US09192085B2

A superconducting magnetic shielding system includes first and second planar superconducting shields respectively positioned above and below an environment to be shielded. The shields are each thermally coupled to a cold source at a respective thermalizing point. When the shields are cooled into the superconducting regime, they passively block magnetic fields via the Meissner Effect. Each shield may also be shaped to produce a smooth temperature gradient extending away from its thermalizing point; thus, as the shields are cooled, magnetic fields may be expelled away from the thermalizing point and, consequently, away from the environment to be shielded. A heater may also be provided opposite the thermalizing points to improve control of the temperature gradient.
US09192077B2

A baffle facilitates the flow of air from a first side of a data center rack into an intake on the opposite side of the data center rack. The baffle may be configured to couple to the bottom side of the rack. The rack itself may be located in a data center with at least one cold aisle and at least one hot aisle, such that cold air from the cold aisle may flow through the baffle and into an air intake of the rack facing the hot aisle. The baffle may additionally include fans to pull air into and through the baffle, and may include an air conditioning unit or a chiller system to cool air flowing through the baffle.
US09192076B2

A method for managing a fan system in an information handling system (IHS) is disclosed. The method includes providing the fan system comprising a first fan and at least one subsequent fan, wherein the first fan is associated with a first fan speed, the at least one subsequent fan is associated with the at least one subsequent fan speed and the fan system is associated with a system fan speed. The method also includes generating a system fan speed request, adjusting the first fan speed to avoid a critical range when the system fan speed request falls within the critical range, and adjusting the system fan speed to meet the system fan speed request.
US09192075B1

A wire dress cover for an electrical connector. The wire dress cover includes a rear wall with heat dissipating openings which extend therethrough. Side walls and end walls extend from the rear wall. At least one wire receiving opening is provided in the side walls or the end walls. Guards are positioned proximate the heat dissipating openings. The guards have guard side walls with side wall openings which extend therethrough. Top walls of the guards extend from the guard side walls. The top walls extend over at least a portion of the heat dissipating openings. The heat dissipating openings and the side wall openings allow for heat generated inside the wire dress cover to be dissipated to the outside of the wire dress cover, while the top walls of the guards deter material from entering the inside of the wire dress cover.
US09192068B2

An electric junction box to prevent fluid such as water infiltrating inside the covers from adhering to a printed wiring board even if the upper cover and lower cover are stacked to each other in an orthogonal direction, comprises a metal board, the surface being arranged in a horizontal direction, and a main body accommodating the metal board. The main body includes an upper cover and a lower cover to be stacked to each other in a direction orthogonal to a surface of the metal board. On a side wall of the lower cover a locking projection is disposed. On a side wall of the upper cover a locking step is disposed with which the locking projection is locked. The upper cover includes an inner wall disposed inside the side wall of the lower cover, the lower end being disposed below the metal board.
US09192066B2

A portable terminal device is provided which can improve the interest, functionality and additional value by display even when the two display modules are in the state of being overlapped. The portable terminal device includes a first unit which has a first display module, and is configured such that a user is allowed to see a side of the first unit opposite to a user's side through the first display module, a second unit which has a second display module, and a switching module and which is operable to switch the portable terminal device between a first configuration that the first unit covers the second display module, and a second configuration that the first unit is moved from the first configuration with respect to the second display module so that at least a part of the second display module is exposed to an outside.
US09192062B2

An air supported frame is provided for supporting a large LED display wherein the frame includes upper, lower and side segments and has a front portion and a rear portion and the LED display is positioned when in use within the frame substantially midway between the front portion and rear portion. Further, an additional support structure may be attached to the upper and lower segments of the air supported frame wherein the additional support structure bends, curves, or angles away from the plane of the display so as to provide support to the upper segment without interfering with the display. In addition, the air supported frame may include vent seals that allow greater air pressure to be held within the air supported frame.
US09192060B2

The electronic device includes a first casing, a second casing, and a connecting member engaging with the first casing to allow the first casing to turn about a first axis of rotation, and engaging with the second casing to allow the second casing to turn about a second axis of rotation. When a turning angle is 0 or 360 degrees, a distance between the first and second axes of rotation equals to the sum of a half of the sum of the thicknesses of the first and second casings and a clearance between the first and second casings, and the first axis of rotation is arranged at a position shifted from the center of the first casing in a reference direction to the second casing side, by a half of a value calculated by subtracting the thickness of the first casing from the thickness of a first casing-side connecting portion.
US09192057B2

Electrical components are mounted on a printed circuit in an electronic device housing. Shielding can structures may include a sheet metal shield can layer with a conductive gasket. The printed circuit may have an opening. A screw passes through the opening in the printed circuit and openings in the conductive gasket and sheet metal shield can layer to secure the shielding can structures to the housing. When secured, a lip in the gasket lies between the printed circuit substrate and the housing. The gasket may be formed from conductive elastomeric material. A shield can lid and a flexible printed circuit may be embedded within conductive elastomeric material that provides a thermal conduction path to dissipate heat from electrical components under the lid. Shield can members that are located on opposing sides of a bend in a flexible printed circuit substrate may be coupled by a conductive elastomeric bridging structure.
US09192047B2

A mounting system adapted to receive a plurality of transmitter receiver modules and each including an upper antenna part and a lower electronic components part. The lower part includes transmitter receiver module contacts on the end opposite the upper part. The mounting system includes a substrate rear panel including transmitter receiver module contact receivers on a first side and active support units on a second side. Each contact receiver is adapted to receive transmitter receiver module contacts of one receiver module. The supports are adapted to support a plurality of receiver modules. One single substrate rear panel is adapted to receive the receiver modules in a matrix. The mounting system includes a ground plane and an electric conductive sheet, and is arranged such that when the receiver modules are mounted in the mounting system, the ground plane levels with the receiver modules transition from the upper to the lower part.
US09192046B2

An electronic device contains electrical components. An electrical component is mounted to an electronic device housing using mounting structures. The mounting structures include a flexible printed circuit jumper having opposing ends with metal contact pads. Metal traces in the flexible printed circuit jumper form contact traces within openings in a solder mask layer. Solder in the openings may be used to connect the metal contact pads to the contact traces. A metal bracket may be screwed into the electronic device housing to mount the electrical component to the electronic device housing. The metal bracket may press the metal contact pads on one end of the jumper against mating contact terminals on the electrical component and may press the metal contacts on the other end of the jumper against mating contact pads on an additional printed circuit.
US09192033B2

A legacy-type fluorescent lamp fixture involves a magnetic ballast and a starter unit socket. Power savings are realized by using a retrofit fluorescent lamp assembly in place of the fluorescent lamp that would ordinarily by held in the fixture. The retrofit assembly may, for example, have a smaller fluorescent lamp. A digitally controlled electronic ballast within the retrofit assembly drives the smaller fluorescent lamp efficiently, thereby achieving power savings. In addition, an RF-enabled switch is installed in the starter unit socket. The RF-enabled switch communicates multi-bit digital control signals in serial fashion from the starter socket, through existing wires of the fixture, through the lamp holders of the fixture, and into the retrofit assembly. The electronic ballast receives these signals, decodes them, and in response turns on or turns off its lamp as commanded. Additional power savings are thereby achieved by keeping the lamp off when it is not needed.
US09192031B2

A resonating power transfer system for wireless vehicle lights. A power source supplies a direct electric current to a transmitting power module. A resonator control board and oscillating electric circuit converts the direct electric current into an alternating electric current. A source resonator coil generates an oscillating magnetic field in response to receiving the alternating electric current. A user controller includes a wireless communication transmitter transmits a wireless data signal to a wireless communication receiver. A wireless LED light device includes a receiving resonator coil and a set of LED lights. The receiving resonator coil generates an electric current in a presence of the oscillating magnetic field. The electric current powers the set of LED lights. The wireless communication receiver receives the wireless data signal from the wireless communication transmitter. An LED controller performs a control function on the set of LED lights in response to receiving the data signal.
US09192020B2

The invention relates to a method for improving energy efficiency in a lighting system having at least one light source (3), wherein the light source (3) can be connected to an external electrical energy source, for example the grid, for power supply purposes via an operating device (2). In order to avoid standby losses which arise when the operating device (2) needs to be connected to the grid even in the inactive state in order to generate the necessary runup energy for a semiconductor IC (8) when a switch-on command arrives via the bus, it is proposed that additional electrical energy is recovered from the light from the light source (3) which is not used for lighting purposes or from the direct or indirect light from neighbouring luminaires (2); or from the ambient light by means of photovoltaic energy conversion and is supplied to the operating device as runup energy for the semiconductor IC (8). In this way, the operating device (2) can be isolated from the grid at least during the inactive state.
US09192005B2

An illumination system includes a master power supply providing power to several illumination modules. The master power supply is constructed and arranged to generate high-frequency and low-voltage electrical power provided to a primary wire forming a current loop. Each illumination module includes an electromagnetic coupling element and several light sources.
US09191999B2

A cooking device includes an airflow system that generates airflow within a duct and a cooking chamber that is configured to vent heated air and/or steam within the cooking chamber to the duct. The heated air and/or steam vented to the duct is accelerated by the airflow.
US09191992B2

A device and method for post event data retrieval uses an electronic communications system, wherein the method and system can utilize a detection device for detecting the event and facilitating the post event data retrieval. The system and method include detecting an event using a detection device. The detection device includes a location tool configured to determine a position of the detection device. The detection device defines a specified vicinity with respect to itself. A location is determined of the detection device using the location tool, after the event has occurred. Data including an identification (ID) is automatically requested of a communications device in the specified vicinity, using the detection device. A reply is received by the detection device which includes the ID from the communications device for identifying the communications device.
US09191990B2

A method for mobile node operations includes communicating with a first point of attachment in a first radio network through a radio interface tuned to the first radio network, and encapsulating a first frame in a second radio network format within a media independent control frame. The method also includes transmitting the media independent control frame with the first frame in the second radio network format encapsulated therein to a second point of attachment in a second radio network using the radio interface tuned to the first radio network.
US09191985B2

A user device may receive an access request to access an application provided by a cellular carrier associated with the user device. The user device may use a first type of tunneling protocol to establish a connection, via an evolved packet data gateway (ePDG), to a server that provides the application; determines whether the connection is established using the first type of tunneling protocol; and use a second type of tunneling protocol to establish the connection when the connection is not established using the first type of tunneling protocol. The user device may also use the connection to access the application via the ePDG.
US09191976B2

A system and method for providing access to a communication network includes providing a radio node comprising a first set of access point components including a radio component, and providing a physically separated controller node in communication with the radio node. The access point controller comprises a second set of access point components distinct from the first set of access point components, creating a distributed access point. A system controller may also be used to control at least one of the radio node and the controller node. The radio node, the controller node, and the system controller communicate over a communication link, such as a wireless or wired link.
US09191969B2

Systems and method are provided that allow a mobile device to communicate over multiple access technologies at the same time, including a cellular access technology, such as LTE, and via an untrusted WLAN access. The untrusted access is initiated via internet key exchange. The mobile device uses the same IP address over both access technologies.
US09191968B2

To facilitate multi-channel communications over distributed-control radio networks, the timing of networks on multiple substantially independent channels are adjusted (350) so as to establish a common time base among the networks. With this common time base, data is transmitted concurrently (230), using the bandwidth provided by the multiple networks. To further optimize the efficiency of this technique for cognitive radio networks, the quiet period (QP) and signaling window (SW) on each network are scheduled (355) to provide overlapping quiet periods (QP) and/or overlapping signaling windows (SW). Preferably, each multi-channel user is assigned (360) the same time slot in the beacon periods (210) of the network on each channel, thereby facilitating efficient beacon transmission and reception.
US09191963B2

An exemplary embodiment provides a carrier aggregation apparatus including: a level assignment manager configured to perform management by classifying a license band allocated to a cognitive radio cell into a primary radio resource (PRR) level, and by classifying a shareable band obtained through a cognitive radio database or spectrum sensing into an auxiliary radio resource (ARR) level; a determiner configured to determine a quality of service (QoS) level of a communication service provided to the cognitive radio cell; and a service provider configured to allocate a frequency resource of the PRR level when the QoS level requires a first communication service, and to allocate a frequency resource of the ARR level when the QoS level requires a second communication service lower than the first communication service.
US09191959B2

A method and system for exchanging data using a wireless connection according to which a user with one or more portable terminals is located in the transmission and receiving area of at least one network and the terminal or terminals log on automatically to the network in order to establish a connection. A transmission channel for the data exchange is made available for the respective connection that has been established. The transmission channel is automatically adapted for the data exchange to the type of terminal and the type, for example, quantity, of data to be transmitted, by an administrator that is allocated to the network.
US09191958B2

A method of reducing transmission power. The method according to one embodiment includes calculating a maximum power reduction (MPR) on a maximum output power for transmission with non-contiguous resource allocation in a single component carrier; and transmitting a signal. The MPR is calculated differently depending on a ratio A which is a ratio of a number of simultaneously transmitted resource blocks in a channel bandwidth (NRB_alloc) to a number of aggregated resource blocks in a fully allocated aggregated channel bandwidth (NRB_agg). The MPR is calculated using a first equation when the ratio A is greater than 0 and less than or equal to 0.33. The MPR is calculated using a second equation when the ratio A is greater than 0.33 and less than or equal to 0.77. The MPR is calculated using a third equation when the ratio A is greater than 0.77 and less than or equal to 1.
US09191955B2

Provided is a method for channel searching for enabling a medical body area network (MBAN) terminal, which operates in an allocated frequency band, to use another frequency band. The method may comprise the steps of receiving an identifier of a specific channel group, from among a plurality of channel groups, from an MBAN coordinator in the allocated frequency band; and searching for a channel in a channel group relating to the received identifier of the channel group in a different frequency band. The identifier of the channel group indicates a channel group including channels that the terminal preferentially searches for in the other frequency band.
US09191947B2

A method and apparatus for operating a UE and a BS to perform contention-based scheduling of downlink signal transmissions are disclosed. The method includes receiving, from at least one of BSs adjacent to the UE, a channel carrying inter-BS contention information for downlink signal transmission in an (n+1)th time unit, n being an integer, broadcasting to the BSs a contention number with a highest priority level among contention numbers extracted from the inter-BS contention information, and receiving a downlink signal from a BS that transmitted inter-BS contention information related to the contention number with the highest priority level in the (n+1)th time unit.
US09191940B2

A system and method for mapping a combined frequency division duplexing (FDD) Time Division Multiplexing (TDM)/Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) downlink subframe for use with half-duplex and full-duplex terminals in a communication system. Embodiments of the downlink subframe vary Forward Error Correction (FEC) types for a given modulation scheme as well as support the implementation of a smart antenna at a base station in the communication system. Embodiments of the system are also used in a TDD communication system to support the implementation of smart antennae. A scheduling algorithm allows TDM and TDMA portions of a downlink to efficiently co-exist in the same downlink subframe and simultaneously support full and half-duplex terminals.
US09191935B2

A method for transmitting uplink control information. The method according to an embodiment includes identifying a Hybrid Automatic Repeat reQuest—Acknowledgement (HARQ-ACK)(0) and a HARQ-ACK(1), and transmitting b(0)b(1) using a PUCCH resource among a plurality of PUCCH resources based on the HARQ-ACK(0) and the HARQ-ACK(1). a Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) on the primary cell.
US09191932B2

Hybrid Automatic Retransmit ReQuest-Acknowledgment (HARQ-ACK) index mapping and uplink resource allocation is performed and controlled for channel selection transmission. A method for transmitting HARQ-ACK information to an eNode-B (eNB) by a User Equipment (UE) includes identifying KPCell as a number of downlink subframe(s) of a Pcell associated with an uplink subframe and identifying KSCell as a number of downlink subframe(s) of an Scell associated with the uplink subframe; generating Discontinuous Transmission (DTX) response information for a cell having a smaller number of downlink subframes between the Pcell and the Scell; generating HARQ-ACK information including the generated DTX response information and response information on data received by the UE from the eNB; and transmitting the generated HARQ-ACK information to the eNB through the uplink subframe.
US09191926B2

A femtocell basestation selects its carrier frequency by detecting a carrier used by at least one other basestation in its network, and selecting its own carrier frequency such that it partially overlaps with the detected carrier. The downlink power of the femtocell basestation is set based on the degree of overlap between the selected carrier and the detected carrier, so that a user equipment having a connection to the other basestation is forced to search for the selected carrier.
US09191920B2

An idle mode counting procedure for Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service (MBMS) systems operating in accordance with a 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Long Term Evolution (LTE) communication specification includes sending an idle mode downlink message with an idle mode counting request identifying a PTM compatible service. The idle mode downlink message can be received by wireless communication devices in idle mode and includes an idle mode counting request identifying a PTM compatible service. Idle mode counting request response messages are received from wireless communication devices where the idle mode counting request response messages are transmitted by wireless communication devices that were in the idle mode at the time the downlink message was sent. Each idle mode counting request response message indicates that the communication device sending the idle mode counting request response message should be counted for the PTM compatible service.
US09191918B2

A contextual push notification service is provided, including: receiving, by a mobile device, a notification message. The notification message comprises at least one context rule and a notification message. The at least one context rule is compared, on the mobile device, with at least one user context preference. Based on the results of the comparison, a notification action is taken.
US09191917B2

A method in an eNodeB, a radio network controller, or a base station controller for handling paging of a first user equipment being in idle mode is provided. The base station is comprised in a communication system. The base station obtains (301) an indication from a mobility management entity or from a serving GPRS support node within the communication system. The indication indicates a type of downlink data to be transmitted to the first user equipment. After the base station has determined (302) a paging policy based on the obtained indication of type, it sends (303) a paging message to the user equipment according to the determined paging policy. The paging message notifies the first user equipment that there is downlink data to be transmitted to the first user equipment.
US09191914B2

System and methods for providing a user experience are described, including a method comprising determining a location of a user and automatically selecting an interface device of a plurality of interface devices based upon the location of a user. The selected interface device can be configured to transmit audio, transmit video, receive audio, receive video, or a combination thereof. The method can also comprise automatically configuring a user experience provided via the selected interface device.
US09191907B2

Dynamic adjustment of offset between timebases of separated electronic circuits is provided based on an amount of time between synchronization events, wherein a synchronization event is an event involving communication across a separation between the separated electronic circuits in order to synchronize the timebases. The dynamic adjustment can be dynamically or adaptively adjusting a margin of error to account for drift that may have occurred since a prior synchronization event. Adjustments might be done by applying a learning sequence to quantify and adjust for static or slowly varying delays between the timebases and coordinating the timebases using output of the learning sequence.
US09191903B2

Apparatus and methods for efficient external control of the transmit power of a remote fixed gain antenna unit in RF communications. Apparatus embodiments include a separate feeding unit coupled to a remote fixed gain antenna unit through a single coaxial line. The feeding unit is operative to provide transmit control signals to the remote antenna unit based on power feedback created in the remote antenna unit and sent to the feeding unit over the single coaxial line. Feedback and transmit/receive control inputs are transmitted through the single coax line together with RF signals. The coax line may be long. The apparatus and methods may be used in a vehicular environment.
US09191901B2

Disclosed is a wireless base station (eNB10-1) which calculates resource block usage based on the number of resource blocks in the downstream direction (downstream resource block usage) and the number of resource blocks in the upstream direction (upstream resource block usage) allocated to a wireless terminal (UE30-1), and sets the number of DSP for which a power supply should be turned on in a manner such that the number of DSP for which a power supply should be turned on is reduced as resource block usage decreases. In addition, the wireless base station (eNB10-1) turns on the power supply for the set number of DSP and turns off the power supply for the remaining DSP.
US09191893B2

The present invention relates to a method for operating a power save mode in a wireless LAN system. The method involves transmitting a power save multi-poll (PSMP) frame containing a power save mode (PSM) of a non-access point (AP) station (STA) to a first station and to a second station which are paired with an AP on the basis of multiple input multiple output (MIMO) technology. Information on the PSM contains downlink transmission start offset which indicates the point in time of starting a downlink transmission period, a downlink transmission duration which indicates the duration of the downlink transmission period, and transmission object station identification information. The method further involves transmitting a data frame to the first station and to the second station on the basis of the MIMO technology during the downlink transmission period. The transmission object station identification information indicates a group identifier (group ID) for indicating an object station group including the first station and the second station, which are object stations to which the AP transmits the data frame on the basis of the MIMO technology.
US09191890B2

IEEE 802.11 power saving mode (PSM) defines two different power modes under which stations operate: active mode and power save (PS) mode. This disclosure introduces devices, methods, and systems to implement an additional power save with ultra low power (PS-ULP) mode that further reduces power consumption. In one aspect, a method of communicating a power management mode of a station on a wireless network is disclosed. The method includes transmitting by a station a first message on the wireless network, the first message indicating one of at least three power management modes, wherein the indication is communicated in a power management portion of a frame control field of a media access control header. The power management portion comprises more than one bit; and operating the station in a power management state in accordance with the indicated power management mode.
US09191871B2

A method of allocating users to core network nodes of a cellular telecommunications System, where users access the core network via a radio access network and where the nodes of the core network are grouped into a plurality of local pool areas and the local pool areas are further grouped into one or more pool areas, and each local pool area corresponds to a geographic area covered by the access network. The method comprises allocating a user to a core network node of a local pool area corresponding to the geographic area within which the user is located, maintaining the core network node while the user moves within the local pool area, and, in the event that the user moves out of the local pool area but remains in the same pool area, maintaining said allocation at least temporarily.
US09191865B1

A Long Term Evolution (LTE) communication network transfers data communications for User Equipment (UE). An LTE gateway system exchanges hardware trust data with a server system to maintain hardware trust for the LTE gateway system. An LTE access node processes a Radio Resource Control (RRC) message that contains a trusted bearer requirement for the UE to generate an S1 Application Protocol (S1-AP) initial UE message that contains the trusted bearer requirement for the UE. An LTE management node processes the S1-AP initial UE message to generate a General Packet Radio Service Transfer Protocol (GTP) create session message that contains the trusted bearer requirement for the UE. The LTE gateway system exchanges user data for the UE between the LTE access node and a communication node responsive to the GTP create session message.
US09191863B2

To establish an alternative path without giving an influence on signal continuity to a data transmission line to which a communication bandwidth cannot be secured any more when the transmission capacity decreased by adaptive modulation.It includes a first radio node means which sets an adaptive modulation changeover margin having a predetermined width to communication quality for a trigger of performing adaptive modulation which decreases a communication bandwidth when the communication quality of a radio transmission channel section has deteriorated, and prior to performing the adaptive modulation, in the adaptive modulation changeover margin, instructs an initiator node which has established an LSP in the radio transmission channel section to reserve a bandwidth of an alternative LSP for the LSP which requires restoration of diverting to an alternative path and to change over to the alternative LSP; and a second radio node means which is the initiator node, and according to the instructions from the first radio node means, reserves a bandwidth of the alternative LSP, performs changeover to the alternative LSP and disconnects the LSP which has been changed over to the alternative LSP.
US09191854B2

A radio communication device that communicates with other radio communication devices that become communication partners includes first detection means that detects moving states of said other radio communication devices; second detection means that detects a moving state of its own device; third detection means that detects a congestion level of communication between said other radio communication devices or a congestion level of communication between said other radio communication devices and said own device; transmission means that transmits a radio signal from said own device to said other communication devices; and control means that controls said transmission means to transmit the radio signal based on the moving states of said other radio communication devices, the moving state of said own device, and said congestion level.
US09191853B2

Concepts and technologies are described herein for managing network load using device application programs. An illustrative method includes receiving, at a mobile device, a list of preferred combinations of location area codes (“LACs”), cell identifiers (“CIDs”), and times that data access by the mobile device is to be incentivized, determining a current LAC associated with a location area within which the mobile device is currently located, determining a current CID associated with a base transceiver station to which the mobile device is currently connected, determining a current time, and determining if the current LAC, the current cell ID, and the current time are included as a preferred combination in the list. The method also includes providing an indication that data access by the mobile device is incentivized if the current LAC, the current cell ID, and the current time are included in the list as a preferred combination.
US09191847B2

A radio base station transmits data symbols to a mobile terminal on multiple frequency carriers, e.g., in accordance with the MC-WCDMA or cdma2000 3x air interface protocols. The radio base station instructs the mobile terminal to report channel quality measurements obtained by the terminal for the multiple carriers over the same uplink channel during successive reporting intervals. According to one embodiment, the mobile terminal reports channel quality by receiving data symbols transmitted on a plurality of frequency carriers in a multi-carrier CDMA environment and measuring channel quality for the different frequency carriers. The mobile terminal reports individual ones of the channel quality measurements over the same uplink channel during successive reporting intervals.
US09191842B2

Certain aspects of the present disclosure relate to methods and apparatus for reporting signal quality in overlapping Multimedia Broadcast Single Frequency Networks (MBSFN) areas. A UE may determine a signal quality estimate for each of two or more overlapping MBSFN areas based on Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR) information and Modulation and Coding Scheme (MCS) information for the MBSFN area. The UE may then determine a combined signal quality based on the signal quality estimates of the MBSFN areas.
US09191834B2

An apparatus and method for managing a satellite service resource is provided. The method may include measuring, using a communication system monitoring unit, at least one satellite service signal being received for at least one satellite service, calculating, using a service resource management unit, an optimum frequency and an optimum output power for the at least one satellite service through analysis of a satellite service resource, allocating the calculated frequency and the calculated output power to the at least one satellite service, and transmitting the allocated information to the communication system monitoring unit, and comparing, using the communication system monitoring unit, the measured information to the allocated information, and transmitting a result of the comparison to the service resource management unit.
US09191831B2

This disclosure describes techniques for constructing power spectral density (PSD) maps representative of the distribution of radio frequency (RF) power as a function of both frequency and space (geographic location). For example, the disclosure describes techniques for construction PSD maps using non-parametric basis pursuit form of signal expansion.
US09191827B2

Various embodiments detect wireless communication device mobility in a wireless communication network. In one embodiment, one or more Internet Protocol (IP) data packets associated with a wireless communication device are analyzed. The wireless communication device is coupled with the edge entity. A determination is made, based on the analyzing, that the wireless communication device is a newly coupled device at the edge entity. A central entity disposed within the wireless communication network is notified that the wireless communication device is currently coupled to the edge entity.
US09191824B2

A method and apparatus for sharing frequencies in an orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing OFDM-based wireless communication system, wherein the OFDM-based wireless communication system comprises a base station and a mobile device that work within a radio frequency band, the method comprising: detecting an interference signal in the radio frequency band; setting by the base station, based upon the interference signal, interference indication information in a control header of a downlink frame to be sent to the mobile device, the interference indication information indicating a frequency range that is occupied by the interference signal in the radio frequency band; and sending by the base station the downlink frame to the mobile device, such that the mobile device may, based upon the interference indication information, avoid the frequency range where the interference signal is located.
US09191812B2

Disclosed is a method for transitioning a remote station from a current serving network node having an enhanced security context to a new serving network node. In the method, the remote station provides at least one legacy key, and generates at least one session key based on a calculation using a root key and using an information element associated with the enhanced security context. The remote station forwards a first message having the information element to the new serving network node. The remote station receives a second message, from the new serving network node, having a response based on either the legacy key or the session key. The remote station determines that the new serving network node does not support the enhanced security context if the response of the second message is based on the legacy key. Accordingly, the remote station protects communications based on the legacy key upon determining that the enhanced security context is not supported.
US09191807B2

A mobile station receives a control message containing an indicator of presence of a first access network that operates according to a first protocol that is capable of interworking with a second access network that operates according to a second, different protocol. In response to receiving the indicator, the mobile station performs a procedure to establish a personality for the mobile station that specifies the configuration to allow the mobile station to use features of the first access network that enable interworking with the second access network.
US09191805B2

A first network device is configured to receive a first message from a user device, the first message including an identifier for the user device and a type of information being requested by the user device, and determine a level of quality of service to be applied by a network, based on the type of information being requested by the user device. The first network is further configured to receive a second message from a second network device, the second message including an identifier for a third network device. The first network device is further configured to determine the policy device connected to the third network device. The first network device is further configured to connect with the policy device, and send rules and policies associated with the level of quality of service to the policy device.
US09191795B2

A method enables a portable communication device to redirect a call initiated from the portable communication device and to execute a visual interactive voice response application for interfacing with a user. The method includes screening calls initiated from the portable communication device by a communication application resident on the portable communication device, and redirecting a call initiated from the portable communication device when the screening determines that the call matches predetermined criteria. The method also includes authenticating an account corresponding to the portable communication device that initiated the call by communicating with a service provider communication network, and executing a visual interactive voice response application that visually interacts with the user of the portable communication device upon authentication of the account by the service provider communication network.
US09191793B2

A method of delivering an instruction (206) to a mobile user device (106) connected to a network (110) is disclosed. The method comprising the steps of receiving an interactive workflow (202), translating the interactive workflow into the instruction (206) in a form executable by the mobile user device (106), and sending a message (208) including the instruction (206) to the mobile user device (106).
US09191792B2

A system and method for the insertion of additional content to messages sent between mobile communications devices. The system provides for a point system which allows users of the system to accumulate points for additional content sent with text messages. The points may be used for various functions such as purchasing premium services or may be applied towards the user's service charges.
US09191788B2

Disclosed is a system and method for selectively delivering shared information. The disclosed systems and methods enable a sending user to decide what context of information is to be shared, in that a sending user can determine when and where information is shared. This enables increased social engagement towards relevant information. Additionally, this enables a vast opportunity for commercial opportunities, whereby advertisements can be served contingent upon a consumer's context, and/or only when the product or service offered to the consumer is relevant.
US09191781B2

A mobile computing device comprises a wireless transceiver and a processing circuit. The processing circuit is configured to identify a location, to identify a wireless access point within a predetermined distance of the location, to detect a wireless access point identifier using the wireless transceiver, to compare the detected wireless access point identifier to the identified wireless access point, and to initiate location determination based on the comparison.
US09191775B2

A first mobile device detects a second mobile device in the vicinity of the first mobile device and determines that the second mobile device is lost. The first mobile device electronically binds to the second mobile device and obtains information relating to the second mobile device. The first mobile device sends the information relating to the second mobile device to a designated party. The first mobile device receives an indication that the second device is no longer lost. The first mobile device, in response to receiving the indication that the second device is no longer lost, unbinds from the second mobile device.
US09191766B2

The listening room comprises at least one loudspeaker and at least one listening position. The method comprises providing for each loudspeaker, a group delay response to be equalized associated with one pre-defined position within the listening room; calculating filter coefficients for all-pass filter(s) each arranged upstream to one corresponding loudspeaker, the all-pass filter(s) having a transfer characteristic such that the corresponding group delay response(s) match(es) a predefined target group delay response. The filter coefficients have a group delay response being confined by a frequency dependent group delay constraint that defines a frequency dependent interval exponentially decaying with increasing frequency.
US09191761B2

Certain embodiments provide a hearing testing system. The hearing testing system includes a transducer and an environmental sensor coupled with an acoustic channel. The environmental sensor is configured to measure environmental conditions of the acoustic channel. The hearing testing system includes a processor. The processor is configured to receive the environmental conditions from the environmental sensor. The processor is configured to apply, based on the measure environmental conditions, correction data to a transducer response to generate a corrected transducer response. In certain embodiments, the processor is configured to control a heating element based on a measured temperature to maintain a pre-defined temperature, or range of temperatures, at a testing probe.
US09191747B2

The present invention provides a loudspeaker with at least two diaphragm assemblies, in which the reactive forces acting on the magnets in each assembly cancel. By linking the two magnets together via a non-rigid material, resonance in the drive assemblies is highly damped and corresponding distortion of the loudspeaker output is reduced.
US09191744B2

A system and method for interjecting ambient background sounds into a set of headphones is provided. The system monitors an ambient sound environment and compares the ambient sound environment to a preset set of sound characteristics (e.g., frequency signatures, amplitudes and durations) in order to detect important or critical background sounds (e.g., alarm, horn, directed vocal communications, crying baby, doorbell, telephone, etc.). When a critical background sound is detected, the system interjects either a notification signal or a portion of the ambient background into the audio stream, thus alerting a user of a potentially important sound or event occurring within their immediate vicinity.
US09191726B2

There are provided systems and methods for providing media content enhancement. A system for providing enhancement of media content displayed by a presentation unit of the system comprises the presentation unit configured to receive and display the media content, and a content enhancement module stored in a memory of the presentation unit. The presentation unit also includes a processor configured to control the content enhancement module to enhance the media content. A method for use by the content enhancement module comprises reading a context data received by the presentation unit, the context data describing a media content provided for display by the presentation unit, processing the context data to identify the media content, requesting an enhancement data corresponding to the media content, and executing instructions received in the enhancement data to enhance the media content displayed by the presentation unit.
US09191725B2

A method, apparatus, article of manufacture, and a memory structure for a CPT stream to a client device via an HTTP live streaming (HLS) protocol having a plurality of HLS media files is disclosed. In one embodiment, the method comprises generating an HLS playlist specifying a plurality HLS media files before generating any of the HLS media files, wherein each of the plurality of HLS media files has a unique name, transmitting the HLS playlist to the client device, after generating the HLS playlist, transcoding the CPT stream into at least a subset of the plurality of HLS media files, and providing at least one of the subset of plurality of HLS media files to the client device, wherein the at least one of the plurality of HLS media files is a client-requested media file selected from the HLS playlist.
US09191724B2

A method includes receiving, at a communications gateway associated with a customer premises, multimedia content from a communications network. The method includes superimposing, via the communications gateway, a heartbeat signal on an alternating current electrical power signal associated with an electrical wiring system of the customer premises. The method includes encoding the multimedia content based on the heartbeat signal to produce encoded multimedia content at the communications gateway. The method also includes wirelessly transmitting the encoded multimedia content from the communications gateway to a device.
US09191723B2

A method and system of broadcasting a regional television channel to a user. A digital subscriber line access multiplex (DSLAM) receives a broadcast of multicast channels intended for delivery to the user. The multicast channels include national channels and a regional channel. The DSLAM broadcasts the multicast channels to the user and receives a regional channel control signal specifying a broadcast during a specified period of time of the regional channel instead of a national channel previously scheduled to be broadcast to the user during the specified period of time. The DSLAM switches the multicast channels broadcasted to the user during the specified period of time from the national channel to the regional channel such that the regional channel is in a specific channel slot of the national channel during the specified period of time during broadcasting the multicast channels to the user.
US09191722B2

A system and method for utilizing data stored in an EPG database for modifying advertisement information. In this way, a service provider and/or an advertiser can transmit a single advertisement to all the television stations regardless of their geographic location and other user specific information, and need not re-transmit the advertisement even if there is a change in the show's program description. When the advertisement is displayed, the correct updated information is retrieved from the EPG database and inserted into the advertisement.In one aspect, the present invention describes a method for modifying an advertisement in an EPG comprising the steps of: storing television schedule information in a first database; storing advertisement information in a second database; incorporating a portion of the television schedule information into a portion of the advertisement information to form a modified advertisement; and displaying the modified advertisement on a screen.
US09191720B2

Systems and methods for presenting user-generated content in as easily accessible manner using an interactive media guide are provided. In particular, a user may be able to peruse user-generated content through an interactive media guide which is also used to access non-user-generated media content such as linear programming (e.g., over-the-air broadcast, cable, and satellite scheduled programming) and on-demand media. The interactive media guide may include a provider of user-generated content populated with user-generated content according to the user's interests or most recently added to the provider.
US09191716B2

Systems and methods for providing guidance to users for finding media are described. Such systems and methods may be provided in interactive media guides such as program guides, web browsers, or other suitable interactive media guides.
US09191715B2

An on-screen menu method and system for controlling the functions of integrated electronic devices and a television schedule system and method for displaying television schedule information on a television screen includes a program guide having a schedule information area that depicts the programs that are being presented on each channel at each time during the day and an interconnected series of menus to control the features of the integrated electronic devices. An input device allows the viewer to move a pointer over different interactive areas of the guide and the function performed when the area is activated is displayed in a contextual help window. Various control glyphs provide for recursive interaction with the guide.
US09191697B2

Device and method for real time monitoring, and providing of useful program specific information (PSI) of a program received from a digital TV broadcasting system to a watcher, wherein, when broadcasting program PSI is changed, the change of the PSI is detected by monitoring a PMT in a PSIP, and facts of the change or addition of additional functions for a program following the change or addition of the PSI of the digital broadcasting program is reflected and informed to a watcher.
US09191694B2

A content provider transmits instructions to a content receiver to record multiple instances of content. The instances of content are included in the same frequency band of a broadcast transmitted by the content provider via a first communication link and scrambled utilizing the same control word. The content provider determines to supplement the multiple instances of content and transmits an instruction to record a supplemental instance of content from a second content provider via a second communication link. The content receiver receives the instructions and accordingly receives, descrambles, and stores the multiple instances of content and the supplemental instance of content. In some implementations, the first communication link may be a satellite communication link and the second communication link may be a different type of communication link such as a terrestrial broadcast communication link and/or an Internet protocol communication link.
US09191692B2

A television recording system in which multiple client devices can form a group, sharing tuners and channel lineups. The clients may be desktop or laptop computers, digital video recorders or other set top boxes. A device within the group may act as a master, maintaining a master recording schedule and assigning tuners to record programs when scheduled or when a client requests use of a tuner for display live programming. Clients may register with the master, revealing the capabilities of their tuners. The master may, each time a tuner is desired, select an appropriate tuner based on multiple criteria, including bandwidth considerations and capabilities of the tuner.
US09191688B2

A system, device, and method for receiver access control in an interne television system uses a push mechanism to distribute access control information from a distribution device to an access device. The access device uses the access control information to make receiver access control decisions for a subsequently received request from a host to join a television channel multicast group.
US09191685B2

Improved systems and methods for delivering CATV content over a fiber optic network from a transmitter.
US09191682B2

Image decoders encoders and transcoders incorporate gamut transformations. The gamut transformations alter tone, color or other characteristics of image data. The gamut transformations may comprise interpolation, extrapolation, direct mapping of pixel values and/or modification of an expansion function. Gamut transformations may be applied to generate image output (video or still) adapted for display on a target display.
US09191680B2

In a first inter-image prediction mode in which information on a motion vector is used, a first mode detection unit constructs a first candidate list from a plurality of reference block candidates based on a first predetermined order, assigns indices for designating reference block candidates added in the first candidate list, and outputs the indices of the plurality of reference candidate blocks. In a second inter-image prediction mode in which is used a motion vector difference between a motion vector predictor based on information on a motion vector, and a motion vector of a coding target block, a second mode detection unit constructs a second candidate list from a plurality of reference block candidates based on a second predetermined order, assigns indices for designating reference block candidates added in the second candidate list, and outputs the indices of the plurality of reference block candidates and motion vector differences.
US09191676B2

A video decoding apparatus according to one aspect of the disclosure performs a decoding process, on a process block basis, using a motion vector of the process block and prediction information candidates of the motion vector. The video decoding apparatus includes a first prediction information candidate generating part configured to acquire the prediction information of the adjacent block to generate the prediction information candidate if motion compensation of the block is performed using the same prediction information as the prediction information of the adjacent block; and a second prediction information candidate generating part configured to add prediction information to the prediction information candidates if the number of the prediction information candidates is less than a predetermined number and two prediction information items of the prediction information candidates have the reference picture identifiers indicating the same picture, the added prediction information including an averaged motion vector of two motion vectors.
US09191670B2

This disclosure proposes various techniques for limiting the number of bins that are coded using an adaptive context model with context adaptive binary arithmetic coding (CABAC). In particular, this disclosure proposes to limit the number of bins that use CABAC for coding level information of transform coefficients in a video coding process.
US09191669B2

A moving picture coding apparatus includes a counter unit which counts the number of pictures following an intra coded picture; and a motion estimation unit which compares respectively only reference pictures which are the intra coded picture or the following pictures, selected from among a reference picture Ref1, a reference picture Ref2 and a reference picture Ref3 stored in memories, with a picture signal, and determines the reference picture whose inter picture differential value is smallest.
US09191668B1

There is described an image compressing/decompressing method and device that provides the lossless data compression/decompression scheme in two separate modules. Partially entropy encoded/decoded data is written to memory by a first module after a first part of the process and retrieved by a second module to perform the second part of the lossless compression/decompression scheme.
US09191661B2

This document describes techniques and apparatuses for implementing a virtual image display device. A virtual image display device may include a display and a microlens array positioned between the display and a viewing surface of the virtual image display device. The virtual image display device is controlled to generate a virtual image behind the viewing surface of the virtual image display device. In some embodiments, the virtual image display device includes a pupil tracker that locates positions of pupils of a viewer. The virtual image display device is controlled to render the virtual image based on the positions of the pupils of the viewer.
US09191658B2

An HMD includes: a display which displays a three-dimensional video image; a position obtaining unit which measures a position of an inner corner or tail of an eye of a viewer with respect to the display; a standard position storage unit which obtains and stores, as a standard position relating to the position, the measured position of the inner corner or outer corner of the eye, in calibration for determining the standard position; a position gap detecting unit which detects, as a position gap, a difference between the standard position and a newly measured position of the inner corner or outer corner of the eye of the viewer viewing content with respect to the display; and an image processing unit which performs image processing on the 3D video image to be displayed on the display, to rotated or parallely move the 3D video image according to the detected position gap.
US09191657B2

An image display device includes a display element selectively implementing a 2D image and a 3D image and a patterned retarder. The display element includes a pixel array including a plurality of subpixels, which are respectively formed at crossings of column lines and row lines. The patterned retarder includes a plurality of first retarders, each of which transmits light from the display element as a first polarization component, and a plurality of second retarders, each of which transmits the light from the display element as a second polarization component. The first retarders and the second retarders are alternatively arranged.
US09191639B2

Provided in some embodiments is a computer implemented method that includes receiving time-aligned script data including dialogue words of a script and timecodes corresponding to the dialogue words, identifying gaps between dialogue words for the insertion of video description content, wherein the gaps are identified based on the duration of pauses between timecodes of adjacent dialogue words, aligning segments of video description content with corresponding gaps in dialogue, wherein the video description content for the segments is derived from corresponding script elements of the script; and generating a script document including the aligned segments of video description content.
US09191636B2

A solid-state imaging device includes an imaging region in which unit pixels which are obtained by arranging color filters in a photodiode are two-dimensionally arranged in matrix, and readout signal lines which are provided in plural with respect to an arbitrary one row at which the plurality of unit pixels are arranged, in which the readout signal lines are provided according to the number of color types of the plurality of unit pixels which are arranged at the one arbitrary row, and the same readout signal lines are connected to unit pixels of which color of color filters are the same, in the plurality of unit pixels which are arranged on the one arbitrary row.
US09191635B2

An image sensor may have an array of image sensor pixels arranged in color filter unit cells each having one red image pixel that generates red image signals, one blue image pixel that generate blue image signals, and two clear image sensor pixels that generate white image signals. The image sensor may be coupled to processing circuitry that performs filtering operations on the red, blue, and white image signals to increase noise correlations in the image signals that reduce noise amplification when applying a color correction matrix to the image signals. The processing circuitry may extract a green image signal from the white image signal. The processing circuitry may compute a scaling value that includes a linear combination of the red, blue, white and green image signals. The scaling value may be applied to the red, blue, and green image signals to produce corrected image signals having improved image quality.
US09191615B1

A chat window. In one example embodiment, a chat window is configured to facilitate communication between a visitor of a website and an agent of the website. The chat window includes a text chat region and an interactive region configured to display to the visitor one or more products selected by the visitor. The interactive region includes one or markup tools that enables the visitor to markup the one or more products during a chat with the agent.
US09191611B2

Embodiments include an apparatus, device, system, computer-program product, and method. In an embodiment, a device includes a user-accessible digital storage medium, and a storage medium manager module. The storage manager module includes a storage manager module operable to save a digital image in a form in the user-accessible digital storage medium, and then alter the form of the saved digital image if a condition is met.
US09191603B2

A method for automatically programming a receiver adapted to receive radio-television signals belonging to a plurality of radio-television networks in at least two different formats includes the steps of: storing into a first table a first plurality of programs of the plurality of radio-television networks receivable by the receiver in a first signal format, associable with a first sorting criterion of the first programs; storing into a second table a second plurality of programs of the plurality of radio-television networks receivable by the receiver in a second signal format, associable with a second sorting criterion of the second programs, including a step of storing into a third table programs stored in the first and second tables based on existing matches between the first and the second sorting criteria.
US09191602B2

A controlling section, by bringing readout switches of pixels of a certain row out of the M rows into a connected state, causes charges generated in the row to be input to integration circuits, causes first holding circuits to hold voltage values output from the integration circuits, and then brings transfer switches into a connected state to transfer the voltage values to the second holding circuits, and thereafter performs in parallel an operation for causing the voltage values to be sequentially output from the second holding circuits and an operation for, by bringing readout switches of pixels of another row into a connected state, causing charges generated in the row to be input to the integration circuits. Accordingly, a solid-state imaging device and a driving method thereof capable of suppressing variations in output characteristics, while solving the problem due to a delay effect are realized.
US09191597B2

A device for controlling an image sensor including at least one photosensitive cell including a photodiode capable of discharging into a sense node via a first MOS transistor, the sense node being connected to the gate of a second MOS transistor having its source connected to a processing system. The device includes a bias circuit capable of increasing the voltage of the source during the discharge of the photodiode into the sense node.
US09191595B2

The image processing apparatus processes an image signal obtained from an image pickup element using an image pickup optical system arranged to obtain directional traveling information of object image light corresponding to a pupil division area of a photographing lens. The apparatus includes: a unit of setting a focal position at which the refocused image is generated; and a unit of correcting an image signal of a defect pixel of the image pickup element using an image signal of other pixel. The apparatus determines the other pixel to be used for correcting the image signal of the defect pixel on the basis of the set focal position and the directional traveling information of the object image light.
US09191592B2

An imaging sensor is signaled to capture a digital image of a dark scene. For each of the pixel columns in the image, a respective column value is computed that represents at least some of the pixels in the column. For each of the pixel columns in the image, a respective comparison is made between the respective column value of the pixel column and a reference value. A respective column score is computed, for each of the pixel columns, based on the respective comparison. An indication that identifies one or more of the pixel columns as anomalous is stored, when the respective column score of the one or more the pixel columns does not meet a criterion. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.
US09191588B2

A high dynamic range pixel (2) includes a photosensor device (4) for detecting incident light, said photosensor having a photosensor output (14) for a photosensor signal Vp that represents a time integral of the detected light intensity over an integration period. A transistor disconnect switch (8) has a first switch input (15) that is connected to the photosensor output (14), a second switch input (17) that is connected to receive a time-dependent reference signal Vref, and a switch output (16) for a switch output signal Vs that is switchably connected to the first switch input. The disconnect switch (8) is constructed and arranged to disconnect the switch output (16) from the first switch input (15) at a capture moment that depends on the relative values of input signals at the first and second switch inputs (15,18). A readout circuit (10) is connected to the switch output (16) and arranged to capture the switch output signal Vs at the capture moment and provide an output signal Vout that is related to the switch output signal Vs. The first switch input (15) is connected additionally to an input (29) for a time-dependent applied signal Vapp, such that the input signal at the first switch input (15) is the sum of the photosensor signal Vp and the applied signal Vapp.
US09191587B2

An optical imaging system and method in which a second channel is used to provide alignment data for achieving image frame stacking of image data in a first channel. In one example, image stacking of infrared images is achieved by obtaining and analyzing corresponding visible images to provide alignment data that is then used to align and stack the infrared images.
US09191586B2

A buffered direct injection pixel is disclosed that includes a photodiode for receiving an input signal, a direct injection transistor associated with the photodiode, and a Sackinger current mirror coupled with the direct injection transistor, providing reduced size, low noise and low power, as compared to prior art buffered direct injection pixels.
US09191581B2

Methods, apparatus and articles of manufacture for mixing compressed digital bit streams are disclosed. An example method disclosed herein comprises acquiring a frame associated with a first compressed digital bit stream, unpacking the frame to obtain a plurality of original transform coefficient sets, and modifying the plurality of original transform coefficient sets to mix a second digital bit stream with the first compressed digital bit stream.
US09191579B2

The invention concerns a computer-implemented method for tracking and reshaping a human-shaped figure in a digital video comprising the steps: acquiring a body model of the figure from the digital video, adapting a shape of the body model, modifying frames of the digital video, based on the adapted body model and outputting the digital video.
US09191572B2

An image sensor senses object information and converts the sensed object information into an electrical signal. An image processing apparatus uses the image sensor. The image sensor includes a column signal line connected to output terminals of a plurality of pixel sensors, a comparator circuit configured to output a signal corresponding to a comparison result of a signal output to the column signal line and a reference signal, an ADC circuit configured to convert an analog signal corresponding to an optical signal sensed by the pixel sensor selected from the plurality of pixel sensors connected to the column signal line into digital data based on the signal output from the comparator circuit and, a load circuit connected in series to the comparator circuit between the column signal line and a ground terminal, wherein the load circuit is configured as a common load device of the plurality of pixel sensors connected to the column signal line and the comparator circuit.
US09191570B2

A depth image of a scene may be received, observed, or captured by a device. A human target in the depth image may then be scanned for one or more body parts such as shoulders, hips, knees, or the like. A tilt angle may then be calculated based on the body parts. For example, a first portion of pixels associated with an upper body part such as the shoulders and a second portion of pixels associated with a lower body part such as a midpoint between the hips and knees may be selected. The tilt angle may then be calculated using the first and second portions of pixels.
US09191569B2

An imaging apparatus having a function of detecting a face from an image signal on which a focusing frame is superimposed is configured so that a face selected to be a main object can continue being selected to be a main object even if a focusing frame is displayed as superimposed on the face. A central processing unit moves a position of a focusing frame to be displayed by a display unit to a position corresponding to a detected object if a ratio of a size of the detected object to a size of the focusing frame displayed on the display unit is greater than or equal to a predetermined threshold, and does not move the position of the focusing frame to be displayed by the display unit to a position corresponding to the detected object if the ratio is less than the threshold.
US09191565B2

A lens unit L100 is removably mounted on an image pickup apparatus generating control information used for a vibration control that vibrates a correction lens L105 and moves a vibration center of the correction lens L105, includes an image pickup optical system including a magnification varying lens L102 and the correction lens L105, a storage unit storing first information indicating a relation between positions of the magnification varying lens L102 and the correction lens L105, and a lens controller performing a predetermined control in which the correction lens L105 moves in accordance with the movement of the magnification varying lens L102, and the lens controller sends information relating to the magnification varying operation to the image pickup apparatus, and overlaps the vibration control of the correction lens L105 based on the control information in accordance with the information relating to the magnification varying operation with the predetermined control.
US09191557B2

The present technique includes a case member of a body and a supporting mechanism. The case member of a body includes a holding compartment having a shaft support at one end of the holding compartment. The supporting mechanism is receivable in the holding compartment of the case member and holds a display monitor. The supporting mechanism includes a first supporting member and a second supporting member, the first supporting member having, at a first end, a pivoting portion pivotally supported on the shaft support of the holding compartment, and a shaft support at a second end, and the second supporting member having a pivoting portion pivotally supported on the shaft support of the first supporting member. The supporting mechanism is configured to move the shaft support of the first supporting member and the pivoting portion of the second supporting member in an extrusion direction from the holding compartment.
US09191554B1

Some implementations include using a trained classifier to identify page-turn events in a video. The video may be divided into multiple segments based on the page-turn events, with each segment of the multiple segments corresponding to a pair of adjacent pages in a book. Exemplar frames that provide non-redundant data compared to other frames may be chosen from each segment. The exemplar frames may be cropped to include content portions of pages. The exemplar frames may be aligned such that a pixel is located in a same position in each frame. Optical character recognition (OCR) may be performed on exemplar frames and the OCR for exemplar frames in each segment may be combined. The exemplar frames in each segment may be combined to create a composite image for each pair of adjacent pages in the book, and OCR may be performed on the composite image.
US09191553B2

Methods, systems and computer program products for the synchronization of media streams. In an embodiment, a gross synchronization may first be performed on the media streams, using the broadcast delays of the streams. A refined synchronization may then be performed, taking advantage of corresponding visual or audio cues in each stream. In the event that the media streams represent the same content (e.g., the same content from different providers), matching momentary actions in the video media streams may be used to achieve refined synchronization. In the event that the media streams are different (e.g., different broadcasts of the same event), other cues may be used to achieve refined synchronization, where these other cues are part of the underlying event but independent of the particular broadcasts. Examples of these latter cues may be the sound of a referee's whistle or the crack of a bat hitting a baseball.
US09191533B2

A multi-function apparatus includes a body, an image reading unit, a document cover and a locking member. The image reading unit is movable between a closed position and an opened position. The document cover is movable between a closed position and an opened position. The locking member is movable to a first position and a second position and includes a first engagement portion and a second engagement portion. In response to a movement of the document cover to the opened position, the locking member moves to the first position and locks the image reading unit to the closed position. In response to a movement of the image reading unit to the opened position, the locking member moves to the second position and locks the document cover to the closed position.
US09191531B2

A display input device includes a storage unit which stores a program for controlling to display a screen for setting a set item that is selected and registered in advance by calling, an input unit which accepts a setting input, and a display unit which displays a combination image in which a position display image for indicating a current position of the display in the program when the program is called, and a screen number display image indicating the number of setting screens that are displayed or have been displayed for setting the set item included in the program are combined, for each set item included in the program, arranged in the display order of the set item in the program.
US09191530B2

A portable hand-held device is provided having an image sensor for capturing images, and a processor chip for image processing the images captured by the image sensor. The processor chip has an on-chip interface for receiving the captured images and four interconnected processing units configured to process the received images.
US09191527B2

A system includes telephone and packet-switched network interfaces and a translator. The translator receives messages. Outgoing messages originate from a multiple-function peripheral (MFP) and are received via a transfer agent (TA). Outgoing e-mail messages include an attached file in an image file format. The translator removes and delivers the attachment in facsimile format. Incoming fax messages are attached to an e-mail message. The TA receives and relays the e-mail message to an identified MFP, which discards the e-mail message and prints the attachment. A method for processing fax messages includes associating an identifier with a MFP, receiving a fax intended for the MFP, generating an e-mail message with an attachment representing the fax and communicating the e-mail message to a transfer agent that relays the e-mail to the MFP, which discards the e-mail body and prints the attachment.
US09191524B1

A system, method, and computer readable medium comprising instructions for handling insufficient account balance of subscribers in a mobile communications network is disclosed. A request for communication is received from a mobile station. A determination is made as to whether a subscriber of the mobile station has an insufficient account balance. If the subscriber has an insufficient account balance, the request is withheld and the mobile station is notified by a short message.
US09191513B1

The present disclosure relates to methods of systems for allocating a call from a user to an agent. Embodiments of the disclosure may determine a set of sentiment indicators associated with the user from one or more acoustic parameters of the call. In addition, embodiments of the disclosure may select a candidate agent to handle the call based on the set of sentiment indicators and a sentiment handling capability associated with the candidate agent. Moreover, embodiments of the disclosure may allocate the call to the candidate agent.
US09191503B1

A system for processing phone calls comprising a network of servers positionable in communication with telephonic communication devices and each comprising a memory and a processor and a distributed database system comprising an ordered set of PBX Feature definitions. Each server may execute at least one PBX Feature definition of the ordered set of PBX Feature definitions comprised by the distributed database system. The ordered set of PBX Feature definitions may evaluate the current state of a phone call to generate an evaluated state of the phone call. A PBX Feature definition of the ordered set of PBX Feature definitions may perform a respective PBX Feature task responsive to the evaluated state of the phone call. Each PBX Feature definition of the ordered set of PBX Feature definitions may define and store a new state of the phone call upon performance of the PBX Feature task.
US09191501B2

The present invention provides a method and system for managing contact information in a universal plug and play (UPnP) home network environment. In one embodiment, the present invention provides a method of a telephony server (TS) for providing contact information to a telephony control point (TelCP) in a universal plug and play home network environment. The method includes receiving a request for providing contact information updates associated with at least one contact entry from the TelCP connected to the TS in an UPnP home network environment. The method further includes obtaining the requested contact information updates from an address book associated with the at least one contact entry. The method also includes providing the obtained contact information updates associated with the at least one contact entry to the TelCP.
US09191497B2

A method and apparatus that implements avatar modifications to another user's avatar from a first mobile communication device is disclosed. The method may include selecting an avatar modification to relating to a user of a second mobile communication device based on input from a user, and sending a signal to initiate transmission of selected avatar modification to at least one of the second mobile communication device, an avatar management server, and a plurality of mobile communication devices wherein the user's avatar modification may be viewed by other mobile communication device users.
US09191495B2

A communication system comprises a plurality of line cards having transceivers coupled to a plurality of subscriber lines. Each line card has at least one active transceiver within the same vectoring group, and each line card also has vector logic capable of cancelling crosstalk induced by an active transceiver that is a member of the vectoring group. Further, the line cards are coupled to one another via a ring connection across which vectoring information is passed from one line card to the next. In the event of a failure of one of the line cards, the failed card is bypassed by the vectoring stream so that the operational line cards can continue crosstalk vectoring operations despite such failure.
US09191487B2

A method and apparatus for processing contact information, the method comprising: displaying a list of contacts on a display of a wireless terminal; determining a first contact from the list of contacts in response to a selection by a user; obtaining a web log address and an online shop address of the first contact; obtaining, from a network service, a first content corresponding to the web log address and the online shop address of the first contact; and displaying the first content on a first area of the display, the first content being dynamically updated.
US09191481B2

A wireless device presents a predetermined identifier and at least one code comprising connection data. A terminal communicates over a short range radio-frequency link, with a wireless device. The terminal has a camera and a display screen. The terminal detects, through the camera, an identifier relating to a wireless device in a vicinity of the terminal. The terminal presents, through the display screen, at least one object for each detected identifier, the object being associated with a wireless device. A terminal user selects, through the display screen, one object amongst the presented objects. The terminal reads or extracts the connection data comprised within the selected code associated with the corresponding selected wireless device. And the terminal establishes, a connection, over the short range radio-frequency link, to the corresponding selected wireless device.
US09191477B2

An electronic device and method for operating an electronic device are presented. An input for performing a predefined function is received. A lock function is deactivated to unlock the predefined function and the predefined function is displayed on a display module, if the input is received and if a correct password is entered.
US09191476B1

A system, method, and computer program are provided for using speech recognition to assist call center interactions with a caller. In operation, utterances are received between a caller and an agent. Additionally, speech recognition is performed on the utterances utilizing a context of the utterances. Furthermore, an interaction with the caller is assisted utilizing the speech recognition.
US09191475B2

An electronic device has circuitry mounted within an electronic device housing. The electronic device housing may have housing walls such as metal sidewalls. Openings are formed in an electronic device housing wall to accommodate buttons. A button may have a switch with a switch housing mounted to the housing wall. A movable button member that extends from the switch housing may protrude through a housing opening. Switch terminals are coupled to signal lines on structures such as flexible printed circuits. The switch terminals may be formed from portions of elongated switch leads supported by support structure that are mounted to the housing wall or may be formed on an inner surface of the switch housing. Support structures may be molded into engagement with features on a housing wall or may be mounted to a housing wall using a fastener such as a screw.
US09191471B2

A wireless communication device includes a housing, a circuit board, a first feed portion, a second feed portion, a third feed portion, and a ground portion. The housing includes a first conducting section, a separator section, and a second conducting section. The separator section insulates the first conducting section from the second conducting section. The first feed portion and the second feed portion are electronically connected between the circuit board and the first section. The third feed portion is spaced from the first section. The ground portion is electronically connected to the circuit board, the first section, and the second section.
US09191457B2

Methods, systems, and computer readable media for controlling delivery of content are provided. In some embodiments, a system for controlling delivery of content is provided. The system includes processing circuitry configured to: transmit, to a server, a plurality of requests for blocks of the content; while at least some of the plurality of requests are still outstanding: detect a change of a service characteristic of a connection between the system and the server; determine a preferred number of outstanding requests; and cancel at least some of the requests from the plurality that are still outstanding based on the preferred number and a count of the requests from the plurality that are still outstanding.
US09191454B2

A logical communication path is provided between a target virtual machine (VM) and a host or application communicating with the VM. The target VM runs on a hypervisor host that has a hypervisor and a proxy agent. The hypervisor manages execution of the VM. A mapping is maintained indicating which VMs execute on which hosts. When the host or application is to send a message or packet to the target VM, the mapping is consulted and the hypervisor host hosting the target VM is identified. The message or packet, which may identify the target VM, is transmitted to the hypervisor host. A proxy agent at the hypervisor host selects a communication channel between the hypervisor and the target VM. The hypervisor then passes the message or packet through the selected channel to the target VM.
US09191448B2

Examples of systems and methods are provided for rendering a composite view at a client device. A system may allow communication and may render at a local client device a composite view including a local graphical user interface (GUI) and a remote view associated with a remote application running on a remote server is provided. The system may comprise a remote view module configured to generate the remote view of the remote application, and a local view module configured to generate the local GUI for controlling the remote application remotely, configured to control an area of the display output data of the remote application that is displayed in the remote view, and configured to keep track of coordinates and dimensions of the area. A composite view comprising the local GUI and the remote view may be provided to a local display at the local client device.
US09191447B2

The present disclosure provides a system and method for applying authentication and security policies in a SIP environment. In accordance with one embodiment, there is provided a method for use on a SIP server, comprising: establishing a persistent connection with a user agent (UA); initiating an idle connection timeout countdown timer; performing authentication of an initial REGISTER request using a first level of authentication; and terminating the persistent connection when the initial REGISTER request is not validated before expiry of the idle connection timeout countdown timer.
US09191441B2

An aspect includes providing direct communication between a server and a network switch in a cell-based fabric. A host channel adapter of a cell fabric hardware accelerator is configured to provide the server with direct access to memory within the network switch. A plurality of data packets having a fixed size is received at the host channel adapter from the server. The host channel adapter is coupled to a bus of the server. A direct transmission is performed from the cell fabric hardware accelerator to the memory within the network switch on an interconnect bus to write the data packets directly into the memory.
US09191439B2

The invention provides discloses a method for data synchronization in a content delivery network. The method includes: a data synchronization client requesting a data synchronization processing manager for obtaining a belonged data synchronization processing agent, establishing a heartbeat connection with the belonged synchronization processing agent to acquire operation status of the belonged data synchronization processing agent; and the data synchronization processing manager scanning a management side database, and if a synchronization task needing to be informed to the data synchronization client is scanned in the management side database, the data synchronization processing manager generating the synchronization task for the corresponding synchronization processing agent in an ability side database. The present invention also provides a system for data synchronization in a content delivery network, a data synchronization processing agent and a data synchronization processing manager.
US09191427B2

Disclosed are a method, apparatus and system for interworking between H.320 or H.324 and SIP. The method comprises receiving a SIP message indicative of capabilities supported by a first endpoint device and deferring responding to the SIP message. The method further comprises receiving from a second endpoint device an H.320 or H.324 message indicative of the capabilities supported by the second endpoint device in response thereto responding to the SIP message thereby to establish a media communication channel between the first and second endpoint devices based on their respective capabilities.
US09191424B1

This disclosure relates to media capture during generation of a message. A media capture component can receive user input to initiate capture of media information during generation of the message. The media capture component can identify hardware available for capturing the media information, and acquire the media information using the identified hardware. An integration component can integrate the captured media information with the message, and a transmission component can transmit the message and integrated captured media information.
US09191412B2

A method for transmitting content data includes receiving content data, and passing at least a portion of the content data based on a size of the received content data. A method for transmitting content data includes receiving content data, and passing at least a portion of the content data based on a prescribed rate. A method for transmitting content data includes receiving content data, and passing at least a portion of the content data before performing policy enforcement on the content data.
US09191411B2

A method includes identifying data on a social network that is associated with a suspect social entity, and determining one or more characteristics of the identified data. A reference to the identified data is generated for each of the one or more characteristics. One or more of the generated references are compared to one or more stored references, where the one or more stored references are associated with a protected social entity. A profile score for the suspect social entity is determined based on the comparison. Determining the profile score includes identifying a match between one or more of the generated references and one or more of the stored references.
US09191410B2

A method and apparatus can be configured to transmit indicators to a network entity. The indicators indicate whether security will be applied to a media data, whether security will be applied by an application layer, and whether security will be applied by an evolved-packet-system layer. The method can also include transmitting the media data to the network entity.
US09191407B2

Method, system, and computer program product example embodiments of the invention are disclosed to provide multi-network secure video teleconferencing (VTC) for VTC endpoints. The embodiments of the invention include a sequencer that controls the sequence of operations when moving a video teleconferencing terminal between secure networks. The sequencer receives commands to initiate the operation from an initiator, such as a user-initiated button press from a control console or a user-initiated request from an Internet interface, or for a scheduled operation from a scheduling interface. The sequencer then issues commands to a secure database of terminal configuration data and a control isolator to both transfer a video teleconferencing terminal to a new secure network to begin a conference and to remove a video teleconferencing terminal from a secure network to end a conference.
US09191405B2

A canary value is used to validate a message from a non-web browser client application to a web server providing web services to mitigate cross-site forgery attacks. The canary value is generated by the server in party by applying a hash function to a user identifier and a time stamp. The server provides the canary value to the client application in response to receiving a message that does not have a canary or has an expired canary. The client application upon receiving an error message with a canary message will resend the prior message with the canary value present. The client application caches the canary value for subsequent messages until a new canary value is received. The canary value allows the server to ignore messages generated by the client application under control of an attacker.
US09191404B2

Presented herein are probabilistic flow management techniques in which flow objects are probabilistically evaluated in view of the current contents of a flow table to determine if the flow object should be added to the flow table. An untrusted packet flow may be received at a feature or function of a networking device. The feature initiates addition of an untrusted flow object corresponding to the untrusted packet flow into a flow table. A probabilistic flow management mechanism determines if the number of untrusted flow objects in the flow table is below a predetermined lower limit. If the number of untrusted flow objects exceeds the lower limit and prior to addition of the untrusted flow object into the flow table, the probabilistic flow management mechanism probabilistically determines if the untrusted flow object may be added to the flow table.
US09191403B2

A system and method of detecting command and control behavior of malware on a client computer is disclosed. One or more DNS messages are monitored from one or more client computers to a DNS server to determine a risk that one or more client computers is communicating with a botnet. Real-time entity profiles are generated for at least one of each of the one or more client computers, DNS domain query names, resolved IP addresses of query domain names, client computer-query domain name pairs, pairs of query domain name and corresponding resolved IP address, or query domain name-IP address cliques based on each of the one or more DNS messages. Using the real-time entity profiles, a risk that any of the one or more client computers is infected by malware that utilizes DNS messages for command and control or illegitimate data transmission purposes is determined. One or more scores are generated representing probabilities that one or more client computers is infected by malware.
US09191392B2

An example embodiment of the present invention provides an apparatus including at least one processor; and at least one memory including executable instructions, the at least one memory and the executable instructions being configured to, in cooperation with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following: retrieving, from a reputation server, reputation data of uniform resource locators (URL) of one or more web sites relating to one or more web site features that are available via the web site; and determining executable web site features on the basis of the retrieved reputation data.
US09191390B1

A system, method, and computer program product are provided for managing user access credentials in a computer network. In use, a Security Asset Repository (SAR) is maintained on a first computer connected to a network, the SAR being operable for storing user access credentials to resources on the network. Additionally, a first program residing on a second computer connected to the network is executed by a user, the user having first user access credentials for accessing the second computer. Responsive to executing of the first program, the SAR is accessed by the first program, by employing second user access credentials provided to the first program by the user. Responsive to accessing the SAR by the first program, the first program retrieves third user access credentials from the SAR, the third user access credentials being operable for accessing the SAR by a third computer. Responsive to retrieving the third user access credentials from the SAR, the first program executes a second program residing on the third computer connected to the network, and provides the third user access credentials to the second program. Responsive to providing the third user access credentials to the second program, the SAR is accessed by the second program by employing the third user access credentials, and the second program retrieves fourth user access credentials from the SAR, the fourth user access credentials being operable for accessing resources on the network other than the SAR.
US09191387B2

A femto cell base station includes a generating part that generates a SIP message including a terminal ID of a radio terminal and a check request for the terminal ID at a predetermined time, and a first transmitting part that transmits the SIP message generated by the generating part to a higher level apparatus in the communication system.
US09191380B2

The system and method described herein for managing information technology models in an intelligent workload management system may include a computing environment having a model-driven, service-oriented architecture for creating collaborative threads to manage workloads. In particular, the management threads may converge information for managing planned changes and recovery processes for version-controlled snapshots of the information technology models. For example, a discovery engine may enrich models of an infrastructure with identity information obtained from an identity vault and the infrastructure itself, and a management infrastructure may then manage planned changes to the infrastructure model. In particular, the management infrastructure may construct implementation plans that coordinate interaction between managed entities to implement the planned changes, and may further detect drifts between operational states and planned states for the infrastructure models.
US09191372B2

A method of tracking electronic content includes producing a file of electronic content and executable instructions that collect notification information and attempt to transmit the notification information to an address when triggered by an event. The executable instructions deny access to the electronic content until the notification information is transmitted successfully.
US09191370B2

A method for providing an online reputation is disclosed. An online credential service assigns a unique client identifier to each user and a unique forum identifier to each forum that users participate. A user participating in one or more online forums registers for establishing a reputation profile at the online credential service. A unique verification code associated with each forum is generated for the user to include in the user's profile at the corresponding forum. A user's reputation is determined based on whether a verification code is included in the user's profile at the form.
US09191369B2

Disclosed are systems and methods to provide application acceleration as a service. In one embodiment, a system includes a head office to serve an enterprise application comprised of a collaborative document. The system also includes a branch office to request the collaborative document from the head office. The enterprise application may also include a computed document and/or a static document. In addition, the system also includes a set of Point of Presence (POP) locations between the head office and the branch office to communicate the collaborative document, the computed document and the static document on behalf of the head office from a closest POP location to the head office to a closest POP location to the branch office and then onward to the branch office.
US09191361B2

The authentication method for stateless address allocation in IPv6 networks provides a P2P trust-verification approach for identifying a rogue node. Alternatively, the authentication method provides an information hiding scheme to avoid being plagued by rogue nodes. In both cases, the authentication method is embodied in a computer software product having machine readable code.
US09191349B2

Methods, devices, systems, and non-transitory processor-readable storage media for providing a collaboration tool for soliciting responses from users, including operations for receiving at a computing device a request from a user, transmitting to a plurality of computing devices an invitation message that causes the plurality of computing devices to render a display that solicits a response to the request, receiving a response message related to the request from at least one of the plurality of computing devices, evaluating the received response message to determine whether the received response message fulfills the request, and transmitting to the plurality of computing devices a cancellation message in response to determining that the received response message fulfills the request, the cancellation message configured to cause the plurality of computing devices to perform operations to automatically clean-up the display that solicits the response to the request.
US09191343B2

A business object model, which reflects data that is used during a given business transaction, is utilized to generate interfaces. This business object model facilitates commercial transactions by providing consistent interfaces that are suitable for use across industries, across businesses, and across different departments within a business during a business transaction. In some operations, software creates, updates, or otherwise processes information related to an appointment activity business object.
US09191339B2

Methods, systems, and techniques for handling session emulation for running legacy applications/tasks in host environments using session pools are provided. These enhanced session emulation techniques may be used for many applications, including modernizing legacy applications, particularly in mid-range or mainframe host computing. Example embodiments provide a Role-Based Modernization System (“RBMS”), which uses the enhanced emulation techniques to provide role-based modernization of menu-based legacy applications.
US09191338B2

A system, methods, and interfaces for managing request routing functionality associated with resource requests for one or more resources associated with a content provider. The request routing functionality can correspond to the processing of domain name service (“DNS”) requests for resources by computing devices and the resolution of the DNS requests by the identification of a network address of a computing device that will provide the requested resources. Unlike traditional CDN service provider implementation, the processing of resource requests by the service provider is separate from the delivery of the content by the content provider (or on behalf of the content provider).
US09191333B2

A method of moving a receiving window in a wireless mobile communication system, wherein the AM RLC of the transmitting side sends information of the last discarded SDU regardless of continuity of the discarded SDUs. The AM RLC of the receiving side checks whether all SDUs from the start point of the receiving window up to the last discarded SDU are successfully received, delivers the SDUs that are successfully received to an upper layer, and discard only those SDUs that are not successfully received.
US09191328B2

A network interface controller (NIC) determines link layer broadcast traffic of interest to the host environment. The NIC receives link layer broadcast traffic intended for the host environment, including traffic of interest and unwanted traffic. The NIC discards the unwanted traffic and forwards the traffic of interest to the host environment.
US09191324B2

A MAC aggregation technique utilizing a large field addition operation is disclosed. The large field addition operation defines the addition of two or more MACs mod p, where the two or MACs may comprise constituent MACs or aggregate MACs, and where p is a prime number that is large relative to the size of the MACs. The disclosed MAC aggregation technique yields an aggregate MAC much shorter than the concatenation of constituent MACs while achieving security even in the case where constituent MACs may be aggregated in duplicate.
US09191308B2

A method for determining beginning and end nodes in a FALSP, applied to a multilayer network using an higher-layer signaling triggering model to establish the FALSP is provided, comprising: a path compute element, when a computed service path comprises FALSPs of one or more layers, encapsulating FALSP path information of each layer into a Secondary Explicit Route Object (SERO) respectively to return together with service path information through inquiry response message to a beginning node in a first layer initiating the inquiry; after receiving them, a node in the service path determining whether the node is a beginning node in the FALSP of a layer according to said FALSP path information, if yes, learning that the FALSP is the FALSP of next layer, and determining an end node in the FALSP of the next layer according to FALSP path information of the next layer. A multilayer network is also provided.
US09191302B1

A system and method identifies topology information of an autonomous system as well as other autonomous systems, and can provide topology information in response to requests.
US09191299B1

A system includes a plurality of queues configured to hold tasks and state information associated with such tasks. The system further includes a plurality of listeners configured to query one of the plurality of queues for a task, receive, in response to querying one of the plurality of queues for a task, a task together with state information associated with the task, effect processing of the received task, and communicate a result of the received task to another queue of the plurality of queues, the another queue of the plurality of queues being selected based on the processing of the received task.
US09191294B2

A master device for calculating a synchronized actuation time for an N number of slave devices (N being an integer greater than or equal to 2) includes: a transmitting part configured to transmit a request message a K number of times (K being an integer greater than or equal to 2) to each of the N number of slave devices, where the request message includes an actuation command; a receiving part configured to receive a reply message from each of the N number of slave devices, where the reply message includes information on a K number of end-to-end delay times; and an absolute-time calculating part configured to calculate an absolute time for concurrently actuating the N number of slave devices by using the information on the K number of end-to-end delay times received from each of the N number of slave devices.
US09191290B2

The present invention relates to methods and devices for monitoring a data path extending from an originating node to a terminating node in a network. In a first aspect of the present invention, the method comprises the step of submitting, to the originating node, a request to monitor at least one network status parameter associated with a particular data flow transported on the data path. Further, the method comprises the step of submitting, to all nodes in the data path, a data flow identifier indicating the particular data flow being one out of a plurality of data flows that can be transported on the data path. Moreover, the method comprises the step of receiving, from at least one of the nodes in the data path, a response message comprising the requested at least one network status parameter.
US09191285B1

According to various embodiments, the present invention provides live site performance monitoring in the context of logical resource hierarchies found in cloud computing systems. In particular, in one embodiment, the system of the present invention facilitates monitoring of new computing services without necessarily requiring explicit knowledge about such new services. Such services can include, for example and without limitation, those provided using a Representational State Transfer (REST) architecture, although the techniques described herein can also be used with other architectures. In one embodiment, the system of the present invention operates by automatically creating groups of items for performance monitoring, based on the hierarchy of a URI. Heuristics can be used to determine aggregatable hierarchy nodes.
US09191281B2

The present application discloses, among other things, an improved demarcation device. In some embodiments, the demarcation device includes: a physical layer module for receiving frames transmitted to the device; and a device configuration protocol layer configured to: (a) receive the frame after the frame is received from the physical layer, (b) determine whether the frame is a valid device configuration protocol data unit (DCPDU), and (c) execute a command if the frame is a valid DCPDU.
US09191275B1

A networked computer device can be provisioned by customizing the computer device to contain a specification of a particular provisioning server. For example, a network interface device can be pre-configured and installed in the computer device. The pre-configuration of the network interface device may include embedding a provisioning service identification in the network interface device. The network interface device may be further configured to perform provisioning from a provisioning service indicated by the embedded provisioning service identification. In addition, or alternatively, the network interface device, or the computer within which it is installed, may be configured to authenticate with a provisioning server based on authentication information that has been embedded within firmware of the computer or network interface device.
US09191272B2

In a network in which a plurality of protection paths have been formed for one working path between a first node and a second node, each node determines preference levels corresponding to an order to be preferentially used when performing protection switching on the plurality of protection paths. Next, each node exchanges pieces of information about the preference levels determined for the plurality of protection paths.
US09191267B2

Aspects of the present invention disclose a system, method and program product for determining the affects of management actions. In an example, a computer determines a connectivity between one or more devices within a management inventory that are connected via a network. The computer determines a connectivity between the one or more devices within the management inventory after a proposed management action. The computer determines the one or more devices affected by the proposed management action. The computer sends a query to the one or more devices affected by the proposed management action for specific impacts of the proposed management action. The computer receives data related to the specific impacts of the proposed management action from the one or more devices affected by the proposed management action.
US09191265B1

A communication system controls a Long Term Evolution (LTE) media session with an Internet Multimedia Subsystem (IMS). An LTE Packet Gateway (P-GW) establishes an IMS bearer between User Equipment (UE) and an IMS server. The IMS server receives a media session request over the IMS bearer and processes the media session request to establish the media session including transferring a media session instruction for delivery to an LTE Policy, Charging, and Rules Function (PCRF) system. The IMS server detects a PCRF bypass condition for the media session, and in response, transfers a UE session instruction for delivery to the UE to use the IMS bearer for the media session. The UE and IMS server exchange media data for the media session over the IMS bearer through the LTE P-GW.
US09191258B2

A reception device including: an antenna configured to receive a radio signal including a radio frame that includes a plurality of symbols, and a processor configured to perform a first processing for estimating a first interference noise power for one or more first specified symbols of the plurality of symbols, each of the one or more first specified symbols including each of one or more reference signals respectively, and to perform a second processing for estimating a second interference noise power for one or more second specified symbols of the plurality of symbols, each of the one or more second specified symbols including no reference signal, the second interference noise power differing from the first interference noise power.
US09191249B2

A serial communication apparatus includes a slew rate control circuit, an output circuit, a detection circuit, and a switching circuit. The slew rate control circuit has a predetermined impedance, and supplies a constant current from an output according to an input signal. In the output circuit, first capacitance is charged and discharged by the constant current from the slew rate control circuit. The output circuit outputs a digital signal from an output terminal according to a drive voltage. The noise detection circuit detects noise propagated from the output terminal, and outputs a switching signal according to a detection result. The switching circuit switches an impedance of the slew rate control circuit to a value smaller than the predetermined impedance according to the switching signal.
US09191246B2

Techniques are disclosed for turbo decoding orthogonal frequency division multiplexing OFDM symbols. Techniques for combined turbo decoding and equalization are disclosed. The disclosed techniques can be implemented in receivers that receive wired or wireless OFDM signals and produce data and control bits by decoding the received signals.
US09191236B2

Embodiments of the present invention provide message broadcasting within a clustered computing environment such as a Cloud computing environment. Specifically, under the present invention, a message is received in a message queue (e.g., on a message queue server). From the message queue, the message is sent to a single node of a plurality of heterogeneous nodes within the clustered computing environment. The single node can be selected based on any factor such as a best available node within the plurality of nodes. This single node will process the message and identify a set of message listeners to whom the message should be broadcast. Typically, the set of message listeners is identified based on a topic of the message and an association of the topic to the set of message listeners (e.g., as set forth in a table or the like). In any event, the single node will then publish the message to the set of message listeners. Delivery confirmations, responses, etc. associated with the message will then be tracked, processed, and/or routed by the single node. Thus, embodiments of the present invention obviate the need for a given message from having to be delivered to and/or processed by multiple nodes.
US09191232B2

This disclosure describes an intelligent network communication device in an audio video distribution system that uses a local area network that includes a network speaker node; an audio input device that receives the analog audio signal and that couples to a network speaker node through a speaker/microphone driver; and an audio output device that transmits the analog audio signal and that couples to the network speaker node through the speaker/microphone driver. The network speaker node further includes a controller with a network interface that couples to the local area network, where the controller further comprises an embedded controller with memory and which is programmed to function as a web server. The network speaker node further includes a digital signal processor that couples to the controller. And, the network speaker node further includes a speaker/microphone driver that couples to the digital signal processor.
US09191229B2

Systems and methods relating to a Media Collection Aggregation System (MCAS) are provided. In one embodiment, a number of nodes are connected over a Local Area Network (LAN) to provide an ad-hoc MCAS network. At least some of the nodes in the MCAS network share locally stored media collections, or select subsets thereof, with the other nodes in the MCAS network. Each node in the MCAS network selects and aggregates one or more of the shared media collections to provide an aggregate media collection for that node. One of the nodes in the MCAS network is a proxy node that provides a proxy service that enables remote participation in the MCAS network. In one embodiment, the proxy node enables one or more remote nodes to passively and/or actively participate in the MCAS network.
US09191227B2

In an example embodiment, a method and system is provided to determine and advertise a route advertisement in a reactive routing environment. In response to receiving a network address query with respect to a destination address at a routing device, an aggregate value, e.g. an address prefix, is determined and advertised in reply to the network address query. Determining of the aggregate value may comprise identifying within a range of network addresses represented by the aggregate value respective addresses for which the routing device does not have reachability information. The routing device may send address queries with respect to the identified addresses, to determine reachability via the routing device of those addresses. The aggregate value may be advertised conditional upon determining that a percentage of addresses within the corresponding range that can be reached via the routing device satisfies a predefined minimal coverage value.
US09191225B2

A device includes a multistage filter and an elephant trap. The multistage filter has hash functions and an array. The multistage filter is operable to receive a packet associated with a candidate heavy network user and send the packet to the hash functions. The hash functions generate hash function output values corresponding to indices in the array. The elephant trap is connected to the multistage filter. The elephant trap includes a buffer and probabilistic sampling logic. The probabilistic sampling logic is operable to attempt to add information associated with the packet to the buffer a particular percentage of the time based in part on the result of the multistage filter lookup. The buffer is operable to hold information associated with the packet, counter information, and timestamp information.
US09191215B2

A method and apparatus provides first or second factor authentication by providing selectability of a plurality of second factor authentication policies associated with a second factor authentication article. The first or second factor authentication article includes authentication information, such as a plurality of data elements in different cells or locations on the authentication article, which can be located by using corresponding location information. The method and apparatus provides second factor authentication based on the first or second factor authentication article by enforcing at least one of the plurality of selected authentication policies.
US09191214B2

Procedure for a multiple digital signatureIt comprises: i) generating, by a Trusted Third Party (T), a private key for each signer or member (F1, F2, . . . , Ft) of a group of signers (G); ii) generating, each of said signers (F1, F2, . . . , Ft), a partial signature of a document (M) using their private keys; iii) generating a multiple signature from said partial signatures; and iv) verifying said multiple signature. It further comprises generating, by the Trusted Third Party (T), a common public key for all of said signers (F1, F2, . . . , Ft) and using said common public key for performing said multiple signature verification of iv).
US09191212B2

There is described a method of controlling application access to predetermined functions of a mobile device. The described method comprises (a) providing a set of keys, each key corresponding to one of the predetermined functions (361, 362, 363, 364), (b) receiving (225) an application from an application provider (220, 221, 222, 223) together with information identifying a set of needed functions, and (c) generating a signed application (301, 302, 309) by signing the received application with each of the keys that correspond to one of the needed functions identified by the received information. There is also described a device for controlling application access and a system for controlling and authenticating application access. Furthermore, there is described a computer program and a computer program product.
US09191211B2

A data security system that includes a first memory device to store message data to be secured, a second memory device to store microcode including an instruction set defining a cryptographic algorithm for use in securing the message data, and a processing unit to execute the microcode to implement the cryptographic algorithm.
US09191201B1

Systems and techniques are described for optimizing secure communications. A client can use an authentication protocol, e.g., Kerberos, to authenticate with the server. Specifically, the client can obtain a service ticket from a ticket granting server, and then use the service ticket to authenticate with the server. The server can respond by providing an encrypted session key. The session key can then be used by the client and server to securely communicate with each other. A wide area network (WAN) optimization device described in this disclosure is capable of obtaining the session key without decrypting the service ticket. Specifically, the WAN optimization device can use information other than the service ticket to obtain the session key.
US09191196B2

A server module evaluates a circuit based on concealed inputs provided by respective participant modules, to provide a concealed output. By virtue of this approach, no party to the transaction (including the sever module) discovers any other party's non-concealed inputs. In a first implementation, the server module evaluates a garbled Boolean circuit. This implementation also uses a three-way oblivious transfer technique to provide a concealed input from one of the participant modules to the server module. In a second implementation, the server module evaluates an arithmetic circuit based on ciphertexts that have been produced using a fully homomorphic encryption technique. This implementation modifies multiplication operations that are performed in the evaluation of the arithmetic circuit by a modifier factor; this removes bounds placed on the number of the multiplication operations that can be performed.
US09191188B2

According to one embodiment, a transmitting device includes a wireless transmitting unit which wirelessly transmits data. The transmitting device includes a wireless receiving unit which receives the data wirelessly transmitted by the wireless transmitting unit. The transmitting device includes a synchronization signal outputting unit which outputs a synchronization signal to a signal transmitting medium of an electric conductor. The transmitting device includes a synchronization outputting unit which receives the synchronization signal from the signal transmitting medium and outputs a signal including the data received by the wireless receiving unit according to the synchronization signal.
US09191187B2

A burst mode CDR detects an edge from a data signal superimposed with a clock, and generates a recovered clock by means of a voltage controlled oscillator whose oscillation operation is reset based on a timing when the edge is detected. A phase adjustment unit adjusts the phase of a data signal so as to coincide with the phase of a recovered clock. A PLL-based CDR adjusts the oscillation frequency of the recovered clock by means of the voltage controlled oscillator, based on a phase difference between a data signal whose phase has been adjusted by the phase adjustment unit and a feedback clock from the voltage controlled oscillator. A determination unit determines the value of the data signal at a timing when the signal level of the recovered clock transitions.
US09191182B2

A signal transmission method suitable for a signal transmitter includes: providing a plurality of clock signals with different phases, selecting some of the clock signals as a plurality of intermediate signals; transmitting the intermediate signals to a signal output circuit via a clock distribution network; selecting one of the intermediate signals as a reference clock of the signal output circuit to output data.
US09191175B2

As an embodiment of the present invention, a method for supporting a HARQ operation of M2M devices using a HARQ Channel Identifier (ACID) in a wireless access system includes transmitting, at a base station, a second UL A-MAP IE to M2M devices sharing a station identifier (STID) in a subframe in which a second M2M device is to retransmit a UL burst, wherein the second UL A-MAP IE includes resource allocation information for allocating a resource region to a first M2M device and includes a second ACID, receiving the UL burst retransmitted using a first ACID from the second M2M device in the subframe, and receiving a new UL burst transmitted using the second ACID from the first M2M device in the subframe, wherein the first and second M2M devices share the STID, and the first and second ACIDs are different from each other.
US09191170B2

In the present invention, disclosed are a method for transceiving a reference signal in a wireless access system supporting device-to-device communication, and apparatus for same. More particularly, comprised are the steps of: a first device transmitting the reference signal for aligning device-to-device synchronization with a second device; and the first device performing device-to-device communication with the second device performing device-to-device synchronization with the second device after obtaining synchronization with the second device, wherein the reference signal is mapped on a predetermined symbol inside a resource that is allocated for device-to-device communication with the second device.
US09191169B2

A network communication device is receive packet-based orthogonal frequency division multiplexed (OFDM) transmissions from one or more other devices in a network over a communication channel. The network communication device may determine a delay spread of the communication channel based on receipt of a probe signal from a transmitting device, configure a channel filter to effectively shorten the channel based on the delay spread, and instruct the transmitting device to shorten a length of a cyclic prefix for subsequent packet-based OFDM transmissions to be received from the transmitting device over the channel.
US09191168B2

A method and apparatus that includes configuring the parameters of the sounding reference signal for the channel which is to be detected by a user device, in order to allocate the resource of the sounding reference signal for the user device; transmitting the information, which includes the sounding reference signal resource allocated to the user device, to the user device through a high layer signaling; and transmitting an activation signal to the user device through a low layer signaling to activate the user device to transmit the sounding reference signal. Therefore, an activation signal is transmitted to the user device by transmitting a low layer signaling with higher speed, thus the use efficiency of the resource of the sounding reference signal of the system can be improved, and more users can be supported by the system.
US09191162B2

A new uplink control channel capability is introduced to enable a mobile terminal to simultaneously report multiple packet receipt status bits and channel-condition bits. In an example embodiment implemented in a mobile terminal the mobile terminal (first determines that channel-state information and hybrid-ARQ ACK/NACK bits corresponding to a plurality of downlink subframes or a plurality of downlink carriers, or both, are scheduled for transmission in an uplink subframe. The mobile terminal then determines whether the number of the hybrid-ARQ ACK/NACK bits is less than or equal to a threshold number. If so, the mobile terminal transmits both the channel-state information and the hybrid-ARQ ACK/NACK bits in physical control channel resources of the first uplink subframe, on a single carrier. In some embodiments, the number of the hybrid-ARQ ACK/NACK bits considered in the previously summarized technique represents a number of ACK/NACK bits after ACK/NACK bundling.
US09191149B2

The amount of control information is reduced for specifying the transmission method for simultaneously transmitting uplink data and reception quality information, and uplink data and ACK/NACK. Delay in changing the transmission method is reduced, and the mapping of uplink data and reception quality information and of uplink data and ACK/NACK is realized, in compliance with modulation scheme and coding rate of the uplink data specified by the base station apparatus. In a mobile communication system the base station apparatus allocates, to the mobile station apparatus, resources wherein the base station apparatus transmits, to the mobile station apparatus, control information for specifying a transmission format for the mobile station apparatus to transmit information using the uplink, while the mobile station apparatus simultaneously transmits, to the base station apparatus, uplink data and reception quality information based on the specified transmission format when the control information from the base station apparatus is received.
US09191140B2

Disclosed herein is an apparatus comprising a plurality of separators configured to forward a plurality of optical signals from a plurality of optical network terminals (ONTs) along a plurality of single mode waveguides, a mode coupler coupled to the single mode waveguides and configured to receive the optical signals from the plurality of separators and combine the optical signals into a multi-mode waveguide, and an optical receiver coupled to the mode coupler via the multi-mode waveguide and configured to detect the optical signals. Also disclosed is a method comprising receiving a plurality of single mode optical channels, coupling the single mode optical channels into a multimode channel, and detecting the optical modes corresponding to the channels in the multimode channel.
US09191134B2

Systems, methods, and computer program products for editing digital audio data are provided. In some implementations a method is provided. The method includes receiving digital audio data incorporated in a plurality of audio tracks and receiving a selection of one or more audio tracks of the plurality of audio tracks for editing, the selected audio tracks being fewer than all of the plurality of audio tracks. The method also includes receiving an input specifying an audio effect to apply to the selected audio tracks and applying an inverse of the audio effect to one or more non-selected audio tracks in response to the input.
US09191131B2

A method of detecting a control channel includes receiving data transmitted via a control channel. A path metric and a correction term is computed based on the received data. A decision metric representing a sum or a difference of the path metric and the correction term is computed. Based on the decision metric, it is decided on a detection of the control channel.
US09191129B2

The invention relates to a method of estimating the time of arrival of a UWB pulse contained in an RF signal using a double quadrature receiver. The time of arrival is obtained from an estimate of the phase of the RF signal ((φRF(τ))) relative to the local oscillator signal in the first stage of the quadrature mix, and an estimate of the phase of the baseband signal ((φBB(τ)) relative to the first/second signal of the orthogonal base used in the second stage of the quadrature mix.
US09191127B2

A signal filter (100) comprises a first transferred impedance filter, TIF, (TIFA) having four differential signal paths (PA,1, PA,2, PA,3, PA,4) and a second TIF (TIFB) having four differential signal paths (PB,1, PB,2, PB,3, PB,4)- A first differential signal port of the first TIF (32A) is coupled to a first differential signal port of the second TIF (32B). A first clock generator (12A) is arranged to provide first-TIF clock signals (CLKA,I+, CLKA,Q+, CLKA,I−, CLKA,Q−) having four non-overlapping phases for selecting the respective first-TIF differential signal paths (PA,1, PA,2, PA,3, PA,4), and a second clock generator (12B) is arranged to provide second-TIF clock signals (CLKB,I+, CLKB,Q+, CLKB,J−, CLKB,Q−) having four non-overlapping phases for selecting the respective second-TIF differential signal paths (PB,1, PB,2, PB,3, PB,4). The phases of the second-TIF clock signals (CLKB,I+, CLKB,Q+, CLKB,I−, CLKB,Q−) are equal to the phases of the first-TIF clock signals (CLKA,I+, CLKA,Q+, CLKA,I−, CLKA,Q−) delayed by 45 degrees. The first-TIF first, second, third and fourth clock signals (CLKA,I+, CLKA,Q+, CLKA,I−, CLKAQ−) and the second-TIF first, second, third and fourth clock signals (CLKB,I+, CLKB,Q+, CLKB,I−, CLKB,Q−) have a duty cycle in the range 16.75% to 25%.
US09191125B2

In apparatus for the acoustic transmission of power or data through a solid barrier such as a ships hull, assembly of an acoustic transducer to the hull is facilitated by bonding it first to an intermediate element by a thin layer of bonding adhesive and then bonding the intermediate element to the barrier using a second bonding layer. Acoustic matching of the transducer to the intermediate element is achieved by the thin layer, and the mechanically more robust base of the intermediate element can be rubbed on the barrier surface to displace or abrade away any unwanted debris or imperfections which might otherwise prevent the achievement of a thin second bonding layer. This makes the mounting and bonding process more tolerant of imperfections in the barrier surface due to either surface defects or particulate contamination. The transmit and receive transducers may be positioned relative to each other so as to suppress or attenuate multiple-transit signals. Thus the intermediate element may be wedge shaped to aid suppression of triple-transit signals. Transmit and receive transducers may have different wedge angles.
US09191113B1

A method of converting legacy HFC CATV cable systems, which transmit data over the optical fiber portion of the system using the optical counterpart of analog RF waveforms, such as RF QAM waveforms transduced to corresponding optical QAM waveforms, to improved HFC CATV systems that transmit data over the optical fiber using optical fiber optimized protocols, such as Ethernet frames and other optical fiber optimized digital transport protocols. According to the method, most aspects of the legacy HFC CATV system may be retained, however at the CATV head end, the optical fiber transmitter system is replaced by an improved system that extracts the underlying symbols from legacy waveforms, packages these symbols into optical fiber optimized packets, and transmits downstream. The legacy optical fiber nodes are replaced with improved nodes capable of receiving the packets and remodulating the symbols into RF waveforms suitable for injection into the system's CATV cable.
US09191106B2

A communications system comprising at least one light source, a side-emitting fiber light rope into which light emitted from the light source is coupled, and means for sending at least one data carrying optical signal along the light rope.
US09191103B2

Example embodiments presented herein are directed towards an optical testing node, and method therein, for establishing transmission parameters for optical communications in an iterative manner. The establishment of the transmission parameters may comprise adjusting various parameters such as a modulation scheme, a light path length, and/or a spectral width.
US09191093B2

A wireless base station having K antennas communicates with M mobile devices using multiuser diversity scheme with opportunistic interference management. The base station transmits K distinct pilot signals from K corresponding antennas and receives feedback from mobile devices. The feedback from each device indicates a strong pilot signal and a weak pilot signal received from the K distinct pilot signals. Using these indications, the base station assigns each of the K antennas to a mobile device. The base station then transmits distinct data streams to the mobile devices using the corresponding antennas assigned to the corresponding mobile devices. The transmission may include multiplying the transmitted distinct data streams by a vector V orthogonal to a vector U, thereby allowing mobile devices not assigned to an antenna to cancel the transmitted distinct data streams.
US09191089B2

A radio communication system that includes an encoder configured to perform error correction coding for control channel information by a given error correction coding rate; a modulator configured to perform modulation of the error correction coded control channel information for transmission according to a given modulation scheme; and a processing section configured to perform code decimation of the error correction coded control channel information prior to the modulation, the code decimation being different according to whether the Multi Input Multi Output is applied or not.
US09191075B2

Disclosed herein are a wireless power transmission control method in a wireless power transmission system, including receiving awake-up signal from a wireless power receiving apparatus and transmitting a wireless power transmission signal to the wireless power receiving apparatus through a transmission coil of a wireless power transmission apparatus while activating a deactivated power block when the wake-up signal is received; a wireless power transmission apparatus using the same; and a wireless power receiving apparatus using the same.
US09191073B2

An application search system includes a mobile terminal, a device, and a server, connected to a network. The mobile terminal transmits mobile terminal OS information to the device. The device receives the mobile terminal OS information from the mobile terminal, and transmits the mobile terminal OS information and device identification information to the application management server. The server: i) receives the mobile terminal OS information and the device identification information; ii) generates, from the mobile terminal OS information and the device identification information, a list of applications installable in the mobile terminal and used for operating the device from the mobile terminal; and iii) transmits the list of applications to the device or the mobile terminal.
US09191058B2

A method of communicating a data chirp signal from a transmitter to a receiver, the data chirp signal comprising a sequence of symbols, each symbol encoding a first symbol value and a second symbol value such that the data chirp signal comprises a first symbol value sequence and a second symbol value sequence, the first and second symbol values being encoded via different properties of the symbol, the first symbol value sequence being selected from values in a primary predetermined sequence and a secondary predetermined sequence, the method comprising: selecting consecutive values of the first symbol value sequence from values in consecutive sequence positions of the primary predetermined sequence and the secondary predetermined sequence; encoding first data in the chirp signal via the selected first symbol value sequence; encoding second data in the chirp signal via the second symbol value sequence; and transmitting the data chirp signal to the receiver.
US09191048B2

A method and system for signal reception and processing, and more particularly for reducing the effects of random additive impulse interference is provided.
US09191034B2

Disclosed is a communication modulator with sample rate conversion. The modulator comprises a symbol mapping module configured to map an input bitstream to a symbol sequence; a pre-distortion module configured to multiply the symbol sequence by a discrete frequency response to produce a pre-distorted symbol sequence; a modulation module configured to modulate the pre-distorted symbol sequence to a time-domain baseband sample sequence; a sample rate conversion module configured to convert the sample rate of the baseband sample sequence to a different sample rate to produce a sample-rate-converted baseband sample sequence; and an up-conversion module configured to up-convert the sample-rate-converted baseband sample sequence to an intermediate frequency signal. The discrete frequency response by which the pre-distortion module multiplies the symbol sequence is configured to compensate for passband droop introduced to the sample-rate-converted baseband sample sequence by the sample rate conversion module.
US09191025B1

In an embodiment, a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) converts an input digital signal into an output analog signal, and includes first and second segments, a combiner, and a controller. The first segment includes a first number of first elements that are configured to generate a first analog signal in response to a first portion of the digital signal, and the second segment includes a second number of second elements that are configured to generate a second analog signal in response to a second portion of the digital signal. The combiner is configured to combine the first analog signal and the second analog signal to generate the output analog signal, and the controller is configured to deactivate one of the first elements and to activate one of the second elements in place of the deactivated first element. For example, such a segmented DAC may be suitable for use in a sigma-delta ADC.
US09191023B2

Example embodiments of this disclosure can provide an apparatus, a system, and a method of correcting for charge lost from a sampling capacitor as a result of an analog to digital conversion being performed. In an embodiment, there is provided a method of operating an analog to digital converter comprising at least a first sampling capacitor used to sample an input signal, where the method can further comprise a correction step of modifying the voltage across the at least first sampling capacitor, the correction step being performed prior to commencing an acquire phase.
US09191022B2

In one memory array embodiment, in order to compensate for bit-line leakage currents by OFF-state bit-cell access devices, a leakage-current reference circuit tracks access-device leakage current over different process, voltage, and temperature (PVT) conditions to generate a leakage-current reference voltage that drives a different leakage-current abatement device connected to each different bit-line to inject currents into the bit-lines to compensate for the corresponding leakage currents. In one implementation, the leakage-current reference circuit has a device that mimics the leakage of each access device configured in a current mirror that drives the resulting leakage-current reference voltage to the different leakage-current abatement devices.
US09191016B2

Fast phase coordinating systems and methods are disclosed. An example system includes a phase locator configured to detect a first phase of a reference signal and a first phase of a coordinating signal after the first phase of the reference signal. An integrator is configured to integrate from the first phase of the reference signal to a location phase of the coordinating signal and integrate oppositely from the first phase of the coordinating signal to a time-shifted phase of the reference signal and output the result. A control function is configured to shift the phase of the coordinating signal in response to output from the integrator.
US09191011B2

A double data rate (DDR) counter includes a clock selection unit suitable for selectively inverting a first counting clock based on a control signal and for outputting a second counting clock, a first latch stage suitable for latching the second counting clock based on a counting enable signal and for outputting the least significant bit (LSB) of the DDR counter, a determination unit suitable for generating the control signal based on the last bit state of the LSB in a reset counting period, and a second latch stage suitable for receiving the LSB as a clock input to generate a higher bit of the LSB at least in a main counting period.
US09191010B2

A semiconductor device includes a clock division block suitable for dividing a frequency of a source clock and generating first and second internal clocks; a strobe division block suitable for dividing a frequency of a strobe signal, and generating first and second internal strobe signals; and a phase difference detection block suitable for generating and alternately outputting first and second detection information as a detection result information.
US09191009B1

Embodiments of radiation hardened by design digital input/output circuits are described herein. Other examples and related methods are also disclosed herein.
US09191006B1

A current-limited level shift circuit comprises a first PMOS transistor, a second PMOS transistor, a third PMOS transistor, a fourth PMOS transistor, a first current-limiting unit, a second current-limiting unit, a first NMOS transistor and a second NMOS transistor, for providing a pair of input terminals and three pairs of output terminals outputting level shift signals. The first current-limiting unit is connected between the third output terminal and the fifth output terminal, and the second current-limiting unit is connected between the fourth output terminal and the sixth output terminal, for providing the current limiting of state transition. The pair of the first output terminal and the second output terminal, the pair of the third output terminal and the fourth output terminal, and the pair of the fifth output terminal and the sixth output terminal are selectively for providing multiple choices to the second stage.
US09191001B2

A voltage selector circuit may be coupled to transistors to protect one or more inputs of the transistor from exceeding a safe operating range. In one example, a cross-coupled pair of transistors may be coupled to a gate of a transistor to select between a first voltage and a cascoded voltage that is a safe bias voltage. Thus, the transistor may be protected from unsafe gate-to-source voltages. The voltage selector may be used to build circuits, such as invertors, level shifter, NAND gates, and NOR gates, that function with power supply voltages that may exceed the safe operating range of the transistors.
US09190986B1

A circuit for driving a load may include a control loop having a response characteristic. A headroom signal indicative of the headroom voltage of the circuit may set one or more parameters of the response characteristic. A load sign indicative of electrical loading on the circuit may further set the response characteristic.
US09190983B2

A first stage of a digital filter receives input data to be filtered, the first stage of a digital filter operating at a first clock; a second stage of the digital filter outputs filtered output data, the second stage of the digital filter operating on a second clock, wherein a ratio of a frequency of the first clock and a frequency of the second clock is a fractional number, and a frequency of the second clock is higher than a frequency of the first clock; the first stage receives an indication of a ratio of the first clock and the second clock; and the first stage receives an indication of a time offset between (1) a clock pulse of the second clock, which occurs between a first clock pulse and a second clock pulse of the first clock, and (2) the first clock pulse of the first clock.
US09190978B2

A differential transmission circuit includes differential signal transmission and reception units connected by a differential signal wiring having an inductor unit composed of magnetically coupled first and second inductors provided on first and second signal lines, an input-side capacitor unit including a first input-side capacitor having one terminal connected to a first inductor signal input terminal and the other terminal grounded and a second input-side capacitor having one terminal connected to a second inductor signal input terminal and the other terminal grounded, and an output-side capacitor unit including a first output-side capacitor having one terminal connected to a first inductor signal output terminal and the other terminal grounded and a second output-side capacitor having one terminal connected to a second inductor signal output terminal and the other terminal grounded.
US09190971B2

A signal processing apparatus comprises a signal path for a signal, the signal path comprising a signal processing stage. An auxiliary stage is coupled to an input of the signal processing stage for, in response to a signal in the signal path at the input of the signal processing stage, generating a control signal indicative of the time of a crossing of a first threshold by the signal in the signal path at an output of the signal processing stage by detecting a crossing by the signal of a second threshold established by the auxiliary stage. The second threshold is substantially equal to the first threshold.
US09190965B2

A radio frequency (RF) power transistor circuit includes a power transistor and a decoupling circuit. The power transistor has a control electrode coupled to an input terminal for receiving an RF input signal, a first current electrode for providing an RF output signal at an output terminal, and a second current electrode coupled to a voltage reference. The decoupling circuit includes a first inductive element, a first resistor, and a first capacitor coupled together in series between the first current electrode of the power transistor and the voltage reference. The decoupling circuit is for dampening a resonance at a frequency lower than an RF frequency.
US09190954B2

An electronic device according to an aspect of the invention include: a substrate; an underlayer having an opening and being formed on the substrate; a functional element provided on the underlayer; and a surrounding wall forming a cavity that accommodates the functional element, at least a part of the surrounding wall being disposed in the opening.
US09190952B1

A circuit including a tank circuit, a pair of transistors, a bias circuit, and a capacitor. The transistors include (i) drain terminals coupled to the tank circuit, (ii) source terminals coupled to each other, and (iii) gate terminals cross-coupled to the drain terminals via a pair of capacitors. The bias circuit is coupled to the gates of the pair of transistors to i) alternatingly turn on the pair of transistors during a plurality of peaks of an oscillating signal of the tank circuit, and ii) turn off the pair of transistors during a plurality of crossing points of the oscillating signal. The capacitor is coupled to (i) the tank circuit and (ii) the pair of transistors.
US09190943B2

An electric circuit is described for generating electric power. In this circuit, an asynchronous generator includes a stator and a rotor. On the stator side, the asynchronous generator is coupled to a power grid. The rotor current flowing to the rotor of the asynchronous generator can be measured. A control device is designed such that, in case of a fault in the power grid, the stator current flowing to the stator of the asynchronous generator is calculated from the measured rotor current as a function of parameters of the asynchronous generator.
US09190939B2

A device for managing electric braking power includes a continuous bus, a dissipation branch, a current sensor, a controller, and an electronic charging switch. The bus includes a first pole for connection to a vehicle electric traction machine, a second pole for connection to a battery, and a connection point for connection to the dissipation branch, which includes an electronic dissipation switch connected to a dissipation resistor. The current sensor and the charging switch are positioned on the bus between the connection point and the second pole. The charging switch controls a flow of current over the bus from the first pole to the second pole. When power sent over the bus is greater than a total of power that charging of the battery can absorb and power that the dissipation resistor can dissipate, the controller causes the charging switch to open.
US09190938B2

A piezoelectric actuating device includes a carrier, at least a piezoelectric unit, at least a linked component and a moving component. The piezoelectric unit is disposed on the carrier and includes at least a piezoelectric buzzer. The linked component is disposed corresponding to the piezoelectric unit. One end of the linked component is attached to the piezoelectric buzzer. The moving component is connected with the linked component. When the piezoelectric buzzer is actuated, it can carry the linked component to move correspondingly so as to move the moving component. The piezoelectric actuating device has the advantage of low cost and can achieve the sub-nanometer scale actuating resolution.
US09190923B2

A system for power conversion includes a power converter having switching elements, a detector, and a controller is provided. The detector detects a parameter and provides electrical signals indicative of the parameter. The controller receives the electrical signals transmitted from the detector, and sends commands to instruct the power converter to perform power conversion by operating the switching elements in accordance with switching signals at a different frequency in response to a detection of the system condition. A method for operating the system is also provided.
US09190919B2

A high voltage power supply system includes: a high voltage power supply; a current detector; a voltage detector; a conversion section configured to obtain a converted-current value by dividing a detected-current voltage value by a predetermined resistance value; a selector configured to select one of the detected-current voltage value and the detected-voltage voltage value; a resistance variable section configured to change the predetermined resistance value; a temperature detector; a humidity detector; and a control section configured to create a voltage setting signal, a selection signal, and a resistance variable signal on the basis of the detected-voltage voltage value, the detected-temperature value, and the detected-humidity value, and to apply the voltage setting signal to the high voltage power supply, the selection signal to the selector, and the resistance variable signal to the resistance variable section.
US09190915B2

A DC/DC conversion circuit is configured with a first power converter and a second power converter that are connected through an insulation transformer, and performs power transition bidirectionally between two DC-voltage sources. In the case of charging the DC-voltage source in the side where the second power converter is placed, a control is made using a first rectifier-control mode in which the first power converter is placed under an output variable control according to an inverter operation and the second power converter is operated according to a rectifier operation. Then, when a charging current becomes an upper limit value or more, a control is made by switching the mode to a first inverter-control mode in which the first power converter is placed under an output fixed control according to the inverter operation and the second power converter is placed under an output variable control according to the inverter operation.
US09190914B2

In a switching power supply apparatus, a main switching control circuit performs switching control of a low-side switch device and a high-side switch device based on a feedback signal corresponding to a main output voltage output from a secondary winding of a transformer, and applies and stops applying a voltage to a primary winding of the transformer. A digital signal processor, in accordance with the load status of the main load, changes set target values, performs switching control of switch devices of the sub-rectifying and smoothing circuits, and drives sub-loads.
US09190907B2

An equivalent series inductance (ESL) cancel circuit for a regulator for adjusting a feedback voltage by attenuating a magnitude of a square wave ripple voltage developed on an output voltage. The regulator includes an output inductor and an output capacitor, in which the capacitor has an ESL which forms an inductive voltage divider with the output inductor causing the square wave voltage ripple. The ESL cancel circuit may include first and second current sources and a resistor device coupled between the output node and an adjust node which is further coupled to a feedback input of the regulator. The first current source applies a current proportional to the output voltage to the adjust node. The second current source selectively applies a current proportional to the input voltage of the regulator based on a state of the pulse control signal.
US09190905B2

A switching power supply device includes: a positive voltage output circuit connected to a direct-current power supply, the positive voltage output circuit including a first switching element, a voltage boosting inductor, a first rectifying element and a first capacitor; a negative voltage output circuit connected to the power supply, the negative voltage output circuit including a second switching element, a voltage dropping inductor, a second rectifying element and a second capacitor; and an adder circuit configured to add switching currents flowing when the first and the second switching elements are operated. The circuit elements of the positive voltage output circuit are symmetrical with those of the negative voltage output circuit. The first switching current of the positive voltage output circuit and the second switching current of the negative voltage output circuit are generated in mutually opposite directions and are inputted to the adder circuit.
US09190902B2

A charge pump method and apparatus is described having various aspects. Noise injection from a charge pump to other circuits may be reduced by limiting both positive and negative clock transition rates, as well as by limiting drive currents within clock generator driver circuits, and also by increasing a control node AC impedance of certain transfer capacitor coupling switches. A single-phase clock may be used to control as many as all active switches within a charge pump, and capacitive coupling may simplify biasing and timing for clock signals controlling transfer capacitor coupling switches. Any combination of such aspects of the method or apparatus may be employed to quiet and/or simplify charge pump designs over a wide range of charge pump architectures.
US09190900B2

In accordance with an embodiment, an electronic device includes a controller configured to be coupled to a first switch of a power factor corrector. The controller is configured to produce a variable switching frequency depending on a load current. For a first load current, the controller is configured to produce a first switching frequency, and for a second load current, the controller is configured to produce a second switching frequency.
US09190898B2

A controller for a power converter and method of operating the same. In one embodiment, the controller includes an inductor-inductor-capacitor (“LLC”) controller configured to receive an error signal from an error amplifier to control a switching frequency of an LLC stage of the power converter to regulate an output voltage thereof. The controller also includes a power factor correction (“PFC”) controller configured to control a bus voltage produced by a PFC stage of the power converter and provided to the LLC stage so that an average switching frequency thereof is substantially maintained at a desired switching frequency.
US09190897B2

A high-voltage heavy-current drive circuit applied in a power factor corrector, comprising a current mirroring circuit (1), a level shift circuit (3), a high-voltage pre-modulation circuit (2), a dead time control circuit (4) and a heavy-current output stage (5); the heavy-current output stage adopts a Darlington output stage structure to increase the maximum operating frequency of the drive circuit. The stabilized breakdown voltage characteristic of a voltage stabilizing diode is utilized to ensure the drive circuit operating within a safe voltage range. Adding dead time control into the level shift circuit not only prevents the momentary heavy-current from a power supply to the ground during the level conversion process, but also reduces the static power consumption of the drive circuit.
US09190896B2

A PWM strategy can be implemented to reduce device power losses and hotspot temperature in an inverter circuit that drives a synchronous motor. A method includes migrating a phase current from a power device with higher losses to a power device with lower losses. A PWM modulation signal can be modified to alter the inverter duty cycle and migrate phase current in the direction of lower losses. As an example, a PWM reference signal can be shifted to a lower value. A PWM loss reduction strategy can be performed while a motor is in a rotor-lock state to reduce device hotspot temperature. The PWM loss reduction strategy can also be performed when a motor is operating in a normal state, pushing PWM to DPWM, reducing switching and overall losses. The strategy can be practiced while a PMSM is operating as a motor, and can also be practiced during regenerative braking.
US09190893B2

A non-traditional topology of a superconductive electric motor or generator increases the air gap flux density by reducing stray flux and concentrating lines of flux within the air gap. An electric motor or generator utilizing the invention will include three components: a rotating armature, a permanent magnet stator and a shielding sleeve. The shielding sleeve of the motor is a hollow cylinder that fits between the armature and the stator, and is configured to cool a plurality of high-temperature superconductors within it to a temperature below their critical temperatures. These superconductors are placed at an optimized position to redirect flux and promote greater efficiency.
US09190891B2

A VCM (voice coil motor) is disclosed, the VCM including: a rotor including a lens-accommodating, both ends opened cylindrical bobbin and a coil block including a coil wound on a periphery of the bobbin; a stator including a cylindrical yoke formed with a lens-exposing opening, a plurality of magnets disposed inside the yoke and opposite to the coil block, and a housing disposed inside the yoke to fix the plurality of magnets; and an elastic member elastically supporting the bobbin.
US09190879B2

A laminated rotor for an electric machine is disclosed. In an embodiment, the rotor comprises a plurality of stacked laminations. Each lamination includes a plurality of radially extending slots arranged about a circumference thereof, and a first chamfer on a surface of each of the slots, wherein the surface mates with a wedge. The first chamfer connects the surface and a first face of the lamination. A stud member passes longitudinally through a hole in the lamination stack, a first end flange member on a first end of the lamination stack, and a second end flange member on a second end of the lamination stack. A first fastener is affixed to a first end of each of the at least one stud member; and a second fastener affixed to a second end of each of the at least one stud member.
US09190876B2

This disclosure provides systems, methods and apparatus for detecting wireless charging transmit characteristics. One aspect of the disclosure provides a method of detecting a transmit characteristic in a wireless power transmission device. The device includes a series element electrically coupled to a transmit coil. The method includes determining real and imaginary components of a first voltage at a first terminal of the series element. The method further includes determining real and imaginary components of a second voltage at a second terminal of the series element. The method further includes determining real and imaginary components of a current through the series element, based on the determined first and second voltages. The method further includes determining transmit characteristics such as nodal voltages, currents, power and impedances based on determined voltages and currents. The method further includes adjusting a characteristic of a wireless power transmission based on the determined transmit characteristics.
US09190875B2

Exemplary embodiments are directed to wireless power transfer. Antenna circuits use negative resistance to offset resistance from other elements in the circuit. The antenna circuits include an antenna for coupling with a near field radiation at a resonant frequency and a capacitance element connected in series with the receive antenna. The antenna circuits also include a negative resistance generator connected in series with the capacitance element. In the case of a receive antenna, and possibly a repeater antenna, a load is connected in series with the negative resistance generator. The load may draw power from the near field radiation when the antenna circuit oscillates near the resonant frequency. In the case of a transmit antenna, a signal generator is coupled in series with the antenna for applying signal power to the antenna circuit to generate an electromagnetic field at the resonant frequency creating a coupling-mode region within a near field.
US09190866B2

A device (20) for charging a portable element (10) having a receiving antenna (Ar) for charging by induction, the charging device (20) includes: a charging surface (Sc); a plurality of emitting antennas (A1, A3); a layer of ferromagnetic material (30) placed beneath the plurality of emitting antennas (A1, A3); an electronic circuit; a plurality of resonators (R1, R2 . . . Ri): having a resonance frequency substantially equal to the emission frequency of the antennas, placed between the plurality of antennas and the charging surface, and suitable, when they are activated, for reflecting the magnetic field (B) emitted by the antennas, and connected to the electronic circuit in order to be deactivated individually, according to a criterion of positioning of the receiving antenna relative to the resonators. An associated charging method is also described.
US09190864B2

A method for controlling charging of a secondary cell including a positive electrode containing a positive-electrode active substance having that increases resistance in accordance with an increase in the SOC, a negative electrode; and a non-aqueous electrolyte includes performing constant-current charging at a set current value to a prescribed upper-limit voltage, performing constant-voltage charging at the upper-limit voltage after the upper-limit voltage V1 has been reached, and terminating charging of the secondary cell when the charging current in the constant-voltage charging has decreased to a cutoff current value, the cutoff current value being set to a current value that complies with the relationships in formulas (I) and (II): Cutoff current value A2≧set current value A1×X  (I) X=(cell resistance R1 of secondary cell in target SOC [Ω]×set current value A1 [A])/upper-limit voltage V1 [V].  (II)
US09190853B2

Methods and systems for adjusting the voltage limits of a battery. In some implementations, voltage data may be received from each of a plurality of battery sections of a vehicle battery. A voltage offset for the vehicle battery may be calculated using the voltage data. The voltage offset may be calculated by determining a difference between an average voltage taken from each of the plurality of battery sections and at least one of a minimum voltage of all of the battery cells and an average cell voltage from a battery section having the lowest average cell voltage. The voltage offset may be applied to dynamically adjust a voltage limit associated with the vehicle battery so as to prevent any of the battery cells in the vehicle battery from exceeding the voltage limit.
US09190852B2

Systems and methods for monitoring an electrical energy storage unit and a parameter related to the load and based on the monitoring, if the load parameter is greater than a second rate of change of electrical power for a second component of an electrical power system, providing power from the electrical energy storage unit to the second component until the load parameter and the second component have equivalent rates of change of electrical power.
US09190851B2

Systems and methods pertaining to wireless power transfer are disclosed. Specifically, disclosed herein are calibration procedures that incorporate transmission of a reference power charge from a wireless power charger to permit determination of an optimized receiver circuitry configuration in one or more wirelessly chargeable devices. The result of the calibration procedures may then be used by the wireless charger to assign various frequencies to several wirelessly chargeable devices so as to optimally transfer a steady state power charge at one or more frequencies to the wirelessly chargeable devices.
US09190850B2

An example wireless power transmitter is configured for wirelessly transmitting a signal to a power receiving apparatus including a first resonance circuit and a load circuit. The first resonance circuit includes a power receiving coil and a first capacitor. The example wireless power transmitter includes a power supply that has a variable oscillation frequency and generates a signal having the oscillation frequency; a second resonance circuit that transmits the signal to the power receiving apparatus; a measuring unit that measures a signal reflection coefficient, the signal reflection coefficient being determined based on magnitude of the signal and magnitude of a signal reflected on the second resonance circuit to the power supply; and a controller that detects a value of the oscillation frequency making the signal reflection coefficient smaller than or equal to a threshold value, and calculates an electromagnetic coupling coefficient between the power transmission coil and the power receiving coil based on the detected value.
US09190848B2

Three or more portable generators are linked for synchronized operation. Power cables link each generator to a linkage box which connects the power in parallel and connects an outlet thereto. Communication cables link a software module in each generator with the linkage box. The modules vary the generator operation to generate a voltage amplitude and phase matching that of the first generator that is connected to the box that begins power generation, so that all generators share the load equally until their power output limits are reached.
US09190847B2

A power distribution system includes a DC-DC converter which outputs a DC power after converting the DC power outputted from a DC power source to a desired voltage level. In the power distribution system, the DC-DC converter is controlled so as to operate only when the input voltage falls in a predetermined range.
US09190839B2

A photovoltaic string may include an open circuit voltage limiter that conducts current in one direction to provide a limiter voltage less than an open circuit voltage of the photovoltaic string, and that conducts current in the other direction. One or more open circuit voltage limiters may be connected across the photovoltaic string or across selected groups of solar cells of the photovoltaic string. The limiter voltage may be greater than a maximum power point voltage but less than the open circuit voltage of the photovoltaic string.
US09190837B2

An EMP/HEMP protection device for protecting equipment from electromagnetic pulses. The protection device includes a housing defining a cavity therein and separated into two chambers, a dirty chamber for propagation of signals before filtering of electromagnetic interference, and a clean chamber, isolated from the dirty chamber, for propagation of signals after filtering. A rigid-flex printed circuit board (PCB) is disposed in the cavity for facilitating electrical connections between the chambers. Surface mount electrical components for EMP/HEMP protection are coupled with the rigid-flex PCB. Power and/or data signals are transferred from the dirty chamber to the clean chamber though a wave guide below cutoff (WBC). The WBC is formed from opposing electrical ground planes within a center PCB of the rigid-flex PCB. An electrically conductive and weather sealing gasket is disposed in the cavity of the housing for further EMI isolation.
US09190836B2

A wiring fault detector adapted specifically to address the requirement for arc fault protection specified in National Electrical Code (2011) article 690.11 comprises running at least one additional wire in parallel with the power conductors to be protected, thereby allowing evaluation at the location of a fault detector of an electrical parameter indicative of conductor integrity along its whole length.In one implementation, the additional conductor allows the voltage drop across the power conductor to be measured and verified to be small and/or noise-free. In another implementation, the additional conductor is a redundant power conductor connected in parallel with the main power conductor, allowing verification that the current flow in both the main and the additional power conductors is partitioned in an expected ratio indicative of wiring integrity.
US09190833B2

A circuit protection device includes a fuse element placed in parallel with a PTC thermistor layer. The element and PTC thermistor layer are provided on one or more insulating substrate, such as an FR-4 or polyimide substrate. First and second conductors connect the fuse element and PTC thermistor layer electrically in parallel, such that current (i) initially under normal flows mainly through the fuse element and PTC thermistor layer at a lower drop in voltage and (ii) after an opening of the fuse element flows under normal operation through the PTC thermistor layer at a higher drop in voltage.
US09190828B2

The present disclosure relates to a detecting circuit for a circuit breaker, comprises: a detection sensor configured to output a detection signal by detecting a voltage or a current on an alternating current electric power circuit; a low pass filter configured to output a signal from the detection sensor after removing a high frequency component from the signal; an offset remover configured to output a signal from the low pass filter after removing a direct current offset from the signal; an amplifier configured to amplify a signal from the offset remover, and to output the signal; and a comparator configured to output a breaking control signal such that the circuit breaker operates to a circuit breaking position, if the detection signal input to the amplifier is equal to or larger than a reference voltage.
US09190823B2

A wind energy installation includes a tower and a nacelle arranged at the top of the tower such that it can swivel in the azimuth direction. The installation also includes a plurality of cables which are guided via a loop from the tower into the nacelle, the cables being held at a distance from one another in the loop by means of rotationally fixed and loose holders. The holders each have receptacles for attachment of the cables with a predetermined circumferential separation. The holders include a lower rotationally fixed guide ring and an aligning upper loose guide ring. A loop guide is formed such that the loop is subdivided by means of the rotationally fixed lower guide ring into a curved untwisted area and an extended twisted area.
US09190817B2

Provided is an electrical junction box which can easily attach a block to an inner side of a frame without the need for visual positioning of a lock portion of the block and a lock receive portion of the frame. An electrical junction box includes a frame and a block to be attached to an inner side of the frame. The block includes a lock portion, and the frame includes a lock receive portion to which the lock portion engages. Four faces of the frame arranged to surround the block include a tapered face for guiding the block to a proper attachment position. The frame includes a double wall including an outer wall and an inner wall, and a rib connecting the outer wall and the inner wall. The rib is extended above the inner wall, and the tapered face is provided to an extended portion of the rib.
US09190816B2

A cable manager which secures cables and constrains their movement in a controlled fashion. An example cable manager includes a flexible sheet. The flexible sheet includes a support section for supporting a cable along a portion of a length of the cable, the support section including a first end and a second end. A first cable retainer section wider than the support section is adjacent the first end, the first cable retainer section including first retainer sides which interlock. A second cable retainer section wider than the support section is adjacent the second end, the second cable retainer section including second retainer sides which interlock, and the second cable retainer section being separate from the first cable retainer section.
US09190815B2

A method for installing an elastomeric cover sleeve on an electrical connection including a connector and a cable having a cable axis includes: providing an installation tool including a slide portion; premounting the installation tool on the cable such that the slide portion extends along the cable axis and covers a portion of the cable; thereafter, sliding the cover sleeve onto the cable and onto the slide portion of the premounted installation tool to a parked position wherein the slide portion is interposed between the cover sleeve and the cable; installing the connector onto the cable; and thereafter, sliding the cover sleeve along the cable axis and the slide portion onto the connector.
US09190809B2

A method and apparatus for active voltage regulation in optical modules utilize a voltage regulator to change the supply voltage provided to laser diode driver and receiver electronics to optimize module performance over temperature. The ambient temperature of the module is monitored. The outputs of the voltage regulator are controlled to provide voltages that are optimized with respect to temperature for the integrated circuits in the optical module. This control is implemented via a temperature sensitive feedback or a control input from a microcontroller with a temperature monitor input. The supply voltage is optimized to minimize the voltage required to achieve acceptable performance at a given temperature. Minimizing the supply voltage lengthens the lifetime of the integrated circuit and the optical module. The voltage regulator provides higher than standard supply voltages to a laser diode driver to compensate for higher laser voltage at low temperatures.
US09190807B2

A method for optimizing startup time and efficiency for a WBC laser diode system having numerous diode elements, wherein each diode element is measured, an optimal band region is determined for each diode element, and placed in an optimal placement within an array of diode elements.
US09190806B2

A nitride semiconductor light emitting device includes a first coat film of aluminum nitride or aluminum oxynitride formed at a light emitting portion and a second coat film of aluminum oxide formed on the first coat film. The thickness of the second coat film is at least 80 nm and at most 1000 nm. Here, the thickness of the first coat film is preferably at least 6 nm and at most 200 nm.
US09190800B2

A Q-switched all-fiber laser has a long period fiber grating (LPFG) switch with optical spectral characteristics that are controlled by application of stress. An actuator applies stress to selected sections of the LPFG in order to switch a fiber laser cavity at a specified wavelength. A controller controls the application of stress in the time domain, thereby switching the Q-factor of the fiber laser cavity.
US09190796B2

Systems, apparatuses and methods are described herein for precision insertion. In various embodiments, a feeder device may be configured to feed an object such as wire from a wire source into a wire path. In various embodiments, a guidance device with a channel that at least partially defines the wire path may receive the wire fed from the feeder device. In various embodiments, a base may be provided for mounting at least one of a first substrate having a first aperture and a second substrate having a second aperture so that the first aperture of the first substrate is aligned with the second aperture of the second substrate. In various embodiments, the base may be configured to be movable relative to the guidance device to position the first substrate or second substrate so that the first or second aperture is aligned with the wire path.
US09190794B2

The instant disclosure relates to a method of retaining a solder material onto a solder terminal comprising: a solder terminal and a solder material. The solder terminal includes a first surface, a second surface and a side, and is formed with a retaining hole. The solder material includes a winding portion, and a connection portion which extends on the opposite side from the winding portion of the solder material. The winding portion is arranged to cover the solder terminal along the first surface, the side and then the second surface. In addition, the connection portion is engaged with the solder terminal through the retaining hole and is bent like a hook.
US09190788B2

The Present Disclosure relates to mold a micro SIM card connecting terminal and a micro SD card connecting terminal by means of an integrated terminal mold, so as to significantly reduce the whole length of the dual memory card socket and manufacturing method thereof. The Present Disclosure is formed by a structure manufactured by molding the micro SIM card connecting terminal and the micro SD card connecting terminal by means of an integrated terminal mold, and then separating them by a cutting process.
US09190781B2

A stacking connector comprises a main body and a plurality of connectors. The main body has a first containing slot and a second containing slot, the first containing slot arranges a connection module, and the second containing slot arranges a USB connector which has a detection function. The USB connector includes a body and a plurality of conductive terminals. The body has a tongue portion extended frontward from top side of the body. The tongue portion has a plurality of upper terminal slots, and each of the conductive terminals is set in a corresponding upper terminal slot. The body has at least one lower terminal slot at bottom side, and at least one detection terminal is set therein. When a male connector which can support high power transmission is inserted into the USB connector, the detection terminal is triggered, and the USB connector provides higher outputted power.
US09190780B2

A power outlet capable of providing power in a controlled manner is disclosed. The power outlet may include a notification unit, a power input unit for receiving a power, a power output unit for outputting the power, a switching unit having a controlled switch for controlling the whether the power input unit is connected to the power output unit, in order to control a power supply mode of the power outlet, a configuration unit for generating a configuration signal, and a control unit, according to the configuration signal, for setting up an initial time value, driving the notification unit to generate a first notification signal, and counting down from the initial time value.
US09190778B2

A ground cable plug assembly configured to accept a cable and provide necessary connections for accomplishing a grounding function. In one approach, the cable plug assembly is configured to accept and ground a coaxial cable. In another approach, the cable plug assembly accepts and grounds an HDMI cable.
US09190774B2

The invention relates to a contact pin having longitudinal surfaces bulged to define opposite contact lines extending in longitudinal direction of the contact pin, wherein in cross section of the contact pin the plane through the two opposite contact lines is offset from the cross sectional center of the contact pin.
US09190770B2

After passing through respective contact insertion holes 3A to 3E of a guide connector 3 and penetrating the substrate 110, the contacts 120 are inserted into a female housing 10. After the electrical connection between the contacts 120 and female contacts 20 are respectively established, a slider 1 is pressed down, which causes pressing pins 4 and 5 to press a first movable body 50 and a second movable body 60. With this, a lower stage 50L of the first movable body 50 and a lower stage 60L of the second movable body 60 detach from restriction beams 84 and 85. This allows springs 141 and 142 to extend, to move the first movable body 50 and the second movable body 60 away from the contacts 120.
US09190760B2

A plug structure for connecting sockets comprises at least one jack formed at a side of a first socket; and a plug rod disposed on a second socket corresponding to the at least one jack and configured to plug in the at least one jack. The plug rod is electrically contacted with a spring piece in the jack so as to electrify the second socket. A slidable baffle plate is disposed on an inner side of the at least one jack and is configured to cover the jack. A through hole corresponding to the jack is formed in the baffle plate. A slope configured to push the baffle plate is disposed at a position on the baffle plate corresponding to the jack, and is disposed at an edge of the through hole and fitted with the plug rod to push the baffle plate to be inserted into the through hole. The plug structure for connecting sockets according to the present disclosure provides an improvement for a security protection of combined interfaces of the sockets, thus ensuring a security of the combined sockets.
US09190755B2

An electrical connector includes an insulating seat and a terminal module embedded with a plurality of first terminals. The terminal module includes an insulating body, the first terminals includes body portions embedded in the insulating body, mating portions extending from the body portions and leg portions extending from the insulating body. The insulating body integrally defines mound portions snugly surrounding the leg portions one by one at a joint of the insulating body and the leg portions.
US09190753B2

An electrical connector includes a terminal that includes a front terminal portion, and a rear terminal portion the contact position of which is located further from the insertion opening of the connector than the contact position of the front terminal portion, and that is electrically connected with a mating terminal as an object to be connected. The front terminal portion has a front elastic arm, and a front contact portion formed at the distal end of the front elastic arm, and the front contact portion has a front contact that comes into contact with the mating terminal, and a dummy contact that is located closer to the insertion opening of the connector than the front contact, and that wipes a foreign substance adhering to the mating terminal.
US09190750B2

A board-to-board connector has such a configuration that at least one a first reinforcing bracket of a first connector and a second reinforcing bracket of a second connector is provided with a bent portion having a crank shape, viewed from the insertion/removal direction of the first and second connectors. Owing to such a configuration, deformation of the first reinforcing bracket and/or the second reinforcing bracket can be prevented, and a firm engagement state between the first and second reinforcing brackets is achieved. As a result, a strong removal force is required for releasing the engagement state, and a stable engagement between the first connector and the second connector can be maintained.
US09190748B2

A connector structure includes a circuit body, a fork terminal, a housing and an insertion member. The circuit body includes a conductor including a two-pronged part having two extended portions, and plated leads arranged at the extended portions respectively. The fork terminal includes a first terminal part and a second terminal part which project from a terminal base so that an insertion space is formed between the first and second terminal parts. The housing includes a fitting part accommodating the fork terminal. The insertion member is inserted into the insertion space through the fitting part in a state where the circuit body is fixed. The circuit body is electrically connected with one of the first and second terminal parts with the insertion of the insertion member.
US09190741B2

A hybrid grounding connector is provided which combines the positive attributes of currently used connections. A recess is pre-milled, formed or extruded into the body of a compression connector and the recess is pre-filled with solder. After conductors are installed in the connector, an external heat source is applied to heat the solder until it flows into strands of the conductors and forms a solidified joint of the compression connector.
US09190740B2

The present invention is related to a communication device which includes a ground element and an antenna system. The ground element includes a main ground plane and a protruded ground plane. The antenna system includes a first antenna and a second antenna. The first antenna includes a metal radiation element and is adjacent to the main ground plane of the ground element. The second antenna is a slot antenna and is formed in the protruded ground plane of the ground element. The protruded ground plane is adjacent to the first antenna.
US09190738B2

A projected artificial magnetic mirror (PAMM) includes conductive coils, a metal backing, and a dielectric material. The conductive coils are arranged in an array on a first layer of a substrate and the metal backing is on a second layer of the substrate. The dielectric material is between the first and second layers of the substrate. The conductive coils are electrically coupled to the metal backing to form an inductive-capacitive network that, for a a selected frequency band, substantially reduces surface waves along a PAMM surface, the PAMM surface residing within the substrate or above the substrate. The PAMM surface may be substantially adjacent or coexistent with the first layer.
US09190729B2

Antenna designs are disclosed that exhibit both high bandwidth and efficiency. A first aspect of the invention concerns the form factor of the antenna; a second aspect of the invention concerns the ease with which the antenna is manufactured; and a third aspect concerns the superior performance exhibits by the antenna across a large bandwidth.
US09190726B2

A multimode antenna structure is provided for transmitting and receiving electromagnetic signals in a communication device. The communication device includes circuitry for processing signals communicated to and from the antenna structure. The antenna structure includes a plurality of antenna ports for coupling to the circuitry; a plurality of antenna elements, each operatively coupled to a different one of the antenna ports; and a plurality of connecting elements. The connecting elements each electrically connect neighboring antenna elements such that the antenna elements and the connecting elements are arranged about the periphery of the antenna structure and form a single radiating structure. Electrical currents on one antenna element flow to connected neighboring antenna elements and generally bypass the antenna ports coupled to the neighboring antenna elements such that an antenna mode excited by one antenna port is generally electrically isolated from a mode excited by another antenna port at a given desired signal frequency range, and the antenna structure generates diverse antenna patterns.
US09190719B2

A multiband antenna comprising a substrate having first and second surfaces. A first conductive plate located on the first surface comprises a first conductive region couplable to ground by a shorting element, and a second conductive region. The first and second conductive regions are located to define a gap therebetween. The antenna also has a second conductive plate on the substrate's second surface. The second conductive plate is coupled to a signal terminal of a feeding port and positioned to provide capacitance with the first conductive region. The antenna also has a third conductive plate on the substrate's second surface. The third conductive plate is positioned to provide capacitance with the second conductive region, and a connecting conductor configured to electrically couple the third conductive plate to the second conductive region.
US09190715B2

A system and method for antenna radiation pattern sweeping in wireless networks, e.g., cellular networks, are disclosed. For example, the system comprises a first base station associated with a first antenna assembly for providing a first antenna radiation pattern over a first footprint of a first cell, a second base station associated with a second antenna assembly for providing a second antenna radiation pattern over a second footprint of a second cell, wherein there is an overlap between the first footprint and the second footprint, and a controller for controlling the first base station and the second base station to continuously provide a variation of the first antenna radiation pattern and the second antenna radiation pattern in a co-ordinated manner for maintaining the overlap between the first footprint and the second footprint.
US09190708B2

An electromagnetic band gap device is provided, comprising: a conductive plane; a non-conductive substrate located over the conductive plane; and an electromagnetic band gap unit cell that includes a first via located in the non-conductive substrate and filled with a conductive material, a second via located in the non-conductive substrate and filled with the conductive material, a first conductive surface located on the non-conductive substrate over the first via, and a second conductive surface located on the non-conductive substrate over the second via, wherein the electromagnetic band gap unit cell is configured to operate as an LC resonant circuit in conjunction with the conductive plane, at least one gap is located in the electromagnetic band gap unit cell, the at least one gap being located in the first via, in the first conductive surface, in the second conductive surface, and in the second via.
US09190698B2

The invention discloses various embodiments of electrolytes for use in lithium-ion batteries, the electrolytes having improved safety and the ability to operate with high capacity anodes and high voltage cathodes. In one embodiment there is provided an electrolyte for use in a lithium-ion battery comprising an anode and a high voltage cathode. The electrolyte has a mixture of a cyclic carbonate of ethylene carbonate (EC) or mono-fluoroethylene carbonate (FEC) co-solvent, ethyl methyl carbonate (EMC), a flame retardant additive, a lithium salt, and an electrolyte additive that improves compatibility and performance of the lithium-ion battery with a high voltage cathode. The lithium-ion battery is charged to a voltage in a range of from about 2.0 V (Volts) to about 5.0 V (Volts).
US09190697B2

A composition comprised of nanoparticles of lithium ion conducting solid oxide material, wherein the solid oxide material is comprised of lithium ions, and at least one type of metal ion selected from pentavalent metal ions and trivalent lanthanide metal ions. Solution methods useful for synthesizing these solid oxide materials, as well as precursor solutions and components thereof, are also described. The solid oxide materials are incorporated as electrolytes into lithium ion batteries.
US09190693B2

A fuel cell stack module includes a base, a cover dome removably positioned on the base, and a plurality of fuel cell stacks removably positioned on the base below the cover dome. A modular fuel cell system includes a plurality of the fuel cell stack modules, where each fuel cell stack module may be electrically disconnected, removed from the fuel cell system, repaired or serviced without stopping an operation of the other fuel cell stack modules in the fuel cell system.
US09190686B2

A casing of a fuel cell stack has stack deformation prevention structure for limiting the change of an interval between end plates on the lower side in a direction of gravity, due to swelling of the lower side of the stack body in the direction of gravity. The stack deformation prevention structure is configured such that elastic modulus of a side plate provided on a lower side of the stack body in the direction of gravity is higher than elastic modulus of a side plate provided on an upper side of the stack body in the direction of gravity.
US09190679B2

A fuel cell system that is capable of suppressing temperature change of the fuel cell under a low temperature environment after the operation has stopped, suppressing freezing due to condensation, and ensuring a preferable start thereafter. The fuel cell system comprises: a fuel cell that generates electric power through an electrochemical reaction between air and a hydrogen gas; a gas supply section that supplies air and the hydrogen gas to an air supply path, a fuel supply path and a hydrogen circulation path which are connected to the fuel cell by a compressor and a hydrogen pump; a cooling section that cools the fuel cell by making a cooling path connected to the fuel cell to circulate by a pump the cooling water that is cooled by a radiator; and a control section.
US09190678B2

Provided is an alkaline fuel cell, including: a membrane electrode assembly including an anion conductive electrolyte membrane, an anode electrode stacked on a first surface of the anion conductive electrolyte membrane, and a cathode electrode stacked on a second surface opposite to the first surface of the anion conductive electrolyte membrane; a first separator stacked on the anode electrode, at least including a fuel receiving portion for receiving a fuel; a second separator stacked on the cathode electrode, at least including an oxidant receiving portion for receiving an oxidant; and an alkaline aqueous solution supply portion for bringing an alkaline aqueous solution into contact with only the anion conductive electrolyte membrane of the membrane electrode assembly.
US09190677B2

A membrane humidifier is disclosed. The membrane humidifier may include: a housing in which a hollow fiber membrane bundle is mounted, the hollow fiber membrane bundle being formed by integrating a plurality of hollow fiber membranes; a potting portion fixing an end portion of the hollow fiber membrane bundle to the housing and coupled to an end portion of the housing so as to hermetically seal the housing; and a sealing member disposed between the housing and the potting portion and hermetically sealing the housing.
US09190674B2

A fuel cell has a membrane electrode assembly and a supply member for supplying an anode fluid to the membrane electrode assembly. The membrane electrode assembly has an electrolyte membrane and an anode catalyst. The supply member has at least one anode fluid flow path for supplying the anode fluid toward the membrane electrode assembly. A gas diffusion layer is provided between the supply member and the membrane electrode assembly. An opening of the at least one anode fluid flow path on a discharge side thereof for the anode fluid is disposed in contact with a side of the gas diffusion layer facing the supply member. The side of the gas diffusion layer includes a region that stores a gas pushed by the supply of the anode fluid.
US09190667B2

A composite composition for electrochemical cell electrode applications, the composition comprising multiple solid particles, wherein (a) a solid particle is composed of graphene platelets dispersed in or bonded by a first matrix or binder material, wherein the graphene platelets are not obtained from graphitization of the first binder or matrix material; (b) the graphene platelets have a length or width in the range of 10 nm to 10 μm; (c) the multiple solid particles are bonded by a second binder material; and (d) the first or second binder material is selected from a polymer, polymeric carbon, amorphous carbon, metal, glass, ceramic, oxide, organic material, or a combination thereof. For a lithium ion battery anode application, the first binder or matrix material is preferably amorphous carbon or polymeric carbon. Such a composite composition provides a high anode capacity and good cycling response. For a supercapacitor electrode application, the solid particles preferably have meso-scale pores therein to accommodate electrolyte.
US09190666B2

The invention provides a battery, which can improve battery characteristics such as high temperature storage characteristics. The battery comprises a battery device, wherein a cathode and an anode are wound with a separator in between. The anode contains an anode material capable of inserting and extracting Li as an anode active material. An electrolytic solution is impregnated in the separator. The electrolytic solution contains a solvent, and an electrolyte salt such as Li[B(CF3)4] dissolved in the solvent, which is expressed by a chemical formula of Li[B(RF1)(RF2)(RF3)RF4]. RF1, RF2, RF3, and RF4 represent a perfluoro alkyl group whose number of fluorine or carbon is from 1 to 12, respectively. Consequently, high temperature storage characteristics are improved.
US09190664B2

A cathode active material composition includes a cathode active material, a water-based binder, and a transition metal oxide. A cathode is prepared using the cathode active material composition. A lithium battery includes the cathode. The lithium battery has improved high-rate characteristics and lifespan characteristics by preventing an increase in internal resistance due to the corrosion of an electrode base material.
US09190660B2

The present invention provides an electrode material for a secondary battery wherein the inside and the surface of a lithium-titanium complex oxide is composited with a fine carbon fiber as a network.
US09190651B2

A bus bar module (1) includes: a first module body section (3) provided with an output terminal installation section (13); a second module body section (5) detachably attached to the first module body section; an output terminal cover (19) provided to the first module body section using a hinge section (21), and configured to cover an output terminal; a cover latch section (23) provided to the output terminal cover; a cover latching section (27) to which the cover latch section of the output terminal cover is fastened; and a reinforcing section (31) configured to come into engagement with the output terminal installation section when the second module body section is installed on the first module body section, and configured to prevent deformation of the output terminal installation section.
US09190640B2

A cover opening and closing apparatus of an electronic appliance is provided. The apparatus includes a body comprising a container-shaped housing with an open side configured to insert and remove at least one electronic component, a cover configured to open and close an opening of the housing, and a moving hinge hinged to the cover, received in the body, and movable. When the cover rotates over a threshold angle, the cover rotates on a rotation axis being a protrusion contacting the body and a hinge connector between the cover away from the rotation axis and the moving hinge moves out of the body.
US09190632B2

A power storage device includes a fuel cell (33), a battery holder (1) and an end plate (40) for sandwiching and binding the fuel cell, and an interposed member (11) disposed between the end plate (40) and the fuel cell (33). The battery holder (1) and the end plate (40) are made of resin, and have a positive coefficient of thermal expansion at a temperature lower than a predetermined temperature. The interposed member (11) is formed to have a substantially negative coefficient of thermal expansion at a temperature lower than the predetermined temperature.
US09190624B2

An OLED display having a first pixel, a second pixel, and a third pixel which neighbor each other, includes: a plurality of first electrodes provided respectively corresponding to the first pixel, the second pixel, and the third pixel and being separated from each other; a hole injection layer provided on the plurality of first electrodes; a main emission layer including a first emission layer disposed on the hole injection layer corresponding to the first pixel, a second emission layer disposed on the hole injection layer corresponding to the second pixel, and a third emission layer disposed on the hole injection layer corresponding to the third pixel; a p-type hole transport layer disposed between the second emission layer and the hole injection layer and p-type doped; and a second electrode disposed on the main emission layer.
US09190619B2

The present invention discloses a compound is represented by the following formula (I) or formula (II), the organic EL device employing the compound as phosphorescent host material, hole blocking material, hole blocking electron transport material, can display good performance. The same definition as described in the present invention.
US09190617B2

An all solid-state dye sensitizing type photoelectric conversion element excellent in photoelectric conversion efficiency and stability of photoelectric conversion function due to the prevention of desorption of the dye, and a solar cell comprising the photoelectric conversion element are provided. The present invention relates to a photoelectric conversion element comprising a first electrode, a photoelectric conversion layer comprising a semiconductor and a sensitizing dye, and a solid hole transport layer, and a second electrode, on a substrate, wherein the sensitizing dye is represented by the general formula (1) and the solid hole transport layer comprises a polymer obtainable by polymerizing a compound represented by the following general formula (2) or a multimer of the compound.
US09190610B2

A memory device includes a phase change element, which further includes a first phase change layer having a first grain size; and a second phase change layer over the first phase change layer. The first and the second phase change layers are depth-wise regions of the phase change element. The second phase change layer has a second average grain size different from the first average grain size.
US09190608B2

In a method for fabricating a semiconductor device, a conductive layer is formed on a substrate, where the substrate has a bottom layer formed thereon. A magnetic tunnel junction layer is formed on the conductive layer. The magnetic tunnel junction layer is patterned using an etching gas containing oxygen. An insulating layer is formed by oxidizing the conductive layer exposed outside the patterned magnetic tunnel junction layer using the etching gas.
US09190605B2

A nanopiezoelectric generator is provided. The nanopiezoelectric generator includes a first electrode; a second electrode; at least one nanostructure that is interposed between the first electrode and the second electrode, and includes a piezoelectric material and first carriers; and a concentration adjusting unit that adjusts a concentration of the first carriers in the at least one nanostructure.
US09190598B2

The present disclosure is drawn to a thin film stack, which includes a substrate, a metal layer, and an adhesive layer comprising a blend of from 3 at % to 94 at % indium oxide, from 3 at % to 94 at % gallium oxide, and from 3 at % to 94 at % zinc oxide. The adhesive layer is adhered between the substrate and the metal layer.
US09190589B2

The present invention provides a light emitting diode, which comprises a first LED die and a second LED die, each die comprising a first semi-conductive layer, a second semi-conductive layer, and a multiple quantum well layer disposed between the first and the second semi-conductive layers, wherein the first semi-conductive layer of the first LED die is coupled to the second semi-conductive layer of the second LED die so as to form a serially connected structure whereby the consuming current and heat generation of the light emitting diode are lowered so that the size of heat dissipating device for the light emitting diode can be reduced and illumination of the light emitting diode can be enhanced.
US09190584B2

The present invention relates to an optical-semiconductor device, which is prepared by: arranging a sheet for optical-semiconductor element encapsulation including an encapsulating resin layer capable of embedding an optical-semiconductor element and a wavelength conversion layer containing light wavelength-converting particles and being laminated directly or indirectly on the encapsulating resin layer, on an optical-semiconductor element-mounting substrate so that the encapsulating resin layer faces the optical-semiconductor element-mounting substrate; followed by compression-molding, in which the wavelength conversion layer is present on an upper part of a molded body in which the optical-semiconductor element is embedded therein, but is not present on a side surface of the molded body.
US09190581B2

In accordance with certain embodiments, semiconductor dies are embedded within polymeric binder to form, e.g., freestanding white light-emitting dies and/or composite wafers containing multiple light-emitting dies embedded in a single volume of binder.
US09190575B2

According to one embodiment, a method of manufacturing a display device, includes preparing a first substrate configured such that a first display element module is formed on a first glass substrate, preparing a second substrate configured such that a first peeling auxiliary layer is formed on a second glass substrate, and then a first color filter layer is formed on the first peeling auxiliary layer, attaching the first display element module and the first color filter layer, and peeling the second glass substrate from the first peeling auxiliary layer.
US09190574B2

A semiconductor light emitting element that outputs emitted light having a predetermined emitted light peak wavelength λ includes: at least a substrate; a lower distributed Bragg reflector layer provided on the substrate; and a light emitting layer provided on the lower distributed Bragg reflector layer. At least one phase changing layer having a thickness of mλ/2n (wherein n is the refractive index of the phase changing layer, and m is an integer 1 or greater) is provided within the lower distributed Bragg reflector layer.
US09190570B2

The disclosure is directed to laser annealing of GaN light-emitting diodes (LEDs) with reduced pattern effects. A method includes forming elongate conductive structures atop either an n-GaN layer or a p-GaN layer of a GaN LED structure, the elongate conductive structures having long and short dimensions, and being spaced apart and substantially aligned in the long dimensions. The method also includes generating a P-polarized anneal laser beam that has an anneal wavelength that is greater than the short dimension. The method also includes irradiating either the n-GaN layer or the p-GaN layer of the GaN LED structure through the conductive structures with the P-polarized anneal laser beam, including directing the anneal laser beam relative to the conductive structures so that the polarization direction is perpendicular to the long dimension of the conductive structures.
US09190558B2

A display device and a display panel thereof are provided. The display panel includes a plurality of pixels, a first adjacent zone and a plurality of gate lines. The pixels include a first pixel and a second pixel adjacent to the first pixel. Each pixel includes one of the gate lines. The gate lines include a first gate line and a second gate line. The first pixel includes the first gate line. The second pixel includes the second gate line. The first gate line and the second gate line are located at the first adjacent zone.
US09190557B2

An ultraviolet semiconductor light emitting device includes: a light-emitting epitaxial layer including an n-type semiconductor layer, a light-emitting layer, and a p-type semiconductor layer; a tunnel junction at a non-light-emitting surface of the light-emitting epitaxial layer and having a patterned structure with openings to expose the light-emitting epitaxial layer; an optical phase matching layer over a surface layer of the light-emitting epitaxial layer and transmissive of UV light; and a reflecting layer covering the entire tunneling junction and the optical phase matching layer. A patterned structure is provided over the tunnel junction for full-angle light reflection. Part of the tunneling junction forms ohmic contact with the low work function reflecting metal. The patterned distribution design can effectively reduce the ohmic contact resistance.
US09190550B2

According to one embodiment, a photodiode includes a first semiconductor layer of a first conductivity type, a second semiconductor layer of a second conductivity type, a third semiconductor layer of the first conductivity type, and a film. The second semiconductor layer is provided in the first semiconductor layer. The third semiconductor layer is provided in the first semiconductor layer so as to surround the second semiconductor layer. Each of one ends of the second and third semiconductor layers is located at an upper surface of the first semiconductor layer. The first to third semiconductor layers include first to third impurity concentrations respectively. The second and third impurity concentrations are higher than the first impurity concentration. The film is provided above the third semiconductor layer, and blocks light to enter into a neighborhood of the third semiconductor layer.
US09190549B2

A method for forming a photovoltaic device includes depositing a p-type layer on a substrate. A barrier layer is formed on the p-type layer by exposing the p-type layer to an oxidizing agent. An intrinsic layer is formed on the barrier layer, and an n-type layer is formed on the intrinsic layer.
US09190541B2

In an aspect of the present disclosure, there is disclosed a manufacture method of an antireflection coating using a self-assembly nano structure, which includes forming a first metal droplet on a substrate by means of droplet epitaxy, depositing a first non-metal on the formed first metal droplet, and forming a first nano compound crystal by means of self-assembly of the deposited first non-metal and the first metal droplet.
US09190526B2

A thin film transistor includes a gate electrode (11a), a gate insulating film (12a) covering the gate electrode (11a), a semiconductor layer (13a) made of an oxide semiconductor and provided on the gate insulating film (12a), a source electrode (16aa) and a drain electrode (16ab) provided on the semiconductor layer (13a) via easily reducible metal layers (15aa, 15ab) and spaced apart from each other, with a channel region (C) interposed therebetween, a conductive region (E) provided in the semiconductor layer (13a), and a diffusion reducing portion (13ca, 13cb) provided in the semiconductor layer (13a), for reducing diffusion of the conductive region (E) into the channel region (C).
US09190525B2

The electrical characteristics of a transistor including an oxide semiconductor layer are varied by influence of an insulating film in contact with the oxide semiconductor layer, that is, by an interface state between the oxide semiconductor layer and the insulating film. A first oxide semiconductor layer S1, a second oxide semiconductor layer S2, and a third oxide semiconductor layer S3 are sequentially stacked, so that the oxide semiconductor layer through which carriers flow is separated from the gate insulating film containing silicon. The thickness of the first oxide semiconductor layer S1 is preferably smaller than those of the second oxide semiconductor layer S2 and the third oxide semiconductor layer S3, and is less than or equal to 10 nm, preferably less than or equal to 5 nm.
US09190522B2

An object is to provide a semiconductor device including an oxide semiconductor, which has stable electric characteristics and high reliability. A semiconductor device includes an oxide semiconductor film, a source electrode and a drain electrode which are electrically connected to the oxide semiconductor film, a metal oxide film which is partly in contact with the oxide semiconductor film, a gate insulating film which is over and in contact with the metal oxide film, and a gate electrode over the gate insulating film. With such a structure, effect of charge on the oxide semiconductor film can be relaxed; thus, shift of the threshold voltage in the transistor, due to charge trapping at an interface of the oxide semiconductor film, can be suppressed.
US09190520B2

A fin structure includes an optional doped well, a disposable single crystalline semiconductor material portion, and a top semiconductor portion formed on a substrate. A disposable gate structure straddling the fin structure is formed, and end portions of the fin structure are removed to form end cavities. Doped semiconductor material portions are formed on sides of a stack of the disposable single crystalline semiconductor material portion and a channel region including the top semiconductor portion. The disposable single crystalline semiconductor material portion may be replaced with a dielectric material portion after removal of the disposable gate structure or after formation of the stack. The gate cavity is filled with a gate dielectric and a gate electrode. The channel region is stressed by the doped semiconductor material portions, and is electrically isolated from the substrate by the dielectric material portion.
US09190505B2

A semiconductor device includes a substrate and a source structure and a drain structure formed on the substrate. At least one nanowire structure interconnects the source structure and drain structure and serves as a channel therebetween. A gate structure is formed over said at least one nanowire structure to provide a control of a conductivity of carriers in the channel, and the nanowire structure includes a center core serving as a backbias electrode for the channel.
US09190503B2

An IGBT has an emitter region, a top body region that is formed below the emitter region, a floating region that is formed below the top body region, a bottom body region that is formed below the floating region, a trench, a gate insulating film that covers an inner face of the trench, and a gate electrode that is arranged inside the trench. When a distribution of a concentration of p-type impurities in the top body region and the floating region, which are located below the emitter region, is viewed along a thickness direction of a semiconductor substrate, the concentration of the p-type impurities decreases as a downward distance increases from an upper end of the top body region that is located below the emitter region, and assumes a local minimum value at a predetermined depth in the floating region.
US09190499B2

According to one embodiment, a nonvolatile semiconductor memory device includes a memory element region and a capacitance element region. The capacitance region including: a second stacked body, each of a plurality of second electrode layers and each of a plurality of second insulating layers being stacked alternately; a plurality of conductive layers; and a second insulating film provided between each of the plurality of conductive layers and each of the plurality of second electrode layers. In the capacitance element region, a first capacitor is made of one of the plurality of second insulating layers and a pair of the second electrode layers sandwiching the one of the plurality of second insulating layers, and a second capacitor is made of the second insulating film, and one of the plurality of second electrode layers and one of the plurality of conductive layers sandwiching the second insulating film.
US09190495B2

A recessed channel array transistor may include a substrate, a gate oxide layer, a gate electrode and source/drain regions. The substrate may have an active region and an isolation region. A recess may be formed in the active region. The gate oxide layer may be formed on the recess and the substrate. The gate oxide layer may include a first portion on an intersection between a side end of the recess and a sidewall of the active region and a second portion on a side surface of the recess. The first portion may include a thickness greater than about 70% of a thickness of the second portion. The gate electrode may be formed on the gate oxide layer. The source/drain regions may be formed in the substrate. Thus, the recessed channel array transistor may have a decreased leakage current and an increased on-current.
US09190485B2

The structure, and fabrication method thereof, implements a fully depleted silicon-on-insulator (SOI) transistor using a “Channel Last” procedure in which the active channel is a low-temperature epitaxial layer in an etched recess in the SOI silicon film. A highly localized ion implantation is used to set the threshold voltage of the transistor and to improve the short channel behavior of the final device. Based on high-K metal gate technology, this transistor has reduced threshold uncertainty and superior source and drain conductance.
US09190483B2

An AlN single crystal Schottky barrier diode including: an AlN single crystal substrate having a defect density of 106 cm−2 or less and a thickness of 300 μm or more; a first electrode formed on one surface of the AlN single crystal substrate; and a second electrode formed on one surface of the AlN single crystal substrate while being spaced apart from the first electrode, the AlN single crystal Schottky barrier diode being provided with: a rectifying property such that an on-off ratio at the time of applying 10 V and −40 V is at least 103 even at a high temperature of 573 K; a high voltage resistance such that a voltage can be applied at least within a range of −40 V to 10 V; and a low on-resistance characteristic such that a current begins to flow at no greater than 5 V.
US09190475B2

A semiconductor device has a p-type metal oxide semiconductor layer; a source electrode connected with the p-type metal oxide semiconductor layer; a drain electrode connected with the p-type metal oxide semiconductor layer; and a gate electrode arranged to oppose to a part of the p-type metal oxide semiconductor layer. The gate electrode and the drain electrode are separated from each other in a top view.
US09190474B2

A semiconductor device includes a substrate; a carrier traveling layer formed on the substrate, made of first group III nitride semiconductor, and containing carriers traveling in a direction along a principal surface of the substrate; a barrier layer formed on the carrier traveling layer and made of second group III nitride semiconductor having a wider band gap than the first group III nitride semiconductor; and an electrode formed on the barrier layer. The device further includes a cap layer formed on the barrier layer at a side of the electrode, and made of third group III nitride semiconductor containing a mixture of single crystals and polycrystals.
US09190473B2

A method for forming semiconductor contacts comprises forming a germanium fin structure over a silicon substrate, depositing a doped amorphous silicon layer over the first drain/source region and the second drain/source region at a first temperature, wherein the first temperature is lower than a melting point of the germanium fin structure and performing a solid phase epitaxial regrowth process on the amorphous silicon layer at a second temperature, wherein the second temperature is lower than the melting point of the germanium fin structure.
US09190471B2

A semiconductor structure including a semiconductor wafer. The semiconductor wafer includes a gate structure, a first trench in the semiconductor wafer adjacent to a first side of the gate structure and a second trench adjacent to a second side of the gate structure, the first and second trenches filled with a doped epitaxial silicon to form a source in the filled first trench and a drain in the filled second trench such that each of the source and drain are recessed and have an inverted facet. In a preferred exemplary embodiment, the epitaxial silicon is doped with boron.
US09190470B2

A semiconductor device including field insulating films and having first corner portions, provided on a P-type epitaxial growth layer; an N−-type cathode that is provided in the P-type epitaxial growth layer and is located on the inner sides of the field insulating films; and a P−-type anode that is formed on the cathode so as to be in contact with the cathode and covers the first corner portions provided on the inner sides of the field insulating films, wherein the junction between the cathode and the anode serves as a PN junction of the diode, and the PN junction is spaced apart from the first corner portions.
US09190465B2

A method for fabricating a field effect transistor device includes removing a portion of a first semiconductor layer and a first insulator layer to expose a portion of a second semiconductor layer, wherein the second semiconductor layer is disposed on a second insulator layer, the first insulator layer is disposed on the second semiconductor layer, and the first semiconductor layer is disposed on the first insulator layer, removing portions of the first semiconductor layer to form a first fin disposed on the first insulator layer and removing portions of the second semiconductor layer to form a second fin disposed on the second insulator layer, and forming a first gate stack over a portion of the first fin and forming a second gate stack over a portion of the second fin.
US09190464B2

A nonvolatile memory device includes a substrate, an elongate isolation region including a field insulation film disposed in a trench in the substrate, and a word line crossing the insulation region and including a tunneling insulation layer on an active region of the substrate adjacent the isolation region, a charge storage layer on the tunneling insulation layer and a blocking insulation layer on the charge storage layer. A first plane index of a bottom surface of the trench has a first interface trap density and a second plane index of a sidewall of the trench has a second interface trap density equal to or less than the first interface trap density. In some embodiments, the first plane index may be (100) and the second plane index may be (100) or (310).
US09190459B2

A manufacturing method of an organic light emitting diode (OLED) display includes: supplying a circuit film on the pad area of the display panel and bonding a first end portion of the circuit film to the pad area; vertically standing and inserting the display panel in a bonding device; holding a portion of the circuit film including a second end portion to be horizontal by using a rotating device including a vacuum absorbing portion; supplying a flexible printed circuit (FPC) into a space under the second end portion of the circuit film, and attaching the flexible printed circuit to the second end portion of the circuit film; and operating the rotating device to move the second end portion to a vertical position, and separating the circuit film from the vacuum absorbing portion.
US09190458B2

Embodiments of the subject invention relate to a method and apparatus for providing a apparatus that can function as a photovoltaic cell, for example during the day, and can provide solid state lighting, for example at night. The apparatus can therefore function as a lighting window. An embodiment can integrate an at least partially transparent one-side emitting OLED and a photovoltaic cell. The photovoltaic cell can be sensitive to infrared light, for example light having a wavelength greater than 1 μm. The apparatus can be arranged such that the one direction in which the OLED emits is toward the inside of a building or other structure and not out into the environment.
US09190457B2

An organic light-emitting display device includes a substrate, a plurality of pixel electrodes arranged in a matrix on the substrate, and an organic common layer covering the pixel electrodes. The pixel electrodes include a plurality of first pixel electrodes, a plurality of second pixel electrodes, and a plurality of third pixel electrodes. An n-th pixel column includes the second pixel electrodes and the third pixel electrodes arranged alternately, an (n+1)-th pixel column which is adjacent to the n-th pixel column includes the first pixel electrodes, and an (n+2)-th pixel column which is adjacent to the (n+1)-th pixel column includes the second pixel electrodes and the third pixel electrodes arranged alternately, wherein n is a natural number. One of the second and third pixel electrodes is disposed in the n-th pixel column in a row and the other one of the second and third pixel electrodes is disposed in the (n+2)-th pixel column in the same row.
US09190432B2

An oxide thin-film transistor (TFT) array substrate, a manufacturing method thereof and a display panel are provided. In the manufacturing method, a pattern of a gate insulating layer (13), an oxide active layer (14) and an etch barrier layer (15) is formed on a substrate (10) on which a pattern of a gate line (11) and a gate electrode (12) is formed, by one patterning process.
US09190421B2

A display device and a fabrication method thereof are provided. In a dual-link structure for a narrow bezel, first link wirings are formed on the same layer that the gate lines are formed and second link wirings are formed on the same layer that the data lines are formed. The first link wirings and the second link wirings are formed in a non-display area. Or auxiliary link wirings are further formed over the first link wirings and the second link wirings respectively. Or the first link wiring and second link wiring are divided two pieces of sub-link wirings. The sub-link wirings consisting the one link wiring are connected respectively and are formed on the different layer, whereby a defective image due to a difference in resistance between neighboring link wirings can be improved.
US09190420B2

A TFT substrate includes a TFT including a source electrode having a lower source electrode and an upper source electrode, which are electrically connected to each other, and a drain electrode having a lower drain electrode and an upper drain electrode, which are electrically connected to each other. The lower source electrode and the lower drain electrode are in contact with a lower surface of the semiconductor film, and the upper source electrode and the upper drain electrode are in contact with an upper surface of the semiconductor film.
US09190418B2

After forming source/drain trenches within a top semiconductor layer of a semiconductor-on-insulator (SOI) substrate, portions of the trenches adjacent channel regions of a semiconductor structure are covered either by sacrificial spacers formed on sidewalls of the trenches or by photoresist layer portions. The sacrificial spacers or photoresist layer portions shield portions of the top semiconductor layer underneath the trenches from subsequent ion implantation for forming junction butting. The ion implantation regions thus are confined only in un-shielded, sublayered portions of the top semiconductor layer that are away from the channel regions of the semiconductor structure. The width of the ion implantation regions are controlled such that the implanted dopants do not diffuse into the channel regions during subsequent thermal cycles so as to suppress the short channel effects.
US09190416B2

In various embodiments, a three-dimensional structured nonvolatile semiconductor memory devices and methods for manufacturing the devices are disclosed. One such device includes an n-type doped region at a source/drain region; a p-type doped region at the source/drain region; and a diffusion barrier material between the n-type doped region and the p-type doped region. The n-type doped region is substantially isolated from the p-type doped region. Other embodiments are also disclosed.
US09190409B2

A method and structure for a semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate and an N-channel transistor and a P-channel transistor provided on the semiconductor substrate. Each of the N-channel transistor and the P-channel transistor has a gate dielectric film on the semiconductor substrate, and a gate electrode is formed on the gate dielectric. The gate electrode comprises a metal conductive layer. The oxygen concentration in the metal conductive layer for the N-channel transistor is different from that for the P-channel transistor.
US09190392B1

A 3D stacked sASIC is provided that includes a plurality of 2D reconfigurable structured structured ASIC (sASIC) levels interconnected through hard-wired arrays of 3D vias. The 2D sASIC levels may contain logic, memory, analog functions, and device input/output pad circuitry. During fabrication, these 2D sASIC levels are stacked on top of each other and fused together with 3D metal vias. Such 3D vias may be fabricated as through-silicon vias (TSVs). They may connect to the back-side of the 2D sASIC level, or they may be connected to top metal pads on the front-side of the 2D sASIC level.
US09190391B2

An integrated circuit device is disclosed that includes a semiconductor substrate and a die attached to the semiconductor substrate. A conductive pillar is connected to at least one of the semiconductor substrate or the die. An overmold is molded onto the semiconductor substrate over the die, and the conductive pillar extends through the overmold.
US09190386B2

A substrate includes a first wiring substrate, a second wiring substrate, and an adhesive sheet. The first wiring substrate includes a number of first connecting pads and a first penetrating room. The second wiring substrate includes a number of second connecting pads. The adhesive sheet includes a number of through holes and a second penetrating room. The through holes are filled with a conducting material. The adhesive sheet and the first wiring substrate are orderly pressed on the second wiring substrate. The conducting material is connected to the first connecting pads and the second connecting pads. The first penetrating room of the first wiring substrate and the second penetrating room of the adhesive sheet cooperatively form a receiving recess.
US09190385B2

A method of making electronic packages includes providing a leadframe strip that includes a plurality of leadframes, wherein the leadframes comprise a plurality of leads, etching a surface of each of the leadframes to form an opening, wherein each of the leads has a lead tip that connects to a die paddle within the opening, isolating each of the leads from the die paddle, adhering a tape to a bottom side of the leadframe strips, leads, and die paddle, attaching a die to the die paddle, placing ball bumps on each of the lead tips, and connecting the die to the ball bumps. The electronic package includes a leadframe having a plurality of leads, wherein each of the leads has a lead tip, an opening formed within the leadframe, a die paddle that is disposed within the opening and is isolated from each of the lead tips, a tape that is adhered to a back side of the leadframe, leads, and die paddle, and a die, wherein the die is attached to the die paddle and is connected by wires to a bump disposed on each of the lead tips.
US09190382B2

A method for producing a semiconductor module includes providing an adhesion carrier and a plurality of circuit carriers. The adhesion carrier has an adhesive upper side and a lower side opposite the adhesive upper side. Each of the circuit carriers includes a ceramic carrier and an upper conductor layer applied to the ceramic carrier, and a circuit carrier lower side. By placing the circuit carriers onto the adhesive upper side, the circuit carrier lower side of the circuit carriers contacts and adheres to the adhesive upper side, so that a quasi-panel is formed, in which the circuit carriers are processed while preserving the quasi-panel and can then be removed from the adhesive upper side.
US09190379B2

One embodiment of a perimeter trench sensor array package can include a thinned substrate device that includes a perimeter trench formed near the edges of the device that can be configured to be thinner than a central portion of the thinned substrate device. The perimeter trench can include bond pads that can couple to electrical elements included in the thinned substrate device. The thinned substrate device can be attached to a core layer that can in turn support one or more resin layers. The core layer and the resin layers can form a printed circuit board assembly, a flex cable assembly or a stand-alone module.
US09190377B2

A process of making efficient metal bump bonding with relative low temperature, preferably lower than the melting point of Indium, is described. To obtaining a lower processing temperature (preferred embodiments have a melting point of <100° C.), a metal or alloy layer is deposited on the indium bump surface. Preferably, the material is chosen such that the metal or alloy forms a passivation layer that is more resistant to oxidation than the underlying indium material. The passivation material is also preferably chosen to form a low melting temperature alloy with indium at the indium bump surface. This is typically accomplished by diffusion of the passivation material into the indium to form a diffusion layer alloy. Various metals, including Ga, Bi, Sn, Pb and Cd, that can be used to form a binary to quaternary low melting point alloy with indium. In addition, diffusion of metal such as Sn, Sn—Zn into Ga—In alloy; Sn, Cd, Pb—Sn into Bi—In alloy; Cd, Zn, Pb, Pb—Cd into Sn—In alloy can help adjust the melting point of the alloy.
US09190375B2

A method of applying inductive heating to join an integrated circuit chip to an electrical substrate using solder bumps including applying a magnetic field to a magnetic liner in thermal contact with a solder bump on the integrated circuit chip. The magnetic field causes Joule heating in the magnetic liner sufficient to melt the solder bump, which has a lower portion embedded in a first dielectric layer and an upper portion at least partially embedded in a second dielectric layer. The lower portion is in electrical contact with a conductive pad, the first dielectric layer is above the conductive pad and the second dielectric layer is on top of the first dielectric layer. The duration of application of the magnetic field is controlled to achieve a joining temperature that is approximately halfway between the storage and operating temperatures of the integrated circuit chip.
US09190374B2

A structure of a semiconductor chip with substrate via holes and metal bumps and a fabrication method thereof. The structure comprises a substrate, at least one backside metal layer, at least one first metal layer, at least one electronic device, and at least one metal bump. The substrate has at least one substrate via hole penetrating through the substrate. The at least one first metal layer and electronic device are formed on the front side of the substrate. The at least one metal bump is formed on the at least one first metal layer. The at least one backside metal layer is formed on the backside of the substrate covering the inner surface of the substrate via hole and at least part of the backside of the substrate and connected to the first metal layer on the top of the substrate via hole.
US09190371B2

In general, embodiments of the present invention provide a chip package with multiple TSV configurations. Specifically, the chip package typically includes a backend layer (e.g., metal interconnect layer); a substrate coupled to the backend layer; a set (at least one) of backend side interconnects extending (e.g., angularly) from a side surface of the backend layer to a bottom surface of the backend layer; a set of optional vertical TSVs extending from a top surface of the backend layer through the substrate; and a network organizer positioned in the substrate organizer for handling communications made using the set of backend side interconnects and the set of vertical TSVs. A set of connections (e.g., controlled collapse chip connections (C4s) can be positioned adjacent to any of the vias to provide connectively to other hardware elements such as additional chip packages, buses, etc. Among other things, the use of backend side interconnects allows maximum surface area of the chip package to be utilized and provides increased reliability. These advantages are especially realized when used in conjunction with vertical TSVs.
US09190365B2

A glass composition for protecting a semiconductor junction is made of fine glass particles prepared from a material in a molten state obtained by melting a raw material which contains at least SiO2, B2O3, Al2O3 and oxide of alkaline earth metal and substantially contains none of Pb, As, Sb, Li, Na, K and Zn, and contains no filler.
US09190363B2

A semiconductor apparatus includes a semiconductor substrate having a main surface, a multilayer structure circuit formed over the main surface of the semiconductor substrate, a protective wall formed in the same layer as an uppermost layer of the multilayer structure circuit so as to surround the multilayer structure circuit in plan view, and an alignment mark formed in the same layer as the uppermost layer. The alignment mark is formed so as to contact at least part of the protective wall.
US09190356B2

The invention relates to a semiconductor structure, comprising a substrate of a semiconductor material having a first side (FS) and an opposite second side (BS). There is at least one conductive wafer-through via (V) comprising metal, and at least one recess (RDL) provided in the first side of the substrate and in the semiconductor material of the substrate. The recess is filled with metal and seamlessly connected with the wafer-through via. The exposed surfaces of the metal filled via and the metal filled recess are essentially flush with the substrate surface on the first side of the substrate. There is also provide an interposer comprising the above structure, further comprising contacts for attaching circuit boards and integrated circuits on opposite sides of the interposer. A method of making the structure is also provided.
US09190342B2

High-power electronic components generate significant amounts of heat that must be removed in the course of normal device operations. Certain types of electronic components, such as some monolithic microwave integrated circuits and LEDs, can contain materials that are difficult to effectively bond to a heat gink in order to establish a thermal interface between the two. Device assemblies can include a heat-generating electronic component in thermal communication with a metallic heat sink via a metallic thermal interface layer. The metallic thermal interface layer is disposed between the heat-generating electronic component and the metallic heat sink. The metallic thermal interface layer is formed from a composition including a plurality of metal nanoparticles that are at least partially fused together with one another. Methods for forming a thermal interface layer include heating metal nanoparticles above their fusion temperature and subsequently cooling the liquefied metal nanoparticles to promote bonding of the electronic component.
US09190320B2

Described are apparatus and methods for forming films comprise indium and arsenic. In particular, these films may be formed in a configuration of two or more chambers under “load lock” conditions. These films may include additional components as dopants, such as aluminum and/or gallium. Such films can be used in metal/silicon contacts having low contact resistances. Also disclosed are devices including the films comprising indium arsenide.
US09190317B2

A method is provided for fabricating an interconnection structure. The method includes providing a substrate having certain semiconductor devices, a metal layer electrically connecting with the semiconductor devices, and a barrier layer on the metal layer. The method also includes forming a dielectric layer on the substrate; and forming an antireflective coating on the dielectric layer. Further, the method includes forming a second mask having a first pattern corresponding to a through hole in the dielectric layer, wherein the antireflective coating significantly reduces lithographic light reflection to avoid photoresist residue in the first pattern; and forming a through hole by etching the dielectric layer and the antireflective coating covering the dielectric layer using the second mask as an etching mask. Further, the method also includes forming a via by filling the through hole with a conductive material.
US09190306B2

A dual arm robot for a substrate processing system includes a base and a first arm having extended and retracted positions. Each of the first and second arms includes a first arm portion having one end rotatably connected to the base, a second arm portion having one end rotatably connected to another end of the first arm portion, and an end effector having one end rotatably connected to another end of the second arm portion and another end configured to support first and second substrates, respectively. When the first and second arms are arranged in the retracted position, connections between the second arm portions and the end effectors are located over or under the second and first substrates, respectively, and the first substrate is not located over or under the second substrate.
US09190303B2

A bonding layer of a first wafer article is thermally treated and a bonding layer of a second wafer article is thermally treated in accordance with first and second process parameters, respectively prior to bonding the first wafer article with the second wafer article. First and second grid distortion in the first and second wafer articles is measured and a difference is determined between the first and second grid distortions. A prediction is made for maintaining the difference within a prescribed tolerance. At least one of the first process parameters and the second process parameters is conditionally varied in accordance with the prediction. The thermal treating of the first and second wafer articles can then be performed with respect to another pair of the first and second wafer articles prior to bonding to one another through their respective bonding layers.
US09190300B2

A spin base is caused to rotate at a number of revolutions of from 250 rmp to 350 rpm (first number of revolutions), and at the same time, a cleaning solution is supplied to a holding surface of a spin base while the upper end of a processing cup is placed below the holding surface. Thus, an outer upper surface of the processing cup is cleaned with the cleaning solution scattered from the holding surface. Then, the spin base is caused to rotate at a number of revolutions of from 350 rpm to 450 rpm (second number of revolutions) higher than the first number of revolutions, and at the same time, a cleaning solution is supplied onto the holding surface. Thus, a partition plate outside the processing cup is cleaned with the cleaning solution scattered from the rotating holding surface.
US09190288B2

A pattern forming method includes forming a coating film containing a hydrophilic first homopolymer having a first bonding group and a hydrophobic second homopolymer having a second bonding group capable of bonding with the first bonding group, forming a bond between the first and second bonding group to produce a block copolymer of the first and second homopolymers, and heating the coating film to microphase-separating the copolymer into a hydrophilic domain and a hydrophobic domain. The hydrophilic and hydrophobic domains are arranged alternately. The bond is broken, then selectively dissolving-removing either domain by a solvent to provide a polymer pattern of a remainder domain.
US09190286B2

The present disclosure is directed to a highly dilutable chemical mechanical polishing concentrate comprising an abrasive, an acid, a stabilizer, and water with a point-of-use pH ranging from 2.2-3.5 for planarizing current and next generation semiconductor integrated circuit FEOL/BEOL substrates.
US09190280B2

A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device including: preparing a semiconductor substrate with a gate oxide layer on the top thereof; depositing a polycrystalline silicon layer on the top of the semiconductor substrate; depositing a protection layer overlying the top of the polycrystalline silicon layer; etching the protection layer and the polycrystalline silicon layer to form a gate body block; forming an oxide layer overlying the gate body block and the semiconductor substrate; polishing the oxide layer through Chemical Mechanical Polishing (CMP) until the top of the gate body block; removing the protection layer on the top of the gate body block; and forming a metal silicide layer on the gate body block.
US09190272B1

Provided is a semiconductor device and method of fabricating the same. The device includes a substrate including a first region and a second region, a first gate pattern on the first region, a second gate pattern on the second region, and an interlayer insulating layer enclosing the first and second gate patterns. The first gate pattern including a first gate insulating layer and a first gate electrode, the second gate pattern including a second gate insulating layer and a second gate electrode, the first gate insulating layer is thicker than the second gate insulating layer, and a top width of the second gate pattern is larger than a bottom width thereof.
US09190262B2

A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device in which an insulating film is filled between patterns etched into a workpiece structure is disclosed. The method includes cleaning etch residues residing between the etched patterns by a first chemical liquid; rinsing the workpiece structure cleaned by the first chemical liquid by a rinse liquid; and coating the workpiece structure rinsed by the rinse liquid with a coating liquid for formation of the insulating film. The cleaning to the coating are carried out within the same processing chamber such that a liquid constantly exists between the patterns of the workpiece structure.
US09190240B2

A charged particle microscope apparatus includes a radiation optical system that radiates a focused charged particle beam to an upper side of a sample provided with a pattern and scans the sample; a detection optical system that detects charged particles generated from the sample to which the charged particle beam has been radiated by the radiation optical system; and a processing unit that processes the charged particles detected by the detection optical system to obtain a charged particle image of the sample, estimates diffusion of the charged particles at any depth of the pattern of the sample, on the basis of information on a depth or a material of the pattern of the sample or radiation energy of the charged particle beam in the radiation optical system; corrects the obtained charged particle image using the estimated diffusion of the charged particles; and processes the corrected charged particle image.
US09190238B2

A blanking device for multi-charged particle beams includes plural shift registers arranged in two dimensions, and plural data transmitters each configured to be arranged, where each of first shift register groups is aligned in the same row or column, in the plural shift registers arranged in two dimensions, the plural data transmitters each arranged for each of second shift register groups each obtained by grouping shift registers of one of the first shift register groups into one or more groups, wherein each of the second shift register groups is further grouped into third shift register groups each having shift registers serially connected, as plural subgroups, and each of the plural data transmitters is connected to shift registers configuring a part of shift registers serially connected in each of the third shift register groups such that all of the plural subgroups in a corresponding second shift register group are parallelly connected.
US09190231B2

A housing for a high voltage electrical switch includes a tubular body having a top portion and a bottom portion opposite the top portion and removable shed sleeves. A first shed sleeve is removably attached to an outside surface of the top portion, such that an interior surface of the first shed sleeve forms a dielectric interface between the outside surface of the top portion and the interior surface of the first shed sleeve. A second shed sleeve is removably attached to an outside surface of the bottom portion, such that an interior surface of the second shed sleeve forms a dielectric interface between the outside surface of the bottom portion and the interior surface of the second shed sleeve. The first and second shed sleeves are stretched over their respective portions of the tubular body and secured via an interference fit.
US09190222B1

The present application discloses carbonaceous nano-fibrous materials developed by electrospinning mixtures of alkali lignin with a polymer at varied mass ratios. The present application also discloses processing of the lignin/polymer fibers via progressive heat treatments for stabilization, pre-carbonization and carbonization. The resulting carbon nanofibers maintain a uniform shape and have high specific surface area.
US09190218B2

The present invention relates to a dye-sensitized solar cell including a working electrode (1), a first conducting layer (3) for extracting photo-generated electrons from the working electrode, a porous insulation substrate (4) made of a microfibers, wherein the first conducting layer is a porous conducting layer formed on one side of the porous insulation substrate, a counter electrode including a second conducting layer (2) arranged on the opposite side of the porous substrate, and electrolyte for transferring electrons from the counter electrode to the working electrode. The porous insulation substrate comprises a layer (5) of woven microfibers and a layer (6) of non-woven microfibers disposed on the layer of woven microfibers. The present invention also relates to a method for producing a dye-sensitized solar cell.
US09190203B2

Provided are a transformer cooling apparatus and a transformer assembly including the same. The transformer cooling apparatus includes a first plate on which a transformer including a magnetic member and a coil is seated, a second plate disposed on a side of the first plate, the second plate being spaced apart from the first plate, and a coolant passage in which a coolant flows, the coolant passage being defined between the first plate and the second plate.
US09190198B2

The described embodiments relate generally to magnetic fasteners. In particular a fastening apparatus for engaging and disengaging a fastener disposed within a device housing is described. By designing a fastener with a magnetically coded head that fastener can be both engaged and disengaged to a fastener attachment point within a device housing by a magnetic driver having a magnetically coded driving feature that corresponds to the magnetically coded fastener head. In this way a fastener can be attached at various orientations within a device housing after the device housing has been closed.
US09190187B2

A paste composition for solar cell electrodes includes conductive particles, a glass frit, an organic binder and a solvent. The conductive particles include at least two groups of conductive particle having different particle diameter distributions. The conductive particle may have an average particle diameter (D50′) of about 1.85 μm or less and a particle diameter (D90′) at 90% of the cumulative particle diameter distribution of about 3.10 μm or less.
US09190186B2

Providing a negative-electrode active material for nonaqueous-electrolyte secondary battery, the negative-electrode active material enabling an output characteristic to upgrade, a production process for the same, a negative electrode for nonaqueous-electrolyte secondary battery, and a nonaqueous-electrolyte secondary battery. The negative-electrode active material includes an Si-metal-carbon composite composed of: a metal/carbon composite matrix including at least one metal selected from the group consisting of Cu, Fe, Ni, Ti, Nb, Zn, In and Sn, at least one member selected from the group consisting of N, O, P and S, and amorphous carbon; and nanometer-size Si particles dispersed in the metal/carbon composite matrix.
US09190177B2

Illustrative embodiments provide a reactivity control assembly for a nuclear fission reactor, a reactivity control system for a nuclear fission reactor having a fast neutron spectrum, a nuclear fission traveling wave reactor having a fast neutron spectrum, a method of controlling reactivity in a nuclear fission reactor having a fast neutron spectrum, methods of operating a nuclear fission traveling wave reactor having a fast neutron spectrum, a system for controlling reactivity in a nuclear fission reactor having a fast neutron spectrum, a method of determining an application of a controllably movable rod, a system for determining an application of a controllably movable rod, and a computer program product for determining an application of a controllably movable rod.
US09190168B2

A magnetic memory includes a first magnetic line, an electrode, a write-in portion, a second magnetic line, and a spin-wave generator. The first magnetic line has a plurality of magnetic domains and domain walls, the domain wall separating the magnetic domain. The electrode is provided to both ends of the first magnetic line. The write-in portion is provided adjacent to the first magnetic line. The second magnetic line is provided so that the second magnetic line intersects with the first magnetic line. The spin-wave generator provided to one end of the second magnetic line. The spin-wave detector provided to the other end of the second magnetic line.
US09190163B2

An operating method of a memory controller controlling a nonvolatile memory device including a plurality of pages includes receiving a read request and a logical address from an additional device; determining a program state of an upper unselected word line of a selected word line corresponding to the received logical address; and transmitting a physical address corresponding to the logical address, state information, and a read command to the nonvolatile memory device according to a result of the determination in response to the read request, wherein the state information indicates a level of a first unselect read voltage the nonvolatile memory device is to apply to the upper unselected word line.
US09190157B2

A semiconductor device includes MOS transistors, capacitor elements, a voltage generating circuit, a contact plug, and a memory cell. The MOS transistor and the capacitor element are formed on a first one of the element regions and a second one of the element regions, respectively. In the voltage generating circuit, current paths of the MOS transistors are series-connected and the capacitor elements are connected to the source or drain of the MOS transistors. The contact plug is formed on the source or the drain to connect the MOS transistors or one of the MOS transistors and one of the capacitor elements. A distance between the gate and the contact plug both for a first one of the MOS transistors located in the final stage in the series connection is larger than that for a second one of the MOS transistors located in the initial stage in the series connection.
US09190156B2

According to one embodiment, a nonvolatile semiconductor storage device includes a memory cell array where memory cells are arranged in a row direction and a column direction in a matrix shape; word lines which select the memory cell in the row direction; bit lines which select the memory cells in the column direction; a sense amplifier circuit which determines values stored in the memory cells based on states of the bit line; and a charge/discharge circuit which is formed in a well where the memory cell array is arranged and which charges or discharges the bit lines.
US09190155B2

A memory system includes a flash memory including a block having first sub-blocks and second sub-blocks different from each other, the second sub-blocks including free pages only; and a controller configured to erase the flash memory in units of the sub-blocks, and in a garbage collection operation, the controller is configured to copy data of a valid page of the first sub-blocks to at least one of the second sub-blocks.
US09190154B2

The voltage switching circuit comprises: an nMOS transistor having a gate connected to a first terminal that outputs an output voltage, a drain connected to a power-supply terminal, and a source connected to a second terminal; a first pMOS transistor having a source connected to the second terminal, a drain connected to the first terminal, and a gate provided with a first or second voltage, a source and a well thereof being short-circuited; and a switching circuit connected between a third terminal that supplies the input voltage and the first terminal and configured to turn on when the output voltage is supplied to the first terminal. A gate electrode of the first pMOS transistor is configured by semiconductor including p-type impurity. A concentration of p-type impurity in the gate electrode of the memory cell is different from that of the first pMOS transistor.
US09190153B2

The present disclosure includes methods, and circuits, for operating a memory device. One method embodiment for operating a memory device includes controlling data transfer through a memory interface in an asynchronous mode by writing data to the memory device at least partially in response to a write enable signal on a first interface contact, and reading data from the memory device at least partially in response to a read enable signal on a second interface contact. The method further includes controlling data transfer in a synchronous mode by transferring data at least partially in response to a clock signal on the first interface contact, and providing a bidirectional data strobe signal on an interface contact not utilized in the asynchronous mode.
US09190150B2

According to one embodiment, a semiconductor memory device includes a semiconductor substrate, a memory cell array including a plurality of stacked memory cells, a plurality of first wirings electrically connected to the plurality of memory cells, a plurality of first contacts electrically connected to part of the plurality of first wirings and arranged in a first direction parallel to the semiconductor substrate, a plurality of second contacts electrically connected to part of the plurality of first wirings and arranged in the first direction alternately with the first contacts, a plurality of third contacts electrically connected to the first contacts and displaced from the first contacts in the first direction, and a plurality of fourth contacts electrically connected to the second contacts and displaced from the second contacts in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction.
US09190149B2

Embodiments relate to systems and methods including a step of switching between two or more erase operations and/or two or more write operations for erasing of and/or writing to least one memory cell of a nonvolatile memory enabling to select a most suitable erase and/or write operation for a particular erase and/or write operation within the memory.
US09190143B2

A method of operating a variable resistance memory device comprises determining a level of an access voltage based on a number of rows or columns of a cell array, and supplying the access voltage having the determined level to the cell array.
US09190140B2

A semiconductor device includes a section signal generator and a decoder. The section signal generator generates a section signal by retarding a pre-section signal including a pulse created during a read operation or a write operation by a delay time that is set according to a level combination of first and second test mode signals. The decoder decodes address signals in response to a pulse of the section signal to generate column selection signals, one of which is selectively enabled, to store an external data in a memory cell of an internal circuit or to output a data stored in a memory cell of an internal circuit.
US09190127B2

A burst length control circuit includes a burst length input circuit that outputs a mode register burst length signal and a burst length on-the-fly signal, a burst length generator circuit that outputs a burst length signal, and a burst length adjuster that delays the burst length signal by a write latency time to produce a write burst length control signal. A selection circuit selects any one of the burst length signal and the write burst length control signal according to a write read command signal and an on-the-fly signal received from the burst length input circuit, and outputs a burst length control signal. A burst stop counter counts the burst length control signal according to an internal write command signal and an internal read command signal, and outputs a burst stop signal corresponding to a selected burst length.
US09190124B2

Embodiments of a method, device, and system for implementing multi-level memory with direct access are disclosed. In one embodiment, the method includes designating an amount of a non-volatile random access memory (NVRAM) in a computer system to be utilized as a memory alternative for a dynamic random access memory (DRAM). The method continues by designating a second amount of the NVRAM to be utilized as a storage alternative for a mass storage device. Then the method re-designates at least a first portion of the first amount of NVRAM from the memory alternative designation to the storage alternative designation during operation of the computer system. Finally, the method re-designates at least a first portion of the second amount of NVRAM from the storage alternative designation to the memory alternative designation during operation of the computer system.
US09190119B2

The semiconductor device includes a first channel region suitable for including a first pad region and a first core region and receiving a first power signal through a first power line, a second channel region suitable for including a second pad region and a second core region and receiving the first power signal through a second power line, and a switch unit suitable for electrically disconnecting the second power line from a first power stabilization unit if a predetermined operation of the first channel region is performed and electrically disconnecting the first power line from the first power stabilization unit if the predetermined operation of the second channel region is performed.
US09190117B2

A nonvolatile semiconductor memory device includes: a memory cell array having a plurality of memory cells arranged in a matrix; a reference bit line; a reference source line; at least one reference cell including first and second transistors serially connected between these lines; a reference word line connected to the gate of the first transistor; and a reference driver circuit configured to control the gate voltage of the second transistor.
US09190101B2

In an archive device which has a disc storing case which stores a plurality of discs, a disc writing/reading unit having an ODD, and a disc conveying unit which conveys each of the discs between both, the fixing strength for a drive fixer to be incorporated to fix the ODD can be increased. The archive device includes holding members which fix surfaces of the ODD in a direction parallel to a direction in which the disc is delivered and received between the disc conveying unit and the ODD, one of the holding members integrally including a detecting member which detects a relative position of the disc storing case with respect to the ODD. The holding members for the surfaces of the ODD may be individual components, and may be integrally formed.
US09190094B2

Aspects of the present invention relate to a perpendicular magnetic recording (PMR) media stack and methods for fabricating the same. The PMR media stack has a novel grain isolation initiation layer (GIIL) and/or a novel exchange-break layer (EBL) that can improve the signal-to-noise performance of the PMR media stack. The PMR media stack includes a substrate, a soft underlayer on the substrate, an interlayer positioned on the soft underlayer, and a grain isolation initiation layer (GIIL) positioned on the interlayer, a magnetic layer positioned on the GIIL, and an exchange break layer (EBL) positioned on the magnetic layer. The GIIL and/or EBL includes a CoCrRu-oxide.
US09190089B1

A disk drive for redirecting contaminating particulate matter away from an area bearing of a slider element. At least two etched channels are provided in the slider element of the disk drive. The at least two etched channels direct incoming air flow to a leading edge of the slider element from the leading edge towards respective sides of the slider element. Particulate matter that may be progressing towards the air bearing are redirected by virtue of the incoming air flow to the leading edge and expelled from the air bearing via the at least two etched channels.
US09190071B2

A noise-suppression assembly of a mechanical drive system having a rotational frequency includes an audio filter unit configured to receive a first audio signal and a timing signal of the mechanical drive system. The audio filter unit generates a noise-cancellation signal based on a frequency of the timing signal to suppress a noise generated by the mechanical drive system and to apply the noise-cancellation signal to the first audio signal to produce a filtered first audio signal. The frequency of the timing signal is based on the rotational frequency of the mechanical drive system.
US09190069B2

A voice reinforcement system extracts a portion of a converted speech signal and redirects it towards a listening area where it may be added with the original signal. The system includes a speech input, a filter, and a converter. The speech input generates an intermediate signal from a speech signal. The filter extracts a portion of the signal extending above a cutoff frequency. The converter converts the filtered signal to an aural signal directed towards a listening area.
US09190066B2

In accordance with one aspect of the invention, a selector supports the selection of a first encoding scheme or the second encoding scheme based upon the detection or absence of the triggering characteristic in the interval of the input speech signal. The first encoding scheme has a pitch pre-processing procedure for processing the input speech signal to form a revised speech signal biased toward an ideal voiced and stationary characteristic. The pre-processing procedure allows the encoder to fully capture the benefits of a bandwidth-efficient, long-term predictive procedure for a greater amount of speech components of an input speech signal than would otherwise be possible. In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the second encoding scheme entails a long-term prediction mode for encoding the pitch on a sub-frame by sub-frame basis. The long-term prediction mode is tailored to where the generally periodic component of the speech is generally not stationary or less than completely periodic and requires greater frequency of updates from the adaptive codebook to achieve a desired perceptual quality of the reproduced speech under a long-term predictive procedure.
US09190065B2

Systems, methods, and apparatus for a unified approach to encoding different types of audio inputs are described.
US09190062B2

This is directed to processing voice inputs received by an electronic device. In particular, this is directed to receiving a voice input and identifying the user providing the voice input. The voice input can be processed using a subset of words from a library used to identify the words or phrases of the voice input. The particular subset can be selected such that voice inputs provided by the user are more likely to include words from the subset. The subset of the library can be selected using any suitable approach, including for example based on the user's interests and words that relate to those interests. For example, the subset can include one or more words related to media items selected by the user for storage on the electronic device, names of the user's contacts, applications or processes used by the user, or any other words relating to the user's interactions with the device.
US09190057B2

Features are disclosed for managing the use of speech recognition models and data in automated speech recognition systems. Models and data may be retrieved asynchronously and used as they are received or after an utterance is initially processed with more general or different models. Once received, the models and statistics can be cached. Statistics needed to update models and data may also be retrieved asynchronously so that it may be used to update the models and data as it becomes available. The updated models and data may be immediately used to re-process an utterance, or saved for use in processing subsequently received utterances. User interactions with the automated speech recognition system may be tracked in order to predict when a user is likely to utilize the system. Models and data may be pre-cached based on such predictions.
US09190056B2

A method and apparatus for correcting a named entity word in a speech input text. The method includes recognizing a speech input signal from a user, obtaining a recognition result including named entity vocabulary mark-up information, determining a named entity word recognized incorrectly in the recognition result according to the named entity vocabulary mark-up information, displaying the named entity word recognized incorrectly, and correcting the named entity word recognized incorrectly.
US09190051B2

A Chinese speech recognition system and method is disclosed. Firstly, a speech signal is received and recognized to output a word lattice. Next, the word lattice is received, and word arcs of the word lattice are rescored and reranked with a prosodic break model, a prosodic state model, a syllable prosodic-acoustic model, a syllable-juncture prosodic-acoustic model and a factored language model, so as to output a language tag, a prosodic tag and a phonetic segmentation tag, which correspond to the speech signal. The present invention performs rescoring in a two-stage way to promote the recognition rate of basic speech information and labels the language tag, prosodic tag and phonetic segmentation tag to provide the prosodic structure and language information for the rear-stage voice conversion and voice synthesis.
US09190049B2

Features are disclosed for generating text-to-speech (TTS) audio programs from textual content received from multiple sources. A TTS system may assemble an audio program from several individual audio presentations of user-selected network-accessible content. Users may configure the TTS system to retrieve personal content as well as publically accessible content. The audio program may include segues, introductions, summaries, and the like. Voices may be selected for individual content items based on user selections or on characteristics of the content or content source.
US09190044B2

A structure of a soundproof cover for an engine room is mounted on a body frame at a rear side of the engine room in which an engine is mounted. The structure may include two or more piece members that are detachably coupled to each other and collectively form the soundproof cover in a panel shape. The soundproof cover is to be mounted on the body frame so that one side surface of the soundproof cover is directed toward the engine and the other side surface of the soundproof cover is directed toward an interior of a vehicle.
US09190040B2

A bass drum 10 has a hollow cylindrical shell 11, a drumhead 12 mounted on an opening end of the shell 11 to form a striking surface, and a striking surface attachment 13 provided on the reverse side of the drumhead 12. The striking surface attachment 13 is formed of an elastic sheet. At least a part of an outer area of the striking surface attachment 13 is fixed to the drumhead 12 and a central area of the striking surface attachment 13 is not fixed to the drumhead 12. As a result, the bass drum 10 can generate a struck sound having both deep bass sound and clear attack.
US09190037B2

A sound dampening modification means for a musical drum comprising, in combination with a drumshell, a drumhead with a playing surface and a rim, and a drumhead fastening means with a bottom edge, an annular base, and a means joined integral with the annular base to mount the annular base upon the drumhead rim. The means to mount the annular base upon the drumhead rim is positioned so that it may be suspended above the playing surface and held there between the bottom edge of the drumhead fastening means and the drumhead rim. Also provided is a means to muffle drumhead sounds comprised of sound absorbing material positioned between the drumhead fastening means and the drumhead rim.
US09190036B2

An apparatus and method to assist a drummer playing a bass drum. The apparatus enables a drummer to combine force applied to a foot plate, frequency applied to a foot plate, and a selected algorithm to output a mechanical force to a bass drum beater. The apparatus provides drummers the ability to produce a variety of desired rhythmic patterns, to change the intensity of the stroke, to vary the tempi so that patterns will be consistent with the music being performed, and to produce a metronomic beat (tempo) when desired. Hence, drummer fatigue is reduced, the drummer can produce more complicated and varying patterns on the fly, and the drummer has the ability to change the stroke to accent beats.
US09190030B2

A display control apparatus displays image data pieces based on an array in which the image data pieces are sorted in accordance with a specified rule. The display control apparatus extracts, with use of one image data piece from the array as a reference, image data pieces at a set interval from the image data pieces arranged in the array, and arranges and displays the extracted image data pieces that include the reference image data piece on a screen of a display unit based on an order of the array. If the reference image data piece or the interval used in the extraction of the image data pieces has been changed based on an instruction from a user, the display on the display unit is changed with use of the new reference and interval.
US09190027B2

When a French character is selected while an English character string candidate is presented, a mobile terminal presents English and French character string candidates by using an English/French mixed candidate dictionary. Furthermore, when a French character is selected while English and French character string candidates are presented by using the English/French mixed candidate dictionary, the mobile terminal presents a French character string candidate by using a French candidate dictionary. Moreover, when a character other than French is selected while a French character string candidate is presented by using the French candidate dictionary, the mobile terminal presents an English character string candidate by using an English candidate dictionary.
US09190023B2

A driving circuit for driving a liquid crystal display device having a plurality of gate lines, data lines and switch elements connected to the gate and data lines includes a data driver for applying a plurality of data signals to the date lines, a gate driver for applying a plurality of gate signals to the gate lines, a timing controller for providing a plurality of control signals to the data and gate drivers, a power supply for generating a power voltage, and a discharging circuit for applying a first signal and a second signal to the gate driver in accordance with the power voltage.
US09190017B2

An approach is provided for automatically calculating and delivering proportional pointer locations during transition between multiple visual display devices (e.g., in regard to their characteristics, which may be heterogeneous, homogenous, or a mixture thereof). Specifically, the approaches described herein provide a solution for finding proportional locations of a pointer's on-screen graphic as the pointer is being transitioned/moved between multiple display devices (e.g., controlled by a single computer or controller).
US09190009B2

A data driving circuit of a liquid crystal display (LCD) panel includes a data driving chip and at least two isolation driving units. The data driving chip includes a plurality of data driving units that drive data lines of the LCD panel, and the data driving unit includes a port that limits a range of a working voltage of the data driving unit. The isolation driving unit outputs a preset reference voltage to the port of the data driving unit.
US09190004B2

An LCD device is disclosed which includes: at least one sensor module configured to sense an amount of external light; a liquid crystal display panel configured to display images; at least one light source module disposed under the liquid crystal display panel and configured to emit light; and at least one light guide plate configured to convert light from the at least one light source module into two-dimensional light and apply two-dimensional light to the liquid crystal display panel. The at least one light source module includes infrared LEDs and visible LEDs which are selectively driven according to a sensed light quantity sensed by the at least one sensor module and allow infrared light and visible light to be selectively emitted.
US09189990B2

An organic light emitting diode display according to the present invention includes a substrate and a plurality of pixels formed on the substrate. One pixel includes: a scan line formed on the substrate and transmitting a scan signal; a data line and a driving voltage line crossing the scan line and transmitting a data signal and a driving voltage, respectively; a switching thin film transistor connected to the scan line and the data line; a driving thin film transistor connected to a switching drain electrode of the switching thin film transistor; and an organic light emitting diode connected to a driving drain electrode of the driving thin film transistor. The plurality of pixels includes a separation pixel at which the driving voltage line is separated and a connection pixel at which the driving voltage line is connected.
US09189988B2

Techniques involving the management of display parameters are disclosed. For example, an apparatus may include a display, a radio module, and a control module. The display employs various operational parameters, which can take on different values. Exemplary parameters include refresh rate and/or pixel clock rate. The radio module may receive a wireless signal at one or more reception frequencies. The control module may select values for these operational parameters of the display. This selection may be made according to characteristics of interference that would be emitted from the display at the one or more reception frequencies. Upon making this selection, the control module may direct the display to employ the selected parameter values.
US09189985B2

A mobile information terminal that changes various settings associated with reproduction of a moving image content based on a type of the content so as to reduce power consumption. The mobile information terminal starts a television in response to operation by a user, and receives a moving image content of a selected broadcast program, and EPG data. When a power saving mode is ON, the type of the program is judged according to the EPG data. Subsequently, a default frame rate is changed to a value that has been preset for the program type. Hence, the mobile information terminal reproduces the program at a suitable frame rate. Such a change may be made to settings other than the frame rate.
US09189972B2

Techniques are described for visualizing the mood of a group of individuals. In one example, a graphical display is divided into regions representing different emotions. Input indicative of an emotion is received from individuals located in an area of interest. As the input is received, a set of indicators is output in each of the regions of the graphical display. Each indicator represents a different one of the individuals who is experiencing the emotion associated with the region in which the indicator is displayed and is displayed with a color assigned to the emotion. The indicators are animated to move over time toward a center of the graphical display and are removed upon reaching the center of the graphical display. In this way, the graphical display depicts a current mood for the group and indicates a rate of change of each of the different emotions.
US09189968B2

A method/apparatus/system for generating a recommendation based on user interactions with nodes and associated tasks within a prerequisite graph. The recommendation is generated by identifying the user's current position within the prerequisite graph and identifying potential next nodes to which the user could move. Based on the user's past interactions with nodes and/or tasks within the prerequisite graph, the user's likelihood of successfully completing the potential next node is calculated, and a recommendation is made based on this calculated likelihood of the user successfully completing the potential next node.
US09189953B2

Techniques for dynamic power control of a radio of a utility data collection device (e.g., utility meter configured for wireless communications) are described that utilize a detection scheme applied to a Front End Module (FEM) in the utility data collection device. A utility data collection device measures a Voltage Standing Wave Ratio (VSWR) presented to the FEM during transmission. The result of this measurement allows the utility data collection device to dynamically control the input power to a FEM transmit portion. Utilizing these techniques, the utility data collection device can adjust to environmental changes and conditions experienced in the field.
US09189947B2

An apparatus for providing notification of a task includes a position component configured to determine user location information of a user of a mobile communication device, a communication component configured to provide the user location information to a communicatively coupled remote server for determining historical presence information based on at least one of a number of times a user is present at a location and an amount of time the user is present at the location, and a user interface configured to receive identification of task information including a task location and to present a notification of a task based on the historical presence information, the task location, and a current location of the user.
US09189935B2

This invention is about a commercial anti-theft device, more specifically involving in a narrow acousto-magnetic (AM) anti-theft marker having multiple resonators. A type of narrow AM anti-theft marker with multiple resonators includes an elongated housing, resonators, housing cover and magnetic bias pieces. The resonators are placed inside the cavity of the housing. The aforementioned housing bottom is connected to the housing cover so that the resonators are enclosed inside the housing. The number of aforementioned resonators is two to five; the width of resonators is 1.6-5.3 mm. This anti-theft marker has high performance/cost ratio. Because resonators with smaller than conventional width are used, it meets the customer demands for protecting smaller or more exquisite merchandise. Meanwhile it saves expensive amorphous alloys of resonators and alloys of bias and double tapes, led to lower raw material costs.
US09189932B2

The present invention relates generally to a haptic notification apparatus and method which allows a user to be notified through a haptic interface allowing notifications to be perceived by a user as coordinated sensations. Preferably, the coordinated sensations are generated by providing a plurality of conducting electrode having at least one insulator per electrode, allowing skin nerve endings of user to be stimulated via capacitive coupling over said insulator. The apparatus and method also preferably includes a sensor which is configured to sense movement or rotation in any axis and sense electronic nerve signals or pressure from muscle contractions in order to allow a user to respond to a haptic notification.
US09189928B2

A tablet based kiosk to securely support a tablet such as a personal computer to receive, transmit and display information or data comprising a tablet mount including a frame having a back frame member and a front frame member coupled together to retain or house the tablet therein and a card swipe scanner housing to operatively retain a card scanner or swipe to scan information from a card to transmit information from the tablet and card scanner such as payments to a remote site, and supported above the floor or other surface by a stand including a substantially vertical column coupled to the frame by an upper coupling assembly including a power supply housing and coupled to a base by a lower coupling assembly, and a lock mechanism to selectively lock the tablet and tablet mount to the stand.
US09189924B2

A communal game is displayed by a gaming system. A plurality of gaming devices each enable a player to wager on plays of a primary game and determine an eligibility status. The communal game repeatedly generates at least one communal game symbol from a plurality of communal game symbols regardless of whether any player is wagering on plays of a primary game. The communal game triggers a bonus event based on the generated symbols. Any eligible gaming devices may participate in the bonus event. For each eligible gaming device, the gaming system applies at least one symbol or gaming element from the communal game to the primary game of the eligible gaming device. Each eligible gaming device provides an award based on any winning symbol combinations generated by application of the communal game symbol or gaming element.
US09189915B2

A method of gaming comprising: outputting a plurality of different game accompanying sounds individually during at least part of play of one or more games; and outputting two or more sounds together in response to at least one game event occurring.
US09189913B2

An automatic vending machine with a stabilizing support for stocked items of merchandise includes a cabinet, a driving member secured in the cabinet, a helical element, and a pressing member secured to the cabinet. The cabinet includes a bottom plate. The helical element is secured to the driving member and moveable by the driving member. The pressing member is located within the coils of the helical element and runs the length of the helical element to support items of merchandise and reliably deliver an item of merchandise when bought.
US09189909B2

To provide a banknote handling apparatus (1) capable of reducing a waiting time of a customer, as compared with a case in which a general banknote replenishing operation is performed when a banknote to be dispensed falls short in a dispensing process. The banknote handling apparatus (1) includes a memory unit (32) configured to record the stored-number of banknotes stored in the banknote handling apparatus (1) by denomination. Upon receipt of a command for dispensing a banknote(s) of one or more denominations, the number of dispensing being designated by denomination, the control unit (30) is configured to compare the designated-number with the stored-number recorded in the memory unit (32) corresponding to the denomination designated in the dispensing command, and to control the reception unit (11) and the transport unit (10) such that, if the stored-number is smaller than the designated-number, a banknote is fed out from the reception unit (11) and is recognized by the recognition unit (13), and that a banknote of a designated denomination is transported to the dispensing unit (12), in order that the number of banknotes of the designated denomination that have been transported to the dispensing unit matches the designated-number.
US09189905B2

The present invention provides a coin handling machine 11 which can handle a large amount of coins, has a transportation structure which can be simplified, reduced in size and cost, and can reduce the occurrence of trouble such as coin jams.The coin handling machine 11 includes a depositing and dispensing unit 13 which processes depositing and dispensing of coins, and a replenishing and collecting unit 14 which replenishes coins to the depositing and dispensing unit 13 and collects coins from the depositing and dispensing unit 13. The depositing and dispensing unit 13 includes a depositing and dispensing transport path 25, a depositing and feeding unit 31, a plurality of storing and feeding units 32, and an escrow unit 38. Each of the depositing and feeding unit 31 and the plurality of storing and feeding units 32 includes a rotary disk 60 which rotates at a position inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the horizontal direction, and a hopper which stores coins in an unaligned state on the surface side of the rotary disk 60. The replenishing and collecting unit 14 includes an overflow stacking unit 91 and a coin cassette 92, and includes a replenishment transport path 93 which transports coins fed out from the overflow stacking unit 91 and the coin cassette 92 to the depositing and dispensing unit 13.
US09189901B2

Embodiments are directed towards authenticating users using biometric devices. The biometric device may be arranged to capture one or more biometric feature of a user that may be wearing the biometric device such as biometric features that correspond to an electrocardiogram of the user. The user of the biometric device may be authenticated based on one or more biometric features, or a combination thereof. Authenticating the user of the biometric device, may include communicating information that includes biometric features to an authorized authentication device (AAD). When the user is authenticated, the biometric device may be preauthorized for the user. When the preauthorized biometric device senses at least one access point, an authorization signal may be provided to the access point. If the preauthorized biometric device is removed from the user, the biometric device is deauthorized, disabling access to access points by the user.
US09189898B2

A tachograph including a control unit and an output unit connected to the control unit, and an interface for connecting to a data but. The tachograph additionally includes a further interface, by which a network connection can be established between an external data input device and the output unit, so that data kept available on the external data input device can be output by the output unit.
US09189893B2

To generate an image that enables effective suppression of the occurrence of binocular rivalry and that facilitates stereoscopic vision. A left-eye image feature point extraction unit (13b) and a right-eye image feature point extraction unit (13d) extract feature points from a left-eye image and a right-eye image, respectively. A number-of-non-corresponding-points calculation unit (13g) calculates, in a case where the feature points in one image among the left-eye image and the right-eye image, which are extracted by a left-eye image feature point extraction unit (13b) and a right-eye image feature point extraction unit (13d), are shifted a certain distance in the horizontal direction, the number of feature points in the one image that do not correspond to the feature points in the other image, for each shift distance. A disparity value adjustment unit (13h) adjusts a disparity value between the left-eye image and the right-eye image in accordance with the number calculated for each shift distance.
US09189890B2

Systems and methods are provided to facilitate orientation of a plane with respect to a three-dimensional representation. A device is presented utilizing at least one of an accelerometer, gyroscope, or combination thereof, enabling determination of a current position and/or orientation of the device. Outputs from the accelerometer, gyroscope, etc., are captured and orientation of a plane displayed with regard to the three-dimensional representation is accordingly adjusted to correspond with the position of the device. Imaging information relating to the three-dimensional representation and the plane can be captured facilitating analysis of the respective slice of the three-dimensional representation associated with the plane.
US09189889B2

A method to build a 3D model for a physical object includes the following steps. First, depth information of a plurality of images is converted into a plurality of 3D point clouds. Then, the motion parameters of the camera to gather each image relative to a previous image are determined according to the 3D point clouds. Next, a registration energy estimate value of each image's 3D point cloud, as being integrated into a previous image's 3D point cloud, is determined according to corresponding motion parameters. Then, the motion parameters are varied to minimize the estimate value. An optimal camera path is determined according to the varied motion parameters. Finally, a 3D model of the physical object is built according the optimal camera path.
US09189886B2

A system and method of estimating the body shape of an individual from input data such as images or range maps. The body may appear in one or more poses captured at different times and a consistent body shape is computed for all poses. The body may appear in minimal tight-fitting clothing or in normal clothing wherein the described method produces an estimate of the body shape under the clothing. Clothed or bare regions of the body are detected via image classification and the fitting method is adapted to treat each region differently. Body shapes are represented parametrically and are matched to other bodies based on shape similarity and other features. Standard measurements are extracted using parametric or non-parametric functions of body shape. The system components support many applications in body scanning, advertising, social networking, collaborative filtering and Internet clothing shopping.
US09189884B2

A method and system for video encoding assets for swivel/360-degree spinners is disclosed. Still images of a 3D object from different perspectives about the 3D object may be stacked and then video encoded to generate video frames of the object from the different perspectives. The video-encoded assets may be stored on a server or other network-connected device, and later retrieved by a connected client device for display processing by a swivel/360-degree spinner on the client device. The swivel/360-degree spinner may utilize native video processing capabilities of the client device and/or of a browser running on the client device to display video motion of the object moving through different angular orientations in response to movement of an interactive cursor.
US09189881B2

In a graphics processing system that includes one or more programmable shading stages, the shader compiler receives a shader program to be compiled (step 40), identifies any run time constant expressions in the shader program (step 41), and removes such expressions from the original shader program, and substitutes them in the original main shader program with appropriate load instructions pointing to where the output results from a pilot shader program will be stored (step 42). The shader compiler then creates a separate pilot shader program for the identified run-time constant expressions (step 43). The pilot shader program is then executed on the graphics processing pipeline (step 44), before the modified main shader program (step 45).
US09189877B2

Provided is an image processing device including a corresponding pixel computation unit configured to, with respect to image data containing an image data area and an ignored area, replace a pixel in the ignored area having influence on a spatial analysis process with a pixel having no influence on the spatial analysis process.
US09189869B2

A method of decoding an image includes the steps of restoring a residual value by performing inverse quantization and inverse transform on the residual value by entropy decoding a received bit stream, generating a prediction unit by performing intra prediction selectively using one of a plurality of prediction modes on a prediction unit split by conducting at least one of asymmetric partitioning and geometrical partitioning, and restoring an image by adding the residual value to the prediction unit. It may be possible to enhance encoding efficiency of high-resolution images having a resolution of HD or higher by performing intra prediction on the asymmetric partitioning and/or geometrical partitioning.
US09189868B2

A multimedia content delivery apparatus for delivering graphical information across a network to a client device, the apparatus including an environment engine controlling a virtual environment responsive to user commands, an object transformation unit transforming original object data of objects in the environment into compressed object data, a data management unit transmitting compressed data to the client device for decompression to output a sequence of images of the environment on the device, and a handler unit receiving commands from the device and providing the user commands to the environment engine.
US09189855B2

Described herein is a method for detecting, identifying and tracking hand, hand parts, and fingers on the hand (500) of a user within depth images of a three-dimensional scene. Arms of a user are detected, identified, segmented from the background of the depth images, and tracked with respect to time. Hands of the user are identified and tracked and the location and orientation of its parts, including the palm and the fingers (510, 520, 530, 540, 550) are determined and tracked in order to produce output information enabling gesture interactions.
US09189854B2

Systems and methods are provided for creating contour images that represent the contour of objects reflected in images, calculating contour histogram descriptors of the contour images, and classifying images based in part on the histogram descriptors of the contour images. For example, a contour image of an image is created. A radial-polar grid having a plurality of radial-polar bins is then positioned on the contour image. A contour histogram descriptor is created to include a number of bins that correspond to the radial-polar bins of the radial-polar grid, where the contents of the bins of the contour histogram descriptor represent the number of pixels of the contour image that are located in the corresponding radial-polar bins of the radial-polar grid. Images are classified at least based in part on comparisons between contour histogram descriptors of the images and contour histogram descriptors of training images.
US09189839B1

In one aspect, a request to generate an automated tour based on a set of panoramic images is received. Each particular panoramic image is associated with geographic location information and linking information linking the particular panoramic image with one or more other panoramic images in the set. A starting panoramic image and a second panoramic image are determined based at least in part on the starting panoramic image and the linking information associated with the starting and second panoramic images. A first transition between the starting panoramic image and the second panoramic image is also determined based at least in part on the linking information for these panoramic images. Additional panoramic images as well as a second transition for between the additional panoramic images are also determined. The determined panoramic images and transitions are added to the tour according to an order of the tour.
US09189830B2

Image defogging method and system. The method includes: acquiring minimum intensity values corresponding to pixels in a foggy image, and selecting the largest values of intensity values of R, G, and B channels of pixels in an area, covered by a brightest area of a predetermined size in a local minimum intensity image, in the foggy image as component values of R, G, and B channels of an atmosphere light value; acquiring a transformation image of the foggy image with atmosphere light value of the foggy image; acquiring a transmission map of the foggy image by edge-preserving filtering the transformation image; and acquiring intensity values of R, G, and B channels of pixels in a defogged image using transmission map and atmosphere light value of the foggy image and intensity values of R, G, and B channels of pixels in the foggy image.
US09189828B2

An accelerator system is implemented on an expansion card comprising a printed circuit board having (a) one or more graphics processing units (GPUs), (b) two or more associated memory banks (logically or physically partitioned), (c) a specialized controller, and (d) a local bus providing signal coupling compatible with the PCI industry standards. The controller handles most of the primitive operations to set up and control GPU computation. Thus, the computer's central processing unit (CPU) can be dedicated to other tasks. In this case a few controls (simulation start and stop signals from the CPU and the simulation completion signal back to CPU), GPU programs and input/output data are exchanged between CPU and the expansion card. Moreover, since on every time step of the simulation the results from the previous time step are used but not changed, the results are preferably transferred back to CPU in parallel with the computation.
US09189821B2

Generating a digital-media-enhanced electronic record of a locate and/or marking operation performed by a locate technician. The locate and/or marking operation comprises locating and/or identifying, using at least one physical locate mark, a presence or an absence of at least one underground facility within a dig area, wherein at least a portion of the dig area may be excavated or disturbed during excavation activities. A location of the at least one underground facility and/or the at least one physical locate mark is electronically rendered on a display device so as to generate an electronic visual representation of the locate and/or marking operation. At least one digital media file representation of a corresponding digital media file relating to at least one aspect of the locate and/or marking operation or an environment of the dig area is also electronically rendered on the display device, so as to generate a digital-media-annotated representation of the locate and/or marking operation. Information relating to the digital-media-annotated representation of the locate and/or marking operation is electronically transmitted and/or stored so as to generate the digital-media-enhanced electronic record of the locate and/or marking operation.
US09189810B2

In various example embodiments, systems and methods to mine product recommendations from query reformulation is provided. In example embodiments, a query that corresponds to a particular product is received. Transition data for the particular product is accessed. The transition data includes values indicating a number of search transitions based on a change in queries between the particular product and other products in previous session sets of queries. One or more recommendations based on the transition data is determined and provided to the user.
US09189799B2

Method and apparatus are provided for determining an effect of characteristics of a first message on interaction with the first message over an electronically meditated forum. The first message may be posted to the electronically mediated forum to provide a first posted message. The first posted message includes characteristics. The electronically mediated forum may be monitored to detect at least one instance of interaction with the first posted message. Interaction data may be extracted. Interaction data may include data describing at least one interaction the first posted message. The interaction data may be analyzed to determine the effect of the characteristics of the first posted message on the interaction(s) with the first posted message to provide determined effect data.
US09189791B2

A server of an operator of a resource is provided that includes a processor configured for operating a service provider application, which is configured for receiving one or more advertisements that are directed to one or more advertised products or services, and are received from one or more advertising merchants. The service provider application is also configured for receiving an indication of a mobile terminal attempting to access the resource of the operator, and for pushing one or more of the received advertisements from the operator to the mobile terminal in response thereto. The advertisement(s) having been pushed to the mobile terminal for consumption thereat, the service provider application is further configured for providing a user of the mobile terminal with a discount in a cost associated with the mobile terminal accessing the resource of the operator in response to at least a partial consumption of the advertisement(s).
US09189788B1

A system and method of identity verification at a point-of-identification verification (POV) using biometric-based identity recognition and an identity verifying score based upon a presenter's initial identification presentment and their subsequent action in the system. The system also provides tracking and evaluates verifier activity within the system through biometric-based identity recognition and a performance score based upon their actions and the results of their actions within the system. System users register at least one biometric identifier and personal and/or business identity-verifying data. Users present a biometric sample obtained from their person and their system ID number to conduct identification transactions. This data is used to authenticate the user's identity to a percentage of reliability and allows a user with consistently positive ID verifications to establish a higher ID score, strengthening their credibility within the system. Once enrolled, the system allows the user to be identified without presenting any token-based information, such as a driver's license or passport. In one embodiment, an identity verification score generated via the system can be employed in conjunction with online transactions, such as purchases, auctions, email, instant messaging, and the like.
US09189787B1

Techniques for funding an electronic purse (e-purse) are disclosed. According to one aspect of the invention, a mechanism is provided to enable a portable device to conduct transactions over an open network with a payment server without compromising security. In one embodiment, a device is loaded with an e-purse manager. The e-purse manager is configured to manage various transactions and functions as a mechanism to access an e-purse therein. The e-purse is funded by interactions among the e-purse manager, a payment server and a financial institution (its server) that maintains an account therefor.
US09189782B2

In accordance with one embodiment, an information processing apparatus comprises an acquisition module configured to acquire an image of a commodity, a detection module configured to detect the commodity from the image acquired by the acquisition module, a recognition module configured to compare the feature amount of the commodity detected by the detection module with the feature amount of each reference commodity to recognize the reference commodity of which the similarity degree is greater than a threshold value as a commodity candidate, a commodity candidate display module configured to display the commodity candidates recognized before a given waiting time period elapses in the descending order of similarity degree, and then successively display the commodity candidates recognized after the waiting time period elapses in sequence, and a reception module configured to receive an operation of selecting one from the displayed commodity candidates.
US09189775B2

A system, method and computer-readable medium for displaying a message over a network are disclosed. A distribution indicator is associated with a defined distribution rule for displaying messages over the network. A message includes the distribution indicator in the message. The message is displayed over the network according to the distribution rule indicated by the distribution indicator included in the message.
US09189767B2

A computer server for a network-based transaction system is coupled to a kiosk via a data communications network. The kiosk includes a computer processor, an input device, an electronic display unit, a plurality of compartments, and a data communications port. The computer server receives input from a seller of an item. The input includes a listing of the item for sale on the network-based transaction system. The server identifies an available compartment from the plurality of compartments based on the item for sale. The available compartment is configured to receive the item for sale from the seller. The server transmits an identification of the available compartment to the seller via the electronic display unit, and enables access to the available compartment by the seller.
US09189762B2

A system for generating an optimal set of tasks to be performed includes an interface to receive from a user first and second processes and a priority criterion defining an objective of the first and second processes and a process converter configured to convert the first and second processes into tasks that make up the first process and the second process. The system further includes a task network modeler configured to determine relationships between the tasks and to generate a task network comprising the tasks of the first and second processes, the task network representing the relationships between the tasks of the first and second processes. The system further includes an optimization unit configured to generate, based on the priority criterion, an optimal set of tasks in the task network to be performed.
US09189759B2

Methods, systems, and computer-readable media provide for providing contact information at turf level. According to embodiments, a method for providing contact information at turf level is provided. According to the method, a selected turf from a plurality of turfs displayed in a spreadsheet-based graphical user interface (GUI) is received. In response to receiving the selected turf, contact information for field supervisors associated with disciplines of the selected turf is displayed.
US09189755B2

A method of determining an estimated wind speed of a wind driving a wind turbine includes measuring a current power generated by the wind turbine, measuring a current rotor speed of a rotor of the wind turbine, and measuring a current blade pitch angle of a rotor blade of the rotor. Moreover, the method includes determining the estimated wind speed based on the current power, the current rotor speed and the current blade pitch angle.
US09189747B2

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on one or more computer storage devices, for training a predictive model. In one aspect, a method includes receiving over a network predictive modeling training data from a client computing system. The training data and multiple training functions obtained from a repository of training functions are used to train multiple predictive models. A score is generated for each of the trained predictive models, where each score represents an estimation of the effectiveness of the respective trained predictive model. A first trained predictive model is selected from among the trained predictive models based on the generated scores. Access to the first trained predictive model is provided over the network.
US09189740B1

In some embodiments, techniques for rationalizing a recommendation include determining a recommended item for a user using a first recommendation engine, wherein the first recommendation engine receives as an input first behavioral data associated with a user, and generates an identifier corresponding to a recommended item; creating a rationalization for the recommended item using a first rationalization engine, separate from the recommendation engine, wherein the first rationalization engine receives as inputs the recommended item and second behavioral data associated with the user, and generates a rationalization, wherein the rationalization includes a constructed rationalization of why the recommended item is recommended for the user, and wherein the creation of the rationalization is not based on an actual reason the first recommendation engine determined the recommended item; associating the rationalization for the recommended item with the recommended item; and providing the recommended item and associated rationalization.
US09189739B2

Systems and methods are provided for predicting a circadian state of an individual. The methods comprise: providing a model representative of the response of the circadian state to light stimulus, the model comprising at least one model variable representative of a probability distribution function (PDF) of a phase offset of the circadian state of the individual; and using the model to estimate an updated PDF of the phase offset, wherein using the model to estimate the updated PDF of the phase offset comprises performing a Bayesian estimation process commencing with an initial PDF of the phase offset and iterating toward the updated PDF of the phase offset.
US09189738B2

Embodiments of the present invention relate to a method and system for automatic event analysis. In particular, according to embodiments of the present invention, there is disclosed a method for automatic event analysis, comprising: collecting information on events of a predetermined type occurring at, within a period of time, at least one location in a space; determining a predictability of the events of the predetermined type with respect to the at least one location based on the collected information and a predetermined condition(s) related to the events of the predetermined type; and determining the stability of predictable events with respect to the at least one location within the period of time. Further, there is disclosed a corresponding system. According to embodiments of the present invention, it is possible to classify an event associated with a service and analyze the service demands in a more efficient way.
US09189731B2

A neural system comprises multiple neurons interconnected via synapse devices. Each neuron integrates input signals arriving on its dendrite, generates a spike in response to the integrated input signals exceeding a threshold, and sends the spike to the interconnected neurons via its axon. The system further includes multiple noruens, each noruen is interconnected via the interconnect network with those neurons that the noruen's corresponding neuron sends its axon to. Each noruen integrates input spikes from connected spiking neurons and generates a spike in response to the integrated input spikes exceeding a threshold. There can be one noruen for every corresponding neuron. For a first neuron connected via its axon via a synapse to dendrite of a second neuron, a noruen corresponding to the second neuron is connected via its axon through the same synapse to dendrite of the noruen corresponding to the first neuron.
US09189723B2

In general, embodiments of the present invention relate to a light-powered smart card and associated methods for automated information (static and dynamic) exchange pursuant to a commercial transaction. In a typical embodiment, the card (e.g., a credit card, a debit card and/or a smart card) comprises (among other things) an energy component for providing power to the card. Upon powering up via a light source, including light from the interfacing terminal's backlight, a terminal (e.g., a point of sale terminal) will scan/read card information shared between the card and the card company (e.g., upon swiping or placing of the card), and generate a corresponding source validation code (SVC). An optional imager/image array positioned on the back of the card will scan/read the SVC, and card validation code (CVC) logic on the card will generate a CVC based on the SVC (e.g., based on a validation result of the SVC).
US09189718B2

A power control method for an RFID reader in a mobile terminal includes the steps of: checking a driving mode of a display in a standby mode where no power is supplied to the RFID reader; if the driving mode of the display is a sleep mode, maintaining the RFID reader in the standby mode, and if the driving mode of the display is an operation mode, checking an RFID menu interface; and if the RFID menu interface has no RFID automatic detection function settled therein, maintaining the RFID reader in the standby mode, and if the RFID menu interface has an RFID automatic detection function settled therein, supplying power to the RFID reader so that the RFID reader is switched to a read mode.
US09189696B2

A recording device and a control method for a recording device improve the accuracy of reading MICR information while also shortening the time required for recording media processing. A dot impact printer 10 has a magnetic head 34 that magnetically reads MICR information recorded on a recording medium S, a recording head 18 that is mounted on a different carriage than the magnetic head 34 and records images on the recording medium S, and a back scanner 112 that optically reads MICR information recorded on the recording medium S, disposed sequentially to the transportation path P of the recording medium S. When reading the MICR information by means of the magnetic head 34 does not succeed, the recording medium S is conveyed to the back scanner 112, the MICR information is read by the back scanner 112, the reading results are compared, and the MICR information is identified.
US09189695B2

Systems and methods for applying a vector texture to free-form drawing, writing, etc., and more particularly, for rendering a vector texture to touch-based, free-form drawing, writing, etc.
US09189694B2

An image processing method for identifying a region in an input image by character recognition, the region coinciding with a predetermined search condition, includes receiving the search condition, the search condition including assignments of plural format character strings, each format character string including an assignment of a character type or a specific character for each character of a recognition target, extracting a character string region becoming a candidate from the input image, calculating a similarity between a character recognition result and the plural format character strings with respect to each group of plural character string regions, the character recognition result being of each character string region included in each group, and determining the group coinciding with the search condition among the groups of plural character string regions according to the calculated similarity.
US09189692B2

Methods and systems are provided for detecting an attention of an occupant of a vehicle. In one embodiment, a method includes calculating, by a processor, a first gaze vector in a three-dimensional space based on a first vehicle location, a first vehicle orientation, and a first gaze direction; calculating, by the processor, a second gaze vector in the three-dimensional space based on a second vehicle location, a second vehicle orientation, and a second gaze direction; and determining the attention of the occupant based on the first gaze vector and the second gaze vector.
US09189688B2

An invention for identifying a spatial location of an event within video image data is provided. Disclosed are embodiments for detecting an object and obtaining trajectory data of a trajectory of the object within the video image data from a sensor device; converting the trajectory data into a contour-coded compressed image; generating, based on the trajectory data, a searchable code that contains a set of locations traversed by the trajectory of the object within the video image; associating the searchable code with the contour-coded compressed image in a database; and returning, in response to a query having a selected location that corresponds a location of the set of locations in the searchable code, an image of the trajectory data corresponding to the object based on the contour-coded compressed image in the database.
US09189687B2

Methods, systems and media are described for computer-assisted video surveillance. Methods may support detection of moving persons in video frames, extraction of features of the detected moving persons and identification of which detected moving persons are likely matches to a person of interest. Identification of the likely matches may be determined using an attribute-based search, and/or using a specific person-based search. The method may include using likely matches confirmed as images of the person of interest to reconstruct a path of the person of interest.
US09189683B2

A target image detection device for detecting a target image from an original image has an acquiring section for acquiring the original image, a determining section for determining a detection condition different from a detection condition of a previous time of a plurality of detection conditions for detecting the target image, a detecting section for detecting the target image with the detection condition determined by the determining section with respect to the original image acquired by the acquiring section, and an output section for outputting a detection result detected by the detecting section.
US09189682B2

Facial recognition algorithms may identify the faces of one or more people in a digital image. Multiple types of communication may be available for the different people in the digital image. A user interface may be presented indicating recognized faces along with the available forms of communication for the corresponding person. An indication of the total number of people available to be communicated with using each form of communication may be presented. The user may have the option to choose one or more forms of communication, causing the digital image to be sent to the recipients using the selected forms of communication. An individual may have provided information for facial recognition of the individual to a service. Based on the information, the service may recognize that the individual is in an uploaded picture and send the digital image to the user account of the individual.
US09189674B2

A 2D barcode scanner (1) comprises a housing (2) having a reading window (3) and a digital camera (4) arranged in the housing (2) for detecting the area of the reading window (3) either directly or via a deflecting mirror arrangement (8, 9). At least one external light source (5) is provided for illuminating an area in front of the reading window (3) in the housing (2), at the side of the reading window (3) that is facing away from the digital camera (4). At least one external light source (5) is provided with an optical adapter (7) by which the light therefrom is distributed, such that the reflection paths are not illuminated at the inside of the reading window (3) back into the camera (4), or are illuminated with a very low intensity. This avoids or significantly reduces the intensity of the light reflections that arise on the inside of the reading window (3) and are superimposed on the barcode that is to be read as very bright spots in the image of the digital camera (4).
US09189673B2

A two-dimensional code that includes a bar code readable by a scanning operation is provided. The two-dimensional code has an associated alphanumeric representation, and the bar code and the alphanumeric representation represent the same first information. Further, a position of at least one character of the alphanumeric representation with respect to at least one element of the bar code represents second information.
US09189672B2

According to one embodiment, a commodity has information code located on the commodity. A pasted object is pasted on a commodity. The pasted object comprises an image and additional information displayed on the pasted object. The image may include a direction presenting portion. The direction presenting portion can be an extended portion that extends in the direction of the information code. The additional information can indicate a content of a service to be provided to a customer purchasing the commodity. The additional information can be read by a device and a user.
US09189659B2

Techniques for securely managing user-specific benefits. An authentication server receives a request for a user-identification code from a computing device. The authentication server generates the user-identification code. The authentication server also generates an expiration date associated with the user-identification code. The authentication server transmits the user-identification code and the expiration date to the computing device. The authentication server also validates the user-identification code received from a code scanning system.
US09189657B2

An information processing apparatus which is capable of ensuring mutual security in cases where security information is displayed in a state in which an image displayed on a display is open to the outside. A display displays an operation screen of the apparatus. An input section receives an operation instruction to the apparatus, and a network interface receives an operation instruction to the apparatus from an external device. A control section determines whether an instruction for displaying an operation screen containing security information is received from the input section or via the network interface. When determining that the instruction is received via the network interface, the control unit cause screen data for displaying the operation screen to be transmitted to the external device, and the operation screen containing the security information to be prevented from being displayed on the display.
US09189650B2

A method includes, in a server residing in a network of interconnected computers, receiving user data, dissecting the received user data into a plurality of key/value pairs, iterating through the plurality of key/value pairs, generating a new data structure in the memory of the server for each key/value pair that do not exist, inserting a UserID into a set associated for a specific key/value pair, storing the key/value sets, and destroying the received user data.
US09189645B2

Aspects described herein allow multiple devices to function as a coherent whole, allowing each device to take on distinct functions that are complementary to one another. Aspects described herein also allow the devices function as a coherent whole when interconnected devices and their respective applications are configured to operate in various operation modes, when management policies are employed to control the operation of the interconnected devices and their respective applications, when transferring content between the interconnected devices and storing the content at those devices, when obtaining access credentials for the interconnected devices that enable the devices to access enterprise resources, when a policy agent applies management policies to control operation of and interaction between the interconnected devices, and when the interconnected devices are used to access an enterprise application store.
US09189644B2

Systems and methods are provided for provisioning access rights to physical computing resources using an IAM system implementing an IAM data model. The IAM data model may identify logical and physical computing resources. An access request handler may receive an access request and identify a set of logical permissions based on the access request. The access request handler may derive a set of logical entitlements based on the set of logical permissions. An entitlement translator may translate the set of logical entitlements to a physical entitlement specification based on a set of physical permission specifications associated with the set of logical permissions. A physical permission specification may be obtained by mapping a logical permission to one or more physical permissions. An access control manager may then provision access rights to at least one physical computing resource indicated in the physical entitlement specification.
US09189641B2

A method of deleting log records may include identifying a plurality of log records generated during a time period, for each identified log record, determining whether a delete request associated with the log record has been made, and, in response to determining that a delete request has not been received, identifying a unique identifier associated with the log record, searching a user activity table for an entry having a key table index associated with the unique identifier, where the entry is associated with a timestamp, using the key table index and the timestamp to identify a key associated with the unique identifier and the timestamp from a key table, encrypting at least a portion of the log record with the identified key to generate an encrypted value, and storing the encrypted value as an entry in the log record database that is associated with the identified log record.
US09189637B2

Embodiments of computer-implemented methods, systems, and non-transitory computer-readable medium having one or more computer programs stored therein are provided to transfer contents of transactional data between two or more networks configured to have different levels of network protection. Generated data barcodes can be decoded to produce contents of transactional data to be transmitted between two or more networks configured to have different levels of network security protection, and decoded contents of the transactional data can then be securely communicated back to the sender for comparison by generating validation barcodes to be decoded by the sender. Generated verification barcodes can then be decoded to produce verification data. Verification data can confirm success of the transmission of contents of transactional data encoded in the data barcodes. Decoded contents of transactional data can then be stored responsive to an indication of successful transmission.
US09189636B2

An example system can comprise a memory to store machine readable instructions. The system can also comprise a processing unit to execute the machine readable instructions. The machine readable instructions can comprise a service layer to generate an office machine security policy for a heterogeneous fleet of office machines. The heterogeneous fleet of office machines can comprise two different office machines. The service layer can also generate a security configuration for each office machine of the office machine fleet. The security configuration for a given office machine of the heterogeneous fleet of office machines can comprise a security setting for the given office machine. The machine readable instructions can comprise can also comprise a device layer to translate the security configuration of the given office machine into security instructions that are executable by the given office machine.
US09189635B2

A computer system and its control method capable of allocating resources to a plurality of users in a balanced manner and ensuring information security between the users even when the plurality of users are made to extensively manage a storage system are provided.The storage system includes: a plurality of resource groups defined by grouping of a plurality of resources; a storage area for storing management information of the plurality of resource groups and association information between the plurality of resources and the plurality of resource groups; and a plurality of user groups defined by grouping of the plurality of users, each of the user groups being allocated to at least one of the plurality of resource groups; wherein based on login of at least one user from among the plurality of users, a management device has the storage system execute operation permitted by an authority granted to the user group, to which the relevant user belongs, on the resource group allocated to the user group.
US09189633B2

The present disclosure provides a download management method and device based on Android browser. The download management method includes the following steps: obtaining a physical address of a network card of a television when a download request input from a user through the browser is received; and judging whether the television corresponding to the physical address is granted a download permission corresponding to the download request; if the physical address is granted the download permission, implementing the download according to the download request; otherwise, if the physical address is not granted the download permission, preventing the download. The method and device of the present disclosure can effectively control the download contents of the television and thus prevent random downloads from reducing the safety and stability of the system and further thus improves the user experience.
US09189614B2

Password definition and recognition in programmable devices with back-to-back transparent, touchscreens includes defining first and second contact patterns on respective first and second ones of the touchscreens as patterns of touchscreen contact inputs generated from contact of respective contact elements on the touchscreens contemporaneously, wherein the touchscreens enable a viewer to see through the touchscreens. A composite password pattern is defined by mapping location of the first pattern on the first screen relative to the location of the second pattern on the second screen. Recognizing a successful entry of the composite password pattern requires an entry of the first pattern on one of first and second, back-to-back touchscreens contemporaneously with an entry of the second pattern on another of the first and second touchscreens in an alignment that is compliant with the composite password mapping.
US09189613B1

Embodiments described herein provide for systems and methods for providing a user with an interactive, feedback-driven exercise program through the use of exercise equipment which provides tactile, visual and auditory feedback through proactive and reactive control, as well as portable electronic devices in communication with the exercise equipment to sense user activity, store user data and feedback for providing automated exercise program modifications, and provide visual and auditory feedback in the form of an interactive visual exercise experience using displays and other device feedback, as well as authenticate the user and user exercise equipment. The systems and methods are configured to create prescriptive exercises based on user profiles, which are then displayed to the user on the portable electronic devices during the execution of the exercise program on the exercise equipment.
US09189608B2

A permission management method for an electronic device capable of installing at least one application is illustrated. The electronic device comprises a plurality of accessible operational functions. The method prepares a management table for recording corresponding operational functions that the application needs to access while performing the application, and a permission management program for controlling the management table. The permission management program may be performed to change the permission state of each operational function corresponding to the installed application. When the application installed in the device is performed and one of the operational functions is requested, the records in the management table are referred to determine whether the application is allowed to access the requested operational function.
US09189607B1

A method of policy management and control on a mobile phone. The method comprises receiving a user interface change request by a launcher application executing on the mobile phone, requesting permissions from an interface control application programming interface (API) by the launcher application, receiving a response from the interface control application programming interface by the launcher application, where the response indicates if the user interface change is permitted, and enforcing the received permission by the launcher application, where enforcing the received permission comprises executing the user interface change request when the user interface change is permitted, and where enforcing the received permissions comprises not executing the user interface change request and presenting a message to a user of the mobile phone when the user interface change is restricted.
US09189597B2

A medical device is configured such that operator inputs are more convenient and more reliable via a touchscreen display. The medical device includes a touchscreen having two redundant finger-position sensors. At least one of the sensors has additional piezoelectric elements, which can modify at least partial areas of the touchscreen such that the sensors are differentiated from their surrounding areas by an elevation, a recess, a vibration or a change in the surface roughness sensed. A control unit differentiates intentional and unintentional operating entries, and in the event of failure of the visual display device of the touchscreen display ensures at least a restricted operability of the touchscreen display.
US09189596B2

This invention concerns a method for measuring cognitive load of a person in performing a task. In other aspects the invention can be expressed as a computer and as software that are used to perform the method. The computer (50) has an interface having a plural number of unimodal input (20, 30 to 40) and output devices, and a cognitive load analyzer (50). The analyzer comprises a receiver to receive input data signal streams (25, 35 and 45) from respective devices (20, 30 and 40). A classifier (56 to 59), (66 to 69) and (76 to 79) is also provided to identify predetermined “meta-interaction patterns” from the streams (25, 35 and 45), and to weight the identified predetermined “meta-interaction patterns” to produce respective weighted outputs. A combiner (80) to fuse the outputs to produce a measure indicating the person's cognitive load.
US09189592B2

A tester apparatus capable of obtaining a forming limit diagram pertaining to a sample having a high degree of precision includes a fixing jig and a mobile jig installed at an upper side of the fixing jig so as to enable a vertical movement. The mobile jig may be configured to fix the sample in cooperation with the fixing jig, and a driving apparatus disposed at a lower side of the fixing jig may be configured to drive the vertical movement of the mobile jig. An interlocking apparatus provided in between the mobile jig and the driving apparatus may be configured to deliver a driving force of the driving apparatus to the mobile jig.
US09189588B2

Methods and systems for design of integrated circuits including performing OPC are discussed. In one embodiment, design data having a geometric feature is provided. A base feature is formed from the geometric feature, which has a substantially linear edge. A pseudo dissection point is determined on the base feature. Add or trim a polygon from the base feature to form a modified feature. An OPC process is performed on the modified feature to generate an output design. The output design is used to fabricate a semiconductor device on a semiconductor substrate.
US09189582B2

This application discloses a voltage analysis tool to perform a static power aware analysis on a circuit design without having to simulate the circuit design. The voltage analysis tool can determine a set of components in the circuit design corresponds to a design pattern representing a voltage-transition device, and set an output voltage for the set of components based, at least in part, on characteristics of the voltage-transition device. The voltage analysis tool can propagate the output voltage to other portions of the circuit design, and determine whether the portions of the circuit design receiving the output voltage have a rule violation.
US09189581B2

Methods and apparatuses are described for proving equivalence between two or more circuit designs that include one or more division circuits and/or one or more square-root circuits. Some embodiments analyze the circuit designs to determine an input relationship between the inputs of two division (or square-root) circuits. Next, the embodiments determine an output relationship between the outputs of two division (or square-root) circuits based on the input relationship. The embodiments then prove equivalence between the circuit designs by using the input and output relationships.
US09189565B2

A method, data processing system, and computer program product for managing tags. A computer system identifies one or more groups of similar tags from a multiplicity of tags proposed for inclusion in a tag cloud. The computer system identifies one or more representative tags to represent the respective one or more groups of similar tags. The computer system displays the one or more representative tags in the tag cloud instead of all the similar tags in the one or more groups of similar tags, and concurrently displays other tags in the multiplicity of tags that are not included in the one or more groups of similar tags.
US09189559B2

News feed stories are ranked so that some stories appear above other stories for users of a social networking system. These “top” news stories are selected based on a ranking algorithm that incorporates an analysis of affinities for interests, users, and entities in the social networking system based on user interactions as well as story layout dimensions. The top news stories are presented in a multiple-column format, such as a grid format. Top news stories may be presented higher or in a more prominent placement among one or more columns in the story layout as compared to other news stories. The ranking of the top new news stories may change after a top news story is viewed. The multiple-column newsfeed enables a more visually pleasant placement of targeted advertisements on the social networking system.
US09189556B2

A system and method of the subject technology displays non-geographic information associated with a viewed point of interest in an interactive internet map. When the map is repositioned by a user, a new point of interest is determined based on one or more coordinates and one or more predefined rules, and new non-geographic information is automatically generated and displayed for the new point of interest, all without a user having to enter search criteria.
US09189554B1

Systems, computer program products, apparatus, and methods are described that perform operations including receiving a search query that includes a name, receiving multiple resources that have been identified by a search engine as best satisfying the search query, wherein the identified multiple resources include a resource including a plurality of images. The operations include identifying an image of the plurality of images displaying a face of the person. The image is identified based on a description associated with the image. The description is based at least in part on one or more resources included in the search results. The operations further include providing the identified image with the search results. The search results are provided as a plurality of links. Each link identifies a corresponding resource of the identified plurality of resources.
US09189552B2

Automatically creating and modifying a search engine for a website. User input may be received specifying an address of a website. A search engine may be automatically created for the website based on the user input. Webpages of the website may specify a plurality of tags specifying custom attributes of the webpages. During creation of the search engine, these custom attributes may be incorporated into the search engine index. Additional user input may be received customizing the search engine for various search engine contexts, e.g., based on the custom attributes of the webpages. Search engine results for the website may be based on various ranking functions, potentially including social impact of webpages of the website.
US09189545B2

According to one embodiment, a content summarizing apparatus includes a selection unit, a record unit, and a storage unit. The selection unit selects at least one image from input content in accordance with at least one selection criterion and at least one parameter corresponding to the at least one selection criterion, and to produce a summary. The record unit cause the storage unit to store a summary record information item that includes the at least one selection criterion and the at least one parameter used by the selection unit. The storage unit stores the summary record information item whenever the summary of the input content is produced. The selection unit acquires past summary record information items from the storage unit, and produces the summary using the at least one selection criterion and the at least one parameter that fails to be included in the past summary record information items.
US09189540B2

A content platform for providing a mobile, web-based contextual alignment view of a corpus of documents is disclosed. A corpus of documents is mined to identify a set of topics. Each document in the corpus is analyzed to determine a set of opinions associated with the set of topics, the set of opinions including a corpus opinion. Each document in the corpus is classified based on alignment with the corpus opinion. The corpus of documents is presented to the user according to the document classification.
US09189539B2

Mechanisms for managing an electronic document collection are provided. A first electronic document is analyzed to identify a reference to a second electronic document and the second electronic document is analyzed to identify document dependencies with zero or more other electronic documents. A dependency information data structure is generated based on the analysis. The dependency information data structure is analyzed to identify a subset of the electronic document collection that is to be loaded into memory when performing an information analysis operation. An electronic document curation action recommendation is generated based on the identified subset of the electronic document collection. The electronic document curation action recommendation is then output.