US09155235B2
Embodiments provide a tilt mechanism for tilting an electronic display that includes at least two nested torsion springs to offset and/or balance the torque generated by a display acting on the tilt mechanism. In some cases a tilt mechanism includes first and second brackets pivotally coupled about a tilt axis. First and second springs are wound about a tilt axis such that the first spring is located at least partially within the second spring. The springs engage with the brackets to exert first and second torques between the first and the second brackets. In some cases such tilt mechanisms can be carried by stands, arms, carts, and the like. Methods of tilting electronic displays are also provided.
US09155231B2
A compact motor-drive unit wherein each component can be stably fixed to the unit. A motor-drive unit has a plurality of substrates each having a circuit for driving a motor; semiconductor devices mounted on the respective substrates; at least one smoothing capacitor mounted on at least one of the substrates; and a heat radiator having a heat-transferring surface adjacent to the semiconductors. The smoothing capacitor is positioned within a swept area formed by moving the first substrate arranged generally parallel to a base surface, in a counter-front direction, so that the smoothing capacitor is separated from the first substrate.
US09155219B2
A blank plate has flange portions capable of performing hinge movement around a direction of a shorter side. A blank plate has flange portions capable of performing hinge movement at positions different from the hinge positions of the flange portions, and a side of the blank plate is connected to the flange portions so as to be capable of performing hinge movement. A blank plate has flange portions capable of performing hinge movement at positions different from the hinge positions of the flange portions, and a side of the blank plate is connected to the flange portions so as to be capable of performing hinge movement. First lock mechanisms fix the blank plate and the blank plate perpendicularly to each other. Second lock mechanisms fix the blank plate and the blank plate perpendicularly to each other.
US09155218B2
A frame structure of an electronic apparatus for containing a plurality of power supply units is disclosed. The frame structure includes a main frame, a tray, and at least one elastic element. The tray includes at least one fixing portion and is connected pivotally to the main frame to be in a first position or a second position. One end of each elastic element is fixed to the main frame, and the other end of each elastic element includes a fastening structure. When the tray is in the first position, each fixed portion is between the main frame and each elastic element. When the power supply units are placed into the main frame, each elastic element is pushed by the power supply units, and each fastening structure passes through the fixing portion and the main frame, for fixing the tray in the first position.
US09155217B2
A cable backplane system includes a backplane and a cable rack coupled to the backplane. The cable rack includes first and second trays having first and second frames. A plurality of cable connector assemblies are held by the cable rack each having a plurality of cables extending between a first cable connector and a second cable connector. The first cable connector is coupled to the first frame and the second cable connector is coupled to the second frame with the cables routed in first and second raceways of the first and second trays. Float mechanisms are connected between the first and second frames that allow limited movement between the first and second trays. The float mechanisms allow alignment of the cable connectors with corresponding openings in the backplane.
US09155216B2
In a support frame of an interface card module, two module locks are disposed thereon, both the support frame and the module locks having enlarged operational holes for easy operation for a user. To install the interface card module on a housing of an electronic device, the module locks are pushed and moved by the housing and withstood by the housing. The user may directly operate the module locks through the enlarged holes to disengage the module locks from the housing and to uninstall the interface card module. The interface card module further uses a card lock pivoted on the support frame for locking the interface card at the support frame.
US09155191B2
Some novel features pertain to a substrate that includes a first core layer, a second core layer laterally located to the first core layer in the substrate, a first inorganic core layer (e.g., glass, silicon, ceramic) laterally positioned between the first core layer and the second core layer, the first inorganic core layer configured to be vertically aligned with a die configured to be coupled to the substrate, and a dielectric layer covering the first core layer, the second core layer and the first inorganic core layer. In some implementations, the first inorganic core layer has a first coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE), the die has a second coefficient of thermal expansion, and the first core layer has a third coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE). The first CTE of the first inorganic core layer closely matches the second CTE of the die in order to reduce the likelihood of warpage.
US09155186B2
An example particle accelerator may include the following: a voltage source to sweep a radio frequency (RF) voltage in a cavity to accelerate particles from a plasma column, where the cavity has a magnetic field causing particles accelerated from the plasma column to move orbitally within the cavity, and where the magnetic field has flux that bows at edges of the cavity; a regenerator to provide a magnetic field bump within the cavity to thereby change successive orbits of the particles accelerated from the plasma column so that, eventually, particles output to an extraction point, where the regenerator is located at a radius in the cavity relative to the plasma column; and ferromagnetic arrangements located in the cavity proximate to the radius, where each ferromagnetic arrangement provides a magnetic field bump, and where ferromagnetic arrangements adjacent to the regenerator are separated from the regenerator by a space.
US09155173B2
An electric receptacle capable of operating in a dimmable mode and a standard mode comprises an opening for receipt of an adapter. The adapter is received by the electric receptacle and switches the electric receptacle from the standard mode to the dimmable mode. The adapter is dimensioned to fit over a standard plug and the electric receptacle is configured to receive a standard plug.
US09155171B1
A system, method, and computer program for deploying a lighting system throughout a building using power over Ethernet is provided. In exemplary embodiments, one or more LED lighting structures may be powered using Ethernet cable in a building, and may be controlled by a distributed management system throughout a communication network.
US09155152B2
A light-emitting diode (LED) lighting fixture is configured to interface a three-way socket and provide at least two levels of output light intensity. A detection unit determines whether one or both input voltages lines of the three-way socket are active and provides a control signal to an LED controller indicating which input voltage lines are active. The LED controller is configured to provide different output current levels to an LED bank based on whether one or both input voltage lines are active. By adjusting the output current level based on which input lines are active, the LED lighting fixture provides at least two output lighting intensity levels. LED lighting fixtures according to various embodiments can therefore serve as a direct replacement for three-way incandescent bulbs.
US09155150B2
A LED driver system (1) comprises a current source (4) which supplies a power supply current (i) to a parallel arrangement of a parallel switch (20) and a LED (10). The parallel switch (20) short-circuits the LED (10) when it is closed. A controller (15) generates during use: (i) a first control signal (E) to control the current source (4) to change from a regulating mode wherein the power supply (i) current is regulated to have a non-zero average level into a decaying mode wherein the power supply current (i) decays during a decay period (Td), and (ii) a second control signal (CSO) to control the parallel switch (20) to open during an open period (To) comprising a sub-period of the decay period (Td).
US09155146B2
There is provided a light source apparatus including at least one light emitting diode (LED) string including at least one light emitting diode and at least one inductance unit for generating an induced current according to a change in a current applied to the light emitting diode. A main switch controls power applied to the LED string according to an on/off switching operation A capacitor is charged with a voltage of the power applied to the LED string when the main switch is switched on, and applies the charged voltage to the LED string when the main switch is switched off.
US09155145B2
An LAM/ICM assembly comprises an integrated control module (ICM) and an LED array member (LAM). The ICM includes interconnect through which power from outside the assembly is received. In a first novel aspect, active circuitry is embedded in the ICM. In one example, the circuitry monitors LED operation, controls and supplies power to the LEDs, and communicates information into and out of the assembly. In a second novel aspect, a lighting system comprises an AC-to-DC converter and a LAM/ICM assembly. The AC-to-DC converter outputs a substantially constant current or voltage. The magnitude of the current or voltage is adjusted by a signal output from the LAM/ICM. In a third novel aspect, the ICM includes a switching DC-to-DC converter. An AC-to-DC power supply supplies a roughly regulated supply voltage. The switching converter within the LAM/ICM receives the roughly regulated voltage and supplies a regulated LED drive current to its LEDs.
US09155136B2
Configurations for an LED driver are disclosed. The proposed LED driver receives an input voltage, drives an LED and includes a compensation capacitor set including a first and a second capacitors connected to each other in series, wherein the first capacitor is electrically connected to the LED, the second capacitor is grounded, the compensation capacitor set provides a compensation voltage to the LED such that the LED is conductible when an instantaneous voltage value of the input voltage is lower than an LED conduction voltage.
US09155132B2
A microwave container includes a container body and a lid. The container body has a bottom wall, a sidewall extending upwardly from a periphery of the bottom wall and ending at a rim. The lid has a top wall, a sidewall extending downwardly from a periphery of the top wall and ending at a brim. The lid is formed with a vent opening. The flap includes a proximal portion hingedly connected to the brim of the lid by a living hinge and an outwardly extending distal portion formed with a plug, wherein the flap is movable between a free-hanging position where the flap is hanging freely from the brim of the lid and a closed position where the flap is flipped about the hinge over a side of the lid and the plug is plugged into the vent opening.
US09155128B2
A connective transmission device of the invention may include a first interface configured to connect to a first device; a second interface configured to connect to a second device; and a control module connected to the first interface and the second interface. When the first interface is connected to the first device and the second interface is connected to the second device, the control module is configured to connect the first device and the second device for data transmission or power transmission, or configured to receive a media message from the first device or the second device.
US09155120B2
A modem for use at a terminal, the modem comprising: a first interface arranged to connect to a communications network; a second interface arranged to connect to a host processor on the terminal; and a processing unit, the processing unit configured to: detect that a call is to be established over the communications network; in response to said detection, perform a call setup procedure; determine if the call setup procedure has been successful or has failed due to failure of a security procedure; and in response to determining that the call setup procedure has failed due to failure of a security procedure, repeat said call setup procedure without indicating failure of the call setup procedure to a user of said terminal.
US09155116B2
Method and apparatus for transferring a file from a sending wireless device to a receiving wireless device in a short-range wireless system. A file to be sent to the receiving wireless device is selected on the sending wireless device. The sending wireless device has a device list of receiving wireless devices. If the receiving wireless device is absent on the device list, the sending wireless device searches and identifies new devices. A device among the identified new devices is selected as the receiving wireless device. A connection is established between the sending wireless device and the receiving wireless device; and the file is sent to the receiving wireless device.
US09155115B2
A method and a device for generating a CID for D2D communication are provided. A transmitting device transmits a request for direct communication between the transmitting device and a receiving device on a resource unit of a first resource index determined based upon at least one of a device ID of the transmitting device or of the receiving device during a first period, receives information about at least one used CID being used by at least one surrounding device from the peripheral device during a second period, transmits information including at least one available CID acquired during the second period on a resource unit of a second resource index being identical to the first resource index during a third period, and determines at least one CID to be used for D2D communication between the transmitting device and the receiving device based on the transmitted information.
US09155111B2
A method and apparatus for reconfiguring a medium access control (MAC) entity in a wireless transmit receive unit (WTRU). The method and apparatus includes the WTRU transmitting a MAC reconfiguration request, the WTRU receiving a MAC reconfiguration command including updated MAC parameter values and the WTRU reconfiguring a MAC entity based on the updated MAC parameter values in the MAC reconfiguration command.
US09155106B2
Techniques to more efficiently transmit pilot and signaling on the uplink in an OFDM system. With subband multiplexing, M usable subbands in the system are partitioned into Q disjoint groups of subbands. Each subband group may be assigned to a different terminal for uplink pilot transmission. Multiple terminals may transmit simultaneously on their assigned subbands. The transmit power for the pilot may be scaled higher to attain the same total pilot energy even though S instead of M subbands are used for pilot transmission by each terminal. Pilot transmissions from the terminals are received, and a channel estimate is derived for each terminal based on the pilot received on the assigned subbands. The channel estimate comprises a response for additional subbands not included in the assigned group. Subband multiplexing may also be used for uplink signaling transmission.
US09155094B2
A method and an apparatus select optimized Frequency Allocation (FA) in a mobile communication system that includes mobile base stations. A first control information is received from neighbor base stations. System capacities of the respective neighbor base stations are determined based on the first control information. The FA that maximizes a sum of the system capabilities of the respective neighbor base stations is selected. Therefore, the method has an advantage of securing maximum capacity by adaptively setting FA with consideration of radio environments of neighbor base stations during network entry of a new mobile base station or during an operation of a mobile base station.
US09155087B2
The present invention relates to a wireless communication system. More specifically, the present invention relates to a method for transmitting control signal via a PUCCH in a wireless communication system, and to an apparatus for the method, wherein the method comprises the following steps: joint-coding a plurality of pieces of control information to obtain a single codeword; obtaining a first modulation symbol sequence from the single codeword; obtaining, from the first modulation symbol sequence, a plurality of second modulation symbol sequences corresponding to each slot in the PUCCH; cyclically shifting the plurality of second modulation symbol sequences in a time domain to obtain a plurality of third modulation symbol sequences; performing a discrete Fourier transform (DFT) precoding process on the plurality of third modulation symbol sequences to obtain a plurality of complex symbol sequences in a frequency domain; and transmitting the plurality of complex symbol sequences via the PUCCH.
US09155085B2
A method for uplink ACK/NACK for LTE TDD. The method includes receiving a frame having multiple subframes wherein a plurality of subframes being downlink subframes and at least one subframe being an uplink subframe. One uplink subframe can contain an acknowledgment/non-acknowledgment (ACK/NACK) corresponding to at least one of the plurality of downlink subframes. To transmit ACK/NACKs, one uplink subframe for ACK/NACK is used in response to one of the plurality of downlink subframes. In addition, ACK/NACK responses can be bundled into one uplink subframe for at least two of the plurality of downlink subframes. In an embodiment, multiple ACK/NACK responses can be used in one uplink subframe that corresponds to at least two of the plurality of downlink subframes in a multiple feedback configuration. One uplink subframe for ACK/NACK responses and bundling multiple ACK/NACK responses is for a bundled feedback configuration.
US09155084B2
Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a method and a device for transmitting data. The method includes: a user equipment receives downlink data sent from a base station through downlink resources of a special subframe; the user equipment determines its corresponding guard period level, the guard period level corresponds to a round-trip time of the user equipment and indicates a length of an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbol in a guard period corresponding to the user equipment in the special subframe; the user equipment determines, according to its corresponding guard period level, a position of uplink resources corresponding to the user equipment in guard period resources of the special subframe; and the user equipment sends uplink data to the base station through the uplink resources corresponding to the user equipment in the guard period resources of the special subframe.
US09155082B2
Technology is discussed for extending frequency and time based approaches, such as Inter-Cell Interference Coordination (ICIC) and enhanced ICIC (eICIC), to interference mitigation for clusters within a Wireless Wide Area Network (WWAN) of transmission points with a common transmission point identity. Multiple transmission power messages correlated to different transmission point characteristics can be configured among multiple transmission points sharing the same transmission point identity. These multiple transmission power messages can be used to coordinate transmissions from adjacent transmission points on differing frequencies. Additionally, new sets of reference signals can be configured to correlate to different transmission point characteristics. These new, correlated reference signals can be used to decouple measurements used to provide feedback to one set of transmission points from reference signals transmitted by another set of transmission points with the same transmission point identity.
US09155079B2
According to the invention, a wireless device communicates with a base station by applying a first downlink-uplink (DL-UL) setting that sets a plurality of downlink subframes and a plurality of uplink subframes at different times. The wireless device communicates with the base station by using at least one auxiliary subframe when receiving a second UL-DL setting from the base station.
US09155070B2
In this specification, a method for transmitting an uplink data burst of a terminal in a wireless connection system comprises: a step of receiving a first message from a base station, which includes resource allocation information for competition-based uplink data burst transmission and control information for determining the number of terminals which attempt competition-based uplink data burst transmission; and a step of transmitting an uplink data burst to the base station over a resource domain allocated through the resource allocation information on the basis of the control information.
US09155060B2
According to an embodiment of the invention, there is disclosed a method for geographically locating a cellular phone. The method comprises: determining an effective cell-area for each of a first cell and a second cell in a cellular network; and determining a handover area within which the cellular phone is likely to be located when control of the cellular phone is transferred from the first cell to the second cell; wherein the determination of the handover area and the effective cell-area for each of the first cell and the second cell are made based on a topological relationship between the first cell and the second cell. Further related apparatus embodiments are also disclosed.
US09155055B2
A method and apparatus for controlling uplink signal power in a distributed antenna system 10 having a master unit 22 and a plurality of remote units 14 and coupled with a base station 12 includes monitoring a noise condition of the distributed antenna system. The invention dynamically adjusts an uplink gain within the distributed antenna system 10 that is applied to uplink signals to a base station 12, based on the monitored noise condition. Monitoring the noise condition in the distributed antenna system 10 includes monitoring one or more remote units 14 of the plurality of remote units and determining if the remote unit is active status or mute status and then. The uplink gain is increased in response to a decrease in the number of remote units that are active status and decreased in response to an increase in the number of remote units that are active status.
US09155052B2
A way of optimizing communication by minimizing the momentary overall radiated energy under constraints in respect to coverage and maintenance of communication with the users, is provided herein. Channel parameters are estimated from downlink and/or uplink communications or from user equipment messages and desirable gain factors are derived from the minimization. The optimization is reiterated continuously to dynamically adapt the communication system to varying conditions.
US09155048B2
The present invention relates to a mobile terminal and a method of controlling the mobile terminal. The mobile terminal according to the present invention decreases brightness of a screen during screen scrolling or during screen switching and restored the brightness of the screen to the original state when the screen scrolling or the screen switching is complete.
US09155041B2
The present invention relates to a multi-carrier resource utilization method and apparatus for power saving in a communication system using a multi-carrier, in which the activation of a secondary carrier for transmitting and receiving data traffic between a terminal and a base station is determined according to the QoS (Quality of Service) requirements such as a data traffic status between the terminal and the base station, a maximum sustained traffic rate, a maximum traffic burst size, or the like, and an indication message (Indication) indicating this is transferred to the terminal through a primary carrier to transmit and receive data traffic through the activated secondary carrier.
US09155038B2
Provided are a mobile network control apparatus and energy saving method. The mobile network control apparatus for may calculate a first amount of total consumed power consumed by m base stations to provide a first cell as a coverage range, and a second amount of total consumed power consumed by n base stations to provide a second cell including the first cell as a coverage range. The mobile network control apparatus may save energy by initiating an operation of the n base stations on a high power mode, and by suspending an operation of a remaining base station excluding the n base stations if the first amount of total consumed power is greater than the second amount of total consumed power.
US09155034B1
A Wireless Communication Device (WCD) and method for hand-up from a less-capable communication protocol of a wireless access node to a more-capable communication protocol of the wireless access node are provided. The WCD in one example embodiment includes a communication transceiver configured to exchange wireless communications and receive a control signal from the wireless access node, with the control signal including a hand-up field, and a processing system coupled to the communication transceiver and configured to process the hand-up field to determine if the WCD can hand-up from the less-capable communication protocol to the more-capable communication protocol, set a hand-up state according to the hand-up field, and scan for the availability of the more-capable communication protocol if the more-capable communication protocol is indicated by the hand-up state.
US09155026B2
Systems for facilitating wireless communication and related methods are provided. In this regard, a representative system includes: an electronic device operative to communicate using Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, the device having a Wi-Fi monitoring system operative to: monitor Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) advertising channels; receive information corresponding to a Wi-Fi-capable device via BLE Advertisement packets communicated on at least one of the BLE advertising channels; and establish communication with the Wi-Fi-capable device using the information provided by the BLE Advertisement packets.
US09155025B2
Technology for method for reducing the number of unsuccessful service change attempts of a first mobile terminal is presented. The first mobile terminal is connectable via a mobile network to a further terminal by establishing a call connection for providing a first service or by establishing a call connection for providing a second service. The first mobile terminal receives a first indication signal indicating that a service change to the second service is temporarily unavailable from a mobile network node administrating an established call connection for providing the first service. In response to receiving the first indication signal, the first mobile terminal refrains from requesting a service change to the second service until reception of a further indication signal from the mobile network node indicating that a service change is available again.
US09155023B2
Apparatus and methods for communication system state information change to wireless devices in a content server network in a resource and power efficient manner are disclosed. In particular, a disclosed method for conveying system state information to a wireless device includes sending a primary message including first information configured to communicate a current system state to the wireless device, and then sending second information set usable by the wireless device to update system state information. By summarizing or abbreviating the first information, a receiving device can easily compare to past system states to determine whether further processing, such as processing of the second information, is needed, thereby affording the conservation of processing and power resources of a receiving device. Corresponding apparatus are also disclosed.
US09155022B2
Access to femto cell service is managed through access control list(s), or “white list(s).” Such white list(s) can be configured via a networked interface which facilitates access management to a femto cell. White list(s) includes a set of subscriber station(s) identifier numbers, codes or tokens, and can also include additional fields for femto cell access management based on desired complexity. Various interfaces and user profiles are associated with granting different levels of access to requesting UEs.
US09155014B2
The number of handover-related failures that occur in a communication system may be reduced by taking target access point conditions into account when declaring radio link failure and/or by delaying certain handover operations. In some aspects, criteria for radio link failure detection and access terminal-controlled mobility may take into account access point parameters related to neighboring cells that may be available as mobility targets. For example, filtering mechanisms for detecting radio link failure based on radio layer problem reports may also take into account the availability of various neighbor access points and their measured signal strengths. In addition, a handover command may be sent earlier than in conventional systems (e.g., the handover command may be sent even though the target access point is weaker than the source access point) and include an indication that instructs the access terminal to delay handover until a specified condition is met. For example, handover may be delayed until the target access point becomes stronger than the source access point.
US09155010B2
Methods and arrangements for autonomous handover are provided. In a step, a mobile terminal sends a measurement report to a first network node. In another step, the mobile terminal starts a timer for measuring a wait period. In a further step, the mobile terminal waits until the wait period has expired. In still another step, the mobile terminal measures a signal used for mobility evaluations from the first radio network node. In yet another step, the mobile terminal performs random access to the second radio network node, if appropriate. Furthermore, the first radio network node sends information about random access channel (RACH) characteristics. Moreover, the first radio network node may send the wait period to the mobile terminal. In another step, the first radio network node sends the terminal context to neighbouring radio network nodes.
US09155003B2
Systems, methods, apparatuses, and computer program products are provided for facilitating voice call continuity in intersystem handover. A method may include determining that a user equipment device being handed over from a packet switched network to a circuit switched network is a party to a voice call in an alerting state. The method may further include providing session state information indicating that the user equipment device is a party to a voice call in an alerting state to a network entity on the circuit switched network in response to the determination. Corresponding systems, computer program products and apparatuses are also provided.
US09155000B2
A method for user detachment when a handover or change occurs in a heterogeneous network is provided. The method includes: a user equipment (UE) is handed over or switched from a source network to a target network; a network element on a network side determines whether to detach the UE from the source network, and if yes, the network element on the network side detaches the UE from the source network. A system and a device for user detachment when a handover or change occurs in a heterogeneous network, and another method for user detachment when a handover or change occurs in a heterogeneous network are also provided.
US09154995B2
A communication device configured to perform a load balancing procedure in response to a mobility management entity being overloaded and/or shut down. The base station can be configured to generate a radio resource control (RRC) Connection Reject message including a load balancing clause. The communication device can be configured to initiate a load balancing procedure based on the RRC Connection Reject message. The communication device can also be considered to initiate a load balancing procedure after a predetermined wait time has expired and/or after a predetermined number of received RRC Connection Reject messages.
US09154984B1
The present disclosure is directed to techniques for estimating network performance of a mobile device. The techniques include a performance logging module and a performance analysis module. The performance logging module logs realized network performance of previously performed network operations and the operational conditions of a mobile device at the time of the performed network operations. The performance analysis module receives requests to estimate network performance, the requests including the current condition of the mobile device at the time of the request. The performance analysis module determines a network performance estimate based on the current condition of the mobile device and the operational conditions of the previously performed network operations, and the realized network performances of the previously performed network operations. It is appreciated that the proposed techniques allow applications to execute faster, as the applications can tune network operations based on the network performance estimates.
US09154976B1
A method, system, and medium are provided for connecting wireless devices to a wireless network. The system includes at least one base station and wireless devices that are part of a wireless network. The base station is configured with a database that stores metrics for each wireless device. The base station may identify one or more wireless devices that are suitable to communicate data for each of wireless devices based on the stored metrics. The identified suitable wireless devices proxy communications for other wireless devices over the wireless network. The wireless devices are part of a package delivery truck.
US09154975B2
A system and method supporting access to multimedia information based upon user-defined quality of service criteria is disclosed. A broadband access gateway may coordinate network behavior during the transition of an access device among communication pathways having different available capacities. Adjustments in bit rates and levels of compression may be made based upon the user-defined quality of service criteria. The user may be notified when network conditions disallow support for the desired quality of service, and may choose to override selected criteria. The user-defined quality of service criteria may be stored within the gateway and associated with a user, or may be located in the access device and accessible to the gateway.
US09154972B2
A wireless electronic device may be provided with antenna structures. The antenna structures may be formed from an antenna ground and an array of antenna resonating elements formed along its periphery. The antenna resonating elements may be formed from metal traces on a dielectric support structure that surrounds the antenna ground. The electronic device may be tested using a test system for detecting the presence of manufacturing/assembly defects. The test system may include an RF tester and a test fixture. The device under test (DUT) may be attached to the test fixture during testing. Multiple test probes arranged along the periphery of the DUT may be used to transmit and receive RF test signals for gathering scattering parameter measurements on the device under test. The scattering parameter measurements may then be compared to predetermined threshold values to determine whether the DUT contains any defects.
US09154968B2
Embodiments herein relate to a method in a radio base station (12) for providing radio coverage to a user equipment (10). The radio base station (12) comprises at least two radio antenna ports; a first antenna port (AP11) associated with a first physical antenna and a second antenna port (AP12) associated with a second physical antenna. The first antenna port (AP11) is arranged to provide a radio coverage over a first area (14) and the second antenna port (AP12) is arranged to provide a radio coverage over a second area (17). The radio base station (12) broadcasts a signal with system information over the first area (14) enabling the radio base station (12) to connect to the user equipment (10). The radio base station (12) also determines that a user equipment (10) in the first area (14) is to receive or transmit data. The radio base station (12) then obtains information related to a position of the user equipment (10) in the first area (14). The radio base station (12) then sets a characteristic of the second physical antenna based on the obtained information. Thereby to the radio base station provides radio coverage to the user equipment (10) via the second port (AP12).
US09154965B2
The present invention relates to methods and apparatuses for supporting or controlling a small cell on or off procedure. The method may comprise steps of receiving, by the MSC from a Source Small Cell (SSC), a Cell Off Indication message including a Cell State Change Indication parameter indicating a cell status of the SSC; transmitting, by the MSC to the SSC, an Expand Indication message indicating an expanding of the MSC when the Cell State Change Indication parameter indicates a cell off status, the Expanding Indication message including a Time to Start Expand parameter indicating when the MSC starts an expanding of its coverage and an Expand Timer parameter indicating a time period during which the expanding is performed; and starting the expanding of its coverage at a time indicated by the Time to Start Expand parameter during the time period indicated by the Expand Timer.
US09154963B2
A method and apparatus of wireless communication are configured to capture, at a user equipment, one or more adjacent Universal Mobile Telecommunication System Terrestrial Radio Access Absolute Radio Frequency Channel Numbers (UARFCNs), extract a useful wide band signal from the one or more adjacent UARFCNs, perform a PSCH search on the useful wide band signal to obtain a composite PSCH signal, and reject the one or more UARFCNs where no peaks greater than a noise threshold are detected in the composite PSCH signal.
US09154961B2
A system for controlling a contention state for a communication link between a base station controller and customer premises equipment in point-to-multipoint communication. The contention state is controlled using a state machine, which includes a grant pending absent state in which a unicast request slot is maintained open for use by the customer premises equipment. During the grant pending absent state, the customer premises equipment sends no upstream data to the base station controller but can use the unicast request slot to request a data slot for sending upstream data to the base station controller. In the grant pending state, the customer premises equipment preferably uses piggybacking to request grant of a next data slot while sending upstream data to the base station controller.
US09154953B2
A network provider can receive a request, via a first mobile device and a mobile wireless telephone network, for access to a wireless network secured with at least one encryption key and implemented by at least one wireless access point. In response to the request, the network provider can associate the first mobile device with a user account of a user and can provide a token to a registrar and to the first mobile device via the mobile wireless telephone network. The registrar can receive, from the first mobile device or a second mobile device associated the user via the wireless access point. After determining, based on the one or more hash values, that the first or second mobile device has possession of the token, the registrar can provide the encryption key to that mobile device.
US09154946B2
A method and a system for securing communication between at least a first and a second hardware components of a mobile device is described. The method includes establishing a first shared secret between the first and the second hardware components during an initialization of the mobile device and, following the initialization of the mobile device, using the first shared secret or a derivative thereof to secure the communication between the first and the second hardware components.
US09154943B2
Provided is a method for transmitting a signal in a multi-node system including a plurality of nodes, and a base station connected to each of the plurality of nodes for controlling the nodes. The method comprises the following steps: transmitting first node-setting information to a first terminal; transmitting second node-setting information to a second terminal; transmitting a signal to the first terminal through a first node group; and transmitting a signal to the second terminal through a second node group, wherein the first node-setting information and the second node-setting information include system parameters which are set differently for each terminal, and the first node group is determined on the basis of the first node-setting information, and the second node group is determined on the basis of the second node-setting information.
US09154930B2
Provided is a system for sharing data using a network. When a data transmission apparatus included in the data sharing system generates data, the data transmission apparatus may transmit a data generation message to a data reception apparatus. The data reception apparatus may receive the data based on the data generation message.
US09154925B2
User experience enhancements for conducting group communication sessions may include displaying visual feedback on a display to indicate a state of a group communication session. Embodiments may include establishing a group communication channel with devices in a first operating mode in response to inputs on a user interface, detecting actuation of a target-based sliding lock mechanism on a touchscreen user interface display, and while the locking mechanism is actuated, maintaining the group communication channel in a second operating mode. Other embodiments may include initiating a group communication session in response to a user input, detecting actuation of a locking mechanism by a user on a user interface, sending a request to a server for a priority floor access in response to the detected actuation of the locking mechanism, and while the locking mechanism is actuated, maintaining a group communication channel with one or more devices in a priority access mode.
US09154916B2
A method includes receiving wireless signals from consumer devices that are in communicable range of the merchant device. The wireless signals each include a unique identifier associated with one of the consumer devices. The method further comprises generating signal strength data that includes one signal strength value associated with the unique identifier of each of the wireless signals, storing the signal strength data in a data storage device, analyzing the signal strength data to determine how many of the consumer devices achieved various signal strength levels, determining a threshold signal strength value based on the analysis, determining a consumer device is present within a physical area when a subsequent wireless signal from a subsequent consumer device is greater than the threshold signal strength value.
US09154908B2
Systems and methods are described relating to determining a specified time period of non-movement in a mobile device and presenting an indication of location of the mobile device at least partially based on the specified time period of non-movement. Additionally, systems and methods are described relating to means for determining a specified time period of non-movement in a mobile device and means for presenting an indication of location of the mobile device at least partially based on the specified time period of non-movement.
US09154893B1
System for monitoring an environment, such as a vehicular environment, including at least one sound-receiving/vibration-detecting component that receives sounds from an environment in or around the vehicle, a processor coupled to the at least one sound-receiving/vibration-detecting component and that analyzes the sounds to identify non-speech sounds, and a communications device coupled to the processor that transmits a signal, data or information about analysis by the processor of the identified non-speech sounds.
US09154892B2
A hearing instrument has an earpiece for inserting in an auditory canal and has an expandable balloon. In the earpiece is arranged a receiver and which earpiece enables additional connections for acoustic signals and compressed air. The earpiece contains a case, a receiver and a balloon. The case has a proximal case segment and a distal case segment. The receiver is arranged between the two case segments. The two case segments mechanically fix the receiver and are connected to one another in a sealed manner. A sound channel and an air supply channel, which are separate from each other, are formed between receiver and case, the wall of each channel being formed both by the receiver and by the case. A sound exit aperture is provided, which is connected to a receiver output aperture of the receiver and to the sound channel. The balloon is connected to the air supply channel.
US09154886B2
A capacitive transducer and manufacturing method thereof is provided. A multifunction device including a plurality of the capacitive transducers is also provided, where the capacitive transducers are disposed on a substrate and include at least one microphone and at least one pressure sensor or ultrasonic device.
US09154882B2
A sound generator, particularly a loudspeaker, configured to emit sound, comprising a rigid element (2) enclosing a plurality of air compartments (3), wherein the rigid element (2) has a back side (B) comprising apertures (4), and a front side (F) that is closed, wherein the generator is provided with at least one actuator (6), for instance one or more electromagnetic actuators and/or piezoelectric elements, configured to actuate the rigid element (2) for the generation of the sound.
US09154881B2
Systems and method for audio processing are disclosed. Left and right channels of an audio data stream are combined to derive sum and difference signals. A time domain to frequency domain converter is provided for converting the sum and difference signals to the frequency domain. a first processing unit is provided for deriving a frequency domain noise signal based at least partly on the frequency domain difference signal. A second processing unit is provided for processing the frequency domain sum signal using the noise signal thereby to reduce noise artifacts in the sum signal. A frequency domain to time domain converter is provided for converting at least the processed frequency domain sum signal to the time domain.
US09154867B2
Embodiments relate to earmuffs with speakers, and attempt to improve speaker acoustic quality without negatively impacting sound attenuation of the earmuffs. Embodiments may comprise a speaker plate located behind a speaker unit, and typically the speaker plate comprises a recessed portion with a plurality of holes. When the speaker plate is in place behind the speaker unit, it may cause the speaker to be more accurate across a broad range of frequencies without negatively impacting sound attenuation.
US09154858B2
An optical network analysis tool includes a computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable instructions stored thereon. The computer-readable instructions are executable by a computing device to perform operations. The operations include generating a simulated network that models an optical network. The simulated network includes regenerator candidate sites. The operations may also include conducting an analysis of the optical network. The analysis includes introducing a multiple signals transmitted between source/destination pairs and recording a number of times each of the regenerator candidate sites are selected as a regenerator site while applying each of a set of data traffic conditions in the simulated network. The operations may also include statistically analyzing the number of times each of the regenerator candidate sites is selected to generate statistically analyzed information and presenting the statistically analyzed information.
US09154854B1
A content management resource transmits a received digital data stream in a respective network data channel to one or more subscribers. The content management resource receives an emergency notification control signal, which indicates occurrence of an emergency message. In response to receiving the emergency notification control signal, the content management resource transmits the emergency message in the digital data channel to the one or more subscribers in lieu of transmitting the received digital data stream of content in the data channel to the one or more subscriber. Thus, a subscriber can tune to a particular channel to play back selected content and be apprised, via receipt of the message over the particular channel, of a corresponding condition such as an emergency.
US09154853B1
An identification server correlates the web browsing behavior of individuals with their use of social media systems. Based on these behaviors, web identifiers (referred to as identities or IDs) may be matched to social media identifiers; these matches being determined, stored, and output as a confidences that the web identity of the user corresponds to a social media identity. Each web identity may be associated with one or more social media identities. The identity correlations between web identities and social media identities may be used along with other alignments to provide information regarding the time-based media (e.g., advertisements) a user may have likely been exposed to, and to provide targeted advertisements.
US09154852B2
Disclosed is a process for an advertising bidding system in which advertisers can bid on advertising time slots or enhanced ads that can be inserted in either prerecorded or live television programming. A high degree of flexibility is provided by allowing embedded ads to be purchased and displayed in a very short time period. This allows TV broadcasters to increase revenues and allows advertisers to have more flexibility in advertising. Objects can be inserted in the display video broadcast using enhancements such as by using mark-up language overlay pages or by video combination techniques. The effect of these ads can be evaluated for advertising campaigns.
US09154849B2
Disclosed are a transmitter and a receiver for providing multi-layered multimedia services, and a method thereof. The transmitter for providing multimedia services includes a multiple description coding unit that performs multiple description coding (MDC) with respect to at least one source to thereby output a description sequence with respect to each of the at least one source, a description multiplexing unit that multiplexes the description sequence in units of descriptions to thereby output a single multiplexing description sequence, and a transmission code block processing unit that divides and modulates the single multiplexing description sequence to thereby generate a transmission block. Therefore, it is possible to provide high-quality multimedia services while ensuring graceful performance degradation and scalability.
US09154837B2
This document describes techniques and apparatuses enabling a user interface for presenting a media reaction. The techniques receive media reactions of a person to a media program, such as the person laughing at one point of a comedy show, then smiling at another point, and then departing at a third point. The techniques may present these and other media reactions in a user interface through which a user may interact.
US09154831B2
An external device may recognize, in the case of including a communication unit that executes communication via a communication path made up of a pair of differential transmission paths included in a transmission path, information relating to the communication unit thereof. A disk recorder transmits function information indicating that a communication unit (high-speed data line I/F 213) configured to execute communication with an external device via a communication path made up of a reserve line and an HPD line of an HDMI cable to a television receiver via a CEC line that is a control data line of the HDMI cable. The television receiver receives function information, whereby whether or not the disk recorder is an eHDMI-compatible device can be determined, and in the case of an eHDMI-compatible device, a compatible transmission format (application) can be recognized.
US09154826B2
Embodiments of methods, systems and apparatuses for distributing content over a communication network are disclosed. One method includes managing, by at least one content distribution server, a plurality of content, assisting in preloading at least a portion of the content to a storage element associated with a wireless device, identifying a portion of a user interface of the wireless device, and sending configuration information to the wireless device, the configuration information configured to assist the wireless device in placing, in the identified portion of the user interface, a service launch object that launches the content.
US09154824B2
A system for and method of transmitting audio and visual programming content, by identifying an amount of broadcast transmission capacity available for transmitting the content to one or more users. The content is separated into at least first and second portions based on user demand for the content and/or the identified available broadcast transmission capacity. The first portion of the content is transmitted, to a receiver/STB associated with at least one of the users, using the identified broadcast transmission capacity; and the second portion of the content is transmitted to the receiver using transmission other than broadcast transmission. The content can include nonlinear content. Transmission other than broadcast transmission can include unicast transmission, which can be in response to a user request and/or an initiation by a server. The received nonlinear content can be stored at the receiver for play back at a time different from the time of transmission.
US09154820B2
Encoded data may be generated and transmitted from one computing device to another via a network. To address bandwidth use efficiency issues, an available bandwidth for the other computing device may be determined or acquired. A time at which the available bandwidth is determined/acquired may be estimated. Media data (e.g., audio, video, etc.) may be encoded for transmission. Scheduled change time, at which a setting of an encoding condition is expected to be changed, is further determined. Change timing, at which the setting of an encoding condition is to be changed, is determined on the basis of the scheduled change time and the estimated time. The setting of the encoding condition may then be changed in accordance with the available bandwidth when the change timing is reached.
US09154818B2
A method of processing a non-real time (NRT) service in a broadcast receiver is disclosed where the method includes receiving signaling information including the NRT service information and access information which indicates files of a content item can be accessed by Internet, receiving File Delivery over Unidirectional Transport (FLUTE) files through a FLUTE session, wherein File Delivery Table (FDT) instance of the FLUTE session for each file belonging to the content item includes information for content location of the file, the information for content location including an Uniform Resource Locator (URL), and providing the NRT service using the files belonging to the content item, wherein the files are accessed through the Internet using the URL indicated in the information for content location of the file or accessed through a storage in the broadcast receiver.
US09154813B2
A request for a first video may be received from an end user device. A video size for the requested first video may be determined. An unused onscreen location to place the requested first video, within one of a plurality of composite mosaic video streams, may be determined. The unused onscreen location may correspond to a location for insertion of video content for output to an onscreen location of an output device. Information identifying the unused onscreen location may be transmitted to a content source of the requested first video. The requested first video based upon the unused onscreen location information may be received from the content source. The requested first video then may be placed with at least one second video into a composite video stream based upon the unused onscreen location, and the composite video stream may be transmitted to the end user device.
US09154811B2
A method and apparatus for downloading content within a video-on-demand system is provided herein. During operation a Video Home Office (VHO) will cache a subset of the Video Service Office (VSO) content. When a user requests content that is not stored on the VHO, the VHO will request that content from another VHO or the VSO. In order to reduce the additional network load imposed during item forwarding while attempting to balance the total load on all the links interconnecting the VSO and VHOs, recorded traffic history metrics are used to predict their future or current traffic. A VHO or VSO is chosen for fetching the content that will result in the lowest predicted traffic on the interconnecting links.
US09154806B2
The present disclosure relates to a method and apparatus for improving the encoding efficiency by adaptively changing the resolution of the motion vector in the inter prediction encoding and inter prediction decoding of a video. The apparatus includes: a block identification unit for identifying a colocated block included in a reference picture as a block located at a position equal to a position of a current block; a moving block determiner for determining if the current block is a moving block, based on a motion vector of the colocated block; a motion vector determiner for determining a motion vector of the current block according to a result of the determining of if the current block is a moving block; and a resolution converter for converting a resolution of the motion vector of the colocated block.
US09154804B2
A device for encoding video image data includes a data receiver that receives a current image frame to be compressed, the current image frame being composed of a plurality of current macroblocks. An information receiver receives metadata that includes information that identifies static areas within the received current image frame. An encoder encodes each of the plurality of current macroblocks. The encoder encodes a current macroblock that is entirely within the static areas as having no difference from a corresponding preceding macroblock in a preceding frame by using an encoded macroblock that is created without comparing the current macroblock to the corresponding preceding macroblock. The metadata may include information that identifies regular video and graphics within the received current image frame and the encoder may make different compression decisions according to the inclusion of regular video and graphics within the current macroblock.
US09154799B2
A system and method for encoding and decoding a video image having a plurality of frames is disclosed. The method includes a previously reconstructed frame that is segmented to create an alternate reference frame used to encode a current frame. The segments of the previously reconstructed frame are assigned motion parameters, which are used to compile the alternate reference frame. The current frame is encoded and the segmentation parameters and motion parameters are transmitted in the bitstream. The segmentation parameters and motion parameters can be used by a decoder to recreate the alternate reference frame in order to decode the encoded current frame.
US09154795B2
There are provided methods and apparatus for estimating channel induced distortion. A method for estimating distortion for an inter-coded image includes the step of calculating an average channel distortion for received inter-coded macroblocks in the inter-coded image as a previous average channel distortion multiplied by a scaling factor.
US09154778B2
A method and apparatus for processing of coded video using adaptive offset (AO) are disclosed. Embodiments of the present invention divide reconstructed video data into multiple filter units and apply adaptive offset to the filter units to generate filtered video data, where boundaries of filter units correspond to boundaries of coding units and each filter unit contains at one or more coding units. Furthermore, two or more of the multiple filter units can be merged as indicated by a merge index to share filter information of the adaptive offset. A filter control flag can be used to indicate filter ON/OFF control. The luma and chroma components may also share the same filter information. In another embodiment, the filter information sharing among filter units can be applied regardless of whether the boundaries of the filter units are aligned with the boundaries of the coding units.
US09154777B2
A testing system includes a signal emitter, a signal collection apparatus, and an analyzer. The signal emitter emits electromagnetic signals to cause electromagnetic interference in an electronic device. The signal collection apparatus collects the signals outputted by the target electronic device and includes a light emitter and an optical fiber. The analyzer is electronically connected to the signal collection apparatus. The light emitter emits light beams which reproduce the signals collected by the signal collection apparatus, and optical fiber transmits the light beams to the analyzer, the analyzer receives the light beams and reconstitutes the original electrical signals, and analyzes determines the electronic device performance while being subjected to the electromagnetic interference.
US09154772B2
A method and apparatus for converting two-dimensional (2D) contents into three-dimensional (3D) contents is disclosed. The method including: displaying a frame, the frame containing an object which will be extracted from among plural frames contained in the 2D contents; designating a boundary region of an object to be extracted on the displayed frame, in accordance with a user command through a user interface (UI) for collectively designating a region; generating a trimap based on the designated boundary region including inner and outer regions of the object to be extracted, and extracting the object based on the generated trimap. With this, a user can more conveniently and efficiently convert 2D contents into 3D contents.
US09154768B2
A 3D caption display method for harmoniously merging and displaying closed caption with 3D image in a 3D display apparatus, and a 3D display apparatus suitable for implementing the method. The 3D display apparatus receives a broadcast signal containing caption data, and obtains caption control commands including a 3D parameter setting command from the caption data. Afterwards, the 3D display apparatus displays a plurality of 3D caption images according to the caption control commands.
US09154764B2
According to an embodiment, a map converting method includes calculating existing frequency of depths in a first map, the first map corresponding to at least an image area of an image and each pixel of the first map representing a depth corresponding to a pixel of the image area; and first converting the first map into a second map that represents a depth in a first range for each pixel by using the existing frequency.
US09154760B2
A recording apparatus of this invention detects the state of management information, which pertains to a recording address of an image signal, and which is reproduced from a disk-like recording medium having a first area for the image signal and a second area for the management information. On the basis of the detection result, management data is reproduced from the first area of the disk-like recording medium. On the basis of the management data reproduced from the first area, the management information reproduced from the second area is modified. A modify unit records the modified management information in the second area.
US09154753B2
A generation unit generates adjustment information to adjust a first clock indicating a timing of illumination of a laser beam to scan on a screen, based on a scanning position to be scanned by the laser beam. On the basis of the adjustment information, adjustment unit adjusts the first clock to a second clock different from the first clock. Then, in synchronization with the second clock, the laser beam is allowed to illuminate as a pixel. This may be applicable to a projection apparatus for projecting an image on the screen, for example.
US09154752B2
A spatial maximum value filter generates a low frequency video signal in an intermittent frame by removing high frequency components from a video signal in the intermittent frame. A division signal extraction unit calculates a ratio of a signal value of a video signal in an acquired frame to a signal value of a low frequency video signal in an intermittent frame closest to the acquired frame, and generates a high frequency video signal having the calculated ratio as a signal value. A signal adjustment unit calculates a ratio of a signal value of the video signal in the intermittent frame to a signal value of a high frequency video signal in the intermittent frame, and generates an adjusted low frequency video signal having the calculated ratio as a signal value.
US09154750B2
Embodiments of an apparatus including a pixel array and a color filter array optically coupled to the pixel array, the color filter array including a plurality of tiled minimal repeating units. Processing circuitry is coupled to the pixel array to correct fixed pattern noise (FPN) in an image captured by the pixel array. The processing circuitry corrects the values of pixels that are part of a correction group, and wherein the corrections comprise a combination of a color ratio correction that is based on the ratios of selected colors within the minimal repeating unit, and one or more crosstalk corrections that are based on a chief ray angle (CRA) correction and the color ratio correction.
US09154748B2
The system to proctor an examination includes a first camera worn by the examination taking subject and directed to capture images in subject's field of vision. A second camera is positioned to record an image of the subject's face during the examination. A microphone captures sounds within the room, which are analyzed to detect speech utterances. The computer system is programmed to store captured images from said first camera. The computer is also programmed to issue prompting events instructing the subject to look in a direction specified by the computer at event intervals not disclosed to subject in advance and to index for analysis the captured images in association with indicia corresponding to the prompting events.
US09154747B2
A video surveillance system includes: an input configured to receive indications of images each comprising a plurality of pixels; a memory; and a processing unit communicatively coupled to the input and the memory and configured to: analyze the indications of the images; compare the present image with a short-term background image stored in the memory; compare the present image with a long-term background image stored in the memory; provide an indication in response to an object in the present image being disposed in a first location in the present image, in a second location in, or absent from, the short-term background image, and in a third location in, or absent from, the long-term background image, where the first location is different from both the second location and the third location.
US09154738B2
A technique of enabling each communication device to share an image including the same image content in real time is disclosed. In a communication system including a plurality of communication devices for performing transmission and reception of content data with each other, where an instruction to acquire an image from specific video information included in the content data being transmitted or received and store the image has been input by a user, the communication device to which the image storage instruction has been input by the user transmits the image storage instruction to the plurality of communication devices in the communication system. Thus, each of the plurality of communication devices acquires the image from the specific video information being transmitted or received and stores the image based on the image storage instruction.
US09154737B2
A method, system and logic cooperate to display presentation content as a presentation content portion of an image displayed at a videoconference endpoint. The presentation content includes at least one of text and graphics. A videoconference endpoint sends an electronic request to a multi-point control unit, MCU, to increase a scale of the presentation content portion of the image displayed at the videoconference endpoint. The MCU changes an encoding of the presentation content to increase the scale of the presentation content portion of the image. The MCU then sends the enhanced presentation stream, which includes the presentation content portion having an increased scale of the image, to the videoconferencing endpoint. A purpose of changing the scale is to improve legibility of content that may be contributed at, and view by others at, a resolution superior to that received by the endpoint requesting the modification of the presentation content.
US09154732B2
An apparatus comprising a processor configured to receive a video teleconferencing image, wherein the video teleconferencing image has a background and at least one foreground, wherein the foreground has a boundary, determine the boundary of the foreground, overlay the boundary of the foreground with a drawing area, wherein the drawing area obscures the boundary, and replace the background of the image with a new background.
US09154731B2
Systems and method for modifying an image in a video feed are described. In some aspects, a plurality of images are received from a plurality of client computing devices. Each image within the plurality of images includes a face. The plurality of images are modified according to a baseline face position and a baseline face size. At least a portion of the modified plurality of images are provided for display to at least one of the plurality of client computing devices.
US09154726B2
[Problem] In a system that transmits content data from a content replay device to a content output device, to prevent a deterioration in audio quality or video data picture quality while being able to increase the simplicity of a setting-altering operation without requiring complicated signal processing. [Solution] The present invention is provided with: the content replay device, which receives an operation clock signal transmitted from the content output device via an operation clock transmission cable, operates on the basis of the operation clock signal, and transmits content data replayed by a replay unit to the content output device via a multimedia transmission cable; and the content output device, which generates the operation clock signal transmitted to the content replay device on the basis of an output device operation clock signal, transmits the operation clock signal to the content replay device via the operation clock transmission cable, and receives, performs signal processing on, and outputs to an external device the content data transmitted from the content replay device via the multimedia transmission cable.
US09154717B2
The invention relates to a method for correcting a distortion in an aerial photograph caused by a flight movement in the forward direction. The aerial photograph is captured by a surface sensor, the sensor lines of which sensor are exposed at different, successive exposure times, so that each individual sensor line senses a strip of terrain of the terrain flow over at the different exposure times. A relative flight altitude above the strips of terrain captured by the respective sensor line is assigned to the individual sensor lines. Furthermore, a compensation factor is separately determined for each of the individual sensor lines, wherein the factor depends on an air speed of the flying object, a focal length of the aerial camera and the relative flight altitude assigned to the respective sensor line, and corrects the distortion in the aerial photograph for the lines based on the respective compensation factor.
US09154707B2
A device includes a correction section configured to correct an image of an object captured by using a first shutter operation for starting exposure of a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements and a second shutter operation for ending exposure of the photoelectric conversion elements. The correction section is configured to correct the image according to a distance from an optical axis center to the photoelectric conversion elements to minimize variance in exposure duration among the photoelectric conversion elements between the first shutter operation and the second shutter operation.
US09154699B2
A method and apparatus for use in a digital imaging device for correcting image blur in digital images by combining plurality of images. The plurality of images that are combined include a main subject that can be selected by user input or automatically by the digital imaging device. Blur correction can be performed to make the main subject blur-free while the rest of the image is blurred. All of the image may be made blur-free or the main subject can be made blur-free at the expense of the rest of the image. Result is a blur corrected image that is recorded in a memory.
US09154696B2
An imaging device is equipped with an imaging section and is provided with a reception section and an imaging control section. The reception section receives a GPS signal from a GPS satellite, which includes reference time information that is used as a reference of time. The imaging control section synchronizes a timing of imaging by the imaging section with a reference time on the basis of the reference time information included in the GPS signal received by the reception section.
US09154683B2
The present invention provides an image sensing apparatus including an encoding unit for converting video from an image sensing unit so as to generate stream data, and store the stream data in a buffer unit, a control unit for controlling the encoding unit, in a case where, in a fixed time recording mode for recording for a fixed time in response to an instruction to start recording, a second instruction to start recording is issued before the fixed time has elapsed since a first instruction to start recording was issued, to store in the buffer unit stream data that lasts for the fixed time corresponding to the first instruction to start recording, and stream data that lasts for the fixed time corresponding to the second instruction to start recording, and a recording unit for recording each piece of stream data stored in the buffer unit on a recording medium.
US09154681B2
An image capturing apparatus comprises: a first image sensor configured to photo-electrically convert a subject image and output an image signal; a first image processing unit configured to develop a first image signal generated by the first image sensor; a second image processing unit configured to reduce a number of pixels in the first image signal and develop the image signal whose pixels have been reduced as a second image signal; a recording unit configured to record an image signal; and a display unit having a lower pixel count than the pixel count of the first image sensor, wherein in the case where an instruction to capture a still image has been made, the recording unit records the image signal developed by the first image processing unit and the display unit displays the image signal developed by the second image processing unit.
US09154680B2
The present invention relates to a camera module which senses the position of an on object touching a touch surface of an optical touch screen. The camera module comprises one or more lenses, an optical path converting unit, and an image sensor. Each of the lenses is arranged such that the angle of view for the direction vertical to the touch surface is smaller than the angle of view in the direction horizontal to the touch surface. The optical path converting unit reflects light converging through the lenses in the direction vertical to the touch screen. The image sensor is arranged behind the lenses and in the direction horizontal to the touch surface so as to receive the light reflected by the optical path converting unit.
US09154676B1
Football helmet with video system has a rigid shell with front and back portions. An impact absorbing pad assembly and underlying comfort liner assembly are removably attached in the shell. A face guard of connected bars has a center bar connected to the front portion of the shell by one or more connectors with a nose bumper between the center bar and the shell. The nose bumper has a concave inner surface engaged flat against a convex outer surface of the front portion and a video optics housing extending forwardly of the nose bumper and containing an imager. A battery housing is connected in the shell for a battery, a circuitry housing is connected to the shell for video camera circuitry and wiring connects the imager and the battery housing to the video circuitry.
US09154673B2
The present disclosure is directed to a camera transport device for movingly supporting a camera from a suspension line and various example cable camera systems. In some examples, the camera transport device includes a cart module, a motor transportation module, a pan/tilt module including a panning assembly and a tilting assembly, and at least one gear train configured to drive rotation of the panning assembly and pivot of the tilting assembly. In some further examples, the camera transport device selectively includes one of an open configuration cart or a closed configuration cart for engaging with the suspension line.
US09154635B2
Provided is a signal processing method which reduces a plurality of echoes by receiving a plurality of reception signals and subtracting a pseudo echo generated by a plurality of adaptive filters which input the reception signals from a plurality of echoes generated by the reception signals. At least one of the reception signals is delayed to generate a delayed reception signal. The reception signal and the delayed reception signal are inputted to the adaptive filters to generate a pseudo echo. The frequency of inputting the reception signal and the delayed reception signal to the adaptive filters is controlled in accordance with the sensitivity of a localization change of the reception signals.
US09154628B2
A telecommunication and multimedia management apparatus and method that supports voice and other media communications and that enables users to: (i) participate in multiple conversation modes, including live phone calls, conference calls, instant voice messaging or tactical communications; (ii) review the messages of conversations in either a live mode or a time-shifted mode and to seamlessly transition back and forth between the two modes; (iii) participate in multiple conversations either concurrently or simultaneously; (iv) archive the messages of conversations for later review or processing; and (v) persistently store media either created or received on the communication devices of users. The latter feature enables users to generate or review media when either disconnected from the network or network conditions are poor and to optimize the delivery of media over the network based on network conditions and the intention of the users participating in conversations.
US09154626B2
A microprocessor executable resource monitor operable to determine that a less skilled and/or qualified resource has been assigned to service a work item or is servicing the work item, wherein a more skilled and/or qualified resource exists but is not currently available to service the work item, monitor at least one of a level of service provided by the less qualified resource to the work item and/or a customer associated with the work item and an availability of the more skilled and/or qualified resource to service the work item, and, in response to the monitoring step and while the work item is being serviced, transfer the work item to the more skilled and/or qualified resource for servicing.
US09154624B1
The present invention relates to telecommunications, and in particular, to systems and processes for processing telephone calls and providing telephony services. In one embodiment, a call processing system, compromises a first telephony interface configured to receive a call from a caller, a storage device configured to store a greeting, and a call answering system. The call answering system is configured to play the greeting in response to receiving the call, record a voice message from the caller, determine when the caller has completed recording the voice message, after determining that the caller has completed recording the voice message, play a prompt regarding the caller becoming a subscriber to call services provided by the call processing system, receive from the caller information used to establish a call services account, and establish a call services account for the caller.
US09154619B2
The monitor is for monitoring the status of a first client telephone, and for sending this status information via a central server to an authorized second client telephone. The central server stores a database of registered client telephones and corresponding client telephones that the client may monitor. A user of a registered client telephone monitors in real time the telephone status of registered friends, family, or co-workers that have agreed to be monitored by the user.
US09154615B1
A server device may receive, from a user device, application activity data associated with the user device; determine, based on the application activity data, a location associated with the user device; store information associating the application activity data with a call identifier and the location; receive an indication that an incoming call has been received, the incoming call being placed using the call identifier; determine, based on receiving the indication, a location of a caller that placed the call; identify the application activity data based on the call identifier and the location of the caller; and output the application activity data to a callee associated with the call.
US09154609B2
An apparatus and method that enables a case officer to remotely monitor probationers. The remote supervision server receives GPS data/time-date data/text/audio/video reporting periodically from the parolees and probationers and the GPS data/time-date data/text/audio/video reporting is analyzed. The remote supervision server will send an alert to the case officer if a suspicious behavior is detected. If no suspicious behavior is detected, the remote supervision server will store the analysis result and send a notification to the case officer. The case officer can then check the audio/video reporting and the analysis result later. The remote supervision server also calculates the likelihood of recidivism for each post-release supervised client, parolee or probationer and advises the officer of such risk in order of greatest risk to lowest risk.
US09154595B2
A handheld test device includes a keypad having keys associated with tests that can be performed on a subscriber line. The keys are arranged in rows to correspond intuitively with networking layers of the subscriber line and with an order in which to test those layers. Keys of a first row are associated with testing at a physical layer, of a second row with testing at a DSL layer, and of a third row with testing at a service layer. The test device is connected to the subscriber line at a location between CO and CPE, and powered on. In response to being powered on, without technician involvement, the test device automatically detects at least one of CO equipment and CPE on the subscriber line, and trains the test device with the detected equipment.
US09154589B1
Methods and apparatus for a bandwidth-optimized cloud resource placement service are disclosed. A system includes a plurality of resources of a provider network and a resource manager. The resource manager receives a placement request comprising resource pair specifications, where each specification indicates respective capabilities of a desired first and second resource, and a network traffic rate to be supported between the first and second resources. The resource manager identifies resources that match the desired capabilities and can be linked by network paths supporting the desired traffic rates. The resource manager provides an acquisition plan for the identified resources to the client. If the client requests an implementation of the plan, the resource manager acquires the resources on behalf of the client.
US09154585B2
A data transmitting apparatus is provided. The data transmitting apparatus includes a packet generator configured to generate a packet including a plurality of sub packets and a transmitter configured to transmit the generated packet to a data receiving apparatus. Each of the plurality of sub packets includes audio data corresponding to content among a plurality of contents.
US09154573B2
An information exchange apparatus has a processing unit, a wireless communication unit, a storage unit, a mainframe connection port and an identification module. The wireless communication unit has a transmitter and a receiver connected to the processing unit. The storage unit is connected to the processing unit and stores a device identification (ID) code, user information and data exchange records. The mainframe connection port is connected to the processing unit for connecting to an electronic device. The identification module is connected to the processing unit, has a secure memory and stores an identification procedure. The secure memory stores the device ID code and an identification key. The identification module allows the processing unit to access data in the storage unit and exchange data in the storage unit with other information exchange apparatus when the processing unit passes the identification procedure.
US09154572B2
Systems, methodologies, media, and other embodiments associated with processing network communications are described. One embodiment of a method includes processing data requests including changing an input/output (I/O) communications type for processing the data requests.
US09154563B2
A method of monitoring a user of a communication system includes enabling a first user to initiate monitoring of a second user, automatically monitoring status of activity by the second user on the communication system, and delivering to the first user, one or more of an indication that the second user has added or changed a profile or away message, received a new or updated profile or away message comment, visited an Internet location, engaged in communication device activity, or has generated audio or visual input.
US09154562B2
Systems, methods, and media for connecting emergency communications are provided. For example, the methods can include: receiving an emergency communication at a particular public safety answering point from a caller directed to the particular public safety answering point by a location-to-service system; creating a conference on a conference system in response to the particular public safety answering point accepting the emergency communication; selecting a particular call-taker of a plurality of call-takers; sending the particular call-taker an invitation to accept the emergency communication; in response to receiving an indication that the particular call-taker has accepted the emergency communication, connecting the selected call-taker to the conference; connecting the caller to the conference; determining the location of the caller; querying the location-to-service system to identify at least one particular emergency responder of a plurality of emergency responders; and connecting at least one of the at least one particular emergency responder to the conference.
US09154558B2
A method includes sending, from a first electronic device to a second electronic device, a first capability request based on a first schedule. The first electronic device is associated with a first user and the second electronic device is associated with a second user. A first relationship strength is associated with a relationship of the first user and the second user and the first schedule is based on the first relationship strength. The method also includes sending, from the first electronic device to a third electronic device, a second capability request based on a second schedule. The third electronic device is associated with a third user and a second relationship strength is associated with a relationship of the first user and the third user. The second schedule is based on the second relationship strength and the second relationship strength is different from the first relationship strength.
US09154552B2
Methods and apparatus are provided for cooperative file distribution with receiver determined quality of services. A receiver obtains a file by selecting a target rate for downloading a file, identifying one or more unreliable data sources and one or more reliable data sources wherein each source contains one or more portions of the file, obtaining at least a portion of the file from the one or more unreliable data sources at a first rate, determining a throttle rate for downloading at least another portion of the file from the one or more reliable data sources, retrieving the at least another portion of the file from the one or more reliable data sources at a second rate, and adjusting the throttle rate such that an amount of data obtained from the one or more reliable data sources is minimized, and the target rate is maintained.
US09154550B1
An operating system (OS) of a computing device can include or operate in conjunction with a data usage service. The data usage service can determine the network data usage of applications and features of the applications and attribute the network data usage to the specific application and features of the specific application responsible for the network data usage. The data usage service can utilize the determined network data usage and policies governing network data usage to control and adapt the network data usage of the specific application or the features of the specific application.
US09154549B2
Techniques are provided for automatically adding/removing servers to/from a server farm in response to monitored load demands. A load among a plurality of servers, resulting from traffic associated with an application hosted on the plurality of servers is balanced. The load on the plurality of servers is monitored and it is determined that the load on the plurality of servers exceeds a predetermined load threshold. In response to such a determination, one or more additional servers are automatically provisioned for use in hosting the application. The load is then balanced between the plurality of servers and the one or more additional servers.
US09154547B2
One variation of a method for brewing a cup of coffee at a coffee brewing machine includes: receiving a coffee source identifier; retrieving a recipe for a brewing coffee bean based on the coffee source identifier; initiating a brew cycle; heating water in a boiler to a target temperature specified by the recipe; metering a volume of water from the boiler into a brew chamber; heating the brew chamber to maintain the volume of water near the target temperature; according to the recipe, displaying an agitation instruction at a first time during the brew cycle; according to the recipe, triggering a first alarm to cease agitation at a second time during the brew cycle; and according to the recipe, triggering a second alarm to dispense fluid from the brew chamber at a third time during the brew cycle.
US09154544B2
Provided is a method of supporting CoAP-based sensor data transmission between a sensor data collector in a sensor node relay and one or more 6LoWPAN-unsupported sensor nodes. The method includes receiving a CoAP sensor data request message from the sensor data collector, transmitting a CoAP sensor data request message to a corresponding 6LoWPAN-unsupported sensor node by analyzing the received CoAP sensor data request message, and responding to the sensor data collector by creating a CoAP sensor data response message including sensor data received from one or more of the 6LoWPAN-unsupported sensor nodes.
US09154541B2
In one embodiment, an apparatus comprises logic for optimizing return traffic paths using network address translation (NAT). The logic is operable to receive outbound data from a source node in a source network, and to replace a source address in a source address field in the outbound data with a first address from a first address pool associated with a first connection. The logic is operable to determine that return traffic on the first connection needs to be switched over to a second connection, where a second address pool is associated with the second connection. The logic is operable to generate a mapping that associates the first address with a second address from the second address pool and, based on the mapping, to replace the first address in the source address field in the outbound data with the second address. The logic is also operable to send the outbound data to the destination node over the second connection.
US09154538B2
Methods and apparatus are disclosed for facilitating online storage of files (e.g., audio tracks, video, etc.) for playback/access or sale/exchange by the owners of the files without violating copyrights that copyright holders have in the files. For example, by providing a playback service that does not store additional versions of an audio file when the file is transmitted to, and immediately played on, a user device without buffering, the present invention avoids violating copyright laws by not making copies of the file. Numerous other aspects are disclosed.
US09154536B2
Example systems and methods of content sharing via social networking are presented. In one example, availability of a first user device to provide media content over a communication network is detected. A second user device is identified via an association of the first user device with the second user device that is specified in a social network. An acceptance by the second user device to receive the media content from the first user device is determined. In response to the acceptance, transmission of the media content provided by the first user device over the communication network to the second user device is initiated.
US09154532B2
A method of transmitting a multimedia file involves receiving a first message in a first protocol that requests first data associated with the multimedia file, the first data useable to establish a streaming session that transmits the multimedia file. The first message includes identifying data of a referring site. The method also involves transmitting to a requesting device the first data and optionally the identifying data of the referring site and then receiving a second message in a second protocol for the purpose of creating a streaming session associated with the multimedia file. A streaming session is then created for transmitting the multimedia file to the device. In another implementation a method is provided that involves receiving in a computing device from a referring site an identifier of first data associated with a multimedia file and identifying data of the referring site, which is useable for establishing a streaming session.
US09154528B2
A method performed in a call manager, the method comprising receiving a registration message from a media gateway in a plurality of media gateways, wherein the registration message indicates the media processing resources available at the media gateway and the amount of media processing resources in use, sending a message to each of the other media gateways in the plurality of media gateways, wherein each of the messages indicates an amount of available media processing resources in the media gateway, and sending at least one message to the media gateway, wherein the at least one message indicates an amount of available media processing resources in each of the other media gateways in the plurality of media gateways.
US09154519B1
Disclosed are system and method for malware detection on virtual machines. An example method comprises: forming, on a virtual machine, a queue of identifiers of objects for malware analysis; determining a method for selecting objects in the queue for malware analysis; selecting one or more objects from the queue for malware analysis; providing identifiers of the selected objects to a security virtual machine for malware analysis; checking, by the security virtual machine, whether each of the selected objects has been previously provided for malware analysis by another virtual machine; when a selected object has not been previously provided by another virtual machine, performing, by the security virtual machine, a malware analysis of the selected object; and providing, to the virtual machine, a malware analysis result for the selected object.
US09154517B2
Disclosed are systems, methods and computer program products for detecting and preventing spread of malware in a peer-to-peer (P2P) network. The system includes a P2P server receiving from a peer client computer a request for a metadata object and determining if the requested metadata object is associated with one of a verified clean data object, a verified malicious data, or an unverified data object. If the requested metadata object is associated with a verified clean data object, transmitting the requested metadata object to the peer client computer. If the requested metadata object is associated with an unverified data object, determining if the peer client computer has an antivirus software for testing the unverified data object for malware. If the peer client computer has an antivirus software, transmitting to the peer client computer the requested metadata object, otherwise denying client' request.
US09154513B2
The communication information analysis system that executes the storing and the analyzing of the communication packets inexpensively without reducing the rate and reliability of the data communication network. The system of present invention comprises one or more communication terminals and a server computer. When the user terminal communicate with other communication terminals, the user terminal stores the packets to be sent and the received packets into itself as the electrical data file, at the acquisition unit, for example, time interval. The electrical data file is sent to the server computer and stored into it. The server computer analyzes the communication packets using the electrical data file stored in the server computer itself, when requested from the user.
US09154506B1
Systems and methods for secure generation and transmission of data over a communication network are described herein. In one example, the method comprises receiving a query from the user and retrieving raw data from a data repository based on the received query. The method further comprises generating an obfuscated query and randomizing at least one of a table and a field of the raw data to produce a randomized schema. In one example, the method further comprises pre-processing the raw data based on the received query and inserting the preprocessed data into the randomized schema. Thereafter a data payload is generated by inserting the obfuscated query and the randomized schema into a data carrier, wherein the data payload is to be transferred to at least one client device for processing.
US09154503B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide an authorization method and a terminal device. A terminal device receives a right application request from a control device having no access right. The terminal device notifies a control device having an administrator right to assign a right to the control device having no access right. The terminal device receives a right assignment command from the control device having an administrator right and assigning a right to the control device having no access right.
US09154500B2
A personal digital ID device provides a digital identifier to a service for a predetermined duration in response to user interaction. The user interaction may include a button press. The personal digital ID device may be in the form of a bracelet, a key fob, or other form factor. The service may be provided by a mobile device, in the cloud, or elsewhere.
US09154494B2
There are disclosed systems and methods for creating a self-signed implicit certificate. In one embodiment, the self-signed implicit certificate is generated and operated upon using transformations of a nature similar to the transformations used in the ECQV protocol. In such a system, a root CA or other computing device avoids having to generate an explicit self-signed certificate by instead generating a self-signed implicit certificate.
US09154480B1
In conjunction with a registration mode of operation, a first cryptographic device in one embodiment sends challenges to a second cryptographic device comprising a symmetric-key cryptographic module or other key-based cryptographic module that utilizes one or more secret keys. The first cryptographic device receives from the second cryptographic device responses to respective ones of the challenges, and stores information characterizing the responses. In conjunction with an authentication mode of operation, the first cryptographic device sends a selected one of the challenges to the second cryptographic device, receives from the second cryptographic device a response to the selected challenge, and authenticates the second cryptographic device utilizing the response to the selected challenge and the stored information. The first cryptographic device generates the challenges and authenticates the second cryptographic device without having knowledge of the one or more secret keys of the key-based cryptographic module of the second cryptographic device.
US09154477B2
Embodiments of the invention can provide systems and methods for encrypting mobile device communications. According to one example embodiment of the invention, a method for encrypting mobile device communications is provided. The method can include generating, by a first application stored on a first memory of a mobile device, a message to be communicated to an intended recipient; providing, by the first application to an authentication application stored on a second memory of the mobile device, the message; encrypting, by the authentication application, the message; providing, by the authentication application to the first application, the encrypted message; and directing, by the first application, communication of the message to the intended recipient.
US09154474B2
A communication security method and apparatus of a first node and a second node are provided. The first node and the second node communicate with each other based on a full duplex communication scheme using a near field. In the communication security method and apparatus, information to be transmitted may be encrypted based on received information and the encrypted information may be transmitted, in a TX node and an RX node. The communication security method and apparatus prevent an additional node from decrypting the information, and ensure transmission and reception of reliable data. In addition, the communication security method and apparatus prevent information from being decrypted in a physical layer, by periodically or aperiodically exchanging a new encryption key.
US09154439B1
An apparatus and a system, as well as a method and article, may operate to share an energy conduit, such as an antenna, between first data communicated according to a first formatting mechanism and second data communicated according to a second formatting mechanism according to a first priority assigned to the first data and a second priority assigned to the second data. The first formatting mechanism may be different from the second formatting mechanism.
US09154438B2
Methods and apparatuses for providing a fairness protocol in a network element are disclosed herein. In accordance with the disclosed fairness protocol, the average bandwidth of traffic sourced from each of a plurality of ingress ports is monitored. The largest bandwidth of traffic sourced from a port within a first group of ingress ports (e.g., ingress ports of a network element) is identified and compared to the largest bandwidth of traffic sourced from a port within a second group of ingress ports (e.g., ingress ports of one or more network elements communicatively connected to the network element). In order to fairly allocate bandwidth when transmitting traffic that is sourced from the first and second groups, precedence is given to traffic flowing from the group associated with the identified port sourcing the lower bandwidth of traffic.
US09154429B2
The present invention relates to a method and arrangements for updating the mapping of traffic in the form of a set of service level aggregate flows (SLS1, SLSM) to a set of partial resources (B1, BN) for forwarding the traffic in a communications network (21). Each service level aggregate flow corresponds to a service level associated with a set of service requirements. Information regarding traffic characteristics of each service level aggregate flow and performance of the set of network resources are obtained. Based on this information, the mapping of the set of service level aggregate flows to the set of network resources is updated to achieve a more efficient utilization of the set of network resources, while fulfilling the set of service requirements.
US09154426B2
Described is a system for establishing a network connection between electronic devices in a network. In the described embodiments, a first electronic device is configured to determine that a relay server is being used to send packets to and receive packets from a second electronic device. In parallel with continuing to send packets to and receive packets from the second electronic device using the relay server, the first electronic device is configured to perform operations to establish a peer to peer network connection with the second electronic device. When the peer to peer network connection has been established, the first electronic device is configured to stop using the relay server to send packets to and receive packets from the second electronic device, and instead use the peer to peer network connection with the second electronic device to send packets to and receive packets from the second electronic device.
US09154418B1
An apparatus includes a comparator engine having a comparison logic unit to compare at least a portion of a header of a data unit to a header pattern, where the header pattern corresponds to at least a portion of a header of a previously analyzed data unit, and a match indication generator to generate a match indication if the at least a portion of the header matches the header pattern; and a result generator to cause the data unit to be processed based on the previously analyzed data unit if the match indication is generated.
US09154417B2
A method and apparatus providing uninterrupted transmission of IP transmissions, during endpoint changes is disclosed. If a destination identifier in a received IP transmission matches a caller identifier of a record and a source address identifier or source identifier in the transmission do not match a caller address identifier or the caller identifier of the record, and a session identifier in the transmission matches a caller session identifier in the record, the source address identifier and the source identifier in the transmission are set as the caller address identifier and caller identifier respectively of the record. A similar procedure is followed to set the callee address identifier and callee identifier of the record using similar fields associated with the callee.
US09154413B2
A method of processing network traffic within a computing system, comprises at a first configurable logic device (CLD), receiving an ingress network packet from an external network interface, associating the ingress network packet with a timestamp indicating the time of receipt, parsing the ingress network packet to locate a link-layer checksum value and a routing-layer checksum value, determining whether the link-layer and routing-layer checksum values are correct based on the ingress network packet contents, and transmitting the ingress network packet to a second CLD via a high-speed interconnection; and at the second CLD receiving the ingress network packet, parsing the ingress network packet to locate a source address and a destination address, determining a destination and a route for the ingress network packet based at least in part on the source and destination addresses, and transmitting the ingress network packet to the determined destination via the determined route.
US09154412B2
In one embodiment, a node in a multicast label distribution protocol (mLDP) network determines a remote protecting node for a particular root node in the mLDP network. In addition, the node determines a protecting node address of the remote protecting node and a root node address of the particular root node, and establishes an mLDP label-switched path (LSP) via the remote protecting node by using the protecting node address as a root of an outer forwarding equivalent class (FEC) of a recursive FEC, and using the root node address as an inner FEC of the recursive FEC for the mLDP LSP. As such, when the remote protecting node is reached, the outer FEC is stripped and the remote protecting node continues establishing the mLDP LSP toward the particular root node.
US09154399B2
A method for a user agent to access a session policy in a network is provided. The method comprises the user agent sending a registration message to a first network node. The method further comprises the user agent receiving policy-related information from the first network node in a response to the registration message. The policy-related information is one of the session policy, a Uniform Resource Locator that points to the session policy, and a Policy-Contact header containing a policyContactURI for a policy document.
US09154397B2
Provided are methods and computer program products for analyzing transactions across a network and to help identify network performance issues. Methods for analyzing traffic include identifying an outbound transaction and a related transaction type, and identifying candidate inbound transactions that have the same transaction type as the transaction type of the outbound transaction. One or more transaction data parameters may be selected that correspond to the outbound or inbound transactions. Candidate transactions may be determined to be related to the outbound transaction based on one or more transaction data parameters.
US09154396B2
A method of passively measuring available link bandwidth at a client device that receives media data over a network connection comprising receiving packets of a media stream at the client device, wherein one or more the of packets comprises a unique identifier indicating that one or more the packets are associated with a macro burst sorting the received packets into one or more of the macro bursts based on the unique identifiers, and determining the link bandwidth available to the client device based at least in part on the time intervals between arrival times of the packets sorted into individual macro bursts, wherein the macro bursts each comprise a plurality of packets transmitted together by a sending device to regulate the sending device's transmission rate.
US09154395B2
A method for optimizing a jitter buffer includes receiving a first request to establish a video conference communication session with a remote endpoint. The method also includes sending a second request to a first network location for latency information for packet communications sent from a second network location. The method further includes receiving from the first network location the latency information for packet communications sent from the second network location. Additionally, the method includes setting a jitter buffer for the video conference communication session based on the latency information for packet communications sent from the second network location.
US09154375B2
The present invention comprises a system, apparatus, and method for subscribing to indicia related to a user experience or a peripheral device, in an embodiment a broadband wireless modem, recording selected indicia, and forwarding them to a server on a network. The system comprises a server coupled to a plurality of user terminals through a network, to receive a set of indicia, an apparatus for controlling a baseband/broadband processor, and a program product comprising instructions to adapt a central processing unit to perform as follows. In an embodiment, connecting to a broadband/baseband processor comprising issuing commands, subscribing to receive indicia, determining a condition has occurred, recording a plurality of indicia, forwarding a set of indicia to a destination on the network. Indicia includes measurement values, state changes, event occurrences, user actions, activity and inactivity at time stamped milestones, and sequences and combinations of the above.
US09154359B2
A method for automatically detecting a packet mode in a wireless communication system supporting a multiple transmission mode includes: acquiring at least one of data rate information, packet length information and channel bandwidth information from a transmitted frame; and determining the packet mode on the basis of the phase rotation check result of a symbol transmitted after a signal field signal and at least one of the data rate information, the packet length information and the channel bandwidth information acquired from the transmitted frame.
US09154355B2
There are several exemplary ways to more efficiently communicate an out-of-domain seed to a receiver—in a first technique, the seed can be indicated in the header portion or data portion of a packet. For example, the header portion of the packet could contain one or more bit fields that indicate the value of the LFSR seed used for the preamble portion of the packet. The receiver would learn the out-of-domain seed after receiving a first out-of-domain packet and decoding the header portion of that packet. After learning the out-of-domain seed, the receiver could send a packet indicating the value of the out-of-domain seed to the local master. The local master could then transmit the value of the out-of-domain seed in the header portion or data portion of a local MAP frame.
US09154353B2
Systems and methods are described using a Hermetic Transform and inverse Hermetic Transform for transmitting and receiving a signal with multiple subcarriers, oversampling the received signal, and providing the resulting signals to a Hermetic Transform to provide a higher resolution output signal. An inverse Hermetic Transform is used to process data for transmission. The result is comparable to a form of OFDM that has orthogonality in a minimum norm/least-squares sense.
US09154340B2
Disclosed is a method of cancelling inter-subcarrier interferences in distributed antenna system. A method of cancelling interference performed in a transmitting station may include configuring a least one Alamouti pair by mapping subcarrier to each of input symbols, performing a 2N-point inverse fast Fourier transform (IFFT) on the at least one Alamouti pair, wherein the N is a natural number, and performing a frequency up converting on signals on which the 2N-point IFFT performed. Therefore, the inter-subcarrier interferences can be canceled efficiently.
US09154332B2
A computing apparatus as an element of a network structure acquires and maintains cell locked data transfer amongst a number of computing apparatuses which can be full mesh interconnected by full duplex data transfer links. A predefined number of symbols transmitted as a cell is followed by a variable number of idle symbols to ensure the nominally simultaneous start of the cell transfers throughout the network. At specific positions of the cells each computing apparatus broadcasts a list of its transmission requests and receiver capabilities to all other computing apparatuses. Each of the interconnected computing apparatuses executes the same arbitration procedure based on the identical data set of transmission requests and receiver capabilities. As a result transmission paths are assigned for direct transmission and for payload forwarding. Transmission paths can be assigned per cell period individually for both directions of each link.
US09154330B2
A method and a device of link aggregation and a method and a system for transceiving MAC frames are provided. The method includes: transmitting, by systems at two ends of a link, information of virtual local area networks (VLANs) of a port in a local end system to an opposite end system through message exchange; and determining, by the systems at the two ends of the link, the VLAN of the link respectively according to the received information of the VLAN of the port in the opposite end system and the information of the VLAN of the port in the local end system, and performing link aggregation according to the VLAN of the link. Thus, the networking flexibility is improved, the convenience of network design and network maintenance and management is improved, and the MAC frames having VLAN identifiers can be distributed to the corresponding VLAN links rapidly, accurately, and conveniently.
US09154328B2
The present disclosure describes methods and systems for efficiently assigning, managing and querying virtual private network (VPN) addresses intranet IP (IIP) addresses of users, such as SSL VPN users on an enterprise network. The disclosure describes techniques and policies for assigning previously-assigned VPN addresses of a user to subsequent sessions of the user as the user logs in multiple times or roams between access points. The disclosure also describes a configurable user domain naming policy so that one can query the VPN address of a user by an easily referable host name identifying the user. The appliance and/or client agent provides techniques for applications to seamlessly and transparently communicate on the VPN using the VPN address of the user or client on the private network.
US09154315B2
The present system and method comprises an improved marketplace for providing and consuming services. Using the present system, generally via one or more APIs, comprises a method for integrating value added services within a network of participants, for instance, a payment network. The network can use service switching capabilities to route service calls to and from the service consumers and providers using routing elements defined in a message specification. Network participants can be both consumers and providers of services. The network can route service messages to the appropriate provider depending on details in the message.
US09154314B2
The present disclosure provides a method for implementing usage monitoring control, comprising: a PCRF makes a usage monitoring policy for each IP-CAN session or service data flow that shares a total allowanced usage according to the obtained total allowanced usage shared by multiple users, and the PCRF sends the usage monitoring policy to a PCEF (200); the PCEF performs a usage monitoring according to the usage monitoring policy sent by the PCRF, and reports a usage to the PCRF (201); the PCRF deducts a consumed usage from the total allowanced usage shared by the multiple users after the PCRF receives the usage reported by the PCEF (202). The present disclosure also provides a system for implementing usage monitoring control. Through the solution of the present disclosure, when multiple users share a total allowanced usage, PCRF simultaneously monitors the usage on the multiple users according to the total allowanced usage, thereby avoiding conflicts in policy and charging controls.
US09154311B2
The coupling device comprises a controllable switch unit coupled to an output side of the communication cable, and having a first, a second and a third state. In the first state, a voltage of the communication cable is detected, and the setting of the controllable switch unit is changed from the first state to the second state, if the detected voltage is below a threshold level. In the second state, the communication cable is connected to a controller to check the reception of an identification signal indicating to the controller that a coupling device to couple a load to the cable is connected to the cable. If the identification signal is identified by the controller, the controllable switch unit connects the supply power source to the communication cable.
US09154309B2
A computer-implemented method for running an encrypted file and system are provided, where the method includes the following steps: receiving a file running instruction; invoking an encrypted target file according to the file running instruction, and performing memory-based decryption on the encrypted target file according to key information corresponding to the encrypted target file; and running the encrypted target file on which the memory-based decryption is performed.
US09154306B2
Systems and methods are disclosed for privacy-preserving flexible user-selected anonymous and pseudonymous access at a relying party (RP), mediated by an identity provider (IdP). Anonymous access is unlinkable to any previous or future accesses of the user at the RP. Pseudonymous access allows the user to associate the access to a pseudonym previously registered at the RP. A pseudonym system is disclosed. The pseudonym system allows a large number of different and unlinkable pseudonyms to be generated using only a small number of secrets held by the user. The pseudonym system can generate tokens capable of including rich semantics in both a fixed format and a free format. The tokens can be used in obtaining from the IdP, confirmation of access privilege and/or of selective partial disclosure of user characteristics required for access at the RPs. The pseudonym system and associated protocols also support user-enabled linkability between pseudonyms.
US09154300B2
A method and apparatus for performing Joint Randomness Not Shared by Others (JRNSO) is disclosed. In one embodiment, JRNSO is determined in Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) using a baseband signal loop back and private pilots. In another embodiment, JRNSO is determined in Time Division Duplex (TDD) using a baseband signal loop back and combinations of private pilots, private gain functions and Kalman filtering directional processing. In one example, the FDD and TDD JRSNO embodiments are performed in Single-Input-Single-Output (SISO) and Single-Input-Multiple-Output (SIMO) communications. In other examples, the FDD and TDD embodiments are performed in Multiple-Input-Multiple-Output (MIMO) and Multiple-Input-Single-Output (MISO) communications. JRNSO is determined by reducing MIMO and MISO communications to SISO or SIMO communications. JRNSO is also determined using determinants of MIMO channel products. Channel restrictions are removed by exploiting symmetric properties of matrix products.
US09154294B2
This invention concerns a resynchronization method by a receiver of a received stream of groups of bits, comprising: detecting a synchronization loss (S10), and then iterating (S11 to S17) checks over different bits until a first bit of a group of bits is found (S14), the most probable first bit being checked first, wherein the checks are iterated in a checking order of bits different from a chronological reception order, so as to check earlier at least one of most probable first bits, different from the most probable first bit, so as to shorten average resynchronization time.
US09154285B2
Data communications are effected over one or more network branches to ensure appropriate receipt of data at different devices on the network. In accordance with an example embodiment, time-based communications are effected for a plurality of different network devices, at least two of which are connected to a common wired network link, with each network device being assigned to communicate during different time slots within a communication cycle. Each communication received on the common wired network link is assessed as being error-indicative or not error-indicative. In response to a received communication on the common wired network link being assessed as being error-indicative, the common wired network link is operated to corrupt data received on the branch, such as by driving the branch during a time slot in which the error-indicative communication is received, therein ensuring that other network devices disregard the data received during that time slot.
US09154283B2
Automatically adjust the size of a Physical Uplink Control Channel, PUCCH, of an uplink communication subframe. In a particular embodiment, the size of a semi-static region of the PUCCH is adjusted. The adjustment is based on a utilization factor of the PUCCH over a time period. The adjustment can also be based on the connection factor (connections between the wireless terminals and the cell) and/or based on the utilization factor of a PUSCH (Physical Uplink Shared Channel). The result is an efficient resource utilization on the PUCCH, and a properly dimensioned PUCCH region.
US09154279B2
Disclosed embodiments may include an apparatus having one or more processors coupled to one or more computer-readable storage media. The one or more processors may be configured to transmit and/or receive channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS) resource configuration information, demodulation reference signals (DM-RS), uplink sounding reference signals (SRS), and power control parameters to support uplink coordinated multi-point (CoMP) operations. Other embodiments may be disclosed.
US09154274B2
Techniques to use OFDM symbols of different sizes to achieve greater efficiency for OFDM systems. The system traffic may be arranged into different categories (e.g., control data, user data, and pilot data). For each category, one or more OFDM symbols of the proper sizes may be selected for use based on the expected payload size for the traffic in that category. For example, control data may be transmitted using OFDM symbols of a first size, user data may be transmitted using OFDM symbols of the first size and a second size, and pilot data may be transmitted using OFDM symbols of a third size or the first size. In one exemplary design, a small OFDM symbol is utilized for pilot and for transport channels used to send control data, and a large OFDM symbol and the small OFDM symbol are utilized for transport channels used to send user data.
US09154265B2
A vehicle communication network device includes a transceiver configured to communicatively couple with a remote transceiver of another vehicle communication network device via a wired media and processing circuitry coupled to the transceiver. The device detects interference on the wired media that exceeds an interference threshold level. Upon the detection, the device enters a quiet mode during which no data is transmitted on the wired media. After exiting the quiet mode, the device enters an idle mode during which known data is transmitted on the wired media and during which the device receives known data from the remote transceiver. The device retrains its transceiver based upon the known data and after retraining the transceiver, exchanges data with the remote transceiver. The device may also buffer data for transmission, upon the detection, determine buffered data that was likely corrupted by the interference, and after retraining, retransmit the determined buffered data.
US09154260B2
Techniques for reliably transmitting and receiving control information in a wireless network are described. A cell may typically send control information on a control channel and associated data (e.g., system information) on a data channel in the same subframe. This subframe may have strong interference from other cells. For cross-subframe signaling, the cell may transmit the control information in a first subframe and the associated data in a second subframe. The first subframe may be a usable subframe for the cell and may have less interference from other cells. A UE may not know the location of the first subframe and may perform window-based decoding. The UE may decode the control channel in at least one subframe within a decoding window covering the first subframe to obtain the control information. The UE may then decode the data channel in the second subframe based on the control information to obtain the data.
US09154251B2
Embodiments herein describe apparatuses, systems, and methods for signaling to support downlink coordinated multipoint (CoMP) communications with a user equipment (UE) in a wireless communication network. In embodiments, the UE may be configured with a plurality of channel state information (CSI) processes (e.g., via radio resource control (RRC) signaling) to use for providing CSI feedback to an evolved Node B (eNB) to support downlink CoMP communications. The UE may be configured with a plurality of sets of CSI processes. The UE may further receive a downlink control information (DCI) message from the eNB that indicates one of the configured sets of CSI processes on which the UE is to provide CSI feedback to the UE. The UE may generate the CSI feedback for the indicated set of CSI processes, and transmit the CSI feedback to the eNB in a CSI report.
US09154250B2
A method in a radio network node for communicating with a user equipment (UE) during communication between the radio network node and a radio base station in a radio communications network. The radio network node serves the UE within a cell and communicates with the radio base station and the UE over a frequency spectrum in a time division duplexing configuration. The radio network node sets up a first connection over a first part of the frequency spectrum to the radio base station, and a second connection to the UE over the first or a second part of the frequency spectrum. The second part of the frequency spectrum is solely used for communication with UEs within the cell. The radio network node then communicates simultaneously with the UE and the radio base station over respective connections in a time slot of a reference time configured by the radio communications network.
US09154247B2
A live uplink transmission and broadcasting management system and method for managing a plurality of live uplink transmissions and broadcasting events, the system comprising: (i) a publication portal for publishing transmissions of live events; (ii) a database for storing metadata, system data, broadcast data and user data; (iii) a broadcast manager adapted for receiving and processing in real-time metadata information related to a plurality of live uplink transmission events wherein each live uplink transmission event transmits in a plurality of uplink channels, wherein processed metadata information generate data elements adapted for being used in telecom and datacom real time management applications, said broadcast manager also adapted for updating the publication portal with live event information and (iv) a set of Quality of Service (QoS) management methods to coordinate the usage of Uplink transmissions based on the received metadata and their processing in the broadcast manager.
US09154245B2
A receiving device that receives a signal in a receiving antenna. The receiving device includes a gain controller that adjusts a gain in the receiving device in response to information related to power of the signal, and a signal detector that determines whether, within a predetermined period after the information related to the power of the signal exceeds a first threshold value, the information related to the power of the signal exceeds a second threshold value which is larger than the first threshold value. The gain controller adjusts a search range of the gain in the receiving device based on a determination result of the signal detector with respect to the information related to the power of the signal.
US09154243B2
Techniques for calibrating a receiver based on a local oscillator (LO) signal from another receiver are disclosed. In an exemplary design, an apparatus (e.g., a wireless device or an integrated circuit) includes first and second local oscillator (LO) generators. The first LO generator generates a first LO signal used by a first receiver for frequency downconversion. The second LO generator generates a second LO signal used by a second receiver for frequency downconversion in a first operating mode. The second LO signal is used to generate a test signal for the first receiver in a second operating mode. The second LO signal may be provided as the test signal or may be amplitude modulated with a modulating signal to generate the test signal. The test signal may be used to calibrate residual sideband (RSB), second order input intercept point (IIP2), receive path gain, etc.
US09154232B2
In order to allow reception in which receive sensitivity does not depend upon polarization state in reception of a multi-level phase optical signal, in this optical reception method, a multi-level phase optical signal of a single polarization is separated into a first optical signal and a second optical signal of which polarizations are mutually orthogonal, the ratio of the power of the first optical signal to the power of the second signal is calculated, and the difference between the phase of the first optical signal and the phase of second optical signal is calculated as an amount of compensation, whereupon, on the basis of the ratio and the amount of compensation, the first optical signal and the second optical signal are combined using a maximal ratio combining method, and the amount of compensation is modified on the basis of the ratio.
US09154227B2
An OCM monitors a plurality of SW ports each receiving an optical signal by switching the SW ports. The OCM includes a PD, a control circuit, and an arithmetic circuit. The PD detects an optical power level on wavelengths spaced at predetermined intervals in each of the SW ports to be monitored. The control circuit determines, in each of the SW ports, whether arithmetic processing using a waveform estimated from the optical power level is executed, depending on presence or absence of a change in the optical power level detected by the PD. The arithmetic circuit performs the arithmetic processing by using the waveform when the control circuit determines execution of the arithmetic processing.
US09154219B2
Systems and methods for communication between an implantable medical device and an external device. Data blocks are generated and transmitted between the implantable device and the external device. The data blocks include a first flag indicating whether the data block is a first data block in a message and when the data block is a subsequent data block in a multiple data block message. When the first flag indicates that the data block is a first data block in a message, the data block also contains a device ID, a command token, and message content. When the first flag indicates that the data block is a subsequent data block in a multiple data block message, the data block contains additional message content that is appended to message content from a previously received data block.
US09154213B2
The present invention reduces the degradation in performance of one or more radio signals that are co-transmitted with a first radio signal from the same transmitting antenna in the same frequency channel and received by the same antenna due to multipath or other shared interference, where the one or more radio signals can be separated from the first radio signal. All received signals are coupled to the same adaptive array or adaptive filter to reduce multipath or other shared interference of the first radio signal, which reduces multipath and other shared interference in the other radio signals before they are separated and processed by their respective receivers, or the individual radio signals are separated before the first signal enters the adaptive array and coupled to a slave weighting network slaved to the weights of the adaptive array of the first signal to reduce interference in all the signals.
US09154209B2
Disclosed are a method and apparatus for transmitting feedback in a wireless communication system. A terminal transmits first CSI (channel state information) on a first node combination to a base station, or a terminal transmits second CSI on a second node combination to the base station. The total number of antenna ports in the first node combinations is one of two, four, or eight, and the total number of antenna ports in the second node combination is not two, four, and eight.
US09154202B2
In a closed-loop wireless communication system, a codebook-based feedback mechanism is provided to enable non-unitary precoding for multi-stream transmission, where in each stream is optimized with suitable transmission power allocation and AMC. The codebook-based feedback mechanism uses a precoding codebook having a power allocation matrix which is constrained to specify that beamforming always applies full power to a predetermined beam. With this constraint, a one-bit power allocation feedback index may be used to switch between beamforming and spatial multiplexing.
US09154199B2
An RF front-end includes a transmit adjust module, a PA module, an antenna coupling circuit, a LNA module, and a receive adjust module. The transmit adjust module adjusts coordinates of up-converted analog signals when in a first transmit mode and adjusts coordinates of a plurality of up-converted analog signals when in a second transmit mode to produce to produce multiple adjusted up-converted signals and a plurality of adjusted up-converted signals, respectively, which are subsequently amplified by the PA module. The antenna coupling circuit provides the outbound RF signals to at least some of a plurality of antennas depending on the transmit mode and provides multiple or a plurality of inbound RF signals at least some of the plurality of antennas to the LNA module based on a receive mode. The receive adjust module adjusts coordinates of the multiple or plurality of amplified inbound RF signals based on the receive mode.
US09154198B2
The number of active antenna ports used for uplink and/or downlink MIMO transmissions to a given user are dynamically adjusted, based on user data traffic payload size per period of time, and based on RF conditions. An example method, in a radio transceiver that supports two or more MIMO transmission and reception modes, begins with evaluating channel conditions between the radio transceiver and a remote wireless device and comparing a throughput demand for the remote wireless device to a forward link capacity and/or reverse link capacity. A forward link transmission mode or a reverse link transmission mode is changed, based on the channel conditions and the throughput demand. The transmission mode is changed from a first multi-stream mode to a second multi-stream mode having fewer streams than the first multi-stream mode, despite that channel conditions for the corresponding link support the first multi-stream mode.
US09154193B2
A method for adjusting power distribution that includes establishing a connection between a base station and a plurality of remote transceivers. The method also includes establishing a plurality of wireless connections with a plurality of endpoints via one or more of the plurality of remote transceivers. The method further includes receiving a signal quality indication from each of the plurality of remote transceivers for any endpoint for which the remote transceiver is able to receive a wireless communication. The method additionally includes determining a power distribution for the plurality of remote transceivers based on the received signal quality indication from each of the remote transceivers. The method also includes transmitting a control signal to the plurality of remote transceivers. The control signal comprises the power distribution and is indicative of the amount of power each remote transceiver is to use for each endpoint when transmitting wireless communications.
US09154184B2
Methods, systems and metering devices are provided for performing synchronous communication in a frequency hopping communication system without the use of expensive clock circuitry and/or significant amounts of data traffic on the communication system.
US09154183B2
A method can be used for channel mapping based on frequency hopping. A working channel label of a node is computed according to the number of working channels of the node in frequency hopping mode, an identifier of the node, and a time parameter corresponding to a current superframe. A working channel is determined according to the working channel label. Data is transmitted on the working channel within the current superframe.
US09154177B2
A method for controlling a transmission/reception timing of a BS antenna for TDD wireless communications is provided, in which a control signal and an RF signal are separated from a modulated signal received from a BTS, a TDD synchronization signal is monitored from the received modulated signal, a periodic RF signal is checked from downlink transmission and uplink reception RF signals, an error between the TDD synchronization signal and the periodic RF signal is calculated, and a transmission/reception switching control signal is output according to the error.
US09154175B2
Transceiver and communication apparatus transmitting and receiving data encoded by transmission code
A transceiver that transmits and receives data used in a communication system, in which the data is encoded by a transmission line code and a signal level of the transmission code changes at a predetermined transition timing in a bit-duration. The transceiver includes: a clock generator that generates an internal clock used for internal circuits; a timing generator that generates, by using the internal clock generated by the clock generator, a timing signal synchronized to a reference clock supplied externally; an encoding circuit that encodes, by using the timing signal generated by the timing generator, a transmission data which is synchronized to the reference clock to be the transmission line code; and a waveform shaping unit that performs a waveform shaping of a waveform at the predetermined transition timing of the transmission data to be based on the reference clock.
US09154173B1
A frequency conversion circuit having a plurality of N signal channels, each being fed an input signal and a train of pluses having a period T and a duty cycle T/N. Each signal channel includes: a column III-V semiconductor sampler coupled the input signal and being responsive to sampling signals; and a column IV semiconductor controllable time delay for producing the train of sampling signals in response to a train of pulses produced on the column IV semiconductor, the time delay imparting a time delay to the pulses in accordance with a time delay command signal fed to the time delay. Each one of the sampling signals is produced by the time delay in each one of the channels with the period T and the duty cycle T/N with the sampling signals in one of the trains of the sampling signals being delayed with respect to the sampling signals in another one of the trains the sampling signals a time T/N.
US09154166B2
A wireless communication device includes a front-end module (FEM) network coupled to a system on a chip (SOC) via an RF connection. The FEM network includes a plurality of FEMs, wherein, when activated, one or more of the plurality of FEMs is operable to: output an outbound RF signal to one or more antennas; receive an inbound RF signal from the one or more antennas; and isolate the inbound RF signal from the outbound RF signal. The SOC is operable to activate the one or more of the plurality of FEMs; convert outbound data into the outbound RF signal; and convert the inbound RF signal into inbound data.
US09154152B1
Analog-to-digital-converters (ADC) are provided. The ADC contains a first capacitive digital-to-analog-converter (CDAC) and a control circuit. The CDAC, including n bit, is configured to connect a kth bit of the n bits to a first voltage reference to provide a first analog signal, convert the first analog signal into first digital code using 0th through (k−1)th bits that are less significant than the kth bit, connect the kth bit of the n bits to a second voltage reference to provide a second analog signal, and convert the second analog signal into second digital code using the 0th through (k−1)th bits that are less significant than the kth bit. The control circuit is configured to estimate a weight of the kth bit based on the first and second digital code.
US09154143B2
A semiconductor device includes a controlled oscillator and a control unit. The controlled oscillator includes a resonance circuit, an amplification unit, and a current adjustment unit. The resonance circuit includes one or a plurality of inductors and a first capacitive unit having a variable capacitance value. The amplification unit is connected to the resonance circuit, and outputs a local oscillation signal having an oscillation frequency corresponding to a resonance frequency of the resonance circuit. The current adjustment unit adjusts a value of a drive current to be supplied to the amplification unit. The control unit controls the capacitance value of the first capacitive unit and the current adjustment unit. When the control unit instructs the current adjustment unit to change the value of the drive current to be supplied to the amplification unit, the control unit also changes the capacitance value of the first capacitive unit.
US09154132B2
Advantageous analog and/or digital logic cells and methods of powering circuit blocks using the same are provided. A digital logic cell can include a charge storage device, a logic block, and connections to a power supply. The charge storage device may be a capacitor. The capacitor or other charge storage device can be disconnected from the logic block and a power supply to discharge the capacitor, and then connected to the power supply, via the power supply connections, to charge the capacitor. The capacitor can be disconnected from a ground connection of the power supply while the capacitor is discharged. After being charged via the power supply, the capacitor can also be disconnected from the power supply (including ground) and connected to the logic block to power the logic block.
US09154128B2
A capacitive touch sensitive device includes a matrix of pads patterned in a first electrically conductive material on a substrate. Horizontally adjacent pads within each even row of the matrix are electrically coupled to one another via channels to form a plurality of horizontally arranged electrodes. Insulators are positioned over respective channels. Conductive links are formed over respective insulators and are configured to electrically couple vertically adjacent pads between odd rows of the matrix to form a plurality of vertically arranged electrodes. The dimensions of the channels and the conductive links are configured such that an RC time-constant (RCtc) of each of the vertically arranged electrodes substantially matches an RCtc of each of the horizontally arranged electrodes.
US09154127B2
In one embodiment, a touch sensor includes a first mesh of conductive material. The first mesh includes a plurality of conductive lines. A first one of the conductive lines has a first portion and a second portion. The first portion is wider than the second portion. The first portion defines a first portion of a first outer edge of an electrode.
US09154126B2
An output driver circuit is provided. In accordance with various example embodiments, an output driver circuit includes a high-side driver circuit having transistors coupled in anti-series between a power source and an output node, and a low-side driver circuit having transistors coupled in anti-series between the output node and ground. For each transistor, a diode is connected between the source and drain of the transistor, with the diodes of the respective high-side and low-side circuits being arranged to prevent/mitigate the flow of current in opposite directions.
US09154123B1
An integrated circuit can include a plurality of drive monitoring sections, each including at least one transistor under test (TUT) having a source coupled to a first power supply node, a gate coupled to receive a start indication, and a drain coupled to a monitor node, at least one monitor capacitor coupled to the monitor node, and a timing circuit configured to generate a monitor value corresponding to a rate at which the TUT can transfer current between the monitor node and the first power supply node; and a body bias circuit configured to apply a body bias voltage to at least one body region in which at least one transistor is formed; wherein the body bias voltage is generated in response to at least a plurality of the monitor values.
US09154117B2
Various apparatuses and methods are disclosed. The system describes a pulse generator comprising a first stage configured to be powered by a first voltage; and a second stage configured to be powered by a second voltage different from the first voltage, wherein the second stage is further configured to generate a pulse in response to an input to the first stage comprising a trigger and feedback from the second stage.
US09154110B2
A filter and a transceiver in a radio frequency (RF) band, using a bulk acoustic wave resonator (BAWR), are provided. The RF filter includes at least one low temperature coefficient of frequency (TCF) BAWR. The RF filter further includes at least one high quality factor (Q) BAWR including a high Q compared to the at least one low TCF BAWR, the at least one low TCF BAWR including a low TCF compared to the at least one high Q BAWR.
US09154096B2
The present disclosure relates to an apparatus and a method for controlling sound output. The apparatus includes a sound processor configured to amplify a sound signal to a certain level to output an output signal to a speaker. An analyzer is configured to monitor whether an output level of the output signal output from the sound processor exceeds a maximum output level of the speaker between the sound processor and the speaker, and to convert the output signal into a signal of a frequency domain to analyze an energy amount for each frequency when the output level of the output signal exceeds the maximum output level of the speaker. A controller is configured to control a volume for the output signal of the corresponding frequency band when a frequency band having the energy amount exceeding the threshold value is detected from the analyzer.
US09154094B2
Embodiments of a Doherty power amplifier that maintain efficiency over a large operating average power range are disclosed. In one embodiment, the Doherty power amplifier includes reconfigurable main and auxiliary output matching networks and a fixed combining network. The reconfigurable main and auxiliary output matching networks can be reconfigured such that together the reconfigurable main output matching network, the reconfigurable auxiliary output matching network, and the fixed combining network provide proper load modulation for multiple different back-off power levels. As a result, the Doherty power amplifier maintains high efficiency over an extended back-off power level range.
US09154093B2
A system includes a photodetector, a first amplifier, a second amplifier, and a filter. The photodetector is to detect backscattered light from liquid drops to provide a current signal. The first amplifier is to convert the current signal into a first voltage signal. The second amplifier is to amplify the first voltage signal to provide a second voltage signal, and the filter is to filter the second voltage signal to provide an output signal to indicate the presence or absence of liquid drops.
US09154091B2
This document describes a new op-amp sharing technique for pipeline ADC without memory effect. The key features of this technique are: the usage of negative impedance converter and scaled replica of the op-amp input device to achieve zero error voltage, which in turns achieve low power dissipation due to the removal of the tradeoff between op-amp sharing and memory effect. With this technique much lower operation of pipeline ADC can be achieved for applications of data communications and image signal processing.
US09154090B2
Devices and methods for correcting for start-up transients in integrated power amplifiers are disclosed. A delay element is arranged to produce a delay waveform signal that is responsive to an input voltage signal. A transconductance element has an input that receives the delay waveform signal and is arranged to provide an output boost current that is based on the delay waveform signal and a gain of the transconductance element. A reference element provides an output bias current that is responsive to a static reference current and the boost current. A bias element has an input that receives the bias current and is arranged to provide a bias control output. A power amplifier is responsive to the bias control output and is arranged to provide an amplified power output.
US09154087B2
Amplifiers with configurable mutually-coupled source degeneration inductors are disclosed. In an exemplary design, an apparatus (e.g., a wireless device or an integrated circuit) includes a gain transistor and a plurality of inductors, which may implement an amplifier. The gain transistor receives an input signal and provides an amplified signal. The plurality of inductors are mutually coupled, are coupled to the gain transistor, and provide a programmable source degeneration inductance for the gain transistor. The inductors may have a positive coupling coefficient and may provide a larger source degeneration inductance. Alternatively, the inductors may have a negative coupling coefficient and may provide a smaller source degeneration inductance.
US09154073B2
Method for determining the rotor position of a synchronous machine operated in field-oriented manner
A method for determining the rotor position of a synchronous machine operated in field-oriented manner, which has an effective inductivity that is dependent on the rotor position, the motor current being acquired, and the motor voltage being set with the aid of a pulse-width-modulation method, a signal which is in synchrony with the pulse-width-modulation frequency being superimposed on the motor voltage value to be set, values of the motor current being acquired in synchrony with the pulse-width modulation frequency, a current component induced by the superimposed voltage signal and a residual current component, i.e., fundamental wave component, being determined, the current component induced by the superimposed voltage signal being used for determining an estimated rotor angle position, whose phase error in relation to the actual rotor angle position is reduced by means of a flux model, the residual current component being supplied to a current controller.
US09154069B2
An integrated generation control system includes at least one integrated control module, a rectification module, a communication module, a rectifier, a permanent magnet alternator, a generator, a maintenance module, a local control unit and a battery. The integrated control module includes an automatic voltage regulator, a power system stabilizer and an extensive gate controller. The rectification module is connected to the integrated control module. The communication module is arranged between the integrated control module and the rectification module. The rectifier is connected to the integrated control module and the rectification module. The permanent magnet alternator is connected to the rectifier. The generator is connected to the integrated control module.
US09154068B2
A method for regulating the output voltage of the alternator of a generator set, the generator set including a heat engine driving the alternator and the alternator including a rotor having a pole wheel. The method includes the following step: modifying the current in the pole wheel, at least during an increase in the load at the outlet of the alternator, in such a way as to bring the output voltage of the alternator to a value lower than the value before the increase in the load, the modification of the current in the pole wheel depending on the deceleration of the heat engine.
US09154062B2
An electric power tool is provided with a three-phase brushless motor that drives a tool and a motor driver that drives the three-phase brushless motor with square voltage waves. The motor driver is able to set a conduction angle to a value that is equal to or more than 130 degrees but not more than 180 degrees, and especially to change the conduction angle among at least two values that are equal to or more than 130 degrees but not more than 180 degrees. In this configuration, it may be preferable that the conduction angle is set to a larger value as a load applied to the tool becomes smaller. On the other hand, it may be also preferable that the conduction angle is set to a larger value as a load applied to the tool becomes smaller.
US09154053B2
A piezoelectric actuator includes: a plurality of first piezoelectric elements; a first member that is interposed between the plurality of first piezoelectric elements and that is driven in a first direction by the plurality of first piezoelectric elements; a second piezoelectric element that is disposed on the first member; and a second member that is disposed in contact with the second piezoelectric element and that is driven in a second direction intersecting the first direction by the second piezoelectric element.
US09154051B2
The invention relates to an operating state circuit for driving an inverter with half-bridges having respective switching devices, which inverter supplies an n-phase supply voltage to an n-phase electrical machine via phase connections associated with the respective half-bridges, where n≧1. The operating state circuit comprises an evaluation device, which is connected to the phase connections of the inverter and to input connections of the inverter and is designed to detect an input voltage of the inverter and phase currents at the phase connections of the inverter, and a drive device which is coupled to the evaluation device and is designed to switch the inverter from a short-circuit state to a freewheeling mode on the basis of the detected input voltage, wherein the evaluation device is designed to generate a freewheeling trigger signal and to output said signal to the drive device if the detected input voltage is lower than an adjustable freewheeling threshold value, and wherein the drive device is designed to change the respective switching devices of the half-bridges to an open state after receiving the freewheeling trigger signal only when the particular phase current detected at the associated phase connection has a zero crossing or a current direction coming from the inverter.
US09154049B2
When switching control signals of self-excited semiconductor devices from OFF-control to ON-control, a control circuit controls the self-excited semiconductor device to be ON after a lapse of a turn-ON time from when a control voltage is applied to the self-excited semiconductor device. When switching the control signals of the self-excited semiconductor devices from ON-control to OFF-control, the control circuit controls the control signal of the self-excited semiconductor device to be OFF after a lapse of a turn-OFF time from when the control voltage is applied to the self-excited semiconductor device.
US09154039B2
A power converter includes a transformer with a primary and a secondary winding. Feedback and control is maintained on the primary-side while a separate load detection circuit detects dynamic load conditions on the secondary-side. The load detection circuit detects dynamic load conditions at the time when a load is connected to the output of the switching power converter and, in turn, generates an alert signal. A coupling circuit coupled to the load detection circuit at the secondary winding side of the transformer and to the controller at the primary winding side of the transformer transmits the alert signal to the controller. The controller regulates the output voltage based on the feedback signal generated at the primary side of the transformer while detecting and responding to the dynamic load condition based on the alert signal generated at the secondary side of the transformer.
US09154029B2
A modulation method and modulator for an envelope tracking power supply. An output of a multi-level switching regulator (202) in the envelope tracking power supply modulator is in parallel connection with an output of a linear regulator (201) via an inductor (203) and supplies power to a load. The modulation method for the envelope tracking power supply includes: generating a first control signal (209) according to the current (211) obtained from inputting a first reference level signal (206); comparing the amplitude of a second reference level signal (2061) obtained according to the first reference level signal (206) with preset amplitudes of at least three levels, and outputting a second control signal (210) according to the comparison result and the first control signal (209); the multi-level switching regulator (202) outputting a level signal of corresponding amplitude according to the second control signal (210), and loading the amplitude of the level on the inductor (203) to output an inductive current (208′); and linearly regulating the first reference level signal (206) via a linear regulator (201) to obtain a voltage output (207) to the load. The present disclosure resolves the problem of fixed rate of change of current output by the switching regulator of the envelope tracking power supply regulator and cannot adjust to different load current change rates, thus the inductive current outputted by the multi-level switching regulator can better track the load current change.
US09154024B2
Systems and methods for improved generators are described. One embodiment includes an assembly for an axial flux generator, the assembly comprising an arc-shaped rotor section that includes a rotor support configured to rotate around an axis of a generator, and an at least one rotor element for power generation that is connected to the rotor support; an arc-shaped stator section comprising a stator support and an at least one stator element for power generation connected to the stator support; wherein the rotor section and the stator section are configured to provide an axial air gap between the at least one rotor element and the at least one stator element, and wherein the at least one rotor element and the at least one stator element are positioned to be at substantially the same radial distance from the axis of the generator.
US09154019B2
A hub assembly for an electric machine includes a rotor hub and a machine rotor. Rotation of the machine rotor generates an electromagnetic (EM) field. The hub assembly includes a resolver rotor that encodes an angular position of the machine rotor as a set of resolver signals. An EM field barrier ring between the resolver rotor and the rotor hub adds a magnetic barrier between the machine rotor and the resolver rotor to reduce noise in the resolver signals. The resolver rotor may be bonded to the EM field barrier ring. The EM field barrier ring may have an L-shaped cross section, and may be press-fitted into a pocket of the rotor hub. A vehicle includes a transmission having an input member and an electric machine having a rotor shaft connected to the input member of the transmission. The electric machine includes the hub assembly noted above.
US09154012B2
Providing a fluid dynamic bearing device, wherein the outer member comprises a member formed by a pressing process on a plate member, the radial bearing surface and at least the one of the thrust bearing surfaces of the outer member being formed by the pressing process, and wherein at least a part of the inner member, which forms the radial bearing surface and the thrust bearing surfaces of the inner member, is made of a sintered metal.
US09154008B2
Hybrid rotor bar assemblies and electric motors having hybrid rotor bar assemblies are disclosed, as are other aspects. The hybrid rotor tar assemblies have rotor bars lined with shims. The rotor bars can be copper rotor bars. In certain aspects, the shim may be about one fourth to about one eighth of a thickness of the rotor bar. Also disclosed are electric motors with shims lining the rotor bars and functioning as secondary rotor bars.
US09154006B2
In a rotor for the dynamo, the interior circumference face of a rotor core main body makes contact in a thermally transmissible manner with a rotor axle, and the rotor axle includes a cooling medium circulation space. The rotor is provided with a cooling medium supply member, which supplies the cooling medium to the cooling medium circulation space. The cooling medium supply member is provided with a cooling medium supply path that extends in the rotor axle direction, and cooling medium supply holes that extend externally in the direction of the rotor diameter. The cooling medium supply holes are provided with supply apertures that open toward the cooling interior circumference face. The rotor axle is provided with cooling medium discharge holes that extend externally in the direction of the rotor diameter. The cooling medium discharge holes are provided with discharge apertures that open externally in the diameter direction.
US09154004B2
In the rare earth sintered magnet, the ratio of R2 to the sum of R1 and R2 that are contained in crystal grain boundaries surrounding the crystal grains in the rare earth sintered magnet body is higher than the ratio of R2 to the sum of R1 and R2 in the crystal grains, and the concentration of R2 increases from the central portion of the rare earth sintered magnet body toward the surface of the rare earth sintered magnet body. In addition, the degree of unevenness in residual magnetic flux density on the surface of the rare earth sintered magnet body is smaller than 3.0%.
US09154003B2
A non-contact power transmission system comprises: a primary coil including a power supply coil and a magnetic resonance coil; and a secondary coil including a load coil, thereby transmitting an electric power from the power supply coil at a self-resonating frequency of the magnetic resonance coil, which is determined by a parasitic capacitance between wound wires of the coil and a self inductance of the coil, and taking out the electric power supplied, from the load coil of the secondary coil through magnetic coupling, with non-contact, wherein the electric power is transmitted, with non-contact, with applying magnetic coupling in coupling between the power supply coil and the magnetic resonance coil and coupling between the magnetic resonance coil and the load coil.
US09153994B2
A handheld device includes an electronic instrument and a capacitive power supply for storing and delivering power to the electronic instrument. The capacitive power supply includes at least one capacitor, and an electronic circuit operable to boost a voltage from the capacitor to a higher voltage for use by the electronic instrument. The capacitive power supply can be rapidly recharged. Some configurations include an accelerometer which permits the handheld device to detect movement and perform various operations responsive to detected movement. A dual charging station is also disclosed.
US09153988B2
A full charge sensing apparatus for sensing a fully charged state of a secondary battery based on an equivalent circuit model of the secondary battery includes a measuring unit that measures a voltage and a current during charging of the secondary battery, a learning unit that performs a learning process on a plurality of parameters in the equivalent circuit model using a result of measurement of the measuring unit, and a determining unit that determines that the secondary battery is in a fully charged state in a case where, among the parameters on which the learning process has been performed by the learning unit, a parameter corresponding to a reaction resistance of the secondary battery is greater than a predetermined threshold.
US09153985B1
A charging device for charging an electronic device can include a main body having a recess. First and second electrical cables can be disposed in the recess when in retracted positions, and the first and second electrical cables can extend outside of the main body when in extended positions. The charging device can have a cover that is movable between a closed position, which can cover the recess, and an open position, which can expose the recess to enable the electrical cables to move between the retracted and extended positions. The charging device can include a battery. Electrical power can be received via the second electrical cable for charging the battery. Electrical power can be output from the battery via the first electrical cable to charge an electronic device.
US09153981B2
An electric power supply adapter device that plugs into a charging receptacle of an electric golf car or electric utility vehicle used to power an electronic apparatus. The main components consist of input electric connectors positioned in the housing and adapted to fit a charging receptacle of an electric golf car or electric utility vehicle, a DC converter module to convert input power from the charging receptacle of an electric golf car or electric utility vehicle into the required DC output power, and an output electric connector adapted to receive an electronic apparatus and to transmit the DC output power from the DC converter module to the electronic apparatus.
US09153971B2
A housing for receiving an electronic circuit (4) having a plurality of components (5) having a carrier plate (7) and a housing cover (8) including a circumferentially enclosing wall (9) on the carrier plate (7) and a cover part (10) on the wall (9), which cover part (10) lies opposite the carrier plate (7). A volume compensation element (11) is attached on the carrier plate (7) in an interior (12) of the housing cover (8) which is enclosed in a pressure-tight manner from an external atmosphere. The volume compensation element (11) is elastically formed providing a variable volume for compensation of pressure fluctuations in the interior (12), which variable volume occurs with a change in position of the volume compensation element (11) relative to the carrier plate (7). A gap between the volume compensation element (11) and the carrier plate (7) is connected to the external atmosphere.
US09153969B2
Disclosed herein is a power feeding device including a power transmitter adapted to generate a plurality of transmission signals at different frequencies including at least power to be fed; a power feeding element that is fed with transmission signals including power generated by the power transmitter; and a plurality of resonance elements that have different resonance frequencies and are provided where they can be coupled with the power feeding element by electromagnetic induction.
US09153968B2
An isolator circuit (25) for a unit of a safety system (10) includes a power control line (14) connectable to a first loop of a safety system and a power connection (16) connectable to a second loop of the safety system. A switch (26) is connected to the power control line (14), and the switch has a closed configuration and an open configuration. A controller (28) controls the configuration of the switch (26). If a voltage across the circuit (10) from the power connection (16) to the power control line (14) falls below a predetermined level, the controller (28) opens the switch (26), thereby causing a disconnection to occur in the first loop.
US09153965B2
A method is provided for efficiently managing energy consumption using stored energy. The method accepts input energy (e.g., from a power utility) and maintains a record of energy consumption. An energy consumption peak is predicted in response to analyzing the record of energy consumption, and the input energy is augmented with stored energy during the predicted energy consumption peaks. More explicitly, a peak shaving value is selected based on a fraction of the predicted energy consumption peak, and the stored energy is used when energy consumption exceeds the peak shaving value. In one aspect, after a determination is made to use stored energy, it is simply used while it is available. Otherwise, it is supplied based upon an analysis of a predicted value of the stored energy.
US09153961B2
An interface device between an electrical network and energy consumer systems, including an input converter with a first winding connected on one side with a reverse blocking module and on the other with a first semiconductor chopper device, second and third windings having an end connected to output converters via first and second reverse blocking modules, and another end connected to the output converters, via a switching cell, a fourth winding having an end to be connected to the network, via a second semiconductor chopper device; and a control module for the semiconductor chopper devices. The interface device also includes a buffer capacitor having a first end connected to the output converters, and another end, to which a reference voltage is applied, isolated from the network; and a power reserve having an end to be connected to the network and another end connected to the fourth winding.
US09153960B2
Power supply equipment includes an adapter which converts power from a power source to DC power for powering an electronic device. The power supply equipment includes circuitry which produces a data signal for use by the electronic device to control power drawn by the electronic device. A cable extends from the adapter. The power supply equipment further includes a tip which has an input side and an output side. The input side of the tip is detachable mateable to the cable. The output side of the tip is detachably mateable to the electronic device. The tip output side has a shape and size dependent on the shape and size of a power input opening of the electronic device. The tip provides the data signal, as well as the DC power, to the electronic device. Different tips may be used to provide appropriate data signals to different electronic devices.
US09153950B2
A wire lead-in device for leading wires into a building from the upper side of a roofing material laid on a roof structural member includes a main body having a transversely long plate-like base part that is mounted on the roofing material, an insertion hole that penetrates through the base part and through which the wires are capable of being inserted, a peripheral wall that surrounds the wires passing through the insertion hole and extending to an eaves side from right, left, and ridge sides, and extends upward from the base part, and of which lower ends are inclined upward toward the eaves side, and an inclined bottom wall that couples the inclined lower ends of the peripheral wall, and a lid member that is detachably mounted on the main body and is capable of closing an upper opening of the peripheral wall.
US09153948B2
A system includes a power panel actuation system configured to translate a power panel within a panel connection rack. The power panel actuation system includes an input shaft and a plurality of cams coupled to the input shaft, wherein the plurality of cams is configured to engage with the power panel upon rotation of the input shaft, and the plurality of cams is configured to linearly translate the power panel within the panel connection rack.
US09153947B2
A withdrawable unit system for an electric switching device, having a housing containing a access door, which gives access to all control elements of the unit and can be closed as tightly as required by international standards, such as DIN EN 60529. The withdrawable unit system optionally has a moveable unit capable of blocking and releasing the electrical switching device in and from at least three defined positions withdrawn, test and plugged-in by using a slide, a lever, and notches with dedicated notch blocking devices.
US09153942B2
A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, includes forming a laser section on a portion of a substrate, the laser section including an active layer, an upper semiconductor layer on the active layer, and a mask on the upper semiconductor layer; forming a compound semiconductor layer of an indium-containing material in contact with a side of the laser section, the compound semiconductor layer having a projection immediately adjacent the laser section; and wet etching and removing the projection with an etchant containing hydrobromic acid and acetic acid, planarizing the compound semiconductor layer, and producing a (111)A surface in the upper semiconductor layer, under the mask.
US09153936B2
An optical transmitter is disclosed. In accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure, an optical transmitter may comprise a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) and a VCSEL driver. The VCSEL driver may comprise an input stage configured to receive a voltage signal and a low-impedance output stage comprising an input coupled to the input stage and a low-impedance output coupled to the VCSEL and configured to provide a modulated output current to the VCSEL.
US09153929B2
A laser utilizes a cavity design which allows the stable generation of high peak power pulses from mode-locked multi-mode fiber lasers, greatly extending the peak power limits of conventional mode-locked single-mode fiber lasers. Mode-locking may be induced by insertion of a saturable absorber into the cavity and by inserting one or more mode-filters to ensure the oscillation of the fundamental mode in the multi-mode fiber. The probability of damage of the absorber may be minimized by the insertion of an additional semiconductor optical power limiter into the cavity.
US09153911B2
A coaxial connector for coupling an end of a coaxial cable to an equipment appliance port or terminal is disclosed. The coaxial cable has an inner conductor, a dielectric surrounding the inner conductor, an outer conductor surrounding the dielectric, and a jacket surrounding the outer conductor is disclosed. The coaxial cable connector comprises a body, a coupler rotatably attached to the body, and a post secured to the body. The post has a structural feature. A grounding member is disposed between the post and the coupler in the structural feature. The grounding member establishes an electrical grounding path which may be maintained between coupler and post, including, when the coupler is not tightly fastened to a terminal and without restricting rotation of coupler relative to post.
US09153901B2
A connector includes a terminal including a connecting portion that is connected to a plate portion formed at an end of another terminal by a fitting, and an elastic member having a lower rigidity than the plate portion and the connecting portion. The connecting portion includes a bottom portion to be in contact with the plate portion and first and second side portions provided upright from both end sides of the bottom portion in a width direction orthogonal to the fitting direction so as to interpose a contact portion with the plate portion therebetween. When the terminal is fitted to the other terminal, the elastic member is interposed between the plate portion and the first and second side portions and elastically deforms and contacts with both side surfaces of the plate portion in the width direction and with the first and second side portions in the elastically deformed state.
US09153894B2
The present teachings provide for a connector including a first body and an assurance body. The first body defines a first locking member, a cavity and a slot. The cavity accepts a terminal inserted therein to a first distance. The slot extends into the first body and intersects the cavity. The first locking member is configured to prevent withdrawal of the terminal when the terminal is inserted to the first distance. The assurance body is movable between a preset and a full set position within the slot, and includes a reinforcing member and a second locking member. The full set position, the reinforcing member limits movement of the first locking member to prevent the withdrawal of the terminal, and the second locking member extends into the cavity to prevent withdrawal of the terminal independent of the first locking member.
US09153890B2
A method and an electrical interconnect mechanism in which elastomeric pins are printed onto metal retainer tabs having at least one protrusion or tab extending laterally therefrom to engage a catch or recess of the laminated housing so as to locate each of the elastomeric pins and secure them within the housing. In one embodiment a champher may be employed with a catch or recess to engagely secure a second protrusion or tab extending laterally from another side of said elastomeric pin. In another embodiment the elastomeric pin may have a solid metal ring or a slide collar around the center of the pin wherein the ring has one or two tabs for engaging the recess in the housing and if preferred also the recess of a champfer.
US09153889B2
An electrical connector system having a male and female connector. The male connector includes a U-shaped shroud axially surrounding a male terminal having an opening generally perpendicular to the male terminal's longitudinal axis. The female connector includes a female terminal having two openings, one generally parallel with the female terminal's longitudinal axis and another generally perpendicular to that axis. The male and female terminals mate in a parallel configuration having the male terminal axis generally parallel to the female terminal axis or in a perpendicular configuration having the male terminal axis generally perpendicular to the female terminal axis. A connector body holds the female terminal. The connector body defines a locking means that releasably secures the connector body to the shroud in both the parallel and perpendicular mating configurations. The locking means may include a triangular shaped lock tab that engages a similarly shaped lock aperture.
US09153888B2
A high speed flexible printed circuit (FPC) connector includes a housing with ground and signal contact terminal pairs arranged in the housing in a staggered manner along a lateral direction. The housing has a cavity for receiving an FPC board therein. Each ground contact terminal has an upper arm positioned adjacent to a top wall of the cavity and a lower arm positioned adjacent to a bottom wall of the cavity. Each signal contact terminal has only a lower arm positioned adjacent to the bottom wall of the cavity. Signal contact terminals with the only lower arm provide the connector with better signal integrity. An actuator is coupled to the housing for fixing the FPC board in the cavity to establish electrical connections. The actuator has recesses corresponding to the positions of the signal pairs to provide a dielectric constant different from that of the other parts of the actuator.
US09153884B2
A coaxial cable connection module including a body; a first signal terminal including a first flat signal contact face; a first ground terminal including a first flat ground contact face; a second signal terminal including a second flat signal contact face; and a second ground terminal including a second flat ground contact face. The first signal contact face and the first ground contact face are arranged, on the first surface of the body, in parallel with each other with a predetermined pitch defined therebetween. The second signal contact face and the second ground contact face are arranged, on the second surface of the body opposite to the first surface, in parallel with each other with the predetermined pitch defined therebetween. The first signal contact face is located opposite to the second ground contact face. The first ground contact face is located opposite to the second signal contact face.
US09153875B2
In a high-frequency module, an arrangement order of antenna terminals, transmission-side signal terminals, and reception-side signal terminals in a second direction corresponds to an arrangement order of antenna terminal electrodes, transmission-side terminal electrodes, and reception-side terminal electrodes in the second direction.
US09153870B2
A broadband mobile phone antenna with a parasitic antenna and a mobile phone thereof are disclosed. The mobile phone antenna includes a main antenna and a matching circuit thereof, a first antenna switch connected with the main antenna and the matching circuit thereof. The first antenna switch is used to perform frequency band switching of the main antenna. The mobile phone antenna also includes a parasitic antenna, at least two second matching circuits, and a second antenna switch connected with the parasitic antenna and the second matching circuits. The parasitic antenna is set on one side of the main antenna. The second antenna switch is controlled by a mobile phone base band chip and is used to make the parasitic antenna switch between the second matching circuits.
US09153861B2
A system and method for using the skin of a vehicle as a waveguide for surface waves to support far-field signal propagation to provide communications between various electrical nodes on the vehicle and for providing power signals. A dielectric layer is formed on the skin to define the waveguide, and a coupler couples signals from the node to the waveguide and receives signals from the waveguide to be sent to the node.
US09153858B2
The present invention relates to a portable electronic device with static charge protection, which is particularly suitable for use in areas exposed to explosion hazards and not limited in its functions therein. The portable electronic device comprises a transmission module having an antenna, and a housing, accommodating the transmission module and the antenna, wherein at least part of the housing has such a frame structure of frame elements of anti-static material with areas of another material placed there in-between that the radiation of the antenna goes essentially through the areas and not through the frame elements of anti-static material.
US09153850B2
A battery pack with a heat dissipation structure comprises two battery modules, four heat dissipation elements, and four spacing sleeves that are combined by four screws. The four heat dissipation elements and the four spacing sleeves are disposed between the two battery modules. The dissipation elements are in direct contact with the respective battery modules, so that the heat of the respective battery module will be conducted to the heat dissipation plates then dissipated into the air through the heat dissipation fins of the heat dissipation plates. Between the two battery modules is formed a heat dissipation channel, which can avoid the heat accumulation due to direct contact of the two battery modules while allowing the hot air in the heat dissipation channel to be exchanged to the cool air outside the battery pack.
US09153848B2
An electronic device includes a battery capacity computing unit configured to compute a current full-charge capacity of a currently inserted battery apparatus having secondary cells. The battery capacity computing unit acquires at least information on a full-charge capacity of the battery apparatus in a brand-new state and information on the battery charge/discharge cycle count from the battery apparatus, retains a correction coefficient used when computing the current full-charge capacity of the battery apparatus, and calculates the current full-charge capacity of the battery apparatus using the information on the full-charge capacity of the battery apparatus in a brand-new state, the information on the battery charge/discharge cycle count, and the correction coefficient.
US09153839B2
A solid electrolyte battery using a solid electrolyte capable of realizing high conductivity, and a process for producing a solid electrolyte battery are provided. The solid electrolyte battery is structured as a laminate of a positive electrode collector layer, a positive electrode active material layer, a solid electrolyte layer, a negative electrode active material layer, and a negative electrode collector layer formed in order on a substrate. The solid electrolyte layer is a thin film formed of a compound of the formula Li3 M04 (M =V, Nb, Ta, or Db).
US09153838B2
To provide a lithium ion conductive inorganic substance that makes it possible to further enhance the charge-discharge voltage of batteries and to further improve the charge-discharge properties of batteries. The lithium ion conductive inorganic substance includes a ZrO2 component from 2.6% to 52.0% by mass on an oxide basis. The lithium ion conductive inorganic substance is preferably used for lithium ion secondary batteries that have a positive electrode layer, a negative electrode layer, and a solid electrolyte layer intervening between the positive electrode layer and the negative electrode layer.
US09153836B2
A battery capable of improving battery characteristics is provided. The battery includes a cathode, an anode and an electrolytic solution, and a separator arranged between the cathode and the anode is impregnated with the electrolytic solution. The solvent of the electrolytic solution includes a sulfone compound having a sulfonyl fluoride type structure in which a sulfonyl group and a fluorine group are bonded together, and at least one kind selected from the group consisting of a chain carbonate which includes a halogen and a cyclic carbonate which includes a halogen.
US09153834B2
A fuel cell stack assembly includes a fuel cell stack wherein a plurality of fuel cell cassettes is coupled together by a joining material. A spring strap is coupled to the fuel cell stack in a manner effective to apply a first compressive force to the fuel cell stack. A first load distribution plate is located intermediate the fuel cell stack and the spring strap. The first load distribution plate is configured to distribute the first compressive force over the fuel cell stack in a manner effective to normalize the first compressive force on the joining material. A diaphragm is configured to define a cavity and is configured to apply a second compressive force to the fuel cell stack dependent on a cavity pressure of oxidant within the cavity. The cavity pressure is dependent upon an oxidant pressure of oxidant provided to the fuel cell stack.
US09153818B2
A composition for use in a battery electrode including lithium-sulfur particles coated with a transition metal species bonded to a sulfur species. Methods and materials for preparing such a composition. Use of such a compound in a battery.
US09153817B2
Disclosed is a lithium ion secondary battery including: a positive electrode including a positive electrode active material layer comprising a positive electrode active material capable of absorbing and releasing lithium ions, and a positive electrode current collector; a negative electrode including a negative electrode active material layer comprising an alloy-formable active material, and a negative electrode current collector; a separator interposed between the positive electrode and the negative electrode; and a non-aqueous electrolyte. The positive electrode active material layer has an easily swellable resin having a degree of swelling with the non-aqueous electrolyte of 20% or more, and the negative electrode active material layer has a hardly swellable resin having a degree of swelling with the non-aqueous electrolyte of less than 20%.
US09153811B2
Multiple cell tabs are effectively joined in a cost-effective and more consistent manner that can result in less mass and volume per interconnect. Cell tabs can be made of a material that is sufficiently thick enough to be able to carry several times the current of other tabs. The tabs are notched to engage an interconnecting member where the notching is performed in the same stage as making individual cell tab bends. Once the cell tabs are notched and bent, they are then positioned together such that the notched portions lie on the interconnecting member in a flat, side-by-side manner, all at the same height. The cell tabs are then held closely to the interconnect and laser-welded.
US09153787B2
The present invention discloses a novel compound of Formula 1, and an organic electroluminescent device using the same. In Formula 1, X and Y independently represents an aromatic or a hetero aromatic hydrocarbon having a carbon number of from 5 to 10. Ar1 to Ar7 each independently represents an unsubstituted or substituted aromatic hydrocarbon having a carbon number of from 4 to C12, or an unsubstituted or substituted condensed polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon having a carbon number of from 4 to 12; Ar1 to Ar7 can form an annulated or fused aromatic ring system with the adjacent aromatic hydrocarbons. When the compound of Formula I is used in the device, high luminous efficiency, longer lifetime and low driving voltage can be achieved.
US09153781B2
A manufacturing method of a resistive random access storage unit, includes: forming a resistance layer on a first metal layer having a flat surface; forming a passivation layer on the resistance layer; performing an etching process to obtain a plurality of basic units, a basic unit comprising a first metal layer, a resistance layer, and a passivation layer, which are laminated sequentially; depositing a insulating dielectric layer, and flattening the insulating dielectric layer; etching the insulating dielectric layer and the passivation layer to form contacting holes corresponded to the basic units; filling metal wires in the contacting holes; forming a second metal layer. According to the above method, a uniformly distributed resistance can be formed on a whole wafer.
US09153779B2
According to one embodiment, a memory element includes: a first electrode layer; a second electrode layer; and a memory layer provided between the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer, and the memory layer including a plurality of first oxide layers in a second oxide layer, a resistivity of each of the plurality of first oxide layers being higher than a resistivity of the second oxide layer.
US09153778B2
A resistive switching device includes a first material layer between a first electrode and a second electrode. The first material layer has a first region and a second region parallel to the first region. The first region corresponds to a conducting path formed in the first material layer, and is configured to switch from a low-resistance state to a high-resistance state in response to an applied voltage that is greater than or equal to a first voltage. The second region is configured to switch to a first resistance value that is less than a resistance value of the first region in the high-resistance state when the applied voltage is greater than or equal to a second voltage. The first region remains constant or substantially constant when the second region has the first resistance value.
US09153767B2
Disclosed herein are an ultrasonic probe having a backing layer formed of a structure which varies acoustic impedance and a manufacturing method thereof. The ultrasonic probe includes a piezoelectric layer and a backing layer provided on a rear surface of the piezoelectric layer, and the backing layer includes a plurality of kerfs formed on a front surface thereof in a lengthwise direction, the front surface being adjacent to the rear surface of the piezoelectric layer, and the kerfs are formed such that the intervals between the kerfs are varied.
US09153761B2
The present invention provides a thermally-conductive sheet excellent in heat dissipation properties. The thermally-conductive sheet includes a polymer matrix and a thermally-conductive filler dispersed in the polymer matrix. The present invention is a thermally-conductive sheet including a polymer matrix and non-spherical particles of a thermally-conductive filler that are dispersed in the polymer matrix. At least a part of the thermally-conductive filler particles are oriented in a thickness direction of the sheet. When a portion of the sheet where the thermally-conductive filler particles have the highest degree of orientation in the thickness direction of the sheet is defined as a center of orientation, and an axis passing through the center of orientation and perpendicular to sheet surfaces is defined as a central axis of orientation, the thermally-conductive sheet has a region where the thermally-conductive filler particles are oriented toward one point on the central axis of orientation and where the degree of orientation of the thermally-conductive filler particles in the thickness direction of the sheet decreases from the center of orientation toward a periphery of the sheet.
US09153758B2
A method according to embodiments of the invention includes providing a wafer of semiconductor light emitting devices, each semiconductor light emitting device including a light emitting layer sandwiched between an n-type region and a p-type region. A wafer of support substrates is provided, each support substrate including a body. The wafer of semiconductor light emitting devices is bonded to the wafer of support substrates. Vias are formed extending through the entire thickness of the body of each support substrate.
US09153753B2
A method for manufacturing a wavelength converting element (202, 301, 302, 303, 310, 312) the method comprising providing (100) a polymeric carrier material (200) having a first wavelength converting material (201) dispersed or molecular dissolved therein; the first wavelength converting material (201) is adapted to convert light of a first wavelength to light of a second wavelength, deforming (101) the polymeric carrier material at a first temperature at or above the glass transition temperature thereof such that at least part of the polymeric carrier material (200) is crystallized; and annealing (102) the polymeric carrier material(200) at a second temperature below the melting temperature thereof. Treatment of a polymeric material(200) according to the invention improves the stability and lifetime of a wavelength converting material (201) comprised in a such a treated polymeric material. A polymeric material (200) treated according to the invention may comprise polymeric molecules having a degree of crystalline being 10% by volume or more.
US09153752B2
A method of manufacturing a light-emitting device including a light-emitting element which emits light with a predetermined wavelength and a wavelength conversion portion including a fluorescent substance which is excited by the light emitted from the light-emitting element to emit fluorescence with a wavelength different from the predetermined wavelength, includes the followings. First, spraying so as to apply a liquid mixture containing a layered silicate mineral and a translucent ceramic precursor on the light-emitting element from a nozzle is performed while the nozzle is moved relative to the light-emitting element. Subsequently, forming of the wavelength conversion portion by heating the sprayed and applied liquid mixture is performed.
US09153751B2
A color filter on array (COA) substrate and a manufacturing method for the same are proposed. The COA substrate includes a transparent substrate, a thin film transistor (TFT), a color filter unit, and a pixel electrode. The color filter unit is disposed in a groove of the transparent substrate for transforming a beam of light sent to the color filter unit into the beam of light of a predetermined hue. The pixel electrode is disposed on the color filter unit and coupled to a drain of the TFT. The pixel electrode is used for controlling the rotational alignment of liquid crystals in a liquid crystal layer based upon the electrical level of an electrical signal transmitted to the drain when a scan impulse is received by a gate of the TFT. In addition, the color filter unit is formed in the groove, and the pixel electrode is formed on the color filter unit, implying that it is unnecessary to form a via on a passivation layer so that the drain could be connected to the pixel electrode through the via. Thus, etching the passivation layer for forming the via is omitted in the present invention.
US09153750B2
A light emitting diode (LED) package includes a plurality of light emitting cells each including a first conductive type semiconductor layer, an active layer, and a second conductive type semiconductor layer; a plurality of contact holes arranged in the second conductive type semiconductor layer and the active layer of each of the light emitting cells, the contact holes exposing the first conductive type semiconductor layer of each of the light emitting cells; a connector located arranged on a first side of the light emitting cells and electrically connecting two adjacent light emitting cells to each other; a first bump arranged on the first side of the light emitting cells; and a second bump arranged on the first side of the light emitting cells.
US09153748B2
Provided are a light emitting apparatus and a surface light source apparatus having the same. The light emitting apparatus comprises a package body, a first color light emitting part in a first cavity of the package body, and a second color light emitting part in a second cavity of the package body. The package body comprises a plurality of cavities.
US09153746B2
According to an embodiment, a semiconductor light emitting device includes a semiconductor layer having a light emitting layer. The device also includes a p-side electrode provided on a first region including the light emitting layer; an n-side electrode provided on a second region layer not including the light emitting layer; and a first insulating film having a first opening communicating with the p-side electrode and a second opening communicating with the n-side electrode. A p-side interconnection is provided on the first insulating film and electrically connected to the p-side electrode through the first opening. An n-side interconnection is provided on the first insulating film and electrically connected to the n-side electrode through the second opening. The p-side interconnection has a plurality of protrusive parts protruding toward the n-side interconnection, and the n-side interconnection has a plurality of portions extending between the protrusive parts of the p-side interconnection.
US09153742B2
A GaN-crystal free-standing substrate obtained from a GaN crystal grown by HVPE with a (0001) plane serving as a crystal growth plane and at least one plane of a {10-11} plane and a {11-22} plane serving as a crystal growth plane that constitutes a facet crystal region, except for the side surface of the crystal, wherein the (0001)-plane-growth crystal region has a carbon concentration of 5×1016 atoms/cm3 or less, a silicon concentration of 5×1017 atoms/cm3 or more and 2×1018 atoms/cm3 or less, and an oxygen concentration of 1×1017 atoms/cm3 or less; and the facet crystal region has a carbon concentration of 3×1016 atoms/cm3 or less, a silicon concentration of 5×1017 atoms/cm3 or less, and an oxygen concentration of 5×1017 atoms/cm3 or more and 5×1018 atoms/cm3 or less.
US09153739B2
A device includes a textured substrate having a trench extending from a top surface of the textured substrate into the textured substrate, wherein the trench comprises a sidewall and a bottom. A light-emitting device (LED) includes an active layer over the textured substrate. The active layer has a first portion parallel to the sidewall of the trench and a second portion parallel to the bottom of the trench.
US09153729B2
A photovoltaic device and method include a substrate, a conductive layer formed on the substrate and an absorber layer formed on the conductive layer from a Cu—Zn—Sn containing chalcogenide material. An emitter layer is formed on the absorber layer and a buffer layer is formed on the emitter layer including an atomic layer deposition (ALD) layer. A transparent conductor layer is formed on the buffer layer.
US09153728B2
Solar cells and methods for their manufacture are disclosed. An example method may include providing a substrate comprising a base layer and introducing n-type dopant to the front surface of the base layer by ion implantation. The substrate may be annealed by heating the substrate to a temperature to anneal the implant damage and activate the introduced dopant, thereby forming an n-type doped layer into the front surface of the base layer. Oxygen may be introduced during the annealing step to form a passivating oxide layer on the n-type doped layer. Back contacts may be screen-printed on the back surface of the base layer, and a p-type doped layer may be formed at the interface of the back surface of the base layer and the back contacts during firing of the back contacts. The back contacts may provide an electrical connection to the p-type doped layer.
US09153727B2
An optoelectronic device having an optoelectronic component that receives or generates radiation and has a main radiation passage surface, wherein the component is assigned an aperture which defines a radiation cone for radiation passing through the main radiation passage surface, and the aperture has an inner surface having a region inclined away from the main radiation passage surface.
US09153723B2
The present invention relates to a luminescent photovoltaic generator (1) and a waveguide for use in such a photovoltaic generator. The photovoltaic generator comprises a photovoltaic cell (4) and a waveguide comprising a transparent matrix (2) having particles of an inorganic luminescent material dispersed therein and/or an inorganic luminescent material disposed at at least one side thereof (6). The waveguide is associated with the photovoltaic cell (4), such that, in use, at least some of the light emitted from the luminescent material passes into the photovoltaic cell (4) to generate a voltage in the cell. In preferred embodiments, the inorganic luminescent material is a line emitter and the emission is due to a forbidden electronic transition within the material. The inorganic luminescent material may be selected from an inorganic phosphor, an inorganic fluorescent material and quantum dots, quantum rods and quantum core/shell systems. The photovoltaic generator (1) is an alternative to or an improvement upon known photovoltaic generators, which generally suffer from a lack of power yield per area.
US09153721B1
A solar cell assembly, a solar cell array, and a method for manufacturing the same are provided. The solar cell assembly may include a solar cell and an interconnection member, the interconnection member comprising a first portion and a second portion attached to the first portion with an angle formed therebetween. The solar cell array may comprise at least two said solar cell assemblies. In an embodiment, the top surfaces of the first solar cell and the second solar cell are arranged such that the second portion of the first interconnect member and the second portion of the second interconnection member are adjacent to each other, and at least the end portion of the second portion of the first interconnection member is bended together with at least the end portion of the second portion of the second interconnection member.
US09153718B2
A solar canopy structure mounted in ground to receive solar energy and convert the solar energy to electrical energy. The solar canopy structure has support columns, solar canopies retained in opposition by the support column, photovoltaic material retained by the solar canopies, and a block of material establishing a point of fixation along the body portion of the support column spaced from the first and second ends of the support column. At least approximately one-half of the support column can be embedded in the ground with the block of material fixed to the support column adjacent to the ground surface. The solar canopies can be have decking supported by wing arms that are joined by a central portion to form a unified, continuous wing arm structure, and the central portion can be received in and secured to a channel in the support column by first and second brackets.
US09153713B2
Back contact solar cell modules and methods of manufacturing the same. The solar cell module comprises a back surface with a plurality of first electrodes and a plurality of second electrodes formed thereon, the plurality of first electrodes and the plurality of second electrodes being of opposite polarities, the back surface being configured to form an electric field thereon of the opposite polarity as the plurality of first electrodes; a first connecting strip electrically connecting the plurality of first electrodes; and an insulative member between the back surface and the first connecting strip.
US09153710B2
A solar power system may include a combiner module, one or more rows of solar panels connected to the combiner module, and one or more wiring circuits connecting the one or more rows of solar panels to the combiner module. Each circuit may include an inter-module wiring arrangement that connects individual solar panels to each other in series, and a return wiring arrangement that connects the inter-module wiring arrangement to the combiner module. Each inter-module wiring arrangement may be arranged such that at least some solar panels are wired to other solar panels in the same row in a substantially alternating manner, such that non-adjacent solar panels in the same row are wired directly in series to each other. This arrangement may reduce the total length of harness wires needed to connect the one or more panel rows to the combiner box, as compared with conventional wiring schemes.
US09153706B2
Techniques for covering open-cavity integrated-circuit packages in a batch process are disclosed. In an example method, a plurality of open-cavity packages are molded on a single batch leadframe or substrate, each open-cavity package comprising a floor and a plurality of walls arranged around the floor to form a cavity, each of said the walls having a bottom end adjoining said floor and having a top side opposite the bottom end. At least one semiconductor device is attached to the floor and within the cavity of each of the open-cavity packages, and a single flexible membrane is affixed to the top sides of the walls of the plurality of open-cavity packages, so as to substantially cover all of the cavities. The flexible membrane is then severed, between the packages.
US09153705B2
A memory device includes a plurality of channels, a plurality of first charge storage sites coupled to first sides of respective ones of the channels, and a plurality of second charge storage sites coupled to second sides of respective ones of the channels. The first charge storage sites correspond to first memory cells and the second charge storage sites coupled to second memory cells. At least one of the channels is a dummy channel not connected to a bit line, and a blocking layer is contiguously formed around the first and second charge storage sites and the channels.
US09153697B2
The semiconductor device according to the present invention is an nMOS SGT and is composed of a first n+ type silicon layer, a first gate electrode containing metal and a second n+ type silicon layer arranged on the surface of a first columnar silicon layer positioned vertically on a first planar silicon layer. Furthermore, a first insulating film is positioned between the first gate electrode and the first planar silicon layer, and a second insulating film is positioned on the top surface of the first gate electrode. In addition, the first gate electrode containing metal is surrounded by the first n+ type silicon layer, the second n+ type silicon layer, the first insulating film and the second insulating film.
US09153693B2
An intermediate semiconductor structure of a FinFET device in fabrication includes a substrate, a plurality of fin structures coupled to the substrate and a dummy gate disposed perpendicularly over the fin structures. A portion of the dummy gate is removed between the fin structures to create one or more vias and the one or more vias are filled with a dielectric. The dummy gate is then replaced with a metal gate formed around the dielectric-filled vias.
US09153691B1
In one aspect, a MOS transistor includes a first diffusion region of a first doping type, a tap region of a second doping type configured to contact the first diffusion region, a channel region configured to substantially surround the first diffusion region and the tap region, and a second diffusion region of the first doping type configured to substantially surround the channel region. In another aspect, a method for manufacturing a MOS transistor includes, forming a first diffusion region of a first doping type, forming a tap region of a second doping type contacting the first diffusion region, forming a second diffusion region of the first doping type substantially surrounding the first diffusion region and the tap region, and forming a gate electrode substantially surrounding the first diffusion region and the tap region.
US09153683B2
A transistor SEL is formed by using a compound semiconductor layer (channel layer CNL). The channel layer CNL is formed over a buffer layer BUF. In a first direction where a drain electrode DRE, a gate electrode GE, and a source electrode SOE of the transistor SEL are arranged, at least a portion of the buried electrode BE is situated on the side opposing the source electrode SOE with reference to the gate electrode GE. The buried electrode BE is connected to the source electrode SOE of the transistor SEL. The top end of the buried electrode BE intrudes into the buffer layer BUF.
US09153675B2
A power semiconductor includes a semiconductor substrate, a metal oxide semiconductor layer, a N-type buffer layer and a P-type injection layer. The semiconductor substrate has a first surface and a second surface. The metal oxide semiconductor layer is formed on the first surface for defining a N-type drift layer of the semiconductor substrate. The N-type buffer layer is formed on the second surface through ion implanting, and the P-type injection layer is formed on the N-type buffer layer through ion implanting. By utilizing the semiconductor substrate having drift layer and forming the N-type buffer layer and the P-type injection layer on the second surface of the semiconductor substrate through ion implanting, the ion concentration is adjustable. As a result, the electron hole injection efficiency and the width of depletion region are easily adjusted, the fabricating processes are simplified, and the fabricating time and cost are reduced.
US09153672B2
Some aspects of this disclosure relate to a memory device. The memory device includes a collector region having a first conductivity type and which is coupled to a source line of the memory device. A base region is formed over the collector region and has a second conductivity type. A gate structure is coupled to the base region and acts as a shared word line for first and second neighboring memory cells of the memory device. First and second emitter regions are formed over the base region and have the first conductivity type. The first and second emitter regions are arranged on opposite sides of the gate structure. First and second contacts extend upwardly from the first and second emitter regions, respectively, and couple the first and second emitter regions to first and second data storage elements, respectively, of the first and second neighboring memory cells, respectively.
US09153669B2
Low capacitance finFET gate structures and methods of manufacturing. The method includes forming a layer of material on a substrate. The method further includes forming a dummy gate structure on the substrate which abuts the layer of material. The method further includes forming at least one spacer adjacent to the dummy gate structure and the layer of material. The method further includes removing the dummy gate structure and at least a portion of the layer of material to form an opening with a varying length. The method further includes forming a replacement gate structure with varying length by depositing gate material in the opening with the varying length.
US09153657B2
A semiconductor device may include a fin disposed over a workpiece. The fin may include: a first semiconductive material disposed over the workpiece; an oxide of the first semiconductive material disposed over the first semiconductive material; a second conductive material disposed over and spaced apart from the oxide of the first semiconductive material; a first insulating material disposed around and lining the second semiconductive material; a conductive material disposed around the first insulating material; and a second insulating material disposed between the oxide of the first semiconductive material and a portion of the conductive material facing the workpiece, the second insulating material further lining sidewalls of the conductive material.
US09153654B2
A semiconductor device includes an active body having two sidewalls facing each other in a lateral direction, a junction formed in a sidewall of the two sidewalls, a dielectric layer having an open portion to expose the junction and covering the active body, a junction extension portion having a buried region to fill the open portion, and a bit line coupled to the junction extension portion.
US09153651B2
Provided are a thin film transistor and a method for manufacturing the same. The thin film transistor manufacturing method includes forming a gate electrode on a substrate, forming an active layer that is adjacent to the gate electrode and includes an oxide semiconductor, forming an oxygen providing layer on the active layer, forming a gate dielectric between the gate electrode and the active layer, forming source and drain electrodes coupled to the active layer, forming a planarizing layer covering the gate electrode and the gate dielectric, forming a hole exposing the active layer, and performing a heat treatment process onto the planarizing layer in an atmosphere of oxygen.
US09153638B2
A semiconductor device may include a through substrate via (TSV) conductive structure that may extend vertically through two or more layers of the semiconductor device. The TSV conductive structure may be coupled to a first voltage supply. The semiconductor device may include substrate layer. The substrate layer may include a first dopant region and a second dopant region. The first dopant region may be coupled to a second voltage supply. The second dopant region may be in electrical communication with the TSV conductive structure. The semiconductor device may include a first metal layer and a first insulator layer disposed between the substrate layer and the first metal layer. The first metal layer may laterally contact the TSV conductive structure. The first and second voltage supply may be adapted to create a capacitance at a junction between the first dopant region and the second dopant region.
US09153637B2
An OLED display device includes a first substrate including a plurality of pixels located in a matrix and a second substrate facing the first substrate. The plurality of pixels each include a pixel circuit to which a data voltage is written and an OLED display element including a first electrode supplied with a current from the pixel circuit in accordance with the data voltage, and a second electrode supplied with a power supply voltage. The first substrate and the second substrate each include a plurality of power supply lines; the plurality of power supply lines of the first substrate and the plurality of power supply lines of the second substrate are respectively connected to each other via a conductive member; and each of the plurality of power supply lines is connected to the second electrode of the OLED display element.
US09153626B2
A thin film transistor includes a gate electrode configured to receive a control voltage, a source electrode insulated from the gate electrode, and configured to receive an input voltage, a drain electrode insulated from the gate electrode, and configured to receive an output voltage, at least two carbon nanotube patterns formed in a channel region between the source electrode and the drain electrode, wherein the carbon nanotube patterns are separated from each other, and at least one floating electrode connecting the two carbon nanotube patterns to each other.
US09153621B2
A process of forming a back side illumination (BSI) image sensor is disclosed. An n-type implant is formed in a semiconductor substrate, and a p-type implant region, surrounding n-type in each pixel, is formed in the n-type implant such that in cross sectional view an n-type implant region is sandwiched between the two p-type implant regions. A transfer gate is formed on the semiconductor substrate such that the transfer gate entirely covers the n-type implant region and at least partially covers each of the p-type implant regions. A floating diffusion is formed in one of the p-type implant regions.
US09153618B2
A photoelectric conversion apparatus includes: an active matrix-type TFT array substrate on which photoelectric conversion elements and thin film transistors are arranged in a matrix shape, wherein the photoelectric conversion element connects with a drain electrode via a contact hole opened through a first interlayer insulation film provided above the thin film transistor, wherein a data line and a bias line are connected with the source electrode and the photoelectric conversion element via respective contact holes opened through the second interlayer insulation, and wherein at least a part of the photoelectric conversion element is fixed to have a shape different from a normal pixel between pixels adjacent to each other in an extending direction of the gate line, and an electrical connection between the photoelectric conversion element and the data line is cut off in the transistor of the pixel having the different shape.
US09153617B2
An embodiment is an imaging apparatus including a plurality of unit cells. The imaging apparatus includes a first conductive member electrically connected to gates of the plurality of first transfer transistors, a second conductive member electrically connected to gates of the plurality of second transfer transistors, a third conductive member disposed adjacently to the first conductive member in a same wiring layer as the first conductive member and electrically connected to a plurality of nodes each included in respective one of the plurality of unit cells, and a fourth conductive member disposed adjacently to the second conductive member in a same wiring layer as the second conductive member. An opposing length of the first conductive member and the third conductive member is longer than an opposing length of the second conductive member and the fourth conductive member.
US09153615B2
Methods and devices that incorporate microlens arrays are disclosed. An image sensor includes a pixel layer and a dielectric layer. The pixel layer has a photodetector portion configured to convert light absorbed by the pixel layer into an electrical signal. The dielectric layer is formed on a surface of the pixel layer. The dielectric layer has a refractive index that varies along a length of the dielectric layer. A method for fabricating an image sensor includes forming an array of microlenses on a surface of the dielectric layer, emitting ions through the array of microlenses to implant the ions in the dielectric layer, and removing the array of microlenses from the surface of the dielectric layer.
US09153614B2
Non-symmetrically located lenses are employed with semiconductor devices comprising optically active regions which are non-symmetrically located on a surface thereof. The optical axes of the lenses are aligned with the centers of the optically active regions. Wafer-level assemblies of semiconductor devices and lenses may be fabricated, mutually secured with the non-symmetrically placed lenses aligned over the non-symmetrically placed optically active regions, and singulated to form packages, such as image sensor packages. Related methods, and systems incorporating devices with non-symmetrically placed optically active regions and aligned lenses are also disclosed.
US09153613B2
The image sensor includes lens-type color filters having a uniform shape for a plurality of pixels. The image sensor includes a plurality of pixels formed in a substrate, a plurality of color filter housings formed over outer boundaries of the respective pixels, and a plurality of color filters filled in spaces defined by the respective color filter housings, wherein the clock filter housings surround edges of the respective color filters with a given curvature.
US09153608B2
A reverse bias voltage is applied to a photodiode array provided with a plurality of avalanche photodiodes operated in Geiger mode and with quenching resistors connected in series to the respective avalanche photodiodes. Electric current is measured with change of the reverse bias voltage applied, and the reverse bias voltage at an inflection point in change of electric current measured is determined as a reference voltage. A voltage obtained by adding a predetermined value to the determined reference voltage is determined as a recommended operating voltage.
US09153605B2
A thin film transistor array substrate may include a thin film transistor including an active layer, a gate electrode, source and drain electrodes, a first insulation layer arranged between the active layer and the gate electrode, and a second insulation layer arranged between the gate electrode and the source and drain electrodes, a pixel electrode arranged on the first insulation layer and comprising the same material as the gate electrode, a capacitor comprising a first electrode arranged on the same layer as the active layer and a second electrode arranged on the same layer as the gate electrode, a pad electrode arranged on the second insulation layer and comprising the same material as the source and drain electrodes, a protection layer formed on the pad electrode, and a third insulation layer formed on the protection layer and exposing the pixel electrode.
US09153603B2
A thin film transistor array panel includes a substrate; a gate line located over the substrate and including a gate pad portion; a data line located over the gate line and including a source electrode and a data pad portion; a drain electrode; a first passivation layer located over the data line and the drain electrode; an organic insulating layer located over the first passivation layer and having a contact hole; a first field generating electrode located over the organic insulating layer and having an opening; a second passivation layer located over the first field generating electrode; and a second field generating electrode located over the second passivation layer. The contact hole coincides with or is smaller than the opening, and the contact hole has a tapered structure.
US09153593B1
A nonvolatile memory device includes a single-layer gate, a first area, and a second area. The first area includes a first well region, a first contact region arranged in the first well region, and source and drain regions arranged at both sides of the single-layer gate in the first well region. The second area includes a second well region, a second contact region arranged to overlap a part of the single-layer gate in the second well region, and a third contact region arranged in the second well region.
US09153592B2
A charge trap type of memory having a memory channel with vertical and possibly horizontal components is described. The invention includes a new operation method of simultaneous hole and electron injection operation for high speed and high reliability non-volatile memories, as well as high-density non-volatile memories. Array implementations for high-density memory arrays and high-speed memory arrays and their fabrication methods are also described.
US09153588B2
There is provided a readily manufacturable semiconductor device including two transistors having mutually different characteristics. The semiconductor device includes a substrate, a multilayer wiring layer disposed over the substrate, a first transistor disposed in the multilayer wiring layer, and a second transistor disposed in a layer different from a layer including the first transistor disposed therein of the multilayer wiring layer, and having different characteristics from those of the first transistor. This can provide a readily manufacturable semiconductor device including two transistors having mutually different characteristics.
US09153587B2
An apparatus comprises a substrate and a fin-type semiconductor device extending from the substrate. The fin-type semiconductor device comprises means for providing a first fin-type conduction channel having first and second regions, means for providing a second fin-type conduction channel having a fourth region above a third region, and means for shielding current leakage coupled to at least one of the first region and the third region. The first region has a first doping concentration greater than a second doping concentration of the second region. The first fin-type conduction channel comprises first ion implants implanted into the substrate at a first depth and second ion implants implanted into the substrate at a different depth. The third region has a third doping concentration, and the fourth region has a fourth doping concentration.
US09153581B2
A method of making a tunneling field-effect transistor (TFET) device is disclosed. A frustoconical protrusion structure is disposed over the substrate and protrudes out of the plane of substrate. Isolation features are formed on the substrate. A drain region is disposed over the substrate adjacent to the frustoconical protrusion structure and extends to a bottom portion of the frustoconical protrusion structure as a raised drain region. A source region is formed as a top portion of the frustoconical protrusion structure. A series connection and a parallel connection are made among TFET devices units.
US09153576B2
A semiconductor substrate comprises an IGBT region and a diode region. The IGBT region comprises: an n-type emitter region; a p-type IGBT body region; an n-type IGBT barrier region; an n-type IGBT drift region; a p-type collector region; a first trench; a first insulating layer; and a first gate electrode. The diode region comprises: a p-type diode top body region; an n-type diode barrier region; a p-type diode bottom body region; an n-type cathode region; a second trench; a second insulating layer; and a second gate electrode. An n-type impurity density of a specific part of the diode barrier region making contact with the second insulating layer is higher than an n-type impurity density of the IGBT barrier region.
US09153574B2
Provided is a semiconductor device including a deep doped region of a first conductivity type, a well region of a second conductivity type, a base region of the first conductivity type, an insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) and a metal oxide semiconductor (MOS). The well region is disposed in the deep doped region. The base region is disposed in the well region and is not connected to the deep doped region. The IGBT is disposed on the well region at the first side of the base region, and includes a first doped region of the second conductivity type disposed in the base region. The MOS is disposed on the well region and the deep well region at the second side of the base region, and includes a second doped region of the second conductivity type disposed in the base region.
US09153571B1
A stacked electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection device includes a substrate; a deep well with a first conductive type formed in the substrate, the deep well defining a plurality of element regions with a second conductive type therein; and a plurality of ESD protection elements, each of which is formed in one of the element regions. A current path is formed by connecting the plurality of ESD protection elements in series.
US09153560B2
Some features pertain to an integrated device that includes a first package, a set of interconnects, and a second package. The first package includes a first substrate comprising a first surface and a second surface. The first package includes a redistribution portion comprising a redistribution layer. The first package includes a first die coupled to the first surface of the first substrate. The set of interconnects is coupled to the redistribution portion of the first package. The second package is coupled to the first package through the set of interconnects. The second package includes a second substrate comprising a first surface and a second surface; and a second die coupled to the first surface of the second substrate, where the second die is electrically coupled to the first die through the second substrate of the second package, the set of interconnects, and the redistribution portion of the first package.
US09153550B2
A package includes a package substrate, which includes a middle layer selected from the group consisting of a core and a middle metal layer, a top metal layer overlying the middle layer, and a bottom metal layer underlying the middle layer. All metal layers overlying the middle layer have a first total metal density that is equal to a sum of all densities of all metal layers over the middle layer. All metal layers underlying the middle layer have a second total metal density that is equal to a sum of all densities of all metal layers under the middle layer. An absolute value of a difference between the first total metal density and the second total metal density is lower than about 0.1.
US09153546B2
An electrical fuse has an anode contact on a surface of a semiconductor substrate. The electrical fuse has a cathode contact on the surface of the semiconductor substrate spaced from the anode contact. The electrical fuse has a link within the substrate electrically interconnecting the anode contact and the cathode contact. The link comprises a semiconductor layer and a silicide layer. The silicide layer extends beyond the anode contact. An opposite end of the silicide layer extends beyond the cathode contact. A silicon germanium region is embedded in the semiconductor layer under the silicide layer, between the anode contact and the cathode contact.
US09153540B2
A system and method for connecting semiconductor dies is provided. An embodiment comprises connecting a first semiconductor die with a first width to a second semiconductor die with a larger second width and that is still connected to a semiconductor wafer. The first semiconductor die is encapsulated after it is connected, and the encapsulant and first semiconductor die are thinned to expose a through substrate via within the first semiconductor die. The second semiconductor die is singulated from the semiconductor wafer, and the combined first semiconductor die and second semiconductor die are then connected to another substrate.
US09153534B2
Post programming resistance of a semiconductor fuse is enhanced by using an implantation to form an amorphous silicon layer and to break up an underlying high-κ/metal gate. Embodiments include forming a shallow trench isolation (STI) region in a silicon substrate, forming a high-κ dielectric layer on the STI region, forming a metal gate on the high-κ dielectric layer, forming a polysilicon layer over the metal gate, performing an implantation to convert the polysilicon layer into an amorphous silicon layer, wherein the implantation breaks up the metal gate, and forming a silicide on the amorphous silicon layer. By breaking up the metal gate, electrical connection of the fuse contacts through the metal gate is eliminated.
US09153533B2
A semiconductor chip that may be configured to function as either a master chip or a slave chip. The semiconductor chip may be included in a microelectronic assembly including a plurality of vertically stacked semiconductor chips, with each of the chips containing functional circuit blocks that enable each semiconductor chip to function as either a master chip or a slave chip under in accordance with a state input stored on the same chip, or received from another chip in the stacked assembly or from another component of a system in which the stacked assembly is configured to operate.
US09153531B1
An integrated circuit may have interconnect circuitry which may include a sequence of tiles. Each tile may be associated with a given tile type, and each tile type may include a predetermined routing of multiple wires on multiple tracks. Wires may change tracks within a given tile, which is sometimes also referred to as wire twisting. Wire twists may reduce the overlap between pairs of adjacent wires, thereby reducing the coupling capacitance between the respective wires. Reducing the coupling capacitance may result in reduced crosstalk between the wires which may speed up the signal transition along those wires. At the same time, the twist region height (i.e., the region in the tile in which wires are twisted) may be reduced compared to conventional interconnect circuitry.
US09153525B2
A semiconductor device includes: a semiconductor element that includes an electrode layer on a surface of the semiconductor element; a low-strength layer that is provided on a surface of the electrode layer; a bonding layer that is provided on a surface of the low-strength layer; and a conductive plate that is provided on a surface of the bonding layer. Strength of the bonding layer is higher than strength of the electrode layer, and strength of the low-strength layer is lower than the strength of the electrode layer.
US09153522B2
Provided are semiconductor devices and methods of fabricating the same. The device may include a substrate including a first surface and a second surface opposing each other, a through-silicon-via (TSV) electrode provided in a via hole that may be formed to penetrate the substrate, and an integrated circuit provided adjacent to the through electrode on the first surface. The through electrode includes a metal layer filling a portion of the via hole and an alloy layer filling a remaining portion of the via hole. The alloy layer contains at least two metallic elements, one of which may be the same as that contained in the metal layer, and the other of which may be different from that contained in the metal layer.
US09153520B2
Stacked semiconductor die assemblies with multiple thermal paths and associated systems and methods are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a semiconductor die assembly can include a plurality of first semiconductor dies arranged in a stack and a second semiconductor die carrying the first semiconductor dies. The second semiconductor die can include a peripheral portion that extends laterally outward beyond at least one side of the first semiconductor dies. The semiconductor die assembly can further include a thermal transfer feature at the peripheral portion of the second semiconductor die. The first semiconductor dies can define a first thermal path, and the thermal transfer feature can define a second thermal path separate from the first semiconductor dies.
US09153517B2
Methods for forming connectors on die pads at a wafer level of processing include forming spots of a curable electrically conductive material over die pads and extending to or over the interconnect die edge; curing the conductive material; and in a wafer cutting procedure thereafter severing the spots. Also, die pad to z-interconnect connectors formed by the methods, and shaped and dimensioned accordingly. Also, stacked die assemblies and stacked die packages containing die prepared according to the methods and having die pad to z-interconnect connectors formed by the methods and shaped and dimensioned accordingly.
US09153513B2
An epoxy resin composition includes an inorganic filler, an epoxy resin, and a curing agent. The inorganic filler has an average particle diameter D50 from about 2 μm to about 10 μm, an average particle diameter D10 of about 3 μm or less, and an average particle diameter D90 from about 6 μm to about 15 μm. Inorganic filler particles having a particle diameter of about 25 μm or more constitute about 0.1 wt % or less of the inorganic filler.
US09153512B2
A semiconductor device includes: a semiconductor-element substrate in which a front-surface electrode pattern is formed on a surface of an insulating substrate and a back-surface electrode is formed on another surface; semiconductor elements affixed to the surface of the front-surface electrode pattern opposite the insulating substrate; and a sealing resin member which covers the semiconductor element and the semiconductor-element substrate, wherein at a position of the front-surface electrode pattern where the position has potential equivalent to that of the front-surface electrode pattern at a position where a semiconductor element is bonded, an insulating terminal table formed with a conductive relay terminal and an insulating member that insulates the relay terminal and the front-surface electrode pattern from each other are provided, and wiring from the semiconductor element to the outside is led out via the relay terminal.
US09153502B2
A semiconductor chip testing method includes: (a) testing the electrical characteristics of each of semiconductor chips in the form of wafers or in the form of chips formed on a predetermined number of semiconductor wafers having certain relationship, and determining if the semiconductor chip is non-defective or defective; (b) calculating a percentage of semiconductor chips determined to be defective as a fraction defective for each of wafer addresses based on determination results about the semiconductor chips on the predetermined number of semiconductor wafers, the wafer addresses indicating the respective positions of the semiconductor chips on the semiconductor wafers; and (c) changing a determination result about a semiconductor chip determined to be non-defective to defective, the semiconductor chip being at a wafer address determined to have a fraction defective at a threshold or higher than the threshold.
US09153494B2
A semiconductor device has a TSV wafer and semiconductor die mounted over the TSV wafer. A channel is formed through the TSV wafer. An encapsulant is deposited over the semiconductor die and TSV wafer. Conductive TMV are formed through the encapsulant over the conductive TSV and contact pads of the semiconductor die. The conductive TMV can be formed through the channel. A conductive layer is formed over the encapsulant and electrically connected to the conductive TMV. The conductive TMV are formed during the same manufacturing process. An insulating layer is formed over the encapsulant and conductive layer. A plurality of semiconductor die of the same size or different sizes can be stacked over the TSV wafer. The plurality of semiconductor die can be stacked over opposite sides of the TSV wafer. An internal stacking module can be stacked over the semiconductor die and electrically connected through the conductive TMV.
US09153485B2
Embodiments disclosed include methods of processing substrates, including methods of forming conductive connections to substrates. In one embodiment, a method of processing a substrate includes forming a material to be etched over a first material of a substrate. The material to be etched and the first material are of different compositions. The material to be etched is etched in a dry etch chamber to expose the first material. After the etching, the first material is contacted with a non-oxygen-containing gas in situ within the dry etch chamber effective to form a second material physically contacting onto the first material. The second material comprises a component of the first material and a component of the gas. In one embodiment, the first material is contacted with a gas that may or may not include oxygen in situ within the dry etch chamber effective to form a conductive second material.
US09153483B2
A method of fabricating a semiconductor integrated circuit (IC) is disclosed. A first conductive feature and a second conductive feature are provided. A first hard mask (HM) is formed on the first conductive feature. A patterned dielectric layer is formed over the first and the second conductive features, with first openings to expose the second conductive features. A first metal plug is formed in the first opening to contact the second conductive features. A second HM is formed on the first metal plugs and another patterned dielectric layer is formed over the substrate, with second openings to expose a subset of the first metal plugs and the first conductive features. A second metal plug is formed in the second openings.
US09153480B2
An interconnect structure and fabrication method are provided. A substrate can include a semiconductor device disposed therein. A porous dielectric layer can be formed on the substrate. A surface treatment can be performed to the porous dielectric layer to form an isolation layer on the porous dielectric layer to prevent moisture absorption of the porous dielectric layer. An interconnect can be formed at least through the isolation layer and the porous dielectric layer to provide electrical connection to the semiconductor device disposed in the substrate.
US09153477B2
A method of an aspect includes forming an interconnect line etch opening in a hardmask layer. The hardmask layer is over a dielectric layer that has an interconnect line disposed therein. The interconnect line etch opening is formed aligned over the interconnect line. A block copolymer is introduced into the interconnect line etch opening. The block copolymer is assembled to form a plurality of assembled structures that are spaced along a length of the interconnect line etch opening. An assembled structure is directly aligned over the interconnect line that is disposed within the dielectric layer.
US09153474B2
An objective of the present invention is to increase production efficiency of high-performance flexible semiconductor devices. A semiconductor device manufacturing method includes: a step of forming an insulating substrate (10) which is configured of glass substrates (11, 13) with a thermal expansion coefficient which approximates the thermal expansion coefficient of a single-crystal silicon substrate (20) and a plastic substrate (12) which is positioned between both of the glass substrates; and a step of, after bonding the insulating substrate (10) with the single-crystal silicon substrate (20), separating a portion of the single-crystal silicon substrate (20) with heat processing, and forming a single-crystal silicon layer (14) upon the glass substrate (11).
US09153467B2
A substrate processing apparatus includes a control unit performing loading substrates into a second unit block when a trouble occurs in a module of a first unit block; determining whether it is before a leading substrate of a next lot of the lot where a standby substrate positioned in upper stream side than the troubled module belongs is loaded into the module in the uppermost stage of the second unit block; loading the standby substrate into the module in the uppermost stage of the second unit block when determined it is before the loading of the leading substrate and loading the standby substrate into the module in the uppermost stage of the second unit block after a rearmost substrate of the next lot is loaded into the module in the uppermost stage of the second unit block when determined otherwise; and performing a series of processing on the standby substrate.
US09153463B2
A substrate support device formed of a metal and having a high withstand voltage and a high thermal resistance is provided. A substrate support device according to the present invention includes a plate section formed of a metal; a shaft section connected to the plate section and formed of a metal; a heating element provided in the plate section; and an insulating film formed on a first surface of the plate section, the first surface opposite to the shaft section, by ceramic thermal spraying. The substrate support device may further include an insulating film formed on a second surface of the plate section which intersects the first surface of the plate section approximately perpendicularly.
US09153462B2
A device and system for thin wafer cleaning is disclosed. A preferred embodiment comprises a spin chuck having at least three holding clamps. A thin wafer with a wafer frame is mounted on the spin chuck through a tape layer. When the holding clamps are unlocked, there is no interference with the removal and placement of the wafer frame. On the other hand, when the holding clamps are locked, the holding clamps are brought into contact with the outer edge of the wafer frame so as to prevent the wafer frame from moving laterally. Furthermore, the shape of the holding clamps in a locked position is capable of preventing the wafer frame from moving vertically.
US09153458B2
A method of forming a pattern on a substrate includes forming a repeating pattern of four first lines elevationally over an underlying substrate. A repeating pattern of four second lines is formed elevationally over and crossing the repeating pattern of four first lines. First alternating of the four second lines are removed from being received over the first lines. After the first alternating of the four second lines have been removed, elevationally exposed portions of alternating of the four first lines are removed to the underlying substrate using a remaining second alternating of the four second lines as a mask. Additional embodiments are disclosed and contemplated.
US09153447B2
A field effect transistor device includes a fin including a semiconductor material arranged on an insulator layer, the fin including a channel region, a hardmask layer arranged partially over the channel region of the fin, a gate stack arranged over the hardmask layer and over the channel region of the fin, a metallic alloy layer arranged on a first portion of the hardmask layer, the metallic alloy layer arranged adjacent to the gate stack, and a first spacer arranged adjacent to the gate stack and over the metallic alloy layer.
US09153439B2
A mask layer is formed on a Ga polarity surface of the GaN substrate as a growth substrate. Subsequently, a protective film PF is formed on a N polarity surface of the GaN substrate. Then, a plurality of concave portions is formed from the mask layer extending to the GaN substrate, to thereby form a seed crystal. The seed crystal is etched in a Na melt, and a plurality of concave portions having a facet plane exposed. The seed crystal and the raw materials are placed in a crucible, and the pressure and temperature inside the crucible are increased. Thus, a target GaN layer is grown in the upward direction on the surface of the mask layer and the lateral direction over the concave portions.
US09153432B2
The invention relates to a process for producing an oxygen-containing surface or interface of a silicon layer, which is arranged on a substrate, especially in the production of photovoltaic units.
US09153418B2
A charged particle radiation apparatus includes a control device that switches between a first charged particle beam and a second charged particle beam, the first charged particle beam being scanned to acquire an image and a waveform signal, the second charged particle beam being scanned over a sample before the scan of the first charged particle beam and used to charge the sample more than the first charged particle beam; wherein the control device is configured to acquire at least one of signal waveform data and image data about a pattern formed on the sample in accordance with a scan performed on the sample by the second charged particle beam, and to stop, when the acquired data has proved to be indicative of a predetermined state, the scan of the second charged particle beam.
US09153414B2
The invention relates to a particle-optical apparatus with a predetermined final vacuum pressure. To that end a vacuum chamber of said apparatus is via a first restriction connected to a volume where vapor or gas is present at a known pressure and via a second restriction to a vacuum pump. By making the ratio of the two conductances, associated with said restrictions, a calibrated ratio, the final pressure of the vacuum chamber is a predetermined final pressure. This eliminates the need for e.g. vacuum gauges and control systems, resulting in a more compact design of such apparatus.
US09153408B2
An apparatus is provided for a micro focus X-ray tube for a high-resolution X-ray including a housing, an electron beam source for generating an electron beam and a focusing lens for focusing the electron beam on a target. The micro focus X-ray tube includes a substantially rotationally symmetrical, ring-shaped cooling chamber configured to circulate a liquid cooling medium.
US09153401B2
A protective device for protecting equipment includes an insulation base substrate, a fusible conductor arranged on the insulation base substrate and connected to a power supply path for the equipment so that the fusible conductor is fused off by a preset abnormal current or voltage, an insulation cover mounted on the insulation base substrate to overlie the fusible conductor via a preset spacing, and a flux coated on a surface of the fusible conductor and disposed in the spacing. The fusible conductor is fused off to break a current path when the abnormal voltage is applied to the equipment. The fusible conductor is secured to a conductor layer and to pair electrodes provided on the insulation base substrate via an electrically conductive paste containing a metal component exhibiting wettability with respect to the fusible conductor in the fused state.
US09153399B2
An arc baffle includes a first baffle member having a number of first venting holes disposed therein, each being structured to receive ionized gases produced by an arcing event; a second baffle member having a number of second venting holes disposed therein; a section of porous material disposed between the first baffle member and the second baffle member; and a cover disposed adjacent the second baffle member on the opposite side of the section of porous material. The first venting holes are laterally spaced from the second venting holes by a predetermined distance such that ionized gases produced by the arcing event passing through one of the first venting holes must travel at minimum the predetermined distance generally along the section of porous material before passing through one of the second venting holes.
US09153398B2
A portable actuator and safety switch assembly wherein the portable actuator includes a housing and an actuator for selectively engaging with a control mechanism of said safety switch. The actuator is at least one of partially located within the housing, forms a part of the housing, or is attached to the housing. The assembly includes a controller that controls a configuration of the actuator assembly, such that the actuator assembly can selectively and controllably attain a first configuration wherein the actuator is able to interact with the control mechanism of the safety switch and a second configuration wherein the actuator is unable to manipulate the control mechanism of said safety switch.
US09153396B2
A keyboard module adapted to be used in an electronic device. The electronic device has a casing. The casing has a containing opening. The keyboard module contained in the containing opening includes a bottom plate, an elastic component, a cover and a key cap disposed on the elastic component. The bottom plate disposed within the casing has a circuit. The elastic component is disposed on the bottom plate or the circuit. The cover movably disposed in the containing opening is located above the bottom plate. The cover has an opening aligned to the elastic component. A portion of the key cap protrudes from the opening. Another portion of the key cap interferes with the opening, such that the key cap resists elasticity of the elastic component and moves to shorten a distance between the key cap and the bottom plate when the cover moves toward the bottom plate.
US09153390B2
A switch arrangement for an electrical switchgear includes: a terminal arrangement including an insulating housing, the insulating housing including a first electrical contact and a second electrical contact which are spaced apart along an axial direction; and a breaker moveable along the axial direction in the housing to a first position. When the breaker is in the first position and closed it electrically connects the first electrical contact and the second electrical contact. The insulating housing is split into a plurality of separate sections along the axial direction. At least one of the electrical contacts is in a first section and at least another of the electrical contacts is in a second section.
US09153387B2
The photoelectric conversion element of the present invention includes: a pair of electrodes facing one another; a oxide semiconductor layer provided on one of the pair of electrodes; an electrolyte disposed between the electrodes; and a sealing part that connects the electrodes, and surrounds and seals the oxide semiconductor layer and the electrolyte. At least a portion of the sealing part comprises an inorganic sealing part formed of an inorganic material and on a surface of at least one of the electrodes and a resin sealing part that is connected to the inorganic sealing part along the direction connecting the electrodes and comprises a material including a resin. A region on a surface of the inorganic sealing part on a side closer to the electrolyte than a region connected to the resin sealing part is covered with a protective resin layer that is resistant to the electrolyte.
US09153360B2
An object is to achieve excellent wear resistance in a case where a flexible portion is partially formed in a protection member formed by hot-pressing a nonwoven fabric. A wire harness has a wire harness main body including at least one electric wire and a protection member. The protection member includes a path regulating portion formed by hot-pressing a nonwoven member in a state of covering at least a portion of the wire harness main body, and a bendable portion formed by covering the wire harness main body with the nonwoven member, adjacent to the path regulating portion along an extending direction of the wire harness main body, the bendable portion being more readily bent than the path regulating portion and being more depressed than the path regulating portion.
US09153359B2
In order to be able to industrially produce a transposed conductor having jointly transposed partial conductors located next to one another, the invention proposes that the rounding of at least one edge (15) of a single conductor (11) of a single conductor group (12) that limits a contact surface (14) between two single conductors (11) located next to one another is embodied with a smaller radius (r2) than the radii (r1) of the roundings of the outer edges (13) of the single conductor group (12).
US09153346B2
A method with a circuit that includes a memory (130) coupled to an analog line coverage circuit (104). The analog line coverage circuit includes a plurality of buffers (151-154) in which each buffer is coupled to one memory location of the memory, a plurality of bin cells (161-164) in which each bin cell is coupled to a buffer, a multiplexer (170), each input terminal of which is coupled to a bin cell, and an analog-to-digital converter (180) coupled to the multiplexer and to an output terminal of the analog line coverage circuit. The analog line coverage circuit stores an analog voltage that is representative of a number of occasions that a memory location is accessed, and outputs a signal indicative thereof. A processor (102), coupled to the memory and to the analog line coverage circuit, enables the analog line coverage circuit when the processor is in a debug mode.
US09153339B2
A semiconductor device includes a fuse array having a plurality of fuse sets suitable for outputting a plurality of fuse status signals having different levels according to whether fuses of the plurality of fuse sets are cut or not, a code counter suitable for counting selection codes in a preset order in response to an enable signal and an operation clock, and storage blocks suitable for receiving and storing the plurality of fuse status signals in a preset order in response to the selection codes.
US09153337B2
A solid state memory system comprises a first nonvolatile semiconductor memory having a first write cycle lifetime and a first set of physical addresses, and a second nonvolatile semiconductor memory having a second write cycle lifetime and a second set of physical addresses. The first write cycle lifetime is greater than the second write cycle lifetime. The system further comprises a fatigue management module to generate a write frequency ranking for a plurality of logical addresses. The fatigue management module maps each of the plurality of logical addresses to a physical address of the first set of physical addresses or the second set of physical addresses based on the write frequency rankings.
US09153334B2
Semiconductor structures including a plurality of conductive structures having a dielectric material therebetween are disclosed. The thickness of the dielectric material spacing apart the conductive structures may be adjusted to provide optimization of capacitance and voltage threshold. The semiconductor structures may be used as capacitors, for example, in memory devices. Various methods may be used to form such semiconductor structures and capacitors including such semiconductor structures. Memory devices including such capacitors are also disclosed.
US09153321B2
The gate of the access transistor of a 1 transistor 1 resistor (1T1R) type RRAM cell is biased relative to the source of the access transistor using a current mirror. Under the influence of a voltage applied across the 1T1R cell (e.g., via the bit line), the RRAM memory element switches from a higher resistance to a lower resistance. As the RRAM memory element switches from the higher resistance to the lower resistance, the current through the RRAM cell switches from being substantially determined by the higher resistance of the RRAM device (while the access transistor is operating in the linear region) to being substantially determined by the saturation region operating point of the access transistor.
US09153310B2
An integrated circuit may comprise a digital logic circuit, a memory refresh circuit, a first one or more dynamic random access memory (DRAM) cells, and a second one or more DRAM cells. The first DRAM cell(s) may be refreshed by the memory refresh circuit whereas the second DRAM cell(s) is not refreshed by any memory refresh circuit. Each of the first DRAM cell(s) and the second DRAM cell(s) may be a one-transistor cell. The first DRAM cell(s) may be used for storage of data which is overwritten at less than a threshold frequency. The second DRAM cell(s) may be used for storage of data which is overwritten at greater than the threshold frequency. A rate at which the first DRAM cell(s) are refreshed may be adjusted during run-time of the integrated circuit.
US09153302B2
A memory includes a plurality of memory blocks, a plurality of global bit lines, a common pre-charging circuit, and a selection circuit. Each memory block includes a pair of bit lines, and a plurality of memory cells coupled to the pair of bit lines. Each global bit line is coupled to at least one of the memory blocks. The pre-charging circuit is configured to pre-charge the global bit lines, one at a time, to a pre-charge voltage. The selection circuit is coupled between the pre-charging circuit and the global bit lines, and configured to couple the global bit lines, one at a time, to the pre-charging circuit.
US09153301B2
An access method for a DRAM is provided. A row address is partitioned into a first portion and a second portion. The first portion of the row address is provided via an address bus and a first active command is provided via a command bus the DRAM. The second portion of the row address is provided via the address bus and a second active command is provided via the command bus to the DRAM, after the first active command is provided. The address bus is formed by a plurality of address lines, and a quantity of the address lines is smaller than the number of bits of the row address.
US09153286B2
An information processing apparatus includes an operation unit, and a control unit that displays, on a display unit, a data image representing the contents of temporally continuous data along a time axis. Here, when a gesture operation for cutting the data image perpendicularly to the time axis is performed through the operation unit, the control unit divides the data at a position on the time axis in accordance with the position cut by the gesture operation.
US09153285B2
A content play device capable of forming content and a method for forming content thereof. The method for forming content of the content play device, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, comprises providing a content forming user interface (UI) which reflects a plurality of data to be played, receiving a play time of each of the plurality of data via the content forming UI, and forming content in which the plurality of data is reproduced according to a received play time of each data. Accordingly, a user may easily form content in which background music is set for each image file.
US09153281B2
Embodiments of the invention include systems and methods for providing gripper recovery using a magazine drop-out feature. Embodiments operate in context of a data storage library having a number of media cartridges physically located within slots of one or more magazines. A robotic hand assembly uses a gripper mechanism to retrieve and ferry the cartridges between the magazines and one or more media drives. In some instances, the gripper mechanism is unable to disengage from the cartridge or to disengage the cartridge from its magazine slot. Embodiments detect this condition and direct the robotic hand assembly to drop out of engagement with the cartridge through the drop-out region of the magazine slot, allowing the gripper mechanism to recover.
US09153276B2
A light source is configured to produce light, a waveguide is optically coupled to the light source and configured to direct the light to an intended focus location, and a slider is configured to use the light as an energy source for heating a region of a magnetic recording medium. A thermal sensor is situated on the slider at a location outside of a light path that includes the intended focus location. The thermal sensor is configured for sensing a short time constant change in temperature resulting from light source heating of the thermal sensor, wherein the sensed change in thermal sensor temperature is representative of optical intensity of the light delivered to the intended focus location.
US09153271B2
The optical disc device has a circuit which forms a focus error signal for focus servo control based on reflection light from an optical disc exposed to laser light. Also, the device has a data processing unit which can control by feedback a position to which an objective lens is moved by a focusing actuator based on a focus error signal. In label printing, the data processing unit controls, by feedforward, a position to which the objective lens is moved by the focusing actuator based on control data for label printing. The operation resolution of the focusing actuator in feedforward control is made higher than that in feedback control. Thus, an intended position control accuracy is achieved in feedforward control. For instance, in feedforward control, the gain of the driver circuit for the focusing actuator is switched to a smaller one in comparison to that in feedback control.
US09153269B2
A method for manufacturing a glass substrate for magnetic disk, the internal strain of which is reduced without performing annealing treatment, is provided. The method includes a forming process of forming a plate-shaped glass blank by pressing a lump of molten glass using a pair of dies, wherein the method includes: a removing process of removing at least a part of a residual stress layer formed on the principal face of the glass blank press-formed in the forming process; and a process of forming a donut-shaped glass substrate by subjecting the glass blank after the removing process to machining.
US09153268B1
A novel lubricant comprising a fluorinated graphene nanoribbon for a magnetic recording media structure is disclosed. The magnetic recording media structure includes a substrate, a magnetic recording layer for recording information disposed over the substrate, a protective overcoat layer for protecting the magnetic recording layer disposed over the magnetic recording layer, and a lubricant layer disposed over the protective overcoat layer and comprising a fluorinated graphene nanoribbon.
US09153266B1
A data storage device is disclosed comprising a disk comprising a plurality of tracks, where each track comprises a plurality of servo sectors and at least one data segment between consecutive servo sectors. The data storage device further comprises a head actuated over the disk, the head comprising a laser configured to heat the disk during write operations based on a laser power. During a first revolution of the disk, the laser power is first increased over a first interval to cause at least part of the head to protrude toward a first data segment of the disk. After the first interval, the laser power is decreased and a fly height pattern is read from the first data segment to first measure a fly height of the head.
US09153259B2
Embodiments disclosed herein provide magnetic media access heads with metal coatings. In a particular embodiment, a magnetic media head for accessing magnetic media comprises a base substrate configured to support a magnetic head layer. The magnetic head layer is formed on the base substrate and configured to magnetically access the magnetic media. A metallic layer formed over the magnetic head layer and disposed between the magnetic head layer and the magnetic media when the magnetic media is positioned for access by the magnetic head layer.
US09153247B1
A method is disclosed for improved operation of a data storage device such as a hard disk drive, wherein the overhead for data rewriting is reduced or eliminated by the grouping of logical zones in proximity to other zones with similar writing frequencies. Thus cold zones are written near other cold zones, and hot zones near other hot zones, within a multiplicity of realms on the data storage surface. Substantial reductions in FTI writes are achievable in comparison with previous FTI mitigation algorithms.
US09153240B2
In a method of perceptual transform coding of audio signals in a telecommunication system, performing the steps of determining transform coefficients representative of a time to frequency transformation of a time segmented input audio signal; determining a spectrum of perceptual sub-bands for said input audio signal based on said determined transform coefficients; determining masking thresholds for each said sub-band based on said determined spectrum; computing scale factors for each said sub-band based on said determined masking thresholds, and finally adapting said computed scale factors for each said sub-band to prevent energy loss for perceptually relevant sub-bands.
US09153231B1
Neural networks may be used in certain automatic speech recognition systems. To improve performance of these neural networks, they may be updated/retrained during run time by training the neural network based on the output of a speech recognition system or based on the output of the neural networks themselves. The outputs may include weighted outputs, lattices, weighted N-best lists, or the like. The neural networks may be acoustic model neural networks or language model neural networks. The neural networks may be retrained after each pass through the network, after each utterance, or in varying time scales.
US09153228B2
An IC processor circuit has an interface for a microphone and a packet switched network. A memory holds bits for converting audible speech from the microphone into digital data in each of successive frames. For each frame the converting includes forming LPC data, LTP lag data, parity check data, adaptive and fixed codebook gain data, and fixed codebook pulse data. The digital data representing the audible speech for the frames is placed into sequential packets, with each packet having a primary stage and a secondary stage. The placing includes arranging data from a first frame of speech in the primary stage of a first packet and arranging data from the first frame of speech in the secondary stage of a second packet, which follows the first packet. The data in the secondary stage includes only LPC data, LTP lag data, parity check data, and adaptive and fixed codebook gain data.
US09153224B2
Enhanced sonar mount structures, systems, and associated processes provide accurate, precise, and repeatable alignment of a sonar head in relation to a vessel, whether in or out of water. The enhanced mount typically comprises a tilt mechanism, wherein the sonar head can be lifted to a stowable position, e.g. for any of vessel maneuvering, mooring, or trailering. The mount typically comprises a cross tube coupled to a clamp mechanism and to a Z tube. The clamp mechanism is operable to establish and maintain any of Z direction or pitch. The enhanced mount provides repeatable positioning of both the cross tube and the Z tube, and may preferably provide any of ship to ship interchangeability, lateral and vertical adjustability, break away clamping of the cross tube, quick release mechanisms, hingeable stowage, or manual or remote pan or tilt. An optional modular mounting kit aids in situ installations.
US09153213B2
An adjustable pick or plectrum for a stringed musical instrument is characterized by a top grip portion and a bottom tip portion, the top grip portion adapted to matingly receive the bottom tip portion through an engagement means. The top grip portion preferably has at least one slot or channel which is adapted to receive and retain at least one leg from the bottom tip portion. Preferably, each leg has one or more protrusions, so that selective holes or slots in the top grip portion are adapted to selectively receive, engage and retain each protrusion. The pick is adapted for height adjustability and/or angular adjustability as desired by the musician. The height adjustability can be set in selected positions for different flexibilities. It is seen that this pick has a multi use capability, adjustable from a solid pick through several different flexibilities, heights and angles.
US09153204B2
Disclosed herein is a display device, including: a display panel having a display area having a plurality of pixels each composed of one or more sub-pixels, a first image and a second image being alternately displayed adjacent to each other in the sub-pixels, the first image and the second image being displayed in visual directions different from each other so as to be adapted to be discriminated from each other; and a crosstalk correcting portion having a crosstalk correcting table, configured to carry out crosstalk correction for images different from one another by using the crosstalk correcting table; wherein the display area is divided into a plurality of areas, and gamma correction which differs so as to correspond to the plurality of areas obtained through the division, respectively, is carried out for an image as an object of the crosstalk correction.
US09153196B2
A display device includes a display panel including a gate line, a data line, and a pixel connected to the gate line and the data line, a data driver connected to the data line, a gate driver connected to the gate line, and a signal controller controlling the data driver and the gate driver, wherein a circuits powering power source voltage that is normally used for driving the data driver is selectively not applied during a new-image blanking time when the signal controller is not supplying image data to the data driver.
US09153191B2
A power management circuit for a liquid crystal display device is disclosed. The power management circuit includes one or more power generating circuits, for receiving one or more input voltages and generating one or more output voltages, respectively; a gate pulse modulation circuit, coupled between a gate high-level voltage source and a discharging control terminal, for generating a gate control signal; and a discharging controller, coupled to the discharging control terminal, for providing a discharging path for the gate pulse modulation circuit, wherein one of the gate pulse modulation circuit and the discharging controller is further coupled to a power supply such that the gate pulse modulation circuit discharges to the power supply during a gate discharging period, and the power supply is one of the one or more input voltages and the one or more output voltages.
US09153184B2
A display apparatus includes a display panel, a timing control part and a data driving part. The display panel is divided into N display areas. The timing control part includes a serializing part to serializing N data received in parallel to generate an N-th frame data, a overdriving part to select one of the N-th frame data and a previous frame data stored depending on whether the received data are normal and to compensate the selected frame data to generate a compensation frame data, and an interface part to divide the compensation frame data and to output the N compensation data. A data driving part includes N data driving circuits to generate data driving voltages corresponding to the N compensation data to output the data driving voltage to the N display areas where N is a natural number.
US09153182B2
An electrophoretic display includes an electrophoretic panel, a timing control circuit, a source driver, a gate driver, and a gate line enable circuit. The timing control circuit generates a timing control signal corresponding to a refresh area of a frame according to the refresh area. The gate driver generates output enable signals corresponding to the refresh area according to the timing control signal, and the gate line enable circuit transmits scan signals of first gate lines corresponding to the refresh area to second gate lines corresponding to the refresh area according to the enabled output enable signals. The source driver drives data lines corresponding to the refresh area according to the timing control signal to charge/discharge pixels corresponding to the refresh area.
US09153179B2
A system may include a graphics controller and a display. The graphics controller may generate video data to display on the display. The display may include a display panel for displaying the video data, a backlight unit for providing the display panel with backlight, and a display timing controller for communicating with the graphics controller over a communications path. The communications path may include a video data path for conveying video data bits, an interrupt path for conveying interrupts, and a sideband control path for conveying control signals such as a backlight enable signal for the backlight unit. The graphics controller and timing controller may perform link training operations to assess link quality between the graphics controller and timing controller. The timing controller may use interrupts to inform the graphics controller of system status. Use of the interrupts may help the system minimize the time consumed during display power-up operations.
US09153177B2
An apparatus for generating a gray scale voltage in an organic light emitting display device is disclosed. In one aspect, the apparatus includes a gamma reference voltage generator, a gray scale voltage output unit and a gray scale voltage selector. The gamma reference voltage generator outputs a gamma reference voltage. The gray scale voltage output unit outputs N first gray scale voltages, based on the gamma reference voltage. The gray scale voltage selector has a lookup table in which voltage values respectively corresponding M reference gray scales are previously set, and outputs second gray scale voltages by selecting M of the N first gray scale voltages.
US09153176B2
A display unit including pixels which display an image according to an image data signal transferred corresponding to each of the pixels, and a controller to receive and convert an external input video signal to transfer a luminance conversion data signal corresponding to the respective pixels. The controller includes: an input image data to receive the external input video signal; a scale factor calculation unit to determine at least one control factor for luminance conversion with respect to an input video signal corresponding to the pixels received from the input image data receiving unit; and a luminance data conversion unit to convert luminance data with respect to the respective pixels using the at least one determined control factor and to output the luminance conversion data signal.
US09153173B2
A pixel structure and a driving method thereof are disclosed. The driving method includes following steps. During a first displaying frame period, a threshold voltage of a transistor for driving a light-emitting diode is stored in a first capacitor, and a first data voltage is stored in a second capacitor. The threshold voltage stored in the first capacitor is utilized for compensation during the first displaying frame period. During a second displaying frame period, a second data voltage is stored in the second capacitor, and the threshold voltage stored in the first capacitor during the first frame displaying period is still utilized for compensation during the second displaying frame period.
US09153172B2
Method and system for programming and driving active matrix light emitting device pixel is provided. The pixel is a voltage programmed pixel circuit, and has a light emitting device, a driving transistor and a storage capacitor. The pixel has a programming cycle having a plurality of operating cycles, and a driving cycle. During the programming cycle, the voltage of the connection between the OLED and the driving transistor is controlled so that the desired gate-source voltage of a driving transistor is stored in a storage capacitor.
US09153166B2
A method on an electronic device is described. A touch screen display of the electronic device is actively controlled in a higher-power mode of operation. Actively controlling the touch screen display in the higher-power mode is discontinued to enter a lower-power mode of operation. In the lower-power mode: at least one first control signal is provided to the touch screen display; in response to the at least one first control signal, a first portion of the touch screen display is activated and a first portion of a graphic is displayed on a first area of the touch screen display within the first portion; occurrence of a first user interaction that corresponds to the first portion of the graphic during the display of the first portion of the graphic is determined; and user interaction data is stored for the first portion of the graphic based on the first user interaction determination.
US09153162B2
A display device includes a data driver; a scan driver; a compensation control signal unit configured to reset voltages of data signals transmitted to a plurality of pixels during a previous frame at a current frame, and configured to generate and transmit a first control signal to compensate for threshold voltages of driving transistors of the pixels and a second control signal to control simultaneous light emission of the pixels; a power controller configured to control and supply the voltage levels of a first and second power source voltages; a display unit including the plurality of pixels coupled to corresponding data lines, scan lines, first control lines, second control lines, first voltage lines, and second voltage lines; and a timing controller configured to generate a plurality of data signals by processing external image signals and generate a plurality of driving control signals for controlling driving of the drivers.
US09153158B2
Disclosed is a light emitting display device capable of minimizing a current driving capability deviation among driving switching elements. The light emitting display device includes pixels each including a first TFT for supplying data voltage to a first node in response to a scan signal, a second TFT for forming a current path between first and second nodes in response to an emission control signal, a driving TFT for forming a current path between a first driving voltage supply line and a third node in accordance with a voltage level of the second node, a third TFT for supplying a reference voltage to a fourth node in response to a sensing signal, a fourth TFT for supplying an initialization voltage to the third node in response to an initialization signal, and a fifth TFT for supplying the reference voltage to the second node in response to the initialization signal.
US09153151B2
An electronic sign includes a planar lighting module emitting visible light. A cabinet supportingly engages the lighting module. An air chamber is between the cabinet and the lighting module. A vertical partition is within the air chamber and extends between a bottom wall and a top wall of the cabinet, and between the lighting module and a rear wall of the cabinet. The partition divides the air chamber into first and second sections. An electric fan is within the cabinet and transfers air from the first to the second section. The cabinet and/or the lighting module include a plurality of throughholes fluidly interconnecting the air chamber to ambient air. A first subset of the throughholes are more closely fluidly connected to the first section than to the second section. A second subset of the throughholes are more closely fluidly connected to the second section than to the first section.
US09153150B2
A lighting assembly includes a housing assembly, a first light source located within the housing assembly, and a second light source located within the housing assembly. A first cover is positioned relative to the first light source so that the first light source is able to illuminate the first cover. A second cover is positioned relative to the second light source so that the second light source is able to illuminate the second cover. A light barrier is disposed between the first and second covers. The light barrier is configured to prevent interference between the first light source and the second light source.
US09153149B1
An illuminated road sign has reflective lettering on each side, a plurality of illumination devices, and a battery-powered controller. The illumination devices are arranged along the perimeter of each face of the sign, are powered by the battery or with solar cell in an alternate embodiment, and are controlled by switches located on the handle of the sign assembly. The sign may be supported by a tripod structure portion that enables the sign to be utilized in a stand-alone state.
US09153147B2
A rolling information display system includes a heated roller grill having at least a first coated, heated roller positioned adjacent a second coated, heated roller, said at least first and second coated, heated rollers rotating together; and a tube comprising a plastic material resistant to temperatures at which the heater roller grill operates, the tube being open on both ends and further comprising rolling surfaces at opposing ends of the tube for rolling in contact with heated rolling surfaces of the heated roller grill and one or more recessed surfaces for bearing information about products provided on the heated roller grill. Information is printed in the one or more recessed surfaces, or is applied directly to or molded directly into the recessed surfaces. The rolling surface at opposing ends of the tube are integral with the tube. The products provided on the heated roller grill are food items.
US09153145B2
Kit of building blocks for constructing educational electronic circuits comprising a ferromagnetic base plate (10) with the diagram (21) of the circuit to construct. A transparent plastic sheet (30) covers the diagram. A group of magnets (40, 41) rest on the plastic sheet attracted by the plate (10). The surface of the magnets (40, 41) is electrically conducting. A plurality of building blocks can be detachably mounted on the magnets (40, 41), each magnet (41) connecting the steel sheets (702) of the building blocks that rest on it. The steel sheets of the blocks are designed so that the attraction forces that arise between the magnets and the sheets drive the modules exactly to a desired equilibrium position.
US09153140B2
Provided are an electronic device, a control program, a recording medium, and a control method that enable a user to efficiently learn a word to be learned. If search processing for searching for detailed information of a headword based on a received input is performed while an image is being displayed, the electronic device causes the headword corresponding to the detailed information searched for by the search processing and image information identifying the image being displayed to be stored in an associated manner. When the image identified by the image information is displayed, the electronic device causes the headword associated with the image information to be further displayed.
US09153115B1
A fall impact signal transmitter device is associated with a fall arrest harness to provide an alert signal when a user has experienced a fall event and is suspended in the fall arrest harness. A transmitter is disposed within a housing and is caused to issue a distress signal when actuated by an engagement member when a fall event occurs. The transmitter may be Bluetooth® enabled to permit a distress signal to be communicated by the user's own cell phone, or to permit two-way communication through the cell phone between the user and a called number.
US09153111B2
Image surveillance and reporting technology, in which an event that is indicative of potential physical activity within an area corresponding to a location of a camera unit is detected. In response to detection of the event, the camera unit is controlled to capture one or more images of the area corresponding to the location of the camera unit. The one or more images captured by the camera unit are analyzed to determine whether the one or more images include image data that is indicative of relevant physical activity within the area corresponding to the location of the camera unit. The one or more images are handled based on the determination of whether the one or more images include image data that is indicative of relevant physical activity within the area corresponding to the location of the camera unit.
US09153108B2
Methods and vehicles are provided for providing haptic feedback to a vehicle occupant. In one embodiment, the method includes selecting a pattern of active haptic periods during which a controller will command a plurality of haptic actuators disposed in a seat of a vehicle to generate haptic pulses, determining a desired voltage of a signal supplied to the haptic actuators that indicates the active haptic periods to generate a desired intensity of haptic pulses, determining an actual voltage of an energy storage device of the vehicle, calculating a pulse width modulation (PWM) pattern that simulates the desired voltage when applied to the signal using the actual voltage, and generating a signal that indicates the active haptic periods based on the PWM pattern to command the haptic actuators to generate the desired intensity of haptic pulses.
US09153092B2
The invention relates to a prize merchandiser comprising a cabinet, a see-through monitor extending through a front wall of the cabinet, a touch screen overlay mounted over the see-through monitor, a coin acceptor attached to the cabinet, a prize dispenser mounted inside the cabinet, and a computer unit connected to the coin acceptor, the prize dispenser, the see-through monitor and the touch screen overlay. The prize dispenser has a prize storage area extending behind the see-through monitor so that prizes in the prize storage area are visible through the see-through monitor during game play and when nobody plays a game. The computer unit is configured to run an interactive video game that displays on the see-through monitor and is controlled by player interactions with the touch screen overlay, and to operate the prize dispenser so as to dispense a prize based on an outcome of the video game.
US09153091B2
A method and apparatus for use in gaming activities, such as in a slot machine. A first grid comprising a plurality of elements overlayed a second grid comprising a plurality of elements is presented. At least some of the elements of the first grid and the second grid are marked. Marked elements of first grid are then used to form a subportion, the subportion boundary enclosing an area and having a correspondingly marked element of the first grid at each corner. Payouts are issued for marked elements and element combinations of the second grid within the subportion. The payouts may be administered according to a pay table.
US09153085B2
Various election methods are provided wherein voters are able to verify their votes through public means. In one embodiment, each of the ballots includes a ballot identifier and each of the choices thereon is associated with a selection identifier. After the completed ballots are received by the voting authority, the authority publishes the ballot identifiers obtained from the ballots in association with the selection identifiers of the selected choices to enable each voter to verify his or her vote. In another embodiment, the voter provides the ballot identifier and the selection identifiers of the selected choices on a delivery mechanism (e.g., envelope). The relevant identifiers are then obtained by the authority from the delivery mechanisms and published. In another embodiment, the voters generate their own selection identifiers on the ballot which are then published by the authority to enable each voter to verify his or her vote.
US09153082B2
A method and a device are disclosed including a software or physical admission certificate configured to allow admission of a spectator to a special admission zone with a view to a performance stage for a predefined duration of time. The special admission zone is usable by multiple spectators in multiple successive time periods during the same performance. In various embodiments, the special admission zone is created by partitioning a general admission zone adjacent to the performance stage. In other embodiments, the special admission zone may be constructed as a “catwalk” around the stage to provide elevated viewing. In still other embodiments, the special admission zone may be formed near indoor or outdoor stages. In various embodiments, the admission certificate may be embodied in a computing device such as a smartphone, while in other embodiments the admission certificate may be in the form of a RFID equipped wristband.
US09153080B2
A system for testing a number of electronic module assemblies (EMAs) that control one or more personal restraint systems. A programmed processor with a computer system transmits signals that instruct the EMAs to perform a diagnostic self-test. The results of the self-test are received by the computer system and stored in a computer readable memory. In one embodiment, the computer system is a cabin management computer system for use on an aircraft.
US09153079B1
System and method for using automated 3D scans to diagnose the mechanical status of substantially intact vehicles. One or more processor controlled 3D scanners utilize optical and other methods to assess the exposed surfaces of various vehicle components. Computer vision and other computerized pattern recognition techniques then compare the 3D scanner output versus a reference computer database of these various vehicle components in various normal and malfunctioning states. Those components judged to be aberrant are flagged. These flagged components can be reported to the vehicle users, as well as various insurance or repair entities. In some embodiments, the 3D scans can be performed using time-of-flight cameras, and optionally infrared, stereoscopic, and even audio sensors attached to the processor controlled arm of a mobile robot. Much of the subsequent data analysis and management can be done using remote Internet servers.
US09153071B2
A game apparatus generates control point data for forming a contour of each part of a character, generates a line model of a body being a line polygon model along the body on the basis of the control point data, then generates a line model of a foot being a line polygon model along a contour of one foot, and arranged at the back of the line model of the body Bd in a Z direction, and generates a mask model of the body being a transparent polygon model arranged at the back of the line model of the body in the Z direction and in front of the line model of the foot in the Z direction, and having the contour along the line of the body. Then, when the respective models are depicted with a Z comparison performed after depicting a background, the mask model of the body, the line model of the foot, the line model of the body are depicted in this order.
US09153054B2
In accordance with an example embodiment a method, apparatus and computer program product are provided. The method comprises facilitating receipt of a source image and compressing a plurality of images based on the source image. The plurality of images is associated with compression values generated on compression of the plurality of images. The method further comprises identifying an at least partially matching image to the source image from among the plurality of images based on the compression values.
US09153051B2
Parallel co-ordinates associated with a business scenario represent underlying data of the business scenario. Based upon associated categorical variables, the parallel co-ordinates are divided into a plurality of segments. Each segment includes a pair of continuous variables represented as a pair of axes of the parallel co-ordinates. The pairs of axes of the parallel co-ordinates are fragmented to generate bi-variant bins. The bi-variant bines include continuous values corresponding to each fragment of the pair of axis. An associated backend database is queried to determine aggregated tuples of continuous values between each bi-variant bin of the corresponding pair of axes. Based on the aggregated tuples, a statistical visualization of the aggregated tuples between the bi-variant bins for the axes is generating. The statistical visualization includes a distribution of the tuples for the plurality of segments corresponding to the parallel co-ordinates.
US09153047B1
Systems and methods are disclosed for image reconstruction and enhancement, using a computer system. One method includes acquiring a plurality of images associated with a target anatomy; determining, using a processor, one or more associations between subdivisions of localized anatomy of the target anatomy identified from the plurality of images, and local image regions identified from the plurality of images; performing an initial image reconstruction based on image acquisition information of the target anatomy; and updating the initial image reconstruction or generating a new image reconstruction based on the image acquisition information and the one or more determined associations.
US09153044B2
A liquid crystal display device 10 according to the present invention includes a processing device 12 configured to process an image signal D to be input into a pixel P of a liquid crystal panel 40 configured to provide a display based on light applied from LEDs 54 arranged in a peripheral area R2. The process device 12 includes a receiving section 22, a correction section 24, and a calculation section 28, for example. The calculation section is configured to calculate luminance components to be provided by the respective LEDs 54 to the pixel P based on a distance between each LED 54 and the pixel P, add a total luminance that is a sum of the luminance components to be provided by the LEDs 54 to a predetermined expected luminance to calculate an added luminance, and calculate a correction coefficient HP with respect to the pixel P based on a luminance ratio between the added luminance and the reference luminance.
US09153041B2
An image coding device including: an edge detecting section configured to perform edge detection using an image signal of a reference image for a coding object block; a transform block setting section configured to set transform blocks by dividing the coding object block such that a boundary between the blocks after division does not include an edge on a basis of a result of the edge detection; and a coding processing section configured to generate coded data by performing processing including an orthogonal transform of each of the transform blocks.
US09153034B2
An image processing method, includes: obtaining an image, the image having marker images and a background image; identifying presence of an object in the background image using a processor; and providing a signal for stopping a procedure if the presence of the object is identified. An image processing apparatus, includes: a processor configured for: obtaining an image, the image having marker images and a background image; identifying presence of an object in the background image; and providing a signal for stopping a procedure if the presence of the object is identified. A computer product having a non-transitory medium storing a set of instructions, an execution of which causes an image processing method to be performed, the method includes: obtaining an image, the image having marker images and a background image; identifying presence of an object in the background image; and providing a signal for stopping a procedure if the presence of the object is identified.
US09153032B2
A conversion method and apparatus with a generating of a depth map for two dimensional (2D)-to-three dimensional (3D) conversion. A depth order may be restored based on a line tracing and an edge map generated from an input image, and a stereo image may be generated using depth information.
US09153031B2
Apparatus and methods are disclosed for modifying video based on user input and or face detection data received with a mobile device to generate foreground regions (e.g., to separate a user image from background in the video). According to one disclosed embodiment, a method comprises receiving user input and/or face regions generated with a mobile device, producing an initial representation for segmenting input video into a plurality of portions based on the user input, where the initial representation includes probabilities for one or more regions of the input video being designated as foreground regions or background regions. Based on the initial representation, input video is segmented by designating one or more of the regions of the input video as foreground regions or background regions.
US09153024B2
A method and system for predicting spatial and temporal distributions of therapeutic substance carriers within a body of a user, comprising: at a computing system, receiving an image dataset and a spectra dataset of a therapeutic substance carrier generated from at least one of an imaging model and a spectra-generating module; transforming the image dataset and the spectra dataset into a set of characteristics, wherein the set of characteristics comprises electrotopological characteristics and geometrical characteristics; generating a set of pharmacokinetic parameters and a set of pharmacodynamic parameters for the therapeutic substance carrier based upon the set of characteristics and a transformation model; and transforming the set of pharmacokinetic parameters and the set of pharmacodynamic parameters into a spatial distribution and a temporal profile of the therapeutic substance carrier, based upon a predictive model incorporating physiological parameters of the body, thereby predicting distributions of the therapeutic substance carrier within the body.
US09153022B2
In a method of analysis, a target image is registered to define a plurality of keypoints arranged in sets corresponding to polygons or linear segments in the target image. A database of registered and annotated images is accessed and a polygon-wise comparison between the target image and each database image is employed. The comparison is used for projecting annotated locations from the database images into the target image.
US09153021B2
A novel approach for analyzing a patient's body part of interest to assess bone strength and/or risk of future fracture includes obtaining a priori information regarding the body part of interest, performing X-ray absorptiometric scans of the patient's body part of interest and collecting X-ray absorptiometry data from the scans, constructing a three-dimensional model of the patient's body part of interest, by utilizing the a priori information along with the X-ray absorptiometric data, and performing measurements of various geometric parameters on the three-dimensional model for determining geometric and structural properties.
US09153015B2
For each pixel in an image (Din), a contrast correlation value (CT) is detected for peripheral areas centered around the pixel to be corrected (1), a contrast enhancement coefficient (Ken) is determined in accordance with the contrast correlation value (CT) (2), and in accordance with the enhancement coefficient (Ken), local contrast is enhanced for each pixel and an intermediate image (D3) is generated (3). When performing noise reduction (5) by smoothing the intermediate image (D3) in the time direction, the degree of noise reduction is controlled in accordance with a noise reduction coefficient (Knr) that is large where the enhancement coefficient (Ken) is large. With respect to a low-contrast image such as one captured under fog, haze or other poor weather conditions, the contrast in areas having reduced contrast is appropriately improved, and the noise that is enhanced in conjunction with contrast improvement is reduced, enabling a high quality image to be obtained.
US09153012B2
When correcting for artifacts on an attenuation map caused by an artifact source in a computed tomography image, nuclear images are reconstructed two or more times, each time using a different correction technique or uncorrected attenuation data. Corresponding voxels in the reconstructed images are compared to identify local areas that change, i.e., are fragile and therefore low-confidence, and areas that do not vary or exhibit little variance among the plurality of reconstructed images and are thus accorded a higher confidence. The reconstructed nuclear image is overlaid with color encoding indicative of the amount of confidence accorded to each voxel value obtained by attenuation-corrected tomographic reconstruction.
US09153010B2
An image processing device that, even when a degradation model differs from a real degradation process of an obtained low-resolution image, generates a high-resolution image while restricting noises from occurring due to differences between the degradation model and the real degradation process. The image processing device includes: an enlargement interpolation unit generating a first high-resolution image that is higher in resolution than the low-resolution image; a super resolution processing unit generating, from the low-resolution image, a second high-resolution image; a feature generating unit generating features by using the low-resolution image; a difference calculating unit calculating difference values between values of pixels; an adjustment unit calculating corrected difference values by correcting the difference values by using the features; and a combination unit generating a third high-resolution image by adding corrected difference values to values of corresponding pixels in the first high-resolution image.
US09153006B2
Methods and devices are provided to thwart analysis of a watermarking system by preventing analysis of watermarks in a host content. Upon receiving a content at a watermark embedding device, the content is analyzed to ascertain whether one or more test features are present in at least a first portion of the received content. When the analysis reveals that one or more test features are present, embedding of watermarks in at least the first portion of the received content is disabled. The test features of interest include a temporal, a spatial and/or a frequency characteristic such that, if a region of the content that includes test feature is embedded with a watermark, at least one characteristic of the embedded watermark is detectable upon analysis of that region. The test feature can, for example, approximate an impulse signal, a step function signal or a pure sinusoidal signal.
US09153001B2
An approach for managing distribution of automated demand response events in a multi-site enterprise. Event distribution may be controlled by an auto demand response gateway. At an enterprise level, the gateway may be implemented as a supervisor service and configured to connect with an auto demand response system. At a site level, event distribution may be managed in several ways. One is that the auto demand response service may be configured to utilize a gateway connection. The auto demand response service's client settings may be modified to select the site's energy management and command system supervisor as a host station. Another way of managing event distribution may incorporate adding auto demand response gateway functionality to the auto demand response service. When the gateway functionality is enabled, the auto demand response service may route events to other energy management and command system site controllers within a facility.
US09153000B2
Within a social network, a user may establish a set of contacts who share with the user various content items and comments related thereto. However, these content items are often hosted by a content source outside of the social network, and the user may have to transition to the content source to view the content item, and then transition back to the social network to submit a comment. Instead, a device may monitor the social network to record shared content items. When the user requests a presentation of the content source, the content items hosted by the content source that have been shared with the user may be included in the presentation. The presentation of the content source may also accept comments from the user regarding a content item, and send the comments to the social network where the content item was shared with the user.
US09152994B2
A closed end financial instrument for the monetization of greenhouse gases is disclosed. The closed end security has unique features providing for the securitization of greenhouse gas reductions (e.g., avoidance, sequestration, transformation) on global and sub-global scales. A universal carbon index based on the computed value for metric tons fossil fuel derived CO2 from measurements of the carbon 14 isotope, directly linked to fossil fuel emissions, is also disclosed. The 14C based universal index provides a unique and novel market mechanism to value and track fossil fuel carbon across all reduction genres and measurement platforms. Sub-global indexes for 14C and other GHGs representing partial carbon budgets for specific regions are accounted for within the global budget. The global and sub-global GHG indexes may operate in real time across all GHG currency transactions constituting a live GHG trading regime. An asset allocation system, based on trace gas emissions over small to large scales is also disclosed providing a means to manage and reduce GHG emissions with market-based risk assessment versus return and modern portfolio theory paradigms. Features such as small, mid and large, growth and value are applied to GHG reduction efforts by trace gas type. The unique elements of financial mechanism, global and sub-global carbon indexes and asset allocation options provide a means to manage, reduce and monetize the burden of GHGs to the atmosphere and resultant global warming.
US09152989B2
In one example embodiment, a system comprises an event processing module accessible over a network; an event producer module associated with the event processing module and configured to monitor an action or directive of a consumer resource and, in response to a detected action or directive, generate an event and event metadata. The system further includes a conversion module associated with the event processing module and configured to acquire the event metadata and generate a generic event based on the acquired event metadata, and a transport module configured to distribute the generic event to a plurality of consumer resources.
US09152985B2
A processor-implemented method includes: acknowledging, using a first affiliator identifier obtained from content assigned the first affiliator identifier, an application from a user other than an owner of the content for the same type of content as the accessed content, an affiliator identifier being used to identify an affiliator for the purpose of providing affiliate service, embedding, in the content provided to the other user, a second affiliator identifier identifying the other user; providing the content assigned the second affiliator identifier to the other user; and identifying an affiliator owning the content assigned the first affiliator identifier, based on the first affiliator identifier.
US09152982B2
A method and apparatus for advertising on a mobile phone. In one embodiment the method includes the steps of downloading an advertisement to the mobile phone using an advertisement server; selecting the downloaded advertisement on the mobile phone by a user of the mobile phone; providing by a server additional information in response to the user selection; and tracking the selection and additional information by the server. In another embodiment the compensation provided is in response to the display screen of said advertisement. In another embodiment the step of providing additional information includes the step of using space reserved, in the user interface of the mobile phone, for advertisements. Another aspect the invention relates to a system for displaying advertisements on a mobile phone. In one embodiment the system includes a server; and a mobile phone in communication with said server.
US09152980B2
An electronic commerce (e-commerce) system may send advertisement emails to customers that are registered with the e-commerce system. The advertisement emails may include mailto hyperlinks. Each mailto hyperlink may be associated with a product that is being offered for sale, and each mailto hyperlink describes an email message that may be generated when that hyperlink is selected. When a mailto hyperlink is selected, the generated email message may include one or more parameters related to the product associated with the hyperlink, such as an identifier of the product. The generated email message may then be transmitted to the e-commerce system. The e-commerce system may receive the message and, based on the parameters in the received message, execute a transaction to purchase the identified product on behalf of the customer.
US09152972B2
A data importer for a sales prospecting system imports one or more data tables that each may include one or more records. The data importer first (a) imports a data table into an intermediate table. The data importer then (b) determines if the imported data table depends on another data table and moves one or more records from the imported data table that have no missing dependencies to a corresponding working table; and (c) determines a set of previously imported data tables that refer to the imported data table. The data importer then, for each previously imported data table, repeats (b) and (c) above.
US09152969B2
A recommendation ranking system that computes trust for entities based on negative expressions of trust. Negative expressions of trust are used to reduce the trust of entities. However, the system may discount entities that in the aggregate are distrusted. The system may be used with a social network to provide accurate, personalized recommendations for members of the social network. The network may be modeled as a voting network, with each member of the social network represented as a node and expressions of trust between members represented as weights on edges between nodes. Values of trust may be computed for nodes in the network and used to generate a recommendation. Opinions expressed on a topic may be weighted by trust in the node expressing the opinion. The system may be applied in other settings that can be modeled as a voting network, including ranking of Internet search results.
US09152948B2
A method and system for providing a structured topic drift for a displayed set of user comments on an article. The method includes determining an ordered sequence of topical recommendations based on one or more properties of the displayed set of user comments and user characteristics using a sequential recommendation model. The method also includes sampling one or more user comments for each of the topical recommendations. Further, the method includes appending, one by one, the one or more user comments for each of the topical recommendations to bottom of the displayed set of user comments. Moreover, the method includes updating the sequential recommendation model based on a user response to the one or more user comments for each of the topical recommendations. The system includes one or more electronic devices, a communication interface, a memory, and a processor.
US09152942B2
The present invention discloses a solution for modifying a group list server to perform syndication feed operations. A syndication feed creation software component, a content gathering component, and a content extraction converting component can be added to a group list server. The modified group list server can continue to function as a traditional list server and can also function as a traditional feed server that is able to interoperate with standard, client-side feed readers. In one embodiment, the modified list server can repurpose syndication groups as to operate as syndication feed channels and can repurpose group members to operate as feed items.
US09152939B2
A method is proposed for determining clinical study compliance. The method includes obtaining criteria for the clinical study and accessing stored clinical data relating to the clinical study. Thereafter, the criteria and clinical data are correlated to determine a measure of compliance with the criteria of the clinical study.
US09152937B2
A message sequence management of enterprise based correlated events incorporates the changing and unique business of a telecommunications service provider with minimal configurations. The design identifies and manages related service requests and ensures that related service requests follow a precise execution sequence as defined by the business logic. The design's robust features allows for simplified integration and management to changing business processes and needs.
US09152936B2
Systems and methods for media interaction include transmitting web-based objects, including media objects, between users. For example, a first user may select a media object in response to a prompt and send the media object to a second user. Media objects may be dynamic and customizable to further personalize interactions between the first user and the second user. For example, a usemame of the first user or custom text may be automatically inserted into a media object sent to the second user. In an exemplary embodiment, display of the packaged media object on the second user's client computer may be purposely delayed until a predetermined even occurs. For example, a pulse, or heartbeat, may be generated and fired by a web client to inform the server of a current state of the web client, for example, readiness to receive media objects based on the user activity.
US09152933B2
Position dependent operation of a materials handling vehicle, comprises utilizing a processor on the materials handling vehicle to communicate across a wireless computing environment to a corresponding server computer via a transceiver on the materials handling vehicle. Operation further comprises obtaining from at least one device on the materials handling vehicle, information relating to the position of the materials handling vehicle and communicating the obtained position related information to the server computer. The operation still further comprises receiving a command from the server computer to perform a predetermined action, wherein the command is based upon the position related information of the materials handling vehicle relative to a position of a point of interest known by the server, and communicating information across a vehicle network bus to at least one component of the materials handling vehicle to perform the predetermined action in response to the received command.
US09152931B2
A solution for managing a service engagement is provided. A service delivery model for the service engagement is defined within an engagement framework. The engagement framework, and consequently the service delivery model, can include a hierarchy that comprises a service definition, a set of service elements for the service definition, and a set of element tasks for each service element. The set of element tasks can be selected from a set of base tasks, each of which defines a particular task along with its input(s), output(s), and related asset(s). As a result, service engagements can be managed in a consistent manner using a data structure that promotes reuse and is readily extensible.
US09152928B2
In one aspect, a method related to communication. In addition, other method, system, and program product aspects are described in the claims, drawings, and/or text forming a part of the present application.
US09152918B1
A predictive model forecasts a medical resource need by making use of empirical Bayes estimation methods to determine a Dynamic Bayes Network (DBN) model. Exemplary resource needs that may be forecast include nurses, ventilators, hospital rooms, etc. The DBN model is estimated from retrieved data that is related to the resource to be forecast. The DBN model is simplified and a predictive model is generated based on the simplified model. The predictive model runs to forecast the predicted need for the resource. Embodiments are directed toward a predictive model development system that instructs an operator as to the structure of the data so that a model may be tailored based on the understanding of the operator. Embodiments are directed toward a model running system that indexes available models and also employs powerful statistical analysis techniques on behalf of a user to generate a predictive model with little or no user involvement in low-level modeling details.
US09152915B1
Optical flow for a moving platform may be encoded into pulse output. Optical flow contribution induced due to the platform self-motion may be cancelled. The cancellation may be effectuated by (i) encoding the platform motion into pulse output; and (ii) inhibiting pulse generation by neurons configured to encode optical flow component optical flow that occur based on self-motion. The motion encoded may be coupled to the optical flow encoder via one or more connections. Connection propagation delay may be configured during encoder calibration in the absence of obstacles so as to provide system specific delay matrix. The inhibition may be based on a coincident arrival of the motion spiking signal via the calibrated connections to the optical flow encoder neurons. The coincident motion pulse arrival may be utilized in order to implement an addition of two or more vector properties.
US09152913B2
The present invention provides products, systems, and methods for the unique identification of individual drug dosage form units. The invention includes: random integrated optical identification marking of an individual drug unit; a lack of direct surface-to-surface contact between a marking instrument and the drug unit, i.e., deposition of a mark; drug unit image data based on the identification mark; a secondary product identifier associated with the individual drug unit; and comparing the marked drug unit to drug unit image data.
US09152907B2
A memory card is described, the memory card having a wireless transceiver module, a central processor, and a storage module. The memory card when physically and operably engaged in and with a digital camera, is configured to export digital data captured by the digital camera to a remote camera through the wireless transceiver module in response to an instruction received by the central processor from an inbuilt processor of the digital camera, and receive digital data from the remote camera through the wireless transceiver module in response to an instruction received by the central processor from the inbuilt processor.
US09152898B2
Attribute information representing the attributes of a printing medium is stored for each printing medium. Upon receiving a print job which designates the attributes of a printing medium, it is determined whether attribute information representing the attributes designated by the print job is stored. When it is determined that the attribute information is not stored, the attribute information representing the attributes designated by the print job is newly registered.
US09152896B2
An image forming apparatus includes an image density detector, an image forming device, a rotator, an image density controller, and a timing correction data obtainer. The image density detector detects a toner density of an image formed on an image bearing member. An image forming device forms the image using a density adjustable element that adjusts the density of the image. The rotator forms an image pattern while the density adjustable element is changed, and a density thereof is detected by the image density detector. The image density controller controls the image forming device using a density correction data for the density adjustable element corresponding to a rotational period of the rotator. The timing correction data obtainer obtains timing correction data for correction of driving timing of the image forming device based on a change in the density of the image pattern detected by the image density detector.
US09152895B2
An image processing apparatus that outputs, in the recording of a fine line image, an image having high fine line reproducibility by performing image processing according to a paper frequency characteristic. This image processing apparatus includes an input unit configured to input image data representing an image to be formed on a recording medium, an acquisition unit configured to acquire a frequency characteristic of surface unevenness of the recording medium, and a correction unit configured to correct the image data based on the frequency characteristic acquired by the acquisition unit.
US09152888B2
A contour/shape detection model may use relatively simple and efficient kernels to detect target edges in an object within an image or video. A co-occurrence probability may be calculated for two or more edge features in an image or video using an object definition. Edge features may be differentiated between in response to measured contextual support, and prominent edge features may be extracted based on the measured contextual support. The object may then be identified based on the extracted prominent edge features.
US09152879B2
The present application relates to a method of generating a keypoint descriptor for identifying an object in an image or a sequence of images, the keypoint descriptor being substantially invariant to a transformation of the object in the image. The method includes receiving object data representing an object for identification in an image; processing the object data to generate at least one basis function representing a feature having undergone at least one transformation or a transformation sequence across several consecutive frames, optionally using transformations that are out of a plane of the image to recognize objects from multiple views; modifying a prototype wavelet function based on the at least one basis function to generate a plurality of modified wavelet functions; comparing the plurality of modified wavelet functions with the at least one basis function; selecting a modified wavelet function of the plurality of modified wavelet functions based on the comparison of the plurality of modified wavelet functions with the at least one basis function; and processing an input image or input orientation field according to the selected modified wavelet function to generate the keypoint descriptor. The present application further relates to a method of identifying an object in an image using a keypoint descriptor; and processing apparatus and computer program products for implementing a method of the present application.
US09152869B2
Biometric authentication devices, systems and methods are provided. The authentication device includes biometric reader configured for generating raw biometric data indicative of a physiological characteristic of a user; and processor operatively coupled to the biometric reader, the processor being configured for: receiving the raw biometric data, generating derivative biometric data by processing a portion of the raw biometric data relating to a pre-selected aspect of the physiological characteristic, the pre-selected aspect being suitable for identifying the user, the derivative biometric data being indicative of a plurality of instances of the pre-selected aspect in the raw biometric data, generating biometric identification data from the derivative biometric data, the biometric identification data being based upon relationships between the plurality of instances of the pre-selected aspect in the raw biometric data, and using the biometric identification data to identify the user.
US09152862B2
A method/apparatus for identifying an object based on a pattern of structural features located in a particular region wherein the pattern comprises at least one fingerprint feature. The region may be recognized and used to identify the object. A first feature vector (FV) may be extracted from a first image of the pattern and may be mapped to an object identifier. To authenticate the object, a second FV may be extracted from a second image of the same region. The FVs may be compared and difference(s) determined. A match correlation value (MCV) may be calculated based on the difference(s). The difference(s) may be dampened if associated with expected wear and tear reducing the impact of the difference(s) on the MCV. The differences may be enhanced if associated with changes that are not explainable as wear and tear increasing the impact of the difference(s) on the MCV.
US09152859B2
A data verification system is configured to verify machine-recognized data elements acquired during a machine-implemented data acquisition process. The system includes a data verification workstation, an image server, and a data entry server. The data verification workstation is configured to obtain document images from the image server, present portions of document images to an operator, wherein the document images include text, and receive input from the operator based on the text. The input includes data elements. The data verification workstation is also configured to acquire machine-recognized data elements from the data entry server. The machine-recognized data elements were acquired from the document image during a machine-implemented data acquisition process based on the text. The data verification workstation is also configured to compare the data elements received from the operator to the machine-recognized data elements and selectively prompt the operator to re-input the data elements based on the comparison.
US09152858B2
Extracting financial card information with relaxed alignment comprises a method to receive an image of a card, determine one or more edge finder zones in locations of the image, and identify lines in the one or more edge finder zones. The method further identifies one or more quadrilaterals formed by intersections of extrapolations of the identified lines, determines an aspect ratio of the one or more quadrilateral, and compares the determined aspect ratios of the quadrilateral to an expected aspect ratio. The method then identifies a quadrilateral that matches the expected aspect ratio and performs an optical character recognition algorithm on the rectified model. A similar method is performed on multiple cards in an image. The results of the analysis of each of the cards are compared to improve accuracy of the data.
US09152856B2
A pedestrian detection system of detecting whether there is a pedestrian in a scene, the pedestrian detection system includes an image-capturing module, a preprocessing module, a human detection module, an image-stitching module and a decision module. The image-capturing module is configured for generating a plurality of first detection image data according to a contrast decision result. The preprocessing module is configured for generating a plurality of first image skeleton data according to the first detection image data. The human detection module is configured for generating a plurality of second image skeleton data. The image-stitching module is configured for stitching the plurality of first detection image data to generate at least one third detection image data. The decision module is configured for generating and outputting a detection result according to the third detection image data. A pedestrian detection method is disclosed herein as well.
US09152848B2
An information processing apparatus generates, for each person, a first face dictionary storing face data concerning a face of the person included in an image. The apparatus receives, from an imaging apparatus, a second face dictionary which is stored face data of a person corresponding to the first face dictionary and which may be updated the face data using images obtained on the imaging apparatus, and stores. The information processing apparatus transmits the first face dictionary to the imaging apparatus when an update date and time of the second face dictionary is older than a date and time of the first face dictionary. The information processing apparatus does not transmit the first face dictionary to the imaging apparatus when the first face dictionary includes face data of the person included in an image captured outside of a predetermined period.
US09152847B2
Systems and methods are discussed to localize facial landmarks using a test facial image and a set of training images. The landmarks can be localized on a test facial image using training facial images. A plurality of candidate landmark locations on the test facial image can be determined. A subset of the training facial images with facial features similar to the facial features in the test facial image can be identified. A plurality of shape constraints can be determined for each test facial image in the subset of test facial images. These shape constraints graphically relate to one landmark location from a linear combination of the other landmark locations in the test facial image. Shape constraints can be determined for every landmark within each test facial image. A candidate landmark can be chosen from the plurality of candidate landmarks using the shape constraints.
US09152845B2
To provide a human attribute estimation system capable of improving estimation accuracy irrespective of an environment-dependent attribute is provided. An age/gender estimation system as a human attribute estimation system is provided with: a monitoring camera photographing a human targeted by attribute estimation and generating an image; an age/gender estimating section estimating an attribute of the human shown in the image generated by the monitoring camera using an estimation parameter; and an environment-dependent attribute specifying section specifying an environment-dependent attribute, which is an attribute dependent on an installation environment of the monitoring camera. The age/gender estimating section uses a parameter generated on the basis of learning data having an environment-dependent attribute within a predetermined distance from the environment-dependent attribute acquired by the environment-dependent attribute specifying section in an environment-dependent attribute space, as the estimation parameter.
US09152829B2
Method and system for determining information related to a drug reservoir using an electronic sensor
A medical delivery device may include at least one electronic sensor and a decoding module. The at least one electronic sensor and the decoding module are configured to (i) identify a coding feature of a drug reservoir inserted in the medical delivery device and (ii) determine information related to the drug reservoir based on the identified coding feature.
US09152811B2
Embodiments include a computer system, method and program product for encrypted file access. An access program module, connected to at least one file system, intercepts a data request for accessing a plaintext file with information stored physically and consecutively on a hard disk and having a pre-determined order and length expected by a program that sends the data request, wherein the plaintext file includes a plaintext record having a key field and a plaintext data field. The access program module determines an encrypted file, associated with the plaintext file, based on a configuration file and the data request, wherein the configuration file indicates the encrypted file associated with the plaintext file. The access program module determines one or more encryption keys based on the configuration file. The access program module accesses an encrypted data field within the encrypted file based on the encryption keys and the key field.
US09152803B2
Improved techniques are provided for processing authorization requests. In some embodiments, an authorization request specifying a hierarchical resource can be processed without having to sequentially process the various security policies configured for a collection of resources.
US09152795B2
Systems and methods for addressing security vulnerability in a program code are described. The method comprises detecting a security vulnerability. The method further comprises identifying a set of security solutions specified within a specification repository, wherein each security solution is associated with the detected security vulnerability. The method further comprises presenting the set of security solutions to a user for selection. The method further comprises transforming a program code portion associated with the detected security vulnerability in conformance with a security solution selected by the user from the set of security solutions.
US09152794B1
A method relating generally to generating a boot image, as performed by an information handling system, for an embedded device is disclosed. This method includes a public key obtained by a boot image generator. A first hash for the public key is generated by the boot image generator. The first hash is provided to a signature generator. A first signature for the first hash is generated by the signature generator. A first partition for the boot image is obtained by the boot image generator. A second hash for the first partition is generated by the boot image generator. The second hash is provided to the signature generator. A second signature for the second hash is generated by the signature generator. The boot image generator and the signature generator are programmed into the information handling system. The boot image includes the public key, the first signature, and the second signature. The boot image is output from the information handling system.
US09152777B2
In one embodiment a controller comprises logic configured to receive a document copy, wherein the document copy comprises an identifier which uniquely identifies an electronic device and an authentication algorithm logic, generate, with the authentication algorithm logic, a security key for the document copy based on at least one input from the user, transmit the security key to a remote device, and store the document copy and a computer-readable code which uniquely associates the document with the electronic device in a memory. Other embodiments may be described.
US09152772B2
A device and a portable storage device which are capable of transferring a rights object (RO) and a method of transferring an RO are provided. The method includes enabling a device to transmit an installation request message to a portable storage device for installing a copy of an original RO present in the device in the portable storage device, enabling the device to install the copy of the original RO in the portable storage device, and enabling the device to receive an installation response message indicating that the copy of the original RO has been successfully installed in the portable storage device from the portable storage device.
US09152758B2
A process of determining whether a patient with a disease or disorder will be responsive to a drug, used to treat the disease or disorder, including obtaining a test spectrum produced by a mass spectrometer from a serum produced from the patient. The test spectrum may be processed to determine a relation to a group of class labeled spectra produced from respective serum from other patients having the or similar clinical stage same disease or disorder and known to have responded or not responded to the drug. Based on the relation of the test spectrum to the group of class labeled spectra, a determination may be made as to whether the patient will be responsive to the drug.
US09152754B2
A computer system is provided that enables a designer of a circuit design to fracture and reconstitute a larger design for both computer modeling of the functionality and the physical implementation or rendering of the circuit design. More particularly, the designer may refine or re-work a sub-module of the larger sub-circuit without having to create a corresponding sub-module in the physical implementation. This capability thus avoids the significant complexity required for sub-module refinement in the current state of the art, and provides the designer with a much simpler flow.
US09152753B1
Various techniques are provided to efficiently implement user designs in programmable logic devices (PLDs). In one example, a computer-implemented method includes receiving a design identifying operations to be performed by a PLD. The computer-implemented method also includes synthesizing the design into a plurality of PLD components. In the computer-implemented method, the synthesizing includes detecting an incrementer-multiplier operation in the design and merging an incrementer portion of the incrementer-multiplier operation with a multiplier portion of the incrementer-multiplier operation to reduce the plurality of PLD components.
US09152750B2
A structure, such as an integrated circuit device, is described that includes a line of material with critical dimensions which vary within a distribution substantially less than that of a mask element, such as a patterned resist element, used in etching the line. Techniques are described for processing a line of crystalline phase material which has already been etched using the mask element, in a manner which straightens an etched sidewall surface of the line. The straightened sidewall surface does not carry the sidewall surface variations introduced by photolithographic processes, or other patterning processes, involved in forming the mask element and etching the line.
US09152746B2
A quantum annealer simulator approximates unitary quantum dynamics of a quantum annealer on a non-quantum computing device such as a conventional computing device. The quantum annealer simulator may utilize algorithms that may efficiently approximate unitary time evolution of a quantum system, where the quantum system corresponds to a problem for which an optimized solution is sought.
US09152743B2
A computer process for fitting construction materials to an architectural surface modeled in CAD divides the surface into domains. Sample points are defined on each domain surface. A surface portion of a regular curved solid is matched to the sample points. The surface portion of the curved solid is defined in terms of a central reference and boundary conditions. The result is compared to stored specifications to identify construction materials capable of forming the domain. At least one construction material is identified that can form each domain.
US09152737B1
Electrical usage of devices in a building may be monitored to determine information about the operation of the devices in the building, and the information about the devices in the building may be used to provide notifications to a user. An electrical signal may be processed to determine a state change of a device. A notification score may then be determined using information about the state change of the device and a notification event model. A notification may then be sent to the user based at least in part on the notification event score.
US09152729B2
A method of performing an audit of auditable objects within webpages of a website includes identifying an auditable object marker and crawling a portion of a website to identify multiple webpages of the website that each include the auditable object marker. The method may further include configuring an audit rule to determine a property of an auditable object of each of the webpages where the auditable object marker is associated with the auditable object. The method may further include performing an audit of each of the webpages according to the audit rule to determine the property of the auditable object for each of the webpages and grouping the webpages based on the property of the auditable object for each of the webpages.
US09152727B1
Embodiments of the invention include systems and methods that enable the association and aggregation of consumer data gathered from online and offline sources. In particular, several embodiments are directed to linking consumer data in a data source controlled by an entity (e.g., such as a company's CRM (customer relationship management) database) to offline data sources such as demographic data, and/or online data sources such as online interaction data. The linking may be based on several identifiers (IDs) associated with the data sources. The systems and methods disclosed herein thus facilitate the association of these disparate data sources and enable various entities to better tailor interactions with the consumers. In other embodiments, a shared cookie data management system and method is disclosed. The shared cookie serves as a vehicle through which entities can selectively share consumer information with other entities in a system with uniform format and technical infrastructure.
US09152725B2
Disclosed are systems, apparatus, methods and computer-readable media for processing a preference indication for a feed item of an information feed. In some implementations, a preference indication associated with a feed item is received. In some instances, it is determined whether the feed item is associated with a custom rule, where the custom rule defines one or more actions to modify information associated with feed items of designated one more content types. In some instances, one or more actions are selected to perform based on an identified content type of the feed item in response to the determination that the feed item is associated with the custom rule.
US09152723B2
A method and apparatus provide an Internet service in a mobile communication terminal. The method includes determining a user interest subject from user data existing within the mobile communication terminal, collecting service items through network access, determining a subject for each of the collected service items, determining relevance between the user interest subject and each of the service items, and recommending a service item according to the relevance.
US09152721B1
Systems, methods, and computer program products are provided for query clarification. In general, one aspect of the subject matter described in this specification can be embodied in computer-implemented methods that include the actions of receiving in a search interface a user input associated with a search query; determining whether the associated search query is a trigger query, the trigger query being a query identified for clarification; when the search query is a trigger query, prompting the user for additional information to form a clarified search query, the clarified search query including the additional information, the prompting occurring prior to submission of the search query to a search system; and submitting the clarified search query to the search system.
US09152704B2
Network system provides a real-time adaptive recommendation set of documents with a high statistical measure of relevancy to the requestor device. The recommendation set is optimized based on analyzing text of documents of the interest set, categorizing these documents into clusters, extracting keywords representing the themes or concepts of documents in the clusters, and filtering a population of eligible documents accessible to the system utilizing site and or Internet-wide search engines. The system is either automatically or manually invoked and it develops and presents the recommendation set in real-time. The recommendation set may be presented as a greeting, notification, alert, HTML fragment, fax, voicemail, or automatic classification or routing of customer e-mail, personal e-mail, job postings, and offers for sale or exchange.
US09152697B2
Provided are techniques for processing a query. A query including constraints for at least two vertically partitioned, inverted indexes is received. The constraints in the query are separated based on the vertically partitioned, inverted indexes. A document identifier iterator is obtained for each of the constraints, wherein each document identifier iterator is associated with a posting list, and wherein each posting list is ordered by document identifier order. A run-time join of the posting lists is performed to obtain a final result set.
US09152693B1
Access to hierarchical data arranged in parent/child data levels is obtained and each data level is assigned a data level display symbol. The data level display symbols associated with a common parent data level are then identified and grouped into sets of related data level display symbols. Each of the data level display symbols within each set of related data level display symbols is then assigned a weighting value that determines one or more visual emphasis parameters to be associated with the data level display symbols. All the sets of related data level display symbols are then displayed on a single user interface display screen in accordance with their assigned weighting value and associated visual emphasis parameters. Any of the data level display symbols can then be activated through the user interface display screen.
US09152683B2
Method, program products and apparatus are disclosed for optimizing access to a data table. A value-existence structure is used to determine whether the data table contains rows for a given database query. The value-existence structure may be useful, for example, for managing transparent access to an online database and a nearline database.
US09152681B2
A server executing a social media identity and discovery application and method are provided that scan social networking sites for communications. The target content is found with content indicators when communications are put on a social networking site. The content is recorded and evaluated. If the identified content is contextually significant, the alias and the user account data and/or user data from public records are correlated based on keywords and/or events, and a notification of the correlation is sent to an agency, agent, or a contact center system. The agent or agency may verify that the identity of a poster has been accurately correlated with a customer record in the database or with user data from public records. The agent, the agency, or the system has the opportunity to respond to the communication, despite the anonymity of the poster on the social networking site.
US09152680B1
Methods disclosed for lead generation relate to matching prospective applicants with educational institutions. Prospective applicants provide personal information and educational background information which are used to find matching educational institutions. Methods include enhancing connections between education institutions and prospective applicants by setting up mutually agree appointments. Systems and apparatuses are also disclosed to implement the disclosed methods.
US09152660B2
A data normalizer for processing data for use by a CDM system which is capable of dynamically updating user-defined normalization criteria and which is further capable of operating in a multi-tenant environment in which each tenant has distinct data normalization policies.
US09152659B2
In one aspect, a computer-implemented method for ensuring a source database (e.g., target space or index space) has correct version information before a migration includes executing, using at least one processor, instructions recorded on a computer-readable storage medium. The instructions include determining whether a table has been changed since a most recent alter of the table, performing an update on the table when it is determined that the table has not been changed since the most recent alter, and performing a rollback on the table after the update. The method may also include creating an image copy of the data in the source database and refreshing data in a target database with the image copy of the data in the source database. The method may also include automatically repairing the target database when the version information of the target does not correspond with the version information for the source.
US09152652B2
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for identifying images responsive to a search phrase are disclosed. In one aspect, a method includes identifying a set of responsive images for a search phrase that includes two or more terms. Interaction rankings are determined for images in the set of responsive images. Two or more sub-queries are created based on the search phrase. Sub-query model rankings are determined for images in the set of responsive images. A search phrase score is determined for the image relevance model. Based on the search phrase scores for the sub-queries, one of the sub-query models is selected as a model for the search phrase.
US09152649B2
Data storage systems and methods for storing data are described herein. The storage system includes a first storage node is configured to issue a first delivery request to a first set of other storage nodes in the storage system, the first delivery request including a first at least one data operation for each of the first set of other storage nodes and issuing at least one other delivery request, while the first delivery request remains outstanding, the at least one other delivery request including a first commit request for each of the first set of other storage nodes. The first node causes the first at least one data operation to be made active within the storage system in response to receipt of a commit indicator along with a delivery acknowledgement regarding one of the at least one other delivery request.
US09152642B2
Systems and methods provide on demand data storage by creating an unpartitioned storage pool; generating a unique volume identifier for a data storage volume at a predetermined location; pre-provisioning the data storage volume in a volume queue ready for use on-demand; and storing data on the data storage volume at the predetermined location on-demand.
US09152641B2
A method and system are disclosed that permit a host application to obtain cluster location data, for example logical addresses associated with the clusters of a file, and to allow a host application to communicate the logical block address mapping information to firmware of a storage device. The method includes the host transmitting one or more clusters or partial clusters having a signature to the storage device where the storage device knows or has been instructed by the host to look for the signature. The storage device may receive clusters having a signature and, responsive to a host request, return logical address information to a host for the location in the storage device of the marked clusters. The host may parse a data structure on the storage device to obtain remaining cluster location information using a file's first cluster location or may request that the storage device return the cluster location information.
US09152633B2
Management device for a network of audiovisual information reproduction systems or jukeboxes, including a database with a plurality of sets of arrays, each array containing grouped information either about the composition of a jukebox, or the use of the jukebox, or the payment of fees. The database is managed by a computer server connected with the audiovisual information reproduction systems to receive messages sent by each audiovisual information reproduction device and containing information necessary to update determined sets of arrays in the database, and update data or the program for each audiovisual information reproduction device with information stored in at least one set of arrays in the database and transmitted in this message.
US09152630B1
While testing a software application that is associated with a database during a testing technique, a computer system may take over transaction scopes of transactions with the database so that data generated by the software application during the testing and communicated to the database is not persisted in the database (even though this data may be persisted in the database during normal operation). Furthermore, after the testing is completed, the computer system may restore the database to an initial state prior to the testing by rolling back the data which was not persisted.
US09152628B1
A file server having a redundant data elimination store responds to requests from clients for copies of space-reduced files. For reduced storage requirements and reduced processing time, a baseline version of unshared data blocks is created in the file server, and then the baseline version is space reduced by conversion to a stub version of shared data blocks, and then the file server responds to a request from a client for creation of one or more space-reduced copies by cloning the stub version. The file server may also respond to a request for creation of a modified space-reduced copy having specified data written at a specified offset. For example, the file server creates a respective modified copy of a virtual server image file for use by each client of the file server.
US09152626B2
A system and method for providing a transactional-consistent cache for database objects is disclosed. New data is received by a cache manager. The cache manager updates an entry of a cache with the new data received by the cache manager, by registering the updating of the entry with the new data with an invalidator. The registering includes a timestamp. An invalidation event is then generated by the invalidator. The invalidation event includes a notification about the updating of the entry of the cache with the new data received by the cache manager according to the timestamp.
US09152625B2
Various embodiments provide summarization techniques that can be applied to blogs or microblogs to present information that is determined to be useful, in a shortened form. In one or more embodiments, a procedure is utilized to automatically acquire a set of concepts from various sources, such as free text. These acquired concepts are then used to guide a clustering process. Clusters are ranked and then summarized by incorporating sentiment and the frequency of words.
US09152622B2
Personalizing machine translation via online adaptation is described herein. According to some embodiments, methods for providing personalized machine translations may include receiving translator feedback regarding machine translations generated by a machine translation system for a translator, determining translator feedback that improves translations generated by the machine translation system, and incorporating the determined translator feedback into the translation methodology of the machine translation system to personalize the translation methodology.
US09152621B2
Methods and systems are provided for obtaining and using status information associated persons and/or entities. A name of a person or an entity may be detected in a frame (e.g., from a screen of a device); and status information associated with the detected name may be determined, based on information associated with the detected name in one or more applications and/or one or more databases. Each of applications or databases may operate on or be accessible using the device from which the frame originates. The status information may be displayed on the screen of the device, such as to enable the user to perform one or more particular actions based on the status information and/or by interacting with the displayed status information.
US09152620B2
A system, method, and computer-readable medium for detecting plagiarism in a set of constructed responses by accessing and pre-processing the set of constructed responses to facilitate the pairing and comparing of the constructed responses. The similarity value generated from the comparison of a pair of constructed responses serves as an indicator of possible plagiarism.
US09152608B2
A method for damping a power train oscillation in a vehicle provided with a prime mover which rotates at a speed ω. A vibration change S in the rotation speed ω of the prime mover is determined. There is deemed to be a power train oscillation if for a predetermined number of times the amplitude of the vibration change S is alternately above a positive threshold value Th1 and below a negative threshold value Th2 and if all of the consecutive upward crossings of the positive threshold value Th1 and downward crossings of the negative threshold value Th2 are separated by a time shorter than a predetermined period T.
US09152594B2
A semiconductor memory device includes a memory cell array section including a plurality of memory cell arrays, a peripheral circuit section, and an internal bus connecting the plurality of memory cell arrays and the peripheral circuit section. The peripheral circuit section includes external input/output buffers, and bus interface circuits. The bus interface circuits execute conversion between data inputted/outputted in parallel to/from the memory cell arrays through the internal bus and data inputted/outputted in serial through the plurality of external input/output buffers. The bus interface circuits are densely arranged between the internal bus and the input/output buffers, so that a width d1 of the area of the plurality of bus interface circuits being arranged is narrower than a width d2 of the area of the external input/output buffers being arranged and a bus width maximum value d3 of the internal bus.
US09152580B1
Methods, systems and computer program products are described for transferring aggregated data packets over an I/O interface from a host to a multiport embedded device. For example, a method includes receiving, by the device from the host, a single write command that (i) specifies two or more ports from among multiple ports of the device, and (ii) includes two or more data packets to be respectively written to the specified ports. The multiple ports of the device are mapped to corresponding locations of memory of the device. The method further includes saving, by the device in response to the single write command, the two or more data packets at two or more memory locations to which the specified ports are mapped. Additionally, the method includes sending, upon saving the data packets, a single notification to the host indicating that the device is ready to receive another write command.
US09152556B2
A method of rebuilding metadata in a flash memory controller following a loss of power is provided. The method includes reading logical address information associated with an area of flash memory, and using time stamp information to determine if data stored in the flash memory area are valid.
