result to determine whether the first actual result matches the first expected result. A result file indicated whether the test case passed or failed s generated, and the test case has passed when the first actual result matches the first expected result. the result file may be stored in a storage device.
US09111028B2
The invention provides methods for selecting and administering antidepressant medications to a patient based upon the patient's combination genotype and phenotype for a panel of genes.
US09111013B2
A system and method for efficiently searching long strings of data, such as network messages, is described. The system preferably includes an associative memory structure, having a plurality of content addressable memories (CAMs). The CAMs are hierarchically arranged such the output of at least one CAM is used as the input to a second CAM. Preferably, a top-level CAM receives only a selected portion of the data string or network message as its input. The output of the top-level CAM is then joined with some or all of the remaining portions of the data string to form a new output that is provided to the CAM at the next lower level. The top-level CAM is programmed such that its output is substantially smaller (e.g., has fewer bits) than the selected data string portion that is input to the top-level CAM. The system can thus search data strings that are on the whole far longer than the widths of the respective CAMs forming the memory structure.
US09111012B2
A data consistency management system may include a memory storing machine readable instructions to receive a query, and determine a suitability of the query for processing by a NoSQL data store, or a RDBMS. The memory may further include machine readable instructions to rank data tables based on a combination of read queries and query patterns suitable for the NoSQL data store. Based on the ranking, the memory may further include machine readable instructions to determine data tables that are to be managed by the NoSQL data store, or by the RDBMS, determine whether the query is for a data table managed by the NoSQL data store, and based on a determination that the query is for a data table managed by the NoSQL data store, translate the query to NoSQL API calls for using the NoSQL data store to respond to the query.
