US09148732B2
A method for testing hearing aids, particularly in respect of the effect thereof on speech comprehension, is improved. The method has the following steps: a) a test system is provided, b) an audible voice signal in the form of at least one meaningless syllable is selected and presented c) the meaningless syllable and a number of further meaningless syllables are displayed on a graphical user interface in the test system, d) a heard meaningless syllable is selected from the displayed meaningless syllables by the user, e) the selection made is evaluated, and f) method steps c) to e) are repeated until a termination criterion is encountered. The audible voice signal is selected in each case on the basis of at least one selection made by the person in response to a previously presented voice signal. The method allows particularly fast and informative hearing aid tests.
US09148728B2
A piezoelectric sound transducer using a piezoelectric plastic material is developed from a substrate layer and a layer of a piezoelectric plastic material deposited thereon, the piezoelectric plastic layer covering the substrate layer not completely but having openings.
US09148725B2
Techniques for use in improving audio quality with use of an acoustic leak compensation (ALC) system in a mobile device are described. The mobile device includes a receiver and a microphone which is acoustically coupled to the receiver. A change in a signal power of signals received at the microphone is detected. In response to the detecting, a probe signal is enabled, and a frequency response between the receiver and the microphone is estimated using the probe signal as an input. Filter coefficients of a filter are calculated based on the estimated frequency response, and the calculated filter coefficients are applied to the filter. The filter type may be selected from a plurality of filter types based on an estimated signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the microphone signal.
US09148721B2
A system, method and apparatus in the field of signal processing with particular applications to the specialized field of audio signal processing as it is used in the production or performance of music that is adapted and/or configured to mitigate or attenuate unwanted signals during a switching process between an effects apparatus and a signal bypass.
US09148718B2
Circuits, methods, and apparatus for grounding contacts in an audio jack. One example may provide a driver, such as a charge pump, driving a first depletion mode transistor coupled between a first contact in an audio jack and ground, and a second depletion mode transistor coupled between a second contact in the audio jack and ground. The first depletion mode transistor and second depletion mode transistor may be p-channel transistors or n-channel transistors.
US09148717B2
A case for a mobile electronic device includes an aperture configured to receive one or more earbuds, a portion configured to receive power from a power source, and circuitry configured to simultaneously charge the one or more earbuds and the mobile electronic device.
US09148716B2
A vibration speaker includes a screen including a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface, and a vibrator disposed below the screen with vibration direction perpendicular to the screen. The screen is actuated to vibrate and generate sound by the vibration of the vibrator.
US09148711B2
A micro-speaker is disclosed. The micro-speaker includes a frame, a magnetic circuit received in the frame, a voice coil partially received in the magnetic circuit, a diaphragm connected to the voice coil, and a contact fixed by the frame for electrically connecting the voice coil to an external circuit. The contact includes a base plate, a first and second connecting plates respectively connected to both ends of the base plate and formed an engaging space by connecting them in order. Corresponding to the contact, the frame includes a sidewall and a protrusion formed on the sidewall. The engaging space receives and engages with the sidewall and the second plating plate engages with the protrusion for mounting the contact on the frame firmly without soldering.
US09148707B2
A cue message detection synchronizer that provides an out-of-band cue message to downstream content insertion devices. The cue message detection synchronizer receives a first data stream corresponding to a network feed, receives a second data stream corresponding to a provider feed, receives at least one cue message associated with the first data stream, compares the first data stream to the second data stream to determine a data stream offset, and generates cue message comprising one or more of: (i) the determined data stream offset, and (ii) a timestamp associated with the generated cue message and modified by the determined data stream offset. In this way, a location within a synchronized provider stream can be provided to downstream content insertion devices.
US09148699B2
A method includes reading a composite video descriptor data structure and a plurality of window descriptor data structures. The composite video descriptor data structure defines a width and height of a composite video frame and each window descriptor data structure defines the starting X and Y coordinate, width and height of each constituent video window to be rendered in the composite video frame. The method further includes determining top and bottom Y coordinates for each constituent video window, as well as determining left and right X coordinates for each constituent video window. The method also includes dividing each constituent video window using the top and bottom Y coordinates to obtain Y-divided sub-windows, dividing each Y-divided sub-window using left and right X coordinates to obtain X and Y divided sub-windows, and storing X, Y coordinates of opposing corners of each X and Y divided sub-window in the storage device.
US09148696B2
A data transmission system may have a sending apparatus that sends streaming data, and a receiving apparatus that receives the streaming data and transmits a request of switch of the streaming data to the sending apparatus, in which the sending apparatus may switch the streaming data in response to the received request. The receiving apparatus may include a receiving section, a storage section that stores the streaming data temporarily and transfers it, an operation-detecting section that detects whether a user operates the request, and a control section that controls a transfer rate of the streaming data stored in the storage section to fast-forward the streaming data when the operation-detecting section detects that the user's operation. The sending apparatus may include an information-adding section that adds to the streaming data additional information on the user's operation when receiving a notice of user's operation, and a sending section that sends the additional-information-added streaming data.
US09148690B2
Scheduling may be provided. First, a first request to record a first program content may be received. The first request may be received from a first device and initiated by a first user. Next, in response to the received first request, a first entry may be added to a scheduling list. The first entry may correspond to the first request. Then, the first program content may be recorded according to the first entry in the scheduling list. In response to recording the first program content, a first indication may then be added to a recording list. The first indication may indicate that the first program content has been recorded.
US09148678B2
The present invention relates to a method for transmitting/receiving contents through a network such as the Internet, and to a transmitter/receiver using same, the transmission method comprising: converting content stored in a file format into a delivery format; and including the content converted into the delivery format in a payload of an IP packet and transmitting same, wherein the delivery format includes composition information on at least one program that configures the content, wherein the program composition information further includes version information for expressing the version of the program composition information that is delivered through the IP packet.
US09148674B2
A method and system optimally selecting antenna elements based on the current availability of antenna elements and the current usage of other antenna elements within a two or three dimensional array. The present system and method pertain to an approach to allow the maximal usage of each antenna element while simultaneously reducing the coupling between antenna elements to improve the signal strength in each antenna element by ensuring that antenna elements in the same incident path are not tuned to the same frequency or physically or electrically near elements tuned to identical or adjacent frequencies.
US09148672B2
A method and apparatus for a multiple-channel image/video coding system are disclosed. A residue generation process is applied to the image/video data to generate residue data. A set of integer operations is applied to the residue data across the input channels to generate residue transformed data having multiple output channels. In one embodiment, the residue transformed data associated with a first output channel is related to the difference between a first residue data associated with a first input channel and a second residue data associated with a second input channel. In another embodiment, the residue transformed data associated with a second output channel is related to the second difference between a threshold and a third residue data associated with a third input channel, and wherein the threshold corresponds to the first truncated or rounded average of the first residue data and the second residue data.
US09148669B2
A method and system for encoding a digital video signal using a plurality of parallel processors. A digital picture is received that is composed of one or more GOPs. The CPU then determines the number of GOPs that need to be encoded and divides them into groups. The number of GOPs in a group may equal the number of parallel processors in the multi-core platform available to encode. The CPU transfers in a single batch to the multi-core platform, a frame of equal rank from each GOP contained in the first group. The multi-core platform encodes the frames in parallel, rearranges the encoded byte stream chunk into normal display order sequence and stores the encoded byte stream. The process may repeat until all the GOPs in the first group have been encoded. Upon completion the multi-core platform outputs the encoded byte stream in normal display order sequence.
US09148665B2
A method and apparatus for decoding video and a method and apparatus for encoding video are provided. The method for decoding video includes: receiving and parsing a bitstream of encoded video; extracting, from the bitstream, encoded image data of a current picture assigned to a maximum coding unit of the current picture, information regarding a coded depth of the maximum coding unit, information regarding an encoding mode, and coding unit pattern information indicating whether texture information of the maximum coding units has been encoded; and decoding the encoded image data for the maximum coding unit, based on the information regarding the coded depth of the maximum coding unit, the information regarding the encoding mode, and the coding unit pattern information.
US09148664B1
An apparatus includes a processor, a graphics processing unit and a memory. The memory stores computer executable instructions. The computer executable instructions include a motion estimation kernel which when executed by the graphics processing unit performs motion estimation on a current frame using a reference frame. The current frame and the reference frame are stored in a globally shared memory of the graphics processing unit.
US09148650B2
Systems and methods are disclosed for multithreaded visual odometry by acquired with a single camera on-board a vehicle; using 2D-3D correspondences for continuous pose estimation; and combining the pose estimation with 2D-2D epipolar search to replenish 3D points.
US09148640B2
An image editing apparatus includes: a processor that: (i) generates an editing information indicating a content of editing applied to at least one of frames included in a video stream, and performs an editing process in which the editing is applied to the at least one frame; (ii) specifies a subject frame to be edited from among the frames, based on the editing information; and (iii) generates a thumbnail for the subject frame to which the editing has been applied, and outputs the generated thumbnail.
US09148636B1
A monitor device includes a projection screen that converts between an extended state and a retracted state, a supporter that supports the projection screen, a storage that stores the projection screen, a first and second projector that projects the image on the first and second side of the projection screen, a first and second user interface that receives an operation to control the image, a switcher that switches which of the first user interface or the second user interface has a control to control the image, a sensor that detects an object, a cleaner that cleans the projection screen, and circuitry that controls the projectors to output the image, corrects a shape of the image, controls the image based on the operation from the user interface with a control, and controls the image based on a detection by the sensor from a side of the screen with the control.
US09148628B2
A system and method of pre-buffering media files may be employed to improve the initial playback performance of a media file. In accordance with one aspect, a media player application may present a list of media files for playback. Based on a location and/or movement of an input focus device, the media player may pre-buffer those media files located within a proximity of the input focus device. A pre-buffered media file may be selected for playback by the media player application.
US09148615B2
A video display device drives LEDs to emit light by light source driving circuits, detects maximum signal levels for the respective colors from video signals for an amount of n screens (n is an integer equal to or larger than one), and calculates amplification factors for the respective colors based on the detected maximum signal levels. In addition, the video display device amplifies the signal levels of the video signals based on the amplification factors for the respective colors calculated in a power saving mode for reducing power consumption, and controls drive current values of the LEDs to be respectively supplied to the light source driving circuits so as to cancel amplification amounts of brightnesses of the LEDs that correspond to amplification amounts of the signal levels of the video signals amplified.
US09148611B2
A method, apparatus, and system to provide the ability for a user to make audio and/or audio-video phone calls simultaneously while watching (co-viewing) provider video content in remote locations. A control system is provided to set up call, direct provider video content, and provide for the phone calls and video content to be delivered and then synchronized. The phone calls may be routed by the control system to PSTN destinations or Internet based destinations and calls made or received may be bridged to other Internet based sources. The provider video content may be provided directly from its source or routed through NAT traversal or through the control system.
US09148606B2
A solid-state imaging device, with (a) a pixel array unit including two-dimensionally arranged pixels each including (i) a photoelectric conversion element, (ii) a select transistor configured to perform pixel selection, and (iii) a charge discharging transistor configured to selectively discharge the charges accumulated in the photoelectric conversion element; and (b) driving circuitry operable to drive reading of output signals from the pixels of the pixel array unit, for each pixel the driving circuitry driving the charge discharging transistor using a select transistor driving signal.
US09148602B2
An image sensor includes a pixel array including a plurality of unit pixels, each having a photodiode, a transfer transistor, a reset transistor, a drive transistor, and a select transistor, an analog to digital converter for sampling an analogous sensing signal from the pixel array and converting the analogous sensing signal into a digital sensing signal, and a timing controller for forwarding a transfer signal which turns on the transfer transistor until after sampling the sensing signal.
US09148597B2
An image acquisition section 24a acquires a multiplied image at a predetermined electron multiplication factor set in advance, and a luminance calculation section 24b calculates a luminance average value and a luminance variance average value corresponding to the image section 101a in the multiplied image acquired by the luminance calculation section 24b, and calculates a luminance average value and a luminance variance average value of pixels corresponding to the OPB section 101b in the multiplied image. Then, by using the calculated luminance average value and luminance variance average value, a conversion factor calculation section 24c calculates a conversion factor of the multiplied image, and by using this conversion factor and a conversion factor at a reference electron multiplication factor, a multiplication factor calculation section 24d calculates an electron multiplication factor of the multiplied image.
US09148596B1
An image sensor read out circuit includes a first current mirror circuit in which a second current conducted through a second current path is controlled in response to a first current conducted through the first current path. The second current is conducted through an amplifier transistor of a pixel circuit. A first current source is coupled to the first current path to provide a substantially constant current component of the first current. A second current source is coupled to a power supply rail of the pixel circuit and coupled to the first current path to provide a ripple current component of the first current. The ripple current component provided by the second current source is responsive to a ripple in the power supply rail. The first current is responsive to a sum of the currents from the first and second current sources.
US09148594B2
A fixed pattern noise removal method for an image sensor includes steps of calculating each compensation value corresponding to each pixel column according to a plurality of compensation pixel values of the each pixel column; and sampling a plurality of active pixel values in an active pixel area and compensating the plurality of active pixel values according to the each compensation value of the each pixel column, to generate a plurality of compensated active pixel values. A plurality of active pixels sense light to generate the plurality of active pixel values.
US09148592B2
Embodiments of the invention provide an apparatus for noise cancellation of an optical image stabilizer, which includes a motion sensor configured to sense a motion, a microphone configured to acquire a sound, a speaker configured to output a sound, and a controller. The controller is configured to determine whether at least one predetermined condition is satisfied based on at least one signal input from the motion sensor and the microphone, when it is determined that the at least one predetermined condition is satisfied, to periodically operate the optical image stabilizer to store one or more noises generated from an actuator within the optical image stabilizer and driving information of the actuator in a memory, and then, when the optical image stabilizer is normally operated, to acquire the one or more noises corresponding to the driving information of the actuator from the memory, and to generate a canceling noise and to output the generated canceling noise through the speaker.
US09148591B2
There is provided a solid-state imaging device which includes a focus detection pixel that has a light shielding film, which is formed on a light receiving surface of a photoelectric conversion portion and shields light in a part of the light receiving surface, performs pupil division and photoelectric conversion of a received light flux and acquires a phase difference detection signal, where the light shielding film is formed avoiding a gate electrode of a reading gate portion to read a signal charge from the photoelectric conversion portion.
US09148590B2
An imaging apparatus includes a first pixel generating a signal by photoelectric conversion, a second pixel arranged in the same row as the first pixel and generating a signal by photoelectric conversion, a first comparator comparing the signal based on the first pixel with a first reference signal having a level changed according to passage of time, and a second comparator comparing the signal based on the second pixel with a second reference signal having a rate of change for passage of time different from that of the first reference signal. In addition, a first counter counts until the first comparator outputs a signal indicating inversion of magnitude relation of the signal based on the first pixel and the first reference signal, and a second counter counts until the second comparator outputs a signal indicating inversion of magnitude relation of the signal based on the second pixel and the second reference signal.
US09148585B2
A method, system, and article of manufacture that allows amateur camera operators to share video and audio with other amateur camera operators at the same event over a cooperative, ad hoc network. One embodiment of the present invention comprises forming an ad hoc network comprising a plurality of recording devices, and communicating audiovisual signals between the plurality of recording devices in the ad hoc network. In some embodiments, this method may further comprise transmitting a replay request to the plurality of recording devices and receiving an audiovisual signal corresponding to the replay request, transmitting a push request to the plurality of recording devices, and/or transmitting a message to at least one of the plurality of recording devices.
US09148574B2
The present invention provides an image-capture device including an image-capture module, a display device, an input device, and a processing unit. The image-capture module is arranged to capture a preview image. The display device is arranged to display the preview image. The input device is arranged to receive at least one first selection signal and at least one second selection signal, wherein the first selection signal corresponds to a first area of the preview image, and the second selection signal corresponds to a second area of the preview image. The processing unit is arranged to calculate a light-metering value according to the first selection signal and the second selection signal, and force the image-capture module to capture an image according to the light-metering value.
US09148572B2
A timing generator includes a frame rate information receiver, a display control section, and a determination unit. The frame rate information acquisition section is configured to receive information indicating a frame rate of an image sensor. The display control section is configured to output dot clocks in a first cycle to a display which includes a counter being configured to count the number of the dot clocks for a synchronization period, where the dot clocks are a synchronization signal. The determination unit is configured to determine whether or not the number of the dot clocks in the synchronization period is expected to exceed a predetermined number, where length of the synchronization period is based on at least the frame rate of the image sensor. The display control section is configured to switch from the first cycle to a second cycle, if the number of dot clocks is expected to exceed the predetermined number.
US09148571B2
Techniques relating to correction of image distortion caused by movement of a camera unit during image capture. In one embodiment, an apparatus may include a camera unit and a scaling circuit. The apparatus may be configured to calculate a shift value for a line of an image captured by the camera unit, where the shift value is indicative of an amount of movement of the camera unit during at least a portion of capture of the image. The scaling circuit may be configured to operate on the line starting at a line position that is based on the calculated shift value. The calculated shift value may be based on movement information generated by a motion sensor. The scaling circuit may include a digital differential analyzer and one or more multi-tap polyphase filters. The line position may be specified as a fractional pixel value.
US09148557B2
A focus adjustment apparatus comprises a detection unit that detects a subject/subjects having a predetermined characteristic from an image obtained while shooting a moving picture, a selection unit that, in the case where a subject/subjects having the predetermined characteristic have been detected by the detection unit, selects, from the detected subject/subjects, a subject that also fulfills a predetermined condition, and a focus adjustment unit that controls a focus lens to focus on the subject selected by the selection unit. The focus adjustment unit does not control the focus lens in the case where no subject having the predetermined characteristic has been detected by the detection unit.
US09148552B2
The image processing apparatus includes a memory configured to store information on a specific image pickup condition under which a specific blur component is generated in an input image produced by image capturing using an optical system, the specific blur component being caused by the optical system; an image pickup condition acquirer configured to acquire information on an actual image pickup condition when capturing the input image; and a processor configured to perform, when the actual image pickup condition coincides with the specific image pickup condition, a blur detection process to detect the specific blur component included in the input image.
US09148541B2
This invention provides a technique of switching the display screen from a standby screen to a function selection screen in a short period of time in an information processing apparatus which displays screens on a display unit based on the screen data obtained from a server apparatus. To achieve this, an information processing apparatus (MFP) of the invention obtains screen data of a function selection screen (initial screen) from a server apparatus (Web server) while displaying, on a display unit, a standby screen based on screen data obtained from the Web server in a standby state. The MFP switches the display of the display unit from the standby screen to the function selection screen based on the obtained screen data upon receiving a close instruction for the standby screen during the display of the standby screen.
US09148529B2
An information processing apparatus according to the present invention includes a first transmission means that transmits to a Web server first request data describing contents of a user's instruction via an operation screen displayed with a Web browser, an execution means that receives from the Web server response data to the first request data from the first transmission means and executes image processing based on the received response data, and a second transmission means that transmits second request data to the Web server based on the response data received from the Web server. The response data received from the Web server includes plural addresses to be accessed according to events that can occur when the execution means executes the image processing. The second transmission means transmits the second request data to one of the addresses corresponding to an event having occurred when the execution means has executed the image processing.
US09148522B2
Methods, systems, and computer readable media for determining policy information associated with an emergency call are disclosed. According to one method, the method occurs at a policy and charging rules function (PCRF) separate from an emergency services routing proxy (ESRP). The method includes receiving, from the ESRP, a request for one or more policy rules regarding an emergency call, wherein the request includes an intended destination of the emergency call and determining, using the intended destination, one or more policy rules.
US09148519B1
A Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) system includes a call control agent that is configured and arranged to perform a number of functions. The call control agent is configured to receive a connection request for a VoIP call and then accesses a list of media-relay servers (MRSs) that are located at geographically disparate locations relative to one another. The call control agent can execute a selection algorithm that processes variables for the MRSs in the list. In response to the selection algorithm, the call control agent is configured to select a particular MRS from the list. In response to the selection, the call control agent can then direct an endpoint to route audio media for the VoIP call through the particular MRS. The call control agent also is configured to maintain a call state for the VoIP call while the voice media is routed through the particular MRS.
US09148500B2
Methods, systems, and products describe hands-free operation of a communications device. A user defines a command prefix that is recognized as preceding one of several voice commands. When the user speaks the command prefix, a processor identifies the spoken command prefix and treats a next spoken word as one of the voice commands. The voice command may then be executed for control. The command prefix thus helps avoid control confusion when the voice command is inadvertently spoken.
US09148499B2
A method for automatically identifying voice tags on an electronic device. After failure to initiate a communication using a voice input command, the user may then subsequently contact the recipient using an application program of the electronic device. The original audio of the voice input command may be identified as a potential voice tag for the now-identified recipient. The method includes: receiving, through a voice interface program, a voice input command, the voice input command including a command element and a content element; ending the voice interface program without performing the voice input command; receiving, through an application program, a user input which identifies data for executing an application program command; performing the application program command; and identifying audio of the content element as a voice tag associated with the data identified by the user input.
US09148494B1
Disclosed herein is a system and related method for downloading fonts associated with a document in a client-server architecture. On a client side the client is: receiving some of the document to reproduce; retrieving fonts needed to display a page of the document on the client device by: requesting a font loader to load a requested font; determining if the font is loaded by: determining a valid test character of the font that is a viewable character; attempting to draw the test character in a small portion of a display screen of the client device; recording a width of the drawn character; determining that the test character was written in the requested font if its character width is not equal to zero; and determining that the test character was written in a fallback font if its character width is equal to zero.
US09148487B2
An approach for providing cloud-based profile access is described. A profile platform receives, at a cloud-based service platform, a request for a device profile from a mobile device, wherein the device profile specifies information relating to configuration of a graphical user interface and one or more applications associated with the mobile device, determines context data for the mobile device, selects one of a plurality of device profiles based on the determined context data, and generates a control message specifying the selected device profile for configuring the mobile device.
US09148485B2
In one embodiment, the present invention includes a processor that can generate data packets for transmission to an agent, where the processor can generate a data packet having a command portion including a first operation code to encode a transaction type for the data packet and a second operation code to encode a processor-specific operation. This second operation code can encode many different features such as an indication that the data packet is of a smaller size than a standard packet, in order to reduce bandwidth. This operation code can also identify an operation to be performed by a destination agent coupled to the agent. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US09148484B2
According to one embodiment of the present invention, a method, a system, and an apparatus are presented for mediating ambiance outputs among a plurality of users collocated within the same area. In some implementations, said ambiance outputs can be adaptive or interactive shared digital works. In other implementations, said ambiance outputs can be shared mediated augmented reality.
US09148481B1
The various technologies presented herein relate to generating copies of an incoming signal, wherein each copy of the signal can undergo different processing to facilitate control of bandwidth demands during communication of one or more signals relating to the incoming signal. A signal sharing component can be utilized to share copies of the incoming signal between a plurality of circuits/components which can include a first A/D converter, a second A/D converter, and a comparator component. The first A/D converter can operate at a low sampling rate and accordingly generates, and continuously transmits, a signal having a low bandwidth requirement. The second A/D converter can operate at a high sampling rate and hence generates a signal having a high bandwidth requirement. Transmission of a signal from the second A/D converter can be controlled by a signaling event (e.g., a signal pulse) being determined to have occurred by the comparator component.
US09148475B1
Methods and apparatus for controlling navigation behavior in a computer network include an object creation node, an object navigation node, and an object server node. The object creation node may define objects in images that are associated with network resources. The object server node stores the objects and associated network resources. When an image containing an object is retrieved by an object navigation node, the object server node sends a definition of the object and a network resource identifier to the object navigation node. The object navigation node can access the network resource using the received network resource identifier when interacting with the object.
US09148474B2
A connector includes a connector body, two or more connector pads within the connector body, and a releasable attachment mechanism for attaching the connector to a mobile computer. The connector may include a seal positioned around the outer edge of the connector body. The connector typically includes two or more connector pins each in contact with a respective connector pad.
US09148472B2
In one embodiment, there is provided a server. The server includes: a receiver configured to receive, from an electronic device, an instruction signal instructing the server to detect a name of a first person, positional information representing a position of the electronic device and an image data of the first person; an extractor configured to extract electronic devices existing within a certain range from the electronic device based on the positional information, wherein positional information of the electronic devices are stored in the server; a detector configured to detect the first person by performing face detection on persons who are associated with the extracted electronic devices using the image data of the first person; and an output module configured to output the name of the first person.
US09148461B2
Methods, systems and computer program products for high performance data streaming are provided. A computer-implemented method may include receiving a data mapping describing an association between one or more fields of a data storage location of a data source and one or more fields of a data storage location of a target destination, generating a data transfer execution plan from the data mapping to transfer data from the data source to the target destination where the data transfer execution plan comprises a determined degree of parallelism to use when transferring the data, and transferring the data from the storage location of the data source to the data storage location of the target destination using the generated data transfer execution plan.
US09148456B2
A context aware help system generates context data for web sessions. The context data may be used either by a human operator or by an automated response system to help resolve user web session problems. For example, a user may initiate a telephone call to the context aware help during a web session. The context data may be displayed to a telephone operator in response to the telephone call. The telephone operator may use the context data to determine what web pages and user inputs were previously entered during the web session. This allows the telephone operator to quickly analyze web session problems and provide more effective and efficient web session support. The help system may alternatively, or in addition, provide other types of automated audio or data support.
US09148452B2
Method of controlling a gateway regarding the communication flow being or to be processed through the gateway. The gateway is assigned to a first communication network that includes a media plane with at least one communication channel to which the gateway is linked, and a control plane, with at least one signaling channel to which a control device is linked. The control device is adapted to controlling the gateway. The method includes that inside a receiver device which is assigned to the first communication network a request for controlling the gateway is received. The request is received from an external third party device. By use of an influence device which, in particular, is assigned to the first communication network, the control device is influenced according to the request and the influenced control device controls the gateway regarding the communication flow being or to be processed through said gateway.
US09148445B2
A method and system for discovering inappropriate and/or illegitimate use of Web page content, comprising: monitoring access to a first Web page by a user; comparing information from the first Web page to information from a second known legitimate Web page; and determining whether the first Web page is legitimate based on the compared information.
US09148439B2
A method of detecting an internet attack against a computing device is disclosed. The method of detecting an internet attack against a computing device comprising the steps of receiving a plurality of incoming network packets; extracting a plurality of incoming feature packets based on the plurality of incoming network packets; predicting a predicted incoming feature packet based on the plurality of incoming feature packets; obtaining a first classification data based on one of the incoming feature packets using a first classifier; obtaining a second classification data based on the predicted incoming feature packet by using a second classifier; and performing at least one remedy action if the first classification data or the second classification data identifies the internet intrusion attack; wherein each of the plurality of incoming feature packets and the predicted incoming feature packet comprise a plurality of incoming features and a plurality of predicted features respectively.
US09148438B2
In accordance with embodiments, there are provided mechanisms and methods for publishing non-malicious third party content to a data feed. These mechanisms and methods for publishing non-malicious third party content to a data feed can provide analysis of third party content requested to be published to a data feed, which can be used to safeguard against the publication of malicious content to the data feed.
US09148427B2
The invention prevents robots from browsing a Web site beyond a welcome page. When an initial request from an undefined originator is received, the Web site responds to it with a welcome page including a challenge. Then, on receiving a further request from the undefined originator, the Web site can check whether the challenge is fulfilled or not. If fulfilled, the undefined originator is assumed to be a human being and authorized to go on. If the challenge is not fulfilled, the undefined originator is assumed to be a robot, in which case site access is further denied.The invention prevents Web site contents from being investigated by robots while not requiring users to have to log on.
US09148423B2
A method of generating a Personal Identification Number (PIN) between a first device and a second device in a network is provided. The method includes securely receiving information of input choices of the second device and random numbers assigned to the input choices at the first device. At the first device, the PIN is generated from the random numbers, and instructions are provided directing an entry of the input choices on the second device. At the second device, the input choices are entered. The second device is operable to generate the PIN from the input choices and the random numbers if the input choices are entered as instructed.
US09148421B2
A method and system for authentication of sites in a land mobile radio (LMR) system and encryption of messages exchanged by the sites. In some embodiments, the method includes transmitting a certificate created by a trusted authority by applying a function to a first site public key using the trusted authority's private key to generate a reduced representation, which is encrypted with the trusted authority's private key. Other sites may receive the certificate, decrypt it using the trusted authority's public key, and authenticate the first site. The method may further include generating a session key, encrypting it with the public key of the first site, and transmitting the encrypted session key to the first site. The first site decrypts the encrypted session key with the first site's private key, and transmits a message encrypted with the shared session key to other sites for decryption using the session key.
US09148399B1
A system and a method for notifying users of the installation of applications using social networks. An application broadcaster automatically publishes a user's application installation events on one platform to the user's activity streams on external social platforms. This way, a message regarding the application appears in the user's activity streams within social networks, resulting in the application becoming popular among the user's friends. In one embodiment, the application broadcaster determines whether user activity associated with the installed application meets a criterion before broadcasting information about the application. The application broadcaster also suggests applications that the user might find interesting.
US09148394B2
Systems, methods, and apparatus for use in connection with at least one virtual agent. In some embodiments, at least one processor is programmed to present the at least one virtual agent as a participant in a multiparty conversation taking place via a messaging application.
US09148390B2
A virtual chassis system includes a plurality of network nodes configured with a master virtual chassis address. The network nodes are connected by virtual fabric link (VFLs) that provide a connection for exchange of packets between the network nodes. The virtual chassis system is operable to provide warnings to help prevent a virtual chassis split event in response to an administrative action. The topology of the virtual chassis system is analyzed to determine the possible impact of one or more administrative actions. Based on this analysis, a warning is generated when an administrative action is requested that may lead directly or indirectly to a virtual chassis split.
US09148389B2
A virtual chassis system includes a plurality of network nodes configured with a master virtual chassis address. The network nodes are connected by virtual fabric link (VFLs) that provide a connection for exchange of packets between the network nodes. The packets include source MAC addresses and associated hardware device information, such as source chassis ID, source network interface identifier and source port identifier information. The network nodes use this information to maintain synchronized MAC address tables for forwarding of packets in the virtual chassis system.
US09148386B2
A method is provided in one example embodiment and includes generating a transmission control protocol (TCP) flow; marking a plurality of packets of the TCP flow with one of two differentiated services code points (DSCPs) according to a proportion that is selected to control a throughput associated with the TCP flow; and communicating at least a portion of the plurality of packets to a network.
US09148384B2
In one aspect, techniques are provided for adding a packet to a queue. A packet may be received. A determination may be made if the packet is encumbered or unencumbered. The packet may be added to a posted queue, to an encumbered queue, or a unencumbered queue based on the determination. In another aspect, techniques are provided for de-queuing a packet in a posted queue. A posted packet may be de-queued and encumbered queues associated with the packet may be added to unencumbered queues.
US09148382B2
A network element implemented method includes receiving an Ethernet connection at a first rate, transmitting the Ethernet connection at a second rate, monitoring a buffer fill associated with the Ethernet connection, and periodically transmitting pause frames to a device associated with the Ethernet connection, wherein the pause frames include a determined optimal pause quanta value based on the first rate, the second rate, and the buffer fill. A network element includes a first port receiving an Ethernet connection at a first rate, a second port transmitting the Ethernet connection at a second rate, and monitor circuitry configured to monitor a buffer fill associated with the Ethernet connection and cause the first port to periodically transmit pause frames, wherein the pause frames include a determined optimal pause quanta value based on the first rate, the second rate, and the buffer fill.
US09148378B2
A packet processing apparatus includes a packet processing unit that performs a packet output process, an extraction unit that extracts information about each packet before the packet is inputted to the packet processing unit, and a contention handling unit that performs a process avoiding occurrence of contention between/among predetermined processes before the packet is inputted in the packet processing unit, the contention being predicted based on the information about the packet. As a process avoiding contention among series of processes including, for example, processes performed by the packet processing unit to read an amount of transmission rights from a storage unit, do subtraction, and write the amount of transmission rights back into the storage unit, the contention handling unit detects packets belonging to a same flow from information about predetermined number of successive packets and reports the information to the packet processing unit on a flow by flow basis.
US09148363B2
A method for multicast routing may include receiving, at a router of a receiving multicast domain, a data packet from a forwarding multicast domain. The method may further include configuring the router to operate as if a multicast forwarding information base entry is directly connected, and configuring the router with a reverse path forwarding override with source discovery such that a path used by multicast traffic is different from a path used for unicast traffic.
US09148357B2
A system and method of communicating with a plurality of different types of devices. A device driver is defined for each type of device. The device driver creates and maintains a set of channels for each device; each channel represents a property of the device. Newly acquired data received from one of the devices is received at the device driver and published to the channel associated with the data. Publishing the newly acquired data to the channel associated with the data includes storing the newly acquired data in a channel database with a time stamp corresponding to the time the data was received. Control information for one of the devices is received at the device driver and associated with one of the channels. The control information is passed to the device being controlled.
US09148353B1
A computer-implemented method for correlating computing problems referenced in social-network communications with events potentially responsible for the same may include: 1) providing a social-network feedback mechanism that enables users to express frustration with computing problems in real time via a social-network service, 2) detecting at least one user communication generated via the social-network feedback mechanism that references at least one computing problem experienced by a user, and then 3) correlating the computing problem referenced in the user communication with at least one event potentially responsible for the computing problem. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.
US09148349B1
In a storage system management device, a method for graphically displaying a component of a data storage system. The method includes mapping, by the storage system management device, each component of a set of components of the data storage system to at least one graphical image of the component, displaying, by the storage system management device, a tree table of the set of components of the data storage system, and outputting, by the storage system management device, at least one graphical image of a component of the set of components selected from the tree table.
US09148347B2
Apparatus for use in analyzing network data, the apparatus including an electronic processing device that determines network data representing a network having a number of nodes and links between the nodes, selects a model in accordance with a data type associated with the network data, the model being indicative of at least one trigger for a behavior of interest, selected network metrics and a mathematical relationship relating network nodes to the at least one trigger using the selected network metrics and determines at least one trigger associated with the network data, determines the selected metrics for the network data and uses the mathematical relationship, the selected network metrics and the identified at least one trigger to determine predicted nodes, the predicted nodes being nodes predicted to exhibit behavior of interest.
US09148342B2
A control server is connected to a plurality of physical nodes that keep control information defining an operation to be taken in accordance with input/output packet characteristics and process the input/output packets according to the control information. The control server includes a first storage unit that stores configuration information about a virtual network configured to include virtual nodes that are virtualized versions of the physical nodes, and a second storage unit that stores virtual network identifying information identifying the virtual network from characteristics of an input packet, and the control server identifies a physical node that configures a virtual network that handles a packet having a characteristic in common with the packet received by the physical node based on a request from the physical node and updates control information for each physical node.
US09148323B2
According to embodiments of the present invention, a transmitter is provided. The transmitter includes a frequency shift keying (FSK) circuit, and a phase shift keying (PSK) circuit coupled in series to the FSK circuit, wherein the FSK circuit is configured, in a first mode of operation, to provide a FSK modulated signal to the PSK circuit, and, in a second mode of operation, to provide a fixed frequency signal to the PSK circuit, and wherein the PSK circuit is configured, in the first mode of operation, to transmit the FSK modulated signal, and, in the second mode of operation, to provide a PSK modulated signal based on the fixed frequency signal received from the FSK circuit.
US09148321B2
An interface circuit includes a deserializer and a frame detection circuit. The deserializer includes a serial input terminal for receiving a serial signal, the serial signal including a frame start code; and a plurality of first output terminals for outputting a plurality of parallel signals based on the received serial signal, one of the plurality of parallel signals being a frame signal including the frame start code. The frame detection circuit is configured to detect the frame signal at one of the output terminals of the plurality of first output terminals.
US09148314B2
Various embodiments of techniques related to interference cancellation in wireless OFDMA with MIMO spatial multiplexing are provided. In one aspect, a method receives wireless communication downlink signals from a first base station and a second base station. The method cancels interference of wireless downlink communications between the first base station and the communication device by the second base station by calculating an equalizer solution that orthogonalizes the downlink signals from the first and the second base stations.
US09148310B2
An apparatus and a method are provided including a parameter estimator, a controller, an initial channel estimator, and a channel estimator. The parameter estimator configured to estimate parameters related to a channel. The controller configured to select one of channel environments based on the parameters, and generate a control signal corresponding to the selected channel environment. The initial channel estimator configured to estimate an initial channel based on the control signal. The channel estimator configured to estimate a channel of remaining resource blocks, excluding resource blocks corresponding to a pilot signal, from among resource blocks, based on the initial channel and the control signal.
US09148306B2
System and method to transmit an identification of a real-time transport protocol (RTP) data stream, the method including: identifying an identification of an RTP data stream; inserting the identification of the RTP data stream into an RTP header extension; and transmitting, by use of a network interface, an RTP packet comprising the RTP header extension. The method may further include: consulting a policy for profile tag settings, wherein the step of inserting the identification is dependent upon the policy.
US09148297B2
An information processor capable of ensuring time synchronization accuracy, ensuring EtherCAT command consistency, and easily developing the software based on a 2-port configuration even when a communication path error occurs includes: an arithmetic section; at least two communication sections each including a transmission section and a reception section; and a redundant communication control section that controls a communication path between the arithmetic section and the communication section. The redundant communication control section includes: a communication path state determination section that determines a network path state; and a redundant path switching section that switches connection between the arithmetic section and at least two communication sections.
US09148288B2
A subscriber of a telecommunication system has a plurality of associated telecommunication devices which are each contactable via a device-shared identification address. A first device can communicate with a telecommunications network. A second device can communicate with a packet-switched network and a circuit-switched network. A control system receives an incoming telecommunication request associated with an incoming telecommunication request directed to the address, which has been routed to the control system based on the address. A first control phase is initiated where a first outgoing telecommunication request is transmitted over the telecommunications network to the first device and an operation is performed to at least attempt to transmit a second outgoing telecommunication request over the packet-switched network to the second device. If the operation is deemed to be unsuccessful, a second control phase is initiated where a third outgoing telecommunication request is transmitted over the circuit-switched network to the second device.
US09148286B2
An embodiment of the invention includes a method of authenticating a second device connected to a first device. The method includes transmitting a first data string from the first device to the second device and receiving a second data string at the first device from the second device. The method also includes generating a third data string using an alteration key at the first device and comparing the third data string and either the first data string or the second data string. The method further includes authenticating the second device if the compared data strings match.
US09148283B1
An encrypted resource is stored in association with an access control list. A request to retrieve the resource is received. The wrapped key and the authentication credentials are sent, from the application server system, to a key server system. An unencrypted version of the resource encryption key is received from the key server system if the key server system determines that the authentication credentials correspond to a user in the group of users identified by the group identifier. The stored encrypted resource is decrypted using the received unencrypted version of the resource encryption key to generate an unencrypted version of the resource. The unencrypted version of the resource is sent, from the application server system, to the client application.
US09148281B2
A system for random number generation may include non-volatile memory, and a random number stored on the non-volatile memory. The system may also include a key linked to the random number. The system may further include a computer-apparatus designed to use the random number based upon the key.
US09148280B2
An approach is provided for the secure exchange of multimedia content through a mobile telephony device. A docking station receives a control signal from a media headset, and in response thereto determines to establish a communication link. The docking station selects one of a plurality of communication options corresponding to different networks based on the type of the communication link. The docking station initiates an authentication procedure for the communication link according to the selected communication option. Subsequent to successful authorization, the docking station receives multimedia content over the authenticated communication link, and transmits the received media signal to the media headset.
US09148276B2
A half-rate clock and data recovery (CDR) circuit includes a first and a second gated voltage-controlled oscillators (GVCOs) and a first and a second frequency detectors. The first frequency detector generates a first output current according to a reference signal and a second divided clock, and the second frequency detector generates a second output current according to a first divided clock and the second divided clock. A loop filter converts either the first output current or the second output current to a first control voltage to control the second clock, and generates a second control voltage according to the first control voltage to control the first clock. A lock detector receives the reference signal and the second divided clock, and accordingly generates a lock signal.
US09148274B2
Systems and methods for handling a loss of message boundary in a real-time data transmission over an interconnect between a source node and a destination node are described. The destination node receives messages including one or more data frames. Each data frame includes an end-of-message flag, which is set when the data frame is last frame of a message, and a message sequence number, which is different for different messages. The destination node determines a loss of message boundary when a new data frame has a message sequence number different from the message sequence number of a previously received message, which did not have the end-of-message flag set. The destination node then transmits a synchronization loss message to the source node, and receives, as response, a status report message. The destination node is able to regain synchronization by determining a lost message boundary according to the status report message.
US09148269B2
The present invention relates to a method and arrangement in base station for scheduling user equipments. The base station is adapted to schedule communication from user equipments by sending contention based grants comprising information indicating if the contention based grant should be used for initial transmission or for retransmission. If it is detected that data is not correctly received due to a collision, the information in a following contention based grant is set to indicate that said contention based grant is to be used for initial transmission, while if data is not correctly received, but no collision is detected, the information is set to indicate that the contention based grant is to be used for retransmission. Corresponding method and arrangement in a user equipment is described.
US09148268B2
Provided is a radio communication device which can separate propagation paths of antenna ports and improve a channel estimation accuracy even when using virtual antennas. The device includes: a mapping unit which maps a data signal after modulation to a virtual antenna and a virtual antenna; a phase inversion unit which inverts the phase of S0 transmitted from an antenna port in synchronization with a phase inversion unit between the odd-number slot and the even-number slot; the phase inversion unit which inverts the phase of R0 transmitted from the antenna port; a phase inversion unit which inverts the phase of S1 transmitted from an antenna port in synchronization with a phase inversion unit; and the phase inversion unit which inverts the phase of R1 transmitted from an antenna port.
US09148267B2
Wireless communication wherein channel estimation accuracy is improved while keeping the position of each bit in a frame, even when a modulation system having a large modulation multiple value is used for a data symbol. An encoding operation encodes and outputs transmitting data (bit string) and a bit converting operation converts at least one bit of a plurality of bits constituting a data symbol to be used for channel estimation, among the encoded bit strings, into ‘1’ or ‘0’. A modulating operation modulates the bit string inputted from the bit converting operation by using a single modulation mapper and a plurality of data symbols are generated.
US09148263B2
A method for configuring an acknowledgement for a hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) in a wireless communication system. The method includes receiving downlink data through one of a first downlink component carrier and a second downlink component carrier from a base station; and determining whether the first or second downlink component carrier is used for receiving the downlink data. If the first downlink component carrier is used for receiving the downlink data, the resource used for the PUCCH is determined by using a control channel element (CCE). If the second downlink component carrier is used for receiving the downlink data, the resource used for the PUCCH is determined by using a radio resource control (RRC) message. The resource used for the PUCCH is associated with an orthogonal sequence with which the ACK/NACK signal is spread.
US09148259B2
Various methods and devices are provided to address the need for improved multicast operation. In one method, a feedback mobile device receives (301), from a multicast sender, a multicast transmission for a plurality of mobile devices, the plurality of mobile devices further including a group of non-feedback mobile devices. The feedback mobile device transmits (302) an indication of feedback mobile channel quality observed by the feedback mobile device to the multicast sender and to the group of non-feedback mobile devices. The feedback mobile device receives (303) from at least one non-feedback mobile device, an indication of non-feedback mobile channel quality at the at least one non-feedback mobile device and transmits (304) an indication of the non-feedback mobile channel quality to the multicast sender and to the group of non-feedback mobile devices.
US09148255B2
A detection signal output device includes connector terminals adapted to be connected by a cable to an external device. Fixed contacts are spaced apart from the connector terminals and output information indicating detector states. An integrated circuit includes a box-shaped package having different first and second side surfaces. First IC terminals are arranged on the first side surface and electrically connected to the fixed contacts. Second IC terminals are arranged on the second side surface and electrically connected to the connector terminals. The integrated circuit generates an information signal, in accordance with information indicating the detector states obtained through the first IC terminals, and outputs the information signal from one of the second IC terminals. The fixed contacts are arranged in correspondence with the first side surface, and the connector terminals are arranged in correspondence with the second side surface.
US09148252B2
A communication system and a method are disclosed. The communication system includes an encoder configured to encode source data and output an encoded frame including a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns. The plurality of rows include a row component code. The plurality of columns include a column component code. The row component code is configured to achieve a lower bit error rate than the column component code in communication channels having a same signal to noise ratio.
US09148251B2
A method of transmitting a broadcasting signal is provided. The method includes encoding data; encoding signaling data by an LDPC (Low Density Parity Check) scheme; building a signal frame based on at least one preamble data symbol having the encoded signaling data and a data slice having the encoded data; inserting at least one pilot into the signal frame with a specific pattern and modulating the signal frame by an OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing) method; and transmitting the modulated signal frame. A signaling block having the signaling data is repeated in the at least one preamble data symbol in a frequency domain by a bandwidth. The bandwidth of the signaling block corresponds to a number of active subcarriers assigned to a single channel.
US09148249B2
A receiver receives frequency division multiplexing transmission signals of multiple carriers, and includes a difference detection unit, an integration unit, a noise detection unit, a selection unit, and a correction unit. The difference detection unit calculates a difference that is representative of the amount of noise in the frequency division multiplexing transmission signals. The integration unit integrates for each frequency of the multiple carriers the difference output of the difference detection unit. The noise detection unit determines whether or not impulse noise is present in the input signal. When impulse noise is present, the selection unit supplies the integrator output to the correction unit. When impulse noise is not present, the selection unit supplies the calculated difference output to the correction unit.
US09148246B2
In order to reduce power consumption in network equipment for optical transmission networks, it is proposed by reducing E/O conversion and signal processing in optical networks when not needed. A network node has two or more line cards. Each line card contains a receive side transponder section with a network side optical receiver, a first electrical section, and a client side optical transmitter and a transmit side transponder section with a network side optical transmitter, a second electrical section, and a client side optical receiver. The first electrical section has at least one intermediate electrical output the second electrical section has at least one intermediate electrical input. The intermediate electrical outputs and inputs lead to an electrical switch matrix, which controllably interconnects the intermediate electrical outputs and inputs. Preferably, the transponders can additionally contain second intermediate electrical outputs and inputs additionally bypassing a Forward-Error-Correction processing function in the line cards.
US09148225B2
An optical receiver for a quantum key distribution system comprises a plurality of optical components mounted or formed in a substrate and optically coupled by one or more hollow core waveguides formed in the substrate.
US09148224B2
An Ethernet passive optical network over coaxial (EPOC) system rate mechanism. A network device is provided that includes a physical layer device (PHY) that is configured for coupling to a coaxial cable, a medium independent interface that facilitates data transmission at 10 Gbit/s or greater, and a reconciliation sublayer that is coupled to the PHY via the medium independent interface. The reconciliation sublayer has a codeword detector that is configured to detect a reserved codeword that is received from the PHY over the medium independent interface. The codeword detector can be configured to forward a rate control signal to a media access control (MAC) based on the detection of the reserved codeword.
US09148216B2
A distributed digital communications network and method for interactive communications, e.g., for cellular, wireless Internet access, digital television, and/or like multimedia services, is provided, that includes one or more global communications satellites positioned and adapted for receiving and relaying packet data communications encapsulating the interactive communications. One or more base station(s) are located in each of a plurality of selected remote geographic regions, and have mobile wireless links to a plurality of subscribers of communications services in the region. A plurality of satellite communications terminals is also provided for communicating with the satellite from the region. Each terminal is located in the selected remote geographic region and associated with one or more of the base stations. In addition, a plurality of user terminals are utilized, each located in the selected remote geographic region and associated with the base station(s) in the region. One or more base station controller(s) located remotely from, or locally with, the base station(s) have programming for controlling the base stations. Furthermore, a single mobile switching center located remotely from, or locally with, the base station controller(s) and the base stations. The switching center, in addition, has a digital communications signal processor for handling digital signal switching between the plurality of base stations, and/or wireline and/or other communications network(s). Finally, a packet data network is utilized between the satellite and satellite communications terminals for interactive data communications throughout the distributed network.
US09148210B2
A method for transmitting channel quality information (CQI) in a MIMO system is provided that allows a receiver to feed back a CQI value to a transmitter. The method includes receiving a transmission (Tx) pilot signal for each Tx antenna from a base station (BS), measuring a first CQI value of a first codeword and a second CQI value of a second codeword based on the pilot signal, and transmitting the first CQI value of the first codeword and the second CQI value of the second codeword to the BS where at least the first or second CQI value includes specific information capable of indicating a transmission restriction status of a corresponding codeword.
US09148209B2
A transmission method for uplink control channel is provided, and the method comprises the following steps: a base station configures a transmission mode for the uplink control channel of a user equipment (UE) via high signaling; according to the transmission mode, the base station receives the uplink control channel sent by the UE via a transmit diversity or a single antenna port. A device for implementing the transmission for uplink control channel is also provided. With the present solution, according to the operation state of the system the base station flexibly configures the UE having multiple transmitting antennas to transfer uplink control channel by using different modes, so as to improve the reliability and efficiency of the system and enhance the performance of the system effectively.
US09148208B2
Embodiments of a system and method for beamforming in a Wireless Network are generally described herein. In some embodiments, an enhanced Node B (eNB) transmits to User Equipment (UE), from a plurality (Nc) of antenna ports of a plurality (Nt) of transmit antennas, a data signal where signal power is allocated in eigen beams, each of the Nt transmit antennas having antenna ports that are adjustable in elevation and in azimuth. The eNB also determines and transmits to the UE a Pc set of the largest principal eigen beams of the data signal and receives, as feedback from the UE, a precoding matrix that identifies the antenna port from which strongest energy in the data signal is detected at the UE. The eNB uses the precoding matrix for beamforming.
US09148188B1
Systems and methods for using non-crystal-based reference oscillators in the transmission and reception of frequency-modulated signals are disclosed. To protect against intrusion on neighboring designated frequency bands, guard bands, having a collective width greater than the total expected error based on the contribution of the frequency error from the non-crystal-based oscillators in the transmitter and/or receiver, can be designated. To protect against inter-channel interference within a designated frequency band, transmitters and receivers can include static sub-bandwidths wider than any possible total frequency error, such that it would be impossible for a transmitter or receiver to attempt to communicate on an unintended sub-band. The determination of the total possible frequency error can be determined dynamically based on the correlation between a received training sequence and a known pattern before or a communication session to avoid or correct for frequency offset or drift due to the use of non-crystal-based reference oscillators.
US09148183B2
The optimal low power complex filter, as a second order complex filter, is based on current amplifiers (CAs) and is utilized to implement a 4th order current-mode filter that can be used for intermediate frequency (IF) applications, such as, for example, low-IF Bluetooth receivers. Fabricated in a standard 0.18 μm CMOS technology, experimental results show that the present design offers improved characteristics over the existing solutions in terms of power consumption and spurious-free dynamic range (SFDR). The 4th order filter exhibits in-band SFDR of 65.8 dB while consuming only 1 mW.
US09148179B2
A radio-frequency (RF) processing circuit used in a wireless communication device is disclosed. The RF processing circuit comprises an RF front-end circuit, coupled to a first antenna, a second antenna, a first wireless communication module and a second wireless communication module, for switching couplings between the first antenna and the second antenna, and the first wireless communication module and the second wireless communication module according to a control signal; and a control unit, for generating the control signal to the RF front-end circuit according to operation frequency bands and operation conditions of the first wireless communication module and the second wireless communication module.
US09148165B2
A pattern wheel driver is provided. The pattern wheel driver includes a rotatable pattern wheel with patterned regions repeatedly formed on the pattern wheel. Each of the patterned regions has a plurality of patterns. Each of the plurality of patterns has a different width. The pattern wheel driver also includes a detector for detecting the plurality of patterns, mounted at a position where the patterned regions of the pattern wheel pass when the pattern wheel rotates. The pattern wheel driver also includes an encoder for producing a signal indicating whether the pattern wheel rotates in a forward direction or a reverse direction based on signals produced by the detector.
US09148164B1
A processing system may include multiple selectable processing paths for processing an analog signal in order to reduce noise and increase dynamic range. Techniques are employed to transition between processing paths and calibrate operational parameters of the two paths in order to reduce or eliminate artifacts caused by switching between processing paths.
US09148163B2
A versatile detection circuit is optimized for low sensor voltages and contains a microprocessor. The microprocessor contains an integrated analog-to-digital converter with an input pin. The integrated analog-to-digital converter is configured to rely on a reference voltage of no more than 2 volts. The detection circuit also has a transformation circuit for transforming a sensor signal, the transformation circuit being connected to the input pin of the integrated analog-to-digital converter. The transformation circuit contains an impedance converter and with the exception of the impedance converter relies only on passive electric elements.
US09148158B2
There is provided a signal processing device comprising a combination unit (3) configured to combine plural element signals based on plural physical quantity signals including signal components in accordance with desired physical quantities, respectively, by the number of times equal to or greater than a number of the plural physical quantity signals, and to output combined signals different from each other; a measuring unit (4) configured to sequentially receive the combined signals output from the combination unit (3); and a computing unit (5) configured to compute signal components based on the desired physical quantities from signals that are generated based on the combined signals sequentially output from the measuring unit.
US09148156B2
A phase detector circuit compares the phases of first and second periodic input signals to generate an output signal. The phase detector includes a circuit that makes two different combinations of the first and the second periodic input signals to generate third and fourth periodic signals. This circuit causes the third periodic signal to be based on a first combination of the first periodic signal and the second periodic signal that imparts a first relative phase shift. The circuit causes the fourth periodic signal to be based on a second combination of the first periodic signal and the second periodic signal to provide a different relative phase shift. The phase detector also includes a comparison circuit that compares a measure of the power of the third periodic signal to a measure of the power of the fourth periodic signal to generate the phase comparison output signal.
US09148155B1
An integrated circuit (IC) includes multiple circuit modules that have specific clocking requirements, multiple clock sources (e.g., PLLs, duty cycle re-shaper, etc.), and at least one clock input port. The clock sources have specific clock source specifications, and the circuit modules have specific clocking requirements. The clock sources are selected based on an identification of the most common clocking requirements, and then placed at routing distances measured from the input port that are less than corresponding predetermined maximum routing distances such that the clocking requirements of the circuit modules are met. The IC thus generates clock signals internally, rather than externally.
US09148153B2
A system for assigning a characterization and calibrating a parameter is disclosed. The system includes a frequency measurement circuit and a finite state machine. The frequency measurement circuit is configured to measure frequencies of an oscillatory signal and to generate a measurement signal including measured frequencies. The finite state machine is configured to control measurements by the frequency measurement circuit, to assign a characterization to a parameter based on the measurement signal, and to generate a calibration signal based on the characterized parameter.
US09148130B1
A system and method are provided for boosting a selective portion of a drive signal for chip-to-chip transmission across an interconnection interface. The system includes a driver unit generating a drive signal responsive to an input data signal. The drive signal is provided on to at least one output node for transmission through the device interconnection interface, and defines a peak amplitude during a drive period. A boosting unit is coupled to the driver unit for selectively boosting a portion of the drive signal. The boosting unit actuates responsive to the input data signal to selectively apply a boost signal in self-timed manner to the drive signal, so as to thereby augment the drive signal in amplitude over a selected portion of the drive period thereof. In this manner, the boosting unit maintains the peak amplitude of the drive signal at or above a predetermined level throughout the drive period.
US09148124B2
According to one embodiment, a complex band pass filter comprises a first active filter circuit 10 to receive a first input signal on its input end and a second active filter circuit 20 to receive a second input signal on its input end, the second input signal having a 90-degree phase difference from the first input signal. A predetermined offset is imparted to the first input signal and the second input signal through the first and second signal level adjusting units (30, 40). A differential signal between the output signals of the first and second active filter circuits (10, 20) is outputted.
US09148121B2
An acoustic wave filter includes: at least a parallel resonator, wherein at least one of the parallel resonator includes a piezoelectric substance, an IDT located on the piezoelectric substance, and reflectors located on the piezoelectric substance so as to sandwich the IDT, and a distance between a first electrode finger that is an electrode finger closest to the reflector among electrode fingers of the IDT and a second electrode finger that is an electrode finger closest to the IDT among electrode fingers of the reflector is less than 0.25(λIDT+λref) where a period of the electrode fingers of the IDT is λIDT and a period of the electrode fingers of the reflector is λref.
US09148112B2
A matching circuit system includes a first inductor, a first capacitor, a second inductor, a second capacitor, a third inductor, and a third capacitor. The first inductor has a first terminal and a second terminal. The first capacitor has a first terminal coupled to the first terminal of the first inductor, and a second terminal. The second inductor has a first terminal coupled to the second terminal of the first capacitor, and a second terminal coupled to ground. The second capacitor has a first terminal coupled to the first terminal of the first capacitor, and a second terminal. The third capacitor has a first terminal coupled to the second terminal of the second capacitor, and a second terminal. The third inductor has a first terminal coupled to the first terminal of the second capacitor, and a second terminal coupled to the second terminal of the second capacitor.
US09148099B2
An embodiment of a transmitter includes an amplifier having first and second differential output nodes, a first supply node, a first pull-up impedance having a first node coupled to the first differential output node and having a second node coupled to the supply node, and a second pull-up impedance having a first node coupled to the second differential output node and having a second node coupled to the supply node. An embodiment of a receiver includes an amplifier having first and second differential input nodes, a first supply node, a first pull-up impedance having a first node coupled to the first differential input node and having a second node coupled to the supply node, and a second pull-up impedance having a first node coupled to the second differential input node and having a second node coupled to the supply node. In an embodiment, the transmitter and receiver are capacitively coupled to one another.
US09148091B2
In a power amplifier including an amplifier circuit unit for high power mode and an amplifier circuit unit for low power mode provided in parallel thereto between input and output of the amplifier and where, when one amplifier circuit unit is in an operating state, the other amplifier circuit unit is in a non-operating state, a cross-coupled capacitor is provided between a drain of one of two transistors in output side and a gate of the other transistor in the amplifier circuit unit for high power mode, and a series circuit where a switch and a capacitor are coupled in series is coupled between a drain of the transistor of output side in the amplifier circuit unit for low power mode and a ground, the switch being in a conducting state in high power mode operation and being in a non-conducting state in low power mode operation.
US09148090B2
In a power supply device, bidirectional converters that are each capable of supplying or regenerating an electric charge are provided between an input section for an input voltage and an output section for an output voltage. An amplitude change monitor circuit detects an envelope of an RF input signal. A converter switching circuit controls supply and regeneration of electric charges by the bidirectional converters so that the output voltage follows an amplitude change of the input signal. An output capacitor capacitance estimation unit estimates the capacitance of an output capacitor from its voltage and current. A delay time detection circuit grasps a delay time of a power supply device for a high frequency power amplification circuit and makes an adjustment through a delay adjustment circuit.
US09148086B2
A photovoltaic energy conversion system, apparatus, and method for controlling DC sub-arrays of a photovoltaic array are disclosed. The method may include coupling each of N homerun branches from N sub-arrays to an inverter via N switches and monitoring current through each of the N homerun branches. A forward current through each of the N homerun branches is compared with a forward current threshold, and any backfeed current through any of the N homerun branches is compared with a backfeed current threshold. One or more of the N switches are opened in response to either the forward current exceeding the forward current threshold or the backfeed current exceeding a backfeed current threshold.
US09148085B2
A drive circuit comprising a DC bus configured to supply power to a load, a first fuel cell coupled to the DC bus and configured to provide a first power output to the DC bus, and a second fuel cell coupled to the DC bus and configured to provide a second power output to the DC bus supplemental to the first fuel cell. The drive circuit further includes an energy storage device coupled to the DC bus and configured to receive energy from the DC bus when a combined output of the first and second fuel cells is greater than a power demand from a load, and provide energy to the DC bus when the combined output of the first and second fuel cells is less than the power demand from the load.
US09148082B2
A control device for an induction motor that drives a vehicle includes an electronic control unit. The electronic control unit i) controls torque of the induction motor when an inverter that controls supply of electric current to the induction motor is in a locked state, so as to release the inverter from the locked state, ii) determines whether the inverter is in the locked state, iii) controls a slip frequency of the induction motor when it determines that the inverter is in the locked state, and iv) superimposes a frequency that actual torque does not substantially respond, on the slip frequency, so that an electric frequency lies in a region outside a lock region in which the inverter is in the locked state.
US09148081B2
A position-command-pulse generation unit generates a position command pulse to be output to a motor driver by advancing an initial phase thereof by a phase indicated by initial phase information preset in a device. The initial phase information indicates an arbitrary phase in a period of a half cycle of a first pulse of the position command pulse.
US09148077B2
A magnetic lifting device is described. The magnetic lifting device can be configured to generate magnetic lift using a moving magnetic field to generate an eddy current effect in conductive substrate beneath the device. In one embodiment, the moving magnetic field can be generated by a rotor with arrangement of permanent magnets which is driven by a motor. In operation, the rotor can be spun up from rest to above a threshold velocity, which causes the magnetic lifting device to rise up from the conductive substrate, hover in place in free flight and move from location to location. In free flight, the magnetic lifting device can be configured to carry a payload, such as a person.
US09148075B2
A Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) device includes a rotor having first rotor teeth and second rotor teeth formed in at least two layers of silicon-on-insulator (SOI) substrate. Each rotor tooth belonging to the first rotor teeth is formed in a first layer and each rotor tooth belonging of the second rotor teeth is formed in a second layer. A stator includes first stator teeth and second stator teeth formed in at least two layers of SOI substrate. Each stator tooth belonging to the first stator teeth is formed in a first layer and each stator tooth belonging to the second stator teeth is formed in a second layer.
US09148068B2
A power supply system for data center racks comprises a main power circuit including a power factor correction (PFC) module and a bypass power circuit in parallel to the main power circuit. During normal operation, the main power circuit provides power output because the output voltage of the PFC module in the main power circuit under normal conditions is higher than the output voltage of the bypass power circuit. When the PFC module in the main power circuit fails, the bypass power circuit provides power output in bypass operation. The bypass power circuit provides power by rectifying a three-phase AC current to produce an output suitable for equipment that uses DC power.
US09148065B2
The invention puts forward a bidirectional DC-DC converter for high voltages that is as simple as possible and that entails as few losses as possible. The bidirectional DC-DC converter (1) converter comprises an input stage (2) to convert a DC input voltage into first AC voltage, a transformer (3) to transform the first AC voltage into a second AC voltage, and an output stage (4) to convert the second AC voltage into a DC output voltage, whereby, in order to provide the first and/or second AC voltage, at least one of the input stages (2) and/or output stages (4) comprises a branch of a multi-level converter (5) with a first number of active first semiconductor switches (61).
US09148059B2
A device that determines a second side current imbalance of a DC-DC converter, wherein the second side is a center tap which includes a voltage measuring portion that measures a voltage drop of each connecting portion of the DC-DC converter, an average resistance calculating portion that calculates average resistance from the measured voltage drops, a saturation reference value calculating portion, and a saturation determination portion that compares the saturation reference value and the average resistance. By measuring the voltage drop of each contact portion after supplying a low voltage DC power to an output side, a determination can be made as to whether a product is saturated.
US09148057B2
A semiconductor apparatus includes a first structural body including a first temperature voltage generation unit configured to generate first and second temperature voltages which have different voltage level variations according to a temperature variation, in response to a temperature measurement command, and a first temperature information determination unit configured to generate first temperature information depending on a difference between levels of the first and second temperature voltages; and a second structural body including a second temperature voltage generation unit configured to generate a third temperature voltage and a fourth temperature voltage which have different voltage level variations according to a temperature variation, when a predetermined time elapses after the first and second temperature voltages are generated from the first structural body, and a second temperature information determination unit configured to generate second temperature information depending on a difference between levels of the third and fourth temperature voltages.
US09148045B2
A method is provided for testing the tightness of an electric machine stator core includes: introducing a test instrument that is connected to a movable support into an air gap between a stator core and a rotor, locally placing the test instrument and locally testing defined zones of the generator stator core. A device for carrying out the method is also provided.
US09148044B2
Described is a rotating electrical machine integrating an electronic module comprising a printed circuit, a plurality of electronic power and signal components positioned on the components side of the printed circuit, a plurality of conductor tracks, positioned on the welding side opposite the components side of the printed circuit, which implement the direct electrical connections between the electronic power components; the electronic power and signal components are in contact through a filler with the cap of the electrical machine for allowing an optimum dispersal of the heat generated by them, the contact being guaranteed by elastic elements which press on a support in which the electronic module is housed.
US09148038B2
A motor for a fuel pump includes a rotor which includes a shaft, a rotor core and a commutator fitted on the shaft. The rotor core is formed by stacking together a plurality of aligned laminations and includes a plurality of salient poles arranged along a circumference thereof. A center line of gravity of the rotor deviates from a rotational axis of the rotor. The rotor core has a first groove in one of the poles close to the center line of gravity of the rotor. The first groove extends from a first axial end of the rotor core to an axial middle portion of the rotor core.
US09148032B1
Approaches for estimating power consumption of an electronic circuit from values of configuration parameters. A user is prompted for values of a first subset of the configuration parameters in a first user interface window that is separate from a second user interface window that provides default values of a second subset of the configuration parameters. An estimated level of power consumption of the electronic circuit is determined by a computer as a function of the user-entered values of the first subset of parameters and the default values of the second subset of parameters. The estimated level of power consumption, the user-entered values of the first subset of parameters, and the default values of the second subset of parameters are simultaneously displayed in a third user interface window. The values of both the first subset and second subset of parameters are editable in the third user interface window.
US09148029B2
A balancing circuit for balancing battery units includes a control unit, an inductor unit and an energy transfer unit. The control unit is coupled to at least one battery unit of the battery units. The control unit includes at least one switch device. The inductor unit is coupled between the switch device and the battery unit, and is arranged for taking away an excess energy of the battery unit according to a switch state of the switch device, and accordingly generating an inductive energy corresponding to the excess energy. The energy transfer unit is coupled to the inductor unit, and is arranged for providing the inductive energy to the battery units and storing the inductive energy.
US09148025B2
A method for a rechargeable battery is disclosed that includes applying a charge voltage to the rechargeable battery; monitoring a battery voltage and a battery current of the rechargeable battery; and identifying a top of charge condition when for a defined time period the battery voltage is within a voltage tolerance of the charge voltage and the battery current is within a current tolerance of a threshold current. Also disclosed is a rechargeable battery system.
US09148011B2
An apparatus is arranged to break an electrical current. The apparatus includes: a mechanical switch leg including a first winding of a mutual inductor and a mechanical switch connected in series; a semiconductor switch leg including a second winding of the mutual inductor and a semiconductor switch connected in series; and an overvoltage protection circuit. The mechanical switch leg and the semiconductor switch leg are connected in parallel and a self inductance of the second winding is lower than a self inductance of the first winding. A corresponding DC circuit breaker and AC current limiter are also presented.
US09148002B2
Provided is an electrical junction box that enables appropriate protection of a bus bar and also enables downsizing. The electrical junction box includes a terminal reception block (11) that accommodates a connection terminal, and a casing (12) that accommodates the terminal reception block (11). The terminal reception block (11) is configured such that a bus bar (19) is inserted into the terminal reception block (11) and an end portion of the bus bar (19) at the side opposite to the direction of insertion protrudes from the terminal reception block (11). The casing (12) includes a protector (20) that is configured to cover the end portion of the bus bar (19) protruding from the terminal reception block (11). Making the terminal reception block (11) accommodated in the casing (12) causes the end portion of the bus bar (19) to be covered with the protector (20).
US09147994B2
A gas laser system including: a laser oscillator; a power supply unit for supplying power to the laser oscillator; a power storage unit for storing the power supplied from the power supply unit; a power reduction detection unit for detecting a power reduction state where a value of the power supplied from the power supply unit falls below a power value enabling the laser oscillator to normally operate; and a control unit for controlling the gas supply and discharge unit by using the power stored in the power storage unit so as to seal the gas flow path, when the power reduction detection unit detects the power reduction state.
US09147986B2
The invention relates to a profile rail, a clip holder, a cross-connector and an attachment system for mounting solar modules. The components are so designed and matched to each other that solar modules in many variations can be mounted quickly and easily and with the components having a low weight.
US09147976B2
The present invention provides a connector including a body having insulation properties and a terminal group. The terminal group includes a pair of first signal terminals, a second signal terminal, and a third terminal that are arrayed in a row along a first direction in the body. The first signal terminals are adjacent to each other in the first direction. The third terminal is disposed between one of the first signal terminals and the second signal terminal. The third terminal includes a shielding portion extending in a direction crossing the first direction.
US09147964B2
A fixing bracket inserted into a cassette type insertion section of a male housing extends to the outside from an opening formed in a hood of a female housing under a state where the male connector is engaged with a female connector. A side face, a bottom face and a side face of the cassette type insertion section extending in the insertion direction of the male housing into the female housing come into face contact with inner faces provided for the hood, respectively.
US09147962B2
Provided with a first connector part to connect a first cable, a second connector part to connect a second cable, and to fit with a first connector part, thereby ensuring electrical connection between a first cable and a second cable, and a housing to hold a second connector part rotatably around an axial direction of a second cable.
US09147961B2
A push-in wire connector having a sealant therein to enable formation of a waterproof electrical connection by axial insertion of a wire into a chamber contained an electrical conductor protected by the sealant with the electrical conductor displaceable into a waterproof electrical contact with the wire while both the conductor and the wire remain in the presence of the sealant.
US09147960B2
To provide a connector of which cover is easily opened even when the cover is firmly fixed to a housing due to freezing, and cannot be opened by only biasing force of a spring. A connector 1 includes: a housing 2; a cover 3 pivotally supported by the housing 2, and opening and closing openings 21a, 22a of the housing 2; and a lock 4 pivotally supported by the housing 2 and keeping the cover 3 covering the openings 21a, 22a by hooking on an edge 33 of the cover 3 covering the openings 21a, 22a. The lock 4 is provided with a base 40, a pushing claw 42, and a projection 43. The connector 1 is formed so that the edge 33 of the cover 3 positioned between the pushing claw 42 and the projection 43 is overlapped with a rotation track of the projection 43.
US09147956B2
A helical spring includes cylindrical portions and a widened portion disposed between the cylindrical portions. The cylindrical portions are disposed at both ends of the helical spring in the axis direction and have a constant outside diameter. In the widened portion, from the both ends of the helical spring toward a center of the helical spring in the axis direction, a diameter of the helical spring increases as a pitch of the helical spring increases. The helical spring can be used as part of a connector, an electrode or an electrometer.
US09147950B2
A device and an assembly related to connecting cables, wires, and electrical devices are described herein. The device can include a retainer, subretainer, and at least one contact pin in some embodiments. The retainer and subretainer can be removably coupled. The at least one contact pin can be positioned within channels of the retainer and the subretainer. In other aspects, a device can include a retainer, a subretainer, a retainer clip, a circuit web, and at least contact pin. The at least one contact pin can be position within channels of the retainer, the subretainer, and the retainer clip. Also described herein are methods of manufacturing a connector device.
US09147946B1
An electrical cable connector has a body having first and second body members that are movable between open and closed positions of the body, and first and second conductors supported by the first and second body members, respectively. The two conductors have respective ends protruding from the respective body members. When the body members are moved to the closed position of the body, the ends of the conductors simultaneously cut through insulation and come into electrical connection with two cores of a first cable. A connecting element electrically connects the conductors to respective cores of a second electrical cable.
US09147941B2
An antenna grounded with U-shaped high-impedance surface metal strips and its wireless communication device may include an antenna radiation unit and its ground plate, such that a plurality of high-impedance surface units are set in the ground plate at relevant intervals.
US09147937B2
An antenna system is disclosed herein which includes a frontend portion, a backend portion and a feed line which connects frontend portion and backend portion with each other. The frontend portion comprises at least two antennas, a combiner connected downstream of the antennas and upstream of the feed line and antenna connectors that electrically connect through antenna plugs, the antennas to the combiner. The backend portion includes an electrical power source connected to the feed line and a resistance evaluation circuit connected between the electrical power source and the feed line and that measures the resistance of the frontend portion through the feed line. At least one of the antenna connectors is in mechanical contact with a jumper having jumper plugs between which a high resistance connection and a low resistance connection is provided that depends on whether the corresponding antenna is connected to the combiner or not.
US09147935B2
A mobile wireless communication device includes: a communication device housing; an antenna module configured to provide an antenna pattern having a directional beam to transmit electromagnetic energy of outgoing signals and to receive electromagnetic energy of incoming signals; a beam-altering module communicatively coupled to the antenna module and configured to alter a three-dimensional direction that the directional beam is pointing; and a three-dimensional orientation sensor module communicatively coupled to the beam-altering module and configured to provide at least one indication of three-dimensional orientation information associated with the communication device; where the beam-altering module is configured to receive the at least one indication of three-dimensional orientation information associated with the communication device and to use the at least one indication of three-dimensional orientation information associated with the communication device to alter the three-dimensional direction that the directional beam is pointing.
US09147923B2
There is provided a differential mode amplifier driving circuit, including: a first port having one end connected to a single signal; a second port having one end connected to a differential signal; a first transmission line having one end grounded; and a third port having one end connected to the first transmission line and the other end connected to the differential signal.
US09147920B2
In one embodiment, a metal oxygen battery system includes a metal oxygen battery having an electrode compartment. The electrode compartment includes an electrode being formed of an oxygen storage material. In another embodiment, the oxygen storage material includes an ion conducting component. In yet another embodiment, the oxygen storage material includes an electron conducting component. In yet another embodiment, the oxygen storage material includes a catalytic component. In yet another embodiment, at least one of the ion conducting component, the electron conducting component, and the catalytic component is attached to the oxygen storage material via a linker or as a pendant group.
US09147919B2
Methods of preparing sulfate salts of heteroatomic compounds using dialkyl sulfates as a primary reactant are disclosed. Also disclosed are methods of making ionic liquids from the sulfate salts of the heteroatomic compound, and electrochemical cells comprising the ionic liquids.
US09147918B2
A process for recovering Li-ions can include: providing a composition having Li-ions to be extracted therefrom; removing materials from the Li-ions; introducing one or more cyclic siloxane to the Li-ions so as to form one or more cyclic siloxane-Li-ion complexes; extracting the one or more cyclic siloxane-Li-ion complexes by one or more liquid-liquid extraction steps; separating an organic phase having the cyclic siloxane-Li-ion complexes from an aqueous phase; removing water from the organic phase; filtering the organic phase to obtain a filtrate; and obtaining one or more Li-ions (e.g., Li salts) from the filtrate.
US09147917B2
A battery system is disclosed, including: an airtight housing; a plurality of blowers disposed on a side end of an interior of the housing configured to suction air toward a middle of the airtight housing and discharge the suctioned air to the side of the airtight housing; a battery pack unit disposed inside the airtight housing to form a plurality of rows wherein an air passageway traverses through a front portion and a rear portion of each row and is disposed at a middle of each blower to form a suction flow path and a discharging flow path; and a heat exchange device disposed on the discharging flow path in the airtight housing.
US09147911B2
A system is provided for extending the shelf life capacity of a coin cell, the system utilizing a coin cell; a voltage step up converter/regulator, configured to step up the voltage of output from the coin cell and the storage capacitor; and a storage capacitor receiving output from the voltage step up converter/regulator.
US09147910B2
A system and method of use including a controller responsive to a deviation in absolute value or relative slope and operable to terminate a discharge operation in an energy storage device is provided. The absolute value or relative slope is determined at sampling frequency based upon a combination of measured operating parameters, for example, potential and current. Any deviation in the absolute value or relative slope indicates that a threshold limit in the available energy of the system has been reached, for example when active materials in the device are at a point of depletion, indicating a need to cease the discharge operation. The system and method operate on a real-time basis, providing instantaneous SOH information with regard to the device.
US09147908B2
A lithium secondary battery including an electrode assembly; a can accommodating the electrode assembly; a cap assembly coupled with the can, the cap assembly being positioned at a topmost part of the can and having an upper cap including gas discharge holes therein; and a washer coupled with the upper cap, wherein the washer includes a body part, the body part having a flat plate shape and having a centrally disposed connection hole; and insertion parts, the insertion parts extending toward a center of the connection hole from the body part and being arranged in the gas discharge holes.
US09147903B2
A separator for a redox flow battery and a redox flow battery including the same, and the separator includes a cation conductive film and an anion conductive film disposed on either side of the cation conductive film.
US09147896B2
A fuel cell system is basically provided with a fuel cell, a pressure adjusting valve, a purge valve and an anode pressure controller. The fuel cell includes an anode that receives an anode gas and a cathode that receives a cathode gas to generate electric power corresponding to a load. The pressure adjusting valve is disposed in a supply path to adjust anode gas pressure to the anode. The purge valve is disposed in a discharging flow path to discharge an anode-off gas containing impurities from the fuel cell. The anode pressure controller is configured to control the pressure adjusting valve to perform a pulsation operation that pulsates the anode gas pressure of the fuel cell. The anode pressure controller decreases a median pressure of the pulsation operation as a wetness level of an electrolyte membrane of the fuel cell stack is determined to become higher.
US09147894B2
A system and method satisfies temperature and pressure requirements of solid oxide fuel cell system 10 in a manner that increases the overall efficiency and decreases the overall weight of system 10. The system and method include a secondary blower 30 for boosting air stream pressure level sufficient for operation of a reformer 12 that is designed to minimize pressure drop; an integrated heat exchanger 18 for recovering heat from exhaust 36 and comprising multiple flow fields 18A, 18B, 18C for ensuring inlet temperature requirements of a solid oxide fuel cell 14 are met; and a thermal enclosure 46 for separating hot zone 48 components from cool zone 50 components for increasing thermal efficiency of the system and better thermal management.
US09147892B2
According to the present invention, a porous material for a fuel cell electrolyte membrane, wherein at least one strength auxiliary layer is provided inside and/or on the surface of a high porosity layer, the high porosity layer and the strength auxiliary layer constitute a multilayer structure, and the average diameter of pores of the high porosity layer is different from the average diameter of pores of the strength auxiliary layer, is provided. Also, a porous material having high porosity and high strength, which is suitable as a base material for an electrolyte membrane of a solid polymer fuel cell, is provided and a high-performance fuel cell using such material is realized.
US09147891B2
In a fuel cell stack, coolant supply passages are provided on both sides in the width direction of a coolant flow field. At an inlet of the coolant flow field, a substantially triangular inlet buffer is provided. A recess protruding inward of the substantially triangular shape is provided adjacent to a vertex of the inlet buffer protruding in a horizontal direction.
US09147875B1
Provided are interconnect circuits for interconnecting arrays of battery cells and methods of forming these interconnect circuits as well as connecting these circuits to the battery cells. An interconnect circuit may include a conductive layer and one or more insulating layers. The conductive layer may be patterned with openings defining contact pads, such that each pad is used for connecting to a different battery cell terminal. In some embodiments, each contact pad is attached to the rest of the conductive layer by a fusible link formed from the same conductive layer as the contact pad. The fusible link controls the current flow to and from this contact pad. The insulating layer is laminated to the conductive layer and provides support to the contacts pads. The insulating layer may also be patterned with openings, which allow forming electrical connections between the contact pads and cell terminals through the insulating layer.
US09147869B2
A rechargeable battery includes an electrode assembly that undergoes charging and discharging; a case containing the electrode assembly; a terminal electrically connected to the electrode assembly and protruding from an interior of the case to an exterior of the case; a lead tab electrically connecting the terminal and the electrode assembly; and an insulating pack that insulates the electrode assembly from the case, the electrode assembly being disposed in the insulating pack and the insulating pack being disposed in the case, the insulating pack including one or more indentation portions formed at one edge and one or more grooves positioned to correspond to the indentation portion and insertion-coupled to the indentation portion.
US09147868B2
The invention relates to a microporous membrane having a relatively low heat shrinkage values along planar axes of the membrane. The invention also relates to a battery separator formed by such microporous membrane, and a battery comprising such a separator. Another aspect of the invention relates to a method for making the multi-layer, microporous polyolefin membrane, a method for making a battery using such a membrane as a separator, and a method for using such a battery.
US09147850B2
Provided are semiconductors prepared from an enantiomerically enriched mixture of a nitrogen-functionalized rylene bis(dicarboximide) compound. Specifically, the enantiomerically enriched mixture has unexpected electron-transport efficiency compared to the racemate or either of the enantiomers in optically pure form.
US09147845B2
A single-walled carbon nanotube-based planar photodetector includes a substrate; a first electrode and a second electrode disposed on the substrate and spaced apart from each other; a plurality of single-walled carbon nanotubes, each of the plurality of single-walled carbon nanotubes contacting the first electrode and the second electrode; and an adsorbent attached to a surface of at least one of the plurality of single-walled carbon nanotubes, wherein the adsorbent is capable of doping the at least one of the plurality of single-walled carbon nanotubes by photo-excitation.
US09147841B2
A resistive-switching memory element is described. The memory element includes a first electrode, a porous layer over the first electrode including a point defect embedded in a plurality of pores of the porous layer, and a second electrode over the porous layer, wherein the nonvolatile memory element is configured to switch between a high resistive state and a low resistive state.
US09147839B2
Memory cells with recessed electrode contacts and methods of forming the same are provided. An example memory cell can include an electrode contact formed in a substrate. An upper surface of the electrode contact is recessed a distance relative to an upper surface of the substrate. A first portion of a memory element is formed on an upper surface of the electrode contact and the upper surface of the substrate.
US09147838B2
A phase change memory element and method of forming the same. The memory element includes first and second electrodes. A first layer of phase change material is between the first and second electrodes. A second layer including a metal-chalcogenide material is also between the first and second electrodes and is one of a phase change material and a conductive material. An insulating layer is between the first and second layers. There is at least one opening in the insulating layer providing contact between the first and second layers.
US09147822B2
The present invention discloses heavily doped PbSe with high thermoelectric performance. Thermoelectric property measurements disclosed herein indicated that PbSe is high zT material for mid-to-high temperature thermoelectric applications. At 850 K a peak zT>1.3 was observed when nH˜1.0×1020 cm−3. The present invention also discloses that a number of strategies used to improve zT of PbTe, such as alloying with other elements, nanostructuring and band modification may also be used to further improve zT in PbSe.
US09147814B2
A semiconductor light-emitting device and a method for manufacturing the same can include a wavelength converting layer located over a semiconductor epitaxial layer in order to emit various colored-lights including white light. The light-emitting device can include a semiconductor chip substrate configured not to transmit light emitted from the epitaxial layer and mounted on a mounting board, and a transparent resin layer located between the wavelength converting layer and the epitaxial layer mounted on the semiconductor chip substrate so as to extend from a side surface of the wavelength converting layer towards a substantially edge portion of the semiconductor chip substrate. The semiconductor light-emitting device can be configured to improve a color variability of a mixture light emitted from the device by using the transparent resin layer and the wavelength converting layer, and therefore can emit the mixture light having a substantially uniform color tone from a small light-emitting surface.
US09147812B2
Methods of assembly for a semiconductor light emitting device package may include positioning a submount on a mounting substrate with a flux material therebetween and at least substantially free of solder material therebetween. The submount has a metal bonding layer facing the mounting substrate. A semiconductor light emitting device is positioned on a top side of the submount with a flux material therebetween to provide an assembled stack. The assembled stack is reflowed to attach the metal bonding layer of the submount to the mounting substrate and to attach the light emitting device to the submount.
US09147804B2
A nitride semiconductor light-emitting element includes: n-side and p-side electrodes; n-type and p-type nitride semiconductor layers; and an active layer arranged between the n- and p-type nitride semiconductor layers. The p-type nitride semiconductor layer has a projection having a height of 30 nm to 50 nm. The projection is formed of a p-type nitride semiconductor including magnesium and silicon. The p-type nitride semiconductor has a silicon concentration of 1.0×1017 cm−3 to 6.0×1017 cm−3. The projection projects from the active layer toward the p-side electrode. On a plan view of the nitride semiconductor light-emitting element, the p-side electrode overlaps with the projection. The projection includes a dislocation. The projection is surrounded with a flat surface which is formed of the p-type nitride semiconductor. And the projection has a higher dislocation density than the flat surface.
US09147801B2
A semiconductor light emitting device includes an n-type semiconductor layer, a p-type semiconductor layer, and an active layer formed between the n-type semiconductor layer and the p-type semiconductor layer, and emitting light. The device further includes a p-electrode contacting to the p-type semiconductor layer, and including a first conductive oxide layer having an oxygen content lower than 40 atomic % and a second conductive oxide layer contacting to the first conductive oxide layer and having a higher oxygen content than the oxygen content of the first conductive oxide layer. The device also includes an n-electrode connecting electrically to the n-type semiconductor layer.
US09147796B2
A method for manufacturing an SMT LED device includes steps: providing an LED with two solder slugs extending downwardly from a bottom thereof; providing a circuit board with two first solder pads spaced from each other thereon, the first solder pads each defining a positioning hole therein corresponding to a position of each of the two solder slugs, forming a pair of second solder pads on the circuit board by directly and physically contacting with the circuit board; putting the solder slugs into the positioning holes; subjecting the circuit board and the LED to a reflow soldering, during which the solder slugs are first melted and then solidified to electrically and mechanically connect with the first and second solder pads thereby connecting the LED and the circuit board together.
US09147795B2
Methods of forming emitters for back-contact solar cells are described. In one embodiment, a method includes forming a first solid-state dopant source above a substrate. The first solid-state dopant source includes a plurality of regions separated by gaps. Regions of a second solid-state dopant source are formed above the substrate by printing.
US09147792B2
A method of manufacturing a photovoltaic device including depositing a cadmium telluride layer onto a substrate; treating the cadmium telluride layer with a compound comprising chlorine and an element from Groups 1-11, zinc, mercury, or copernicium or a combination thereof; and annealing the cadmium telluride layer. A chloride-treated photovoltaic device.
US09147786B2
The present invention is premised upon a connector device and method that can more easily electrically connect a plurality of PV arrays and/or locate these arrays upon a building or structure. It also can optionally provide some additional components (e.g. a bypass diode and/or an indicator means) and can enhance the serviceability of the array.
US09147774B2
Exemplary embodiments provide a solar cell device, and method for forming the solar cell device by integrating a switch component into a solar cell element. The solar cell element can include a solar cell, a solar cell array and/or a solar cell panel. The integrated solar cell element can be used for a solar sensor, while the solar sensor can also use discrete switches for each solar cell area of the sensor. Exemplary embodiments also provide a connection system for the solar cell elements and a method for super-connecting the solar cell elements to provide a desired connection path or a desired power output through switch settings. The disclosed connection systems and methods can allow for by-passing underperforming solar cell elements from a plurality of solar cell elements. In embodiments, the solar cell element can be extended to include a battery or a capacitor.
US09147769B2
A thin film transistor structure including a substrate, a gate, an oxide semiconductor layer, a gate insulation layer, a source, a drain, a silicon-containing light absorption layer and an insulation layer is provided. The gate insulation layer is disposed between the oxide semiconductor layer and the gate. The oxide semiconductor layer and the gate are stacked in a thickness direction. The source and the drain contact the oxide semiconductor layer. A portion of the oxide semiconductor layer without contacting the source and the drain defines a channel region located between the source and the drain. The oxide semiconductor layer is located between the substrate and the silicon-containing light absorption layer. The silicon-containing light absorption layer has a band gap smaller than 2.5 eV. The insulation layer is disposed between the oxide semiconductor layer and the silicon-containing light absorption layer, and in contact with the silicon-containing light absorption layer.
US09147765B2
Disclosed herein are various FinFET semiconductor devices with improved source/drain resistance and various methods of making such devices. One illustrative device disclosed herein includes a plurality of spaced-apart trenches in a semiconducting substrate, wherein the trenches at least partially define a fin for the device, an etch stop layer positioned above a bottom surface of each of the trenches, and a metal silicide region formed on all exposed surfaces of the fin that are positioned above an upper surface of the etch stop layer.
US09147763B2
An active area of a semiconductor body includes a first charge-compensation structure having spaced apart n-type pillar regions, and an n-type first field-stop region of a semiconductor material in Ohmic contact with a drain metallization and the n-type pillar regions and having a doping charge per area higher than a breakdown charge per area of the semiconductor material. A punch-through area of the semiconductor body includes a p-type semiconductor region in Ohmic contact with a source metallization, a floating p-type body region and an n-type second field-stop region. The floating p-type body region extends into the active area. The second field-stop region is in Ohmic contact with the first field-stop region, forms a pn-junction with the floating p-type body region, is arranged between the p-type semiconductor region and floating p-type body region, and has a doping charge per area lower than the breakdown charge per area of the semiconductor material.
US09147759B1
A semiconductor device disclosed herein is configured such that a well region including a well layer is disposed between a main region of a semiconductor substrate and a current sense region of the semiconductor substrate, that a well region electrode is disposed above the well region, and that the well layer and the well region electrode are in contact with each other through a contact hole formed in an interlayer insulating film.
US09147755B1
A vacuum field effect, nanostructure-based transistor (VFET) that operates at pressures as high as 101 kPa, with an operating voltage magnitude as low as about 2 Volts and has a cutoff frequency as high as 0.46 THz, and has an electrode separation gap distance of about 150 nm or less.
US09147735B2
A method and device for reducing a dopant diffusion rate in a doped semiconductor region is provided. The methods and devices include selecting a plurality of dopant elements. Selection of a plurality of dopant elements includes selecting a first dopant element with a first atomic radius larger than a host matrix atomic radius and selecting a second dopant element with a second atomic radius smaller than a host matrix atomic radius. The methods and devices further include selecting amounts of each dopant element of the plurality of dopant elements wherein amounts and atomic radii of each of the plurality of dopant elements complement each other to reduce a host matrix lattice strain. The methods and devices further include introducing the plurality of dopant elements to a selected region of the host matrix and annealing the selected region of the host matrix.
US09147734B2
Substrates of GaN over silicon suitable for forming electronics devices such as heterostructure field effect transistors (HFETs), and methods of making the substrates, are disclosed. Voids in a crystalline Al2O3 film on a top surface of a silicon wafer are formed. The top surface of the silicon wafer is along the <111> silicon crystal orientation. A plurality of laminate layers is deposited over the voids and the Al2O3 film. Each laminate layer includes an AlN film and a GaN film. A transistor or other device may be formed in the top GaN film.
US09147733B2
A method for the reuse of gallium nitride (GaN) epitaxial substrates uses band-gap-selective photoelectrochemical (PEC) etching to remove one or more epitaxial layers from bulk or free-standing GaN substrates without damaging the substrate, allowing the substrate to be reused for further growth of additional epitaxial layers. The method facilitates a significant cost reduction in device production by permitting the reuse of expensive bulk or free-standing GaN substrates.
US09147721B2
An organic light emitting display apparatus includes a first substrate, a second substrate, an organic light emitting device, a thin film transistor, a wiring pattern and a seal. The first substrate includes a first region, a second region and a third region. The third region surrounds the first region. The second region is between the first region and the third region, and is partially overlapped with the third region. The second substrate faces the first substrate. The organic light emitting device is disposed on the first substrate in the first region. The thin film transistor is disposed on the first substrate in a region where the second region and the third region overlap. The wiring pattern is disposed on the first substrate in the second region. The seal is disposed in the third region, between the first substrate and the second substrate in the third region.
US09147713B2
It is an object of the invention to provide a technique to manufacture a display device with high image quality and high reliability at low cost with high yield. The invention has spacers over a pixel electrode layer in a pixel region and over an insulating layer functioning as a partition which covers the periphery of the pixel electrode layer. When forming a light emitting material over a pixel electrode layer, a mask for selective formation is supported by the spacers, thereby preventing the mask from contacting the pixel electrode layer due to a twist and deflection thereof. Accordingly, such damage as a crack by the mask does not occur in the pixel electrode layer. Thus, the pixel electrode layer does not have a defect in shapes, thereby a display device which performs a high resolution display with high reliability can be manufactured.
US09147711B1
Various embodiments are directed to a camera module, image sensor die, and methods for manufacturing the same. The image sensor die comprises a thinned wafer portion, a photosensor portion adjacent the thinned wafer portion and a carrier wafer. Vias may be formed through the carrier wafer to connect the photosensor portion to die contacts. A first side of the image sensor die opposite the die contacts may be bonded to a first side of the rigid substrate. Wire bonds may be formed between the die contacts and substrate-sensor contacts positioned on the first side of the rigid substrate.
US09147707B2
According to a color imaging element and an imaging device of the present invention, it is possible to simplify processing in a subsequent stage compared to the case of a random array, improve reproduction precision of de-mosaic processing in a high frequency range, facilitate de-mosaic processing as a result of increase in types of peripheral colors, discern a direction with high correlation between a horizontal direction and a vertical direction, and suppress aliasing upon de-mosaic processing.
US09147700B2
A manufacturing method of an array substrate includes following steps. A first photolithography process is performed to form a gate electrode on a substrate. A gate insulating layer is formed to cover the substrate and the gate electrode. A second photolithography process is performed to form a patterned semiconductor layer and a patterned etching stop layer. A semiconductor layer and an etching stop layer are successively formed on the gate insulating layer, and a second patterned photoresist is formed on the etching stop layer. The etching stop layer uncovered by the second patterned photoresist is removed. The semiconductor layer uncovered by the second patterned photoresist is removed for forming the patterned semiconductor on the gate insulating layer. A patterned etching stop layer is formed on the patterned semiconductor layer by etching the second patterned photoresist and the etching stop layer.
US09147685B2
A capacitor dielectric can be between the storage node and the electrode layer. A supporting pattern can be connected to the storage node, where the supporting pattern can include at least one first pattern and at least one second pattern layered on one another, where the first pattern can include a material having an etch selectivity with respect to the second pattern.
US09147681B2
An electronic system has first and second substantially vertical semiconductor structures. A first string of series-coupled first memory cells is adjacent to the first semiconductor structure, and a second string of series-coupled second memory cells is adjacent to the second semiconductor structure.
US09147677B2
Dual-tub junction-isolated voltage clamp devices and methods of forming the same are provided herein. The voltage clamp device can provide junction-isolated protection to low voltage circuitry connected between first and second high voltage interface pins. In certain implementations, a voltage clamp device includes a PNPN protection structure disposed in a p-well, a PN diode protection structure disposed in an n-well positioned adjacent the p-well, a p-type tub surrounding the p-well and the n-well, and an n-type tub surrounding the p-type tub. The p-type tub and the n-type tub provide junction isolation, the p-type tub can be electrically floating, and the n-type tub can be electrically connected to the second pin. The first and second pins can operate at a voltage difference below the junction isolation breakdown, and the second pin can operate with higher voltage than the first pin.
US09147661B1
Implementations described herein generally relate to chip packaging, and in particular, to solder bump structures for a semiconductor device and methods of fabricating the same. In one implementation, a solder bump assembly is provided. The solder bump assembly comprises a conductive bond pad formed on a substrate. A conductive pillar is formed on the conductive bond pad. A plating layer is formed on the conductive pillar, wherein the plating layer comprises copper and nickel. A solder bump is formed on the plating layer in electrical communication with the plating layer. The plating layer may be a bi-layer structure comprising a nickel layer formed on the conductive pillar and a copper layer formed on the nickel layer in electrical communication with the solder bump. The plating layer may be a copper-nickel alloy.
US09147639B2
A method of processing semiconductor dies is provided. Each semiconductor die has a first side with one or more terminals, a second side opposite the first side and sidewalls extending between the first and the second sides. The semiconductor dies are processed by placing the semiconductor dies on a support substrate so that the first side of each semiconductor die faces the support substrate and the second side faces away from the support substrate. A coating is applied to the semiconductor dies placed on the support substrate. The coating has a lower reflectivity than the first side of the semiconductor dies. The coating covers the second side and at least a region of the sidewalls nearest the second side of each semiconductor die. The semiconductor dies are removed from the support substrate after applying the coating for further processing as loose dies such as taping.
US09147636B2
A method includes communicatively coupling first and second integrated electronic devices together through a plurality of reference capacitors, transmitting a plurality of transmission reference signals on transmission reference electrodes of the plurality of reference capacitors, receiving coupling signals on reception reference electrodes of the plurality of reference capacitors, amplifying said coupling signals, generating a plurality of reception reference signals, generating a plurality of reception control signals as a function of the plurality of reception reference signals, and detecting a possible misalignment between said first and second integrated electronic devices based on the plurality of reception control signals.
US09147627B2
A flip chip molded leadless package (MLP) with electrical paths printed in conducting ink. The MLP includes a pre-molded leadframe with the electrical paths printed directly thereon. The present invention also provides a method of fabricating the semiconductor package.
US09147625B2
A thermosetting resin sheet for sealing an electronic component, that is excellent in adhesiveness, onto the electric component; a resin-sealed type semiconductor device high in reliability; and a method for producing the device are provided. The present invention relates to a thermosetting resin sheet for sealing an electronic component, comprising one or more resin components, one of the components being allowable to be a thermoplastic resin, and having a content by percentage of the thermoplastic resin of 30% or less by weight of all of the entire resin components.
US09147622B2
There is provided a power module semiconductor device allowing reduction in size and weight of a thin type SiC power module. The power module semiconductor device (1) includes: a ceramic substrate (10); a first pattern (D (K4)) of a first copper plate layer (10a) disposed on a surface of the ceramic substrate; a first semiconductor chip (Q4) disposed on the first pattern; a first pillar connection electrode (18o) disposed on the first pattern; and an output terminal (O) connected to the first pillar connection electrode.
US09147617B2
In a resin coating which is used in the manufacture of an LED package which is made by covering an LED element with resin that includes fluorescent substance, a light-passing member (43) on which the resin (8) is test coated for light emission characteristic measurement is carried on a light-passing member carrying unit (41), a deviation between a measurement result obtained after the light emission characteristic of the light that the resin (8) emits, when an light source unit (45), which is placed above, emits excitation light which excites the fluorescent substance, and irradiates the excitation light from above to the resin (8) which is coated on the light-passing member (43), is measured and the light emission characteristic prescribed beforehand is obtained, and an appropriate resin coating quantity with which the resin should be coated on the LED element is derived for practical production based on the deviation.
US09147612B2
The present invention provides a manufacturing method for forming a semiconductor structure, in which first, a substrate is provided, a hard mask is disposed on the substrate, the hard mask is then patterned to form a plurality of fin hard masks and a plurality of dummy fin hard masks, afterwards, a pattern transferring process is performed, to transfer the patterns of the fin hard masks and the fin hard masks into the substrate, so as to form a plurality of fin groups and a plurality of dummy fins. Each dummy fin is disposed on the end side of one fin group, and a fin cut process is performed, to remove each dummy fin.
US09147610B2
In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, a method of forming an electronic device includes forming a first opening and a second opening in a workpiece. The first opening is deeper than the second opening. The method further includes forming a fill material within the first opening to form part of a through via and forming the fill material within the second opening.
US09147604B2
A memory process is described. A substrate is provided, having therein trenches and conductive lines buried in the trenches and having thereon an array area, wherein each of the conductive lines has an array portion in the array area. A contact area apart from the array area is defined on the substrate, wherein each of the conductive lines has a contact portion in the contact area. The substrate between the contact portions of the conductive lines is etched down to below the tops of the conductive layers to form gaps between the contact portions of the conductive lines. The gaps are then filled with an insulating layer.
US09147596B2
A method for forming shallow trench isolation (STI) structures includes using a hard mask, such as silicon nitride, in shallow trench etching and also as a polishing stop layer in planarizing the dielectric that fills the trenches. After the shallow trench is filled with the dielectric material and planarized, a top portion of the hard mask is removed, resulting in a top portion of the filled dielectric material to protrude above the remaining hard mask. The protruding dielectric is then treated in an oxygen plasma and annealed at a high temperature to form a densified oxide cap layer. The densified oxide layer can provide greater resistance to corrosion and can protect the shallow trench isolation structure during subsequent wet processing, such as DHF clean. Variations in the STI structures can be reduced and device performance improved.
US09147595B2
A semiconductor device includes a substrate and a plurality of active pillars disposed on the substrate and spaced apart from each other by trenches. Each of the active pillars includes a buried metal silicide pattern and an active region stacked on the buried metal silicide pattern, and the active region includes impurity junction regions.
US09147588B2
A substrate processing pallet can cool a substrate. A substrate processing pallet can include a base member; an interface pad attachable to the base member, the interface pad having substantially the same coefficient of thermal expansion as the base member and adapted to facilitate cooling of the substrate; and a surface of the base member having features for aligning a substrate on the interface pad. A substrate processing pallet can also include a base member; an interface pad attachable to the base member; an electrostatic chuck for gripping the substrate during processing; an energy storage system for storing energy to sustain the electrostatic chuck at sufficient charge to sustain grip the substrate during processing; and a conduit for transporting gas to a backside of the substrate to facilitate cooling of the substrate.
US09147581B2
The embodiments herein generally deal with semiconductor processing methods and apparatus. More specifically, the embodiments relate to methods and apparatus for etching a semiconductor substrate. A partially fabricated semiconductor substrate is provided in a reaction chamber. The reaction chamber is divided into an upper sub-chamber and a lower sub-chamber by a grid assembly. Plasma is generated in the upper sub-chamber, and the substrate is positioned in the lower sub-chamber. The grid assembly includes at least two grids, each of which is negatively biased, and each of which includes perforations which allow certain species to pass through. The uppermost grid is negatively biased in order to repel electrons. The lowermost grid is biased further negative (compared to the uppermost grid) in order to accelerate positive ions from the upper to the lower sub-chamber. Etching gas is supplied directly to the lower sub-chamber. The etching gas and ions react with the surface of the substrate to etch the substrate as desired.
US09147579B2
A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device with an SON structure having a thick cavity inside a semiconductor substrate is disclosed. The method forms a plurality of trenches with a predetermined distance between adjacent trenches. Each trench has, at a middle portion between the trench top and bottom, an outwardly expanding sectional shape. High temperature annealing is conducted driving surface migration of silicon atoms in the surface region of the silicon substrate to close the top of the trench, resulting in formation of a plurality of small cavities composed of the trenches in the silicon substrate. Further high temperature annealing joins the plurality of small cavities to form a single cavity. Second opening width x2 at the middle portion ranges from 1.1 times to 1.5 times of first opening width x1 at the top of the trench. Aspect ratio of the trench is at least 8.
US09147572B2
Methods for controlling the length of a replacement metal gate to a designed target gate length and the resulting device are disclosed. Embodiments may include removing a dummy gate from above a substrate forming a cavity, wherein side surfaces of the cavity are lined with an oxidized spacer layer and a bottom surface of the cavity is lined with a gate oxide layer, conformally forming a sacrificial oxide layer over the substrate and the cavity, and removing the sacrificial oxide layer from the bottom surface of the cavity and the substrate leaving sacrificial oxide spacers lining the side surfaces of the cavity.
US09147566B2
Monatomic metal anions are generated in the gas phase by collision-induced dissociation of the anions [26] of a dicarboxylic acid salt of the metal. This method is applicable to a number of metals, including sodium, potassium, cesium, and silver. The metal anions produced in this way can subsequently be stored in an ion trap [88] or transmitted as a focused beam [52]. The metal anions of this invention undergo collisional cooling and have low kinetic energy, which distinguishes them from ions produced by other high energy processes (with kinetic energy in excess of 1 keV). Metal anions so produced can be used to pattern nanoscale features on surfaces [56], used as electron transfer agents or reducing agents in ion-molecule reactions, or used for surface [122] modification of biomaterials [124].
US09147557B2
A sputter device including a plurality of targets having magnetism; a reflector having magnetism and arranged between neighboring targets of the plurality of targets; a wave guide having magnetism and arranged adjacent the targets, the wave guide forming a guide space for guiding microwaves; and a limiter having magnetism and arranged adjacent the wave guide, the limiter forming an electron cyclotron resonance area together with the targets, the reflector, and the wave guide.
US09147555B2
In a method for extinguishing an arc in a gas discharge chamber in which power is supplied to a gas discharge chamber and in which both with a current flow in a first direction and with a current flow in a second inverse direction there is produced a gas discharge, when an arc is identified, the power supply to the gas discharge chamber is interrupted, and residual energy which is in a supply line to the gas discharge chamber and/or in the gas discharge chamber is supplied to an energy store.
US09147553B2
A method for acquiring a settling time includes forming, using a deflector, a reference pattern so that a deflection movement amount of the beam may be smaller than an evaluation deflection movement amount; forming, while variably setting the settling time of the DAC amplifier, an evaluation pattern such that both ends of the width dimension of the evaluation pattern being the same design width dimension as that of the reference pattern, for each of times set variably, such that a deflection movement amount of a second beam shot of two beam shots successively shot is equivalent to the evaluation deflection movement amount; calculating a difference between the width dimension of the evaluation pattern concerned and that of the reference pattern, for each of the times set variably; and acquiring a settling time of the DAC amplifier necessary for the deflection movement amount, using the difference.
US09147550B2
A gas mixture method and apparatus of prolonging lifetime of an ion source for generating an ion beam particularly an ion beam containing carbon is proposed here. By mixing the dopant gas and the minor gas together to generate an ion beam, undesired reaction between the gas species and the ion source can be mitigated and thus lifetime of the ion source can be prolonged. Accordingly, quality of ion beam can be maintained.
US09147543B2
An arc extinguishing device of a gas circuit breaker includes: an arc chamber in which an arc generated between a movable electrode and a fixed electrode is formed; a heat puffer chamber disposed so as to surround the arc chamber; a blow port in which the arc chamber communicates with the heat puffer chamber in the circumferential direction of the arc chamber; hydrogen absorbents which are disposed on an inner wall of a pressure chamber; an exhaust port which passes to the outside of an arc extinguishing chamber; and a hydrogen absorbent disposed at a position surrounding the movable electrode. Deterioration of insulation due to a product formed by decomposition of arc extinguishing gas by the arc during a contact opening operation can be suppressed.
US09147532B2
The invention relates to an emergency stopping device, comprising a body (10), a control button (11) that is movable in translation along a control axis (X), at least one normally closed electrical contact unit (13), an actuation member (12) which can be actuated by said control button (11) so as to translate between a inoperative position and an actuated position, and which engages with the contact unit (13), a holding member (121) engaging with the actuation member (12) and capable of assuming a locking position for maintaining the actuation member in the actuated position thereof, and an unlocking ring (15) which is separate from the control button and which can be rotatably actuated, and which engages with the actuation member (12) so as to release the latter with a view to driving same toward the inoperative position thereof.
US09147531B2
A movable contact arm assembly is provided for an electrical switching apparatus, such as a circuit breaker. The movable contact arm assembly includes a first member, and a second member attached to the first member. The first member is made from a first material, such as steel, and the second member is made from a second different material, such as copper. The first and second members each include first and second ends. The first end of the first member cooperates with the operating mechanism of the circuit breaker. The first end of the second member is attached to the second end of the first member. A movable contact is disposed on the second end of the second member.
US09147530B2
A process for providing an improved hermetically sealed capacitor which includes the steps of applying a solder and a flux to an interior surface of a case; flowing the solder onto the interior surface; remove flux thereby forming a flux depleted solder; inserting the capacitive element into the casing; reflowing the flux depleted solder thereby forming a solder joint between the case and the solderable layer; and sealing the case.
US09147526B2
A system for protecting an electrochemical element from an external shock includes an electrochemical element, a bag-shaped aluminum laminate film configured to receive and entirely cover the electrochemical element, and a protector configured to cover the electrochemical element and the bag-shaped aluminum laminate film. The protector includes a frame having corners and a plurality of recesses disposed at an inner surface of the corners. When the electrochemical element is received in the bag-shaped aluminum laminate film and an interior of the bag-shaped aluminum laminate film is vacuumed, a plurality of wrinkled portions are formed at corners of the bag-shaped aluminum laminate film. The plurality of recesses of the protector are configured to receive the plurality of wrinkled portions of the bag-shaped aluminum laminate film such that portions of the protector other than the plurality of recesses are in intimate contact with the bag-shaped aluminum laminate film.
US09147516B2
First and second divisional cores each including right and left leg portions and a yoke interconnecting those together are formed by molding respective yoke-side core members in a resin. Cylindrical core mounting portions extending from the outer circumference of the surface of the yoke-side core member are formed integrally with the respective right and left leg portions of the first. divisional core. I-shaped leg-portion-side core members and spacers are attached in the cylindrical core mounting portion formed in each of the right and left leg portions. The surface of the yoke-side core member molded in the resin and the surface of the leg-portion-side core member are disposed so as to have a spacer therebetween. The two divisional cores are joined together by butting respective leg portions of the two divisional cores with each other to form an annular mold core, and a coil is wound around the mold core.
US09147515B2
An M phase coupled inductor includes a magnetic core including a first end magnetic element, a second end magnetic element, and M legs disposed between and connecting the first and second end magnetic elements. M is an integer greater than one. The coupled inductor further includes M windings, where each winding has a substantially rectangular cross section. Each one of the M windings is at least partially wound about a respective leg.
US09147507B2
A superconducting wire (12), containing NbTi superconducting material and Cu, comprising a multiplicity of hexagonal elements, which, as seen in cross-section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the superconducting wire (12), have an at least approximately hexagonal outside contour is characterized in that at least a portion of the hexagonal elements is constituted as Cu—Al composite elements (3), wherein, in cross-section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the superconducting wire (12), the Cu—Al composite elements (3) are each constituted with an Al core (4) and a Cu sheath (5) that surrounds the Al core (4). The NbTi superconducting wire is thereby stabilized and has low weight as well as a reduced risk of crack formation during manufacturing, especially during wire drawing.
US09147500B2
A semiconductor memory device includes a memory cell array, a mode register set and a test circuit. The memory cell array includes a plurality of wordlines, a plurality of bitlines, and a plurality of spin-transfer torque magneto-resistive random access memory (STT-MRAM) cells, and each STT-MRAM cell disposed in a cross area of each wordline and bitline, and the STT-MRAM cell includes a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) element and a cell transistor. A gate of the cell transistor is coupled to a wordline, a first electrode of the cell transistor is coupled to a bitline via the MTJ element, and a second electrode of the cell transistor is coupled to a source line. The mode register set is configured to set a test mode, and the test circuit is configured to perform a test operation by using the mode register set.
US09147484B2
A semiconductor memory device and an operating method thereof are provided. The semiconductor memory device includes a memory cell array including a plurality of memory groups each including at least a drain-select transistor and a plurality of memory cells, a voltage generator suitable for generating a read voltage that is to be applied to a selected memory cell of the memory cells and a pass voltage that is to be applied to unselected memory cells other than the selected memory cell among the memory cells, and a control logic suitable for controlling the voltage generator to generate the pass voltage to have different levels depending on a distance between the drain-select transistor and the selected memory cell during a read operation.
US09147481B2
According to one embodiment, a semiconductor memory apparatus includes an array, a source, a bit line, a sense, and current circuit. The array includes a NAND string. The NAND string includes memory cell. The sense includes a first transistor. One end of transistor is connected to a first node, and other end of the transistor is connected to a second. The first node is used for reading the data held by the memory cell. An internal voltage is smaller than the source voltage. The current circuit outputs a first voltage to a gate of the transistor, and the first voltage is smaller than the internal voltage. The transistor limits a first current from the source to the sense based on a threshold voltage of the memory cell to be read.
US09147477B2
A method of driving a nonvolatile memory device, includes; forward shifting threshold voltages of nonvolatile memory cells by executing a first program loop with respect to the nonvolatile memory cells, and thereafter, reverse shifting the threshold voltages of the nonvolatile memory cells, and again forward shifting the threshold voltages of the nonvolatile memory cells by executing a second program loop with respect to the nonvolatile memory cells.
US09147476B2
Methods of programming a memory and memories are disclosed. In at least one embodiment, a memory is programmed by determining a pretarget threshold voltage for a selected cell, wherein the pretarget threshold voltage is determined using pretarget threshold voltage values for at least one neighbor cell of the selected cell.
US09147474B2
According to one embodiment, a non-volatile semiconductor memory device includes a memory cell array and a row decoder. The memory cell array has NAND strings as a physical block, and word lines respectively connected to memory cells included in the NAND strings. The row decoder includes latch circuits and a drive circuit. When a failure exists within a corresponding first logical block, the latch circuits store a flag indicating the failure. The drive circuit inhibits driving of the word lines belonging to the first logical block when the flag is stored in the latch circuit corresponding to the first logical block to which the selected word lines belong, and allows the driving of the word lines belonging to the physical block including the first logical block when the flag is not stored in the latch circuit corresponding to the first logical block to which the selected word lines belong.
US09147470B1
Apparatus for programming a non-volatile memory, the apparatus having corresponding methods and tangible computer-readable media, comprise: a command memory configured to hold a plurality of command templates, wherein each of the command templates specifies a sequence of pad signals; a state machine configured to i) receive descriptors, wherein each of the descriptors includes a pointer to a respective one of the command templates in the command memory, and ii) generate the sequence of pad signals based on the command template indicated by the respective pointer; and a non-volatile memory interface configured to provide, to pads of the non-volatile memory, the sequence of pad signals generated by the state machine.
US09147452B2
A synchronous semiconductor memory device includes a first delay locked loop circuit and a second delay locked loop circuit. The first delay locked loop circuit has a first delay line and generates a first clock hat is delay-synchronized with a clock applied as a signal for a data output timing control. The second delay locked loop circuit has a second delay line and generates a second clock that is delay-synchronized with the clock. The first delay locked loop circuit consumes less power than the second delay locked loop circuit, and the second delay locked loop circuit has less jitter than the first delay locked loop circuit. The first and second delay locked loop circuits operate at different logic levels for a delay synchronization operation.
US09147449B2
A sensing method for a memory is provided. The memory includes: a memory cell; a reference circuit generating a reference voltage and a clamp voltage; and a current supplying circuit receiving the clamp voltage to develop a cell current passing through the memory cell to form a cell voltage, wherein the cell voltage is used for incorporating with the reference voltage to determine the information stored in the memory.
US09147446B2
Disclosed herein is a device includes: a level conversion circuit coupled to first and third power supply lines, receiving a first signal and an inverted signal of the first signal each having an amplitude between first and second potentials, and outputting a second signal having an amplitude between first and third potentials; a delay circuit coupled to the first and second power supply lines, and outputting a third signal delayed from the first signal; and an output circuit including first and second transistors coupled in series between the first and third power supply lines, the first transistor having a control electrode supplied with the second signal, and the second transistor having a control electrode supplied with the third signal.
US09147438B2
Monolithic three dimensional (3D) integrated circuits (ICs) (3DICs) with vertical memory components are disclosed. A 3D memory crossbar architecture with tight-pitched vertical monolithic intertier vias (MIVs) for inter-block routing and multiplexers at each tier for block access is used to shorten overall conductor length and reduce resistive-capacitive (RC) delay. Elimination of such long crossbars reduces the RC delay of the crossbar and generally improves performance and speed. Further, elimination of the long horizontal crossbars makes conductor routing easier. The MIVs, with their small run-length, can work without the need for repeaters (unlike the long crossbars), and control logic may be used to configure the memory banks based on use.
US09147433B2
A video map comprising a first plurality of segment definitions defining video segments within a video, the defining being responsive to at least one presentation of the video less in length than the length of the video; a first segment definition that defines a first video segment within the video and is associated with an actual identity of a locale depicted within the first video segment, the actual identity of the locale being different than a locale identity as represented in the video; a second segment definition that defines a second video segment within the video and is associated with an identification of a cinematic technique depicted within the second video segment; and a third segment definition that defines a third video segment within the video and is associated with an explanation of a depiction within the third video segment.
US09147432B2
A head cleaning device includes: a wiper member formed in an elongate shape and having a wiper anchoring portion anchored so as not to move in a tape width direction; and a support member that includes a wiper entrainment portion about which the wiper member is entrained so as to double back, that causes the wiper entrainment portion to move in the tape width direction so that a surface of the wiper member at an opposite side of the wiper entrainment portion from the wiper anchoring portion wipes a head that performs at least one of writing information to, or reading information from, a recording tape.
US09147431B2
Method and apparatus for decoding data, such as from a rotatable magnetic recording medium. In accordance with some embodiments, a plurality of sensors is provided, with each sensor configured to generate a sense signal from an adjacent pattern. A processing circuit is configured to decode data from the adjacent pattern using the generated sense signals.
US09147428B1
A disk drive is disclosed comprising a head actuated over a disk, and a spindle motor operable to rotate the disk. The disk drive comprises control circuitry configured to a rotation speed of the spindle motor, generate a gain as a function of the measured rotation speed, wherein the function comprises a polynomial having a degree greater than one, and spin-up the spindle motor based on the gain.
US09147419B2
A hard disk drive circuit includes first and second inter-track interference detection modules. The first inter-track interference detection module is configured to generate a first measured inter-track interference value based on a first read signal from a first read sensor positioned over a magnetic medium. The second inter-track interference detection module is configured to generate a second measured inter-track interference value based on a second read signal from a second read sensor positioned over the magnetic medium. A position error signal generation module is configured to generate a position error signal based on the first measured inter-track interference value and the second measured inter-track interference value. An arm control module is configured to control rotation of an arm in response to the position error signal. The first read sensor and the second read sensor are located at a distal end of the arm.
US09147413B2
Various embodiments concern a suspension having a DSA structure on a gimbaled flexure comprising a loadbeam having a load point dimple and a flexure attached to the loadbeam. The flexure comprising a metal layer having a pair of spring arms, a tongue located between the spring arms, and a pair of struts. The struts connect the pair of spring arms to the tongue. One of the struts is located distal of the other strut. The pair of struts has a midline centered between the pair of struts. The suspension further comprises a motor mounted on the flexure. Electrical activation of the motor bends the pair of struts to rotate the tongue about an axis of rotation. The axis of rotation is aligned with the dimple. The midline is offset distally or proximally with respect to the axis of rotation. The offset counters a mass in imbalance of the tongue.
US09147409B1
Implementations disclosed herein provide a method comprising rocking an effective annealing magnetic field between a first positive angle and a second negative angle compared to a desired pinning field orientation in an AFM/PL structure, wherein an angular amplitude of rocking the effective annealing magnetic field between a first positive angle and a second negative angle gradually decreases towards the desired orientation of pinning in the AFM/PL structure.
US09147408B1
Systems and methods are provided for manufacturing a magnetic recording sensor for use in a magnetic reader, such as a tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) readers. The magnetic recording sensor can be manufactured by heating a substrate in a first chamber and depositing an antiferromagnetic (AFM) layer on the heated substrate. Additionally, a first pinned layer is added onto the AFM layer, and the substrate is subsequently cooled.
US09147401B2
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for speaker-calibrated speaker detection. One embodiment of a method for generating a speaker model for use in detecting a speaker of interest includes identifying one or more speech features that best distinguish the speaker of interest from a plurality of impostor speakers and then incorporating the speech features in the speaker model.
US09147396B2
The voice recognition device according to the present disclosure includes a communication interface that communicates with an external device, a first microphone that collects sound to produce audio data, and a controller that analyzes the audio data produced by the first microphone, determines contents of a designation corresponding to an analysis result, and then controls its own device based on a determination result, and yet controls its own device to urge a user to use the external device when the contents of the designation corresponding to the analysis result cannot be determined.
US09147395B2
The present disclosure relates to a mobile terminal and a voice recognition method thereof. The voice recognition method may include receiving a user's voice; providing the received voice to a first voice recognition engine provided in the server and a second voice recognition engine provided in the mobile terminal; acquiring first voice recognition data as a result of recognizing the received voice by the first voice recognition engine; acquiring second voice recognition data as a result of recognizing the received voice by the second voice recognition engine; estimating a function corresponding to the user's intention based on at least one of the first and the second voice recognition data; calculating a similarity between the first and the second voice recognition data when personal information is required for the estimated function; and selecting either one of the first and the second voice recognition data based on the calculated similarity.
US09147388B2
Waveform data are stored in advance together with reference position information indicative of reference positions, in the waveform data, corresponding to reference timing, such as beat timing, and correction position information indicative of correction positions in the waveform data that are different from the reference positions. The reference timing is advanced when the waveform data are reproduced. In response to arrival of the reference timing, a deviation between a reproduction position of the currently reproduced waveform data and the reference position is evaluated. When the reproduction position arrives at the correction position, the reproduction position is corrected according to the evaluated deviation. Namely, whereas measurement of the deviation, relative to the reference timing, of the currently reproduced waveform data is performed on the basis of the reference position, correction of the current reproduction position of the waveform data for compensating for the measured deviation is performed at the correction position.
US09147387B2
A pickup for an electrical, stringed musical instrument includes a first assembly and a second assembly. The first assembly includes a base plate, a pole that extends upward from the base plate and a coil of wire wrapped around the pole above the base plate. The second assembly includes a housing that has a fastening feature that allows the second assembly to be user attachable and detachable from the first assembly independently of any electrical connections made by the first assembly. The second assembly also includes a magnet seated within the housing. The pickup is further constructed so that the second assembly readily attaches and detaches to the first assembly such that when attached, the pole of the first assembly is in magnetic cooperation with the magnet of the second assembly.
US09147385B2
Vocal musical performances may be captured and continuously pitch-corrected at a mobile device for mixing and rendering with backing tracks in ways that create compelling user experiences. In some cases, the vocal performances of individual users are captured in the context of a karaoke-style presentation of lyrics in correspondence with audible renderings of a backing track. Such performances can be pitch-corrected in real-time at the mobile device in accord with pitch correction settings. In some cases, such pitch correction settings code a particular key or scale for the vocal performance or for portions thereof. In some cases, pitch correction settings include a score-coded melody sequence of note targets supplied with, or for association with, the lyrics and/or backing track. In some cases, pitch correction settings are dynamically variable based on gestures captured at a user interface.
US09147382B2
An electronic guitar pick, system, system and method may include an enclosure forming a cavity, the enclosure having a first end that is substantially pointed and a second end opposite the first end that is substantially flat, the enclosure having a thickness proximate the cavity greater than a thickness proximate the first end. The electronic guitar pick, system, and method may further include a sensor contained, at least in part, within the cavity and configured to generate a sensor output based on an interaction with the enclosure and a sensory output device, communicatively coupled to the sensor, configured to output a sensory output based, at least in part, on the sensor output.
US09147381B2
A tubular neck for a stringed instrument is disclosed. The neck includes at least one sound tube having a first end and a second end. The neck further includes at least one resonator tube having a first end and a second end, the at least one resonator tube in mechanical communication with the at least one sound tube wherein said first end of the at least one sound tube overlaps a first end of the at least one resonator tube.
US09147377B2
The present disclosure provides a method for image dithering. The method includes providing a polygon related to an integrated circuit (IC) layout design in a graphic database system (GDS) grid; converting the polygon to an intensity map in the GDS grid, the intensity map including a group of partial pixels and a group of full pixels; performing a first quantization process to a partial pixel to determine a first error; applying the first error to one or more full pixels; performing a second quantization process to a full pixel to determine a second error; and distributing the second error to one or more full pixels. The partial pixels correspond to pixels partially covered by the polygon, and the full pixels correspond to pixels fully covered by the polygon.
US09147373B2
Executing a map reduce sequence may comprise executing all jobs in the sequence by a collection of a plurality of processes with each process running one or more mappers, combiners, partitioners and reducers for each job, and transparently sharing heap state between the jobs to improve metrics associated with the job. Processes may communicate among themselves to coordinate completion of map, shuffle and reduce phases, and completion of said all jobs in the sequence.
US09147369B2
The present invention discloses a driving method and a driving circuit of a liquid crystal panel, which relates to the field of liquid crystal displaying technology, and solves the problem of the ion accumulation in a TFT channel. The driving method of a liquid crystal panel according to embodiments of the present invention comprises: inputting an offset pinch-off voltage to gate scan lines of each row within a vertical blanking period between two successive frames, the offset pinch-off voltage being an original pinch-off voltage plus a predetermined voltage offset; and inputting the original pinch-off voltage to the gate scan lines at the time other than a gate turn-on time and the vertical blanking period. The embodiments of the present invention are mainly applied to the field of displaying of liquid crystal panels.
US09147368B2
A new TFT arrangement is demonstrated, which enables prevention of TFT to be formed over a joint portion between the adjacent SOI layers prepared by the process including the separation of a thin single crystal semiconductor layer from a semiconductor wafer. The TFT arrangement is characterized by the structure where a plurality of TFTs each belonging to different pixels is gathered and arranged close to an intersection portion of a scanning line and a signal line. This structure allows the distance between regions, which are provided with the plurality of TFTs, to be extremely large compared with the distance between adjacent TFTs in the conventional TFT arrangement in which all TFTs are arranged in at a regular interval. The formation of a TFT over the joint portion can be avoided by the present arrangement, which leads to the formation of a display device with a negligible amount of display defects.
US09147358B2
A pixel circuit able to prevent a spread of the terminal voltages of drive transistors inside a panel and in turn able to reliably prevent deterioration of uniformity, wherein a source of a TFT serving as a drive transistor is connected to an anode of a light emitting element, a drain is connected to a power source potential, a capacitor is connected between a gate and source of the TFT, and a source potential of the TFT is connected to a fixed potential through a TFT serving as a switch transistor and wherein pixel circuit lines are connected by an upper line and bottom line and are arranged in parallel with pixel circuit power source voltage lines so as not to have intersecting parts.
US09147356B1
A valve apparatus for an inflatable article, wherein the inflatable article includes a main body and a moveable portion. The valve includes a valve body and a baffle. The valve body includes first and second chambers and first, second and third openings. The baffle is moveable between first and second positions. The first chamber includes the first and second openings, while the first opening forms a first fluid communication between the main body and the first chamber. The second chamber includes the second and third openings, while the third opening forms a second fluid communication between the second chamber and an ambient atmosphere. When in the first position, the baffle seals the first opening and when in the second position, the baffle seals the third opening.
US09147355B2
An advertisement clip and method for supplementing a security hard tag with the advertisement clip for application to a product. The advertisement clip may include indicia on the surface of the clip or may hold or enclose an information element that provides the indicia to the manufacturer, retailer, and/or customer. Indicia may be visible and can include promotional information, pricing, images, customer specific branding, and/or barcodes.
US09147336B2
An approach for enabling event notifications to be directed to one or more contacts based on the acquiring of common event data by one or more wireless devices is described. A multimedia event processor receives event data corresponding to an event from a mobile device. The event data is associated with a tag for describing the event data and classified as corresponding to a level of severity based on the tag. A target destination is then determined for transmission of a notification message, the event data, or a combination thereof.
US09147334B2
A system and method for monitoring compliance with a plurality of workflow procedures in a hospital or other health care facility using a hand hygiene compliance system (HHC). A control unit of an HHC gathers data based upon the presence, identification, and movement of a plurality of assets, including persons, equipment, or supplies, each having wearable detectable tags, such as RFID tags, and communicates that data to a local or remote server. The server is programmed to monitor or cause compliance with hospital workflow procedures relevant to the communicated data, such as rounding requirements and proper use of equipment, or may generate alarms or notifications where a workflow procedure has not been followed.
US09147328B2
There is provided a system and method for creating tactile content by using an audio stream. The method includes capturing an audio stream using a microphone, processing the audio stream to generate an audio data stream, executing a haptic algorithm using the audio data stream to generate an activation pattern for a plurality of actuators, and activating the plurality of actuators according to the activation pattern. The activation pattern is generated from the audio data stream based on both a frequency of the audio stream and triggering sounds in the audio stream. The plurality of actuators include both voice coils and vibrating motors.
US09147326B2
A system, including: a sensor that monitors containers as the containers move along a production line; a rejection device; a controller communicatively connected to the sensor and the rejection device, wherein the controller is programmed to determine whether a container is associated with a match condition in response to a signal received from the sensor, the match condition reflecting that the container is associated with predetermined properties or characteristics, in response to a match condition, determine a pass result, and otherwise determine a fail result, determine a velocity of the production line, dynamically determine a correction amount for a reject position, track a position of the container on the production line, and in response to the fail result, outputs a signal to actuate the rejection device that removes the container from the production line based on the velocity of the production line, the dynamically determined correction amount, and the position of the container on the production line.
US09147325B2
An emergency communication system that is capable of broadcasting a live message to a specific zone of a protected structure, recording the live transmission, and repeating the recorded message to the same protected zone. In certain embodiments configured to protect multiple zones, the system further permits broadcast of a second live message to another zone of the structure, recording the second live broadcast, and repeating the second recorded message in the same zone to which the message was broadcast live. The system includes hardware such as a processing element and speaker assemblies and a computer program for instructing the processing element to carry out the transmission, recording, and re-broadcasting of messages through the speaker assemblies.
US09147324B2
A system and method of detecting tampering at an automatic teller machine includes detecting start and end indicators of a transaction. A representation of a scene at the teller machine, prior to the start of the transaction can be compared to a representation of the scene after the end of the transaction. Variations therebetween can indicate tampering at the machine.
US09147319B2
A method of community gaming comprising: collecting at least one element in a main game for eligibility into a community game by at least one player; and conducting the community game for each eligible player, in which each collected element is employed in determining the community game outcome.
US09147317B2
A gaming system for conducting a wagering game allows players, casino operators, and/or gaming machine manufacturers to selectively combine base games and bonus games. This modular approach allows players, casino operators, and/or gaming machine manufacturers to mix and match base games and bonus games as needed. In some embodiments, players, casino operators, and/or gaming machine manufacturers may also select different game features to employ in the bonus and/or base games. Such an arrangement allows players, casino operators, and/or gaming machine manufacturers to configure each base game and/or bonus game according to their preferences.
US09147315B2
A method for gaming terminals, gaming kiosks and lottery terminals to ensure that the code-signing verification process of downloaded game software can be trusted. Drivers independently developed from the operating system supplier are embedded within the operating system kernel to verify that the micro-coded hardware components, the BIOS (808), the operating system components and the downloaded game software can be trusted.
US09147311B2
An operating system for a gaming system includes a data producer which generates non-reproducible data relating to a transaction carried out in respect of the gaming system. A data consumer is in communication with the data producer for storing data relating to the non-reproducible data. A game controller is in communication with the data producer and the data consumer which effects communications between the data producer and the data consumer by means of a transaction-based protocol. The invention also relates to the use of data storage device for a gaming system that includes a local power supply.
US09147307B2
A gaming system displays a plurality of bingo cards each containing at least one column, each column having at least one square. Each square includes a random number selected from a range associated with that column. The gaming system displays each bingo card and an initially-empty accumulation area. Balls are drawn from a pool of balls, each ball associated with a number. As the balls are drawn, any square on any of the bingo cards containing the number of the drawn ball is marked with a suitable indicator. A primary award is provided for combinations of marked squares on one or more of the bingo cards. The gaming system displays the balls in the accumulated area in the order in which they are drawn. The gaming system provides a secondary award for combinations of balls displayed in the accumulation area.
US09147301B2
A paper sheet handling machine 100 comprises an upper unit 10 having a paper sheet take-in apparatus 120 adapted for taking therein paper sheets, one by one, from the exterior, an upper transport mechanism 201a adapted for transporting the paper sheets taken in by the paper sheet take-in apparatus 120, one by one, and a recognition unit 220 adapted for recognizing each paper sheet transported by the upper transport mechanism 201a; a lower unit 20 located below the upper unit 10 and having a lower transport mechanism 201b provided to receive the paper sheets transferred from the upper transport mechanism 201a, one by one, and then further transport the transferred paper sheets, and a plurality of stacking units 106, each adapted for stacking therein the paper sheets transported by the lower transport mechanism 201b and sorted based on results obtained by the recognition unit 220. In this case, at least a part of a bottom portion of the upper unit 10 is opened. Additionally, a partition member 30 is provided between the upper unit 10 and the lower unit 20.
US09147299B2
Provide dare methods, systems and apparatuses for data brokering between hand held wireless devices (WDs) and data rendering devices (DRDs). DRDs in the form of multimedia devices used for rendering data by printing (e.g. to a networked printer) or displaying video data (e.g., televisions, video monitors, and projectors) are provided with data for rendering at the DRD at the request of WDs. DRDs are capable of receiving data data from a network at the request of a WD and/or directly from a WD as the host and then rendering or displaying the data on devices capable of receiving and processing the data. DRD (e.g. printers and multimedia video devices) can also be controlled by the WD during display of the data and to control display of the data.
US09147287B2
A statistical point pattern matching technique is used to match corresponding points selected from two or more views of a roof of a building. The technique statistically selecting points from each of orthogonal and oblique aerial views of a roof. generating radial point patterns for each aerial view, calculating the origin of each point pattern, representing the shape of the point pattern as a radial function, and Fourier-transforming the radial function to produce a feature space plot. A feature profile correlation function can then be computed to relate the point match sets. From the correlation results, a vote occupancy table can be generated to help evaluate the variance of the point match sets, indicating, with high probability, which sets of points are most likely to match one another.
US09147283B1
Water surface visualization during a simulation is disclosed. Elevation data that identifies an elevation of a water surface is accessed. Based on the elevation data, it is determined that a camera view location of a camera view is on a first side of a water surface. Object data is accessed that identifies a location comprising an elevation of each of a plurality of objects in the scene. An organization of a plurality of objects for rendering is determined based on the elevation of each object of the plurality of objects relative to the water surface. The water surface scene portion is rendered based on the organization.
US09147279B1
Examples disclose a method and system for merging textures. The method may be executable to receive one or more images of an object, identify a texture value for a point in a first image of the one or more images, and determine a metric indicative of a relation between a view reference point vector and a normal vector of a position of a point on the object relative to the image capturing device. Based on the metrics, the method may be executable to determine a weighted average texture value to apply to a corresponding point of a three-dimensional mesh of the object.
US09147266B2
An image processing apparatus comprises means for generating, from first-resolution image data including signals according to a plurality of color filters, second-resolution image data including signals according to the plurality of color filters at a resolution lower than the first-resolution image data; means for generating luminance signals from the signals according to the plurality of color filters of the second-resolution image data; means for storing image data including the luminance signals generated from the second-resolution image data; means for generating image data, which includes signals according to the plurality of color filters as many as the number of pixels of the first-resolution image data, from the stored image data and includes the luminance signals; and means for combining the signals according to the plurality of color filters of the first-resolution image data and signals according to the plurality of color filters of the image data output from the conversion means.
US09147263B2
A method for reversible coding of an image, including extracting compression information from an image compressed in an original format, at least partly decompressing the compressed image into an intermediate at least partly decompressed image, re-encoding the intermediate image into a re-encoded image, and preferably associating in a same file, the re-encoded image with compression information.
US09147259B2
Multi-mode video event indexing includes determining a quality of object distinctiveness with respect to images from a video stream input. A high-quality analytic mode is selected from multiple modes and applied to video input images via a hardware device to determine object activity within the video input images if the determined level of detected quality of object distinctiveness meets a threshold level of quality, else a low-quality analytic mode is selected and applied to the video input images via a hardware device to determine object activity within the video input images, wherein the low-quality analytic mode is different from the high-quality analytic mode.
US09147246B2
A method of analyzing a stream of imaging data is disclosed. The method comprises: for each picture-element of the data, associating a vector of features indicative of temporal intensity variation relative to baseline intensity, thereby providing a plurality of vectors. The method further comprises clustering the picture-elements according to the vectors, thereby providing a plurality of clusters, and identifying different compartments in the vasculature based on the clusters.
US09147245B1
A method for content-based image retrieval for the classification of breast density from mammographic imagery is described. The breast density is characterized through the Fisher linear discriminants (FLD) extracted from the Principal Component Analysis (PCA). Unlike PCA, the FLD provides a very discriminative representation of the mammographic images in terms of the breast density. Various exemplary methods, systems and computer program products are also disclosed.
US09147239B2
The mass of an object may be estimated based on intersection points of a representation of a surface in an image space with cubes defining the image space, the surface representing a surface of an object. The representation may be, for example, based on marching cubes. The mass may be estimated by estimating a mass contribution of a first set of cubes contained entirely within the representation of the surface, estimating a mass contribution of a second set of cubes having intersection points with the representation of the surface, and summing the estimated mass contribution of the first set of cubes and the estimated mass contribution of the second set of cubes. The object may be segmented from other portions of an image prior to estimating the mass of the object.
US09147237B2
An image processing device includes a region detector configured to receive input image data and to determine a region in which the input image data belongs to among a plurality of regions; and an operation unit configured to perform an operation on the input image data using a coefficient corresponding to the determined region among a plurality of different coefficients, which are predetermined to respectively correspond to the plurality of regions.
US09147232B1
A method for processing an input image to reduce halo artifacts in an electrophotographic printing system. The input image is automatically analyzed to determine an edge map image indicating light-side edge regions that include edge pixels that are adjacent to edge transitions in the input image and are on a lighter side of the edge transition. At least one edge region dilation operation to the edge map image to expand the light-side edge regions in a direction away from the edge transitions. A corrected image is formed by modifying the input pixels of the input image corresponding to the expanded light-side edge regions to determine corrected pixels having corrected pixel values. The corrected image is then printed using the electrophotographic printing system.
US09147197B2
Systems and methods are disclosed herein for characterizing the effectiveness of an advertisement displayed at a point of sale (POS). A transaction reported by a POS may identify a consumer and a transaction time as well of details such as a product purchased. The transaction time may be compared to an advertising schedule to identify an advertisement displayed adjacent the POS at the time of purchase. Transactions subsequent to identified advertisements may be analyzed to identify any increase in purchasing activity for an advertised product. Increases in purchasing activity and impressions identified in this manner for the general population or demographic groups may be aggregated to characterize an advertisement's effectiveness. Video data or transaction frequency data may be used to estimate an in-queue time for a customer in order to identify advertisement impressions.
US09147194B1
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer-readable storage medium, including a method for presenting aggregated performance information for video content items. The method comprises identifying a video content item displayable in a plurality of different format types to users. The method further comprises collecting performance information related to the display of the video content item when presented in each of the different format types. The method further comprises aggregating the performance information for the different format types, where the performance information includes information selected from a group comprising a number of thumbnail impressions, a number of video impressions, a number of views, a view rate, an average cost-per-view, a total cost, or a number of clicks to a landing page, including providing overall performance information for the video content item. The method further comprises presenting the aggregated performance information for the video content item.
US09147193B2
Embodiments of the invention provide methods for maximizing the bandwidth utilization in the uplink of a communication system supporting time division multiplexing between unicast and multicast/broadcast communication modes during transmission time intervals in the downlink of a communication system. This is accomplished by multiplexing at least unicast control signaling for UL scheduling assignments in TTIs supporting the multicast/broadcast communication mode. Moreover, multiplexing of unicast control signaling can also be accomplished by splitting a symbol of the multicast/broadcast TTI into two shorter symbols with the first of these two shorter symbols carrying at least unicast control signaling and the second of these shorter symbols carrying multicast/broadcast signaling.
US09147190B2
A computer is programmed to receive from an administrator, a rule specifying one or more values of a parameter, identification of software wherein the rule is to be applied, and identification of a user on whom the rule is to be applied. The computer stores an association between the rule, the identified user and the identified software. On receipt of input from the identified user, to access the identified software, the computer uses the association to retrieve the rule, apply the rule to select information based on the value(s) specified in the rule, and execute the identified software to display the selected information to the identified user. Use of a rule that is specific to the user and also specific to the software enables the computer to support security for each user differently for different pieces of software in a software product line.
US09147189B2
A system, device, and method for generating and transmitting secure reports or documents in a retail environment or payment system comprising both secure and unsecure portions, where users of the unsecure portions may require access to sensitive information stored by the secure portions for various purposes, such as reporting, accounting, or reconciliation.
US09147188B2
An electronic currency and authentication system and method. An electronic money validator is attached to electronic money. The electronic money validator authenticates the electronic money originated by electronic money issuer. The electronic money might be originated when cash or cash equivalent is received from a customer for deposit into the customer's account. The electronic money validator is retired when the electronic money is removed from circulation.
US09147186B2
An interrogating and processing system and method is described. A wireless communication device interrogates an information source, having a barcode or tag, and wirelessly transmits data indicative of the information source. The interrogator can be built into or adjunct to the wireless communication device. An automated processing subsystem receives the transmitted data and identifies an item corresponding to the data. A fulfillment subsystem effects delivery of the item to a destination. There can be a coupon code scanning and processing system and method. A wireless computing device having an interrogator reads a coupon code. An automated processing subsystem receives the corresponding data and provides a benefit associated with the coupon. The benefit can be a discount on a product or service. Alternatively, at least a portion of the coupon including a code is displayed on a screen of the computing device for processing at a point of sale terminal.
US09147185B2
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.
US09147175B2
A dynamic inventory tracking and transfer system is provided that, when in operation, keeps track of inventory by tracking vehicle positions and inventory transfers. A transceiver on a vehicle detects and transmits a signal to the tracking system whenever a vehicle latches onto inventory and/or releases (i.e., unlatches) inventory. Whenever latch and unlatch signals are detected close in proximity to one another, the system concludes an inventory transfer has been made between the two vehicles. The inventory monitoring takes place in real time, thereby allowing inventory to be tracked from the time it is removed from a ship/train to the time it leaves a sea port, rail terminal or industrial yard.
US09147158B2
Embodiments of the present application relate to a personalized information pushing method, a personalized information pushing device, and a computer program product for pushing personalized information. A personalized information pushing method is provided. The method includes retrieving network behavior data related to access operations performed by user terminals, determining a numerical value of a degree of correlation between a user terminal and a plurality of information providing terminals having a correlation within a set time window based on the network behavior data, retrieving information providing terminals corresponding to a first user terminal to form a first data set based on the numerical values, retrieving information of the information providing terminals from the first data set to generate a first information, and pushing the first information to the first user terminal.
US09147156B2
Apparatus and methods for efficient synaptic update in a network such as a spiking neural network. In one embodiment, the post-synaptic updates, in response to generation of a post-synaptic pulse by a post-synaptic unit, are delayed until a subsequent pre-synaptic pulse is received by the unit. Pre-synaptic updates are performed first following by the post-synaptic update, thus ensuring synaptic connection status is up-to-date. The delay update mechanism is used in conjunction with system “flush” events in order to ensure accurate network operation, and prevent loss of information under a variety of pre-synaptic and post-synaptic unit firing rates. A large network partition mechanism is used in one variant with network processing apparatus in order to enable processing of network signals in a limited functionality embedded hardware environment.
US09147155B2
Certain aspects of the present disclosure support a technique for neural temporal coding, learning and recognition. A method of neural coding of large or long spatial-temporal patterns is also proposed. Further, generalized neural coding and learning with temporal and rate coding is disclosed in the present disclosure.
US09147152B2
A computer-implemented method for displaying an animated digital watermark including the display of a mobile payment card on a mobile display screen, wherein the mobile payment card is linked to a payment system, and the display of an animated digital watermark on the mobile display screen to ensure authenticity of the displayed mobile payment card.
US09147144B2
A method for multivariable measurements using a single-chip impedance analyzer includes providing a sensor, exposing the sensor to an environmental parameter, determining a complex impedance of the sensor over a measured spectral frequency range of the sensor, and monitoring at least three spectral parameters of the sensor.
US09147141B2
A system can comprise a memory to store machine readable instructions and a processing unit to access the memory and execute the machine readable instructions. The machine readable instructions can comprise a feature set extractor to extract a feature set from each of a plurality of digital images of print samples. The feature set can be a filtered feature set that includes a feature set characterizing a printer that printed a given print sample of the print samples. The machine readable instructions can also comprise a cluster component to determine clusters of the print samples based on the feature set of each of the plurality of scanned images of the print samples. The machine readable instructions can further comprise a printer identifier to identify the printer of the print samples based on the clusters of the print samples.
US09147140B2
An image processing apparatus capable of converting input image data into image data expressing a dot pattern cell by cell includes a detection unit configured to detect a pixel having a specific pixel value in the input image data, and a determination unit configured to determine an output value of a pixel included in each cell by arranging as many print pixels as a number of print pixels according to a total value of pixel values of a pixel group including pixels included in a cell except the pixel detected by the detection unit on any of the pixels in the pixel group cell by cell.
US09147127B2
The presence of a target object within a query image may be identified based on the spatial consistency of feature points matched between the query image and a template image describing the target object. A query image and a template image describing a target object to be sought in a query image are received. Feature points are extracted from the query image and the template image using a SIFT method. Query feature points are each matched to the nearest neighbor template feature point. A matched pair of query points is assigned a confidence indicator based on the distance between each parameter of the query feature point and template feature point. The confidence indicators are mapped within a binned four-dimensional space. If the number of confidence indicators mapped to any bin is greater than a threshold value, then the target object has been detected within the query image.
US09147124B2
Provided are a method of detecting a transition area and an apparatus for processing an image using the same. The apparatus includes a line representative value calculator configured to calculate line representative values of an image including a non-image display area, an image display area, and a transition area interposed between the non-image display area and the image display area, and a transition area detector configured to calculate first-order and second-order differentiations of the line representative values, calculate a threshold value of the transition area using first-order and second-order-differentiation-representative-values of a first line group including a plurality of lines in a window including a plurality of lines and first-order and second-order-differentiation-representative-values of a second line group including a plurality of lines, and detect the transition area.
US09147118B2
An image alignment method includes steps of receiving a first image and a second image; scaling the first image and the second image by a ratio to generate a first downsized image and a second downsized image respectively; determining a first offset between the first downsized image and the second downsized image; selecting a first saliency region and a second saliency region from the first downsized image and the second downsized image; determining a second offset between a first sub-region within the first image and a second sub-region within the second image, the first sub-region and the second sub-region corresponding to the first saliency region and the second saliency region respectively; determining a final offset according to the ratio, the first offset and the second offset; and aligning the first image and the second image by the final offset.
US09147111B2
A blocking image generating system and related methods include a head-mounted display device having an opacity layer. A method may include receiving a virtual image to be presented by display optics in the head-mounted display device. Lighting information and an eye-position parameter may be received from an optical sensor system in the head-mounted display device. A blocking image may be generated in the opacity layer of the head-mounted display device based on the lighting information and the virtual image. The location of the blocking image in the opacity layer may be adjusted based on the eye-position parameter.
US09147105B2
An image recognizing apparatus is equipped with: a detecting unit configured to detect, from an input image, a candidate area for a target of recognition, based on a likelihood of a partial area in the input image; an extracting unit configured to extract, from a plurality of candidate areas detected by the detecting unit, a set of the candidate areas which are in an overlapping relation; a classifying unit configured to classify an overlapping state of the set of the candidate areas; and a discriminating unit configured to discriminate whether or not the respective candidate areas are the target of recognition, based on the overlapping state of the set of the candidate areas and the respective likelihoods of the candidate areas.
US09147101B2
This invention relates to a method of non-contact detection and identification of the type of different substances and mixtures as well as determining their characteristics as concentration, hardness, etc. The method comprises irradiation of the inspected object by a wave pulse or a series of such pulses; reception (1), amplification (2) and analog-to-digital conversion (3) of the signal, formation of output detailing wavelet coefficients and output approximating wavelet coefficients by means of fast discrete wavelet transformation of the digitized signal, by means of Mallat's pyramidal algorithm and orthogonal base functions, filtering (7) of the output approximating and detailing wavelet coefficients up to preselected ones, comparison of the filtered approximating and/or detailing wavelet coefficients, in the capacity of recognition attributes with preselected respective reference coefficients by the classifying device (8), and according to the comparison result the presence and type is determined and/or the studied characteristics of the inspected object is determined.
US09147089B2
It is an object of this invention to provide an FPC capable of improving tamper resistance. An FPC (1) of this invention includes: a signal line pattern (2) for inputting a communication signal; and signal protective line patterns (3, 4) provided to be opposed to an upper surface and a lower surface of the signal line pattern and having the same width as a width of the signal line pattern (2) or a larger width than the width of the signal line pattern (2). The signal protective line patterns are provided along the signal line pattern within a region that requires tamper resistance.
US09147083B1
In one embodiment, a method for processing trace data is provided. The method generates trace data during execution of the target application and obtains criteria for identifying whether a value in the trace data is sensitive. An initial occurrence of a sensitive value in the trace data is identified based on the obtained criteria. The method then stores the sensitive value in a data structure accessible by an obscuring process. The obscuring process receives the trace data and obscures occurrences of the sensitive value in the trace data prior to providing the trace data for display.
US09147071B2
A method for detecting malware device drivers includes the steps of identifying one or more device drivers loaded on an electronic device, analyzing the device drivers to determine suspicious device drivers, accessing information about the suspicious device drivers in a reputation system, and evaluating whether the suspicious device driver include malware. The suspicious device drivers are not recognized as not including malware. The reputation system is configured to store information about suspicious device drivers. The evaluation is based upon historical data regarding the suspicious device driver.
US09147064B2
A method for carrying out an application with the help of a portable data carrier, wherein the data carrier includes two separated communication interfaces. According to the method, a user transmits via a first terminal specified input data for processing by the application to a server via a first data connection between the first terminal and the server. Then, authentication data for authenticating the application based on the input data of the server are transmitted via a second data connection between the server and the data carrier which is connected via the first communication interface with the first terminal. The authentication data are then transmitted from the data carrier via a third data connection to the second terminal. The third data connection is realized by means of the second communication interface. Finally, upon confirmation of the authentication data by the user via the first or second terminal confirmation data to the server are transmitted via at least the first or second data connection, whereupon the server executes the application.
US09147058B2
Techniques are provided for entering, verifying, and saving a gesture on a touch-sensitive display device. In one embodiment, the device displays a gesture entry screen where a user enters a gesture. The device estimates the entered gesture and displays the estimated gesture on a gesture replay screen. The estimated gesture may be replayed repeatedly until stopped, and the device may display a gesture verification screen where the user may reenter the gesture. The device verifies if the re-entered gesture is substantially the same as the original estimated gesture. Some embodiments include a visible trace following a user's touch on the touch-sensitive display, where the trace may change in color and/or length depending on the speed, duration, and/or complexity of an entered gesture. Some embodiments include display indicator(s) (e.g., a strength bar, color change, timer, etc.) to indicate the strength and/or elapsed time during an entry or replay of a gesture.
US09147053B2
Provided is a user authentication method including reproducing sound data of which a sound source in a first position of a space around a user is virtually localized using a Head-Related Transfer Function (HRTF) of the user toward the user, acquiring a second position of the space around the user, the second position being estimated by the user who has listened to the reproduced sound data as a position of the sound source; and authenticating the user according to a coincidence between the first position and the second position.
US09147052B2
Various embodiments utilize hardware-enforced boundaries to provide various aspects of digital rights management or DRM in an open computing environment. Against the backdrop of these hardware-enforced boundaries, DRM provisioning techniques are employed to provision such things as keys and DRM software code in a secure and robust way. Further, at least some embodiments utilize secure time provisioning techniques to provision time to the computing environment, as well as techniques that provide for tamper-resistant storage.
US09147047B1
A method, a system, and computer readable medium comprising instructions for image capture to enforce remote agent adherence. The method comprises a first computer receiving an authentication request. The method also comprises a client component executing on the first computer detecting the authentication request and the client component, based on detecting the authentication request, causing a digital image to be captured. The method also comprises the first computer transmitting the digital image to a second computer, the second computer analyzing the digital image, and the second computer authenticating the digital image based on the analysis.
US09147046B2
A processor-controlled, energy-based therapy apparatus includes a device configured to provide therapeutic energy to a patient and a processor that controls the output of the device. The output of the device is based on output profiles programmed into the processor. The output profiles include a therapeutic energy output profile and a ramp-up energy profile. The therapeutic energy output profile includes a desired target energy level and a therapeutic duration for controlling the output of the device during a therapeutic period. The ramp-up energy output profile includes an initial treatment energy level and a ramp-up duration for controlling the output of the device during a ramp-up period. The energy output specified by the ramp-up energy output profile incrementally increases over the ramp-up duration as a function of the desired target energy level and the ramp-up duration.
US09147044B2
A medicament dispensing cabinet is comprised of a frame, at least one controller, and a plurality of drawers each movably carried by the frame and each defining a plurality of dispensing cells. A plurality of removable dispensing devices is provided with each one carried by one of the dispensing cells. Each of the dispensing cells further comprises a motor for providing rotary motion to one of the removable dispensing devices in response to the controller, a sensor operating in conjunction with the controller for counting medicament dispensed from one of the removable dispensing devices, a chute for receiving medicament dispensed from one of the removable dispensing devices and a chute gate for controlling access to the chute. The cabinet may additionally comprise a chute gate release responsive to the controller for controlling the chute gate and a chute gate sensor connected to the controller and responsive to the position of the chute gate. The cabinet may be used in conjunction with a number of processes including dispensing, secure-pickup (insuring the person picking up the dispensed medicament is authorized to do so), back-end verification (verifying the identity of the person picking up the dispensed medicament), a process for removing a dispensing device from a drawer, and a process for inserting a dispensing device into a drawer.
US09147042B1
Systems and methods for verifying data including income and employment, assets, healthcare claims, clinical data, and other types of data subject to various regulatory and/or privacy restrictions.
US09147032B2
A datapath extraction tool uses machine-learning models to selectively classify clusters of cells in an integrated circuit design as either datapath logic or non-datapath logic based on cluster features. A support vector machine and a neural network can be used to build compact and run-time efficient models. A cluster is classified as datapath if both the support vector machine and the neural network indicate that it is datapath-like. The cluster features may include automorphism generators for the cell clusters, or physical information based on the cell locations from a previous (e.g., global) placement, such as a ratio of a total cell area for a given cluster to a half-perimeter of a bounding box for the given cluster.
US09147028B2
Methods for accommodating a non-integer multiple of the M2 pitch for the cell height of a semiconductor cell and the resulting devices are disclosed. Embodiments may include forming a cell within an integrated circuit (IC) with a height of a first integer and a remainder times a track pitch of a metal track layer, and forming power rails within the metal track layer at boundaries of the cell accommodating for the remainder.
US09147025B2
A method for programming a cluster-based field programmable gate array (FPGA) device includes providing a netlist and cluster size information, translating the netlist into a hypergraph, partitioning the hypergraph into multiple partitions and optimizing the Rent characteristic, translating the partitions into clusters, placing the clusters on the FPGA device, routing interconnects using a pre-fabricated routing resource on the FPGA device, generating a programming bitstream in response to the placing and routing, and providing the programming bitstream to the FPGA device to realize the user design.
US09147024B1
Hardware and software co-synthesis performance estimation includes, for a design specified in a high level programming language and having a processor executable partition and a partition selected for hardware acceleration, estimating hardware latency for a hardware accelerator implementation of the selected partition, scheduling the selected partition using the hardware latency generating hardware partition latency information, and compiling an instrumented version of the design using a processor. The instrumented and compiled version of the design is executed generating software latency information. A design performance for the design is determined through combining the hardware partition latency information with the software latency information.
US09147022B2
A method for calculating values of parameters of a TFT includes calculating a set of simulated current-voltage (I-V) values using state-density-functions over an entire energy band in a band gap of an amorphous semiconductor of the TFT. The method further includes comparing the set of simulated I-V values with a set of measured I-V values of the TFT to determine a value of a parameter of the TFT. The method may further include calculating values of an acceptor state-density-function gA using a set of electrostatic capacity-voltage (C-V) values of the TFT measured according to a frequency. The method may further include determining values of a donor state-density-function gD and values of an interface state-density-function Dit over the entire energy band in the band gap.
US09147014B2
A bundled object image selection system includes an array of sensors configured to at least partially surround a bundle of objects, wherein the sensors are lasers adapted to obtain physical dimensional data about the bundle. The system also includes at least one camera configured to obtain a plurality of images of the bundle, a processor for executing computer-executable instructions, and a memory for storing computer executable instructions. When the instructions are executed, the processor implements a limit module that processes the physical dimensional data to determine a limit of the bundle and a selection module that selects at least one image from the plurality of images corresponding to the limit.
US09147011B2
A searching apparatus includes a memory that stores a plurality of records, and a processor that executed a procedure, the procedure including searching a first record group, which is a part of a plurality of records, for a record satisfying a first search condition, and, in case of a second search condition being received during the searching, further searching a second record group, which is another part of the plurality of records, for a record satisfying either the first search condition and the second search condition.
US09147009B2
The present disclosure relates, according to some embodiments, to a method of temporal bipartite projection for users and objects and a method of link prediction for an unhappened event. The method of the temporal bipartite projection comprises making a sequence of user-object weighted bipartite networks with the user-object weights, identifying the transitions for each user from a first object at a first time to a second object at a second time, assigning the transition weights corresponding to the transitions according to a predetermined rule, summing the transition weights for all users between two objects to obtain the transition tendencies, and constructing a temporal projection graph with the transition tendencies. The method of link prediction comprises constructing the temporal projection graph, identifying the potential transitions for the unhappened event at a target time, assigning the potential transition weights according to a second predetermined rule, summing the potential transition weights to obtain the scores, and ranking the scores of the link prediction.
US09147006B2
A computer management apparatus, method and computer program operable for displaying a data file on a client computer, wherein the data file comprises a structure file and a first plurality of data elements, the apparatus comprising: a send component operable for sending a first message comprising a request for the structure file; a receive component operable for receiving the structure file; an evaluate component operable for determining a second plurality of data elements, wherein the second plurality of data elements is associated with a visible area; a send component further operable for sending a second message, wherein the second message comprises a request for the second plurality of data elements; a receive component further operable for receiving the second plurality of data elements; and a display component, responsive to receipt of the second plurality of data elements, operable for displaying the second plurality of data elements in the visible area.
US09147002B2
A method includes storing content graph information regarding individual items of content accessed by one or more users of a system, storing path graph information comprising the order in which each of the one or more users accessed individual items of content, and selecting individual items of content to be presented to a subsequent user of the system and an order in which such individual items of content are presented to the subsequent user based on the stored content graph information and the stored path graph information.
US09146998B2
A social graph is built which includes interactions, sharing activity, and connections between the users of the open Web and can be used to improve ad targeting and content personalization. Sharing activity between two users will affect ads or content that both users will be presented while surfing the Web. This sharing activity includes sending of links, sending of videos, sending of files, cutting and pasting of content, sending text messages, and sending of e-mails. For example, the sharing activity can include receiving first activity information for a sender of a message to a recipient by a collection resource at a Web site, the collection resource adding a link to the message, and receiving second activity information when the recipient accesses the link. Building of the social graph can include creating an edge in the social graph that is representative of a particular category type.
US09146996B2
A methodology is disclosed for improving searches of a distributed Internet network. A distributed Internet network is searched for a particular information type, searching for a field identified using a predetermined identifier indicating that the field comprises information of the particular information type. When the field identified using the predetermined identifier is found, an association of the contents of the field with the search results is made, and repeated using the same predetermined identifier. Information of a particular information type may then be served in a field identified using a predetermined identifier that identifies the field as containing information of the particular information type.
US09146992B2
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for enriching web resources In one aspect, a method includes: sending a request for a web resource to a web server, receiving the requested document from the web server, sending an identifier of the received web resource to a search engine server, retrieving from a cached storage of the search engine server one or more trigger terms associated with the web resource, extracting the parametric values of each trigger term associated with the web resource, modifying the web resource by embedding an answer box gadget for each trigger term in the web resource using the parametric values of the each trigger term, and rendering the modified web resource in the requesting client device.
US09146991B2
Disclosed is a web browser based content management application with an integrated user configurable content interface whereby a user can manage a wide variety of content using a single window. The user interface includes a “browser window in a browser window” that provides transparent access to a host of underlying applications that are configured to manage the user's interaction with a wide variety of content, including multimedia content delivered via the Internet. The windowing functionality of the content management application can be set to automatically reconfigure based on the number and type of content accessed. A continuously playing video player is configured to appear within a web page when a user browses to the first web page and to render video overlayed on the web page. The player is configured to play the same video stream continuously while a user browses from the web page to a second web page.
US09146984B1
Systems and methods for enabling querying of nested or repeated structures with simple, non-nested group by queries derived from a template. In particular, non-flat tables (e.g., tables with repeated or nested structures) can be queried from a frontend interface as though the tables flat, exposing data associated with the nested structures by way of the non-nest queries.
US09146982B2
A computer-implemented method, system and computer program product for collecting information from data sources by receiving a collection request at a collection tool to collect information, where the collection request includes data source information indicating a data source from which to retrieve the information. The data source information in the collection request is associated with one or more electronic data repositories in response to the data source indicated by the data source information being previously unidentified to the collection tool. The information is collected from the one or more associated electronic data repositories.
US09146978B2
According to one aspect, embodiments of the invention provide a data replicator comprising a system exit configured to capture data received at a source, the captured data including a plurality of individual messages, a message broker configured to receive the plurality of individual messages from the configuration control system and to convert the plurality of individual messages to a format of a destination, and a sequence engine in communication with the message broker via a channel, the sequence engine configured to receive and store the converted plurality of individual messages, to re-sequence the converted plurality of individual messages into a desired sequence, and to provide the re-sequenced messages to a destination database in the desired sequence, wherein the sequence engine includes a message throttle which is configured to close the channel in response to a determination by the message throttle that the sequence engine cannot receive additional converted individual messages.
US09146973B2
The invention provides a presentation of contextual information to a digital device in relation to a period of time. As such the invention provides for efficient user access to historical, as well as, current and future or forecasted contextual information. In addition, the present invention provides for current contextual information to be presented in an idle mode view, a scrolling bar mode view or another inconspicuous view. Additionally the present invention provides a novel means of using context information to create multimedia file presentations, image or video file presentations that can be associated with previous periods of time, locations or other context data.
US09146972B2
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for scoring and ranking environmental views of particular content. In an aspect, a method determines, for each presentation mode of a content item, a presentation mode score for the presentation mode based on presentation mode signals, each presentation mode score being an indicator of quality of the presentation mode; selecting the presentation mode having presentation mode score indicating a highest quality relative to the quality indicated to the other presentation modes by the other presentation mode scores; and providing the search results to a user device for presentation according to the presentation order, each search result referencing a corresponding content item, and wherein the search result for the content item having the plurality of presentation modes is provided according to the selected presentation mode.
US09146963B2
The present invention is an improved system and method for analyzing multiple real estate properties. The system includes a pool of properties that are searched based on user-defined search criteria. The system identifies comparison properties from the search pool. The comparison properties include attributes that match or are a near match to the search criteria. The system compares each of the comparison properties to at least one average value and demonstrably depicts the comparison to the user.
US09146961B2
Techniques are provided to achieve performance improvements for path-based access to hierarchical data and for utilizing an extensible indexing framework. Extensible operators may be optimized by evaluating the operators using functions native to the database system instead of using functions defined through an extensible indexing mechanism. Furthermore, the database system may resolve a resource path of a query when the query is compiled, and may store the mapping of the resource path to one or more resources in a cursor for the query execution plan to avoid resolving the resource path each time the cursor is used to run the query. The cursor may be made dependent on the one or more resources to which the resource path refers at compile time. This takes advantage of the observation that the mapping of the resource path to particular resources rarely changes between evaluations of a particular query.
US09146949B1
Described are data structures and methodology for forming same, for network protocol processing. A method for creating data structures for firewalling and network address translating is described. A method for creating data structures for physical layer addressing is described. A method for security protocol support using a data structure is described. A method for creating at least one data structure sized responsive to whether a firewall is activated is described. A data structure for routing packets is described. A method of forming hashing table chains is described. A method and apparatus for tracking packet states is described. More particularly, Transmission Control Protocol (“TCP”) tracking of states for packets is described. In an embodiment, a division between software states and hardware states is made as a packet is processed by both software and hardware. A method and apparatus for network protocol processing are also described.
US09146948B2
A system provides multidimensional tuple Hilbert ordering within a linear storage structure to enable more consistent and efficient access to stored multidimensional tuples. The database system comprises a tuple storage module that receives multidimensional data elements, where each multidimensional data element is defined by a plurality of different object types, and where each object is associated with a different dimension within a multidimensional data space. The tuple storage module further forms a respective tuple for each of the multidimensional data elements by mapping each object to an associated reference and applies a Hilbert function to the references of each of the tuples to determine a respective Hilbert ordering for each of the tuples. The system further comprises a linear data storage structure that includes a B-tree for storing the Hilbert ordering.
US09146939B1
Search log data may specify map results that were provided to a user, and may further specify, for each map result, a geographic location to which the map result has been identified as relevant. For each geographic location, a number of the search results that have been identified as relevant to the geographic location may be determined, and a result suggest boost factor for the geographic location may be determined based on the number of search results that have been identified as relevant to the geographic location. A result suggest boost factor may be stored in an index, and is a value indicative of a likelihood that a query received from the user is requesting map results that are relevant to the geographic location.
US09146938B2
A satellite navigation method and system are provided. The system includes a global position system (GPS) module, an input unit, a picture database, a geographical information system (GIS) module, an integrating unit, and a display unit. The method includes the following steps. Firstly, a navigation area is determined through the input unit, so as to search out several picture batches in the navigation area from the picture database. Next, a map relating to the navigation area is provided by the GIS module. Then, the picture batches and the map are integrated by the integrating unit to produce an integrated map shown on a first frame of the display unit. Afterwards, several pictures of the picture batch chosen from the first frame displayed on a second frame and satellite navigation information of the picture chosen from the second frame are displayed on a third frame by the display unit.
US09146935B1
A computer-implemented method may include identifying at least one file and detecting an event that is suggestive of at least a portion of the file being duplicated in at least one additional file. The computer-implemented method may also include classifying the file as a candidate for deduplication in response to detecting the event. The computer-implemented method may further include maintaining the file's candidate-for-deduplication classification for use in prompting a determination on whether the portion of the file is already stored within a storage device.
US09146934B2
A method and system for replicating database data is provided. One or more standby database replicas can be used for servicing read-only queries, and the amount of storage required is scalable in the size of the primary database storage. One technique is described for combining physical database replication to multiple physical databases residing within a common storage system that performs de-duplication. Having multiple physical databases allows for many read-only queries to be processed, and the de-duplicating storage system provides scalability in the size of the primary database storage. Another technique uses one or more diskless standby database systems that share a read-only copy of physical standby database files. Notification messages provide consistency between each diskless system's in-memory cache and the state of the shared database files. Use of a transaction sequence number ensures that each database system only accesses versions of data blocks that are consistent with a transaction checkpoint.
US09146929B2
A method for automatic folder ownership assignment, including ascertaining which first folders, among a first multiplicity of folders, have at least one of modify and write permissions to non-IT administration entities, adding the first folders to a list of candidates for ownership assignment, defining a second multiplicity of folders which is a subset of the first multiplicity of folders and not including the first folders and descendents and ancestors thereof, ascertaining which second folders among the second multiplicity of folders, have permissions to non-IT administration entities, adding the second folders to the candidates, defining a third multiplicity of folders, which is a subset of the second multiplicity of folders and not including the second folders and descendents and ancestors thereof, ascertaining which third folders among the third multiplicity of folders are topmost folders, adding the third folders to the candidates, and recommending possible assignment of ownership of the candidates.
US09146926B2
Techniques disclosed herein include systems and methods for indexing data events from a stream of data for seeking through recorded data streams. Techniques disclosed herein can enable a faster and more efficient process by which a processor can seek from one point of time in a data stream to another point of time in that data stream to bring a played-back application to a desired point in time. A playback manager analyzes data events within a series of data events, which are recorded in a linear data structure. The playback manager creates a hierarchical data structure for storing the data events to provide logically grouped storage of data events in addition to the linear data structure. The playback manager stores the data events in the hierarchical data structure based on type of data event and based on timestamps associated with each respective data event. The playback manager then traverses the linear data structure and consolidates data events to produce a hierarchical state representation of the recorded data stream at the given seek point for rendering in a playback application.
US09146920B2
A transactional memory (TM) receives an Atomic Look-up, Add and Lock (ALAL) command across a bus from a client. The command includes a first value. The TM pulls a second value. The TM uses the first value to read a set of memory locations, and determines if any of the locations contains the second value. If no location contains the second value, then the TM locks a vacant location, adds the second value to the vacant location, and sends a result to the client. If a location contains the second value and it is not locked, then the TM locks the location and returns a result to the client. If a location contains the second value and it is locked, then the TM returns a result to the client. Each location has an associated data structure. Setting the lock field of a location locks access to its associated data structure.
US09146915B2
A method and apparatus for automatically adding a tag to a document are provided. The method comprises: determining a plurality of candidate tag words corresponding to the document; determining a corpus comprising a plurality of texts; selecting commonly-used words from the corpus as characteristic words; determining, for each of the characteristic words and each of the candidate tag words, a probability for co-occurrence of the candidate tag word with the characteristic word; abstracting characteristic words from the document, and calculating a weight for each of the abstracted characteristic words; and calculating, in the corpus, a weighted probability for co-occurrence of each of the candidate tag words with all of the characteristic words abstracted from the document; selecting the candidate tag word with a high weighted co-occurrence probability as a tag word to be added to the document.
US09146908B2
At least one XML document to be validated is parsed, and XML data in the at least one XML document is represented as data objects in at least one data object model in a memory. At least one rule document is parsed and a rule object model is created in the memory. At least part of the data objects are extracted from the at least one data object model and at least part of rule objects are extracted from the rule object model. Validation is performed in a corresponding execution context for the extracted at least part of the data objects based upon the extracted at least part of the rule objects.
US09146899B2
A system for attenuating vehicle audio for mobile application audible statements, the system comprising a vehicle computing system having one or more processors for playing audio in the vehicle from a plurality of different audio sources. The system also includes a wireless transceiver for communicating signals from a mobile computing device for processing by the vehicle computing system. The vehicle computing system is configured to receive a wireless signal from the mobile computing device representative of an audible statement to be played in the vehicle. If the vehicle computing system is playing audio in the vehicle at the time the wireless signal is received from the mobile computing device, determine an amount to attenuate the audio based on the source of the audio. Attenuate the audio and play the audible statement based on the determination.
US09146897B2
A Thumbtrap is an ipad accessory, that enhances individual and multi-player game play. It is a non-permanent, reusable vinyl cling that sticks to the smooth glass screen of the ipad without use of adhesives. When placed over an onscreen game control button, a Thumbtrap acts like a small fence that prevents the thumb drift that inevitably occurs during intense game play, and guides the thumb into specified zones over an onscreen button for better button contact accuracy. Thumbtraps can be used with several existing ipad games.
US09146892B2
The disclosed systems and methods relate to improving PCI Express (PCI-E) L1 Active State Power Management (ASPM) exit latency by speculatively initiating early L1 exit based on a network stimulus. Aspects of the present invention may enable a higher level of performance and responsiveness while supporting the benefits of ASPM. Aspects of the present invention may minimize operational cost by reducing latency in processes that utilize a PCI-E interface. Aspects of the present invention may be embodied in a Network Interface Controller (NIC) or any other device with a PCI-E interface that supports ASPM.
US09146878B1
In one aspect, a method includes receiving write I/Os for storage in a primary storage array, splitting the write I/Os to a replica site, storing the write I/Os for storage in the storage array in a cache, periodically de-staging the write I/Os in the cache to a volume and after a cache data loss, restoring lost write I/Os from the cache by using the write I/Os split to the replica site.
US09146869B2
A method and apparatus for state encoding of cache lines is described. Some embodiments of the method and apparatus support probing, in response to a first probe of a cache line in a first cache, a copy of the cache line in a second cache when the cache line is stale and the cache line is associated with a copy of the cache line stored in the second cache that can bypass notification of the first cache in response to modifying the copy of the cache line.
US09146862B2
A method, information processing system, and computer readable storage medium, vary a maximum heap memory size for one application of a plurality of applications based on monitoring garbage collection activity levels for the plurality of applications, each application including a heap memory, and unused memory in the heap memory being reclaimed by a garbage collector.
US09146859B2
There is provided an information processing apparatus including a rewrite frequency management section configured to manage a rewrite frequency of a page included in a nonvolatile primary storage apparatus having an upper limit in the rewrite frequency, and a data processing section configured, when an instruction for writing write data to a predetermined page is issued and a rewrite frequency of the predetermined page reaches a threshold value that is less than the upper limit of the rewrite frequency of the primary storage apparatus, to write the write data to another page different from the predetermined page, the other page storing no effective data and having a rewrite frequency that does not reach the threshold value.
US09146844B2
An apparatus and method is described herein for conditionally committing and/or speculative checkpointing transactions, which potentially results in dynamic resizing of transactions. During dynamic optimization of binary code, transactions are inserted to provide memory ordering safeguards, which enables a dynamic optimizer to more aggressively optimize code. And the conditional commit enables efficient execution of the dynamic optimization code, while attempting to prevent transactions from running out of hardware resources. While the speculative checkpoints enable quick and efficient recovery upon abort of a transaction. Processor hardware is adapted to support dynamic resizing of the transactions, such as including decoders that recognize a conditional commit instruction, a speculative checkpoint instruction, or both. And processor hardware is further adapted to perform operations to support conditional commit or speculative checkpointing in response to decoding such instructions.
US09146841B2
A method is provided for a proxy server to assist in the testing of a product. The method includes receiving, from the product, a first request and passing the first request to a server, receiving, from the server, a first response to the first request and passing the first response to the product, recording the first request and the first response, generating one or more second responses from one or more simulated servers based on the first request and the first response, intercepting a second request from the product, in response to the second request, matching the second request to a second response, and sending the second response to the product.
US09146833B2
In an embodiment a software application may include a “baseline trace” indicating proper application execution. The baseline trace may include counts for various types of instructions (e.g., how many times each of a LR instruction and a MV instruction occurs during an execution of code). The finished application includes the baseline trace. Upon execution the application randomly selects which of the various types of instructions to count during execution (e.g., LR or MV instruction) to produce a “real time trace”. The application executes and produces the real-time trace. The baseline trace is then compared to the real-time trace, which is specific to the randomly chosen type of instruction. If the traces are within a pre-determined range of each other the user has a level of assurance the software is operating correctly. Other embodiments are described herein.
US09146826B2
Embodiments disclosed herein enable network simulation including a range of networking technologies to be scaled to include large numbers of devices under test (DUTs) even though computing resources, such as a total number of simulation hosts or IP addresses, may be limited. By enabling a network simulator to scale with limited computing resources, developers may be enabled to reduce the requirements for physical space, power, cost, and maintenance for network simulation. For example, developers may be able to determine capacity, such as a total number of DUTs that a network management system (NMS) is capable of managing, even though few simulation hosts or IP addresses may be available for simulation of the DUTs.
US09146822B2
Systems and methods for cluster maintenance are presented. In one embodiment a cluster configuration method includes: maintaining configuration information associated with a first node and a second node, including cluster configuration version information; evaluating the first node as a potential configuration update node for the second node, including evaluating an indication of potential partial snapshot update availability based upon the configuration information associated with the first node and configuration information associated with the second node; performing an update type selection, including continued analysis of partial snapshot update availability; and performing an update for the second node in accordance with results of the update type selection. Evaluating the first node as a potential configuration update node can include comparing an available configuration version indication associated with the first node to the available cluster configuration version indication associated with the second node.
US09146800B2
A method detects anomalies in time series data by comparing universal features extracted from testing time series data with the universal features acquired from training time series data to determine a score. The universal features characterize trajectory components of the time series data and stochastic components of the time series data. Then, an anomaly is detected if the anomaly score is above a threshold.
US09146799B2
A storage system includes a plurality of control devices to control output and input of data to and from a storage device. At least one of the plurality of control devices includes an interface unit and an arithmetic processing unit. The interface unit receives an instruction regarding output or input of data to or from the storage device. The arithmetic processing unit receives the instruction from the interface unit and executes the instruction. The arithmetic processing unit selects, when an error has occurred in a specific interface unit, a first processing unit and requests the first processing unit to execute saving processing for saving dump data of the specific interface unit. The arithmetic processing unit selects, when a usage rate of the first processing unit goes beyond a threshold during execution of the saving processing, a second processing unit and requests the second processing unit to execute the saving processing.
US09146790B1
Various systems and methods for managing node connectivity in distributed storage systems are disclosed. For example, one method involves detecting a communication fault between two nodes. A first node is configured to communicate input/output (I/O) requests to the second node as in-flight I/O requests. The second node is configured to communicate locally generated I/O requests and the received I/O requests to storage devices. Once the communication fault is detected, a fencing operation is performed. The fencing operation can include processing some of the received I/O requests by the second node, and rejecting any additional in-flight I/O requests received from the first node.
US09146784B2
Techniques for orchestrating workflows are disclosed herein. In an embodiment, a method of orchestrating a workflow is disclosed. In an embodiment, data is stored in a policy file which associates attributes with processes. User input is received. A process associated with an attribute is selected, where the attribute is based on the user input. The selected process is performed as part of the workflow. Also, processes may be added dynamically as part of any category inside the policy file without having to recompile or redesign the logic of the BPEL project.
US09146758B2
Probes are instrumented in multiple software modules of a computer system having virtual machines running therein and executed in a coordinated manner. An output of one probe may be used to conditionally trigger another probe so that the precision of collected data may be improved. In addition, outputs of probes that are triggered in different software modules by related events may be synchronized and analyzed collectively. Probes also may be parallel processed in different processors so that multiple probes can be processed concurrently.
US09146748B1
The disclosed computer-implemented method for injecting drivers into computing systems during restore operations may include (1) identifying a restore operation directed to restoring a system volume on a computing system, (2) locating, at least in part by examining a hardware configuration of the computing system being restored, at least one driver utilized by the hardware configuration, (3) representing the system volume as an image to a deployment image servicing and management application, and (4) causing the deployment image servicing and management application to inject the driver into the computing system as part of the restore operation. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.
US09146723B2
A method for installation and configuration of a software product includes installing a software product and determining configuration settings of the software product based upon a social network of peers. A system for installation and configuration of at least one software product includes at least one client install package capable of utilizing a social network for at least one of installing software; transmitting configuration settings; transmitting post-installation configuration settings; or responding to post-installation configuration modifications; and a server that stores and aggregates the configuration settings of a plurality of users, forming at least one social network.
US09146707B2
A 3× circuit for partial product generation used in a radix-8 multiplier receiving only a single multiplicand input. Rather than providing 2-inputs to the adder (a 2× of multiplicand and the multiplicand itself), the new 3× circuit uses the multiplicand as the only input. Thus, in terms of connections at the multiplier circuit level, only one bus is required to connect to the input of the new 3× circuit. The 3× generation adder circuit further operates at a reduced number of logic levels and speeds up the critical path by taking advantage of the repetition and fixed spatial separation of the bits for the adder inputs.
US09146706B2
A controlled-precision Iterative Arithmetic Logic Unit (IALU) included in a processor produces sub-precision results, i.e. results having a bit precision less than full precision. In one embodiment, the controlled-precision IALU comprises an arithmetic logic circuit and a precision control circuit. The arithmetic logic circuit is configured to iteratively process operands of a first bit precision to obtain a result. The precision control circuit is configured to end the iterative operand processing when the result achieves a programmed second bit precision less than the first bit precision. In one embodiment, the precision control circuit causes the arithmetic logic circuit to end the iterative operand processing in response to an indicator received by the control circuit. The controlled-precision IALU further comprises rounding logic configured to round the sub-precision result.
US09146702B2
When there is no post-processing performed in a post-processing device, a print job of original PDL data of a general-purpose data structure is output from a computer to a PDL control unit of an image forming device. While, when there is post-processing performed in the post-processing device, a print job of PDL data of an extended data structure generated by adding attribute data of the post-processing is output from the computer to an extended PDL control unit of the post-processing device. Then, the extended PDL control unit extracts the original PDL data of the general-purpose data structure and the attribute data of the post-processing, from the received print job. The attribute data of the post-processing is used for the post-processing control unit to control a post-processing unit. The original PDL data of the general-purpose data structure is output to the PDL control unit of the image forming device.
US09146696B2
A multi-granularity parallel storage system includes an R/W port and a memory. The memory includes W memory blocks and a data gating network. Each of the memory blocks is a 2D array consisting of multiple memory units, and each memory row of the 2D array includes W memory units. For each memory block, one memory row can be read/written at a time, W is the nth power of 2, and n is a natural number.
US09146694B2
When processing data via multiple computers, the number of computers can be increased or decreased without actually moving the data assigned to the respective computers, and the data can be arranged and processed so as to enhance the performance of the system in response to the increase of the number of computers. A plurality of computers for performing data processing stores target data to be processed in a shared storage system, and when data processing is to performed, the shared storage divides the storage area storing data corresponding to the number of computers, and creates virtual data storage areas referring to a portion of the storage area for each computer, so as to enable each computer to refer to independent virtual data storage areas and to complete data processing.
US09146686B2
The present invention has the differences in that the external storage device has at least a hard disk drive and at least a nonvolatile memory logically integrated into a storage media through a low level of a system associated with the external storage device, measures the environmental temperature and measures continuously and records if a vibration is generated according to a time period, and selectively stores the data into the hard disk drive or the nonvolatile memory. By means of the above technique, the present invention may provide the efficacy of exemption of effects from unceasing vibrations and unstable operational temperature of the hard disk drive under a mobile environment.
US09146684B2
A storage architecture of a storage system environment has a storage connector interface configured to exchange data directly between flash storage devices on a server and a storage array of the environment so as to bypass main memory and a system bus of the server. According to one or more embodiments, the storage connnector interface includes control logic configured to implement the data exchange in accordance with one of a plurality of operational modes that deploy and synchronize the data on the flash storage devices and the storage array. Advantageously, the storage connector interface obviates latencies and bandwidth consumption associated with prior data exchanges over the main memory and bus, thereby enhancing storage architecture performance.
US09146673B2
A method includes, at an electronic device with a display and a touch-sensitive surface: concurrently displaying a first text entry area and an unsplit keyboard on the display; detecting a gesture on the touch-sensitive surface; and, in response to detecting the gesture on the touch-sensitive surface, replacing the unsplit keyboard with an integrated input area. The integrated input area includes a left portion with a left side of a split keyboard, a right portion with a right side of the split keyboard, and a center portion in between the left portion and the right portion.
US09146670B2
This document describes techniques for progressively indicating new content in an application-selectable user interface. These techniques permit a user to view indications of new content for applications progressively, rather than all at one time. By so doing, the techniques may avoid mentally or visually overloading or over-stimulating a user viewing the indications.
US09146653B2
When an image is touched on a touch screen, the image is displayed as if a touched side of the image is pressed down and an opposite side of the touched side is lifted up. Priority levels of peripheral portions of the image are set in accordance with up and down of the image. Rendering priority between images to be overlapped is determined in accordance with a dominant-subordinate relationship between the priority levels of the peripheral portions of the respective images to be in contact. One of the images is displayed in an overlapped portion of the images based on the rendering priority.
US09146650B2
An integration circuit including a first capacitor is operatively coupled to a comparator. The comparator is configured to compare a first capacitor voltage of the first capacitor to a reference voltage and produce a first comparator output based on the comparison. A current generator is operatively coupled with the integration circuit and configured to balance charge on the first capacitor. A control unit is operatively coupled to the comparator and the current generator and configured to balance charge on the first capacitor by sensing the first comparator output and controlling the current generator based on the first comparator output.
US09146649B1
A passive touch pen for a capacitive touch screen is provided. The passive touch pen includes a pen tube, a fixing post, and a conductive rubber tip. The pen tube has a vent. The fixing post is disposed within the pen tube, and includes a first perforation and a second perforation. The first perforation is open to a top surface of the fixing post. The second perforation is open to a lateral surface of the fixing post. The conductive rubber tip is sheathed around the fixing post and exposed outside the pen tube. After the conductive rubber tip is no longer compressed, air can be quickly introduced into to a vacant space between the conductive rubber tip and the top surface of the fixing post through the vent, the second perforation and the first perforation. Consequently, the conductive rubber tip is restored to an original non-compressed shape.
US09146646B2
There is provided an apparatus for generating a driving signal, the apparatus including: a first driving signal generation circuit generating a first driving signal; a second driving signal generation circuit generating a second driving signal, the second driving signal generation circuit including at least two transistors and a pulse generation unit; and a control unit controlling the first and second driving signal generation circuits so that they generate the first and second driving signals selectively.
US09146643B2
There are provided a touch sensing apparatus and a touch sensing method. The touch sensing apparatus includes: a panel unit provided with a plurality of electrodes; a sensing circuit unit detecting variations in capacitance in the plurality of electrodes; and a calculating unit determining a touch from the variations in capacitance, wherein the calculating unit applies different parameters for determining the touch to the plurality of individual electrodes. The parameters such as an integration time, a digital signal conversion time, and a driving signal application time are set differently according to positions in which the variations in capacitance are detected, driving efficiency may be improved and power consumption may be significantly reduced.
US09146635B2
Provided is a touch panel-equipped display device (10) including: a touch panel (14); a display part (12) including source bus lines (25); a source bus line potential switching part that switches the potential of each source bus line (25) in a source bus line potential switching period (54) that is a partial period of a vertical blanking period (51); and a sensing part that performs sensing for a touch panel in a sensing period (53) that is a period in the vertical blanking period (51) other than the partial period.
US09146634B2
A handheld device and a homescreen management method thereof are provided. The handheld device comprises a touch screen and a processor electrically connected to the touch screen. The touch screen displays a user interface, and senses a long pressing of an object and generates a first touch signal. The processor executes a homescreen management program according to the first touch signal, and enables the touch screen to display a homescreen management interface corresponding to the homescreen management program. The homescreen management interface comprises a page navigation area and a candidate object area. The page navigation area comprises a first page image and the candidate object area comprises an object image. The touch screen further senses a pressing of the object and generates a second touch signal, and the processor adds the object image into the first page image according to the second touch signal.
US09146623B1
Systems and methods for registering key inputs are provided. A system includes an input module configured to detect a first key input by a user at a point on a layout of primary keys. The system includes a correction module configured to determine whether the first key input is associated with a single one of the primary keys or a plurality of the primary keys. The input module is configured to detect a second key input if the first key input is determined to be associated with the plurality of the primary keys. The second key input includes a swipe gesture by the user from the point at which the first key input is detected on the layout towards a particular one of the plurality of the primary keys. The system includes a selection module configured to register the first or second key input as an actual key input.
US09146622B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide a system, method, and program product for dynamically updating an input language of a smart physical keyboard. A local computer receives an indication that a remote session has been started, where starting the remote session includes the local computer accessing a remote computer. The local computer determines a keyboard input language for the remote session. The local computer then updates one or more keys of a smart physical keyboard to display the keyboard input language for the remote session.
US09146620B2
Input device assembly techniques are described. In one or more implementations, an input device includes a key assembly including a plurality of keys that are usable to initiate respective inputs for a computing device, a connection portion configured to be removably connected to the computing device physically and communicatively to communicate signals generated by the plurality of keys to the computing device, a flexible hinge that physically connects the connection portion to the key assembly, and an outer layer that is configured to cover the plurality of keys of the key assembly, form an outer surface of the flexible hinge, and is secured to the connection portion such that the outer layer wraps around at least two sides of the connection portion.
US09146617B2
Systems and processes for activating a screen reading program are disclosed. One process can include receiving a request to activate the screen reading program and prompting the user to perform an action to confirm the request. The action can include a making swiping gesture, shaking the device, covering a proximity sensor, tapping a display, or the like. In some examples, the confirming action must be received within a time limit or the input can be ignored. In response to receipt of the confirmation (e.g., within the time limit), the screen reading program can be activated. The time limit can be identified using audible notifications at the start and end of the time limit. In another example, a device can detect an event associated with a request to activate a screen reading program. The event can be detected at any time to cause the device to activate the screen reading program.
US09146616B2
A remote control device comprises a housing cover configured to mate with a touch-enabled surface configured to receive input gestures, and a battery holder disposed between the housing cover and the touch-enabled surface. A first plurality of magnets is disposed in the housing cover. A second plurality of magnets is disposed in the battery holder. The first plurality of magnets in the housing cover is attracted to the second plurality of magnets in a first position of the housing cover relative to the battery holder. The first plurality of magnets in the housing cover is repelled from the second plurality of magnets in a second position of the housing cover relative to the battery holder. The first position and the second position share a rotational axis normal to the touch-enabled surface.
US09146613B2
A power sourcing equipment (PSE) device including a power over Ethernet (PoE) interface. A processor is coupled to the PoE interface. A memory is coupled to the processor and includes instruction that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform a number of functions. The processor may supply power at a first power level to a PD that is coupled to the PoE interface. The processor may then determine an actual power consumption of the PD. The processor may then send a first Link Layer Discovery Protocol (LLDP) packet to the PD over the PoE interface that includes first proposed power level information that is based on the actual power consumption of the PD. Then processor may then supply power to the PD at a second power level that is different from the first power level.
US09146609B2
According to one embodiment, a method for thread consolidation is provided for a system that includes an operating system and a multi-core processing chip in communication with an accelerator chip. The method includes running an application having software threads on the operating system, mapping the software threads to physical cores in the multi-core processing chip, identifying one or more idle hardware threads in the multi-core processing chip and identifying one or more idle accelerator units in the accelerator chip. The method also includes executing the software threads on the physical cores and the accelerator unit. The method also includes the controller module consolidating the software threads executing on the physical cores, resulting in one or more idle physical cores and a consolidated physical core. The method also includes the controller module activating a power savings mode for the one or more idle physical cores.
US09146603B2
A cloud computing system includes a network interface for interfacing with a wide area network. At least one wireless transceiver engages in bidirectional communication with a plurality of vehicle cloud processing devices within a corresponding plurality of vehicles in at least one vehicle aggregation location. A network control device receives requests for at least one cloud computing service via the wide area network and facilitates the at least one cloud computing service via the bidirectional communication with the plurality of vehicle cloud processing devices.
US09146588B2
Systems and methods for securing components of an electronic device are provided. In some embodiments, the electronic device may include a housing having an opening, a cover resting on a portion of the electronic device in a first cover position within the opening, and a lock component configured to move within the housing from a first lock position to a second lock position for securing the cover in the first cover position.
US09146586B2
An electronic device includes a tablet module and a docking base. The tablet module includes a slot, a sliding element and a plurality of first attracting elements. The sliding element is slidably disposed in the slot. The first attracting elements are adjacently disposed on the sliding element and have a first attracting side. The polarities of each two adjacent first attracting elements at the first attracting side are different. The docking base includes a bearing sheet and a plurality of second attracting elements. The bearing sheet is inserted to the slot and abuts against the sliding element. The second attracting elements are adjacently disposed on the hearing sheet and have a second attracting side. The polarities of each two adjacent second attracting elements at the second attracting side are different.
US09146576B2
A rotation mechanism (rotating device) that can be easily accessed by the surgeon's finger to rotate an endoscope or similar instrument. The rotation mechanism is a device/component with a “starfish” configuration, which can be attached to the endoscope/arthroscope just distal to the eyepiece (or to an alternate attachment to a camera). The starfish component has a plurality of projections that extend radially from the endoscope axis, and beyond the diameter of the mechanism on the camera head that grasps the arthroscope eyecup. The projections can be easily accessed by the surgeon's finger to rotate the endoscope.
US09146567B2
A current control device capable of performing widely applicable failure detection without a motor rotation speed sensor is provided. A current control semiconductor element includes, on a same semiconductor chip, a transistor that drives load, a current detection circuit that detects current of the load, a compensator that calculates an on-duty of the transistor from a current command value and a current value output from the current detection circuit, and a PWM timer that generates a pulse turning on the transistor on the basis of the on-duty. A microcontroller sends the current command value to the current control semiconductor element, receives the current value output from the current detection circuit and the on-duty output from the compensator from the current control semiconductor element, and detects failure of the current control semiconductor element on the basis of the received current value and on-duty.
US09146566B2
A fuel system (10) comprising a fluid blender (14) in fluid communication with a source of a first fuel composition and a source of a second fuel composition via at least one inlet (32, 34). The blender (14) is operable to receive at least the first fuel composition and/or second fuel composition via the at least one inlet (32, 34), and output a resultant fuel composition comprising the received fuel compositions via at least one outlet (36). The at least one outlet (36) is in fluid communication with an engine fuel injection device (38).
US09146558B2
A method of operating a mobile robot that includes driving the robot according to a drive direction, determining a driven path of the robot from an origin, and displaying a drive view on a remote operator control unit in communication with the robot. The drive view shows a driven path of the robot from the origin. The method further includes obtaining global positioning coordinates of a current location of the robot and displaying a map in the drive view using the global positioning coordinates. The driven path of the robot is displayed on the map.
US09146553B2
A hierarchical control system (203) for supervising operations of an autonomous operator located within a defined geographical region containing a localized zone having an operation-defined boundary. The control system (203) has a primary controller (604) associated with the defined geographical region and a secondary controller (605) associated with the localized zone. The secondary controller (605) is responsive to the supervisory control of the primary controller (604). The autonomous operator, if located within the localized zone, is responsive to the supervisory control of the secondary controller (605).
US09146547B2
Systems and methods are disclosed to improve energy efficiency of a farm with livestock wastes by generating a cooling, heating, and power (CCHP) microgrid model; performing on a computer a multi-objective optimization to improve system efficiency of energy utilization and reduce environmental problems caused by animal wastes; and displaying results of the optimization for review.
US09146539B2
The electronic timepiece movement (2) is equipped with a motor (4) including a stator and a permanent magnet rotor (6) situated in a stator hole, said stator defining at least two magnetic poles (12, 14) respectively including at least two pole shoes (16, 18) extending at the periphery of the hole. The motor includes at least one coil (28) respectively mounted around at least one core (26). The two pole shoes and the core form together a first part made of ferromagnetic material formed by or including a single-piece wafer forming both the two pole shoes and the core. An end portion of the core is connected to at least one corresponding pole shoe by a second part, defining a base plate or a main plate made of magnetic material, to which the first part is secured and on which elements of the electronic timepiece movement are at least partially mounted.
US09146535B2
Timepiece barrel assembly, including a mainspring mounted between a drum and a receiving surface of a core coaxial to this drum about an axis. The core includes in series from a first end towards a second end: a means of fixing a ratchet, and/or a first pivot shoulder in a plate; a second pivot shoulder of this drum; a collar radially projecting relative to this shoulder and resting on an inner face of the drum towards the spring; set back radially relative to the collar, the receiving surface; set back radially relative to the receiving surface, a third pivot shoulder of a cover for closing the barrel; and a fourth pivot shoulder in a plate.
US09146526B2
A cleaning unit usable with an image forming apparatus includes a cleaning blade, supported by a frame and including a free end contactable to an image bearing drum, for removing a developer from the drum; a first seal provided between the frame and the blade by injection molding into the frame adjacent to a longitudinal end portion of the blade, the first seal being effective to prevent developer leakage; and a second seal provided between the drum and the frame in contact with the free end of the blade adjacent to the longitudinal end portion, wherein the first seal includes a seal portion contacting the blade, and a seat supporting the second seal, the seat being deformable to move the second seal to urge the second seal to the free end of the blade when the drum is mounted to the frame.
US09146524B2
A cleaning blade includes an elastic member configured to come into contact with a surface of a member to be cleaned and remove residual matter adhering to the surface of the member to be cleaned. The elastic member satisfies the following requirements a and b: a. The elastic member has a contact portion configured to come into contact with the surface of the member to be cleaned and the contact portion includes a modified layer that contains a cured product of an ultraviolet curable composition containing a (meth)acrylate compound; and b. A value obtained by normalizing a peak area ratio SA/SB of a modified portion with a peak area ratio SA′/SB′ of a portion outside the modified layer is 1.5 or more and 10 or less where SA is a peak area value at 1162 cm−1 and SB is a peak area value at 1533 cm−1 obtained by infrared microspectrometry, and the modified portion is a region that extends 100 μm in a contact portion thickness inward direction from the contact portion on a plane that lies at an equal distance from two surfaces constituting the contact portion.
US09146519B2
A sheet conveying device includes upstream side rollers; discharge rollers located downstream from the upstream side rollers in the feeding direction of sheets, to discharge sheets to a discharge tray; a reflective optical detector located between the discharging rollers and the upstream side rollers, to emit light and to receive light reflected off of the sheets; and a recognizing unit to detect, based on output of the detector, whether or not a sheet is present at a detection region of the detector. When a sheet is fed over a conveying path inclined with respect to a detection face of the detector, the discharge rollers feed the sheet in a bent state between the upstream side rollers and the discharge rollers, so that the sheet is close to the detector or the sheet is close to being perpendicular to an optical axis of the detector.
US09146511B2
A fuser member having a substrate and a surface layer disposed on the substrate is described. The surface layer includes a polyimide aerogel having dispersed throughout a cross-linked fluoropolymer and a release agent wherein the release agent is a liquid at a temperature above about 100° C.
US09146510B2
A fixing device includes a tubular fusing film, a heater, a nip member, a backup member, a backup member, first supporting member, and a second supporting member. The heater may be disposed inside the tubular shape of the fusing film. The nip member may be disposed so as to be in sliding contact with the inner surface of the fusing film and heated by the heater. The backup member may form a nip portion between the backup member and the fusing film with the fusing film between the backup member and the nip member. The first supporting member may be configured to integrally support the heater and the nip member. The second supporting member may be configured to movably support the first supporting member so that the nip member moves relative to the backup member.
US09146508B2
A fixing device includes a fixing rotator heated by a heater and a pressing rotator pressed against the fixing rotator to form a fixing nip therebetween, through which a recording medium bearing a toner image is conveyed. A heat shield interposed between the heater and the fixing rotator is movable in a circumferential direction of the fixing rotator to shield the fixing rotator from the heater in a variable axial shield span of the fixing rotator. The fixing rotator performs fixing rotation to convey the recording medium through the fixing nip while heating the recording medium and supplemental rotation other than fixing rotation. The heat shield moves to a decreased shield span position where the heat shield shields the fixing rotator from the heater in a decreased axial shield span of the fixing rotator during supplemental rotation thereof.
US09146505B2
An image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive member, a charging device, an exposure device, a development device, a transfer device, a first driving device, a voltage application device, and a controller. The first driving device rotatably drives one of the photosensitive member and a combination of the photosensitive member and an intermediate transfer member. The voltage application device supplies a respective predetermined voltage to the charging device, the development device, and the transfer device. The controller controls the first driving device and the voltage application device. When the photosensitive member is stopped, both illumination from the exposure device and the transfer electrical field electrically discharge the surface of the photosensitive member.
US09146504B2
A developing device includes a developing roller. The developing roller includes a magnetic roller configured to have multiple magnetic poles in a circumferential direction thereof and a roller-shaped developing sleeve sheathed on the magnetic roller, and supplies magnetic toner to a photosensitive drum. Further, the developing sleeve is configured such that a surface of an image region thereof, which is located in an intermediate portion thereof in a rotation axis direction thereof and which supplies the magnetic toner to the photosensitive drum, is coated with a non-magnetic material, and such that surfaces of non-image regions thereof, which are located at opposite ends thereof in the rotation axis direction and which supply no magnetic toner to the photosensitive drum, are coated with a magnetic material.
US09146496B2
A cleaning device has housing, cleaning member, pair of bearing portions, toner receiving seal, and end seal. The housing is formed with opening facing, and waste toner retaining portion. The cleaning member is rotatably borne by the pair of bearing portions at both ends of rotation axis. The toner receiving seal is disposed facing to entire area in the longitudinal direction of the cleaning member, and extends to be laid across each end portion of the cleaning member and outer periphery of the bearing portion. The bearing portion has the same outer diameter in contact portion where the toner receiving seal contacts, as outer diameter of the cleaning member. The end seal is disposed, in gap between the housing and each of the bearing portions, facing to the contact portion with the toner receiving seal interposed therebetween, and prevents leakage of waste toner from both end portions of the housing.
US09146487B2
A carrier for developing electrostatic latent images includes a core material; and a covering layer formed of a resin comprising an electroconductive particulate material, overlying the core material, wherein the covering layer includes the electroconductive particulate material in an amount of from 58 to 73% by weight and has a resistivity of from 6.6 to 8.6 Ωcm, and wherein the carrier has a high-brightness contrast part at an areal ratio less than 1% and 40 to 90% based on total area thereof at an acceleration voltage of 0.8 KV and 2.0 KV, respectively in an FE-SEM reflection electron image of the surface thereof.
US09146484B2
To provide an emulsion polymerized agglomerated toner for electrostatic charge image which is excellent in the fixing property even at a high temperature without deteriorating other properties and which does not emit an odor offensive to people, and a process for its production.An emulsion polymerized agglomerated toner characterized in that the odor index of aliphatic aldehydes measured by gas chromatography is at most 300, and an emulsion polymerized agglomerated toner which is an emulsion polymerized agglomerated toner obtainable via a polymerization step, a flocculation step and an aging step, characterized in that an emulsion polymerized latex before the flocculation step is a latex having a peroxide value of at most 30.
US09146481B2
A local exposure apparatus for performing exposure processing on a specific area of a photosensitive film formed on a substrate includes a substrate conveyor configured to define a substrate conveying path and to horizontally convey the substrate along the substrate conveying path, a chamber configured to define an exposure processing space, a light source including a plurality of light-emitting elements linearly arranged above the substrate conveying path, a light emission drive unit configured to selectively drive one or more of the light-emitting elements of the light source, a substrate detector configured to detect the substrate conveyed by the substrate conveyor, and a control unit configured to control the light emission drive unit such that, when the specific area of the photosensitive film moves below the light source, only the light-emitting elements capable of irradiating the given area are driven to emit the light.
US09146480B2
The invention relates to a support structure for supporting a wafer table in a lithography system, said support structure comprising: a base comprising a reference surface, an interface member, made from a low thermal expansion material, arranged on top of said base and adapted for positioning said wafer table on the support structure, wherein said interface member is connected to said reference surface via at least one strut, and wherein the at least one strut is made from a low thermal expansion material. The invention further relates to a lithography system comprising such a support structure.
US09146475B2
A projection exposure system includes an illumination system configured to illuminate a mask with radiation. The projection exposure system also includes a projection objective configured to project an image of a pattern of the mask onto a radiation-sensitive substrate. The projection exposure system further includes an angle-selective filter arrangement arranged at or close to a field surface of the projection objective in a projection beam path optically downstream of the object surface. The angle-selective filter arrangement is effective to filter radiation incident on the filter arrangement according to an angle-selective filter function.
US09146474B2
An exposure method and apparatus that illuminates a pattern with an illumination system to expose a substrate through a projection system are provided. The pattern is illuminated with illumination light having a light amount distribution, which is set such that an amount of light is larger in an on-axis area substantially including an optical axis and in a plurality of off-axis areas arranged out of the optical axis than in an area other than the on-axis area and the plurality of off-axis areas on a pupil plane of the illumination system. The polarization states of the illumination light are different between the on-axis area and the off-axis areas.
US09146471B2
A liquid composition free from N-alkylpyrrolidones and hydroxyl amine and its derivatives, having a dynamic shear viscosity at 50° C. of from 1 to 10 mPas as measured by rotational viscometry and comprising based on the complete weight of the composition, (A) of from 40 to 99.95% by weight of a polar organic solvent exhibiting in the presence of dissolved tetramethylammonium hydroxide (B) a constant removal rate at 50° C. for a 30 nm thick polymeric barrier anti-reflective layer containing deep UV absorbing chromophoric groups, (B) of from 0.05 to <0.5% of a quaternary ammonium hydroxide, and (C) <5% by weight of water; method for its preparation, a method for manufacturing electrical devices and its use for removing negative-tone and positive-tone photoresists and post etch residues in the manufacture of 3D Stacked Integrated Circuits and 3D Wafer Level Packagings by way of patterning Through Silicon Vias and/or by plating and bumping.
US09146467B2
Developable bottom antireflective coating compositions are provided.
US09146463B2
The invention provides a photo-patternable multifunctional polymer nanocomposite. The nanocomposite comprises a solvent suspension of multiferroic nanostructures uniformly dispersed in SU-8 polymer matrix. The invention also provides a composite comprising a substrate and a photo-patterned multifunctional polymer nanocomposite layer formed on the substrate. The nanocomposite layer comprises a UV-photolithographed SU-8 polymer having a solvent suspension of multiferroic nanostructures uniformly dispersed in the polymer matrix.
US09146460B2
An imprinting method forms a pattern in a resist surface of a substrate coated with a thermoplastic resist by using a mold having a pattern of projections and recesses formed in a transfer surface. The method includes an alignment step, a heating step, a press step, a cooling step, and release step, wherein the steps are performed in a plurality of units selected from independent units, composite units, and combinations of independent units and composite units. A mold and a substrate are paired with each other and conveyed between the units. An imprinting apparatus includes a plurality of units which perform the steps in the imprinting method and which are selected from independent units, composite units, and combinations of independent units and composite units. Conveying devices are provided which convey the mold and the substrate paired with each other between the plurality of units.
US09146456B2
The invention relates to a photopolymer formulation comprising a polyol component, a polyisocyanate component, a writing monomer, and a photoinitiator, containing a coinitiator and a dye having the formula F An, where F stands for a cationic dye and An″ stands for an anion, wherein the dye having the formula F An comprises a water absorption of =5%. The invention further relates to a holographic medium, in particular in the form of a film, containing a photopolymer formulation according to the invention, to the use of such a medium for recording holograms, and to a special dye that can be used in the photopolymer formulation according to the invention.
US09146454B2
A method for providing a projection screen for receiving stereoscopic images may include providing a substrate with a contoured, reflective surface, wherein light reflected from the substrate substantially may undergo no more than a single reflection and may also include coating a first layer on the substrate with a contoured, reflective surface. The first layer may substantially maintain the same optical properties as the substrate without the first layer. The first layer may be substantially conformal to the surface of the substrate and also may be a self assembled monolayer coating which may include at least a functional group that is hydrophobic.
US09146452B2
A light engine is provided for a projection system, comprising a color wheel having a plurality of color phosphor portions; at least two light sources for illuminating the wheel at different locations for generating at least two time-sequenced beams of red, green and blue light, wherein the output beams are highly synchronized and exhibit substantially similar colorimetry, including spectrum and balance of red, green and blue light; and a digital micromirror device for modulating the time-sequenced beams of red, green and blue light to create an image. In another aspect, a light engine is provided for a tiled projection system having at least two projectors, comprising a color wheel having a plurality of color phosphor portions; a light source for generating a beam of light; a beam splitter for splitting the beam of light into at least two highly correlated beams to illuminate the wheel at different locations for generating at least two time-sequenced beams of identical red, green and blue light; and a digital micromirror device in each of the projectors for modulating the highly correlated beams to create a tiled image.
US09146451B2
A light source device includes a discharge lamp, and a discharge lamp driving device that supplies a driving current to a pair of electrodes. The discharge lamp driving device includes an alternating current supply unit that supplies an alternating current with a frequency equal to or higher than 1 kHz and equal to or lower than 10 GHz to the electrodes, and a direct current supply unit that supplies a direct current to the electrodes.
US09146449B2
An imaging lens-exchangeable image capturing apparatus comprises: a detection unit arranged to detect a focus state; a setting unit arranged to cause a user to set correction information for correcting the focus state or correction information for correcting control of a focus position based on the focus state; an acquisition unit arranged to acquire first lens identification information for identifying an attached imaging lens; an input unit arranged to enable the user to input second lens identification information for identifying the attached imaging lens; a storage unit arranged to store, for each imaging lens, the correction information, the first lens identification information, and the second lens identification information in association with each other; and a focus adjustment unit arranged to adjust a focus based on the detection result of the focus state and the correction information.
US09146442B2
A Mach-Zehnder interferometer type optical modulator includes a first end facet and a reflecting portion opposing the first end facet; a single optical coupler including input and output ports, the optical coupler being disposed between the first end facet and the reflecting portion; first and second optical waveguides that are connected to the input ports of the optical coupler; third and fourth optical waveguides that are connected to the output ports of the optical coupler; and a phase shifting section disposed between the optical coupler and the reflecting portion. The phase shifting section includes a first optical waveguide structure constituting part of the third optical waveguide; a first upper electrode on the first optical waveguide structure; a second optical waveguide structure constituting part of the fourth optical waveguide; and a second upper electrode on the second optical waveguide structure.
US09146440B2
An optical controller includes: a transparent lower substrate with a first electrode pattern; a transparent upper substrate with a transparent electrode; a plurality of divided regions separated by partitions on the transparent lower substrate; a medium containing charged particles at less than 5 wt % is in the plurality of divided regions and between the first electrode pattern and the transparent electrode; and a seal surrounding the plurality of divided regions and bonded to the first and second substrates.
US09146439B2
This invention relates to an electrophoretic display fluid comprising non-charged or slightly charged color particles and at least one type of charged pigment particles, all dispersed in a solvent or solvent mixture, and an electrophoretic display device utilizing such a display fluid. The electrophoretic fluid of the present invention provides improved image qualities.
US09146435B2
A display panel includes a gate line which extends substantially in a first direction, a first data line which extends substantially in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction, a second data line spaced apart from the first data line in the first direction and which extends substantially in the second direction, a high pixel electrode disposed between the first data line and the second data line and disposed adjacent to the gate line, a low pixel electrode disposed between the first data line and the second data line and disposed opposite to the high pixel electrode with reference to the gate line, a high storage line which extends substantially in the second direction and overlaps the high pixel electrode, and a low storage line which extends substantially in the second direction and overlaps the low pixel electrode.
US09146434B2
A first substrate includes a first interlayer insulating film covering a switching element. A first main-common electrode is formed on the first interlayer insulating film. The first main-common electrode extends along a source line. A second interlayer insulating film covers the first main-common electrode. A second main-common electrode is formed on the second inter insulating film and extends so as to face the source line. The second main-common electrode is set to the same potential as the first main-common electrode. A main-pixel electrode connected with the switching element is formed on the second interlayer insulating film. A second substrate includes a third main-common electrode so as to face the second main-common electrode. The third main-common electrode is set to the same potential as the second main-common electrode.
US09146424B2
Screen brightness is improved in an IPS type liquid crystal display device.A common electrode having a slit is disposed over a rectangular pixel electrode with an insulating film attached therebetween. The slit has a linear part and a bend part. The bend part is necessary for preventing pressing domain. The transmittance in the bend part is increased by making the thickness of the insulating film below the bend part of the slit to less than the thickness of the insulating film at the linear part of the slit, thereby increasing the transmittance of the entire pixel. Thus, the screen brightness can be improved.
US09146421B2
An embodiment of the present invention relates to a liquid crystal display. An upper surface alignment layer in the liquid crystal display is arranged to comprise, in the direction from a color filter substrate to a liquid crystal layer, a first upper surface alignment layer, a color washout compensation film layer and a second upper surface alignment layer; an alignment direction of the color washout compensation film layer is opposite to the pre-alignment direction of the liquid crystal layer. In the technical solution, the color washout compensation film layer is used to rectify the color washout problem occurring when the screen of a liquid crystal display screen of a fringe field switching mode is viewed from both the left side and right sides.
US09146416B2
In a liquid crystal display apparatus, a pair of substrates has surfaces which is so arranged as to be opposed to each other. The one of the opposed surfaces has a display region in which pixels are arrayed in a matrix. A liquid crystal layer is held between the opposed surfaces of the pair of substrates. A first shading portion is arranged to surround the display region. A second shading portion is arranged between the first shading portion and an outer peripheral end of the one of the substrates, and is formed as discontinuous segments.
US09146411B2
An exemplary liquid crystal display (LCD) includes a casing and a liquid crystal panel accommodated in the casing. The casing includes a frame and a window surrounded by an inner side of the frame. The liquid crystal panel includes an outside surface essentially serving as a display screen for displaying images and a peripheral wall. The liquid crystal panel is attached to the frame, with the inner side of the frame contacting the peripheral wall of the liquid crystal panel, and the display screen exposed outside of the casing.
US09146410B2
An embodiment of the present invention discloses a method for detecting crosstalk of a liquid crystal display panel, involving detection on a liquid crystal display panel for defect of special crosstalk of the liquid crystal display panel. The method comprises: inputting signals into the liquid crystal display panel to be detected so that a detection pattern is displayed on the liquid crystal display panel to be detected; a gray-scale value for all the pixels in an intermediate region is 0; in other regions a gray-scale value for all the pixels in first pixel groups is the same, a color and gray-scale value for all the pixels in second pixel groups are the same, and the gray-scale value for all the pixels in the second pixel groups differs from that for all the pixels in the first pixel groups; the first pixel groups and the second pixel groups are same in shape, and both are distributed alternatively in both transverse and longitudinal directions in the other regions.
US09146402B2
Shaped glasses have curved surface lenses and spectrally complementary filters disposed on the curved surface lenses configured to compensate for wavelength shifts occurring due to viewing angles and other sources. The spectrally complementary filters include guard bands to prevent crosstalk between spectrally complementary portions of a 3D image viewed through the shaped glasses. In one embodiment, the spectrally complementary filters are disposed on the curved lenses with increasing layer thickness towards edges of the lenses. The projected complementary images may also be pre-shifted to compensate for subsequent wavelength shifts occurring while viewing the images.
US09146400B1
Embodiments of a tiled multi-panel display including first and second display panels, each including a substrate with a main portion having a main thickness, an abutting edge with an thickness less than the main thickness, and a taper surface extending between the main portion and the abutting edge, and an array of display pixels disposed in the main portion and extending at least partially around the curved surface. The abutting edge of the first display panel abuts the abutting edge of the second display panel to form a seam, and a seam-concealing optical element is disposed in a void formed by the first and second taper surfaces. Other embodiments are disclosed and claimed.
US09146397B2
Customizing frames for augmented reality devices includes receiving a fit profile of a user and selecting a stock frame from a set of different frame sizes. The selected stock frame may be a size that is a closer match to the fit profile than other frame sizes in the set, and the stock frame may be adjusted to create a modified frame that provides a closer match to the fit profile than the stock frame. A see-through display may be coupled to the modified frame.
US09146394B1
A clip-on eyepiece system that enables a single portable digital imager to be used in both handheld and device-mounted applications is disclosed. The system has a clip-on eyepiece assembly that includes an inverting or a non-inverting eyepiece, a clip-on bracket, a T-mount, and a magnet. The digital imager comprises a display, a mounting rail, a Hall-effect sensor, and a processor all configured to dynamically determine which type of eyepiece, if any, is attached, and to dynamically set system parameters to configure the digital imager for use in either a handheld or a mounted mode. A method for setting operational parameters when the user attaches or detaches the clip-on eyepiece assembly is also disclosed.
US09146387B2
A zoom lens includes, in order from an object side to an image side, a first lens unit having a positive refractive power, a second lens unit having a negative refractive power, a third lens unit having a positive refractive power, and a fourth lens unit having a positive refractive power, and is configured to move the second lens unit, the third lens unit, and the fourth lens unit during a zooming operation to change an interval between adjacent lens units. A moving amount of the second lens unit during a zooming operation from a wide angle end to a telephoto end, a focal length of the second lens unit, and transverse magnification of the third lens unit at the wide angle end and the telephoto end are individually set appropriately.
US09146384B2
The invention relates to an optical system for forming and image on a concave spherical surface comprising, perpendicularly to the optical axis of the spherical surface, starting from the object side: a first elliptical plano-complex lens (L1) with convexity direct towards the object side; a second aspherical plano-concave lense (L2) whose radius of curvature decreases with distance from the axis, with concavity directed towards the image side, made of a material with a smaller Abbe number that that of the first lens; a parallel-faced plate (S1) on which bear the planer faces of the first and second lenses; a third aspherical plano-convex/concave lens (L3) exhibiting a convex shape in its central part and a concave shape at its periphery.
US09146376B2
A rack includes a first termination block disposed at the first side of the rack. The termination block houses a termination arrangement including a plurality of sliding adapter modules. The adapter modules are configured to slide between a non-extended position and an extended position. The adapter modules move away from the rack when slid to the extended position. The adapter modules have first ports facing towards the top of the rack and second ports facing towards the bottom of the rack. Certain types of racks also have a cable storage arrangement disposed at the front of the rack.
US09146363B2
An optical fiber adapter includes a main body and an elastic shutter member. The main body has an axial passage defined by a first wall, a second wall, a third wall and a fourth wall, wherein the first wall faces the third wall and connects with the second and fourth walls. The passage has opposing first and second openings in the axial direction. A fixing plate is positioned above the third wall and a gap is formed between the fixing plate and the third wall. The shutter member includes a fixing portion, a shutter plate and a connecting portion. The fixing portion is positioned in the gap formed between the fixing plate and the third wall. The connecting portion connects the fixing portion with the shutter plate and clamps the fixing plate. The shutter plate extends from the connecting portion and into the passage.
US09146359B2
Systems and methods are disclosed for enhancing optical communication by performing dispersion compensation in an optical fiber using a fiber Bragg grating (FBG); and providing increased degrees of freedoms (DOFs) to distinguish forward and backward propagating fields with a passive component.
US09146353B2
An optical fiber fusion splicer includes: a windshield cover that is formed so as to be openable and closable and that includes one or more cover members that cover a heat fusion portion in a closed state; a pair of fiber mounting portions that are provided on left and right sides of the heat fusion portion; a pair of fiber mounting detectors that are provided in the fiber mounting portions and that detect that an optical fiber has been mounted. Also, when both the fiber mounting detectors detect that the optical fibers have been mounted in a state where the cover member is open, an operation to close the cover member is performed, the fusion splice is performed, connection portion inspection is performed, and an operation to open the windshield cover is performed after the connection portion inspection is completed.
US09146346B2
An optical fiber for use in a Coherent Anti-Stokes Raman Scattering (CARS) endoscope, comprising a core guiding lightwaves at a pump wavelength and at a Stokes wavelength, the core being single-mode at both wavelengths. The core is surrounded by cladding layers, including an inner cladding layer, a trench cladding layer, an intermediate cladding layer and an outer cladding layer. The refractive index of the trench cladding layer is lower than those of both neighboring cladding layers so as to define a trench in the radial refractive-index profile. The bending losses of the fundamental LP01 mode of the fiber at the Stokes wavelength are limited while maintaining high confinement losses for the higher-order LP11 mode of the fiber at the pump wavelength. The combination of the intermediate and outer cladding layers forms a multimode waveguide for guiding a collected CARS signal generated by an object or medium probed with the endoscope.
US09146342B2
An illumination device, such as a backlight for electronic display devices, is disclosed. The illumination device includes a viscoelastic lightguide optically coupled to a light source, and a nanovoided polymeric layer is used in conjunction with the lightguide to manage light emitted by the light source. The viscoelastic lightguide may be a pressure sensitive adhesive.
US09146341B2
There is disclosed mount arrangement for supporting a tapered light pipe (5) of a type having a relatively wide end (8), a relatively narrow end (7), and an outer surface (9). The mount arrangement includes: a support assembly (25) provided within a housing (13) and having a central bore (28) for receipt of a said light pipe (5) through the support assembly (25), the support assembly (25) being arranged for movement within the housing (13) along the axis of the bore (28), and having within said central bore (28) an array of inwardly directed convex bearing surfaces (33) arranged in spaced relation to one another around the central bore (28). The support assembly (25) is biased towards the relatively wide end (8) of the light pipe (5) so as to urge the convex bearing surfaces (33) into contact with the outer surface (9) of the light pipe (5).
US09146321B2
A wireless communication apparatus may include an instruction unit that instructs a peripheral terminal to acquire a navigation message transmitted from a global positioning system (GPS) satellite, an acquisition unit that acquires the navigation message, which has been acquired by the peripheral terminal, from the peripheral terminal, and a calculation unit that carries out a positioning calculation by using the navigation message acquired by the peripheral terminal.
US09146317B2
In exemplary implementations of this invention, a time of flight camera (ToF camera) can estimate the location, motion and size of a hidden moving object, even though (a) the hidden object cannot be seen directly (or through mirrors) from the vantage point of the ToF camera (including the camera's illumination source and sensor), and (b) the object is in a visually cluttered environment. The hidden object is a NLOS (non-line-of-sight) object. The time of flight camera comprises a streak camera and a laser. In these exemplary implementations, the motion and absolute locations of NLOS moving objects in cluttered environments can be estimated through tertiary reflections of pulsed illumination, using relative time differences of arrival at an array of receivers. Also, the size of NLOS moving objects can be estimated by backprojecting extremas of NLOS moving object time responses.
US09146314B2
In one embodiment, a scanning unit repeatedly scans an internal region of an object with an ultrasonic wave at a predetermined frame rate via an ultrasonic probe. An image generation unit extracts a blood flow signal based on a Doppler effect from a reflection signal and repeatedly generates a blood flow image representing a spatial distribution associated with power of the blood flow signal at the frame rate. A power average value associated with a frame or local region is calculated for the blood flow image. The blood flow image is corrected. In the correcting, a gain on the power values in the frame or local region in which the power average value exceeds the threshold are substantially reduced, and power values in the frame or local region in which the power average value is not more than the threshold are maintained.
US09146313B2
A Multiple Aperture Ultrasound Imaging system and methods of use are provided with any number of features. In some embodiments, a multi-aperture ultrasound imaging system is configured to transmit and receive ultrasound energy to and from separate physical ultrasound apertures. In some embodiments, a transmit aperture of a multi-aperture ultrasound imaging system is configured to transmit an omni-directional unfocused ultrasound waveform approximating a first point source through a target region. In some embodiments, the ultrasound energy is received with a single receiving aperture. In other embodiments, the ultrasound energy is received with multiple receiving apertures. Algorithms are described that can combine echoes received by one or more receiving apertures to form high resolution ultrasound images. Additional algorithms can solve for variations in tissue speed of sound, thus allowing the ultrasound system to be used virtually anywhere in or on the body.
US09146302B2
A disturbance signal removing device is provided. The device includes an antenna for transmitting a modulated pulse signal and a non-modulated pulse signal, and a transmission frequency setter for selectively setting as a transmission frequency band of the modulated pulse signal any one of a plurality of mutually different frequency bands of the modulated pulse signal that are different from a transmission frequency band set to the non-modulated pulse signal. The transmission frequency setter switches between the plurality of transmission frequency bands of the modulated pulse signal.
US09146300B2
Systems, devices, features, and/or methods for determining a location of a mobile device are disclosed. A method may include (a) receiving, into a mobile device, a common RF signal on a common carrier frequency, wherein the common RF signal includes a respective RF signal output by each of three or more transmitters on a common time basis in a round-robin manner, and wherein each of the three or more transmitters is positioned at a known location, (b) capturing data representing the common RF signal, (c) based on the captured data, discriminating between each respective RF signal that forms the received common RF signal, (d) determining a relative phase shift of each respective RF signal, and (e) determining the location of the mobile device based on the determined relative phase shifts and the known locations of the three or more transmitters.
US09146297B2
Methods and systems are provided for determining signal source probabilities. For example, signal source probabilities for a plurality of sub-areas of a geographic area covered by a plurality of signal sources may be determined. The signal source probabilities may indicate for each of the plurality of sub-areas probable field strength of the plurality of signal sources, and the signal source probabilities may indicate the probability that a mobile device, located in a respective sub-area, is operable to detect the particular signal source for communicating. Determining signal source probabilities may comprise calculating expected field strengths in the plurality of sub-areas. Determining signal source probabilities may comprise obtaining power information indicating a detected power of respective signals received by the mobile device from multiple transmitters. A probability model, including the signal source probabilities, may be determined. The probability model may be a three dimensional model.
US09146294B2
A current sense system includes a current transformer having a primary coil and a secondary coil, wherein the secondary coil has a first and second terminal; a burden resistor connected between the first terminal of the secondary coil and ground; a monitor circuit that measures current in the primary coil by monitoring voltage across the burden resistor; and a built-in test (BIT) circuit connected to the second terminal of the secondary coil. The BIT circuit provides a virtual ground during normal operation, and either a positive voltage or a negative voltage during test operations.
US09146286B2
A receiver system for identifying a location of a magnetic field source using at least two tri-axial antennas. The two tri-axial antennas are laterally displaced from one another and may also be held in a substantially horizontal plane. Each of the tri-axial antennas detects a dipole magnetic field from the magnetic field source in three dimension. The receiver system uses a processor to receive an antenna signal from each of the two tri-axial antennas to determine the location of the magnetic field source using the antenna signals.
US09146283B2
A battery tester determines a remaining level of charge of a battery mounted within a separate electronic device having an audio jack. The battery tester includes a plug and a circuit having a high impedance input amplifier. At least one electrical contact of the plug is electrically coupled to an input of the high impedance input amplifier. The plug is removably insertable within the audio jack such that the battery of the separate electronic device is electrically connected to the input of the high impedance input amplifier. When electrically coupled to the battery, an output of the high impedance input amplifier provides a signal proportional to the remaining level of charge of the battery, whereby the remaining level of charge of the battery is obtainable by the battery tester without having to remove the battery from the electronic device.
US09146281B2
Contactor switches between a multi-cell battery pack and an electric vehicle load are monitored. A main microcontroller having a chassis ground is digitally isolated from positive and negative busses of the battery pack. A battery monitoring IC having a plurality of auxiliary/thermistor A/D inputs measures respective voltages of battery cells. An evaluation switch is connected to a junction between a first contactor switch and the load. The evaluation switch is activated in response to a command received from the main microprocessor. A voltage divider is coupled between the output of the evaluation switch and the negative bus to provide a divided voltage output to one of the auxiliary/thermistor A/D inputs. The battery monitoring IC transmits a digital value representative of the divided voltage output to the main microprocessor via a serial data link, and the main microprocessor determines a state of the contactor in response to the digital value.
US09146271B2
Apparatus and methods for identifying a signal on a printed circuit board (PCB) under test, including an integrated circuit mounted on the PCB, the integrated circuit having a test signal generator that transmits a test signal to an output pin of the integrated circuit, with the output pin connected to a test point on the PCB; the integrated circuit also having signal identification logic that inserts into the test signal, an identifier of the signal; a test probe in contact with the test point; and a signal-identifying controller that receives the test signal and the identifier from the test probe and displays, in dependence upon the identifier, the identity of the signal.
US09146260B2
A magnetic balance type current sensor includes a magnetic balance type current sensor including a magnetoresistance effect element whose characteristic changes owing to an induction magnetic field from a current to be measured flowing through a conductor, a feedback coil configured to be disposed in the vicinity of the magnetoresistance effect element and generate a cancelling magnetic field cancelling out the induction magnetic field, a magnetic shield configured to attenuate the induction magnetic field and enhance the cancelling magnetic field, and a hard bias layer configured to be provided on or above the magnetic shield.
US09146257B2
A contact probe electrically connects the tester side and an electrode pad of a circuit to be tested. This contact probe has a mounting portion on a base end portion mounted on a probe card, a contact portion on a distal end portion brought into contact with the electrode pad, and an arm portion between them elastically supporting the contact portion. The contact portion is provided on a lower end portion of a base portion integrally mounted on a distal end portion of the arm portion. The arm portion has a one-side arm piece supporting the base portion and allowing vertical movement of the base portion and the other-side arm piece supporting the base portion and adjusting an inclination angle of the base portion to reduce a scrub amount of the contact portion. The probe card uses the above-described contact probe.
US09146255B2
An interrogator plug for interfacing with the output socket of a pulsed power system to provide external leads engagable by a volt measurement device. The interrogator plug is sized to replicate a conventional plug such that the interrogator plug can be inserted into the output plug. The interrogator plug has lead assemblies positioned to engage the contacts of the output socket ordinarily engaged by conventional plugs. The interrogator plug can also include a divider circuit linked to a coaxial output for providing a reduced voltage current having an operational voltage safely measurable by conventional voltmeters.
US09146251B2
Systems, methods, and computer program products for identifying hostile fire. A characteristic of a fired projectile is detected using an optical system and the projectile's travel path in relation to a vehicle is determined. If the determined travel path of the projectile is within a predetermined distance from the vehicle, it is determined that the projectile is hostile towards the vehicle and a warning is output.
US09146249B2
The invention relates to a device for filling at least one receptacle (12) of gel card type initially sealed by a cap. The invention is characterized by the fact that the filling device comprises a piercing member (110) for perforating the cap, means (120) for eliminating the electrostatic charges capable of being borne by the receptacle, and filling means (130) for filling the receptacle after perforation of the cap and elimination of the electrostatic charges.
US09146244B2
The present invention is related to methods and compositions for the therapeutic and diagnostic use in the treatment of diseases and disorders which are caused by or associated with amyloid or amyloid-like proteins including amyloidosis, a group of disorders and abnormalities associated with amyloid protein such as Alzheimer's disease. The present invention provides methods and compositions comprising highly specific and highly effective antibodies having the ability to specifically recognize and bind to specific epitopes from a range of β-amyloid proteins. The antibodies enabled by the teaching of the present invention are particularly useful for the treatment of diseases and disorders which are caused by or associated with amyloid or amyloid-like proteins including amyloidosis, a group of diseases and disorders associated with amyloid plaque formation including secondary amyloidosis and age-related amyloidosis including, but not limited to, neurological disorders such as Alzheimer's Disease (AD).
US09146237B2
The present application relates to a novel method of in vitro assay of the molecules of the extracellular matrix synthesized by cells in culture and uses thereof in the form of a kit for in vitro measurement and/or for a method of screening of cosmetic and/or pharmaceutical ingredients.
US09146236B2
This disclosure relates to methods for differentiating between mammals having active and latent Tuberculosis disease, by determining the percentage of polyfunctional CD4+ T-cells expressing TNF-alpha, IFN-gamma, and IL-2, or by determining expression of IL-17.
US09146226B1
A sensor for detecting the presence of unsaturated compounds, the sensor comprising: a semiconductor material doped with a metal halide in electrical connection with a monitoring device.
US09146225B2
A method for detecting hydrocarbons with an underwater vehicle equipped with one or more measurement components is described. The method includes navigating the UV within the body of water; monitoring the body of water with measurement components associated with the UV to collect measurement data. The collected data from the UV is used to determine whether hydrocarbons are present and at the location.
US09146218B1
A fully automated flow assisted-solid-phase microextraction (FA-SPME) is developed for the determination of chloroethers in aqueous samples. A CTC CombiPAL autosampler coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) is used to automate the extraction process. In this method, the SPME fiber is exposed to a sample in direct immersion. After exposure, the fiber is desorbed at the injection port of GC-MS.
US09146216B2
The invention relates to a method, particularly suitable for the extraction and enrichment of a volatile component from a liquid, solid or gaseous sample for subsequent introduction into an analytical device, for example, a gas chromatograph. The sample is flushed through a packing of extraction material for extraction of the analytes of interest. A suitable device comprises a syringe with a hollow needle. A chamber is provided between the needle and syringe, in which the extraction material is arranged.
US09146212B2
A thread-based microfluidic guiding system is provided and includes a substrate, two fiber threads arranged on the substrate in a cross manner. The two fiber threads are used as physical guiding pathways to guide a sample fluid and a buffer fluid, respectively. The two fiber threads have capillary action, so that the sample fluid, the buffer fluid or a mixture fluid thereof can flow along fiber surfaces of the two fiber threads, which can be pre-treated by plasma. The thread-based microfluidic guiding system of the present invention is different from recessed microfluidic channel structures, and can simplify system structure, lower manufacture cost, accelerate detection operation and enhance detection sensitivity.
US09146209B2
The present invention provides a broad response single-stranded DNA-graphene chemical sensor device. The present invention also provides methods for improving the ability of graphene to work as a chemical sensor by using single-stranded DNA as a sensitizing agent.
US09146206B2
A capacitance-based moisture sensor may include a sleeve having an internal cavity, a container filled with soil or other material inserted into the internal cavity, and a pair of ring-shaped conductive bands around the exterior of the sleeve forming a capacitor and providing a frequency output. The rings positioned around a perimeter of the sleeve may be connected to a fixed inductor to form an oscillator with a variable frequency output. The sensor may be calibrated from the frequency output for each of a plurality of substances, measuring the volumetric water content for saturation of the material, and determining at least one fitting constant in an equation wherein volumetric water content is a function of the frequency output and a plurality of fitting constants.
US09146202B2
Disclosed is an instrument for detecting neutron backscatter from an object including a source of neutrons (12), a neutron detector (14) capable of detecting thermal neutrons and a housing (10) which is impervious to water and having at least one external operating surface (20) for placing adjacent the object, the source and detector being located within the housing in such a way that the distance between the detector and the operating surface(s) is less than 25 mm and the distance between the detector and any other external surface of the housing is at least 50 mm.
US09146201B2
An x-ray inspection system using backscatter of an x-ray beam emitted through a scan panel contiguous with, but of a material distinct from, an enclosure that contains an x-ray source by which the x-ray beam is generated. The scan panel is contoured in such a manner as to be visibly blended with a shape characterizing the enclosure. In some embodiments, the beam traverses multiple scan panels, where one or more of the scan panels may be selected for beam filtration properties. The scan panel may be disposed interior to a sliding door, and may be structured to serve as a scatter shield.
US09146196B2
Systems and methods for automated inspection of fillet formation along on or more peripheral edges (13a) of a packaged microelectronic device (14) that is attached to a supporting substrate (16), such system (10) including a feedback loop for controlling fillet formation More specifically, the system (10) includes a dispensing system (18) configured for dispensing underfill material (22) onto the supporting substrate (16) The system (19) further includes an automated optical inspection (AOI) system (19) configured for determining a value of a measurable attribute of the fillet (12), such as whether the fillet (12) is properly dimensioned, i e, sized and shaped A feedback loop (66) is included between the dispensing system (18) and automated optical inspection system (19).
US09146191B2
A gas detection system comprising a case having a hollow chamber, a gas input port, a gas output port, a radiation emitting device, and a photo detector. The gas input port may be disposed on the case for a test gas flowing into the chamber. The gas output port may be disposed on the case for the test gas flowing out of the chamber. The radiation emitting device may be disposed on the case and operated in a surface plasmonic mode or a waveguide mode for emitting a narrow bandwidth thermal radiation light source with multi-peak wavelengths into the chamber, wherein the multi-peak wavelengths may comprise a first absorption wavelength and a second absorption wavelength of the test gas. The photo detector may be disposed on the case for detecting light intensity of the light source passing through the chamber to determine the concentration of the test gas.
US09146188B2
A virtual impactor includes a jet nozzle that jets, from a jet outlet, a gas that contains particles, an opposing nozzle that is disposed with a specific separation distance from the jet nozzle and draws in, as a secondary flow, from a vacuum inlet at one end portion, a portion of the gas that is jetted from the jet nozzle, and a variable mechanism that varies at least one of a width of the jet outlet, the specific distance, and a width of the vacuum inlet.
US09146182B1
Valve assemblies are described that provide flow paths in substantially indirect opposition for fluids injected into the valve assemblies for mixing. A valve assembly includes a first valve member having ports configured to receive a first fluid and a second fluid. The valve assembly also includes a second valve member coupled adjacent to the first valve member. The valve assembly defines a first flow path for the first fluid and a second flow path for the second fluid. The first flow path extends from one of the ports of the first valve member toward an interface between the first valve member and the second valve member, and the second flow path extends from a channel defined by the second valve member toward the interface between the first valve member and the second valve member. The second flow path is in substantially indirect opposition to the first flow path.
US09146173B2
The reusable energy absorbing lab seat 10 includes a seat bucket for holding an anthropomorphic test device, a seat support structure, an energy absorbing system, a false floor structure, and a fail-safe system. The seat support structure is for securing the seat bucket to a sled that corresponds to a horizontal accelerator. The energy absorbing system is for absorbing energy imposed by the horizontal accelerator on the seat bucket and the anthropomorphic test device. The false floor structure is for simulating a real floor of a vehicle or aircraft. The fail-safe system is for reducing damage to the reusable energy absorbing seat, the anthropomorphic test device, and lab facilities in case the energy absorbing system fails.
US09146168B1
Disclosed is a passive, in-situ pressure sensor. The sensor includes a sensing element having a ferromagnetic metal and a tension inducing mechanism coupled to the ferromagnetic metal. The tension inducing mechanism is operable to change a tensile stress upon the ferromagnetic metal based on a change in pressure in the sensing element. Changes in pressure are detected based on changes in the magnetic switching characteristics of the ferromagnetic metal when subjected to an alternating magnetic field caused by the change in the tensile stress. The sensing element is embeddable in a closed system for detecting pressure changes without the need for any penetrations of the system for power or data acquisition by detecting changes in the magnetic switching characteristics of the ferromagnetic metal caused by the tensile stress.
US09146163B2
There is set forth herein a method comprising applying a drive signal to a drive element in a sensor assembly having a drive element and one or more sensor element so that responsively to the drive signal the drive element generates a magnetic flux that travels through a target, determining a strain of the target using a picked up output signal picked up by the one or more sensor element. In one embodiment, a sensor assembly can be employed for detecting a proximity of the target using a picked up output signal picked up by e.g., the drive element. In one embodiment, a drive signal can have a plurality of frequency components.
US09146156B2
The present invention may include loading a diagnostic sample onto a sample stage, focusing light from an illumination source disposed on a multi-axis stage onto the diagnostic sample, collecting a portion of light reflected from a surface of the diagnostic sample utilizing a detector, wherein the illumination source and the detector are optically direct-coupled via an optical system, acquiring a set of diagnostic parameters indicative of illumination source position drift from the diagnostic sample, determining a magnitude of the illumination source position drift by comparing the acquired set of diagnostic parameters to an initial set of parameters obtained from the diagnostic sample at a previously measured alignment condition, determining a direction of the illumination source position drift; and providing illumination source position adjustment parameters configured to correct the determined magnitude and direction of the illumination source position drift to the multi-axis actuation control system of the multi-axis stage.
US09146150B2
Disclosed are a method of, as well as an apparatus for, weighing items of poultry, such as poultry or chicken carcasses, in conjunction with a meat processing systems (5, 7). The method includes: a first step of providing a weighing bridge (1) having force measuring means (25) with two load cells; a second step of conveying a suspended item of poultry in a predefined path extending over the weighing bridge (1); a third step of transferring substantially the weight of the suspended item of poultry onto the weighing bridge; and a fourth step of reading out values detected by the load cells of the force measuring means (25); and calculating an actual weight using an average of the detected force values over a predetermined period of time. The apparatus includes components for carrying out the method.
US09146146B2
A weight determining system is for use with a non-singulated and non-spaced arrangement of items on a conveyor. The system includes an array of load cells, a scanning apparatus, and processors. Each of the items bears upon one or more of the load cells. Each of the load cells bears one or more of the items, and generates load data associated with them. The scanning apparatus generates scan data for the arrangement of the items on the conveyor. Based on the scan data, the processors: apportion the load data from each load cell to the items bearing on it; allocate to each item the load data apportioned from the various load cells; and determine a weight for each item. Also disclosed are a corresponding weight determining method, as well as a computer readable medium containing executable instructions to encode the processors to perform as aforesaid.
US09146145B2
An apparatus for determining and/or monitoring a process variable of a medium in a container. including: a probe unit, which has a sensor electrode and a guard electrode; and an electronics unit, which supplies the sensor electrode with an activating signal and which supplies the guard electrode with a guard signal; An amplifying unit; and a limiting element arranged in series between the guard electrode and the output of the amplifying unit. The amplifying unit supplies via the limiting element the guard electrode with the guard signal; and the amplifying unit supplies via the limiting element the sensor electrode with the activating signal. The evaluating unit is provided, which determines and/or monitors the process variable based on an electrical current signal measurable at the sensor electrode, and the activating signal and/or the guard signal.
US09146144B2
A refillable dispenser for viscous compositions comprises a bottle having walls defining an upper cavity and a lower cavity, a viscous composition refill mechanism configured to allow viscous composition to enter the upper cavity when the refill mechanism is fluidly coupled to a viscous composition source and a viscous composition dispensing mechanism configured to allow viscous composition to be dispensed from the upper cavity to outside the bottle when the dispensing mechanism is actuated. A gasket configured to substantially seal the upper cavity from the lower cavity is provided wherein the gasket is capable of moving towards the upper cavity upon actuation of the dispensing mechanism and moving towards the lower cavity upon entrance of the viscous composition into the upper cavity.
US09146135B2
A circuit arrangement for use in a utility meter includes a processing circuit, a magnetically-actuated switch, and a first circuit. The processing circuit has a first mode and a second mode. The processing circuit performs a first set of metering operations related to energy metering in the first mode, and a second set of operations in the second mode or sleep mode. The second set of operations has fewer operations than the first set of operation, and requires less energy. The switch has is coupled to provide a first output signal to the processing circuit. The first circuit is configured to generate a pulse signal responsive to the switch transitioning states, and is operably coupled to provide the pulse signal to the processing circuit. The processing circuit causes display of stored values responsive to receiving the pulse and receiving the first output signal.
US09146132B2
A display system for a vehicle includes a sensor system configured to collect first terrain data; a database configured to store second terrain data; a processing unit coupled to the sensor system and database, the processing unit configured to receive the first and second terrain data, to integrate the first and second terrain data into a common three-dimensional view that comprises symbology representing both the first and second terrain data, and to supply display commands associated with the first and second terrain data; and a display device coupled the processing unit and configured to receive the display commands and operable to render the common three-dimensional view to thereby allow simultaneous viewing of the first and second terrain data.
US09146129B1
Methods, systems and computer program products for suggesting points of interests on a mapped route using user interests include receiving a request for a mapped route. The request can include off-route information indicating that the user is willing to visit points of interest not directly along the mapped route. That is, points of interests that may not necessarily be close to the user's mapped route but may be of high interest to the user can be presented or suggested to the user to enhance the user's travel experience or trip. The points of interest suggested can be selected based on respective relevancy scores representing a level of relevancy to a user interest. The suggested points of interest can be ranked based on the relevancy factors. The suggested point of interest displayed to the user can also be limited to those having a relevancy factor that meets a predetermined threshold.
US09146124B2
Methods, apparatuses, and computer program products are herein provided for causing navigation notifications tailored for a helmet to be presented in the helmet. A determination may be made, such as by a processor, that a helmet is being worn by a user while a navigation event is occurring. A set of navigation notifications associated with the navigation event may be determined, where the set of navigation notifications is tailored for presentation in the helmet, and the set of navigation notifications may be presented in the helmet. Corresponding apparatuses and computer program products are also provided.
US09146117B2
Aspects of the disclosure relate generally to localizing mobile devices. In one example, a first location method associated with a first accuracy value may be used to estimate a location of the mobile device. A confidence circle indicative of a level of confidence in the estimation of the location is calculated. The confidence circle may be displayed on a mobile device. When other location methods become available, the size of the displayed confidence circle may be expanded based on information from an accelerometer of the client device or the accuracy of the other available location methods. This may be especially useful when the mobile device is transitioning between areas which are associated with different location methods that may be more or less accurate.
US09146113B1
A system and method for recognizing features for location correction in Simultaneous Localization And Mapping operations, thus facilitating longer duration navigation, is provided. The system may detect features from magnetic, inertial, GPS, light sensors, and/or other sensors that can be associated with a location and recognized when revisited. Feature detection may be implemented on a generally portable tracking system, which may facilitate the use of higher sample rate data for more precise localization of features, improved tracking when network communications are unavailable, and improved ability of the tracking system to act as a smart standalone positioning system to provide rich input to higher level navigation algorithms/systems. The system may detect a transition from structured (such as indoors, in caves, etc.) to unstructured (such as outdoor) environments and from pedestrian motion to travel in a vehicle. The system may include an integrated self-tracking unit that can localize and self-correct such localizations.
US09146106B2
A smart device is disclosed which contains a digital camera with an active electronic viewscreen that displays the detected image, in which the camera can sense laser light beams. The smart device has the capability receiving and executing an application program that allows the camera to be used as a grade elevation detector, in which the camera can sense a laser light beam that effectively forms a plane of laser light which defines an “on-grade” elevation for a jobsite. The user can determine this on-grade elevation by running the APP and viewing the display screen to find the (rotating or static) laser beam. An automated APP system can capture the on-grade elevation using a sequence of images that include a grade rod measurement paired with laser beam intensity detection images.
US09146102B2
The invention describes a long-range optical device with two observation parts and a first observation beam path and a measurement beam path, in which the two observation parts are arranged essentially parallel next to each other and spaced a predefinable distance apart via at least one connection element. In a plan view of the device 1 with respect to a plane, in which the longitudinal axes of the observation parts are arranged, the sub-regions of the observation parts facing each other lie directly opposite each other over a length aligned parallel to the longitudinal axis of the observation parts of 20% to 90%, preferably 30% to 80% of a length of the observation parts. In addition, the observation beam path and the measurement beam path are arranged outside the sub-regions of the observation parts.
