US09161331B2
Systems and methods are disclosed to provide positioning enhancement to wireless systems to determine UE positioning using UE measurements. A method implemented by a UE for enabling positioning calculation includes receiving a Signal to Interference plus Noise Ratio (SINR) threshold from a network for filtering positioning measurements and performing a plurality of positioning measurements. The method also includes removing from the positioning measurements each measurement that does not meet the SINR threshold, and sending remaining positioning measurements that meet the SINR threshold to the network. Another method implemented by a network component includes receiving a plurality of positioning measurements with a plurality of corresponding SINRs from a user device and removing from the positioning measurements each measurement with a corresponding SINR that is less than or equal to a pre-determined SINR threshold. The remaining positioning measurements with corresponding SINRs greater than the SINR threshold are then used for positioning calculation.
US09161293B2
A method, apparatus and computer program product for using Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) filtering to provide air-time optimization in wireless networks is presented. At least one message is received at an Access Point (AP) from a mobile unit (MU). A determination is made by the AP whether a received Signal Strength indicator (RSSI) associated with the at least one message from an MU is greater than a predetermined threshold. When the RSSI value associated with the at least one message from na MU is greater than to said predetermined threshold, then a response is generated by the AP and sent to the MU.
US09161290B2
A system comprising a plurality of nodes forming a network and a link-state packet capable of being transmitted by a source node in the network to a destination node in the network over a communication link; wherein the source node subtracts a transmission cost associated with the communication link from a time-to-live value associated with the link-state packet prior to transmitting the link-state packet to the destination node. Each node in the network may be configured to use a routing protocol, such as a no-sight routing protocol, to assign the transmission cost to the communication link.
US09161282B2
The invention relates to a handover method for redirecting an ongoing communication of a connected cellular device (UE) from a serving cell (SRV_C) to a target cell (TGT_C). Both cells (SRV_C, TGT_C) belong to a network. The method comprises receiving, in the connected cellular device (UE), a cell attenuation measurement, a supplemental hysteresis parameter which value depends on the load of the target cell (TGT_C), and a threshold parameter. The method comprises comparing, in the connected cellular device (UE), an additive combination of the cell attenuation measurement, of a hysteresis parameter and of the supplemental hysteresis parameter with the threshold parameter. The method comprises sending, from the connected cellular device (UE), a measurement report to the network, if the result of the comparison remains positive during a given duration. The invention also relates to a cellular device (UE) and to a computer program implementing the aforementioned method.
US09161280B2
Techniques are provided for a broadcast client of a wireless communication network. A method may include receiving broadcast content via broadcast delivery on a first resource associated with a first set of carriers. The method may include determining, during unicast idle mode, a second set of carriers comprising neighbor carriers in a current cell. The method may include modifying handoff priorities of the first set of carriers and the second set of carriers based on membership of each carrier in a common set of carriers comprising the first and second sets of carriers and further based on a priority order specified by the wireless communication network. The method may include determining whether to hand over to at least one carrier in one of the first and second sets of carriers based on a handoff decision that takes into account the modified handoff priorities.
US09161279B2
A method for controlling a load in a base station device, including: receiving load information from another base station; receiving, from the other base station, admission information that indicates that an admission of a process request for the other base station to perform a first process is permitted or rejected; storing history information in which the received load information is associated with the admission information; and determining, on the basis of load information newly received from the other base station and the stored history information, whether to request the other base station to perform a second process that causes a load that is equivalent to or lower than the first process.
US09161271B2
The present invention relates to a method in which a terminal reports the results of quality measurement based on a specific reference cell from among a plurality of serving cells for the terminal in a mobile communication system using carrier aggregation. The present invention also relates to a terminal apparatus for the method. For this purpose, the terminal receives measurement configuration information from a network, performs a quality measurement in accordance with the received measurement configuration information, determines whether or not a report criterion based on a specific reference cell from among the plurality of cells for the terminal is met in accordance with the measurement result, and, if the report criterion based on the specific reference cell is met, sends a report message, including the measurement results and an indicator that indicates the specific reference cell, to the network.
US09161270B2
The invention proposes a method for handing over a session between a source network which provides a first connection type domain and a target network which provides the first connection type domain and a second connection type domain, comprising informing a network node (e.g., a user equipment (UE)), before performing a handover from the source network to the target network, a preferred transfer domain in the target network. The invention also proposes a corresponding network node and a network control element.
US09161269B2
The present invention discloses for the ability for processing circuit switched (CS) services in an evolved packet network. For example, embodiments provide a method that includes: by a mobility management entity (MME), receiving a mobile terminated (MT) service indication from a mobile switching center (MSC); sending the MT service indication to user equipment (UE); and receiving an MT service response returned by the UE and performing subsequent operations according to the MT service response. In the method of the present invention, when an MT service arrives, the MME does not trigger the evolved NodeB (eNodeB) to hand over the packet switched (PS) services of the UE but notifies the UE of the MT service and performs subsequent operations according to the MT service response returned by the UE, thus avoiding the waste of network resources caused by a meaningless handover of PS services.
US09161260B2
A space division multiple access (SDMA) method is provided. The method may be performed by a station (STA), in a wireless local area network (WLAN) system. The method includes overhearing a third transmission response message transmitted by an access point (AP), and determining whether to access a channel on the basis of criteria information included in the third transmission response message.
US09161255B2
A reporting method for a network state includes: an intermediate node receiving a data packet; the intermediate node marking the data packet according to the current network state; and the intermediate node forwarding the marked data packet. A detecting method for a network state includes: a sink node receiving a data packet; the sink node parsing the data packet to obtain the marking information about the network state; and the sink node determining the network state according to the marking information. A reporting device corresponding to the reporting method, a detecting device corresponding to the detecting method, and a detecting system comprising the reporting device and the detecting method are also provided.
US09161249B1
A computer-implemented method for performing Internet site security analyzes may include (1) identifying a plurality of clients, each client within the plurality of clients connecting to the Internet from a different Internet Protocol address, (2) identifying a plurality of Internet sites targeted for a security assessment, and then, for each Internet site within the plurality of Internet sites, (3) selecting at least one client from the plurality of clients to use as a proxy for communicating with the Internet site, (4) communicating with the Internet site, using the client as a proxy, to gather information for a security analysis of the Internet site, and (5) performing the security analysis of the Internet site based at least in part on the gathered information. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.
US09161244B2
Disclosed is a signal transceiving method which can reduce interference between nodes in a multi-node system. The method comprises the steps of: receiving reference signal configuration information from a first node; receiving a reference signal from a second node; measuring interference caused by the second node using the reference signal, and generating interference node information; and transmitting the interference node information to the first node, wherein the reference signal configuration information includes mapping information between the second node and the reference signal, and the interference node information includes an index of the reference signal.
US09161243B2
Provided are a coexistence management system for measuring channel information between spectrum sharing devices and a method thereof. The coexistence management system for measuring channel information between spectrum sharing devices according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes: a plurality of coexistence enablers (CEs) which is provided for each of the plurality of white space objects (WSOs) having at least one measurement capability of measuring channel information on an operation channel that is being used; a coexistence manager (CM) which is linked with at least one CE within a group to confirm measurement capability of a corresponding WSO and receives channel information on the operation channel from one or more WSOs within another neighboring groups according to the confirmed result; and a coexistence discovery and information server (CDIS) which registers at least one measurement capability for each of the plurality of WSOs.
US09161239B2
Network access point management includes: connecting to a network access point with a first controller device implemented by at least one processor; transmitting an updated configuration for the network access point from the first controller device to the network access point; transmitting a new value for a configuration version value stored by the network access point to the network access point; and transmitting the new value for the configuration version value stored by the network access point from the first controller device to each controller device in a group of controller devices to which the first controller device belongs.
US09161232B2
Systems and methodologies are described herein that facilitate a decentralized structure for managing multi-radio coexistence for a mobile device and/or other suitable device(s). As described herein, a coexistence manager (CxM) and/or other suitable means can be implemented in connection with a set of radios (or other transceivers) in order to manage conflicts between events corresponding to the radios. Functionality can be divided such that the CxM operates on the control plane and handles configuration and long-term operations such as registration, sleep mode management, interaction with upper layers, etc., while the respective radios operate on the data plane and handle short-term radio event management operations based on incoming notifications or event requests. For instance, radios can identify conflicts between requested external events and internally associated events and accordingly provide responses that allow or disallow the external events on an absolute basis or a conditional basis (e.g., based on proposed event modifications).
US09161230B2
A radio communications system comprising a plurality of cells, each containing a base station and mobile terminals. Said system is able to manage group communications between different mobile terminals, allocating during the establishment of a group communication for each cell an uplink channel contained in an uplink carrier frequency and a downlink channel contained in a downlink carrier frequency. The system is able to manage a number of downlink channels per downlink carrier frequency strictly greater than a number of uplink channels per uplink carrier frequency.
US09161227B1
A system for providing a trusted bearer communication link in a long term evolution (LTE) wireless network. The system attaches a mobile communication device to the long term wireless network. An enhanced node B processes a trust zone request from the mobile communication device. The enhanced node B processes a trust zone service request from the mobile communication device. The enhanced node B interworks with a home subscription server (HSS) and a policy control rules function (PCRF) server to verity the mobile communication device has a right to execute the requested trusted network service. The system established a trusted bearer communication link between the mobile communication device and the long term evolution wireless network.
US09161224B2
Provided is an apparatus and method for managing an application in a wireless terminal, in which data of an application is managed and displayed according to an input type of a password for unlocking the wireless terminal, wherein the apparatus includes a memory for storing a plurality of passwords and a controller for classifying and managing data of each of a plurality of applications according to a password type.
US09161219B2
A hotspot provides an open wireless network and a secure wireless network. The open wireless network has no network-level encryption and allows open association therewith. The secure wireless network employs network-level encryption and requires authentication of a received access credential from a client device before allowing association therewith. A system for authorizing the client device for secured access at the hotspot includes an access controller configured to establish an encrypted connection between the client device and a login portal of the hotspot over the open wireless network, and to store a user-specific access credential transmitted via the encrypted connection as a valid access credential in a credential database. The credential database is accessed by wireless access points of the hotspot to authenticate the received access credential from the client device in response to a request from the client device to associate with the secure wireless network.
US09161213B2
The present invention pertains to improved communication quality and security of transmission in cellular communication networks. A customer has the option to pay different fees for different tiers of service relating to voice quality, bandwidth access, and different tiers of service relating to communications security. Higher tiers may guarantee a specific vocoder or bit rate is used, or guarantee a specific encryption protocol is use to ensure secure communications. Different tiers may be associated with customers' records for billing purposes. The network may afford high end devices higher voice quality and/or security via a lookup table indicating what level of service is associated with a given device. Calling or receiving devices may negotiate with each other to change to a more robust vocoder or bit rate to ensure a higher quality and/or security. Furthermore, the user may opt to change the quality and/or security level before or during a call.
US09161212B2
Methods and apparatuses for re-synchronizing Cell Radio Network Temporary Identifiers (C-RNTIs) in a wireless communication system are disclosed. In an aspect, a random access preamble is sent for random access by a user equipment (UE) and a random access response (RAR) is received that includes a temporary C-RNTI. If the UE already has a valid C-RNTI, a message is sent that includes the valid C-RNTI instead of the temporary C-RNTI as a C-RNTI for the UE. In another aspect, a random access preamble for random access is received and a RAR is sent that includes a temporary C-RNTI. A message is received that includes a valid C-RNTI instead of the temporary C-RNTI as a C-RNTI for a UE if the UE already has the valid C-RNTI.
US09161203B2
The present invention provides a system and method to selectively negotiate different delivery styles for different types of packets sent from the Mobile Node to the Foreign Agent, which will allow the Mobile Node to negotiate a delivery style that will permit the Foreign Agent to transmit certain selected outbound traffic directly without reverse tunneling that traffic back to the home network. Specifically, the present invention allows the Foreign Agent to distinguish between certain types of BC/MC packets that are designated to be processed and routed to their destinations by the Foreign Network directly, as opposed to reverse tunneling the outbound traffic from the Foreign Agent back to the Home Agent on the home network. By selecting processing by the Foreign Network, the efficiency of the system will improve because the transmission of outbound traffic and inbound responses will not need to be tunneled through the Home Network.
US09161202B2
A local communication network (16) comprising a first client communication unit (10) and at least one second communication unit (12), and a method of roaming. The client communication units comprise a first interface unit (14) and a second interface unit (18) for connecting to said local communication network (16) and a remote network (20), respectively, and a bridging unit (22). The client communication units are operative in a first mode, in which said first client communication unit (10) bridges traffic between said local communication network (16) and said remote communication network (20) through a first communication path, and in a second mode, in which said second communication unit (12) scans for an alternative second communication path. A roaming control unit (24) determines whether the alternative second communication path is preferred over said first communication path. If this is the case mode of operation is switched and bridging is taken over by said second client communication unit (12).
US09161195B1
A system, apparatus, and method are provided for placing emergency calls from a vehicle to a Public Safety Answering Point. An emergency call apparatus is configured to detect a trigger condition and, if the trigger condition is detected, send a telephone dial command through a vehicle communication network to a telecommunication apparatus to establish voice communication with the Public Safety Answering Point. A method is provided of retrofitting a vehicle with embedded telecommunication apparatus to enable single button access to emergency services without the need for a fee based subscription.
US09161194B2
In a wireless base station, a specific information receiver receives specific information delivered from a higher-level device to a wireless terminal. A specific information deliverer delivers the specific information to the wireless terminal via multiple physical channels activated in a wireless base station. Where a common channel via which information is periodically broadcast to multiple wireless terminals and a shared channel of which available radio resources are allocated to wireless terminals to transmit voice data and the like to the terminals are activated in the wireless base station, for example, the specific information deliverer can deliver the specific information using the common channel if the wireless terminal is in a standby state, and can deliver the specific information using the shared channel if the wireless terminal is in a communicating state.
US09161193B1
Methods and systems for providing telephone management are provided. Information may be stored in memory of a first mobile device. Such stored information may concerns a plurality of other mobile devices. A telephone call may be connected between the first mobile device and a second mobile device. A request may be received from a user of the first mobile device concerning manipulating data concerning the telephone call with the second mobile device. Information regarding the second mobile device may be identified and matched to the stored information. Such a match may indicate that the second mobile device is enabled for manipulation of telephone call data during telephone calls. As such, the telephone call data may be manipulated during the telephone call in accordance with the user request.
US09161187B2
Systems and methods for providing caller ID information for text messaging. In one embodiment, a message center receives a text message from a sender, and identifies a name of the sender. The message center then inserts the sender name in the text message, and transmits the text message towards a recipient.
US09161185B2
A non-transitory computer readable medium can include instructions for performing a method. The method can include receiving, at a mobile client, an enterprise call from an enterprise system in response to an incoming call from a calling party to the enterprise system. The method can also include determining, at the mobile client, whether the enterprise call is anchored in the enterprise system. If the enterprise call is determined to be anchored in the enterprise system, a confirmation message can be provided from the mobile client to the enterprise system in response to the enterprise call being answered for voice communication at the mobile client.
US09161167B2
Aspects of determining a geographical state of a target through a user device are provided. One method includes identifying at least one target associated with a target device configured to provide position data in a standard reference frame along with corresponding time values, and sending a request for access to geographical state information for at least one target. The method may further include receiving geographical state information associated with the at least one target, and generating a visual identifier of the at least one target based on the geographical state information. The visual identifier may be associated with data captured by an imaging sensor which is functionally coupled to the user device. Systems and apparatuses for determining a geographical state of a target through a user device are further presented.
US09161163B2
A method and system locates a mobile terminal addressed in a location service request using an overlay identity. According to one aspect of the invention a location service client accesses a first subscriber database, thereby providing said overlay identity, in order to derive a cellular identity of said mobile terminal. According to another aspect of the invention the location service client accesses a location service server in order thereby providing said overlay identity. The location service server initiates a privacy check using said overlay identity and in response receives a cellular identity. The cellular identity then may be used to request a location service to enhance functionality.
US09161162B2
An example apparatus, such as a position server, is caused to receive proximity information from a number of mobile apparatuses located remote from the apparatus, and receive observed current locations from at least some but not all of the mobile apparatuses. The apparatus is also caused to determine a proximity relation between certain ones of the number of mobile apparatuses, where the proximity is reflected by the proximity information received from the mobile apparatuses. And the apparatus is caused to calculate an estimate of a current location of at least one of the one or more remaining mobile apparatuses as a function of the proximity relation between certain ones of the number of mobile apparatuses, and as a function of the observed current locations of the one or more mobile apparatuses.
US09161142B1
Push button insertion tool is a device used to help clean and install a receiver-in-the-canal hearing instrument into the ear. This product may be in the shape of a tapered tube, resembling a writing pen. The far end of the tube may be shaped to fit receivers of various sizes, and may include a slot on the side through which the microphone wire may extend. On the other end of the tube may be a push button. When pushed, it moves a rod through the tube to a push plunger, which inserts the receiver out of the tube and into the ear canal. A return spring and guide pin on the far end is designed to retract the push rod back to starting position.
US09161130B2
The present invention is directed to a Stereo to Monaural Multi-speaker Parallel Wiring System that uses a standard 200 watt stereo and a whole sound impedance corrector to greatly reduce the wiring connections, the installation time and the overall cost of the system. A whole or complete sound comes from each speaker and will overlap from speaker to speaker so that moving around in different areas or zones within a house or yard, a person will receive the same whole and complete sound. With the master speaker switch box included, different areas or zones can be turned off or on as desired.
US09161129B2
An apparatus including: a router configured to route a first audio signal to a local loudspeaker apparatus; and a switch configured to route at least one further audio signal, wherein in a first mode of operation the switch is configured to route the at least one further audio signal to at least one remote loudspeaker apparatus dependent on determining the presence of at least one remote loudspeaker apparatus, and in a second mode of operation the switch is configured to route the at least one further audio signal to the local loudspeaker apparatus.
US09161127B2
A signal processing apparatus for generating a noise cancellation signal in accordance with a noise signal includes an inverting circuit and a selecting circuit. The inverting circuit is employed for inverting a first signal to generate an inverted first signal. The selecting circuit is coupled to the inverting circuit, and employed for selecting one of the first signal and the inverted first signal as an output signal.
US09161113B1
A transparent lens microphone comprises (a) a refractive lens; (b) a sound sensitive coating on an outer surface of the refractive lens; and (c) electrical contacts connected to the sound sensitive coating so as to provide an electrical analog signal representative of an acoustic signal striking the outer surface of the transparent lens microphone.
US09161106B2
Embodiments of the present invention disclose a method for implementing shared mesh protection includes: receiving, by a first node, a message of a second type sent by a second node, where the message of the second type carries a second positive incoming sublabel allocated by the second node for a protection path of a first service and the second positive incoming sublabel is used to indicate a specified feature of recovery information of the first service; allocating, by the first node, a first positive outgoing label for the protection path of the first service based on the second positive incoming sublabel, where the first positive outgoing label corresponds to the second positive incoming sublabel; and transmitting the recovery information of the first service to the second node based on an indication of the first positive outgoing sublabel when knowing that a working path of the first service is faulty.
US09161102B2
A meter device having supporting communications. The meter device may monitor a plurality of determinants. The determinants may be stored and displayed at the meter device. The meter device may support various communication protocols, such as dual communication protocols for simultaneous transmission via RS-485 and the Ethernet. The meter device may have a housing with a pair or more of communication ports. The device may have a data bus connector. The device may have a communication bus that can connect directly to a Java application control engine. Also, the device may have a din rail housing.
US09161097B2
A wireless transmission system is provided that can minimize the control command transmission amount by operating a plurality of sink devices in conjunction with each other with respect to each group. The wireless transmission system includes: a bridge device (1) which wireless-transmits an AV content; and a plurality of wireless sink devices (5, 6) which reproduce the wireless-transmitted AV content. The bridge device (1) has a group identification table which stores a group identifier for identifying a group formed by the wireless sink device (5, 6). The bridge device (1) adds a group identifier extracted from the group identification table to a control command for controlling the sink devices (5, 6) and wireless-transmits the control command having the group identifier. The wireless sink devices (5, 6) receive a control command wireless-transmitted from the bridge device (1) if a corresponding group identifier is added to the control command.
US09161095B2
Systems and methods for blackout management in media distribution systems may include a central data center in a service provider's domain. The central data server may coordinate with a blackout manager that implements control features for blackout. In contrast to (or to supplement) blackout control solutions that require integrated receiver decoders (IRD)s to be physically installed at each of the regional headends in the service provider network, the blackout manager may provide three functions: 1) a Virtual IRD (VIRD) function 2) access control functions via access control component, and 3) VIRD-to-EndPoint mapping function in the linkage manager.
US09161093B2
A multimedia system includes a data source for providing a multimedia data; a wireless transmitting module, coupled to the data source, comprising a wireless transmitter for transmitting the multimedia data; a wireless receiving module comprising a wireless receiver for receiving the multimedia data from the wireless transmitter; and a reproducing device, coupled to the wireless receiving module, for reproducing the multimedia data received by the wireless receiver.
US09161092B2
A method and apparatus for highlighting a program listing in a set of program listings based on selection criteria. The selection criteria may indicate that the a broadcaster has agreed to pay a service provider in return for the service provider ensuring that a program listing, corresponding to the program of the broadcaster, is highlighted in a program page that displays a set of program listings, such as television program listings. If there are multiple program listings, listed in a program page, that are to be highlighted, then details of the respective contracts may be used to determine which program listing to highlight. Such details may include the total contract value, a ratio of contract value-to-page view, and/or the time of contract formation.
US09161071B2
The disclosed embodiments include a method for distributing content over a network. The method includes providing by a communications service provider a content distribution node. Content stored by the content distribution node is accessible to subscriber of the communications service provider without traversing the Internet for enabling a quality of service guarantee. The content distribution node is configured to store a content mall comprising a plurality of content stores. The content distribution node is configured to grant access to a plurality of content providers to store content to a respective content store in the content mall. The content provider maintains control over content stored in their respective content store.
US09161070B2
A private online social networking system and method that provides time released dispersal of pre-recorded digital video and images wherein users record digital content such as videos and images at a first time, select from several system-generated, user specific criterion for future time release of the digital content to pre-selected recipients via the system or other third party services such as social networks.
US09161069B2
Systems and methods are provided for providing customized moderation of electronic content published via a media portal. The content management application can access a feed that includes multiple electronic content items. The content management application can determine, based on an approval descriptor associated with the feed, that additional content provided to the feed is provided by a publisher account that must be approved by a moderator account rather than an additional publisher account for which other additional content is automatically approved without requiring moderator approval. The content management application can require approval of the additional content by the moderator account. The moderator account has permission to moderate electronic content provided to the feed based on a moderator descriptor associated with the feed.
US09161066B1
Methods, systems, and media for generating and presenting supplemental content based on contextual information are provided. In some implementations, a method for presenting content to a user is provided, the method comprising: identifying a program based on first media data; identifying one or more keywords associated with the program; determining a popularity score associated with each of the one or more keywords; obtaining one or more properties associated with a particular keyword of the one or more keywords based on the popularity score associated with each keyword; generating supplemental content for the program based on the one or more properties; receiving a request for supplemental content and second media data from a computing device; and upon determining that the second media data corresponds to the program, causing the generated supplemental content to be presented by the computing device.
US09161065B2
Methods and apparatus for recovery and/or utilization of bandwidth within a network. In one embodiment, the network comprises a switched architecture (e.g., broadcast switched) content-delivery network such as a cable television network. Reclamation, overflow, and/or triage logical processes are selectively applied in order to more efficiently manage bandwidth utilization within the network while maintaining user experience, and optionally achieve one or more business and/or operational goals.
US09161061B2
Embodiments of the present disclosure can include devices for storing and exchanging color space encoded images. The encoded images can store input data into high capacity multi-colored composite two-dimensional pictures having different symbols organized in specific order using sets in a color space. The encoding can include performing two-level error correction and generating frames based on the color space for formatting and calibrating the encoded images during decoding. The decoding can use the frames to perform color restoration and distortion correction. The decoding can be based on a pseudo-Euclidean distance between a distorted color and a color in a color calibration cells. In some embodiments, an encoded image can be further divided into sub-images during encoding for simplified distortion correction.
US09161060B2
Multi-mode error concealment, recovery and resilience coding. Adaptation of a number of coding units (CUs) employed in accordance with video coding may be made as a function of error. As a number of errors increases, the respective number of CUs may correspondingly increase (e.g., which may be made in accompaniment with a reduction of CU size). As a number of errors decreases, the respective number of CUs may correspondingly decrease (e.g., which may be made in accompaniment with an increase of CU size). Such errors may be associated with a type of source providing a video signal, a type of error resilience coding employed, communication link and/or channel conditions, a remote error characteristic (e.g., such as associated with a source device and/or destination device), a local error characteristic (e.g., such as associated with operations and/or processing within a given device), and/or any other type of consideration.
US09161050B2
A motion vector coding unit executes processing including a neighboring block specification step of specifying a neighboring block which is located in the neighborhood of a current block; a judgment step of judging whether or not the neighboring block has been coded using a motion vector of another block; a prediction step of deriving a predictive motion vector of the current block using a motion vector calculated from the motion vector of the other block as a motion vector of the neighboring block; and a coding step of coding the motion vector of the current block using the predictive motion vector.
US09161049B2
The invention provides a system and method for decoding and deblocking a video frame having a plurality of macroblocks. The system of the invention comprises a decoder configured to decode the macroblocks, a deblock configured to deblock the macroblocks, and a deblock buffer comprising a plurality of counters corresponding to the plurality of macroblocks respectively. Each counter corresponds to a macroblock group comprising a predetermined amount of neighboring macroblocks. In response to a counter is incremented to a fixed value, the macroblock group corresponds to the counter is deblocked.
US09161044B2
A computer-readable medium having stored thereon an image decoding program which, when executed by a computer, implements operations including: extracting motion vector information, and rounding method information from input information to be decoded; synthesizing a prediction image by performing motion compensation using the motion vector information and a reference image which is a previously decoded image; and synthesizing a decoded image by adding the prediction image to an error image; wherein a rounding method used for pixel value interpolation in performing the motion compensation for synthesizing the prediction image is one of a positive rounding method and a negative rounding method which is different from a one of a positive rounding method and a negative rounding method used for pixel value interpolation in performing the motion compensation for synthesizing a last prediction image.
US09161043B2
Disclosed is an apparatus for decoding motion information in merge mode. The apparatus for decoding motion information in merge mode discloses the position of a merge predictor index decoding unit configured to reconstruct a merge predictor index of a current block using a received merge codeword; a spatial merge candidate derivation unit configured to derive spatial merge candidates of the current block; a temporal merge candidate configuration unit configured to derive a temporal merge candidate of the current block; a merge candidate generation unit configured to generate one or more merge candidates when a number of valid merge candidates of the current block is smaller than a predetermined number; a merge predictor selection unit configured to generate a merge candidate list using the merge candidates and to select a merge predictor based on the merge predictor index; and a prediction bock generating unit configured to generate a prediction block of the current block using motion information of the merge predictor. Furthermore, the temporal merge candidate configuration unit is configured to set a reference picture index of the temporal merge candidate as 0. Additionally, a motion vector of the temporal merge candidate is selected among a first merge candidate block and a second merge candidate block based on a position of the current block within a largest coding unit, and the motion vector of the second merge candidate block is selected as the motion vector of the temporal merge candidate if the current block is adjacent to a lower boundary of the largest coding unit.
US09161034B2
Decoding tasks are identified for decoding encoded video. Decoding tasks may include entropy decoding tasks, motion compensation tasks, inverse frequency transform tasks, inverse quantization tasks, intra decoding tasks, loop filtering tasks, or other tasks. Task dependencies are identified for the video decoding tasks. For example, one or more decoding tasks may depend on prior completion of entropy decoding tasks. The decoding tasks are prioritized based at least in part on the task dependencies. For example, a higher priority may be assigned to tasks that must be completed before other tasks that depend on them can begin. Prioritized decoding tasks are selected to be performed by hardware threads. For example, a first hardware thread may perform a first decoding task that does not depend on any uncompleted tasks while a second hardware thread performs a second decoding task that does not depend on any uncompleted tasks.
US09161033B2
A video decoder, and corresponding method are described for enabling fast channel change of compressed video, where a video decoder for receiving compressed stream data and providing decompressed video output includes a demultiplexor for receiving the compressed stream data and separating the normal stream and the channel change stream, a normal decoding portion in signal communication with the demultiplexor for selectably receiving the compressed normal and channel change streams, and providing decompressed video output, and a normal frame store in signal communication with the normal decoding portion for storing reference pictures.
US09161028B2
An imaging system may include an array of image pixels. The array of image pixels may be provided with one or more rows and columns of optically shielded dark image pixels. The dark image pixels may be used to produce verification image data that follows the same pixel-to-output data path of light-receiving pixels. The output signals from dark pixels may be continuously or intermittently compared with a set of expected output signals to verify that the imaging system is functioning properly. In some arrangements, verification image data may include a current frame number that is encoded into the dark pixels. The encoded current frame number may be compared with an expected current frame number. In other arrangements, dark pixels may be configured to have a predetermined pattern of conversion gain levels. The output signals may be compared with a “golden” image or other predetermined set of expected output signals.
US09161025B2
System and method for video processing. At least one overdrive (OD) look-up table (LUT) is provided, where the at least one OD LUT is dependent on input video levels and at least one parameter indicative of at least one attribute of the system or a user of the system. Video levels for a plurality of pixels for an image are received, as well as the at least one parameter. Overdriven video levels are generated via the at least one OD LUT based on the video levels and the at least one parameter. The overdriven video levels are provided to a display device for display of the image. The reception of video levels and at least one parameter, the generation of overdriven video levels, and the provision of overdriven video levels, may be repeated one or more times in an iterative manner to display a sequence of images.
US09161024B2
A display device includes a telephone communication signal reception antenna that receives radio waves utilized in telephone communication; a reception intensity measurement unit that measures an intensity of the radio waves received by the communication signal reception antenna; a determination unit that determines, based on the intensity of the radio waves measured by the reception intensity measurement unit, a display mode that displays an image at a display unit by using a representation method which is predetermined associated with the intensity of the radio waves; and a display control unit that controls the display unit based on the display mode determined by the determination unit.
US09161021B2
A mobile terminal and a method for converting a display mode thereof are disclosed. The mobile terminal performs a first display action for three-dimensionally displaying a part of a image in a first zone of an entire display zone and two-dimensionally displaying the other part of the image in a second zone as a gesture externally input for conversion between two-dimensional display and three-dimensional display is recognized, and performs a second display action subsequently to the first display action for three-dimensionally displaying a part of the image in a third zone of the entire display zone and two-dimensionally displaying the other part of the image in a fourth zone.
US09161014B2
Method for compensating illumination deficiencies in microscopic “shape from focus (SFF)”, wherein firstly the reflectance of the scene is estimated by way of a projector-camera system and then microscopic “shape from focus (SFF)” is applied to a stack of reflectance maps rather than to the original image data.
US09161004B2
An apparatus is configured to store coded video data including a number of sequences of coded video pictures in an electronic file. The apparatus includes at least one processor configured to determine whether a sample description associated with at least one sample includes all parameter sets of a particular type associated with the at least one sample. The at least one sample comprises at least a portion of the plurality of sequences of coded video pictures. The particular type is one of a plurality of different particular types of parameter sets. The at least one processor is also configured to provide, in the electronic file, an indication indicating whether the sample description includes all parameter sets of the particular type based on the determination.
US09161002B2
An image capture apparatus generates a developed image by generating a signal intensity of an inexistent color component for an image signal of each pixel read from an image sensor having a Bayer pattern. The image capture apparatus corrects a color dispersion caused by the image sensor for the developed image and outputs the corrected developed image. And the image capture apparatus generates a Bayer image having the Bayer pattern from the corrected developed image.
US09160998B2
Provided are a method and apparatus for canceling chromatic aberration. In the method, only chrominance signals are filtered using an asymmetrical mask according to the characteristics of chromatic aberration occurring from among a luminance/chrominance coordinates system. Accordingly, it is possible to cancel chromatic aberration regardless of the characteristics of a lens and prevent the resolution of the original image from degrading.
US09160996B2
An image input/output apparatus and method includes a light source in optical communication with a spatial radiation modulator for projecting an output image and an image sensor for capturing an input image along a shared input/output path. In a described embodiment, the display of an output image and the capture of an input image is effected using a common spatial radiation modulator (SRM) in the form of a deformable mirror device (DMD).
US09160994B2
A terminal device connected with a display device includes: an input unit to which operation information is inputted; an image generating unit which generates a configuration designation image including a position designation area corresponding to a display area of the display device and an icon arrangement area where an icon corresponding to an image that can be designated in relation to the position designation area is arranged; and a setting unit which designates an icon to be arranged in the icon arrangement area in relation to the position designation area, based on the operation information, and thereby sets an image corresponding to the icon as a display image in the display area. The icon includes a first icon corresponding to an image supplied from the terminal device connected with the display device and a second icon corresponding to a predetermined pattern image.
US09160989B2
An image processing apparatus enlarges the number of pixels of first image data made of a luminance signal and a color-difference signal in a vertical direction and in a horizontal direction, and causes each pixel to have a luminance signal and a color-difference signal to convert the image data made of the luminance signal and the color-difference signal into image data of a Bayer array made of R, G1, G2, and B signals. The image processing apparatus generates a luminance signal using one of the G1 signal and the G2 signal, the R signal, and the B signal in the image data of the Bayer array.
US09160985B2
A wireless image communication system comprises a transmitter that wirelessly transmits image data and a receiver that receives the image data transmitted by the transmitter. The transmitter comprises: a communication channel change instruction unit that accepts, from an operator, an instruction to change a communication channel currently used in the wireless communication with the receiver for the transmission of the image data to a predetermined communication channel different from the currently used communication channel; and a transmitting unit that wirelessly transmits, on the basis of the instruction, information related to the predetermined communication channel to the receiver. The receiver comprises: a receiving unit that receives the information wirelessly transmitted by the transmitter; and a wireless communication control unit that performs a process to change the communication channel currently used in the wireless communication with the transmitter to the communication channel indicated by the received information.
US09160963B2
A terminal for generating a live image includes a memory for storing video content, and a live image generator for selecting a number of original frames from original frames constituting the video content in a standby mode, generating a new live image by interpolating the number of selected original frames, and outputting the generated live image as live wallpaper for the standby mode.
US09160957B2
An image sensor IC may have a non-volatile memory for several functions. The functions may include storing control parameters for a camera autofocus module, part tracking data, and data for defect correction or color science. The non-volatile memory can in particular be an antifuse non-volatile memory, which may not need special light shielding.
US09160952B2
The present invention discloses a device of CMOS image sensor, exactly, relates to a kind of CMOS charge pump circuit. The invention compromises: two current mirrors and two operational amplifiers are added into the CMOS charge pump circuit. The feed-through current is suppressed when signal switches in the said circuit. It solved the problem of the big voltage jump of the output voltage when the logic signal switches. It guarantees the stabilities of the circuit and the output voltage.
US09160950B2
Provided is an image capturing apparatus for capturing an image of a target object by optically scanning the target object by moving in a predetermined scanning direction. The apparatus includes light-receiving devices that are arranged on a light-receiving surface of the image capturing apparatus in a direction perpendicular to the scanning direction, where each light-receiving device accumulates an electric charge according to an amount of light received from the target object; and an output device that outputs the electric charge accumulated by each light-receiving device regularly at a predetermined output period which is determined in a manner such that the larger the length in the scanning direction of a light-receiving range for the target object by the light-receiving device, the longer the output period.
US09160949B2
A photon detection device includes a photodiode having a planar junction disposed in a first region of semiconductor material. A deep trench isolation (DTI) structure is disposed in the semiconductor material. The DTI structure isolates the first region of the semiconductor material on one side of the DTI structure from a second region of the semiconductor material on an other side of the DTI structure. The DTI structure includes a dielectric layer lining an inside surface of the DTI structure and doped semiconductor material disposed over the dielectric layer inside the DTI structure. The doped semiconductor material disposed inside the DTI structure is coupled to a bias voltage to isolate the photodiode in the first region of the semiconductor material from the second region of the semiconductor material.
US09160942B2
A solid-state imaging sensor provided with a plurality of pixels which convert an object image formed by an imaging optical system into an electrical signal, at least a part of the pixels being ranging pixels in which a first and a second photoelectric conversion unit are provided in alignment in a first direction, and in more than half of the ranging pixels in one of peripheral region of the solid-state sensor, the capacitance of the first photoelectric conversion unit being greater than the capacitance of the second photoelectric conversion unit; and in more than half of the ranging pixels in the other of peripheral region of the solid-state sensor, the capacitance of the second photoelectric conversion unit being greater than the capacitance of the first photoelectric conversion unit.
US09160939B2
According to an embodiment, a signal processing device includes an integrator, a first analog-to-digital converter, and a histogram creator. The integrator is configured to integrate an electrical charge corresponding to electromagnetic waves. The first analog-to-digital converter is configured to perform an analog-to-digital conversion operation that generates digital data of the electrical charge using an integration output from the integrator, on a parallel with an integration operation performed by the integrator. The histogram creator is configured to create a histogram that represents an energy distribution of the electromagnetic waves, from the digital data generated by the first analog-to-digital converter.
US09160937B2
A signal processing apparatus 100 is achieved, capable of processing an analog pixel signal Ag obtained by photoelectric conversion in a CCD image sensor 1 such that noise will be reduced and S/N will be improved by interpolation in an area with low brightness or saturation on a display screen and resolution will be increased by edge emphasis in an area with high brightness or saturation on the display screen. The signal processing apparatus 100 for performing A/D conversion on the analog pixel signal Ag from the CCD image sensor 1, comprises an interpolation processing section 104 for adaptively switching interpolation processing for determining brightness or saturation of pixels for each pixel, and calculating a digital pixel signal of a target pixel from pixel signals of peripheral pixels positioned in the periphery of the target pixel based on the determined brightness or saturation of the target pixel.
US09160934B2
There is provided an image capturing apparatus. An image capturing control unit performs image capturing using a first pixel group of an image capturing unit during a first exposure time to obtain a high-exposure image. It also performs image capturing using a second pixel group of the image capturing unit during a second exposure time which is shorter than the first exposure time to obtain a first low-exposure image. It also performs image capturing using the second pixel group during a third exposure time which is shorter than the first exposure time to obtain a second low-exposure image. The second and third exposure times at least partially overlapping the first exposure time. A detection unit compares the first low-exposure image with the second low-exposure image to detect a motion of the subject.
US09160926B2
An image processing apparatus capable of reducing storage capacity and lightening processing loads while keeping visual quality of shooting information high. An output unit resizes a taken image into images with resolutions corresponding to respective resolutions of a plurality of image output destinations including a display unit and output the images at the same time. A superimposition unit individually superimposes shooting information corresponding to the respective resolutions of the plurality of image output destinations on the images. A control unit provides control such that the shooting information is superimposed on the image output to the display unit and a selected image output destination and the output unit outputs the same, and that the output unit outputs the image to an image output destination that has not been selected without superimposing the shooting information on the image.
US09160923B1
A computing device can capture optical data using optical sensors. In some embodiments, the optical sensors can include front-facing light sensors, image sensors, cameras, etc. The optical data captured by each respective optical sensor can be analyzed to determine an amount of light received by the respective optical sensor. Based, at least in part, on which optical sensors are detecting light and how much light those sensors are detecting, the device can determine (e.g., deduce, predict, estimate, etc.) an area of a device display screen that is likely to be unobstructed by an environment (or portion thereof) in which the device is situated. The area of the display screen that is likely unobstructed can likely be visible to a user of the device. Accordingly, the computing device can provide information at the area of the display screen that is likely to be unobstructed and/or visible to the user.
US09160918B2
A focus detection apparatus comprises: an image sensor configured to receive a plurality of beams having passed through different exit pupil regions of an imaging optical system and output a pair of image signals corresponding to the different exit pupil regions; a calculation unit configured to obtain, from the pair of image signals, a spatial frequency at which a phase difference between a pair of images is minimized, and obtain an image shift amount between the pair of image signals from the spatial frequency; and a focus control unit configured to perform focus control by a phase difference detection method based on the image shift amount obtained by the calculation unit.
US09160917B2
A handheld electronic apparatus, an image capturing apparatus and focusing method thereof are provided. The image capturing apparatus includes a main image capturer, an auxiliary image capturer and a controller. The main image capturer performs an image capturing operation on a target object according to a detection focusing distance. The auxiliary image capturer is disposed adjacent to the main image capturer. The auxiliary image capturer performs a plurality of focusing operations on the target object according to a plurality of focusing distances, and generates a plurality of image contrast values. The controller controls the main image capturer and the auxiliary image capturer. The controller selects one of the focusing distances to be the detection focusing distance according to the image contrast values.
US09160906B2
The present invention provides head-mounted systems and devices for capturing images. In particular, the present invention provides systems and devices comprising: a) a head-mounted frame component configured to be mounted on the head of a user (e.g., hat, head band, glasses, goggles, etc.) and b) an extending component that is moveable between at least a first position in or adjacent to the head-mounted frame component and a second position non-adjacent to the head-mounted frame component.
US09160888B2
An information processing apparatus manages user information in such a manner that the user information is unable to be acquired using an authority different from a user authority, and acquires the user information by changing an authority of a control unit configured to control print processing under a system authority from a system authority to the user authority of a user that issues an instruction for print processing.
US09160883B2
An image reading system and an image reading apparatus are provided. The system or apparatus includes a reading unit configured to read a still original, a selecting unit configured to select one of a plurality of image data of a first area acquired by reading the first area a plurality of times, the first area being a partial area of the original, and a generating unit configured to generate a file storing a first image data which is the image data of the first area selected by the selecting unit, and a second image data which is image data acquired by reading a second area of the original different from the first area by the reading unit.
US09160881B2
Techniques for transmitting information to a recipient under their control are described. In some situations, the techniques are used in conjunction with a fax delivery system to provide, as part of a connection established to perform a fax transmission, a variety of functionalities to a human recipient that is participating as part of the connection, such as when the human recipient is contacted in error. In addition, in some situations, an interactive voice response system is used to receive and interpret input from a human recipient, such as in response to one or more control selections or options provided to the human recipient.
US09160871B1
Systems and methods for displaying a group of items on a graphical user interface are disclosed. The method includes a user using a mobile device to select a document for printing on a multifunction peripheral; displaying a user interface on the mobile device, wherein the user interface displays a preview of the document and a viewer window, wherein the viewer window animates a list of print settings displaying the last print setting in the list as the first print setting in the viewer window and continuing to scroll through the print settings until the first print setting is shown in the viewer window.
US09160870B2
An image processing apparatus of this invention selects, as a destination to be used for data transmission, a destination stored in advance. If the destination has been selected by a first selection method, the apparatus executes the data transmission after displaying on a display unit a confirmation screen for the user to confirm the selected destination. If the destination has been selected by a second selection method, the apparatus executes the data transmission without displaying the confirmation screen on the display unit.
US09160867B2
An information processing system including at least one information processing apparatus includes a holding unit holding a processing request waiting for a processing; processing units monitoring the holding unit, acquiring the processing request and performing the processing corresponding to the processing request; and a memory unit storing information of a state of the processing request, wherein each processing unit includes a state acquiring unit acquiring information indicative of the state of the acquired processing request from the memory unit, and a state controlling unit checking the information indicative of the state of the acquired processing request, and controlling whether the processing corresponding to the acquired processing request is preformed based on a result of checking the information indicative of the state of the acquired processing request.
US09160866B1
A tablet computing device and controlled-environment communications processing system implemented process calls for the tablet requesting, via the controlled-environment communications system, a communication link between the tablet and another communications device. A resident of the controlled-environment facility operating the tablet is identified by the tablet to the controlled-environment communications system. The controlled-environment communications system selects advertisement(s) to be played on at least the tablet operated by the resident. The advertisement(s) are played on at least the tablet. The communications link is established by the controlled-environment communications system, between the tablet and the other communications device, before, during or following playing of the advertisement(s) on at least the tablet. Communication is carried out on the tablet, via the communications link, before, during and/or following playing of the advertisement(s).
US09160851B2
A system, method, and computer program product uses an application that allows people who have websites including a webform for making inquiries to manage communications between prospective customers and one or more sales agents. When a webform is submitted, it is routed to a special address (e.g., as an email address, an SMS address, or a social media address such as a Facebook address, a LinkedIn address, a Twitter address or the like) and one or more sales agents are called and prompted to call the prospective customer at a callback number.
US09160845B1
A node in a telephone network such as a switch stores associations between called and calling parties and colored ringback media played by the called party. Later, when the same calling party calls the called party, the node retrieves the stored ringback media and forwards the media to the calling party on behalf of the called party. In one embodiment, the node comprises a switch. In other embodiments, the node is a central server caching called/calling party combinations and associated ringback media and provides the ringback media forwarding function for a distributed population of called parties. Such called parties may comprise wireless phones.
US09160841B2
A device for detecting absence of a Plain Old Telephony Service or POTS splitter on a Digital Subscriber Line, includes a device for collecting channel transfer function data or the Digital Subscriber Line, and a device for detecting a single hole in the channel transfer function data.
US09160839B2
An improved handheld electronic device and an associated method provide added convenience for the user by enabling the user to quickly and easily initiate telephone related functions from applications other than the device's phone and address book applications using a dedicated phone related key. The device includes a plurality of use states and each one of the use states has an associated function that is to be initiated upon depression of the phone related key. When the phone related key is depressed, the current use state is determined and the function that is associated with the current use state is executed.
US09160833B2
Systems and methods are provided for downloading battery data to a mobile communication device. A system for downloading battery data to a mobile communication device may include a mobile communication device and a data server. The mobile communication device may be configured to monitor a battery operating condition and to receive a battery profile, the battery profile including battery data for use by the mobile communication device to calculate battery status information. The data server may be used for storing battery data, the data server being configured to receive the battery operating condition from the mobile communication device and, based on the battery operating condition, send the battery profile to the mobile communication device.
US09160831B2
An apparatus for controlling the operation of a portable terminal having a removable case is provided. The apparatus includes a plurality of display units, each of the plurality of display units disposed in at least one of a front surface and a rear surface of the portable terminal, a detecting unit for detecting that at least one of the front or rear surfaces of the portable terminal is proximate to a corresponding cover of the removable case and a controller for activating a display unit disposed in one of the front and rear surfaces of the portable terminal when proximity of a corresponding cover of the removable case to said one of the front and rear surface is not detected. Accordingly, a user's ability to shift between screens is more easily performed and may be performed without a separate key input.
US09160825B2
A communication module includes a circuit substrate having a first high-frequency processing section related to mobile phone communication, a second high-frequency processing section that processes reception signals related to satellite positioning systems, a system section having a baseband processing section and application processing section, and a power circuit section, a sealing member covering the electronic components mounted on the circuit substrate, a conductive shield layer formed on a surface of the sealing member, and a shield wall formed in the sealing member so as to demarcate a mounting area of the first high-frequency processing section and a mounting area of the second high-frequency processing section.
US09160824B2
A cover, for use with a mobile telephone, is adapted at least partially to cover the mobile telephone when the telephone is installed within the cover while allowing user access to the mobile telephone. The cover is adapted to receive in a detachable manner one or more accessories for use with the mobile telephone. The one or more accessories may include one or more sensors for providing in operation one or more corresponding transduced signals to the mobile telephone and are operable to receive their power provided from the cover.
US09160818B2
This invention relates to a communication system including a first apparatus having a first storage medium, and a second apparatus for transmitting data to the first apparatus, the second apparatus comprising: a second storage medium for storing management information of data to be transferred to the first storage medium; communication means for communicating data with the first apparatus; edit means capable of editing the management information; and control means for making a control to transfer data stored in the second storage medium to the first storage medium by way of the communication means on the basis of the management information edited by the edit means.
US09160816B2
Methods and systems are provided for collecting, storing, and transmitting account information in a matchable form, and for using this information to quickly set up accounts. Account information is maintained and shared between one or more client devices and an intermediate server. Account information can be reconciled locally to determine whether to add or enable an active account or an account proxy to a client device. Account proxies can be quickly enabled by a single user action. The methods and systems allow enabled accounts and account proxies to be removed from a first client device without propagating the deletion to a second client device.
US09160805B2
A distributed caching hierarchy that includes multiple edge routing servers, at least some of which receiving content requests from client computing systems via a load balancer. When receiving a content request, an edge routing server identifies which of the edge caching servers the requested content would be in if the requested content were to be cached within the edge caching servers, and distributes the content request to the identified edge caching server in a deterministic and predictable manner to increase the likelihood of increasing a cache-hit ratio.
US09160802B2
Methods and systems are disclosed for providing customized content to users based on their location. In one embodiment, for each of one or more content providers, a customized content delivery function receives information from the content provider defining a number of geographic shapes selecting corresponding geographic areas. Preferably, each of the geographic shapes overlaps at least one other of the geographic shapes and is assigned an importance level. For each geographic shape, the content provider defines one or more tags for the geographic shape and assigns a weight to each of the one or more tags. Thereafter, when a request is received from a requestor, one or more content items are selected for delivery to the requestor based on the geographic shapes, the tags and corresponding weights for the geographic shapes, and the location of the requestor.
US09160800B1
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer program products, for integrating web services into a content item are disclosed. In one aspect, a method includes the actions of receiving a request for web services from a publisher, retrieving the web services file that corresponds to the web services requested from the location provided, identifying the web services contained in the web services file, retrieving a content item from the publisher, integrating the content item and the web services defined by the web services file to create augmented content, receiving a request for augmented content, and providing the augmented content. Other implementations of this aspect include corresponding systems, apparatus, and computer program products.
US09160795B2
A method in one example, the method comprising receiving content at a computing server that resides at a first site, where the content is to be synchronized with at least one other site. The method further comprises storing the content to be synchronized in a homing tag, and communicating the homing tag to the at least one other site.
US09160794B2
Techniques described herein enable peers to determine each peer's NAT type much more efficiently and quickly than when compared with existing techniques. To do so, a peer simultaneously sends multiple test messages to a server. The peer then waits to either receive a response for each of the multiple test messages or may store an indication that no response has been received after a predetermined timeout period. The peer then analyzes the received responses and/or the stored timeout indications to determine the peer's NAT type or to determine that the peer is operating free from concealment by a NAT/firewall device. By simultaneously sending the multiple test messages, the peer may determine the NAT type within a maximum time defined by the predetermined timeout period or a roundtrip time period that is required for communication between the peer and the server. As such, the tools allow for efficient NAT-type detection.
US09160790B1
An operating system 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 in order to control and adapt the network behavior of the application and features of the application.
US09160788B2
A method is implemented in a computer infrastructure having computer executable code tangibly embodied on a computer readable storage medium having programming instructions. The programming instructions are operable to manage workload for cloud computing by transferring workload to at least one mobile device using Session Initiation Protocol (SIP).
US09160779B2
Techniques are provided for a dynamic adaptive streaming proxy for unicast or broadcast/multicast service. For example, a method for controlling an encoding format of multimedia content for a multimedia client of a wireless communications network (WCN) includes modifying, at a proxy component of the WCN network entity, a data structure that associates one or more different locators for multimedia content with respective different encoding formats for the multimedia content, to obtain a modified data structure. The method may include controlling an encoding format for the multimedia content provided to at least one multimedia client, at least in part by the modified data structure.
US09160775B2
Procedures for identifying clients in an audio event are described. In an example, a media server may order clients providing audio based on the input level. An identifier may be associated with the client for identifying the client providing input within the event. The ordered clients may be included in a list which may be inserted into a packet header carrying the audio content.
US09160773B2
A mood state may be modeled using mood information for a content selection (e.g., a digitally-encoded song) and/or by using mood information determined by how a user is interacting with a media player. For example, a playlist engine on a host may determine that a particular song is associated with an uplifting mood, thus determining that a user who has selected that particular song currently is in an uplifting mood, and correspondingly may select additional songs and advertisements consistent with, or responsive to, the uplifting mood. Mood information also may be used to present a mood state of users (e.g., co-users) in a network for display in a graphical user interface (GUI). For example, a user's screen name appearing in an America Online (AOL) Instant Messenger's Buddy List may indicate a determined user's mood, such as “happy”, “sad”, “silly”, or “angry.”
US09160766B2
A computer-implemented method for protecting organizations against spear phishing attacks may include (1) searching a plurality of websites for user profiles belonging users who are affiliated with an organization and who have access to at least one privileged computing resource controlled by the organization, (2) retrieving, from the user profiles, personal information describing the users, (3) determining, based on the personal information, that a portion of the user profiles belongs to an individual user with access to the privileged computing resource, (4) identifying at least one phishing attack risk factor in the user profiles that belong to the individual user, and (5) assessing, based at least in part on the phishing attack risk factor, a risk of a phishing attack targeting the individual user to illegitimately gain access to the privileged computing resource. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.
US09160763B2
A endpoint load rebalancing controller, method of controlling endpoint activity to suppress side channel variation and computer program product for controlling endpoint activity for suppressing side channel variation in information from utility company users, e.g., from power company endpoints. The load rebalancing controller monitors period to period endpoint service usage and predicts next period endpoint service usage. Whenever the controller maintains determines that the endpoint usage will exhibit a change that may be sufficient to convey activity information in side channel activity, the controller rebalances activity for the next period. Rebalancing may include shifting off-line execution from one period to another and capping or increasing on-line execution activity.
US09160757B1
A computer-implemented method for detecting suspicious attempts to access data based on organizational relationships may include (1) detecting an attempt by a computing device within an organization to access an additional computing device within the organization, (2) identifying, based on a directory service associated with the organization that classifies the computing device and the additional computing device, an organizational relationship between the computing device and the additional computing device, (3) determining, based on the organizational relationship between the computing device and the additional computing device, that the attempt by the computing device to access the additional computing device is suspicious, and (4) performing a security action in response to determining that the attempt by the computing device to access the additional computing device is suspicious. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.
US09160752B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide a method, system and computer program product for aggregating database and component logic authorization rules in a multi-tier application. In an embodiment of the invention, a method for aggregating database and component logic authorization rules in a multi-tier application system can include aggregating role-based authorization rules for both a persistence layer and a logic layer of a multi-tier application in a unified policy, distributing the unified policy to both the persistence layer and the logic layer of the multi-tier application, transforming the unified policy into respectively a set of role based permissions for the persistence layer and a set of role based permissions for the logic layer, and applying the set of role based permissions for the persistence layer in the persistence layer, and the set of role based permissions for the logic layer in the logic layer of the multi-tier application.
US09160750B2
A communication access control system includes a messaging service facility and a computing system. The computing system has a permanent memory and hosts a plurality of access control cells (each having an input and an output address); a messaging service to send messages between at least some of the access control cells; and a control service to define a link. The link is selected from a C-link, an F-link, and a Q-link. The C-link connects the output address of a first read-write cell of the access control cells to the input address of a second read-write cell of the access control cells. The F-link connects a forwarder address to the input address of at least one of the access control cells. The Q-link connects the output address of at least one of the access control cells to a queue address.
US09160748B2
A rights objects acquisition method of a mobile terminal in a digital right management system is provided for acquiring multiple rights objects in a composite manner. An objects right acquisition method of a mobile terminal may include generating, in response to a group rights object (RO) acquisition command, a group rights object acquisition request with content identifiers assigned to individual contents corresponding to the rights objects indicated by the group rights object acquisition command, sending the group rights object acquisition request to a rights issuer; and receiving an group rights object acquisition response containing rights object identifiers assigned to the rights objects from the rights issuer. The present invention streamlines the RO acquisition process, especially when acquiring multiple ROs.
US09160743B2
An indication of a configuration request for an electronic device is received. An indication of an access request for the electronic device is received after receiving the indication of the configuration request. The indication of the access request comprises biometric data. The biometric data is validated against previously captured biometric data. If the biometric data is valid based, at least in part, on said validation of the biometric data, a user profile associated with the biometric data is accessed and access to the electronic device is authorized in accordance with the user profile. If the biometric data is not valid based, at least in part, on said validation of the biometric data, a notification that an unauthorized access has been attempted is generated and transmitted.
US09160742B1
An improved technique involves sending a user's authentication information to a local authentication device that computes a risk score and sends the risk score to a remote authentication server that determines whether the user is able to be authenticated. When the user makes an authentication or transaction request from an electronic device such as a computer or smartphone, the electronic device sends predictor values such as geo location and wireless signal strength to the local authentication device. The local authentication device then computes a risk score based on the received predictor values and historical predictor values. The local authentication device sends this risk score to a remote authentication server which determines from this risk score and other factors whether the user is able to be authenticated.
US09160741B2
One embodiment of the invention is directed to a method including receiving an alias identifier associated with an account associated with a presenter, determining an associated trusted party using the alias identifier, sending a verification request message to the trusted party after determining the associated trusted party, and receiving a verification response message.
US09160739B2
A secure messaging system that requires pairing of second and receiving devices via user identification credentials and the associated media access control addresses (MAC addresses) of the paired devices. Paired devices may communicate encrypted messages and deletion parameters may be established by a sending device, including immediate deletion requests. The message and the instructions are automatically decrypted by the receiving device and interpreted to provide the data and configure the deletion parameters. The system preferably manages device pairing via a remote server that is accessed by a device application.
US09160731B2
A mechanism is provided for establishing a trust relationship between two products. A resource device receives a registration request from an application device to access a resource on the resource device by an application and users of the application on the application device. The resource device sends a registration response using a redirection uniform resource identifier (URI) provided with the registration request, where the registration response includes an authorization code and a symmetric key in response to authenticating the registration request. The resource device receives an access token request that includes the symmetric key, verifiable authentication data, and the redirection URI. The resource device sends an access token to the application device in response to validating the access token request, where the access token allows for access to the resource on the resource device thereby establishing the trust relationship between the resource device and the application device.
US09160721B2
According to at least one embodiment, an information processing apparatus includes: a content acquiring module configured to receive or store a content according to a first copyright protection method; a filter configured to acquire PIDs from first packets of the content; an analyzing module configured to acquire a PAT/PMT from each of the PIDs; a generating module configured to generate a PMT based on the PAT/PMT according to a second copyright protection method; encrypters configured to encrypt PES payloads by managing independent sets of an encryption key and an initial vector for the respective PIDs; and a packet generating module configured to generate second packets based on encryption results.
US09160720B2
Managing digital rights of contents and services streamed to a client device, including: receiving and validating a certificate from the client device; enabling the client device to log into and communicate with a server using a secure protocol to establish a private relationship between the client device and the server; and transmitting a resource identifier to the client device using the secure protocol when the private relationship is established.
US09160717B2
Computer systems, methods, and computer readable media for facilitating a secure transaction are provided in which a client application is executed on a client computer. The client application initiates a request to a first domain comprising (i) a credential for the client application, (ii) a transaction identifier that uniquely identifies the request, and (iii) optionally, an identification of a user of the client application. Responsive to this request, the client receives a validated transaction module from the first domain. The client application loads the validated transaction module into a separate domain security sandbox that is segregated from memory space in which the client application is run. The validated transaction module conducts a validated transaction between the second domain and the validated transaction module. Separately, through the client application, a determination is made as to whether the transaction is complete by querying the first domain.
US09160707B2
In order to allow efficient differentiated handling of network traffic in a network section, a network address translator performs network address translation on incoming data packets to be transmitted into the network section and/or on outgoing data packets transmitted from the network section. In the incoming data packets, the network address translation replaces a source network address with a replacement network address. In the outgoing data packets, a replacement network address is included in place of a destination address, and the network address translation replaces the replacement network address with the destination network address. In each case, the replacement network address is selected according to a traffic class of the data packet. In the network section, differentiated handling of the data packets on the basis of the replacement network address is provided.
US09160702B2
Systems and methods for processing requests for domain name information in accordance with subscriber information are provided. A request for domain name information can be correlated with subscriber preferences to resolve the domain name information. Domain names may be flagged for blocking or proxying by one or more subscriber preferences. In response to a flagged domain name, a client device can be redirected to a web server that can function as proxy on behalf of the user for accessing the flagged domain. In one example, user preferences and/or network preferences can be used to determine whether a particular user can bypass a blocking preference and access the flagged domain using the proxy.
US09160697B2
The various embodiments provide systems, devices, and methods which optimize the way in which data is delivered between devices a group of interconnected devices. In one embodiment a data set intended for multiple devices may be segmented and different portions of the data set may be provided to each device. The intended devices may then share their data set portions to recreate the complete data set on each device. In another embodiment, multiple devices each storing a complete data set may need to upload the complete data set to a single device. The multiple devices may assign upload responsibility for segments of the complete data set among each other, and the multiple devices may each upload their assigned segments to the single device. The single device may then combine the segments to recreate the complete data set.
US09160696B2
Systems and methods for sending a media message from a communication platform receiving a messaging request to transmit media message to a destination endpoint, wherein the request includes a specified media content universal resource identifier (URI); retrieving a media resource from the URI, wherein the media resource is retrieved from a application layer request including a set of context data relating to the messaging request; transforming the media resource into a messaging formatted media resource; and transmitting the formatted media resource to a destination in a media message.
US09160694B2
The present invention provides an email management method, apparatus and terminal device, wherein the method comprises: receiving an email, and judging whether said email is attached with an attachment; if said email is attached with an attachment, extracting attachment information of said email, and saving said attachment information. The solution of the present invention improves the efficiency of email searching, and makes it more convenient for the user to perform searching.
US09160692B2
An interactive political event allows clients to provide feedback to political candidates speakers and/or event producers relative to the event being observed. Feedback options include shout outs, emotapplause, and voting. Ticket scarcity management system adjusts event marketing, and/or ticketed sales methodologies, which include free and paid to maintain optimal conditions for an interactive political event. Multiple video/audio streams of an interactive event are simultaneously distributed as part of a broadcast to enable switching between streams by the online audience members and/or users without interruption of the presentation of the event and may include additional data relative to a candidates and/or speakers history and/or position with respect to issues being debated and/or discussed.
US09160690B2
Embodiments of the present disclosure provide systems and methods for building a profile for a contact. In one exemplary embodiment, a computer-implemented method includes: identifying, via a computing device, missing information from a profile of a contact of a user; determining whether to include the missing information in the profile based on satisfaction of a threshold associated with an event; and in response to a determination to include the missing information: obtaining the missing information; and adding the missing information to the profile.
US09160687B2
Techniques for performing finite memory network coding in an arbitrary network limit an amount of memory that is provided within a node of the network for the performance of network coding operations during data relay operations. When a new data packet is received by a node, the data stored within the limited amount of memory may be updated by linearly combining the new packet with the stored data. In some implementations, different storage buffers may be provided within a node for the performance of network coding operations and decoding operations.
US09160677B2
A network packet is segmented for transfer through a switch fabric. The last segment of the packet is allowed to exceed the maximum size of previous segments so as to increase the switch fabric utilization. Other features are also provided.
US09160672B2
Systems and methods for managing and providing content and services on a network system. Aspects of the invention include controlling user perceived connection speed. Other aspects of the invention include authorization and authentication components that determine access rights of client computers. Additional aspects include systems and methods for directing client computers to select connection speed. The disclosed systems and methods may be used in numerous network system applications.
US09160670B2
According to the present disclosure, methods and apparatus are provided to improve the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) for data such as delay sensitive or bursty data. A maximum send window is adjusted using forward queuing delay and maximum bandwidth parameters. Reverse queuing delay and the number of packets drops are not factored into generation of the maximum send window. Network buffer occupation is bounded and a congestion window is effectively varied using rate shaping and gradual size increases based at least partially on the number acknowledged packets.
US09160666B2
A method is implemented in a network element of a service network. The network element executes a packet processing element (PPE) of a plurality of PPEs, where each PPE in the plurality of PPEs executes a stage of packet processing for the service network and where the plurality of PPEs are connected to one another by a plurality of switch fabrics. The PPEs self-select a subset of a set of equivalent service chains to service with each service chain defining a subset and sequence of the plurality of PPEs. Each PPE self-selects the subset of equivalent service chains to process based upon knowledge of the plurality of PPEs servicing that stage of the full set of service chains such that there is spreading of load across all available PPEs in that stage. There is no single point of failure and minimal reassignment of PPEs for a set of equivalent data flows traversing the plurality of PPEs of the service network for changes in topography of the plurality of PPEs in the service network.
US09160661B2
An industrial network with bidirectional communication for real time control includes nodes selectively operable in either a switch mode or a serial shifting mode. Nodes operating in the switch mode are capable of initiating data frames for transmission on the network and receiving data frames from the network. Nodes operating in either the switch mode or the serial shifting mode are capable of extracting and/or inserting data into a data frame as it is transmitted through that node. An initialization procedure determines end nodes and intermediate nodes within the network. The end nodes are configured to initially operate in the switch mode and the intermediate nodes are configured to initially operate in the serial shifting mode. The intermediate nodes are additionally operable to selectively toggle between operation in switch mode and serial shift mode and may operate in both modes during a single scan cycle.
US09160658B1
Communicating is disclosed. A first communication associated with a first mechanism for configuring a pseudo-wire is received. The first communication is transformed into a second communication, where the second communication is associated with a second mechanism for configuring a pseudo-wire. The second communication is transmitted, where a pseudo-wire that is configured using the second communication is associated with (1) a first node that is configured to support the first mechanism and (2) a second node that is configured to support the second mechanism.
US09160652B2
In one embodiment, network devices are configured to route traffic and signaling onto co-routed bypass tunnels. Co-routed bypass tunnels protect against node or link failures in a label switched paths. The co-routed bypass tunnels provide bidirectional protection. In one example, a node acting as the point of local repair (PLR) receives a resource reservation state message at a first node and extracts a tunnel sender address from the reservation state message. The PLR is configured to identify a bypass tunnel to a second node in the reverse direction of the label switched path and signal resource reservation messages over the bypass tunnel in the reverse direction. In another example, a PLR receives a resource reservation message with bypass tunnel identification and the PLR is configured to identify a bypass tunnel to a second node in the reverse direction.
US09160645B2
A network performance measurement relies on the transmission of a verifiable, single-use, highly-entropic file across the network. Upon receiving a network performance measurement query from a user equipment (UE) device communicating through a mobile communication network, a test utility (TU) server generates a test file having high entropy such that it does not reduce substantially in size when compressed using standard compression algorithms. The test file is assigned a filename including a variable component, and the file is transmitted to the UE device. Information relating to the transmission of the test file is logged, and a network performance measurement value for the transport of the high-entropy test file to the UE device is computed based on the logged information. In one example, hash-value computations are used to verify that the test file received in the UE device is complete and accurate.
US09160638B2
Disclosed herein is a non real-time broadcast receiving system. The system includes: a non real-time service decoder dividing received non real-time service content into a transmission block according to a protocol; a service content manager monitoring whether the receive of the non real-time service content stops and acknowledging a schedule regarding whether a portion with errors in the non real-time service content is retransmitted; a memory storing a portion without errors in the non real-time service content; a file checker checking whether errors are produced during the receive of the non real-time service contents and determining whether the portion with errors in the non real-time service content is retransmitted; a retransmission request signal generator generating a retransmission request signal; a return channel transmitter transmitting the retransmission request signal; and a return channel receiver receiving data corresponding the portion with error.
US09160635B2
A method for managing and monitoring communication devices in a firewall/NAT protected network from a Management system outside the firewall/NAT protected network includes periodically and at predefined events opening an http connection and transmitting a request from the respective communication devices to the Management system through a firewall/NAT installation protecting the network, and when receiving said request in the management system, transmitting instructions and data to the communication devices from the management system in a http response through said http connection.
US09160634B2
Embodiments provide a method for performing an automatic execution of a Box and Jenkins method for forecasting the behavior of said dataset. The method may include pre-processing the dataset including providing one or more missing values to the dataset, removing level discontinuities and outliers, and removing one or more last samples from the dataset, obtaining a trend of the pre-processed dataset including identifying and filtering the trend out of the dataset based on a coefficient of determination methodology, detecting seasonality to obtain a resulting stationary series including computing an auto correlation function of the dataset, repeating the detecting step on an aggregate series of a previous dataset, and removing detected seasonality based on a seasonal differencing process, and modeling the resulting stationary series under an autoregressive-moving-average (ARMA) model.
US09160633B1
A system for dynamically learning virtual local area network (VLAN) tags comprises a switching element having a VLAN table and a media access control (MAC) table. For at least one VLAN, the switching element is configured to dynamically learn VLAN tags for packets carried by the VLAN in order to build the VLAN table and to then use mappings of the VLAN table, rather than mappings of the MAC table, to make forwarding decisions for all types of packets carried by the VLAN. The MAC table is not used for forwarding decisions for packets carried by the VLAN, but it can be used to help learn the VLAN tags. In particular, the switching element can use the MAC table to selectively trap packets when they are useful for learning VLAN tags and to prevent MAC learning traps for packets carrying VLAN tags previously learned by the switching element.
US09160627B2
Systems and methods described herein are directed to solutions for Network on Chip (NoC) interconnects that automatically and dynamically determines the topology of different NoC layers and maps system traffic flows to various routes in various NoC layers that satisfies the latency requirements of the flows. The number of layers and their topology is dynamically allocated and optimized by performing load balancing of the traffic flows between the channels and routes of different NoC layers and updating the topology of the NoC layers as they are mapped. In addition to allocating additional NoC layers and topologies to satisfy the latency requirements of the flows, the NoC layers and topologies may also be allocated to satisfy the bandwidth requirements of the flows or to provide the additional virtual channels that may be needed for deadlock avoidance and to maintain the isolation properties between various flows.
US09160621B2
A network system may include a server and a client. The server accepts a request for a reservation of registration of a log that is transmitted from the client, and returns to the client log registration identification information. The server acquires execution command data from a registration command storage and registers the log stored in a log storing storage with a storage unit, asynchronously with the registration of the execution command data with a registration command storage. The client stores a log, transmits a request for a reservation of registration of the stored log, and selects a log to be requested to be registered from the stored log based on returned log identification information. The client transmits the selected log to the server to request registration of the log.
US09160607B1
An improved method for the prevention of deadlock in a massively parallel processor (MPP) system wherein, prior to a process sending messages to another process running on a remote processor, the process allocates space in a deadlock-avoidance FIFO. The allocated space provides a “landing zone” for requests that the software process (the application software) will subsequently issue using a remote-memory-access function. In some embodiments, the deadlock-avoidance (DLA) function provides two different deadlock-avoidance schemes: controlled discard and persistent reservation. In some embodiments, the software process determines which scheme will be used at the time the space is allocated.
US09160605B1
A computing device generates a group of user devices. The computing device receives data associated with a media item from a first user device in the group. Responsive to determining that the first user device has data sharing privileges, the computing device transmits the data to one or more other user devices in the group.
US09160588B2
Provided is a radio receiver using a modulation scheme such as FSK or QPSK in which a transmission and reception frequency shift appears as DC offset in a demodulated signal, capable of increasing noise immunity while suppressing deterioration in sensitivity. A high-speed pull-in processing unit 102 that performs offset correction by subtracting a correction value Adj_DC obtained from transmission and reception frequency deviation from the demodulated (detected) signal and a low-speed pull-in processing unit 104 that feedbacks a correction value Adj_local(t) obtained from an average value of the demodulated (detected) signal to a local oscillator 1012 are used in combination. The correction value Adj_DC for the high-speed pull-in processing is reduced over time by subtracting a correction amount Adj_Del(t) from the correction value Adj_DC and the feedback is performed, so that, as a result, the correction value Adj_DC for the high-speed pull-in processing is given to the low-speed pull-in processing. Accordingly, it is possible to increase noise immunity while suppressing deterioration in sensitivity in which the received signal is cut by a band-limiting filter.
US09160586B1
Systems and techniques relating to IQ mismatch estimation and compensation are described. A described technique includes obtaining samples of a received signal via circuitry having an IQ mismatch; determining an estimated gain imbalance parameter for the IQ mismatch based on an in-phase average value of in-phase training samples and a quadrature average value of quadrature training samples; determining an estimated phase imbalance parameter for the IQ mismatch based on a combined average value, the estimated gain imbalance parameter, and a squared average value, the combined average value being based on a pair-wise multiplication of the in-phase training samples and the quadrature training samples, the squared average value being based on squared versions of the in-phase training samples; updating the in-phase data samples based on the estimated gain imbalance parameter to produce updated in-phase data samples; and updating the quadrature data samples by respectively adding quadrature update values thereto.
US09160585B2
In one embodiment, an apparatus may include a de-serializer to convert serial data to parallel data, and a counter to provide an update signal based on a bit count of the serial data. The apparatus may further include a synchronizer to provide a synchronization signal when a target clock signal is synchronized with the update signal. The apparatus may further include an output unit to provide a validation indicator in response to the synchronization signal.
US09160580B2
A communications system comprising a communications media. A receiver coupled to the communications media and configured to receive a data signal from the communications media. An adaptive equalizer configured to process the data signal and to adjust a multi-frequency inverse transfer function to compensate for a multi-frequency transfer function of the communications media.
US09160573B1
The antenna module contains a transmission line, a resonant radiation area, and an antenna base. An end of the transmission line is installed in the resonant radiation area. The resonant radiation area contains a positive zone and a negative zone. A section of the positive zone and a section of the negative zone are arranged in parallel where an adjustable impedance zone is formed between. Apart of the positive zone that extends from an edge of the adjustable impedance zone to an end point of the positive zone, and a part of the negative zone configured with a conductor are for high-frequency signal. A part that extends from the end point of the positive zone to an end point of the negative zone, and a part from the end point of the negative zone to where the conductor is configured on the negative zone are for low-frequency signal.
US09160566B2
Systems and methodologies are described that facilitate packet routing among relay nodes in a wireless network. Bearer quality of service (QoS) mapping is provided for internet protocol (IP) relays by utilizing differentiated services (DiffServ) code point (DSCP) values to determine a bearer for communicating related packets. In addition, SDF filtering at a gateway node can be modified to route packets over certain tunnels to provide QoS for the packets.
US09160563B2
Provided is a failure recovery method in a non-revertive mode of an Ethernet ring network. In an Ethernet ring network, link priorities between nodes or node priorities are determined based on media access control (MAC) addresses and the nodes having blocked ports are determined after failures are recovered from based on the priorities so that the blocked ports can be distributed.
US09160554B1
An apparatus and method of operating automated test equipment (ATE) in a networked environment of multiple external test controllers. The system resources responsible for coordinating the shared uses of the ATE by the multiple external test controllers are centralized within the ATE. As a result, programming of the respective test controllers is simplified since the test controllers no longer need be responsible for communicating among themselves to coordinate or otherwise determine how and when access to the ATE is granted to any particular test controller.
US09160553B2
This disclosure is directed to techniques for communicating in an adaptive multicast network. In general, the disclosure is directed to communicating in an adaptive multicast network. This may be done by archiving, at a rendezvous point, multicast subscription information for terminal nodes in the adaptive multicast network, wherein the multicast subscription information comprises a dynamic list of receiver terminal nodes located within the adaptive multicast network that subscribe to particular multicast streams from one or more terminal nodes in the adaptive multicast network. A router receives a multicast stream from a sender terminal node. The router receives the multicast subscription information for the multicast stream sent by the sender terminal node from the rendezvous point. The router forwards the multicast stream to all receiver terminal nodes in the dynamic list of receiver terminal nodes indicated as subscribing to the multicast stream sent by the sender terminal node.
US09160546B2
Disclosed are various embodiments of generating a user signature associated with a user and authenticating a user. At least one behavior associated with at least one sensor in a computing device is identified. A timestamp is generated and associated with the behavior. A user signature corresponding to a user based at least in part upon the behavior and the timestamp is generated and stored.
US09160539B1
Methods and apparatus are provided for secure transmission of alert messages over a message locking channel. An alert message is transmitted from a Security Alerting System indicating a potential compromise of a protected resource by obtaining the alert message from the Security Alerting System; authenticating the alert message using a secret key known by a server, wherein the secret key evolves in a forward-secure manner; storing the authenticated alert message in a buffer; and transmitting the buffer to the server. The alert message is authenticated by digitally signing the alert message or applying a message authentication code and is possibly encrypted using a secret key known by a server, wherein the secret key evolves in a forward-secure manner. The authenticated alert message can be maintained in the buffer after the transmitting step. The buffer optionally has a fixed-size and alert messages can be stored in a round-robin manner, for example, from a random position. The buffer can be encrypted prior to transmission to the server.
US09160538B2
Preliminarily sharing internal-transmission-secret-key-information used in e-mail addressed to an internal-network, between transmitting and receiving-terminals, and generating external-transmission-secret-key information used in an e-mail addressed to an external-network and external-transmission-public-key-information corresponding to the external-transmission-secret-key-information, in transmitting a mail, generating verification-information by encrypting first characteristic-amount-target-information including a characteristic-amount-target-item included in an outgoing-mail and adding, to the outgoing-mail header, the verification-information and characteristic-amount-target-item-information corresponding to the characteristic-amount-target-item, and, in receiving a mail, generating second characteristic-amount-target-information including a characteristic-amount-target-item indicated by the characteristic-amount-target-item-information added to the incoming-mail, decrypting the verification-information, generating third characteristic-amount-target-information, and verifying whether the second and the third coincide.
US09160531B2
According to one embodiment, encrypted secret identification information (E-SecretID) and the key management information (FKB) are read from a memory device. Encrypted management key (E-FKey) is obtained using the key management information (FKB) and index information (k). The index information (k) and the encrypted management key (E-FKey) are transmitted to the semiconductor memory device. An index key (INK) is generated using the first key information (NKey) and the received index information (k). The encrypted management key (E-FKey) is decrypted using the index key (INK) to obtain management key (FKey), which is transmitted to the host device.
US09160530B2
The invention provides a method of verifiable generation of public keys. According to the method, a self-signed signature is first generated and then used as input to the generation of a pair of private and public keys. Verification of the signature proves that the keys are generated from a key generation process utilizing the signature. A certification authority can validate and verify a public key generated from a verifiable key generation process.
US09160526B1
A method performed in a device is provided. The method includes (a) receiving key identification information from a key controller module on an external host, (b) obtaining a key identified by the key identification information from an external key server, (c) decrypting encrypted data from an encrypted storage system using the key, and (d) processing the decrypted data. A corresponding computer program product is also provided.
US09160521B2
A timing signal generation circuit includes: a phase comparison circuit to detect a phase difference between an input signal and a recovery clock; a control voltage signal generation unit to generate two phase differential control voltage signals, based on the detected phase difference; a timing detection circuit to detect timing in which the control voltage signals are inverted, and generate quadrant information of the phase difference of the control voltage signals and an inverted timing signal; a synthesized phase selection circuit to select clocks of two phases which are used for phase interpolation for each predetermined angle, from clocks of a plurality of phases, and generate a phase control signal for the phase interpolation, based on the control voltage signals and the quadrant information; and a phase synthesis circuit to generate the recovery clock by synthesizing the selected clocks of two phases, based on the phase control signal.
US09160507B2
A method and apparatus are provided for transmitting and receiving an uplink Sounding Reference Signal (SRS). The method includes receiving index information for an SRS; determining an SRS offset and an SRS period, based on the index information; and transmitting the SRS, based on the SRS offset and the SRS period. If the index information includes an integer from 10 to 644, the SRS period is selected among 5 ms, 10 ms, 20 ms, 40 ms, 80 ms, 160 ms, and 320 ms. If the index information includes an integer from 0 to 9, the SRS is transmitted twice in a period of 5 ms, and the SRS offset indicated by the index information is based on a predetermined table IndexOffset 00, 1 10, 2 21, 2 30, 3 50, 4 61, 4 72, 3 82, 4 9 3, 4.
US09160505B2
A method and apparatus are provided for transmitting and receiving an uplink Sounding Reference Signal (SRS). The method includes receiving index information for a sounding reference signal (SRS); determining an SRS offset, based on the index information; and transmitting the SRS, based on the SRS offset. If the index information includes an integer from 0 to 9, the SRS is transmitted twice in a period of 5 ms, and the SRS offset indicated by the index information is based on a predetermined table IndexOffset 00, 1 10, 2 21, 2 30, 3 50, 4 61, 4 72, 3 82, 4 9 3, 4.
US09160498B2
A transmission unit connected to a reception unit via a communication cable. The transmission unit includes: a diagnostic data transmitting section to transmit, to the reception unit via the communication cable, diagnostic data converted into signals under a signal conversion condition for a diagnosis, of which a value of at least one parameter is different from a signal conversion condition for a transmission defined as a data-to-signal conversion condition for transmitting data to the reception unit; and a diagnosing section to diagnose a status of the communication cable on the basis of a diagnostic data error rate measured by the reception unit receiving the diagnostic data.
US09160497B2
In embodiments, a user equipment (UE) may include an applications module and a communications module. The applications module may run an application and facilitate communications between the application and a remote server over a wireless communication network. The communications between the application and the remote server may initially be over a first interface selected based on a route table. The communications module may identify a second interface that is preferred to the first interface. The communications module may modify the route table to prioritize the second interface over the first interface. Additionally, the communications module may instruct the applications module to execute a reset operation to re-establish communications between the application and the remote server using the second interface.
US09160494B2
Systems and apparatus for providing distributed Automatic Repeat Request (ARQ) in a wireless communication system are described herein. In one embodiment, a relay station interconnects a base station of the wireless communication system and one or more mobile stations. A first ARQ process is performed for a first connection between the base station and the relay station. A separate second ARQ process is performed for a second connection between the relay station and a mobile station. In this manner, rather than having end-to-end ARQ between the base station and the mobile station, a distributed ARQ process is provided.
US09160485B2
A method and apparatus for encoding a transport block are provided. The method for encoding the transport block includes: determining, by a transmitter, a size of transport block; dividing, by the transmitter, the transport block into at least one code block based on the size of transport block; interleaving, by the transmitter, the at least one code block by an interleaver; and performing, by the transmitter, a turbo coding for the interleaved at least one code block, wherein the size of transport block is determined based on the number of the divided code blocks.
US09160481B2
An optical data system and method are disclosed. An optical data system includes an array of lasers that are modulated by the plurality of modulation signals to provide a plurality of pairs of orthogonally polarized optical data signals. The optical data system further includes an optical multiplexing system to combine each of the pairs of orthogonally polarized optical data signals to provide a plurality of dual-channel optical data signals.
US09160478B2
A colorless, directionless ROADM includes a pair of contentioned add and drop wavelength-selective optical switches, an input wavelength-selective optical switch having one input port, and an output wavelength-selective optical switch having one output port. Unintended input-to-output port couplings, which appear in the “contentioned” add and drop switches, can be mitigated by the input and output wavelength-selective optical switches carrying the through traffic.
US09160476B2
Both a wireless terminal apparatus and wireless base station apparatus are provided that can, in an operation of encoding the control signals of the upstream link transmitted from the multiple terminal stations while encoding with regard to each of the terminal stations, increase a number of the terminal stations to which different codes are respectively assigned. A wireless terminal apparatus includes: an encoding information receiving portion receiving encoding information which is used at the wireless terminal apparatus from the base station; a phase-shifting unit which conducts a phase-shifting operation on a predetermined first code based on the encoding information; a code selection unit which, based on the received encoding information, selects a second code from multiple codes orthogonally crossing each other; and a control signal encoding portion which conducts an encoding operation on the control signal that is going to be transmitted to the base station by using both the first code on which the phase-shifting operation has been conducted and the second code.
US09160470B2
This invention relates to a system and method for delivering a media object associated with a media stream broadcasted from a communication device to a broadcast receiving unit such as a personal computer, a multimedia terminal, a television receiver, a television, or any type of radio receiver, to a terminal such as a phone, a cellular or mobile phone, a personal computer, a television, or a personal office assistant.
US09160466B2
A method and system that provides for execution of a first calibration sequence, such as upon initialization of a system, to establish an operation value, which utilizes an algorithm intended to be exhaustive, and executing a second calibration sequence from time to time, to measure drift in the parameter, and to update the operation value in response to the measured drift. The second calibration sequence utilizes less resources of the communication channel than does the first calibration sequence. In one embodiment, the first calibration sequence for measurement and convergence on the operation value utilizes long calibration patterns, such as codes that are greater than 30 bytes, or pseudorandom bit sequences having lengths of 2N−1 bits, where N is equal to or greater than 7, while the second calibration sequence utilizes short calibration patterns, such as fixed codes less than 16 bytes, and for example as short as 2 bytes long.
US09160463B2
A customer premises equipment (“CPE”) device for use with a cable signal provided by a cable system. The CPE device includes an antenna and a signal processing system. The antenna receives an interfering radio frequency (“RF”) signal generated by one or more external wireless signal sources as a copy signal. The signal processing system receives the interfering RF signal, the cable signal, and the copy signal, modifies the copy signal to produce a processed copy signal, and combines the cable signal, the interfering RF signal, and the processed copy signal to produce a combined signal. The signal processing system also monitors error rate values of the combined signal, and adjusts the copy signal such that the copy signal at least partially cancels the interfering RF signal in the combined signal thereby reducing the error rate values of the combined signal.
US09160460B2
A noise cancelling device includes an extracting unit configured to extract a first noise from a signal, the signal being based on an input audio signal, a storing unit configured to store noise characteristic information on a second noise, the second noise remaining after subtracting the extracted first noise from the signal based on the audio signal. And the device further includes a cancelling unit configured to perform cancelling processing for cancelling a noise on the input audio signal based on the first noise and the noise characteristic information on the second noise.
US09160450B2
A transceiver comprising at least one chip comprising at least a first array of long-wavelength VCSELs and at least a second array of receiving optical devices, an optical interface optically coupled to the VCSELs and the receiving optical devices and configured to optically couple with an optical connector, transmitting and receiving circuitry electrically connected the VCSELs and the receiving optical devices, and adapted for connecting to an electrical connector, and a frame for holding the chip, the optical interface, and the transmitting and receiving circuitry.
US09160436B1
Systems and methods are provided for decoding a signal vector in a transmit diversity scheme for varying channels. Information obtained in more than one symbol period are treated as a single received vector, and each of the received signal vectors may be processed to reduce the effects of varying channel characteristics. The received signal vectors may be combined by addition and decoded using a maximum-likelihood decoder. In some embodiments, the received signal vectors are processed separately and then combined. In other embodiments, the received signal vectors are combined and then processed. In some embodiments, zero-forced linear equalization techniques are used to processed the received signals. In some embodiments the signal vectors and varying channel response matrices are broken down to equivalent forms in order to simplify the processing.
US09160414B2
A power supply system providing communication from a master module to at least one slave module via transients, to alter operation of a load, is provided. The master module output a supply voltage that is either a normal supply voltage or a reduced supply voltage. The outputted supply voltage depends on input corresponding to a communication to be sent to the slave module to alter operation of the load of the slave module. The slave module receives the supply voltage and interprets the received supply voltage, which may vary between the normal and reduced supply voltages, to determine what the communication from the master module is. The slave module then uses information from the communication to appropriately alter operation of its load.
US09160413B2
A transmitter for transmitting data signals to at least one communications device over a wired network on a plurality of carriers is provided, wherein the carriers are located in frequencies being allocated by one or more radio services, wherein each of the radio services is allocated to one or a plurality of frequency bands, the transmitter comprising a symbol generator configured to generate symbols based on the data signals; a processor configured to generate copies of the symbols and to determine an allocation of the copies onto the plurality of carriers, wherein a first copy and a second copy of each symbol are allocated to carriers located in frequency bands that are allocated to different radio services; and a modulator configured to modulate the copies of the symbols on the carriers in accordance with the determined allocation.
US09160400B2
A method of controlling a low power radio receiver including controlling the radio receiver for a first, relatively short, period of time to detect radio transmissions in a predetermined frequency band, and determining whether to control the radio receiver for a subsequent second relatively longer period of time to receive data from a subsequent radio transmission in the predetermined frequency band.
US09160398B2
Disclosed are a method and an apparatus for transmitting a sparse signal, and a method and an apparatus for recovering the sparse signal. The method for recovering a sparse signal by using a sparse signal recovering device that recovers a target signal from a received signal includes receiving a measurement signal with a noise signal from a sparse signal transmitting device which scans a target signal based on a measurement matrix, performing a mutual update procedure in which a likelihood probability is calculated by using a posterior probability of the target signal based on a relation between the target signal and the measurement signal, and the posterior probability is updated by using the likelihood probability, and recovering the target signal by performing maximum a posterior estimation for a final posterior probability output through the mutual update procedure.
US09160393B2
Disclosed is a mobile terminal. The mobile terminal of the present invention comprises: a front case having a keypad-accommodating portion; a rear case attachably/detachably coupled to a rear surface of the front case; an intermediate case which is interposed between the front case and the rear case and assembled to the front case and the rear case, and at one side of which a main PCB is assembled; a keypad having a plurality of key buttons and made of a flexible material, accommodated in the keypad-accommodating portion of the front case; and a touch screen arranged on the front case in the vicinity of the keypad. As the mobile terminal of the present invention has both the keypad and the touch screen, operating convenience is improved in terms of storage, maintenance and information management as compared to conventional mobile terminals.
US09160389B2
A hybrid combining method in a receiver is provided, and the method includes that wideband combining, e.g. using a maximum ratio combining (MRC) or an interference rejection combing (IRC) process, to combine signals distributed over a first plurality of subcarrier frequencies from antennas in the same polarization direction is performed, resulting in a combined signal for each polarization direction that is distributed over a smaller number of subcarrier frequencies, then a two-port narrowband IRC is done of these wideband combined signals for the two polarization directions, resulting in a diversity combined signal.
US09160387B2
Aspects of the disclosure can provide a circuit to be used in a device. The circuit includes a first receiver circuit, a second receiver circuit and a processing circuit. The first receiver circuit is configured to receive a first signal from an antenna that captures a combination of a target signal transmitted from another device to the device and an output signal driven by a transmitter in the device. The second receiver circuit is configured to receive a second signal generated based on to the output signal. The processing circuit is configured to cancel from the first signal noise due to the output signal based on the second signal.
US09160377B2
Exemplary embodiments are directed to an amplifier module which may comprise a transmit path including a first amplifier and a second amplifier. The exemplary amplifier module may further include a transformer coupled between the first amplifier and the second amplifier and switchably configured for coupling the first amplifier in series with the second amplifier in a first mode and coupling the first amplifier to bypass the second amplifier in a second mode.
US09160374B2
An accelerated erasure coding system includes a processing core for executing computer instructions and accessing data from a main memory, and a non-volatile storage medium for storing the computer instructions. The processing core, storage medium, and computer instructions are configured to implement an erasure coding system, which includes: a data matrix for holding original data in the main memory; a check matrix for holding check data in the main memory; an encoding matrix for holding first factors in the main memory, the first factors being for encoding the original data into the check data; and a thread for executing on the processing core. The thread includes: a parallel multiplier for concurrently multiplying multiple entries of the data matrix by a single entry of the encoding matrix; and a first sequencer for ordering operations through the data matrix and the encoding matrix using the parallel multiplier to generate the check data.
US09160359B2
According to an embodiment, an analog-to-digital (AD) converter includes a first AD conversion unit, a selector and a second AD conversion unit. The first AD conversion unit performs AD conversion of an analog signal in a first period to generate an upper-bit digital signal. The selector selects not less than one reference voltage based on the upper-bit digital signal to obtain a selected reference voltage group in a voltage range narrower than a full scale. The second AD conversion unit performs AD conversion of the analog signal by using the selected reference voltage group. The first period starts before settling of the analog signal up to an accuracy corresponding to a total resolution of the first AD conversion unit and the second AD conversion unit.
US09160354B1
A frequency mixer is disclosed. In an implementation, the multi-LO band switched-core includes a single field-effect transistor (FET) ring having a first mixer core and a second mixer core. The first mixer core and the second mixer core configured to connect to a radio frequency (RF) port and an intermediate frequency (IF) port. The frequency mixer also includes a first local oscillator (LO) transformer and a second LO transformer. The first LO transformer is configured to furnish a first LO signal occurring in a first limited range of frequencies to the first mixer core, and the second LO transformer is configured to furnish a second LO signal occurring in a second limited range of frequencies to the second mixer core.
US09160351B2
A phase-locked loop circuit, a phase converter module thereof and a phase-locked controlling method are disclosed herein. The phase converter module is suitable for a phase-locked loop circuit including a digitally-controlled oscillator (DCO) for generating an oscillator output signal and a divider for converting the oscillator output signal into N-phased oscillator output signals. The phase converter module includes a period extender, a phase finder and a time-to-digital converter. The period extender is configured for extending the N-phased oscillator output signals into M*N-phased oscillator output signals corresponding to M oscillation period of the digitally-controlled oscillator. The phase finder is configured for sampling the oscillator output signal with the M*N-phased oscillator output signals to calculate an estimated value of the fractional phase part. The time-to-digital converter is configured to calculate a precise value of the fractional phase part within one sub-period.
US09160340B2
An output circuit includes a driver circuit and a node control circuit. The driver circuit includes a first transistor and a second transistor. The first transistor includes one end coupled to an external terminal and the other end coupled to a first node. The second transistor includes one end coupled to the first node and the other end coupled to a wiring that is supplied with a power supply voltage. When the first transistor and the second transistor are deactivated, the node control circuit supplies a node control signal based on a voltage of the external terminal to the first node.
US09160338B2
A method for implementing an adaptive interface between at least one FPGA with at least one FPGA application and at least one I/O module, which are designed as the corresponding sender side or receiver side, for connection to the FPGA, whereby a serial interface is formed between the at least one FPGA and the at least one I/O module, comprising the steps of configuring a maximum number of registers to be transmitted for each FPGA application, configuring a shared, fixed register width for all registers, setting an enable signal on the sender side for the registers to be transmitted out of the maximum number of registers to be transmitted, transmitting the enable signal from the sender side to the receiver side, and transmitting the registers, for which the enable signal is set, from the sender side to the receiver side.
US09160336B2
Disclosed is a system and method for providing a critical path replica system in a circuit. A critical path replica system is created by determining a critical path in a circuit, generating a critical path replica circuit, generating a circuit blueprint, and creating the blueprinted circuit. The circuit comprises a functional logic module having functional logic elements and replica logic modules having logic elements. Each logic element is configured to replicate one or more of the functional logic elements and process a test signal. A replica error detection module analyzes the processed signal to determine whether a timing violation has occurred. In some embodiments, the replica logic module further comprises one or more load modules. A replica controller may modify operation of the circuit based on reported errors. A replica mode select module sets the replica logic module to an aging test mode or a timing sensor mode.
US09160327B2
A semiconductor device including an input terminal to receive an input signal and an output terminal to output an output signal includes delay elements connected in series with the input terminal and each to assign the delay to the input signal input from the input terminal, selectors connected to output sides of the delay elements and each to select one of output signals of the delay elements based on a selection signal for selecting the one of the output signals of the delay elements to return the selected one of the output signals to the output terminal, and delay circuits disposed corresponding to the selectors and each to cause switching of the selection signal input into a corresponding one of the selectors to occur after switching of a signal level of the input signal input into the corresponding one of the selectors serving as a signal turning point.
US09160326B2
Providing gate protection to a group III-semiconductor device by delivering gate overdrive immunity is described herein. The gate protection can be achieved by embedding a gate-voltage-controlling second transistor to the gate electrode of a first transistor. In other words, a first gate electrode of the first semiconductor device is in series with a second source electrode of the second semiconductor device, and a second gate electrode of the second semiconductor device is connected to the second source electrode and the first gate electrode.
US09160324B2
A buffer circuit includes a buffering unit suitable for buffering an input signal and outputting an output signal and a feedback control unit suitable for adjusting a slew rate of the input signal in response to the output signal.
US09160316B2
A digital controlled oscillator includes: a delay circuit which includes m elements transmitting a pulse signal with delay; a timing signal generator generating a timing signal corresponding to timing-selection data from passing signals, based on the timing-selection data specifying any of timings which are obtained by dividing a circulation period of the pulse signal by m×n; and an output signal generator which sets the timing-selection data based on control data specifying a period of an output pulse signal and the timing-selection data, and generates the output pulse signal based on the timing-selection data by using the timing signal. The timing signal generator generates the timings obtained by dividing the circulation period by m×n by using pulse edge shift circuits which generate n shift signals whose timings differ by a unit delay from one input signal, the unit delay being 1/n of delay time in the element.
US09160314B2
In an embodiment of the invention, a flip-flop circuit contains a 2-input multiplexer, a master latch, a transfer gate and a slave latch. The scan enable control signals SE and SEN of the multiplexer determine whether data or scan data is input to the master latch. The clock signals CLK and CLKN and retention control signals RET and RETN determine when the master latch is latched. The slave latch is configured to receive the output of the master latch, a second data bit D2, the clock signals CLK and CLN, the retain control signals RET and RETN, the slave control signals SS and SSN. The signals CLK, CLKN, RET, RETN, SS and SSN determine whether the output of the master latch or the second data bit D2 is latched in the slave latch. Control signals RET and RETN determine when data is stored in the slave latch during retention mode.
US09160307B2
At least one duplexer includes first and second balanced terminals. A mount electrode layer includes a first balanced mount electrode, which is connected to the first balanced terminal, and a second balanced mount electrode, which is connected to the second balanced terminal. An internal electrode layer includes at least one internal ground electrode. When viewing a mount board from a side on which the duplexer is mounted, the first and second balanced mount electrodes do not oppose the same internal ground electrode.
US09160302B2
A method and system for an acoustic wave band reject filter are disclosed. According to one aspect, an acoustic wave band reject filter includes a substrate and a plurality of acoustic wave band reject filter circuit blocks. The substrate includes bonding pads formed on the substrate. Each one of the plurality of acoustic wave band reject filter circuit blocks is fixed on a separate die. Each separate die has solder balls on a side of the die facing the substrate. The solder balls are positioned to electrically connect the bonding pads formed on the substrate to electrodes of the dies.
US09160293B2
An innovative analog circuit design using digital components is disclosed. Embodiments of the present invention includes, but not limited to analog amplifiers and comparators. An amplifier of an embodiment of the present invention includes an inverter, a plurality of switches, offset capacitor and flying capacitor. The one terminal of the offset capacitor is connected to the input of the inverter. During setup phase of clock signals, the switches are configured to connect input and output of the inverter and to connect the flying capacitor to input terminals of the amplifier, respectively, for storing a differential input voltage. Then, during the enable phase of the clock signals, the switches are configured to connect the first terminal of the second capacitor and the first terminal of the first capacitor, and to connect the second terminal of the second capacitor to the output of the inverter.
US09160290B2
A Class D power amplifier is for driving a load between first and second output nodes defined between two bridges. A controller is adapted to derive an amplifier hold signal when an overcurrent state is detected in an output bridge, and to prevent switching of the other output bridge between the two main output states.
US09160285B2
A signal amplifier having an inverted topology may include: a first common source-type amplifying unit connected to a power supply terminal and amplifying a first band signal among input signals; a second common source-type amplifying unit connected to a ground terminal and amplifying a second band signal among input signals; and an output matching unit performing impedance matching with respect to a first band between the first common source-type amplifying unit and an output terminal and performing impedance matching with respect to a second band between the second common source-type amplifying unit and the output terminal. The first common source-type amplifying unit, the output matching unit, and the second common source-type amplifying unit may form a single current path between the power supply terminal and the ground terminal.
US09160278B2
Peak information about an envelope of a high frequency signal extracted from an output of a high frequency power amplifier (101) and information about a power supply voltage applied to the high frequency power amplifier (101) are detected. In order to suppress HCI degradation based on an additional value that is calculated by addition of the information, a controller (10) controls a power supply voltage regulation circuit (125) and a current regulation circuit (126), thereby automatically regulating a power supply voltage and an operating current for the high frequency power amplifier (101). Even when an output voltage exceeds the power supply voltage, a maximum value of a voltage applied to a transistor can be identified, so that HCI degradation can be suppressed.
US09160271B2
A power conversion device formed of a converter for rectifying a single-phase AC voltage to a DC voltage and an inverter for driving an AC motor by converting the DC voltage to an AC voltage includes: a first compensation unit that uses a frequency component twice the frequency of the single-phase AC voltage with respect to the DC voltage outputted from the converter or a current outputted from the inverter as a compensation value for at least one of a torque command value, a current command value, a voltage command value, a frequency command value, and a phase angle command value; and a second compensation unit that uses the DC voltage outputted from the converter or a current outputted from the inverter after being subjected to low frequency cut-off processing and gain processing.
US09160267B2
A reference current phase sensing part of a sensor phase (W) calculates an α-axis current iα and a β-axis current iβ in a fixed coordinate system formed with respect to a sensor phase as a base. The α-axis current iα is calculated based on a sensed current iw.sns of the sensor phase and a β-axis current iβ is calculated based on command currents iu* and iv* of the other two phases (U, V) determined from a d-axis command current id* and a q-axis command current iq*. Then a current phase xθ=tan−1(iβ/iα) is calculated. A basic wave estimating part calculates an estimated current iu.est of the other phase by calculating an estimation coefficient corresponding to the reference current phase xθ of the sensor phase and multiplying the sensed current iw.sns of the sensor phase by the estimation coefficient.
US09160251B2
In a rotary electric machine, an on-timing setter sets on-timings of each of a high-side switching element and a low-side switching element for each of at least two three-phase stator windings. An off-timing setter sets off-timings of each of the high-side switching element and the low-side switching element. An off-timing fault determiner determines a fault of an off-timing of a target switching element as one of the high-side switching element and the low-side switching element set by the off-timing setter when a time interval from the off-timing of the target switching element set by the off-timing setter to time when a phase voltage corresponding to the target switching element reaches a threshold after the off-timing thereof is shorter than a preset value.
US09160245B2
Described is a method for operating a converter for a system for generating electrical energy. In an embodiment of the method, the output voltage of the converter is converted to a d, q coordinate system, wherein the d, q coordinate system is assigned to the frequency of the voltage for the energy supply grid. A desired value is furthermore specified in the d, q coordinate system, several momentary or future values are determined from the output voltage in the d, q coordinate system for different switch positions of the converter, deviations between the desired value and the momentary or future values are determined in the d, q coordinate system, and the converter is switched to one of the switch positions in dependence on these deviations.
US09160228B1
This disclosure describes systems, methods and articles of a passive EMI filter integrated with an active boost converter for low-side line transients and/or an active clipper for high-side line transients. During steady-state operation, the active circuitry is disabled so the circuit functions as a passive EMI filter. Inductive and capacitive components used in the passive EMI filter during steady-state operation may serve a dual role and become part of a boost converter when input voltage is below a low-line steady-state and, in some variations, the inductive and capacitive components may become part of a transient clipper when the input voltage is above a high-line steady-state level. The transient clipper may be implemented as a linear pass element or as a switch-mode converter (e.g., buck converter).
US09160224B2
A load control device for controlling the power delivered from an AC power source to an electrical load includes a thyristor, a gate coupling circuit for conducting a gate current through a gate of the thyristor, and a control circuit for controlling the gate coupling circuit to conduct the gate current through a first current path to render the thyristor conductive at a firing time during a half cycle. The gate coupling circuit is able to conduct the gate current through the first current path again after the firing time, but the gate current is not able to be conducted through the gate from a transition time before the end of the half-cycle until approximately the end of the half-cycle. The load current is able to be conducted through a second current path to the electrical load after the transition time until approximately the end of the half-cycle.
US09160217B2
A busbar unit is arranged on an axial end portion of a stator and electrically connected with a plurality of coil wire terminals arranged to project in an axial direction above the axial end portion of the stator. The busbar unit includes a plurality of busbars each including a body portion defined by an electrically conductive wire having an annular or “C” shape, the body portion being arranged around an axis of the stator; a holder member arranged on the axial end portion of the stator to hold the busbars; and a plurality of terminal members each including a busbar connection portion connected with the body portion of one of the busbars, and a coil connection portion connected with one of the coil wire terminals.
US09160216B2
In one aspect, a grounding device for an electric machine having a rotatable shaft is provided. The grounding device includes a wire core having a first end and a second end, and a plurality of conductive fibers coupled to the wire core and extending therefrom. The wire core is configured to couple to the electric machine with at least a portion of the plurality of conductive fibers contacting the shaft such that an electrostatic charge on the shaft is directed through the grounding device to ground.
US09160213B2
Various methods and systems are provided for regulating traction motor temperature via control of a traction motor blower. In one embodiment, a method comprises adjusting a speed of a traction motor blower based on ambient temperature, traction motor loss, and one or more traction motor temperatures.
US09160211B2
An electric grasscutter includes a motor (50) which drives a rotary blade (42). The motor (50) is a brushless motor accommodated in a motor housing (51) and including a rotor (53) provided integrally with an output shaft (52), and a stator (54) fixed to the motor housing (51). A motor control circuit which drives the motor (50) is accommodated in the motor housing (51). The motor control circuit includes an inverter having FETs (81-86) as switching elements, and a control section to control the FETs (81-86). The FETs (81-86) are fixed in contact with the motor housing (51).
US09160209B2
A blower for a downdraft cooktop that includes a blower housing, having a top portion and a bottom portion, which includes an inlet that can be fluidly coupled to a downdraft cooktop and an outlet for removing air from the blower housing, a fan located between the input and the outlet of the blower housing, a motor having a rotor with a shaft, having a top portion and a bottom portion, and a stator, wherein the bottom portion of the rotor is operatively attached to the fan, a rotatable member operatively attached to the top portion of the rotor, and a motor housing enclosing the motor, having a top portion, a bottom portion, at least one inlet opening and at least one outlet opening, wherein air for cooling the motor is drawn through the motor housing without utilizing the air located within the blower housing.
US09160208B2
A generator motor connected to an output shaft of an engine mounted in a work machine includes a terminal box for connecting an exterior electric-power-supplying cable to the generator motor. The terminal box includes a casing having an inner space in communication with an inside of a housing of the generator motor. A casing of the terminal box is detachably provided to the housing of the generator motor.
US09160194B2
The present invention discloses a bi-directional switching regulator and a control circuit of the bi-directional switching regulator. The bi-directional switching regulator includes a power stage, an operation circuit, and a power path management circuit. The operation circuit generates a first operation signal to control a boost conversion operation or a buck conversion operation of the power stage. The power path management circuit includes a power path switch electrically connected between the output terminal and the battery, for controlling a charging operation from the output terminal to the battery. The operation circuit generates the first operation signal so that: (1) the output voltage is determined by a sum of a safety offset and the battery voltage; or (2) the output voltage is determined by a higher one between a predetermined voltage level and the sum of the safety offset and the battery voltage.
US09160188B2
Provided is an apparatus and method for displaying a strength of power and an expected charge completion time during wireless charging. To this end, a first electronic device, upon receiving a power request message, converts stored or wirelessly supplied power into a wirelessly-transmittable form and transmits the converted power. A second electronic device, upon receiving a charging command, determines whether being located in a distance and a position which allow charging with the first electronic device, transmits the power request message to the first electronic device, receives the converted power from the first electronic device to measure the strength of the received power, and calculates an expected charge completion time by using the detected strength of power, if the second electronic device is located in the distance and position which allow charging.
US09160183B2
A portable battery charging apparatus having two or more battery charging interfaces on separate panels. Wires electrically couple the battery charging apparatuses to a charger unit. The wires are routed for flexibility to fold and unfold the panels. The battery charging apparatuses and the charging unit may be connected to a flexible material. Each battery charging apparatus may include two or more charging jacks for the same or different batteries. The charger unit has an input to receive a power source, and an output to power a further device, for example a further battery charging apparatus.
US09160178B2
An energy storage system that includes a battery module including a plurality of battery cells, a battery management module connected to the battery cells through a plurality of first wires, detecting voltages of the battery cells and performing first cell balancing operations of the battery cells, and an external balancing module connected to the battery cells through a plurality of second wires, discharging the battery cells to a predetermined voltage and performing second cell balancing operations of the battery cells.
US09160172B2
A system for determining the output capacity of a power generating system including a sensor that monitors at least one condition of the power generating system and outputs the monitored condition data, and a power capability determination device that dynamically determines a full capacity of the power generating system based upon the outputted environmental data from the electronic controller.
US09160170B2
A power generator park provided, which includes at least two power generator devices. Each power generator device has a switching converter for providing an electrical output power. A central controller is provided for providing switching parameter settings to the switching converters. Each of the at least two power generator devices further includes a timing unit for receiving a common time signal. The switching converter of each of the at least two power generator devices is configured for controlling at least one switching parameter in response to the respective switching parameter setting with a temporal coordination based on the common time signal.
US09160166B2
An apparatus includes a first set of circuits adapted to operate in a first mode of operation of the apparatus. The apparatus further includes a second set of circuits adapted to operate in a second mode of operation of the apparatus, where a power consumption of the apparatus is lower in the second mode of operation of the apparatus than in the first mode of operation of the apparatus. The apparatus also includes a charge pump adapted to convert a first supply voltage of the apparatus to a second supply voltage, and the second supply voltage powers the second set of circuits.
US09160147B2
A spark plug having excellent load life performance, and a method of manufacturing the same, the spark plug having a connecting portion which electrically connects a center electrode and a metallic terminal within the axial hole of an insulator, the connecting portion including a resistor whose porosity is 5.0% or less.
US09160143B2
A wavelength tunable laser emission device (1) comprises: a first waveguide (31) comprising an optical amplification means for producing a stimulated light emission, the first waveguide extending in a longitudinal direction of the emission device, a second waveguide (5) made of silicon on silicon dioxide and disposed parallel to the first waveguide spaced from the first waveguide in a vertical direction of the emission device so as to allow the existence of a hybrid optical mode coupled at one and the same time to the second waveguide and to the first waveguide, the second waveguide comprising a distributed reflector (9) along the second waveguide, the second waveguide comprising transverse zones (11, 12, 13, 14) doped differently so as to form a polar junction oriented in a transverse direction of the emission device. Electrodes (15, 16) coupled to the doped transverse zones modify an effective index seen by the hybrid optical mode.
US09160139B2
Laser emission device with integrated light modulator comprising: a multilayer waveguide comprising, on a support layer, a first guiding layer, a first doped layer, a second guiding layer of light amplifying material, and a biasing second doped layer opposite the first doped layer, the waveguide comprising a laser amplification section (50), a light modulation section (52) comprising an extraction zone for radiating the light, a transition section (51) inserted between the laser amplification section and the light modulation section, a positive first electrode for injecting a pumping current into the laser amplification section, a positive second electrode for injecting a modulation signal into the modulation section, a negative third electrode, and a reference fourth electrode, the second doped layer comprising an electrical insulation situated in the transition section to form a resistive channel.
US09160134B2
A laser includes a total reflective mirror, an output mirror, a discharge lamp, and an active laser medium. The total reflective mirror, the output mirror, and the discharge lamp define a resonant cavity. The active laser medium is filled in the resonant cavity. The total reflective mirror includes a microstructure. The microstructure is convex ring-shaped structure. The convex ring-shaped structure has a height and a width, and both the height and the width are in a range from about 0.5λ to about 2λ, while λ is a working wavelength of the laser.
US09160132B2
The present invention greatly reduces the likelihood that fiber fusion will occur. A laser apparatus comprises an excitation light source and an optical amplifier unit, which optically amplifies by receiving excitation light that is output from the excitation light source and that transits an optical fiber. A monitor unit monitors the power level of the excitation light transmitted from the excitation light source to the optical amplifier unit side via the optical fiber. At the initial start of the output of the excitation light from the excitation light source, once the excitation light is being output at the prescribed power level by the excitation light source, the control unit performs control such that the excitation light at a power level higher than the prescribed power level is output if the power level monitored by the monitor unit is greater than or equal to a prescribed value when the excitation light at the prescribed power level is being output from the excitation light source and such that the output of the excitation light is stopped if the power level monitored by the monitor unit is less than the prescribed value when the excitation light at the prescribed power level is being output from the excitation light source.
US09160131B2
A laser includes a Ti:sapphire gain-medium in the form of a thin-disk. The thin-disk gain-medium is optically pumped by pump-radiation pulses having a wavelength in the green region of the electromagnetic spectrum. The pump-radiation pulses have a duration less than twice the excited-state lifetime of the gain-medium.
US09160125B2
A battery adapter can include a plurality of machine-side-connecting sections capable of being connected to a plurality of battery-connecting ports provided on an electric machine, and a battery-side-connecting section(s) to which a battery or batteries can be connected. The number of the machine-side-connecting sections is preferably configured to be larger than the number of the battery-side-connecting section(s). Further, the electric machine is preferably connected to the machine-side-connecting sections of the battery adapter through its battery-connecting ports. The electric machine can be driven by the battery or batteries connected to the battery-side-connecting section(s) of the battery adapter.
US09160122B2
An electrical connector includes a fixed housing, a movable housing, and socket terminals. Each of the socket terminals includes a movable portion, a base, a front contact-point portion, and a rear contact-point portion. The movable portion includes a first extension, a hairpin portion, and a second extension, and elastically supports the movable housing so as to be displaceable relative to the fixed housing. The base is fixed to the movable housing and continuous with the second extension. The front contact-point portion and the rear contact-point portion extend from the base in an insertion/extraction direction and contact the plug terminal. A cutout portion, which faces the second extension and the hairpin portion, is formed is a side surface of the base adjacent to the movable portion, and at least part of the movable portion is disposed in a recess formed by the cutout portion.
US09160111B2
A fully embedded electronic plug-in card pluggable into a slot of a plug-in socket having a plurality of elastic guide arms includes a main body, a plurality of conductive plates and a recessed structure. The main body can be wholly plugged into the plug-in socket without protruding out from the plug-in socket. The conductive plate is mounted onto the main body, and exposed from a side of the main body, and each conductive plate is electrically coupled to each respective elastic guide arm. The recessed structure is disposed on the main body and at a position corresponding to the slot of the plug-in socket. The electronic plug-in card can be plugged into the plug-in socket all the time to save the trouble and inconvenience of plugging the card for use or unplugging the card for removal.
US09160109B2
A connector assembly having a first connector portion, which has a lever that is configured to slide a pair of cam track structures, and a second connector portion that includes a plurality of cam followers that are received into cam tracks in the cam track structures. The lever can be operated to draw the first connector portion toward the second connector portion to couple first and second terminals together.
US09160094B2
Disclosed is a wire array rubber connector (10), including: an electrical insulating rubber (2); and a plurality of conductive metal wires (1) that are arrayed in a thickness direction of the electrical insulating rubber so as to pass through front and back surfaces of the electrical insulating rubber, and localized so as to be electrically connectable to electrical terminals that are disposed at predetermined positions on the front and back surfaces of the electrical insulating rubber. The electrical insulating rubber (2) is a flame-resistant rubber achieving V-0 based on the UL-94 standard. This wire array rubber connector (10) is obtained by: mixing a plurality of conductive metal wires having a predetermined length into a liquid thermosetting electrical insulating rubber material; applying a magnetic field from a thickness direction of the rubber material using an electromagnet that is patterned in a predetermined pattern so that the conductive metal wires are arrayed in the thickness direction and localized; and curing the rubber material by heating, thereby providing the wire array rubber connector with high flame resistance and with low transmission loss in a high frequency region.
US09160092B2
A junction box adapted to provide an electrical connection to an electrical wire attached to a photovoltaic panel. The junction box has a lower portion which has an entry slot to allow entry of the wire into the junction box and a raised protrusion over which the wire is bent and formed to be substantially in the same shape as the raised protrusion. The junction box also has a clamp adapted to be attachable to said lower portion, whereby the clamp holds the wire in place for providing the electrical connection. The wire is preferably bus ribbon. The lower portion preferably has an elastic polymeric element disposed between the raised portion and the wire. The raised protrusion may have an elastic polymeric element.
US09160082B2
A sleeve contact includes a base body, a clamping sleeve, and a spring. The base body includes a receiving region. The clamping sleeve displaceable against the base body. The spring has first and second S-curve sections and is mounted at one end to the base body to thereby form a lever having a short lever arm from the end to the first S-curve section and a long lever arm from the end to the second S-curve section. The clamping sleeve acts on the spring as the contact sleeve displaces to produce a contact force towards the receiving region such that the long lever arm is pressed by the clamping sleeve towards the receiving region to thereby cause the short lever arm to bear against a plug contact inserted into the receiving region.
US09160072B2
An antenna system includes a main array and a guard array. The main array has an antenna pattern that includes a main beam and multiple side lobes that are concentrated in distinct side lobe regions. The guard array includes an antenna pattern that encompasses both the main beam and the side lobe regions of the main array. In addition, an outer boundary of the antenna pattern of the guard array roughly tracks an outer boundary of the distinct side lobe regions of the main array. In at least one embodiment, the main array is a rectangular or quasi-rectangular array having side lobes concentrated within two orthogonal ridges and the guard array comprises one of a cross-guard array, an L-guard array, and a T-guard array.
US09160068B2
Systems and methods are provided for arranging antennas in an electronic device (200). According to one aspect, the electronic device includes a housing (202) and an antenna arrangement. The antenna arrangement includes a first volume (206) positioned adjacent to an edge (212) of the housing, the first volume enclosing a first antenna structure (230) shaped substantially according to a geometry of the edge; a second volume (208) positioned adjacent to a first corner (216) of an opposing edge (214) of the housing, the second volume including a second antenna structure (232) shaped substantially according to a geometry of the first corner; and a third volume (210) adjacent to a second corner (218) of the opposing edge, the third volume including a third antenna structure (234) shaped substantially according to a geometry of the second corner, wherein the first, second, and third volumes do not overlap and are discontinuous.
US09160066B2
The present disclosure discloses a unipolar antenna, a wireless access apparatus and a wireless router. The unipolar antenna of the present disclosure comprises a medium substrate, as well as a power feeding point, a feeder line and a metal structure that are disposed on a surface of the medium substrate. The feeder line is connected to the power feeding point, and the feeder line and the metal structure are coupled with each other. The unipolar antenna, the wireless access apparatus and the wireless router of the present disclosure can transmit or receive electromagnetic signals of two or more different wavebands simultaneously so that they can operate within multiple operation wavebands in a single-frequency mode and operate within different operation wavebands simultaneously in a multi-frequency mode. Thereby, the antenna can be miniaturized on the premise of satisfying the performance requirements of the communication devices.
US09160063B2
A wrist-worn device monitors movements of a user. A curvilinear body of the wrist-worn device includes a plurality of flex areas, and an internal spine member of the wrist-worn device extends through the curvilinear body. A flexible circuit member is wrapped around and connected to the spine member. The flexible circuit member interconnects a controller and one or more sensors of a sensor assembly within the body. A solder mask applied to the flexible circuit member includes a curvilinear edge that distributes stress caused by flexing of the flexible circuit member.
US09160059B2
The disclosure provides an antenna device and mobile terminal including such an antenna device. The antenna device includes a coil including a conductor wound around a plate-shaped magnetic core. A flat conductor is positioned adjacent to the coil, and the coil is positioned such that it is closer than the flat conductor to an antenna of a communication partner positioned near the antenna device. The coil conductor includes a first conductor portion adjacent to a first main surface of the magnetic core and a second conductor portion adjacent to a second main surface thereof. The magnetic core and the coil conductor form an antenna coil. A circuit substrate includes a ground electrode formation area and a ground electrode non-formation area. The antenna coil is mounted on the ground electrode non-formation area of the circuit substrate with the first main surface of the magnetic core facing the circuit substrate.
US09160056B2
Electronic devices are provided that contain wireless communications circuitry. The wireless communications circuitry may include radio-frequency transceiver circuitry and antenna structures. An inverted-F antenna may have first and second short circuit legs and a feed leg. The first and second short circuit legs and the feed leg may be connected to a folded antenna resonating element arm. The antenna resonating element arm and the first short circuit leg may be formed from portions of a conductive electronic device bezel. The folded antenna resonating element arm may have a bend. The bezel may have a gap that is located at the bend. Part of the folded resonating element arm may be formed from a conductive trace on a dielectric member. A spring may be used in connecting the conductive trace to the electronic device bezel portion of the antenna resonating element arm.
US09160055B2
According to one embodiment, a wireless device is provided with a semiconductor chip, a substrate, an antenna, and a sealing material. The chip includes a wireless circuit. The substrate has a plurality of terminals arranged on a first surface and the chip arranged on a second surface. The antenna includes a radiation element and is electrically connected to the chip. The sealing material seals the chip and the antenna. A distance between a first wall of the sealing material substantially parallel to the second surface and the radiation element is equal to or more than a distance between a second wall of the sealing material substantially perpendicular to the second surface and the radiation element.
US09160051B2
An RF combiner/divider includes an input switch, an output switch, an impedance-matching transmission network for connecting the input switch to the output switch, and a control circuit connected to the input switch and the impedance-matching transmission network. The RF combiner/divider is used for automatic impedance transformation for impedance-matching. The RF combiner/divider is suitable for use in an RF system with a changeable number of combiner/divider branches.
US09160048B2
A semiconductor device includes: a terminal configured to input a signal from a signal source; a receiver configured to receive the signal from the signal source through the terminal; and a terminal circuit configured to be coupled between the terminal and an input end of the receiver, and to suppress reflected wave caused by signal reflection at the receiver, wherein impedance of a wire line connecting the terminal and the input end of the receiver, and direct-current impedance of a resistance component included in the terminal circuit are set lower than impedance of an external wire line connected to the terminal.
US09160046B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide for a transmission circuit that includes a transmission line and a conductive via. The transmission line is electrically coupled to a first conductive via and a second conductive via. The first conductive via includes a first via stub, wherein the transmission line is configured to transmit a signal that is coupled to the first conductive via, and wherein the first via stub extends beyond the transmission line. The second conductive via includes a second via stub, wherein the transmission line is configured to transmit a signal that is coupled to the second conductive via, and wherein the second via stub extends beyond the transmission line. A transmission line stub is electrically coupled to the transmission line or to at least one of the conductive vias, wherein the length of the transmission line stub is configured to suppress a preselected frequency.
US09160040B2
A battery module includes a plurality of battery cells. Each battery cell includes an anode having an anode active area, a cathode having a cathode active area, and an ion-conducting separator interposed between the anode active area and the cathode active area. A first subset of the battery cells are arranged in parallel wired battery cell pairs. Each parallel wired battery cell pair of the first subset has two adjacent battery cells with a cooling fin interposed between the two adjacent battery cells.
US09160037B2
Disclosed are an apparatus and method for estimating an available time of a battery relatively accurately in consideration of a driving pattern of a user. The apparatus for estimating an available time of a battery includes a current measuring unit for measuring an output current of the battery, a SOC estimating unit for estimating SOC (State Of Charge) of the battery, and a controller for estimating an available time of the battery by using a measured current value obtained by the current measuring unit, an estimated SOC value obtained by the SOC estimating unit and an entire capacity of the battery.
US09160036B2
An electrolyte solution for a lithium sulfur battery contains a lithium oxalatoborate compound in a 0.05-2 M solution in conventional lithium sulfur battery electrolyte solvents, optionally with other lithium compounds. Examples of solvents include dimethoxyethane (DME), dioxolane, and triethyleneglycol dimethyl ether (TEGDME). Electrochemical cells contain a lithium anode, a sulfur-containing cathode, and a non-aqueous electrolyte containing the lithium oxalatoborate compound. Lithium sulfur batteries contain a casing enclosing a plurality of the cells.
US09160034B2
A method for producing a sulfide solid electrolyte material having a small amount of hydrogen sulfide generation and a high Li ion conductivity. To achieve the above, a method for producing a sulfide solid electrolyte material is provided, including steps of: a providing step for providing a crystallized sulfide solid electrolyte material prepared by using a raw material composition containing Li2S and P2S5; and an amorphizing step for applying amorphization treatment to the crystallized sulfide solid electrolyte material.
US09160033B2
The present invention provides a non-aqueous electrolyte composition with excellent high-temperature stability and a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery using the same. The non-aqueous electrolyte composition includes a supporting electrolyte, an organic solvent, and at least one kind of chemical compound (a) selected from the group consisting of a chemical compound (a1) indicated by the following general formula (1) and a chemical compound (a2) indicated by the following general formula (2).
US09160031B2
The present invention relates to a positive active material for a rechargeable lithium battery, a method of preparing the same, and a rechargeable lithium battery comprising the same. The positive active material includes a lithium/nickel-based compound wherein primary particles having an average particle diameter ranging from 1 μm to 4 μm are agglomerated to form secondary particles. The positive active material of the present invention has excellent electrochemical performance and outstanding inhibition to swelling at high temperatures.
US09160023B2
The present invention relates to an electrolyte-impregnated, reinforced matrix for molten carbonate fuel cells and a manufacturing method thereof. According to the invention, the electrolyte-impregnated matrix, which comprises both the electrolyte and the reinforcing particles including a metal and an oxide, is manufactured by adding the electrolyte, as required per unit cell of a fuel cell, and the reinforcing particles including the metal and the oxide, to a slurry during the matrix preparation step, and subjecting the resulting slurry to a tape casting process. By doing so, the matrix stacking operation is facilitated, and the matrix manufacturing process is simplified. In addition, cracking caused by the difference in thermal expansion coefficient between an electrolyte sheet and the matrix can be suppressed, and thermal shock occurring during operation of the fuel cell stack can be reduced, thus improving the performance and lifetime of the fuel cell.
US09160018B2
A fuel cell system includes: a secondary cell; a voltage converter provided between the secondary cell and a load; a fuel cell; an FC relay that turns on and off electrical connection between the fuel cell and the shared electrical path; an electrical leakage detector that detects electrical leakage in an electrical system; and a control portion that performs determination regarding electrical leakage. The control portion has: start means for starting the fuel cell by raising voltage of the fuel cell from a starting voltage to an operation voltage that is lower than an open-circuit voltage; and electrical leakage determination means for performing the determination regarding electrical leakage after a predetermined time elapses, when the FC relay is closed while a voltage difference between the voltage of the fuel cell and voltage supplied from the voltage converter to the load is greater than a predetermined threshold value.
US09160016B2
A fuel cell includes a membrane-electrode assembly and a separator. The membrane-electrode assembly has an electrolyte and a pair of electrodes that are disposed on respective sides of the electrolyte. The membrane-electrode assembly and the separator are stacked in a stacking direction. A reaction surface of the membrane-electrode assembly is in a vertical direction along a direction of gravity and has a shape having a longer dimension in a horizontal direction. The fuel cell is provided with a reactant gas passage to allow a reactant gas to flow along a longitudinal direction of the reaction surface. The reactant gas is an oxidant gas or a fuel gas. A drain channel to allow product water from the reactant gas passage to be drained away is disposed between the membrane-electrode assembly and the separator and under the reaction surface in the direction of gravity.
US09160014B2
A fuel cell system includes: a fuel cell having laminated cells; a measuring unit that measures an impedance of the cell and a purging unit that performs purging to discharge residual water from a gas passage. The cell includes a wet region and a dry region which are set depending on a distribution of water in the cell when the purging is executed so as to set a total amount of water in the fuel cell to be a necessary amount of water to start up the fuel cell; the measuring unit measures the impedance at a local portion located at a boundary portion between the wet region and the dry region in the cell; and the purging unit terminates the purging when the impedance measured by the measuring means is larger than a predetermined reference threshold value.
US09160009B2
An ignition system for a thermal battery where the ignition system includes: a base plate for connection to the thermal battery; and two or more inertial igniters formed on the base plate, each of the two or more inertial igniters having a striker mass which ignites one or more pyrotechnic materials upon a predetermined acceleration profile, the base plate having an opening corresponding to each of the two or more inertial igniters for allowing a generated spark to pass into the thermal battery.
US09160005B2
A modified maleimide oligomer is disclosed. The modified maleimide oligomer is made by performing a reaction of a compound having a barbituric acid structure, a free radical capture, and a compound having a maleimide structure. A composition for a battery is also disclosed. The composition includes the modified maleimide oligomer.
US09160004B2
In a lithium ion secondary battery including a positive electrode, a separator, and a negative electrode opposed to the positive electrode with an intervention of the separator, the negative electrode includes a negative electrode active material including a silicon compound, and a negative electrode binder including a particular polyimide, and lithium is occluded in both the negative electrode active material and the negative electrode binder even during discharge.
US09159986B2
According to the present invention, provided is a method for producing a battery electrode employing a configuration in which a compound material layer containing an active material 22 and a binder 54 is retained on a current collector 10. The formation of the compound material layer is carried out by a method including: a step of forming a binder solution layer 56 by applying a binder solution 50 containing the first binder 54 to the current collector 10; a step of depositing the binder solution layer 56 and a compound material paste layer 46 on the current collector 10 by applying the compound material paste 40 over the binder solution layer 56; and a step of obtaining an electrode in which the compound material layer is formed on the current collector 10 by drying both the binder solution layer 56 and the compound material paste 40.
US09159981B2
An array-type battery power management apparatus includes at least two battery power management apparatuses. Each battery power management apparatus has a bus unit and at least one battery power integration unit. The battery power integration unit has a battery module and a charging-discharging module. The battery module has a first positive conductive terminal and a first negative conductive terminal. The charging-discharging module has a second positive conductive terminal and a second negative conductive terminal. The second positive conductive terminal is directly connected to the first positive conductive terminal and the second negative conductive terminal is directly connected to the first negative conductive terminal, thus directly electrically connecting to the battery module and the charging-discharging module.
US09159979B2
A layer includes a main body having a plurality of first pores and at least one crosslinked binder.
US09159978B2
The present invention is directed to a sheet product and to a method of forming the sheet product suitable for use as a battery separator. The method comprises forming a mixture of a thermoplastic polymer and fluid having a high vapor pressure, shaping the mixture into a sheet material and subjecting the sheet material to stretching/fluid vaporization at high temperature to form an intermediate material having a ratio of percent fluid to percent polymer crystallinity of between 0.15 and 1 followed by a second stretching/fluid vaporization at a lower temperature while removing a portion of the remainder of the fluid from the sheet. The resultant sheet is annealed and remainder of fluid removed to form a sheet product having a thickness comprising a stratified structure of small and larger pore layered configuration across its thickness.
US09159975B2
A rechargeable battery module is disclosed. The rechargeable battery module includes a number of rechargeable battery cells, two end portion fixing structures, a middle fixing structure, a number of thermal bars, a bolt and a nut. The two end portion fixing structures are positioned in opposite directions. The bolt passes one end portion fixing tube, middle fixing structure and the other end portion fixing tube and fixes the rechargeable battery module by linking with the nut.
US09159974B2
Provided is an food packing material, manufacturing method. A battery pack and a electrical bike having the same are further provided. In particular, the battery pack may include a battery pack, battery array, a protecting circuit module, and a connection terminal section. The battery case may be formed as cylindrical or polygon. The battery array may include a plurality of batteries formed as multi-stage within the battery pack. The protecting circuit module may be provided between an upper portion of the battery array and an upper surface of the battery pack. A connection terminal portion may be formed at the lower stage of the battery pack and may include a power terminal and a control terminal. By providing the battery pack as bottle shape, the electrical bike can selectively accommodate the bottle for the bike and the battery pack.
US09159972B2
A battery module includes first and second battery cells having positive and negative cell terminals arranged adjacent one another. A buss bar connects the positive cell terminal of the first battery cell to the negative cell terminal of the second battery cell. The connection to the positive cell terminal is a threaded connection. The connection to the negative cell terminal is a quick connect connection.
US09159967B1
A battery storage and dispensing system for efficiently storing and dispensing various sizes of batteries. The battery storage and dispensing system generally includes a housing having a plurality of vertical compartments that each receive a type of battery, a door pivotally connected to the housing to selectively enclose the vertical compartments forming a plurality of lower openings for batteries to be removed from the vertical compartments and a removal device having a magnet that magnetically connects to the metal terminal end of a battery to allow for efficient removal of the lowermost battery from a compartment.
US09159961B2
A secondary battery includes a case, the case including a first side having a bead thereon, the bead having a height h and a width w, a ratio of the height h to the width w satisfying 2 % ≤ ( h w × 100 ) ≤ 50 % , h and w being in a same unit of measure, and an electrode assembly in the case, the electrode assembly including a first electrode, a second electrode, and a separator disposed between the first and second electrodes.
US09159951B2
The organic electroluminescence display device of an embodiment of the present invention includes a substrate, a plurality of pixels formed on the substrate, and a sealing film that covers the plurality of pixels. The sealing film includes a first barrier layer, a base layer covering the top surface of the first barrier layer, an inter layer locally formed on the top surface of the base layer, and a second barrier layer covering the top surface of the base layer and the top surface of the inter layer. The inter layer is formed so as to cover a step on the top surface of the base layer.
US09159947B2
An organic light-emitting device, including a first electrode, the first electrode having a smaller absolute value of a work function energy level than an absolute value of a work function energy level of ITO, a second electrode facing the first electrode, and an organic layer between the first electrode and the second electrode.
US09159945B2
Provided are an OLED device and a method of manufacturing the OLED device that may provide improved luminance uniformity. The disclosed OLED may have a first electrode that has a first sheet resistance Rs, and a second electrode that has a second sheet resistance, wherein the second sheet resistance may be in the range of 0.3Rs-1.3Rs. In addition, the disclosed OLED may have a plurality of equal potential difference between points on a first electrode and a second electrode. The equal potential difference may be provided by a gradient resistance formed on at least one of the electrodes.
US09159940B2
An electronic device having, arranged in the following order, a cathodic layer, a conductive layer, a photoelectric conversion layer, and an anodic layer. The conductive layer contains a conductive adhesive composition which contains: (A) a water-soluble polyvinyl polymer, (B) an organic additive, and (C) a conductive organic polymer compound.
US09159939B2
Provided is a photoelectric conversion device with high conversion efficiency in which the light loss due to light absorption in a window layer is significantly reduced by using a light-transmitting semiconductor layer comprising an organic compound and an inorganic compound. Specifically, the photoelectric conversion device includes: over one surface of a crystalline silicon substrate, a first silicon semiconductor layer; a light-transmitting semiconductor layer; a second silicon semiconductor layer which is partially formed on the light-transmitting semiconductor layer; and a first electrode. The photoelectric conversion device further includes: a third silicon semiconductor layer on the other surface of the crystalline silicon substrate; a fourth silicon semiconductor layer formed on the third silicon semiconductor layer; and a second electrode formed on the fourth silicon semiconductor layer. The light-transmitting semiconductor layer is formed using an organic compound and an inorganic compound, which contributes to the high light-transmitting property of the window layer.
US09159925B2
The present disclosure provides a method for patterning materials that are or are on top of chemically sensitive organic semiconductors. The method employs imprint lithography and a bilayer resist structure that simultaneously protects lower layers from harmful solvents and allows for cleaner liftoff by producing an undercut geometry to the resist pattern.
US09159921B2
Semiconductor memory devices, resistive memory devices, memory cell structures, and methods of forming a resistive memory cell are provided. One example method of a resistive memory cell can include a number of dielectric regions formed between two electrodes, and a barrier dielectric region formed between each of the dielectric regions. The barrier dielectric region serves to reduce an oxygen diffusion rate associated with the dielectric regions.
US09159915B2
An ovonic threshold switch may be formed of a continuous chalcogenide layer. That layer spans multiple cells, forming a phase change memory. In other words, the ovonic threshold switch may be formed of a chalcogenide layer which extends, uninterrupted, over numerous cells of a phase change memory.
US09159910B2
A method for integrating a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) device into an integrated circuit includes providing in a semiconductor back-end-of-line (BEOL) process flow a substrate having a first interlevel dielectric layer and at least a first metal interconnect. Over the first interlevel dielectric layer and the first metal interconnect, magnetic tunnel junction material layers are deposited. From the material layers a magnetic tunnel junction stack, coupled to the first metal interconnect, is defined using a single mask process. The magnetic tunnel junction stack is integrated into the integrated circuit.
US09159908B2
A magnetic tunneling junction (MTJ) in an MRAM array is disclosed with a composite free layer having a FL1/FL2/FL3 configuration where FL1 and FL2 are crystalline magnetic layers and FL3 is an amorphous NiFeX layer for improved bit switching performance. FL1 layer is CoFe which affords a high magnetoresistive (MR) ratio when forming an interface with a MgO tunnel barrier. FL2 is Fe to improve switching performance. NiFeX thickness where X is Hf is preferably between 20 to 40 Angstroms to substantially reduce bit line switching current and number of shorted bits. Annealing at 330° C. to 360° C. provides a high MR ratio of 190%. Furthermore, low Hc and Hk are simultaneously achieved with improved bit switching performance and fewer shorts without compromising other MTJ properties such as MR ratio. As a result of high MR ratio and lower bit-to-bit resistance variation, higher reading margin is realized.
US09159901B2
A composite substrate 10 is a substrate formed by bonding a piezoelectric substrate 12 and a support substrate 14 having a coefficient of thermal expansion lower than that of the piezoelectric substrate 12. The support substrate 14 has a first surface 14a bonded to the piezoelectric substrate 12 and a second surface 14b opposite to the first surface 14a. The coefficient of thermal expansion of the support substrate 14 is decreased along a thickness direction from the second surface 14b to an intermediate position 14c located between the first surface 14a and the second surface 14b.
US09159893B2
A light emitting device includes a substantially cuboid package made up of a molded article and a lead that is embedded in the molded article, and a light emitting element that is installed in the package. The lead has a connector where the light emitting element is installed, and a terminal part and an exposed part that are linked to the connector. The package has a bottom face, a front face that is a light emission face contiguous with the bottom face, and a rear face that is contiguous with the bottom face and is opposite the front face. The first terminal part and the exposed part are linked to the rear face side of the connector are exposed from the molded article and contiguous with the bottom face and the rear face, and are isolated at the bottom face.
US09159887B2
A light-emitting device includes a light-emitting element with a pair of element electrodes as a first element electrode and a second element electrode positioned at the lower surface of the light-emitting element; a phosphor plate disposed on the upper surface of the light-emitting element; a first resin covering the lower surface and the peripheral side surface of the light-emitting element with the first element electrode and the second element electrode partly appearing from the first resin; and a second resin provided in the phosphor plate.
US09159879B2
The light emitting element including: a semiconductor laminate including a first layer, an active layer and a second layer; a first electrode including protrusions that penetrate the second layer and the active layer, the first electrode connected to the first layer via the protrusions; a second electrode connected to the second layer on an lower face of the second layer; and an insulation film between the protrusions and the semiconductor laminate, wherein the protrusions each include a protrusion body covered with the insulation film and a protrusion tip, an upper face and a side face of the protrusion tip being exposed from the insulation film, the first layer includes recesses arranged on an upper face of the first layer so as to sandwich first areas located above the respective the protrusions, and a distance between the recesses sandwiching the first area is larger than a width of the protrusion tip.
US09159869B2
A vertical GaN-based blue LED has an n-type GaN layer that was grown over a ZnS layer that in turn was grown directly on a silicon substrate. In one example, the ZnS layer is a transitional buffer layer that is 50 nm thick, and the n-type GaN layer is at least 2000 nm thick. Growing the n-type GaN layer on the ZnS buffer layer reduces lattice defect density in the n-type layer. The ZnS buffer layer provides a good lattice constant match with the silicon substrate and provides a compound polar template for subsequent GaN growth. After the epitaxial layers of the LED are formed, a conductive carrier is wafer bonded to the structure. The silicon substrate and the ZnS buffer layer are then removed. Electrodes are added and the structure is singulated to form finished LED devices.
US09159868B2
A semiconductor light emitting device having high reliability and excellent light distribution characteristics can be provided with an n-electrode arranged on a light extraction surface on the side opposite to the surface whereupon a semiconductor stack is mounted on a substrate. A plurality of convexes are arranged on a first convex region and a second convex region on the light extraction surface. The second convex region adjoins the interface between the n-electrode and the semiconductor stack, between the first convex region and the n-electrode. The base end of the first convex arranged in the first convex region is positioned closer to a light emitting layer than the interface between the n-electrode and the semiconductor stack, and the base end of the second convex arranged in the second convex region is positioned closer to the interface between the n-electrode and the semiconductor stack than the base end of the first convex.
US09159863B2
In a method of forming a CIGS film absorption layer, a first precursor is provided including a first substrate having a major process precursor film formed thereon, the major process precursor film containing two or more of Cu, In, Ga, and Se. A second precursor is provided including a second substrate having an element supplying precursor film formed thereon, the element supply precursor film containing two or more of Cu, In, Ga and Se. The precursors are oriented with the major process precursor film and element supplying precursor film facing one another so as to allow diffusion of elements between the films during annealing. The oriented films are annealed and then the precursors are separated, wherein the CIGS film is formed over the first substrate and either a CIGS film or a precursor film containing two or more of Cu, In, Ga, and Se remains over the second substrate.
US09159862B2
A solar cell is formed to have a silicon semiconductor substrate of a first conductive type; an emitter layer having a second conductive type opposite the first conductive type and formed on a first surface of the silicon semiconductor substrate; a back surface field layer having the first conductive type and formed on a second surface of the silicon semiconductor substrate opposite to the first surface; and wherein the emitter layer includes at least a first shallow doping area and the back surface field layer includes at least a second shallow doping area, and wherein a thickness of the first shallow doping area of the emitter layer is different from a thickness of the second shallow doping area of the back surface field layer.
US09159852B2
A system and method for blocking heat from reaching an image sensor in a three dimensional stack with a semiconductor device. In an embodiment a heat sink is formed in a back end of line process either on the semiconductor device or else on the image sensor itself when the image sensor is in a backside illuminated configuration. The heat sink may be a grid in either a single layer or in two layers, a zig-zag pattern, or in an interleaved fingers configuration.
US09159851B2
Photovoltaic (PV) cell structures having an integral light scattering interface layer configured to diffuse or scatter light prior to entering a semiconductor material and methods of making the same are described.
US09159848B2
According to one embodiment, a light receiving circuit includes a light receiving element, a differential circuit, a fifth transistor, and first and second current sources. The differential circuit includes an amplifier and a bias circuit. The amplifier includes a first transistor, a second transistor, and a first feedback resistor. The amplifier is configured to convert a current from the light receiving element into a voltage. The bias circuit includes a third transistor, a fourth transistor, and a second feedback resistor. A reference voltage is supplied to a control electrode of the fourth transistor. The second and third transistors are included in a current mirror circuit. A fifth transistor has a control electrode connected to a connection point between the first and second transistors. A voltage signal switched to a high level or a low level according to a change of an optical signal is outputted.
US09159843B2
To improve the electric performance and reliability of a semiconductor device. A memory gate electrode of a split gate type nonvolatile memory is a metal gate electrode formed from a stacked film of a metal film 6a and a silicon film 6b over the metal film 6a. In an upper end part of the metal film 6a, a metal oxide portion 17 is formed by oxidation of a part of the metal film 6a. A control gate electrode of the split gate type nonvolatile memory is a metal gate electrode formed from a stacked film of a metal film 4a and the silicon film 4b over the metal film 4a.
US09159836B2
According to one embodiment, a thin film transistor includes a substrate, a gate electrode, a first insulating film, an oxide semiconductor film, a second insulating film, a source electrode, and a drain electrode. The gate electrode is provided on a part of the substrate. The first insulating film covers the gate electrode. The oxide semiconductor film is provided on the gate electrode via the first insulating film. The second insulating film is provided on a part of the oxide semiconductor film. The source and drain electrodes are respectively connected to first and second portions of the oxide semiconductor film not covered with the second insulating film. The oxide semiconductor film includes an oxide semiconductor. Concentrations of hydrogen contained in the first and second insulating films are not less than 5×1020 atm/cm3, and not more than 1019 atm/cm3, respectively.
US09159823B2
Transistor structures having channel regions comprising alternating layers of compressively and tensilely strained epitaxial materials are provided. The alternating epitaxial layers can form channel regions in single and multigate transistor structures. In alternate embodiments, one of the two alternating layers is selectively etched away to form nanoribbons or nanowires of the remaining material. The resulting strained nanoribbons or nanowires form the channel regions of transistor structures. Also provided are computing devices comprising transistors comprising channel regions comprised of alternating compressively and tensilely strained epitaxial layers and computing devices comprising transistors comprising channel regions comprised of strained nanoribbons or nanowires.
US09159822B2
A method including forming a pair of inner spacers along a vertical sidewall of a gate trench, gate trench extending into a III-V compound semiconductor-containing heterostructure, forming a gate conductor within the gate trench, removing a portion of a first dielectric layer selective to the gate conductor and the pair of inner spacers, forming a pair of outer spacers adjacent to the pair of inner spacers, the outer spacers are in direct contact with and self-aligned to the inner spacers, and forming a pair of source-drain contacts within an uppermost layer of the III-V compound semiconductor-containing heterostructure, the pair of source-drain contacts are self-aligned to the pair of outer spacers such that an edge of each individual source-drain contact is aligned with an outside edge of each individual outer spacer.
US09159819B2
A semiconductor device includes a drift zone of a first conductivity type in a semiconductor body. Controllable cells are configured to form a conductive channel connected with the drift zone in a first state. First zones of the first conductivity type as well as second zones and a third zone of a complementary second conductivity type are between the drift zone and a rear side electrode, respectively. The first, second and third zones directly adjoin the rear side electrode. The third zone is larger and has a lower mean emitter efficiency than the second zones.
US09159818B2
A high-current, N-type silicon-on-insulator lateral insulated-gate bipolar transistor, including: a P-type substrate, a buried-oxide layer disposed on the P-type substrate, an N-type epitaxial layer disposed on the oxide layer, and an N-type buffer trap region. A P-type body region and an N-type central buffer trap region are disposed inside the N-type epitaxial layer; a P-type drain region is disposed in the buffer trap region; N-type source regions and a P-type body contact region are disposed in the P-type body region; an N-type base region and a P-type emitter region are disposed in the buffer trap region; gate and field oxide layers are disposed on the N-type epitaxial layer; polycrystalline silicon gates are disposed on the gate oxide layers; and a passivation layer and metal layers are disposed on the surface of the symmetrical transistor. P-type emitter region output and current density are improved without increasing the area of the transistor.
US09159807B2
The reliability of a semiconductor device including a MOSFET formed over an SOI substrate is improved. A manufacturing method of the semiconductor device is simplified. A semiconductor device with n-channel MOSFETsQn formed over an SOI substrate SB includes an n+-type semiconductor region formed as a diffusion layer over an upper surface of a support substrate under a BOX film, and a contact plug CT2 electrically coupled to the n+-type semiconductor region and penetrating an element isolation region, which can control the potential of the support substrate. At a plane of the SOI substrate SB, the n-channel MOSFETsQn each extend in a first direction, and are arranged between the contact plugs CT2 formed adjacent to each other in the first direction.
US09159803B2
A device includes a semiconductor substrate, a drift region in the semiconductor substrate and having a first conductivity type, an isolation region within the drift region, and around which charge carriers drift on a path through the drift region during operation, and a protection region adjacent the isolation region in the semiconductor substrate, having a second conductivity type, and disposed along a surface of the semiconductor substrate.
US09159796B2
A method for protecting a semiconductor device against degradation of its electrical characteristics is provided. The method includes providing a semiconductor device having a first semiconductor region and a charged dielectric layer which form a dielectric-semiconductor interface. The majority charge carriers of the first semiconductor region are of a first charge type. The charged dielectric layer includes fixed charges of the first charge type. The charge carrier density per area of the fixed charges is configured such that the charged dielectric layer is shielded against entrapment of hot majority charge carriers generated in the first semiconductor region. Further, a semiconductor device which is protected against hot charge carriers and a method for forming a semiconductor device are provided.
US09159795B2
A high side DMOS provides high breakdown voltage with small termination area. The high side DMOS has three parts which may comprise a stair-field plate in the termination part of the poly gate.
US09159786B2
A dual gate lateral MOSFET comprises a drift region over a substrate, an isolation region formed in the drift region and a channel region formed in the drift region. The dual gate lateral MOSFET comprises a drain region formed in the drift region and a source region formed in the channel region, wherein the source region and drain region are formed on opposing sides of the isolation region. The dual gate lateral MOSFET further comprises a first gate and a second gate formed adjacent to the source region, wherein the first gate and the second gate are stacked together and separated by a dielectric layer.
US09159785B2
Semiconductor devices having a buried layer and methods for forming the same are disclosed. In an exemplary method, a hard mask layer can be provided on a semiconductor substrate. The hard mask layer can have a plurality of through-openings. A plurality of deep trenches can be formed in the semiconductor substrate using the hard mask layer as a mask. A bottom of each of the plurality of deep trenches in the semiconductor substrate can be doped to form a plurality of heavily-doped regions. One or more of the plurality of heavily-doped regions can be connected to form the buried layer in the semiconductor substrate. There is thus no need to use an epitaxial process to form active regions. In addition, lateral isolation structures can be simultaneously formed in the semiconductor substrate.
US09159779B2
A method for fabricating a semiconductor device includes forming a metal layer over a substrate, forming a capping layer over the metal layer, and densifying the metal layer through a heat treatment.
US09159767B2
In a method of an MRAM device, first and second patterns are formed on a substrate alternately and repeatedly in a second direction. Each first pattern and each second pattern extend in a first direction perpendicular to the second direction. Some of the second patterns are removed to form first openings extending in the first direction. Source lines filling the first openings are formed. A mask is formed on the first and second patterns and the source lines. The mask includes second openings in the first direction, each of which extends in the second direction. Portions of the second patterns exposed by the second openings are removed to form third openings. Third patterns filling the third openings are formed. The second patterns surrounded by the first and third patterns are removed to form fourth openings. Contact plugs filling the fourth openings are formed.
US09159766B2
A solid-state image pick-up device is provided which includes a semiconductor substrate main body which has an element forming layer and a gettering layer provided on an upper layer thereof; photoelectric conversion elements, each of which includes a first conductive type region, provided in the element forming layer; and a dielectric film which is provided on an upper layer of the gettering layer and which induces a second conductive type region in a surface of the gettering layer.
US09159765B2
A soft X-ray detection apparatus includes a semiconductor substrate. The semiconductor substrate has a plurality of detection units disposed thereon, each including a conversion unit and a circuit unit. The conversion unit is formed from, for example, a photodiode. The conversion unit collects electric charge generated upon incidence of soft X-ray radiation. A first conductive type (e.g., N-channel type) amplifier transistor is disposed in the circuit unit. The amplifier transistor serves as an amplifier unit that amplifies and outputs a signal supplied from the conversion unit. A first conductive type transistor is not disposed between the conversion units that are immediately adjacent to each other. Alternatively, transistors included in the detection units that are immediately adjacent to each other are disposed so as to be in close proximity to each other.
US09159761B2
According to one embodiment, an optical device includes a plurality of optical elements arrange in array. At least of the optical elements includes an optical layer constituted by a plurality of patterns. The plurality of patterns are formed by a layered body including metal layers and a dielectric layer interlayered between the metal layers, and formed as a plurality of regularly-arranged loop-like patterns with a density decreasing from the center toward the periphery of the loop.
US09159757B2
A photodetection device of the present invention includes a semiconductor substrate which is defined such that a first light-receiving portion and a second light-receiving portion are spaced from one another, and an optical filter which is formed on the semiconductor substrate, and includes a first filter which is disposed so as to cover the first light-receiving portion, to selectively allow an optic element in a first wavelength band to transmit through, and a second filter which is disposed so as to cover the second light-receiving portion, to selectively allow an optic element in a second wavelength band different from the first wavelength band, to transmit through, and the optical filter has a filter laminated structure which is defined such that edge portions of the first filter and the second filter overlap one another on a boundary region between the first light-receiving portion and the second light-receiving portion.
US09159756B2
According to one embodiment, there is a solid-state imaging device including an imaging region. In the imaging region, a plurality of pixels are arranged two-dimensionally. A first inclination angle of a light incidence surface of a dichroic filter in a first pixel among the plurality of pixels relative to a normal to a surface of a semiconductor substrate and a second inclination angle of a light incidence surface of a dichroic filter in a second pixel located farther from a center of the imaging region than the first pixel among the plurality of pixels relative to the normal are decided on so as to make, for light incident on the imaging region, a filter property of the dichroic filter in the first pixel and a filter property of the dichroic filter in the second pixel equalized.
US09159754B1
An image sensor includes a pixel layer in which an active pixel array and an optical black pixel array are formed; a first anti-reflective layer which is formed over the active pixel array, and including a hafnium oxide layer with a high transmittance; and a second anti-reflective layer which is formed over the optical black pixel array, and including a hafnium oxide layer with a low transmittance.
US09159746B2
A thin film transistor and a manufacturing method for the same, an array substrate, and a display device are disclosed. The thin film transistor comprises: a substrate (1) and a gate (2), a first gate insulating layer (3) and an active layer (4) which are disposed in order on the substrate, the first gate insulating layer (3) covers the gate (2), the active layer (4) covers the first gate insulating layer (3), and a material for the first gate insulating layer comprises aluminum oxide.
US09159745B2
A display substrate is provided. The display substrate includes a gate interconnection disposed on an insulating substrate, an oxide semiconductor pattern disposed on the gate interconnection and including an oxide semiconductor, and a data interconnection disposed on the oxide semiconductor pattern to interconnect the gate interconnection. The oxide semiconductor pattern includes a first oxide semiconductor pattern having a first oxide and a first element and a second oxide semiconductor pattern having a second oxide.
US09159743B2
Disclosed are devices and methods related to radio-frequency (RF) switches having silicon-on-insulator (SOI) field-effect transistors (FETs). In some embodiments, an RF switch can include an FET with shaped source, drain, and gate selected to yield a reduced per-area value of resistance in linear operating region (Rds-on). In some implementations, a plurality of such FETs can be connected in series to allow use of SOI technology in high power RF switching applications while maintaining a relatively small die size.
US09159740B2
A vertical memory device and a method of fabricating the same are provided. The vertical type semiconductor device includes a common source region formed in a cell area of a semiconductor substrate. A channel region is formed on the common source region. The channel region has a predetermined height and a first diameter. A drain region is formed on the channel region. The drain region has a predetermined height and a second diameter larger than the first diameter. A first gate electrode surrounding the channel region.
US09159736B2
Some embodiments include an apparatus having semiconductor pillars in a substantially hexagonally closest packed arrangement. The hexagonally closest packed arrangement includes a repeating pillar pattern which has at least portions of 7 different pillars. Each of the different pillars in a respective one of the repeating pillar patterns is capable of being electrically coupled to a different data line of a plurality of data lines. Some embodiments include an apparatus having semiconductor pillars in a substantially hexagonally closest packed arrangement. The hexagonally closest packed arrangement includes a repeating pillar pattern having at least portions of 7 different pillars. All 7 different pillars of a repeating pillar pattern are encompassed by a single drain-side select gate (SGD).
US09159735B2
Some embodiments of the present disclosure relates to an architecture to create split gate flash memory cell that has lower common source (CS) resistance and a reduced cell size by utilizing a buried conductive common source structure. A two-step etch process is carried out to create a recessed path between two split gate flash memory cells. A single ion implantation to form the common source also forms a conductive path beneath the STI region that connects two split gate flash memory cells and provide potential coupling during programming and erasing and thus electrically connect the common sources of memory cells along a direction that forms a CS line. The architecture contains no OD along the source line between the cells, thus eliminating the effects of CS rounding and CS resistance, resulting in a reduced space between cells in an array. Hence, this particular architecture reduces the resistance and the buried conductive path between several cells in an array suppresses the area over head.
US09159720B2
A semiconductor module includes a semiconductor chip and a passive discrete component. The semiconductor chip includes on its top side and/or on the back side one or more contacts, which in its two-dimensional extent takes up the top side and/or the back side of the semiconductor chip virtually completely. The passive component, arranged in a package, is stacked on one of the contacts. The electrode of the passive component is electrically connected with one of the contacts. The counter electrode of the passive component is operatively connected with a control or signal electrode of the semiconductor chip or an electrode of a further semiconductor chip.
US09159716B2
A stacked chip layout includes a central processing chip has a first area and a first active circuit block over the central processing chip, the first active circuit block has a second area. The stacked chip layout further includes a second active circuit block over the first active circuit block, the second active circuit block has a third area, the second active circuit block partially overlaps the first active circuit block and exposes a portion of the first active circuit block. The stacked chip layout further includes a third active circuit block over the second active circuit block, the third active circuit block has a fourth area, the third active circuit block partially overlaps at least one of the first active circuit block or the second active circuit block, and the third active circuit block exposes a portion of the first active circuit block and the second active circuit block.
US09159690B2
Generally discussed herein are systems and apparatuses that include an extended TSBA ball and techniques for making the same. A package can include a chip package situated below a lower surface of a first substrate, the package including a die situated on a top surface of a second substrate, a molding disposed over the upper surface of the second substrate, the molding extending over the second die and including an opening extending from an upper surface of the molding towards an upper surface of the second substrate, wherein the opening is configured to admit at least a portion of the solder ball, and a solder column electrically and mechanically coupled to the second substrate, situated in the opening, conforming to the cylinder, and including at least two layers of solder with flux therebetween.
US09159687B2
A solder bump structure for a ball grid array (BGA) includes at least one under bump metal (UBM) layer and a solder bump formed over the at least one UBM layer. The solder bump has a bump width and a bump height and the ratio of the bump height over the bump width is less than 1.
US09159686B2
A semiconductor die includes a crack stopper on an under-bump metallization (UBM) layer. The crack stopper is in the shape of hollow cylinder with at least two openings.
US09159685B2
A conductive structure for a semiconductor chip and a method for forming the conductive structure are provided. The semiconductor chip comprises a semiconductor substrate, a pad, a passivation layer and a patterned insulating layer. The patterned insulating layer is disposed on the passivation layer and partially and directly covers the first opening of the pad to expose a second opening. The conductive structure comprises an under bump metal (UBM) layer and a conductive bump. The UBM layer is disposed in the second opening defined by the patterned insulating layer and is electrically connected to the pad. The conductive bump is disposed on the UBM layer and is electrically connected to the UBM layer. The upper surface of the conductive bump is greater than the upper surface of the patterned insulating layer, while the portion of the conductive bump disposed in the second opening is covered by the UBM layer.
US09159684B1
A wafer-level packaged semiconductor device is described. In an implementation, the device includes one or more self-assembled resilient leads disposed on an integrated circuit chip. Each of the resilient leads are configured to move from a first position wherein the resilient lead is held adjacent to the chip and a second position wherein the resilient lead is extended away from the chip to interconnect the chip to a printed circuit board. A guard is provided to protect the resilient leads when the resilient leads are in the first position. One or more attachment bumps may also be furnished to facilitate attachment of the device to the printed circuit board.
US09159670B2
Some novel features pertain to a substrate that includes a first dielectric layer, a first interconnect, a first cavity, and a second interconnect. The first dielectric layer includes first and second surfaces. The first interconnect is embedded in the first dielectric layer. The first interconnect includes a first side and a second side. The first side is surrounded by the first dielectric layer, where at least a part of the second side is free of contact with the first dielectric layer. The first cavity traverses the first surface of the first dielectric layer to the second side of the first interconnect, where the first cavity overlaps the first interconnect. The second interconnect includes a third side and a fourth side, where the third side is coupled to the first surface of the first dielectric layer.
US09159669B2
In various embodiments a method for manufacturing a metallization layer on a substrate is provided, wherein the method may include forming a plurality of groups of nanotubes over a substrate, wherein the groups of nanotubes may be arranged such that a portion of the substrate is exposed and forming metal over the exposed portion of the substrate between the plurality of groups of nanotubes.
US09159638B2
The invention relates to a bump structure of a semiconductor device. An exemplary structure for a semiconductor device comprises a substrate; a contact pad over the substrate; a passivation layer extending over the substrate and having an opening with a first width over the contact pad; a conductive via within the opening; and a conductive pillar having a second width completely covering the conductive via, wherein a ratio of the first width to the second width is from about 0.15 to 0.55.
US09159637B2
An electronic device includes a mold package which encapsulates a portion of the electronic device and does not encapsulate another portion of the electronic device to enable a sensing portion of the electronic device to be exposed to a condition to be sensed. In an electronic sensing device having a sensor formed by a substrate such as silicon, a sensor area is not encapsulated, but areas surrounding the sensor area are encapsulated. The area surrounding the sensor area includes one or more trenches or interlock structures formed in the surrounding substrate which receives the mold material to provide an interlock feature. The interlock feature reduces or substantially prevents the mold from delaminating at an interface of the mold and the substrate.
US09159632B2
A method of fabricating a semiconductor apparatus includes forming an insulating layer on a semiconductor substrate, forming a source post in the insulating layer, and forming a semiconductor layer over the source post and the insulating layer.
US09159628B2
Disclosed is a combination-type transistor including a first MOSFET that includes a gate, a first source formed on one side of the gate, and a first drain formed on the other side of the gate; a second MOSFET that includes the gate, a second drain formed on the one side of the gate, and a second source formed on the other side of the gate; a first BJT that is formed such that the first source of the first MOSFET is used as an emitter, the second drain of the second MOSFET is used as a collector, and the substrate is used as a base; and a second BJT that is formed such that the second source of the second MOSFET is used as an emitter, the first drain of the first MOSFET is used as a collector, and the substrate is used as a base.
US09159626B2
A fin-shaped field-effect transistor process includes the following steps. A substrate is provided. A first fin-shaped field-effect transistor and a second fin-shaped field-effect transistor are formed on the substrate, wherein the first fin-shaped field-effect transistor includes a first metal layer and the second fin-shaped field-effect transistor includes a second metal layer. A treatment process is performed on the first fin-shaped field-effect transistor to adjust the threshold voltage of the first fin-shaped field-effect transistor. A fin-shaped field-effect transistor formed by said process is also provided.
US09159624B1
Methods of dicing semiconductor wafers, each wafer having a plurality of integrated circuits, are described. In an example, a method of dicing a semiconductor wafer having a plurality of integrated circuits involves laminating a polymeric mask layer onto a front side of the semiconductor wafer by dry film vacuum lamination, the polymeric mask layer covering and protecting the integrated circuits. The method also involves patterning the polymeric mask layer with a laser scribing process to provide gaps in the polymeric mask layer, the gaps exposing regions of the semiconductor wafer between the integrated circuits. The method also involves plasma etching the semiconductor wafer through the gaps in the polymeric mask layer to singulate the integrated circuits. The method also involves, subsequent to plasma etching the semiconductor wafer, removing the polymeric mask layer.
US09159622B2
A dividing method for a wafer includes a step of irradiating a laser beam along streets to form modified regions in an inside of a wafer, a step of dividing the wafer into individual chips beginning with starting points given by the modified regions, a step of placing a processing chamber in which the wafer is charged to a vacuum state and fill the processing chamber with inert gas, and a step of introducing etching gas into the processing chamber filled with the inert gas to etch side faces of the chips.
US09159618B2
A semiconductor device includes a substrate, an interlayer insulation layer, first transistors, a multilayered interconnect layer, capacitance devices, metal interconnects, and first contacts. Interlayer insulation films are disposed over the substrate. The first transistors are disposed to the substrate and buried in the interlayer insulation layer. The first transistor has at least a gate electrode and a diffusion electrode. A multilayered interconnect layer is disposed over the interlayer insulation film. The capacitance devices are disposed in the multilayered interconnect layer. The metal interconnect is in contact with the upper surface of the gate electrode and buried in the interlayer insulation layer. The first contact is coupled to the diffusion layer of the first transistor and buried in the interlayer insulation layer. The metal interconnect includes a material identical with that of the first contact.
US09159611B2
A method for forming electrical-contact interface regions on a wafer including a silicon-carbide substrate having a surface with at least one conductive region facing the surface. The method includes forming a first and a second resist layer; forming; removing portions of the second resist layer to form a through opening partially aligned to the conductive region; removing, selective portions of the first resist layer to expose the surface of the substrate; removing portions of the first resist layer that extend laterally staggered with respect to the through opening; depositing a nickel layer on the wafer to form a nickel region on the substrate in an area corresponding to the conductive region; removing the first and second resist layers; and carrying out a step of thermal treatment of the wafer to form nickel-silicide regions in electrical contact with the conductive region.
US09159609B2
A method for fabricating a semiconductor device includes forming an insulation layer over a substrate; forming an open portion in the insulation layer; forming a sacrificial spacer over sidewalls of the open portion; forming, over the sacrificial spacer, a first conductive pattern in a lower section of the open portion; forming an ohmic contact layer over the first conductive pattern; forming an air gap by removing the sacrificial spacer; capping the air gap by forming a barrier layer over the ohmic contact layer; and forming a second conductive pattern over the barrier layer to fill an upper section of the open portion.
US09159603B1
An integrated circuit (“IC”) package strip support assembly for a saw table including a first material having a first hardness and having a surface adapted to engage a first surface of an IC package strip during sawing; and a second material having a second hardness and having a surface adapted to engage the first surface of the IC package strip during sawing wherein the second hardness is less than the first hardness.
US09159599B2
Apparatus for chemically etching a workpiece includes a chamber for receiving a process gas and having a pumping port for extracting exhaust gases, and a workpiece support located in the chamber upstream of the pumping port. The chamber further includes a sub-chamber located upstream of the pumping port and downstream of the workpiece support, and the sub-chamber includes a window and an excitation source, adjacent the window, for creating a plasma in a sample of the exhaust gases to create an optical emission which can be monitored through the window.
US09159595B2
An improved wafer carrier device for carrying and holding semiconductor wafers that have a thickness of below 100 micrometers includes a transportable wafer chuck having an enclosed vacuum reservoir and a top surface configured to support a wafer. The top surface has one or more through-openings extending from the top surface to the vacuum reservoir and the wafer is held onto the top surface via vacuum from the vacuum reservoir drawn through the through-openings.
US09159594B2
Disclosed are a liquid processing apparatus and a liquid processing method that can advance a plurality of nozzle supporting arms into a processing chamber. The liquid processing apparatus includes a processing chamber, a nozzle configured to supply a fluid to a substrate held by a substrate holding unit, a nozzle supporting arm configured to support the nozzle, and an arm standby unit installed adjacent to the processing chamber and configured for the nozzle supporting arm retreating from the processing chamber to stand by. In the liquid processing apparatus, a plurality of nozzle supporting arms are installed and one nozzle supporting arm has a different height level from the other nozzle supporting arms.
US09159591B2
A batch type apparatus may include a tube; a boat configured to receive a plurality of semiconductor substrates, the boat vertically moved into the tube; a gas nozzle vertically arranged in the tube, the tube having a first portion and a second portion upwardly extended from the first portion; a gas pipe for supplying reaction gases to the gas nozzle, the gas pipe having a horizontal extension and a vertical extension, and the vertical extension extended in the gas nozzle; a fixing member for fixing the first portion of the gas nozzle to the gas pipe, the fixing member having strength higher than that of the gas nozzle; and a clamping member for clamping the gas pipe to the tube. Therefore, breakage of the gas nozzle may be suppressed.
US09159589B2
A method of forming a chip package includes providing a chip with a plurality of first copper post bumps having a first height of copper post. The method also includes providing a substrate with a plurality of second copper post bumps having a second height of copper post. The method further includes bonding the plurality of first copper post bumps to the plurality of second copper post bumps by reflowing solder layers on the plurality of first copper post bumps and the plurality of second copper post bumps together to form a first copper post bump structure of the chip package. The first copper post bump structure has a standoff, wherein a ratio of a sum of the first height of copper post and the second height of copper post to the standoff is equal to or greater than about 0.6 and less than 1.
US09159584B2
Methods and Systems of Retrieving Documents. Coding a plurality of stored documents as respective document feature vectors in a bit-attribute matric, each feature vector comprising an attribute or class. Generating a query vector based on a query document. Performing one or more logical operations between the query vector and the respective document features vectors in the bit-attribute matrix to obtain respective similarity measures. Assigning an attribute or class to the query document based on the attribute or classes of one or more of the feature vectors.
US09159579B2
A method embodiment for patterning a semiconductor device includes forming a plurality of mandrels over a substrate, and forming a multilayer spacer layer over the plurality of mandrels. The multilayer spacer layer is formed by conformably depositing a spacer layer over the plurality of mandrels and treating the spacer layer with plasma. The plurality of mandrels is exposed by etching a top portion of the multilayer spacer layer, thereby forming a multilayer spacer.
US09159578B2
A method includes forming patterned lines on a substrate having a predetermined pitch. The method further includes forming spacer sidewalls on sidewalls of the patterned lines. The method further includes forming material in a space between the spacer sidewalls of adjacent patterned lines. The method further includes forming another patterned line from the material by protecting the material in the space between the spacer sidewalls of adjacent patterned lines while removing the spacer sidewalls. The method further includes transferring a pattern of the patterned lines and the patterned line to the substrate.
US09159576B2
A method is performed on a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafer formed of a substrate, a bottom oxide layer on the substrate and an active silicon layer on the bottom oxide layer, where the active silicon layer has a surface opposite the bottom oxide layer. The method includes forming a first mask over the surface at a first portion of the wafer and leaving a second portion of the wafer unmasked, etching the wafer at the unmasked second portion of the wafer to form a depression in the active silicon layer, the depression having a bottom, forming a thermal oxide layer substantially filling the depression, removing the first mask, and forming fins at the first and second portions of the wafer.
US09159572B2
A method of producing a semiconductor substrate product, the method containing: a step of preparing an aqueous solution containing 7% by mass or more and 25% by mass or less of a quaternary alkyl ammonium hydroxide; a step of preparing a semiconductor substrate having a silicon film comprising a polycrystalline silicon film or an amorphous silicon film; and a step of heating the aqueous solution at 80° C. or higher and applying the resultant aqueous solution onto the semiconductor substrate to etch at least a part of the silicon film.
US09159571B2
Methods for depositing low resistivity tungsten in features of substrates in semiconductor processing are disclosed herein. Methods involve using a germanium-containing reducing agent during tungsten nucleation layer deposition to achieve thin, low resistivity nucleation layers.
US09159570B2
A non-volatile memory device includes a channel layer vertically extending from a substrate, a plurality of inter-layer dielectric layers and a plurality of gate electrodes that are alternately stacked along the channel layer, and an air gap interposed between the channel layer and each of the plurality of gate electrodes. The non-volatile memory device may improve erase operation characteristics by suppressing back tunneling of electrons by substituting a charge blocking layer interposed between a gate electrode and a charge storage layer with an air gap, and a method for fabricating the non-volatile memory device.
US09159569B2
Some embodiments include methods of forming charge-trapping zones. The methods may include forming nanoparticles, transferring the nanoparticles to a liquid to form a dispersion, forming an aerosol from the dispersion, and then directing the aerosol onto a substrate to form charge-trapping centers comprising the nanoparticles. The charge-trapping zones may be incorporated into flash memory cells.
US09159566B2
Some embodiments of the present invention include apparatuses and methods relating to NMOS and PMOS transistor strain.
US09159561B2
A method of patterning a semiconductor device using a tri-layer photoresist is disclosed. A material layer is formed over a substrate. A tri-layer photoresist is formed over the material layer. The tri-layer photoresist includes a bottom layer, a middle layer disposed over the bottom layer, and a photo-sensitive layer disposed over the middle layer. A lithography process is performed to pattern the photo-sensitive layer into a mask having one or more openings. Undesired portions of the mask are removed via a first etching process. Thereafter, the middle layer is patterned via a second etching process. The second etching process includes forming a coating layer around the mask while the middle layer is being etched. In some embodiments, the second etching process includes a continuous plasma etching process. The plasma etching process is performed using at least a CxHyFz gas and an H2 gas.
US09159560B2
A double patterning method of forming a plurality of hole patterns having a small pitch using etch selectivities includes forming a patterning mask pattern defining a preliminary hole exposing an upper surface of a buffer mask layer, an inner spacer exposing the upper surface of the buffer mask layer on an inner wall of the preliminary hole, a buffer mask pattern having a first hole, and a core insulating pattern filling the preliminary hole and the first hole, an outer spacer to expose a first portion of the patterning mask pattern on the exposed portion of the outer side of the inner spacer, and an empty space exposing a first portion of the buffer mask pattern. A second portion of the patterning mask pattern and a second portion of the buffer mask pattern are exposed. A second hole is formed by removing the second portion of the buffer mask pattern.
US09159537B2
Described herein is a method and system for on-line coupling of capillary isoelectric focusing (cIEF) to high-resolution mass spectrometry in which a sheath flow buffer comprising polar organic solvent and organic acid is used as both an immobilization solution for (cIEF) and an ionization solution for electrospray ionization (ESI).
US09159528B2
An electron beam apparatus includes at least one electron beam column. The at least one beam column includes an electron beam optical system to irradiate an electron beam on a surface of a sample, and a detection system to detect electrons generated from the electron beam. The electron beam optical system includes an object lens to focus the electron beam on a surface of the sample. The object lens includes an electrostatic lens having a first electrode to which a first voltage is applied, a second electrode that is grounded, a third electrode to which a second voltage is applied, and a fourth electrode that is grounded. The first through fourth electrodes sequentially arranged relative to the sample.
US09159524B2
The X-ray generating apparatus 100 applies an electron beam e1 onto a target 150 to generate X-rays x1, and includes a permanent magnet lens 120 configured to focus the electron beam e1, a correction coil 130 provided on a side of the electron beam e1 with respect to the permanent magnet lens 120 and configured to correct a focus position formed by the permanent magnet lens 120 in a traveling direction of the electron beam e1, and a target 150 onto which the focused electron beam is applied. Accordingly, the apparatus configuration can be extremely compact and lightweight in comparison with general apparatuses. Furthermore, by the correction coil 130, the intensity of the magnetic field can be finely adjusted and the focus position in the traveling direction of the electron beam e1 can be finely adjusted.
US09159522B2
The present invention refers to a method for assembling an electron exit window of an electron beam generating device, comprising the steps of: arranging a foil support plate on a housing of the electron beam generating device, bonding a window foil to a frame along at least one continuous bonding line, thus creating an exit window sub-assembly, and attaching the exit window sub-assembly onto the housing. The invention also relates to an electron exit window assembly.
US09159520B2
A LUWPL luminaire has a housing with a lower transparent closure and a heat dissipating top of cast aluminum. This has a suspension eye. The housing has an upper flange via which it is bolted with the interposition of a seal to a underside rim of the top. Within the rim, the underside is substantially flat, with a magnetron attachment boss and other attachment points. A magnetron is supported by being clamped by a saddle to the attachment boss at the magnetron's anode. The magnetron is fast with a transition box and a crucible support block. A bracket fixed to certain of the attachment points extends down from the top is screwed to the transition box. Thus the LUWPL parts are securely supported below the top.
US09159517B2
A photocathode enhancement system includes a cathode plate that is movably positioned relative to an incident optical beam. The emission surface of the cathode plate has an area between about 0.5 cm2 to greater than 100 cm2. The system includes a motion controller that is configured to control the movement of the cathode plate relative to the optical beam, so that the optical beam successively strikes non-overlapping portions of the emission surface, and may reach substantially the entire emission surface over a time period of about 10 seconds to about 100 seconds. The movement of the cathode plate is controlled so that on average, the heat from the optical beam is uniformly distributed over the emission surface of the cathode plate.
US09159509B2
Hybrid keypad apparatus are disclosed herein. An example dome sheet carrier apparatus disclosed herein includes a first carrier portion having a first plurality of domes and a second carrier portion adjacent the first carrier portion. The second carrier portion has a second plurality of domes different than the first plurality of domes, where each of the second plurality of domes has a conductive material adjacent an apex of the second plurality of domes.
US09159504B2
Disclosed herein is an apparatus for storing an electric energy, the apparatus including: an electrode stack in which a cathode and an anode in which a cathode lead and an anode lead are respectively formed are alternately stacked; and collector plates disposed at both sides of the electrode stack, connected to the cathode lead and the anode lead, and provided with external terminals and one or more electrolyte flow holes.
US09159502B2
A supercapacitor is provided with a method for fabricating the supercapacitor. The method provides dried hexacyanometallate particles having a chemical formula AmM1xM2y(CN)6.pH2O with a Prussian Blue hexacyanometallate, crystal structure, where A is an alkali or alkaline-earth cation, and M1 and M2 are metals with 2+ or 3+ valance positions. The variable m is in the range of 0.5 to 2, x is in the range of 0.5 to 1.5, y is in the range of 0.5 to 1.5, and p is in the range of 0 to 6. The hexacyanometallate particles are mixed with a binder and electronic conductor powder, to form a cathode comprising AmM1xM2y(CN)6.pH2O. The method also forms an activated carbon anode and a membrane separating the cathode from the anode, permeable to A and A′ cations. Finally, an electrolyte is added with a metal salt including A′ cations. The electrolyte may be aqueous.
US09159497B2
Disclosed herein are a copolymer having a low band gap and a preparing method thereof, and more specifically, a copolymer having a low band gap and other various and excellent physical properties, and a preparing method thereof.
US09159494B2
Disclosed are a multilayer ceramic condenser and a method of manufacturing the same. The method includes printing a plurality of stripe-type inner electrode patterns in parallel on ceramic green sheets; forming a laminate by staking the ceramic green sheets having the plurality of stripe-type inner electrode patterns printed thereon; cutting the laminate in order to have a structure in which first and second inner electrode patterns are alternately stacked; and forming a first side part and a second side part by applying ceramic slurry in order to cover the sides of the laminate to which the first and second inner electrode patterns are exposed.
US09159484B2
An integrated circuit based transformer, comprising: a primary winding located in a winding layer, the primary winding having two primary terminals at a first side of the transformer; a secondary winding located in a winding layer, the secondary winding having two secondary terminals at a second side of the transformer, the first and second sides located at different sides of the transformer; and a reference bar located in a reference bar layer, the reference bar having a primary reference bar terminal at the first side of the transformer, and having a secondary reference bar terminal at the second side of the transformer. The reference bar is configured to provide a direct electrical connection between the first reference bar terminal and the second reference bar terminal.
US09159481B2
A device for magnetizing an object includes first and second electrode for contacting the object to be magnetized as well as a current generator. The generator is configured to apply a current having a raising current slope and a falling current slope. The falling current slope is steeper than the raising current slope.
US09159475B2
According to one embodiment, there is provided a high pressure bushing arranged through by penetrating a stator frame of a rotating electrical machine in which a cooling gas is sealed. At least a communicating hole is provided in the hollow connecting conductor and at least a reflux hole is provided in the gas circulation pipe, such that the cooling gas flows in both of the first gap and the second gap, passes through an inner side of the gas circulation pipe, and is discharged to the machine inner side.
US09159473B2
A method of electrically conductively connecting two superconductive cables includes freeing the conductors and screens of surrounding layers at the ends of the two cables. Subsequently, the ends of the two cables (1, 2) are placed next o each other and parallel to one another in such a way that their free ends point, in the same direction, and the ends are rigidly connected to one another in this position. The conductors and their screens are electrically conductively connected to each other through electrical contact elements (8, 9) extending transversely of the axial direction. and the two cable ends treated in this manner are arranged in a housing (10) of a cryostat when building up the transmission length which, during operation of the transmission length, a flowable cooling agent with insulating properties flows through the housing.
US09159458B2
A flash interface error injector for end-of-life testing of a flash-based array includes a plurality of error injection logic blocks that are implemented by one or more processors. Each of the plurality of error injection logic blocks corresponds with a respective flash channel. The flash injector also includes a bit flip probability logic that identifies one or more bits to be flipped.
US09159455B2
A particular method includes selecting a threshold data retention time of a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) memory cell. A pinned layer of the MTJ memory cell has a first direction of magnetization, and a free layer of the MTJ memory cell has a second direction of magnetization. An external magnetic field that has a third direction of magnetization that is opposite to the second direction of magnetization is applied to the MTJ memory cell. A strength of the external magnetic field is determined based on the threshold data retention time. Subsequent to applying the external magnetic field, a read operation is performed on the MTJ memory cell to determine a logic value of the MTJ memory cell. The method further includes determining whether the MTJ memory cell is subject to a data retention error corresponding to the threshold data retention time based on the logic value.
US09159452B2
The present invention is a circuit and method for measuring leakage on the plurality of word lines in a memory device. In one embodiment, a memory device may include a leakage measurement circuit that is coupled to a plurality of word lines of the memory device. The leakage measurement circuit may be operable to generate a reference current and to determine whether a leakage current on one of the plurality of word lines is acceptable relative to the reference current. In another embodiment, a method may include determining whether leakage on one of a plurality of word lines of a memory device is allowable using a circuit in the memory device.
US09159451B2
A testing system for a wafer having a plurality of flash memory dies is provided. The testing system includes a testing apparatus and a probe card coupled to the testing apparatus via a specific transmission line. The testing apparatus provides a testing requirement. The probe card includes a plurality of probes and a controller. The probes contact with at least one of the flash memory dies of the wafer. The controller writes a testing data to the flash memory die according to the testing requirement and reads the testing data from the flash memory die via the probes. The controller provides a testing result to the testing apparatus according to the read testing data.
US09159439B2
A semiconductor memory device includes a sense amplifier, and the sense amplifier includes a bus, first and second latch circuits, and a third transistor. The first latch circuit includes a first transistor connected to the bus, and the second latch circuit includes a second transistor connected to the bus. When data is transmitted from the first latch circuit to the second latch circuit, a third transistor is switched on to precharge the bus by applying a first voltage that is lower than a power source voltage of the first and second latch circuits to a gate of the third transistor. Thereafter, second and third voltages that are lower than the power source voltage are applied to gates of first and second transistors, respectively.
US09159438B2
A NAND flash memory in which a command/address pin is separated from a data input/output pin. The NAND flash memory includes a memory cell array used for storing data, a command/address pin through which a command and an address are received for transmitting data in the memory cell array, and a data input/output pin through which data are transmitted in the memory cell array. The command/address pin is separated from the data input/output pin in the NAND flash memory. Data input/output speed is increased. Furthermore, the NAND flash memory can perform a bank interleaving operation with a minimal delay time.
US09159437B2
The reliability with which data can be read from a storage medium, such as flash memory storage medium, is enhanced by updating an upper limit of a reading threshold voltage window for a respective portion of the storage medium. For each memory cell in the respective portion of the storage medium, a memory controller is configured to perform a plurality of sensing operations and obtain results from the plurality of sensing operations, where the plurality of sensing operations includes sensing operations using a predefined range of offsets from a previously established reading threshold voltage. The memory controller is further configured to determine the updated upper limit of the reading threshold voltage window based on the-results from the plurality of sensing operations, and store the updated upper limit of the reading threshold voltage window for the respective portion of the storage medium.
US09159426B1
A method includes forming a first group of memory cells coupled to a first conductive channel. The first conductive channel is substantially perpendicular relative to a surface of a substrate. The method further includes forming a second group of memory cells coupled to a second conductive channel. The second conductive channel is electrically coupled to the first conductive channel and is substantially perpendicular relative to the surface of the substrate.
US09159414B1
An integrated circuit may can include a memory section that stores data in programmable impedance elements arranged at cross points of select lines and sub bit lines, groups of sub bit lines each being connected to a different main bit line, the elements being formed above a substrate surface.
US09159413B2
An integrated circuit is formed having an array of memory cells located in the dielectric stack above a semiconductor substrate. Each memory cell has an adjustable resistor and a heating element. A dielectric material separates the heating element from the adjustable resistor. The heating element alters the resistance of the resistor by applying heat thereto. The magnitude of the resistance of the adjustable resistor represents the value of data stored in the memory cell.
US09159408B2
A memory cell including conductive oxide electrodes is disclosed. The memory cell includes a memory element operative to store data as a plurality of resistive states. The memory element includes a layer of a conductive metal oxide (CMO) (e.g., a perovskite) in contact with an electrode that may comprise one or more layers of material. At least one of those layers of material can be a conductive oxide (e.g., a perovskite such as LaSrCoO3-LSCoO or LaNiO3-LNO) that is in contact with the CMO. The conductive oxide layer can be selected as a seed layer operative to provide a good lattice match with and/or a lower crystallization temperature for the CMO. The conductive oxide layer may also be in contact with a metal layer (e.g., Pt). The memory cell additionally exhibits non-linear IV characteristics, which can be favorable in certain arrays, such as non-volatile two-terminal cross-point memory arrays.
US09159405B2
A method and an apparatus for programming data, and a method and an apparatus for setting a data programming mode used for the same are provided. The method for programming data in a non-volatile memory device includes determining a programming mode to be used for data programming among at least two programming modes prescribing different verify voltages for cells to be programmed, based on set mode information, and programming data according to the determined programming mode. Consequently, the loss of programmed data is prevented through an SMD reflow process.
US09159402B2
An SRAM bitcell includes first and second CMOS inverters connected as a latch defining a true node and a complement node. The bitcell further includes true and complement bitline nodes. A first direct connection is provided between the true bitline node and a back gate of at least a p-channel transistor, and perhaps also an n-channel transistor, in the second CMOS inverter. A second direct connection is provided between the complement bitline node and a back gate of at least a p-channel transistor, and perhaps also an n-channel transistor, in the first CMOS inverter. A first pass transistor is coupled between the true bitline node and the true node, and a second pass transistor is coupled between the complement bitline node and the complement node. Direct connections are also provided between a wordline and the back gates of each of the first and second pass transistors.
US09159400B2
A semiconductor memory having bit lines and wordlines crossing each other, a memory cell array formed by memory cells arranged in rows and columns on crossover points of the bit lines and wordlines, and sense amplifier banks arranged on opposite sides of the memory cell array. Each sense amplifier bank has staggered sense amplifiers connected to a bit line according to an interleaved arrangement whereby bit lines alternate in the direction of the wordlines between bit lines coupled to different sense amplifiers. This results in interconnect spaces parallel to the bit lines. Also, each sense amplifier bank includes a local column decoder for selecting a sense amplifier and which is staggered with the sense amplifiers and coupled to the sense amplifier by an output line running in an available interconnect space parallel to the bit lines.
US09159396B2
A mechanism for facilitating improved refresh schemes for memory devices is described. In one embodiment, an apparatus includes a memory device having refresh logic and memory cells, the memory cells including data cells and supplemental cells, the supplemental cells to be observed. The supplemental cells emulate a decay characteristic of the data cells performing regular refresh operations according to an existing refresh policy. The apparatus may further include the refresh logic to receive, from the supplemental cells, observation data relating to decaying of the supplemental cells, and correlate the observation data to data cell performance. The refresh logic to generate a policy recommendation based on the observation data collected by the supplemental cells.
US09159387B2
A memory chip includes a data processing block suitable for serial-parallel converting data inputted and for parallel-serial converting data to be outputted, a write data transmitting unit suitable for transmitting the data serial-parallel converted by the data processing block to a write data interlayer channel, a write data receiving unit suitable for receiving data from the write data interlayer channel, the data to be written to a core area, a read data receiving unit suitable for receiving data from a read data interlayer channel, the data to be parallel-serial converted by the data processing block, and a read data transmitting unit suitable for transmitting data read from the core area to the read data interlayer channel.
US09159386B2
The semiconductor device includes a command decoder and a voltage generation circuit. The command decoder may be suitable for decoding external command signals to generate a preparation signal and a voltage control signal. The voltage generation circuit may be suitable for generating a read voltage signal used in a read operation and a program voltage signal used in a program operation in response to the preparation signal. In addition, the voltage generation circuit may terminate generation of the read voltage signal and the program voltage signal in response to the voltage control signal.
US09159383B2
Command signal management methods and circuits in memory devices are disclosed. Command signals are selectively passed and blocked to enforce safe operating characteristics within a memory device. In at least one embodiment, a command signal management circuit is configured to selectively block a command signal while a memory device operation is being performed. In at least one other embodiment, one or more command blocking circuits are configured to selectively pass and block one or more command signals generated by a memory access device coupled to the memory device while a memory device operation is being performed in the memory device.
US09159379B2
A switching circuit includes a first well and a second well formed in a semiconductor substrate; a first transistor being connected with a first node at one end, and the first transistor being formed in the first well; a second transistor being connected with another end of the first node at one end, and connected with a second node at another end, and the second transistor being formed in the second well; and a potential control circuit that connects the second well with the first node during a predetermined period including a period for the first transistor and the second transistor to transition from off to on in a state where potential of the second node is lower than potential of the first node, and connects the second well with the second node after the predetermined period.
US09159377B2
A resistive memory apparatus includes a memory unit including a resistive memory cell array, a voltage generation unit suitable for receiving a radio frequency (RF) signal, and converting the RF signal into a direct current (DC) voltage, and a control unit suitable for controlling a refresh operation to be performed on the resistive memory cell array, wherein the boosted DC voltage is used as an operation voltage for the refresh operation.
US09159372B2
A box is provided for receiving a removable element. The box is a generally rectangular box fitted with a tilting cam of cut-out sheet metal situated in the rear portion of the box body, the tilting cam having an actuation end and an ejection end situated on either side of a central portion of said cam for the purpose of ejecting the removable element when the cam is tilted about its central portion. The box body has in the rear portion of its top face a tab including a base extended by a tongue that extends parallel to said top face while being spaced apart from said top face, together with a lug projecting from the top face and situated facing a free end of the tongue. The tilting cam is secured to the box body by snap-fastening, having its central portion engaged firstly between the tongue and the top face of the box body, and secondly between the lug and the base.
US09159371B2
At a high level, embodiments of the invention relate to augmenting video data with presence data derived from one or more proximity tags. More specifically, embodiments of the invention generate forensically authenticated recordings linking video imagery to the presence of specific objects in or near the recording. One embodiment of the invention includes video recording system comprising a camera, a wireless proximity tag reader, a storage memory and control circuitry operable to receive image data from the camera receive a proximity tag identifier identifying a proximity tag from the proximity tag reader, and store an encoded frame containing the image data and the proximity tag identity in the storage memory.
US09159368B2
In a recording and reproducing apparatus and a recording and reproducing method for the recording and reproducing apparatus for recording and reproducing image information on a scene obtained through photographing, relative to a predetermined first recording medium and being capable of setting one or more chapters to each scene, a face recognizing process is executed for a photographed image based on the image information, an importance level of each chapter is set in accordance with a result of the face recognizing process for a very important person (VIP) set by a user, and each chapter having a relevant importance level among importance levels of respective chapters is selectively reproduced. A user can therefore find an object chapter and scene quickly and easily.
US09159361B2
Distributed trick play resolution in a distributed video viewing group network includes determining trick play preferences for each device of a plurality of nodes in the distributed video viewing group network with respect to a video item. Conflicting trick play preferences between the nodes is determined based on one or more of a group consisting of: user rankings, user voting, trick play ranking, and owner resolution. The determined conflicting trick play preferences are resolved.
US09159350B1
A recording medium having improved signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) capabilities includes a cap layer over the recording layer, where the cap layer has a magnetic damping constant greater than 0.03, such as by using a FeHo cap layer. One mechanism for increasing the SNR is by reducing the switching field distribution. Such a medium is particularly useful in the context of heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR).
US09159349B2
A writer core of a transducer is configured to interact with a magnetic recording medium and comprises an upper core and a lower core. At least one of the upper and lower cores comprises a return pole having a return shield. The apparatus also comprises a writer pole between the upper and lower cores, and a writer gap defined between the writer pole and the return shield. The apparatus further comprises a sensor element within one of the upper and lower cores that includes the writer gap. The sensor element has a temperature coefficient of resistance and is configured to sense for a change in temperature indicative of one or both of a change in spacing and contact between the transducer and the magnetic recording medium.
US09159340B1
A write head having a main pole having a pole tip, the main pole having a leading side and a trailing side; and a coil structure around the main pole, the coil structure having no more than two active turns on the trailing side. A non-active, or dummy turn, may be present.
US09159328B1
A device may receive an audio sample, and may separate the audio sample into multiple sub-band signals in multiple frequency bands. The device may modify an upper boundary and a lower boundary of at least one of the frequency bands to form modified frequency bands. The device may modify the sub-band signals to form banded signals associated with the modified frequency bands. The device may smooth the banded signals to form smoothed signal values. The device may identify peak values included in the smoothed signal values, and may generate an audio fingerprint for the audio sample based on the smoothed signal values and the peak values.
US09159323B2
A method including: obtaining, via a plurality of communication devices, a plurality of speech signals respectively associated with human speakers, the speech signals including verbal components and non-verbal components; identifying a plurality of geographical locations, each geographic location associated with a respective one of the plurality of the communication devices; extracting the non-verbal components from the obtained speech signals; deducing physiological or psychological conditions of the human speakers by analyzing, over a specified period, the extracted non-verbal components, using predefined relations between characteristics of the non-verbal components and physiological or psychological conditions of the human speakers; and providing a geographical distribution of the deduced physiological or psychological conditions of the human speakers by associating the deduced physiological or psychological conditions of the human speakers with geographical locations thereof.
US09159310B2
Systems, including methods and apparatus, for applying audio effects to a non-ambient signal, based at least in part on information received in an ambient audio signal. Exemplary effects that can be applied using the present teachings include generation of harmony notes, pitch-correction of melody notes, and tempo-based effects that rely on beat detection.
US09159304B1
A bore-variable leadpipe includes a mouthpiece receiver integrally formed on a tube body of a brass instrument and a mouthpiece adaptor detachably assembled to the mouthpiece receiver. The mouthpiece receiver internally defines a first bore, in which an assembling section, a tapered section and an air-guiding section are sequentially formed. The mouthpiece adaptor has a receiving end for receiving a mouthpiece therein and an assembling end for engaging with the assembling section, and internally defines a second bore between the two ends. When the mouthpiece adaptor is assembled to the mouthpiece receiver, the second and the first bore are aligned and communicable with each other to form a conical passage and a cylindrical passage. The leadpipe can be changed in its bore size by assembling a mouthpiece adaptor of a different bore size to the mouthpiece receiver, so that the same brass instrument can be used with differently sized mouthpieces.
US09159302B2
A piano selectively playable in normal and soft modes has multiple piano keys and actions, including a wippen assembly, and multiple piano hammers. A soft pedal system includes a soft pedal and a hammer rest rail mounted for movement between normal and soft mode positions. A piano key lift rail is mounted for movement between a normal mode position spaced from lifting contact with the keys and a soft mode position in contact with and lifting the keys and the wippen assemblies. A soft pedal linkage assembly between the soft pedal and the hammer rest rail and piano key lift rail, upon actuation of the soft pedal, causes movement of hammer rest rail and piano hammers, and movement of the piano keys and the wippen assemblies, between normal and soft mode positions, in gap-closing motion.
US09159299B2
A method and a device for displaying images on a display based on a visual adjustment factor related to a user's prescription eyewear are provided. The display includes a front display plane and a back display plane and for each of a plurality of image elements of an image, a respective version of the image element is displayed on each of the front display plane and the back display plane based on the visual adjustment factor such that the respective versions of the image element differ in at least one of line weight and transparency.
US09159297B2
An image-displaying device includes an image data generation section, a progress information acquisition section and a display control section. The image data generation section is configured to perform processing for generating image data indicative of an image of a subject based on output data from an image-capturing section that captures the image of the subject, the image data being composed of a plurality of predetermined data units. The progress information acquisition section is configured to acquire progress information indicative of a status of progress of the processing for generating the image data with respect to each of the predetermined data units of the image data. The display control section is configured to control the display section to display at least one of the predetermined data units of the image data for which the processing for generating the image data is ended based on the progress information.
US09159287B2
When the degree of reliability of a motion vector is equal to or higher than a threshold, an interpolated image is generated, and the image of a frame of interest and the interpolated image are output to a panel in the order named. Every time the image is output, a backlight is turned on. When the degree of reliability is lower than the threshold, the image of the frame of interest is output twice to the panel. Every time the image is output, the backlight is controlled to alternately set its light amount to the first light amount and the second light amount smaller than the first light amount.
US09159280B1
The present invention relates to a GOA circuit for liquid crystal displaying and a display device. The GOA circuit includes a plurality of cascaded GOA units and the nth-stage GOA unit includes a pull-up part (100), a key pull-down part (200), a pull-down holding part (300), a pull-up control part (400), and a boost capacitor (Cb). In operation, a nth-stage clock signal (CK(n)) and first and second clock signals (LC1 and LC2) are inputted. The frequencies of the first clock signal (LC1) and the second clock signal (LC2) are lower than the nth clock signal (CK(n)). The first clock signal (LC1) charging a first circuit point (P) and the second clock signal (LC2) charging a second circuit point (K) are alternately carried out. The present invention also provides a corresponding display device. The GOA circuit of the present invention precisely controls the voltage of the gate Q(n) that affects charging of a horizontal scan line by means of the low frequency clock signal and the high frequency clock signal, so as to ensure a stable output of the GOA charging signal.
US09159267B2
Disclosed herein is a liquid crystal display device having first and second substrates disposed to face each other so as to hold a liquid crystal layer therebetween, and a gate potential creating circuit for outputting a selection potential and a non-selection potential, scanning lines, signal lines, thin film transistors formed so as to correspond to intersection portions between the scanning lines and the signal lines, respectively, pixel electrodes electrically connected to the thin film transistors, respectively, and a gate control circuit for switching the selection potential and the non-selection potential supplied from the gate potential creating circuit over to each other, thereby supplying one of the selection potential and the non-selection potential to corresponding ones of the thin film transistors through corresponding one of the scanning lines being formed on the first substrate, and a common electrode being formed either on the first substrate or the second substrate.
US09159263B2
A pixel, a display device including the same, and a driving method thereof. The display device includes: a data driver transmitting data signals; a scan driver generating and transmitting scan signals; a display panel including pixels, each emitting light with a driving current according to the data signals; a compensation signal unit generating and transmitting a compensation control signal for controlling simultaneous transmission of a predetermined bias voltage to each of the pixels before a data voltage according to the data signals is applied to each of the pixels; a power controller controlling voltage levels of the first power source voltage and the second power source voltage and supplying the level-controlled first and second power source voltages; and a timing controller generating the data signals by processing an external image signal and generating a plurality of driving control signals.
US09159257B2
The organic light emitting display includes a plurality of pixels positioned at intersections of scan lines, emission control lines, and data lines, a scan driver for sequentially supplying scan signals to the scan lines at a first driving frequency in order to select the pixels in units of horizontal lines, and an emission driver for sequentially supplying emission control signals to the emission control lines at a second driving frequency different from the first driving frequency in order to control emission of the pixels.
US09159248B2
A model head including a jaw insert having layers of varying materials replicating the anatomical features of a human jaw. The jaw may include a mock nerve system that provides a signal to indicate the condition of the nerve. The jaw also may include a circulatory system including vessels that simulate the bleeding that occurs when a vessel in a human has been damaged.
US09159244B2
The invention relates to a simulation device (110) for training equipment (100) for a real ground vehicle, comprising —a vehicle model (115) comprising a predetermined number of function models (130b; 131b; 132b) for simulation of corresponding physical function elements (130a; 131a; 132a) of said vehicle; —arrangements (399) for engaging physical function elements (130a; 131a; 132a) to the simulation device (110). The simulation device (110) is arranged such that a function model (130b; 131 b; 132b) concerning a determined function element (130a; 131a, 132a) is intended to be deactivated at engagement of corresponding physical function elements (130a; 131a; 132a) and such that the deactivated function model (130a; 131b; 132b) is reactivated at disengagement of said engaged function element (130a; 131a; 132a). The invention also relates to a computer program and a computer program product comprising a program code (P) for a computer (110; 300).
US09159237B2
A vehicle early warning system and a vehicle early warning method are provided. The vehicle early warning system comprises an inter-vehicle communication device, a processor and a notice device. The inter-vehicle communication device receives an other-vehicle message package having an other-vehicle identification code and an other-vehicle sense message. The processor determines whether the other-vehicle identification code is valid. The processor determines whether the other-vehicle sense message is valid when the other-vehicle identification code is valid. The processor determines whether a driving location is on a predicated collision path according to the other-vehicle sense message when the other-vehicle sense message is valid. The notice device outputs a notice signal when the driving location is on a predicated collision path.
US09159223B2
A user monitoring device has one or more monitoring sensors and a unique user ID. The one or more sensors acquire user information selected from of at least one of, a user's activities, behaviors and habit information, and user monitoring. ID circuitry is at the user monitoring device. The ID circuitry includes ID storage, a communication system that reads and transmits the unique ID from an ID storage, a power source and a pathway system to route signals through the circuitry. The monitoring device is configured to be in communication with a telemetry system. The telemetry system includes a database of user ID's. The telemetry analyzes telemetry data based on at least one of, user's activities, behaviors and habit information. The telemetry system in operation is in communication with and sends a notification to an emergency response team or system when a monitored parameter is of a certain value.
US09159218B2
An apparatus for smoke detection having an image sensor may be tested using image or pattern recognition, or facial gesturing without having to climb a ladder or chair to initiate the test, or be uncomfortably close to the smoke detector apparatus during initiation of the testing thereof. Carbon monoxide (CO) and/or carbon dioxide (CO2) monitoring and alarm may also be incorporated into this apparatus. Other control functions may also be initiated with image or pattern recognition, or facial gesturing such as audio features associated with the smoke detector apparatus such as networked speakers for distribution of music, intercom, telephone, and/or doorbell annunciation.
US09159204B2
Provided is a cash drawer (10) including a drawer (70) having a banknote container (81) formed therein, and a cash drawer body (20). The cash drawer body (20) includes a drawer accommodating portion (21), a front opening portion (22), a top surface member (40) including a top surface section (41), and a front surface member (50) including a front frame section (51). The front surface member (50) and the top surface member (40) are coupled to each other without forming, at a position between the front surface member (50) and the top surface member (40), a seam extending in a direction being parallel to the top surface of the drawer accommodating portion (21) and intersecting a first direction (X).
US09159202B2
A gaming system having a first skill, partial skill, or pseudo skill based game having a plurality of individually activatable designated components and a plurality of second chance based games each respectively associated with a different one of the individually activatable components of the skill based game. When each designated component of the first game is activated through one or player inputs, a corresponding chance based game associated with that designated component is activated. Each chance based game randomly determines whether the player wins an award. In one embodiment, the likelihood of activating each designated component is different and the chance based game associated with each different designated component is different.
US09159193B2
Systems and methods are provided for permitting a player to play a game at a gaming device. The gaming device provides a payout for the game. The payout is redeemable for one of a plurality of values, and at least two of the plurality of values are different from each other. The values typically have different corresponding forms of payout, such as cash or merchandise credits.
US09159192B2
A gaming device including a plurality of reels or cards having several symbols. The symbols include at least two complimentary symbols that form resultant symbols on related reels or cards. In one embodiment, the resultant symbol is similar to a symbol and acts as a substitute for other symbols on the reels or cards. In another embodiment, the resultant symbol transforms adjacent symbols into symbols or other symbols on the reels or cards. In a further embodiment, the resultant symbol transforms a predetermined or random number of symbols on the reels or cards into symbols or other symbols.
US09159180B2
A method and apparatus are disclosed for conveying at least one item of media. The apparatus includes a user interface comprising a media port and a user display. The apparatus also includes a shuttle carriage supporting a presentation platform and movable along a shuttle drive rail between a first end region thereof in which the presentation platform can be aligned at the media port and a further end region in which the presentation platform can be selectively aligned with a selected one of a plurality of possible handling ports of a multi-media station.
US09159179B2
Techniques and systems for maintaining a secure document replication environment based on information contained in CACs are disclosed. In one embodiment of the invention, a device such as an MFP, a printer, a scanner, a copier, or a fax machine comprises or is connected to a card reader. The device prevents users from using the device until the users have been authenticated. In order to authenticate himself to the device, a user inserts his CAC into the card reader. The device reads the user's digital certificate off of the user's CAC. The device determines whether the digital certificate is valid. If the digital certificate is not valid, then, in one embodiment of the invention, the device prevents the user from using any of the device's functions (e.g., printing, scanning, copying, faxing, etc.).
US09159161B1
A method of creating a two-dimensional representation of a model. The method includes receiving data corresponding to a first component and at least one second component of the model, defining a first component representation, defining the at least one second component representation, determining a visibility of the plurality of graphics of the first component representation, determining a visibility of the plurality of graphics of the at least one second component representation, defining a structure of the first component representation, defining a structure of the at least one second component representation, defining one or more display rules, and generating an illustration file.
US09159159B2
The present disclosure is directed to using patients' imaging of a tubular structure to generate a series of maximum intensity projection views of segments of the tubular structure and assembling the views to provide a complete circumferential visualization of the tubular structure. Such views may be used to generate patient-specific models of flow within the tubular structure, predict medical events (e.g. cardiac, pulmonary, respiratory), including plaque rupture and/or myocardial infarction.
US09159150B2
A method of distributing map data from a map server to a wireless communications device entails generating a bitmap array representative of the vector map data for a given zoom level, computing attributes of the bitmap array to determine which map features to retain and which map features to suppress, and then transmitting to the wireless device only the map data for the map features to be retained. By counting the number of bitmap cells representing a polygonal map feature such as a park, lake, or island, the approximate area is quickly estimated. If the area falls below a threshold, the map data for the small polygon is discarded. Similarly, if a polyline map feature overlaps (or is too proximate to) another polyline map feature, one of the polyline map features is discarded. The map data actually transmitted is thus reduced, thereby economizing bandwidth without unduly sacrificing map detail.
US09159145B2
The invention relates to a method of MR imaging of at least a portion of a body (10) of a patient placed in an examination volume of a MR device (1). The method comprises the steps of: -subjecting the portion of the body (10) to a first imaging sequence for acquiring a first signal data set (31, 32) from a central portion of k-space, wherein magnetic resonance is excited by means of RF pulses having a large flip angle (α1); -subjecting the portion of the body (10) to a second imaging sequence for acquiring a second signal data set (33, 34) from the central portion of k-space, wherein magnetic resonance is excited by means of RF pulses having a small flip angle (α2); -subjecting the portion of the body (10) to a third imaging sequence for acquiring a third signal data set (35, 36) at least from a peripheral portion of k-space, wherein magnetic resonance is excited by means of RF pulses having an intermediate flip angle (α 3); -reconstructing a first MR image (37) from a combination of the first signal data set (31, 32) and the third signal data set (35, 36) and -reconstructing a second MR image (38) from a combination of the second signal data set (33, 34) and the third signal data set (35, 36).
US09159131B2
Data matching includes receiving a piece of first relational data and a piece of second relational data. The piece of first relational data is associated with a plurality of pieces of first data, and the piece of second relational data is associated with a plurality of pieces of second data. An approximate value of the piece of second relational data is calculated. A similarity is calculated based on the piece of first relational data and the approximate value of the piece of second relational data. A correspondence between a piece of the first data and a piece of the second data is determined based on the calculated similarity. An alignment parameter is calculated based on the determined correspondence, and a first data group including the piece of the first data is matched with a second data group including the piece of the second data based on the alignment parameter.
US09159130B2
The present invention relates to the field of alignment of an ordered stack of images from a sliced specimen. According to the present method and apparatus, the ordered stack of images is aligned by successively determining, for at least two already aligned images of the ordered stack, the respective misalignments with an unaligned image which is to be aligned next, selecting from the at least two aligned images as a reference image that aligned image with which the unaligned image has the smallest amount of misalignment, and aligning the unaligned image with the selected reference image. This is intended to provide a robust and computationally cheap aligning method and apparatus.
US09159124B2
A method includes enhancing a contrast to noise ratio (CNR) of image data, generating CNR enhanced image data, wherein the CNR enhanced image data has a substantially same image quality as the image data. A computing system (118) includes a computer readable storage medium (122) encoded with computer readable instructions for enhancing a contrast to noise ratio (CNR) of image data and one or more processors (120), which, when executing the computer readable instructions, causes the computing system to enhance the CNR of the image data. A method includes generating CNR enhanced image data, wherein CNR enhanced image data has a substantially same noise level, noise power spectrum, and spatial resolution of the image data.
US09159123B2
An image prior as a shared basis mixture model is described. In one or more implementations, a plurality of image patches are generated from one or more images. A shared basis mixture model is learned to model an image patch distribution of the plurality of image patches from the one or more images as part of a Gaussian mixture model. An image may then be reconstructed using the shared basis mixture model as an image prior.
US09159120B2
An image processing unit of an image processing apparatus includes: a pixel value acquiring part that acquires pixel values of new pixels obtained by increasing resolution of a first image, using pixel values of multiple original pixels, of the first image, around a position at which each of the new pixels is disposed; a representative value acquiring part that acquires a representative value of the pixel values of the multiple new pixels arranged in an area in which each of the original pixels is disposed; a correction value acquiring part that acquires a correction value using the pixel value of each of the original pixels and the representative value; and a pixel value correcting part that corrects the pixel value of each of the original pixels using the correction value. The image processing unit performs correction processing for correcting the original pixels is repeated once or at least twice.
US09159116B2
Voice commands and gesture recognition are two mechanisms by which an individual may interact with content such as that on a display. In an implementation, interactivity of a user with content on a device or display may be modified based on the distance between a user and the display. An attribute such as a user profile may be used to tailor the modification of the display to an individual user. In some configurations, the commands available to the user may also be modified based on the determined distance between the user and a device or display.
US09159102B2
Apparatus and methods for client deposit tracking are provided. The deposit may be tracked from a time the deposit is retrieved from a client location until a value of the deposit is credited to a client. A deposit may be tracked by affixing a bar-code to a cartridge storing containing the deposit. The bar-code may be printed on the cartridge. The bar-code may be electronically transmitted to the cartridge. The bar-code may include deposit information. The deposit information may include deposit weights. The bar-code may be captured an armored courier. Information captured from the bar-code may be transmitted to a financial institution. The financial institution may derive performance metrics based on the information captured from the bar-code. Deposit status determination may be provided based on the information capture from the bar-code. Deposits status information may be transmitted to a client of the financial institution.
US09159101B1
An image of a check may be presented for payment in a banking system in place of the physical paper check. The check to be deposited can be collected from a depositor using a scanner. A web site, accessed through a depositor's web browser, can be used to drive the process of collecting the check, but in some contexts (e.g., in less popular computing environments, such as those that do not run the most popular operating systems), it is economically infeasible to obtain the certificates that would be used to allow a program executing in the web browser to control the scanner. Thus, a depositor can be instructed to capture and upload images of the check in the form of files, where the image files are then presented for payment through a banking system.
US09159099B2
A system and method for distributing prepaid cash alternatives and resolving exceptions related to the sale of prepaid cash alternatives such as traveler's cheques or prepaid cards. Reports of sales may be reviewed to identify exceptions, and information explaining the exceptions may be made available electronically. Sellers may be notified of exceptions by e-mail, which may include a link or address to information explaining the exceptions. The information may be provided in real time through a secure site on a network, such as the Internet. A company may contract with business partners to sell the prepaid cash alternatives to customers, and the business partners may report the sales to the company via reports. After being notified of exceptions, business partners may provide corrected information or new information to resolve the exceptions.
US09159095B1
In some embodiments, the present invention is directed to database driven computer systems providing real-time updatable graphical user interfaces to track real-time value of airings, including: a specifically programmed server; a database accessible by the server, where the server includes a plurality of modules configured to perform: electronically and periodically obtaining media data, web tracking transaction data, call center transaction data, and fulfillment transaction data; associating, in real time, media data records of airings of creatives to fulfillment transaction records by matching records among database tables having media data, web tracking transaction data, call center transaction data, and fulfillment transaction data; continuously calculating, in real-time, a current value of a particular airing of a particular creative; and displaying a graphical user interface, including real-time updated look-up items, outputting one or more real-time report based at least on the continuously calculating the current value of the particular airing.
US09159089B2
A novel and useful mechanism and method for processing transactions on a point of sale system comprising of a conveyor system which continuously moves when one ore more items or items are resting on the conveyor system, and a sensing system to capture the information necessary to identify the items on the conveyor. When all items are correctly recognized by the sensing devices, the customer is charged for the items and an invoice is printed. In the event all the items are not correctly recognized the captured information is forwarded to a remote location for automated recognition processing and manual identification, if necessary. Once all the items are successfully identified, the customer is charged for the purchase and an invoice is processed and sent to the customer.
US09159086B1
Systems and methods for Desktop-To-Mobile (D2M) application installation that allows a publisher to extend their relationship with a consumer from the Desktop PC (PC) to a mobile device. In accordance with some implementations, a mobile application store may be used to offer apps on a user's mobile device as a result of a user acceptance of an offer(s) for the apps. The user may install a personal computer (PC)-based application that runs in the background. The PC-based application receives offers to install mobile applications and may use the mobile app store or a PC to install the mobile applications to the user's mobile device.
US09159082B2
A method for personalizing content for a particular user in a computing system comprising a user interface configured to display content. The method comprises identifying a long term profile having one or more features in a feature set and a long term level of importance associated with each term in the feature set, identifying a short term profile having one or more features in the feature set and a short term level of importance associated with each term in the feature set, identifying input related to the display of the one or more content items on the user interface, and using the input to modify the short term level of importance and the long term level of importance associated with each term in the feature set to form a modified user interest set.
US09159079B2
A product discount system, apparatus, and method are herein disclosed. A discount server may receive one or more product discounts from a use. A wireless device may retrieve product identification information from a product and generate a discount request message that is transmitted to a discount server. The discount server may identify potential discounts associated with the product identification information and transmit product availability data to the wireless device. The wireless device may notify a user of available product discounts based on the product availability data. Once notified, the user may proceed by redeeming one or more of the available product discounts.
US09159075B2
A system and method for enabling the recordation of electronic content that has been published via a network, such as the Internet, so that the electronic content may be stored, retrieved, shared, and manipulated by individual users. Furthermore, the system and method of the present invention enable the content publisher of the electronic content to analyze activity associated with its storage and sharing.
US09159072B2
According to an embodiment of the present invention, a method for marking collectible items to increase their collectible uniqueness includes creating a multiplicity of unique date codes, each of the multiplicity of unique date codes including a representation of a calendar month and a representation of a day in the calendar month, randomly selecting one of the multiplicity of unique date codes, and affixing the randomly selected one of the multiplicity of unique date codes to a collectible item. According to other embodiments, a system with a computer and a marking device may apply a date code to a collectible item. According to yet other embodiments, a method for marking collectibles includes creating at least three hundred sixty-five collectibles in a time period shorter than a year, and marking each with a unique date code combination such that no two visually identical collectibles share the same date code.
US09159067B1
Systems and methods of providing information via a computer network are provided. A request for subject matter to display with a web page can be received via a computer network at a data processing system. The data processing system can identify the web page as being ineligible for ad placement based on content of the web page. The data processing system can determine a keyword based at least in part on the content of the web page, and can format the keyword for display with the web page as a link to a second web page. The data processing system can provide the link for display with the web page. The data processing system can receive a request to access the second web page based on an activation of the link. The data processing system can provide the advertisement for display with the second web page.
US09159058B2
A payment transfer method for transferring funds from a payer to payee is provided, including designating a payee and specifying a payment amount and an account; debiting the funds from the account and crediting a first trust account; and identifying the payee by verifying responses received in response to one or more challenge-response questions defined by the payer. If the one or more responses are verified, a second trust account may be debited and a payee account credited with the payment amount. The first and second trust accounts may then be reconciled. There is also provided a payment transfer facility for transferring funds, comprising an application server for storing payment data relating to a transfer of funds and a notification server for providing a notification of the transfer of funds.
US09159055B2
Methods, apparatuses, computer program products, devices and systems are described that carry out accepting at least one social network message from at least one member of a network; disambiguating the at least one search term including associating the at least one search term with at least one of network-participation identifier data or device-identifier data; and presenting the sender profile in association with the at least one.
US09159053B2
Systems and methods for providing communication between a user and at least one entity are disclosed. In one example, the method comprises receiving an entity selection input of the at least one entity, and a message from the user to the at least one entity, analyzing the selection input and the message to determine entity information and inquiry information associated with the message and the selection input, determining least one communication channel based on the entity information and the inquiry information, obtaining a response to the message via the at least one communication channel from the at least one entity, and transmitting the response to the user.
US09159050B2
A method for providing atomicity for a unit of work involving a plurality of participants, the method comprising the steps of: sending a prepare request to at least one participant, wherein the request comprises data required for recovery purposes of the unit of work; and on recovery of the unit of work, recovering the unit of work comprising: obtaining the data from the at least one participant; and using the obtained data to recover and preserve the atomicity of the unit of work.
US09159048B2
A system, method, and processor readable medium for processing data in a knowledge management system gathers information content and transmits a work request for the information content gathered. The information content may be registered with a K-map and assigned a unique document identifier. A work queue processes the work requests. The processed information may then be transmitted to another work queue for further processing. Further processing may include categorization, full-text indexing, metrics extraction or other process. Control messages may be transmitted to one or more users providing a status of the work request. The information may be analyzed and further indexed. A progress statistics report may be generated for each of the processes performed on the document. The progress statistics may be provided in a record. A shared access to a central data structure representing the metrics history and taxonomy may be provided for all work queues via a CORBA service.
US09159043B2
A comprehensive enterprise product management system to effectuate efficient product time to market. The system includes a process model and a data model. The process model consists of entities that represent typical concepts in a trade setting and relationships among these entities. The data model represents the complexity of a product, including defining the entities that comprise the product and the relationship among these entities. The process model and the data model accommodate the dynamic characteristics associated with both product definition and channels of trade.
US09159042B2
The disclosure facilitates management data center utilization for generating energy-related revenue from energy markets. Operating schedules are generated, over a time period T, for operation of an energy management system of energy assets of data center sites. Since CPU utilization (or computing load) can be correlated to energy consumption, the operating schedules can cause the energy management system to modulate the CPU utilization (or computing load) of energy assets within a data center, or to indicate shifting of CPU utilization (or computing load) from one data center site in a certain energy market price region to another data center site in a different energy market price region. When implemented, the generated operating schedules facilitates derivation of the energy-related revenue, over a time period T, associated with operation of the energy assets according to the generated operating schedule.
US09159037B2
A network-connected server for meeting initiation has software executing on the server from a non-transitory physical medium, the software providing a function allowing a user to schedule a meeting and to configure availability conditions, a function for informing scheduled participants of the scheduled meeting, a function for receiving indications of availability for the scheduled meeting from communication appliances associated with scheduled participants, and a function for connecting the communication appliances to communicate when the configured availability conditions are met.
US09159035B1
A method is described that involves generating one or more machine learned rules with a machine learning system. The method also involves generating a representation of an application that describes various states and state transitions of the application. The method also involves referring to the one or more machine learned rules and the representation to identify a region of interest of the application. The method also involves configuring one or more monitors for the application to be enabled in a run time environment of the application. The method also involves setting conditions of the application within the run time environment to drive the application's execution to the region of interest. The method also involves observing behaviors of the application and determining whether the region of interest corresponds to improperly behaving code.
US09159033B2
A system, method, and chip to control Purcell loss are described. The chip includes qubits formed on a first surface of a substrate. The method includes determining frequencies of the qubits, and controlling a separation between the frequencies of the qubits and chip mode frequencies of the chip.
US09159032B1
A method and system for determining real-time delay information in a transportation system. Historical operational information about the transportation system, including data related to a plurality of arrival events corresponding to one or more stops within the transportation system is received and a dependency graph is built based upon the historic information. The dependency graph defines relationships that exist in the transportation system between the plurality of arrival events, each of the relationships defining a specific dependent relationship between at least two of the arrival events. Delay dependency values are fitted into the dependency graph, each of the delay dependency values being associated with one of the plurality of relationships and defining a specific dependency value associated with that relationship. Predictive delay information is determined based upon the fitted dependency graph for one or more of the arrival events based upon current operating information.
US09159022B2
A population comparison system, method and a computer program product therefor. A stored list of population members, e.g., hydrocarbon reservoirs, includes parameters for corresponding known characteristics and analogous members for each member. A new population member input receives new member descriptions including parameters for each respective new member. A parameter extraction system automatically extracts an estimated value for each missing key parameter, providing a supplemented description. An analogous member selector automatically selects a subset of listed population members as analogous members for each new population member responsive to the supplemented description.
US09159021B2
Embodiments relate to making predictions for values or states to follow multiple time steps after receiving a certain input data in a spatial and temporal memory system. During a training stage, relationships between states of the spatial and temporal memory system at certain times and spatial patterns of the input data detected a plurality of time steps later after the certain time steps are established. Using the established relationships, the spatial and temporal memory system can make predictions multiple time steps into the future based on the input data received at a current time.
US09159018B2
A method of forming an electrically-conductive pattern includes selectively electroplating the top portions of a substrate that corresponds to the pattern, and separating the conductive pattern from the substrate. The electroplating may also include electrically connecting the conductive pattern to an electrical component. Conductive ink, such as ink including carbon particles, may be selectively placed on the conductive substrate to facilitate plating of the desired pattern and/or to facilitate separation of the pattern from the substrate. An example of a conductive pattern is an antenna for a radio-frequency identification (RFID) device such as a label or a tag. One example of an electrical component that may be electrically connected to the antenna, is an RFID strap or chip.
US09159015B2
A flexible Radio-Frequency IDentification (RFID) tag comprises a flexible substrate layer on which is fixed an antenna connected to a RFID chip, and a second flexible layer placed directly over the said chip and antenna but without any direct mechanical connection to them, such that the substrate layer and the second layer form a protective inlay for the chip and the antenna. The said inlay is embedded in a flexible housing.
US09159013B2
An electronic device (100) includes a control circuit (108) that is operable with a memory or storage device (120). The electronic device includes an RFID tag (113) having a second memory (118). The RFID tag can be read from, or written to, by a RFID communication device (114) when the electronic device is OFF. Device personalization can be achieved when the control circuit accesses the second memory to retrieve the device configuration data during a boot sequence and configures the electronic device in accordance with the device configuration data retrieved from the second memory during the boot sequence. Device information can be made available when the electronic device is OFF by writing the device information to the second memory.
US09159012B2
A passive radio-frequency identification (RFID) system has an RFID reader that communicates with and provides power to an RFID tag. The RFID tag has an RFID integrated circuit chip that contains a memory device for storing information to be transmitted to the RFID reader, and energy storage device that stores energy for powering the integrated circuit chip. In the event that the RFID tag is activated during periods when the RFID integrated circuit chip is not receiving sufficient energy from the RFID reader, then either an energy storage device is provided to allow the activation event to be recorded at the RFID integrated circuit chip, or a memory device is provided that senses and records the activation event and communicates this activation event once power has been restored.
US09159004B1
An image forming apparatus includes an internal device that executes a job, a controller, a user management unit, a lock requesting unit, and an unlock requesting unit. The controller suspends the execution of the job when the controller detects a predetermined failure in the internal device during the execution of the job, and resumes the suspended job or starts execution of a next job when the controller detects an elimination of the failure. The user management unit specifies identification information of a user mobile device associated with a user. The lock requesting unit transmits a lock request with the identification information to a predetermined server when the controller has suspended the job. The unlock requesting unit transmits an unlock request with the identification information to the predetermined server when the controller has resumed the suspended job or when the controller has started the execution of the next job.
US09158995B2
A computer implemented method for localization of an object, such as a license plate, in an input image includes generating a task-dependent representation of the input image based on relevance scores for the object to be localized. The relevance scores are output by a classifier for a plurality of locations in the input image, such as patches. The classifier is trained on patches extracted from training images and their respective relevance labels. One or more similar images are identified from a set of images, based on a comparison of the task-dependent representation of the input image and task-dependent representations of images in the set of images. A location of the object in the input image is identified based on object location annotations for the similar images.
US09158994B2
An apparatus for estimating a disparity map based on at least two images is provided. The apparatus includes at least two processing units, which include a pixel recursion unit configured to determine a disparity value as a pixel recursion disparity candidate based on a plurality of pixel values of the at least two images and a selector configured to select a selected disparity candidate to determine at least one of the disparity map values of the disparity map. The selector is adapted to select the selected disparity candidate from a candidate group assigned to the selector. The candidate group assigned to the selector includes the pixel recursion disparity candidate, a second disparity candidate and a third disparity candidate. Moreover, the selector is adapted to select the selected disparity candidate independently from a different selector of a different processing unit of the at least two processing units.
US09158988B2
An improved object recognition method is provided that enables the recognition of many objects in a single image. Multiple instances of an object in an image can now be detected with high accuracy. The method receives a plurality of matches of feature points between a database image and a query image and determines a kernel bandwidth based on statistics of the database image. The kernel bandwidth is used in clustering the matches. The clustered matches are then analyzed to determine the number of instances of the object within each cluster. A recursive geometric fitting can be applied to each cluster to further improve accuracy.
US09158987B2
An image processing device includes: a processor; and a memory storing computer-readable instructions therein. The computer-readable instructions, when executed by the processor, causes the image processing device to perform: a first separation to separate a target image represented by target image data into a plurality of regions that include a first region and a second region different from the first region; a second separation to separate the first region into a plurality of sub-regions and to separate the second region into a plurality of sub-regions; and generating a consolidated region by consolidating at least two sub-regions among the plurality of sub-regions separated from the first and second regions.
US09158986B2
A character segmentation section, for segmenting characters of a character line may include a minimum pixel-value curve creating section configured to extract a smallest pixel value in pixels composing a pixel line arranged in a direction orthogonal to a character line direction in said multi-level image data and create a minimum pixel-value curve, a character partitioning position determining section configured to determine partitioning positions of said characters, based on said minimum pixel value curve, a binarization processing section configured to detect a minimum pixel value indicating said linear drawing from said minimum pixel-value curve, acquires a binarization threshold based on said minimum pixel value, and binarizes said multi-level image data using said binarization threshold, and a character segmentation implementing section configured to extract the image data of each character.
US09158983B2
An apparatus for searching for expressions that appear on a microform medium, the apparatus comprising a microform imager including a sensor for generating digital microform images of one segment of the microform medium at a time, a display screen; and a processor programmed to, while the microform imager is generating a digital microform image: (i) use the digital microform image generated by the microform imager to drive the display screen, (ii) search the digital microform image presented via the display screen for instances of a search expression and (iii) visually distinguish the located search expressions in the digital microform image presented via the display screen.
US09158982B2
A system for imaging an object, the system including: a detection zone; a first unit adapted to selectively emit radiation of at least one first wavelength and radiation of at least one second, different wavelength for at least partly illuminating the object in the detection zone; a second unit adapted to capture at least partial images of the illuminated object; and an aperture placed in an optical path between the detection zone and the second unit. The aperture includes: a first, central area adapted to transmit radiation of at least the first wavelength(s) and the second wavelength(s); and a second area surrounding said first area, which second area is adapted to block radiation of the second wavelength(s), but transmit radiation of the first wavelength(s). Also, an imaging method, and use of a diaphragm in a reverse vending machine.
US09158980B1
Methods and devices for using a relationship between activities of different traffic signals in a network to improve traffic signal state estimation are disclosed. An example method includes determining that a vehicle is approaching an upcoming traffic signal. The method may further include determining a state of one or more traffic signals other than the upcoming traffic signal. Additionally, the method may also include determining an estimate of a state of the upcoming traffic signal based on a relationship between the state of the one or more traffic signals other than the upcoming traffic signal and the state of the upcoming traffic signal.
US09158966B1
An image processing system or electronic device may implement processing circuitry. The processing circuitry may receive an image, such as financial document image. The processing circuitry may determine a character count for the financial document image or particular portions of the financial document image without recognizing any particular character in the financial document image. In that regard, the processing circuitry may determine a top left score for pixels in the financial document, the top left score indicating or representing a likelihood that a particular pixel corresponds to a top left corner of a text character. The processing circuitry may also determine top right score for image pixels. Then, the processing circuitry may identify one or more text chunks using the top left and top rights scores for pixels in the financial document image. The processing circuitry may determine a character count for the identified text chunks.
US09158956B2
According to an embodiment, a reader includes an acquiring unit configured to acquire an image containing a code; a detecting unit configured to detect a plurality of local regions containing parts of the code from the image; an integrating unit configured to integrate the local regions to obtain an integrated region; and a reading unit configured to read the code on the integrated region.
US09158948B2
In an RFID system having at least one tag and at least one reader, a tag and a reader can, in one embodiment, use a pair of keys, known to both the tag and the reader, to restrict the interaction of the tag and the reader so that tags having the pair of keys interact only with readers that use the pair of keys.
US09158945B2
Defining a radio frequency identification read area includes a radio frequency identification (RFID) reader operable to read RFID tags within a specified read area. An RFID transmitter is coupled with the RFID reader and is operable to radiating a modulated carrier in an area adjacent to the specified read area. The RFID reader controls the RFID transmitter to transmit the modulated carrier during a preamble transmission of the RFID reader to prevent any RFID tags in the adjacent area from recognizing an interrogation signal from the RFID reader.
US09158940B1
A method and apparatus are disclosed of identifying a virtual machine usage of enterprise network resources, such as memory storage usage. One example method of operation may include transmitting a storage request to a database to determine an amount of physical memory storage available in the enterprise network. The method may also include receiving an alert message indicating a virtual machine currently operating has exceeded a predetermined memory storage threshold value. The method may also include creating a new virtual hard disk (VHD) to accommodate the exceeded predetermined memory storage threshold value.
US09158939B2
There is provided a security chip having a tamper-resistant feature, including an acquisition part configured to acquire specific information transmitted by a device performing challenge-response authentication, the specific information being specific to the device, a storage configured to store second key information that enables generation of first key information from the specific information, the first key information being used by the device for challenge-response authentication, and a generation part configured to generate, using the second key information, the first key information from the specific information. A response to be transmitted to the device is generated, using the first key information, from a challenge transmitted by the device. In the device, the first key information is not stored in a tamper-resistant security chip.
US09158937B2
An information processing device manages the protection state of original data by long-term signature data in storage-target data obtained by combining the long-term signature data and the original data. Management information having a management-target value for each management item obtained from the storage-target data recorded therein is acquired. A management-target value of a predetermined management item is acquired from the acquired management information. The acquired management-target value is compared with a value acquired from the storage-target data or a value acquired from the outside to determine the state of management. A result corresponding to the determined state of management is outputted.
US09158926B2
An engine control unit configuration security system receives a request with a serial number associated with an engine control unit and a requested engine control unit change. The system determines that the requested engine control unit change is approved and in response generates a code including a serial number associated with the engine control unit and an instruction that causes the engine control unit to implement the requested engine control unit change.
US09158922B2
A method for automatically mitigating vulnerabilities in a source code of an application is provided in the present invention. The method includes the following steps. First, the source code is complied, and a path graph is built according to the compiled source code. The path graph includes a plurality of paths traversing from sources to sinks, and each of the paths includes a plurality of nodes. Then, at least one tainted path is identified by enabling a plurality of vulnerability rules. Each of the at least one tainted path corresponds to a vulnerability, and each of the at least one vulnerability corresponds to a sanitization method. Then, the at least one vulnerability is determined if it is mitigable. If the at least one vulnerability is mitigable, the at least one vulnerability is mitigated automatically. Furthermore, the method may be implemented as a system and a computer program product.
US09158916B2
An embodiment may include a storage processor that may be comprised, at least in part, in a host. The host may include at least one host central processing unit (CPU) to execute at least one host operating system (OS). The storage processor may execute at least one operation in isolation from interference from and control by the at least one host CPU and the at least one host OS. The at least one operation may facilitate, at least in part: (1) prevention, at least in part, of unauthorized access to storage, (2) prevention, at least in part, of execution by the at least one host CPU of at least one unauthorized instruction, (3) detection, at least in part, of the at least one unauthorized instruction, and/or (4) remediation, at least in part, of at least one condition associated, at least in part, with the at least unauthorized instruction.
US09158909B2
A vendor of virtual machine images accesses a virtual computer system service to upload a digitally signed virtual machine image to a data store usable by customers of the virtual computer system service to select an image for creating a virtual machine instance. If a digital certificate is uploaded along with the virtual machine image, the virtual computer system service may determine whether the digital certificate has been trusted for use. If the digital certificate has been trusted for use, the virtual computer system service may use a public cryptographic key to decrypt a hash signature included with the image to obtain a first hash value. The service may additionally apply a hash function to the image itself to obtain a second hash value. If the two hash values match, then the virtual machine image may be deemed to be authentic.
US09158898B2
A system and method is disclosed for managed distribution of publication assets. The method discloses: protecting a set of assets, retrieved from the server system, in a publication component; transferring the publication component with the protected assets from the server to client computers; previewing the publication component on one client computer based on the set of protected assets; and producing the publication component on another client computer based on the set of protected assets. The system discloses: a server system; a publication management module for: applying a set of fonts to a publication component; and transferring the publication component with the protected fonts from a server to client computers; a preview module for previewing the publication component on one client computer based on the set of protected fonts; and a production module for producing the publication component on another client computer based on the set of protected fonts.
US09158894B2
An apparatus for analyzing rule-based security event association includes a rule management unit to check whether an security event is a candidate security event requiring association analysis, and an event management unit to analyze the candidate security event and check whether the analyzed security event is the candidate security event requiring association analysis. An association processing unit analyzes whether an association event of a rule DB corresponding to a user ID of the candidate security event is matched with a user event list to generate an association analysis result.
US09158890B2
Devices, systems, and methods are disclosed for relaying information from a cardiac pacemaker to an external device. Logic on the pacemaker modulates a heartbeat clock of the pacemaker to encode information onto a blood pressure sequence. This is accomplished by adding or subtracting a small subinterval to or from a pulse repetition interval of the pacemaker. A muscle stimulator beats the heart according to the modulated sequence. A monitoring device external to the body monitors the blood pressure to retrieve the encoded information, or message. The encoded information is then decoded to determine the information in the message. This information may concern the pacemaker as well as other devices within the body that are in communication with the pacemaker such as blood monitors, etc. Since the message is conveyed via simple modulation of the heart beat intervals, no separate transmitter is required in the pacemaker which would otherwise increase cost and decrease battery life.
US09158875B2
A package definition system enables a user to dynamically modify a package design by altering a dimension of less than all of the package's faces. The system uses a functional representation of a package having links and nodes that represent faces or functional elements and connecting relationships between them.
US09158869B2
A system and method for intelligently combining CAD, inspection, and building guideline data for intelligently setting roof facet directionality, analyzing repair and replacement decisions and estimating material, material waste and recyclables, material recycling requirements, and repair or replacement costs for building facets is described. One embodiment includes receiving digital inspection data of a building facet of a property; receiving a first layer of geographic-based guideline data; receiving a second layer of geographic-based guideline data; reconciling a conflict between guideline data of the first and second layers of guideline data to reach a resulting guideline data item; determining a repair indicator for the building facet based at least in part on the resulting guideline data item and the digital inspection data; and sending an electronic message, wherein the electronic message includes at least a portion of the digital inspection data and the repair indicator.
US09158865B2
This invention is directed to a process, computer program and apparatus for displaying an assembly of objects of a product lifecycle management database. The method according to the invention aims at providing an access to the database, selecting the assembly of objects in the database, identifying a plurality of viewpoints on said assembly, retrieving from the database a set of objects of said assembly according to the plurality of identified viewpoints, computing a model of said assembly for all the retrieved objects of the set of objects, and displaying a view of the model, any displayed views being computed locally starting from the objects retrieved at the retrieving step.
US09158857B2
Methods, systems, and apparatus for identifying landing pages for images. In one aspect, a method includes, for each image of a plurality of images, identifying web pages that each include the image, and, for each of the web pages, receiving a web score generated by a ranking algorithm. The web page having a web score indicating a highest importance relative to other web pages is selected, sets of similar images are determined from the images included in the selected web pages, and each set of similar images includes different images. For each set of similar images, an image is selected based on the selected web page that includes the selected image having a highest web score of the set, and the selected web page that includes the selected image is identified as a landing page for an image search result.
US09158852B2
A system, method and/or software for using overlap between a first website area-of-interest map, associated with a first website, and a searcher area-of-interest map to help prioritize the websites returned by a search engine search. The area-of-interest maps are made up of geographic pixels respectively assigned with area-of-interest values. Overlap area is determined by comparing, on a pixel-by-pixel basis, corresponding pixels of the searcher area-of-interest map and the first website area-of-interest map to determine overlap pixels where the following conditions hold: (i) the first website area-of-interest map has a non-zero interest value, and (ii) the searcher area-of-interest map has a non-zero interest value.
US09158851B2
Methods and computer readable medium for allowing a user to participate in an online conversation for a head content includes receiving a response from a user for the head content. The response from the user is geo-tagged with a location of the user. A counter indicative of number of responses received for the head content at the location is updated for the head content to include the response from the user. The responses received for the head content from the plurality of users is filtered to generate a subset of the responses related to the location of the user. The subset of responses and an interactive tag cloud for the head content is presented to the user. The subset of responses is presented in a ranked order. The tag cloud identifies one or more locations that have received greatest number of responses from the plurality of users.
US09158850B2
A system and method for generating a personalized trends module includes steps of: for a given user, producing a social timeline by logging content posted on the given user's accounts on social media sites; analyzing the social timeline for recently posted content to derive an interim summary of first trending topics for the given user; receiving from a content personalization platform an in-stream feed of second trending topics based on the user's recent on-line activity including page views, queries, and clicks; augmenting the social timeline with the second trending topics from the in-stream feed to produce an interim list of third trending topics; ranking the third trending topics by source category using a frequency index; selecting the highest ranking third trending topics from each source category; and presenting a personalized trends module with positions allocated to the highest ranking third trending topics.
US09158846B2
A system and method are provided for detecting entity information contained within search results. The detected entity information can be used to determine a category of entity as well as a specific entity within the search results. Entity information can be extracted from the documents associated with the search results. This information can be used as part of the information for an entity card, which can be displayed to a user in conjunction with and/or in place of the search results.
US09158842B1
Sound representations and winner-take-all codes of auditory spectra are used in the identification of audio content. A transformation component converts a set of sound frames from audio content into a set of spectral slices. A spectral encoder component encodes the spectral slices of auditory spectra into winner-take-all codes with a winner-take-all hash function. An identification component identifies which spectral dimension of a subset of spectral dimensions within a spectral slice has highest spectral value according to the winner-take-all codes. Reference audio content is determined to be similar or matching to the audio content based on the winner-take-all codes.
US09158837B2
Techniques are disclosed for adaptive source filtering and load shedding in such data stream processing systems. For example, in one aspect of the invention, a method for use in filtering data in a distributed data stream processing system, wherein a server receives and processes one or more data streams from one or more data sources, comprises the steps of the server periodically re-configuring one or more filters and sending the one or more periodically re-configured filters to the one or more data sources, and the one or more data sources performing data filtering based on the one or more periodically re-configured filters received from the server.
US09158822B2
A database system includes an input to a database server configured to deliver a data stream formed of a sequence of elements, D={p1, p2, . . . , pm} of size m of numbers from {1, . . . , n} to the database server. The system further includes a computer program that causes a processor to approximate frequency moments (Fk) in the data stream, such that a frequency of an element (i) is defined as fi=|{j:pj=i}| and a k-th frequency moment of D is defined as F k = ∑ i = 1 n m i k in a single pass through the data stream. The processor is caused to carry out the steps of locating elements (i) with a frequency ΩFk in the data stream as heavy elements and approximating fi as ≧ a fraction of fi to limit memory resources used by the processor to estimate Fk to O(n1−2/k log(n)) bits.
US09158820B2
This disclosure includes method for managing email that includes providing a list of topics, a reference associated with the topics, and a defined importance value for each reference. The method also includes preparing a topic relevance algorithm for each topic, each topic having associated attributes, and each topic relevance algorithm formed by estimating a relationship value between a topic and its associated attributes based on defined relevance of reference. The method further includes preparing an importance algorithm having a weighted importance attributes formed by estimating a weight for each of the importance attributes based on defined importance of the reference, assessing a target mail using the topic relevance algorithms to determine a topic relevance and against the importance algorithm to determine an importance and determining that a target mail has a threshold importance for a particular topic relevance.
US09158813B2
A structured query may specify attribute values for attributes. An estimate of the number of items that will match the structured query if it is applied to a structured database is determined. If the estimated number of items is below a threshold, the structured query may be relaxed to form new candidate structured queries. The number of candidate queries may be determined based on a desired running time. Each of the candidate structured queries may be determined by changing one or more attribute values of the attributes of the structured query. Estimates of the number of items each of the candidate structured queries will match is determined, and the candidate structured query that has the highest matching estimation is used to query the database. The matching results may be output.
US09158795B2
A system and a method for initializing a streaming application are disclosed. The method may include initializing a streaming application for execution on one or more compute nodes which are adapted to execute one or more stream operators. The method may, during a compiling of code, identify whether a processing condition exists at a first stream operator of a plurality of stream operators. The method may add a grouping condition to a second stream operator of the plurality of stream operators if the processing condition exists. The method may provide for the second stream operator to group tuples for sending to the first stream operator.
US09158793B2
Embodiments of a computer system which determines information associated with documents are described. During operation, this computer system receives documents (such as images). Then, the computer system determines a first set of editing instructions and classification information associated with the documents using data-processing software. Next, the computer system receives a second set of editing instructions and classification information associated with the documents. Note that the second set of editing instructions and classification information are generated by a group of individuals and include modifications and additions to the first set of editing instructions and classification information.
US09158789B2
A geospatial and list-based mapping system, including: a mapping engine configured to: present a map display on a display device, wherein the map display includes elements within a viewing area of the map display, wherein the elements include geospatial characteristics; and present a list display on the display device, wherein the list display includes a customizable list having the elements from the map display; and synchronizer configured to: synchronize the map display and the list display to concurrently update the elements according to a user input.
US09158788B2
Scalable caching of remote file data in cluster file systems is provided. One implementation involves maintaining a cache in a local cluster file system and caching local file data in the cache by fetching file data on demand from the remote cluster file system into the local cached file system over the network. The local file data and metadata corresponds to the remote file data and metadata in the remote cluster file system. Updates made to the local file data and metadata are pushed back to the remote cluster file system asynchronously.
US09158782B2
A system includes a data store, a data registry, an interface process module, a suggestion database, and a configuration module. The data registry establishes storage of a data record at the data store and maintains links identifying relationships between the data record and a source record at a first source enterprise and between the data record and a source record at a second source enterprise. The interface process module determines that a value at the data record has been updated, and provides the updated value to a corresponding source enterprise using an Internet protocol. The suggestion database includes configuration information associated with multiple users of the system. The configuration module provides Internet access to facilitate configuration of the system by a user and to provide configuration guidance to the user based on the configuration information.
US09158778B2
Techniques for content services are provided. Documents are managed from their native storage locations. Access to portions of the documents is provided via separate addressable references. Principals access and annotate the portions of the documents remotely. Identity and policy restrictions are enforced against access from the native storage locations.
US09158770B1
An apparatus and method for cloud-based storage, retrieval and sharing of files tagged with barcodes and alphanumeric coding is provided. This application and method includes: either scanning a barcode by mobile device or inputting a code into a computer; decoding of the code or barcode provided, by installed application; accessing, by a cloud based storage system which hosts the associated or tagged file; and retrieving the file associated with the barcode or alphanumeric code. This method also includes a process by which: either by smart phone or personal computer; uploading or storing of files onto a cloud-based storage system; tagging of those stored files with a unique bar code and alphanumeric code; generating a barcode and alphanumeric code to associate with those tag files; and a method of transmitting barcodes or alphanumeric codes between smart phone users or computer uses for the purposes of sharing.
US09158762B2
For facilitating subsequent translation of words in a target polysynthetic language (e.g. Cherokee) to or from a user language (e.g. English), a method of generating a language parsing reference database, assisted by a computer having a processor, including the steps of organizing the parsing reference database to include polysynthetic word parts WHO is doing an action, WHAT action is being done, HOW an action is happening and WHEN an action is happening. In one embodiment an internet website hosted on a computer server is established, the website being accessible to users via the internet. The computer server runs or executes server side software referencing the parsing reference database, and is operable to translate a word in the target polysynthetic language to the user language, or to construct a word in the target polysynthetic language from a sentence in a user language.
US09158759B2
The invention provides a computer system for interacting with a user. A set of concepts initially forms a target set of concepts. An input module receives a language input from the user. An analysis system executes a plurality of narrowing cycles until a concept packet having at least one concept has been identified. Each narrowing cycle includes identifying at least one portion of the language and determining a subset of concepts from the target set of concepts to form a new target subset. An action item identifier identifies an action item from the action items based on the concept packet. An action executer that executes an action based on the action item that has been identified.
US09158758B2
Technologies pertaining to providing completions to proffered prefixes are disclosed herein. A suggested completion to a proffered prefix is retrieved by walking nodes of a trie data structure, wherein a node includes one or more characters that are used to extend a character sequence represented by its parent. Each node in the trie data structure is assigned a score, wherein the score maps to a best score assigned to its descendants. The nodes of the trie data structure are sorted based upon score, and the nodes are walked based upon scores assigned thereto.
