US09219951B2
A mobile TV system architecture for a mobile terminal that reduces the processing required by the main processor during reception of digital broadcasts such as DVB-H. The mobile terminal architecture includes a main processor system and a mobile TV receiver device. The mobile TV receiver device includes units for SI/PSI processing, IP processing and decryption engine. The SI/PSI (service information/program specific information) processing unit receives non-protected transport stream (TS) packets and extracts SI/PSI tables which can be stored in memory local to the receiver device. The IP processing unit receives decrypted error-corrected protected packets containing multimedia content. The receiver device may include an HTTP server for communicating with a browser application running on the main processor system. The browser application presents multimedia content, received via HTTP, corresponding to a URL entered or selected by a user.
US09219950B2
Disclosed herein is a reproduction apparatus including: a reproduction control information acquisition block configured to acquire reproduction control information for controlling reproduction of content; a reproduction block configured to reproduce, in accordance with the acquired reproduction control information, the content that is distributed; and a control block configured to control an operation of an application program that is executed in operative connection with the content being reproduced in accordance with information associated with the application program and obtained from the acquired reproduction control information.
US09219948B2
Certain aspects of a method and system for compression and decompression for handling web content may include a communication system that comprises a server in a server computing cloud that coordinates operation of one or more set-top boxes. The server may be operable to receive a request to display one or more frames of web content from the one or more set-top boxes. The server may be operable to receive one or more parameters associated with the one or more frames of the requested web content from the one or more set-top boxes. The server may be operable to dynamically encode at least a portion of one or more frames of the requested web content into one or more color spaces based on the received one or more parameters.
US09219942B2
Systems and methods are provided for cross-platform rendering of video content on a user-computing platform that is one type of a plurality of different user-computing platform types. A script is transmitted to the user-computing platform and is interpreted by an application program compiled to operate on any one of the plurality of user-computing platform types. A series of frame images is encoded to provide the encoded video data. Encoding the frame images comprises encoding the frame images into a content-transfer format whereby the content-transfer encoded frame images can be passed by a script interpreter interpreting the script to the application program. The encoded video data is transmitted to the user-computing platform. The script is further configured to cause the script to be interpreted by the application program to: decode the transmitted encoded video data into decoded video data comprising the content-transfer encoded frame images; and render the decoded video data by displaying the frame images.
US09219937B2
An interface for a single network point that provides channels of content and services to a subscribing user while maintaining the functionality of the channels of content as separate entities. Channels of content and services include, but are not limited to audio and video via cable and broadcast over the air, satellite broadcasts, cell phone service, GPS, Internet, and voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP). Content based on context is injected via a switching device between a content provider device, for example cable provider set top box and a projection unit, for example TV. Remote control devices such as a smart phone or mobile communication device, provide a management function and user control with an application resident on the remote control device. A remote control may be configured to select a content channel, store user selection states, project or display computer content onto a TV for web browsing.
US09219929B2
A media stream delivery system encodes and fragments media streams into numerous media stream fragments maintained on fragment servers. Playlist information, media data, and bandwidth adaption data is provided as box information with media stream fragments to reduce the number of client requests required to begin playback or perform a channel change. A client no longer needs to make separate requests for bandwidth adaptation data, media data, or playlist information. Playback can begin as soon as sufficient media stream fragments are received.
US09219920B2
The invention is directed to a technique capable of improving an coding efficiency by setting a quantization parameter of a peripheral block that is strongly correlated with a quantization parameter of an encoding target block as a prediction value.
US09219918B2
A video encoding method and apparatus, and a video decoding method and apparatus for generating a reconstructed image having a minimized error between an original image and the reconstructed image. The video decoding method accompanied by a sample adaptive offset (SAO) adjustment, the method includes: obtaining 5 slice SAO parameters with respect to a current slice from a slice header of a received bitstream; obtaining luma SAO use information for a luma component of the current slice and chroma SAO use information for chroma components thereof from among the slice SAO parameters; determining whether to perform a SAO operation on the luma component of 10 the current slice based on the obtained luma SAO use information; and equally determining whether to perform the SAO adjustment on a first chroma component and a second chroma component of the current slice based on the obtained chroma SAO use information.
US09219916B2
An encoder receives one or more input pictures of enhanced dynamic range (EDR) to be encoded in a coded bit stream comprising a base layer and one or more enhancement layer. The encoder comprises a base layer quantizer (BLQ) and an enhancement layer quantizer (ELQ) and selects parameters of the BLQ and the ELQ by a joint BLQ-ELQ adaptation method which given a plurality of candidate sets of parameters for the BLQ, for each candidate set, computes a joint BLQ-ELQ distortion value based on a BLQ distortion function, an ELQ distortion function, and at least in part on the number of input pixels to be quantized by the ELQ. The encoder selects as the output BLQ parameter set the candidate set for which the computed joint BLQ-ELQ distortion value is the smallest. Example ELQ, BLQ, and joint BLQ-ELQ distortion functions are provided.
US09219908B2
An image display apparatus and a method for operating the same are discussed. The method according to an embodiment includes determining whether an input image is a two-dimensional image or a three-dimensional image, changing a gray level of a current frame of the input image based on the determination result and based on a difference between the gray level of the current frame and a gray level of a previous frame of the input image, and displaying on a display unit an image corresponding to the current frame at the changed gray level.
US09219907B2
Described is a method and apparatus for obtaining additional information from an object and a method for surface imaging and three-dimensional imaging. Single lens, single aperture, single sensor system and stereo optic systems may be modified in order to successfully generate surface maps of objects or three-dimensional representations of target objects. A variety of the aspects of the present invention provide examples of the use of an addressable pattern in order to overcome mismatching common to standard defocusing techniques.
US09219904B2
The invention relates to a signal comprising video information and associated playback information, the video information and associated playback information being organized according to a playback format, the video information comprising a primary video stream for two-dimensional (2D) display, and an additional information stream for enabling three-dimensional (3D) display, wherein that the associated playback information comprises display information indicating the types of display possible. The invention also relates to a method and device for playback of such a signal, the method comprising receiving the video information and the associated playback information, processing the display information to determine that both two-dimensional (2D) display possible and three-dimensional (3D) display are possible for the received video information; determining a playback setting of a playback device indicating whether the video information should be displayed two-dimensional (2D) or three dimensional (3D); and processing for display either the primary video stream or the primary video stream and the additional information stream, in accordance with the playback setting of the playback device.
US09219893B2
A method for correcting pixel information of color pixels on a color filter array of an image sensor includes: establishing an M×M distance factor table, selecting M×M pixels of the color filter array, calculating a red/green/blue-color contribution from the red/green/blue pixels to a target pixel in the selected M×M pixels, calculating a red/blue/green-color pixel performance of the target pixel, calculating a red/blue/green-color correcting factor, obtaining a corrected pixel information of each of the red/green/blue pixels, by applying the red/green/blue-color correcting factor to the measured pixel information of each of the red/green/blue pixels.
US09219889B2
A system and method of analyzing a plurality of video signals received concurrently from a plurality of video cameras includes receiving a plurality of video signals captured from a plurality of respective video cameras, each video signal received over a respective camera channel; multiplexing the plurality of video signals to output a multiplexed video signal including frames from each of the captured video signals; performing automated video content analysis on the multiplexed video signal, including performing automated video content analysis for at least two of the camera channels.
US09219884B2
Techniques are provided for broadcasting history or coarse representations or both of stroke media and other media. Levels are created for media, and the levels are periodically broadcast. The levels segment the media and allow the media to be examined with details that range from coarse to fine or examined with varying importance or both. The periodic broadcast of the levels provides history of the media. In particular, for stroke data, levels of detail are determined through a certain method. Each level of detail is periodically broadcast. The levels of detail may be shown by themselves or combined at a receiver to create segmented views of the stroke data. A user can select a coarse view of the stroke data to quickly see the stroke history. Additionally, techniques are provided for quickly and repeatedly accessing data elements in already existing data structures. Generally, a description is created that describes data elements in a preexisting data structure. One or more links are created, from the description, which allow a user to directly access particular data elements for the preexisting data structure.
US09219879B2
A switched wireless system is used to increase the range of peer-to-peer communications. The optically-switched fiber optic communication system includes a head-end unit (HEU) having a switch bank. Cables couple the HEU to one or more remote access points in different coverage areas. The switch bank in the HEU provides a link between the remote access points in the different coverage areas such that devices in the different cellular coverage areas communicate with each other, such as through videoconferencing. By using the switched communication system, the range and coverage of communication between devices may be extended such that devices in different coverage areas and devices using different communication protocols can communicate.
US09219878B2
A method performed by a system. The method includes automatically generating an interactive window on at least a portion of a display, the interactive window having a first size corresponding to a first pattern on the display. The method further includes automatically expanding the interactive window to a second size in response to a second pattern on the display to enclose the first pattern and the second pattern in the interactive window.
US09219870B1
An input rescale module that performs cross-color correlated downscaling of sensor data in the horizontal and vertical dimensions. The module may perform a first-pass demosaic of sensor data, apply horizontal and vertical scalers to resample and downsize the data in the horizontal and vertical dimensions, and then remosaic the data to provide horizontally and vertically downscaled sensor data as output for additional image processing. The module may, for example, act as a front end scaler for an image signal processor (ISP). The demosaic performed by the module may be a relatively simple demosaic, for example a demosaic function that works on 3×3 blocks of pixels. The front end of module may receive and process sensor data at two pixels per clock (ppc); the horizontal filter component reduces the sensor data down to one ppc for downstream components of the input rescale module and for the ISP pipeline.
US09219866B2
An adjustable multimode lightfield imaging system. A non-homogeneous filter module is positioned at the pupil plane of the lightfield imaging system and provides the multimode capability. The filter module can be moved relative to the imaging system with the exposure conditions adjusted accordingly, thus allowing adjustment of the multimode capability.
US09219865B2
Imaging apparatus capable of detecting and displaying information with respect to an incline thereof
An imaging apparatus including an incline detection device configured to detect an incline of the imaging apparatus, an image display device configured to display an image based on the image information, an incline computation device configured to compute an incline information that corresponds to a magnitude of the incline, an information storage device configured to store the incline information that is computed by the incline computation device, and a display processing device configured to display the image and an incline guide display corresponding to the incline information upon a screen of the image display device. The display processing device is configured to change a display format of the incline guide display in accordance with the magnitude of the incline.
US09219855B2
Provided is a ranging apparatus or the like capable of high-accuracy ranging. The image sensor, comprising multiple pixels, wherein the pixels comprises a ranging pixel including a light collecting member, a waveguide, and first and second photoelectric conversion units, wherein: the first and second units are arranged along a first direction; when a region decentered from a center of pupil in a second direction opposite to the first direction is a first pupil region, a region decentered in the first direction is a second pupil region, a region located in the second direction is a first region, and a region located in the first direction is a second region, the collecting member collects lights passed through the first and second pupil regions to the second and first regions; and the waveguide guides lights collected in the second and first regions toward the first and second units.
US09219847B2
An image restoration method includes providing image data (260) including image statistics (230) using a digital camera module. A set of digital camera module characterization parameters is selected from a common dynamic camera configuration file (210) using the image statistics (230). The selected digital camera module characterization parameters are converted to image signal processing parameters and the image data is tuned using the image signal processing parameters for providing a tuned image (270). The method may involve lens shading correction as well adjusting the processing to the characteristics of the image sensor (250).
US09219832B2
A portable handheld device includes an image sensor for capturing an image; and a one-chip microcontroller having integrated therein a CPU for processing a script language and a multi-core processor for processing an image captured by the image sensor. The multi-core processor includes therein multiple processing units connected in parallel by a crossbar switch. Each processing unit includes an arithmetic and logic unit (ALU). Each ALU includes a first register set for accepting data from the first crossbar switch, and a second register set for loading data to the crossbar switch.
US09219828B2
An image elimination apparatus includes a first reader configured to read a status of a sheet, a first judgment portion configured to judge whether the read sheet is reusable or not, an image eliminator configured to eliminate an image formed on the sheet, a second reader configured to read the sheet passing through the image eliminator, a second judgment portion configured to judge whether the image formed on the sheet is eliminated or not, and a controller configured to control the first reader and the second reader so as to read with different reading precision.
US09219812B2
A mobile terminal is disclosed. The mobile terminal may include a display module and a controller. The display module displays a plurality of icons on a background thereof. The controller changes the background to a specific background predetermined for a specific icon upon selection of the specific icon from the plurality of icons, and executes a specific application corresponding to the specific icon using information corresponding to a specific region of the changed background when the selected specific icon is moved to the specific region.
US09219790B1
Systems and methods, for determining user engagement with displayed media content are disclosed. In some implementations, a method includes: receiving media content identification information from a first electronic device configured to control presentation of media content, receiving mobile device usage information from a second electronic device, where the second electronic device is associated with a user in proximity to the first electronic device, determining based on the media content identification information, media content presented at the first device, associating the determined media content and the mobile device usage information, and based on correspondence between the associated received mobile device usage information and the media content identification information, estimating user engagement of the user with the presented media content. The method optionally includes: aggregating data from multiple users by adding the determined media content information and mobile device usage information into a large collection of aggregated data from the multiple users.
US09219782B2
Embodiments disclosed herein relate to methods and devices for identifying other computing devices of a peer-to-peer network to which to effect or recommend that a specific computing device send a download request for specific digital content. This can involve accessing information regarding other computing devices that currently have the specific digital content and other computing devices that are currently in a process of obtaining the specific digital content, and determining, based on the accessed information, estimates of amounts of time it will take for the specific computing device to download the specific digital content from the other computing devices that currently have the specific digital content, and from the other computing devices that are currently in the process of obtaining the specific digital content. Based on the estimates, one or more of the other computing devices to which to send the download request for the specific digital content is/are identified.
US09219780B1
Traditionally, wireless device, such as cell phone or personal data assistant device (PDA), has relatively smaller storage capacity. Therefore, it is quite often that a user of the wireless device has difficulty to find more storage space for storing ever increased personal data, such as storing multiple Gig bytes of multimedia data including digital video, music, or photo picture etc.. Instant application disclosed a system and method for a storage system providing storage service to the wireless device for the wireless device remotely storing personal data into an external storage space allocated exclusively to a user of the wireless device by the storage system.
US09219772B2
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer-readable storage medium for persistent format conversions. One of the methods includes receiving an original communication to be routed from a first user to a second user, wherein the original communication is received in a first format; converting, based a format conversion rule, the original communication into a second, different format; routing the original communication to the recipient in the second format; receiving a response communication related to the original communication and to be routed from the second user to the first user; and based on determining that the response communication is responsive to the original communication, converting the response communication into the first format prior to routing the communication to the first user.
US09219768B2
In one embodiment of the invention, a system provides virtual presence model in servers. An embodiment of the invention also has video streaming capability and can allow a user to select which video to watch as the large, central video with some statistics and data on Side portions of the user interface.
US09219766B2
Systems and methods for IMS telephony enabled information exchange are disclosed. In some implementations, a transfer request to transfer a file from a first user to a second user is received at a IMS gateway and during an ongoing telephone call established between a first device associated with the first user and a second device associated with the second user. The second user on the ongoing telephone call is identified at the IMS gateway. Upon identifying the second user and responsive to the transfer request, the file is transferred from the first user to the second user.
US09219764B2
A server is provided that includes a processor such that for a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) request containing a Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) identifying the first device, the processor is programmed to promote adding a URI and redirecting the SIP request to a second device. The added URI used by the second device to invoke a Personal Network Management (PNM) Controller function.
US09219763B2
A network system is provided. The network system includes: a first component having a first device code and performing a predetermined function; and a second component having a second device code and exchanging information with the first component for communication connection. One of the first and second components receives a command for the communication connection and generates a connection sequence. The component generating the connection sequence exchanges communication addresses and device codes with the other component receiving the connection sequence. If the information has not been exchanged between the first component and the second component during a predetermined time, the first component and the second component are switched to a communication connection standby mode.
US09219760B2
An oil field process control system including a field versatile control gateway component that interfaces with a plurality of field devices using a broad range of hardwired and wireless protocols, offering in-the-field monitoring and control of each of the field devices and communicates with a remote central control room, exchanging data between the control room and the field using a multiplexed protocol that offers high data speeds and bandwidth, enabling a significant reduction of the amount of wiring, and conduits and other infrastructure expenses that would otherwise be incurred for such a highly reliable communications system.
US09219759B2
The present invention relates to a method of transmitting a signal by an MME (Mobility Management Entity) in a wireless network, the method comprising: receiving a tracking area update message from an UE (User Equipment); transmitting, on reception the tracking area update message, an Update Location message comprising an IMS voice over PS (Packet Switched) session supported indication to an HSS (Home Subscriber Server), wherein the IMS voice over PS session supported indication indicates whether or not an IMS Voice over PS Session is supported homogeneously in all tracking areas in the serving MME.
US09219756B2
The embodiments of the present invention provide a solution in an IMS network node for enabling troubleshooting. A global session identity indicator (GSII) is introduced which can be used for identifying messages belonging to the same session.
US09219752B2
A data leak prevention system includes an application, having source code that is unavailable or non-modifiable, resident on a client device. A system call is emittable by the application as a result of an action, and is to take place before a data leak event can occur. The action involves a document and i) latest full contents of the document, ii) metadata of the document, or iii) a combination of the latest full contents and the metadata. A system call interceptor agent is also resident on the client device. The interceptor agent includes a system call interceptor to intercept the system call emitted by the application and to suspend the system call. The system also includes a policy decision engine to analyze at least some of i) the latest full contents, ii) the metadata, or iii) the combination, and implement a policy action based upon the analysis.
US09219746B2
Systems, methods and apparatuses for analyzing a string of terms (e.g., a search query, text of an email, and the like) are provided. In some examples, a determination is made as to whether one or more terms in the string matches a keyword. If so, various parts of speech of one or more terms in the string of terms may be determined. In some examples, a category of risk of the terms for which the part of speech is identified may also be determined. A risk rating may then be determined for the string of terms based on the relationship between the terms (e.g., the parts of speech) and the category or categories identified. In some examples, one or more additional actions may be implemented based on the risk rating.
US09219744B2
Mitigation of bot networks in wireless networks and/or on mobile devices is provided. A botnet detection component is provided that inspects data traffic and data flows on the wireless network to identify mobile devices that are suspected of behaving as bots. A traffic profile of the suspected bot behavior can be generated and forwarded to the mobile devices that are suspected of behaving as bots. The mobile device can correlate data traffic on the device to the traffic profile in order to identify applications responsible for the suspected bot behavior, and remove the identified applications.
US09219729B2
This system provides wired and/or wireless access throughout a multimedia network built on a distributed architecture which can be transparent to the user. This multimedia network includes content which is imported or generated within the network. The system allows for the content provider to determine the license status of content and update the license status of content which was previously provided by that provider. The external content can be accessed in real time or downloaded and stored within the system for later access at the convenience of the user. The usage of some content is controlled by the use of encryption and other protection methods. The system allows for storage of live video by storing the digitized video and allowing the user to control how, when and where the content is viewed. The system makes available multiple multimedia services to all users in the network or connected via the internet.
US09219725B2
A software application executing in a first local operating environment may be used to connect to a remote server that requires a credential of a user to complete a transaction. In a second local operating environment that operates external to the first local environment, a user may be authenticated based on a user input received in the second local operating environment. The credential of the user may be securely communicated to the remote server from the second local operating environment. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US09219716B2
A method for distributed tokenization of sensitive strings of characters, such as social security numbers, credit card numbers and the like, in a local server is disclosed. The method comprises the steps of receiving from a central server at least one, and preferably at least two, static token lookup tables, and receiving a sensitive string of characters. In a first tokenization step, a first substring of characters is substituted with a corresponding first token from the token lookup table(s) to form a first tokenized string of characters, wherein the first substring of characters is a substring of the sensitive string of characters. Thereafter, in a second step of tokenization, a second substring of characters is substituted with a corresponding second token from the token lookup table(s) to form a second tokenized string of characters, wherein the second substring of characters is a substring of the first tokenized string of characters. Optionally, one or more additional tokenization steps is/are used.
US09219715B2
Methods, systems and apparatuses for a mediator enforcing policies to a resource utilizing an electronic content, are disclosed. One method includes receiving, by a mediator computing device of a mediator, a second share SKG2 from an owner server, wherein a first share SKG1 is provided to a member server of a member of a group by the owner server, wherein the owner defines policies associated with the group. The method further includes the mediator receiving a request from the member for mediation, including the mediator receiving a dispatch of the header of the encrypted electronic content, determining, by the mediator, whether the member is eligible to access the electronic content based at least in part on the policies associated with the group, if eligible, the mediator responds to the request for mediation with a member accessible header.
US09219707B1
A computer-implemented method for sharing the results of malware scans within networks may include (1) identifying a set of files stored on a set of client devices within a network, (2) obtaining a set of copies of the files stored on the client devices within the network, (3) performing a malware scan on the copies of the files, (4) generating a result of the malware scan performed on the copies of the files, and then (5) sharing the result of the malware scan with at least a subset of the client devices within the network to enable the subset of client devices to use the result of the malware scan instead of each performing an additional malware scan that is at least partially redundant to the malware scan performed on the copies of the files. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.
US09219705B2
Lookup requests received by a domain name service (DNS) are processed based on the actual location of data associated with a requested content page rather than a domain mapping of IP addresses. A DNS server which receives a request initiates a query for the location of user data associated with the request based on an object handle contained in a domain name of the request. The location data is used to construct an IP address which is provided in response to the IP lookup request received by the DNS server. The DNS system may be used to provide IP addresses for a scaled web-based networking service, alternate versions of a service and a service implementing rolling upgrades.
US09219701B2
The present invention provides a distributed method for implementing Link Aggregation Control Protocol (LACP) standard state machines, wherein the method includes: after receiving a message, a physical port transmits it to a receive machine; the receive machine, a periodic transmission machine, a multiplexer (MUX) machine, and a transmit machine are triggered to operate in turn; the selection logic on a master controller is triggered to operate, and the processing of the message is completed according to the physical link selection state of the selection logic on the master controller; wherein, the receive machine, periodic transmission machine, MUX machine, and transmit machine operate on the link card at which the physical port is located, and the selection logic operates on the master controller.
US09219700B2
A packet switch system includes a packet switch appliance having a first network port configured to receive packets, and a first instrument port configured to communicate with a network monitoring tool, a storage system for storing the packets, and an integrated circuit configured to retrieve the packets from the storage system, and retroactively transmit the packets to the first instrument port in a play-back configuration in response to a user's command.
US09219699B2
A chassis is configured to hold at least one horizontal row of node modules and a fabric module. The fabric module can be positioned above or below the row so that it can communicatively couple two or more node modules. Each of the node modules and the fabric modules can be inserted into and removed from the chassis longitudinally.
US09219685B2
A communication method for a novel network is disclosed. The novel network is a network with centralized control function, which includes a main control server and a subordinate network device. The subordinate network device includes a terminal. The method includes the steps: the main control server configures the downlink communication link of the present service, and transmits packets of the present service transmitted from the source terminal to the target terminal according to the downlink communication link. The present invention can guarantee the stability and smoothness of the transmission path, avoid multimedia service delays, ensure state information security requirements, and save hardware resources, thereby guaranteeing the quality of the network transmission.
US09219679B2
Techniques are described for providing managed virtual computer networks that have a configured logical network topology with virtual networking devices, such as by a network-accessible configurable network service, with corresponding networking functionality provided for communications between multiple computing nodes of the virtual computer network by emulating functionality that would be provided by the virtual networking devices if they were physically present. In some situations, the networking functionality provided for a managed computer network of a client includes receiving routing communications directed to the virtual networking devices and using included routing cost information to update the configuration of the managed computer network, and/or includes determining actual cost information corresponding to use of an underlying substrate network and providing routing cost information to the client that reflects the determined actual cost information, so as to enable the client to modify the configuration of the managed computer network accordingly.
US09219678B2
A system and method for enabling the interchange of enterprise data through an open platform is disclosed. This open platform can be based on a standardized interface that enables parties to easily connect to and use the network. Services operating as senders, recipients, and in-transit parties can therefore leverage a framework that overlays a public network.
US09219675B2
A communication device connected to a plurality of communication target devices, includes an address storage unit storing addresses of the communication target devices; a destination changing unit changing a destination address included in an outgoing message to any one of the addresses stored in the address storage unit, the outgoing message being generated using target software to be evaluated; a transmitting unit transmitting the outgoing message for which the destination address has been changed to the communication target device with the changed destination address; a receiving unit receiving, from the communication target device, a reply message in response to the outgoing message; a source changing unit changing a source address included in the reply message to the destination address that is obtained before being changed by the destination changing unit; and an output unit outputting, to the software, the reply message for which the source address has been changed.
US09219672B2
A method, a device, and a storage medium provide for receiving packets; determining a traffic flow rate value pertaining to the packets; comparing the traffic flow rate value to a flow rate threshold value; selecting one or more candidate paths that are not bandwidth-aware; calculating a current available bandwidth for each of the one or more candidate paths; selecting one or more of the one or more candidate paths based on the traffic flow rate value and the current available bandwidth; and transmitting the packets to a destination via the one or more of the one or more candidate paths.
US09219669B2
A processor accesses usage history data, which includes subscription events for a virtual machine, and generates translatable time periods to which the subscription events can be assigned. Each of the translatable time periods is temporally shifted and each of the subscription events is assigned to one or more translatable time periods. The processor generates translation outcomes for a user of the virtual machine for the translatable time periods in view of assigned subscription events. The translation outcomes include an identified change in subscription costs of the user over the translatable time periods. The processor identifies a translated base period from the translatable time periods for which the subscription parameters will be applied to the usage history data in view of applying selection criteria to the translation outcomes and tracks resource usage of the user in view of the identified translated base period to determine an alternate set of subscription costs.
US09219666B2
Systems and methods for managing computing systems are provided. One system includes a capture device for capturing environmental inputs, memory storing code comprising a management module, and a processor. The processor, when executing the code comprising the management module, is configured to perform the method below. One method includes capturing an environmental input, identifying a target device in the captured environmental input, and comparing the target device in the captured environmental input to a model of the target device. The method further includes recognizing, in real-time, a status condition of the target device based on the comparison and determining if the target device is functioning properly if the target device and the model of the target device match. Also provided are physical computer storage mediums including a computer program product for performing the above method.
US09219665B2
Systems and methods for managing computing systems are provided. One system includes a capture device for capturing environmental inputs, memory storing code comprising a management module, and a processor. The processor, when executing the code comprising the management module, is configured to perform the method below. One method includes capturing an environmental input, identifying a target device in the captured environmental input, and comparing the target device in the captured environmental input to a model of the target device. The method further includes recognizing, in real-time, a status condition of the target device based on the comparison and providing a user with troubleshooting data if the status condition is an error condition. Also provided are physical computer storage mediums including a computer program product for performing the above method.
US09219655B1
A computer-implemented method for discovering network topologies. The method may include (1) receiving, on a host system within a network, a switch-protocol message that includes a switch identifier, a port identifier, and/or a root path cost, (2) identifying a set of switches within the network based on the switch-protocol message, (3) determining how the set of switches are connected based on the switch-protocol message, and (4) mapping a topology of the network based on determining how the set of switches are connected. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.
US09219654B2
Providing a dynamic bandwidth increase using at least one token bucket is disclosed. At least one token bucket is pre-loaded to capacity using PCMM commands to dynamically implement speed increases in the network. By pre-loading the at least one token bucket to capacity, the rate cap assigned to the customer is overridden. When the token bucket is exhausted the customer continues at their provisioned rate cap. Only a configuration file has to be changed to implement the temporary bandwidth increase. The token buckets may be implemented on a per service flow basis. Further, a plurality of token buckets may be provided, wherein a first token bucket is configured to control a total burst size and a second token bucket is configured to control an individual flow burst rate up until the first token bucket is depleted.
US09219653B2
A resource management solution based on management policies is provided, where each management policy comprises an indication of a management activity and at least one of the management policies comprising an indication of an application condition. A corresponding method comprises deploying a set of operative management policies assigned to each one of a set of target computing machines onto the target computing machine to cause the target computing machine to verify the application condition of each assigned operative management policy according to status information available on the target computing machine.
US09219649B2
A system for remote device management includes in a network an auto-configuration server managing device, at least one database, and a plurality of auto-configuration servers. The auto-configuration server managing device and the database are coupled in a communicative connection. The database holds information for identification of electronic devices. The auto-configuration server managing device is arranged for communication with a manageable electronic device over the network. The auto-configuration server manager is further being arranged for: receiving a request from the manageable electronic device for configuration data, determining an identification of the manageable electronic device by comparing the request with the information for identification of electronic devices of the database, determining an identification of an auto-configuration server from the plurality of auto-configuration servers in accordance with the identification of the manageable electronic device.
US09219646B2
A method and system for managing actions of a network device based on policy settings retrieved according to the identity of at least one connected removable wireless communications device. The decision to retrieve the policy settings from an authorized party is also based on whether the network device is able to use the at least one connected removable wireless communication device and whether the policy settings has already been stored in a storage medium of the network device according to the identity, wherein the policy settings correspond to the identity. When retrieving the policy settings from the authorized party, the request includes the identity. When the policy settings have been retrieved, the network device executes the policy settings. The removable wireless communications device provides communication between the network device and a network over a wireless network communication channel.
US09219644B2
A configuration tool is used to configure new server racks and computing assets in a data center. When new server racks are placed in a data center, the configuration tool scans the racks to identify any unconfigured server racks and then determines their virtual locations. The tool queries a mapping between the physical and virtual rack locations in the data center to determine the physical location for each rack based on its virtual location. Using the acquired physical and virtual locations for each unconfigured rack, the configuration tool can configure the unconfigured racks. For example, the configuration tool may identify the assets contained in the rack and associate the rack's physical location with those assets. In addition, the configuration tool can determine the rack's VLAN and use that information to configure the TOR switch associated with the rack.
US09219627B2
A circuit, including a receiving path, for converting a first analog radio frequency (RF) input signal to a digital intermediate frequency (IF) input signal, wherein the first analog RF input signal includes a first signal component conforming to a first wireless transmission standard and a second signal component conforming to a second wireless transmission standard; a first digital down converter, for receiving and processing the digital IF input signal to generate a first digital baseband signal corresponding to the first signal component; a second digital down converter, for receiving and processing the digital IF input signal in order to generate a second digital baseband signal corresponding to the second signal component; a first baseband processing module, for processing the first digital baseband signal according to the first wireless transmission standard; and a second baseband processing module, for processing the second digital baseband signal according to the second wireless transmission standard.
US09219625B2
A decision feedback equalization slicer for ultra-high-speed backplane Serializer/Deserializer (SerDes) with improved latch sensitivity. A first regeneration stage can be configured in association with a second regeneration stage to compensate for channel impairment such as Inter-symbol interference due to channel loss, reflections due to impedance mismatch, and cross-talk interference from neighboring electrical channels. The first regeneration stage includes two first stage slicers corresponding to a set of speculative decision (+h1 and −h1). A multiplexer can be placed at an input port of the second regeneration stage to select the set of speculative decision based on previous decision in order to save hardware and power. The DFE slicer samples the Input signal, regenerates the sampled data, stores the data on storage element like RS-latch or flip-flop, and presets the regeneration nodes to high or low values in preparation for sampling the next input data.
US09219621B2
A scheme for monitoring node operational status according to communications transmits messages periodically according to a heartbeat rate among the nodes. The messages may be gossip messages containing the status of the other nodes in the pairs, are received at the nodes and indications of the communications delays of the received messages are stored, which are used to compute statistics of the stored communications delays. Parameters of the node status monitoring, which are used for determining operational status of the nodes, are adjusted according to the statistics, which may include adjusting the heartbeat rate, the maximum wait time before a message is considered missed, and/or the maximum number of missed messages, e.g., the sequence number deviation, before the node is considered non-operational (down).
US09219604B2
A method begins by a dispersed storage (DS) processing module generating a shared secret key from a public key of another entity and a private key using a first modulo prime polynomial function, wherein a public key is generated from the private key using a second modulo prime polynomial function and wherein the public key of the other entity is derived using the second modulo prime polynomial function on a private key of the other entity. The method continues with the DS module encrypting a message using the shared secret key to produce an encrypted message. The method continues with the DS module outputting the encrypted message to the other entity.
US09219597B2
A method is described for the transmission of data among devices (D1, D2, . . . Di, . . . Dn) connected to a communication channel (1) through sequences containing at least two symbols, one dominant (“0”) and one recessive (“1”). According to this transmission method, one (DTSG) of the devices connected to the communication channel (1) has the function of time slot generator and it transmits on the communication channel (1) with a transmission frequency (f) a sequence of symbols, each defining a time slot in a sequence of time slots. The sequence of symbols comprises at least a series of recessive symbols (“1”). When one of the devices (Di) has to transmit on the communication channel (1), it generates a sequence of symbols, synchronized with the sequence of time slots generated by the time slot generator device (DTSG) and comprising at least one dominant symbol (“0”).
US09219596B2
A radio front end includes a duplexer, a tunable balancing network, a detector module, and a processing module. The duplexer is operably coupled to an antenna and is operable to provide electrical isolation between an outbound wireless signal and an inbound wireless signal. The tunable balancing network is operably coupled to the duplexer and operable to establish an impedance that substantially matches an impedance of the antenna based on a tuning signal. The detector module is operable to generate an error signal based on an electrical performance characteristic of the duplexer. The processing module is operable to generate the tuning signal based on the error signal.
US09219595B2
A User Equipment (UE) for receiving time-division duplexing (TDD) uplink/downlink (UL/DL) configurations is described. The UE includes a processor and instructions stored in memory that is in electronic communication with the processor. The UE receives a first TDD UL/DL configuration for a cell and secondary configuration information that includes at least a second TDD UL/DL configuration for the cell.
US09219588B2
A radio communication system, including: a base station apparatus; and a terminal apparatus, wherein the base station apparatus and the terminal apparatus transmits to or receives from the terminal apparatus and the base station apparatus respectively a radio signal by using a plurality of frequency bands as a transmission frequency or a reception frequency, the base station apparatus includes a transmission unit which transmits a synchronization signal or a reference signal in each frequency band of the plurality of frequency bands, and the terminal apparatus includes a synchronization control unit which selects at least one synchronization signal or reference signal from the plurality of synchronization signals or reference signals transmitted from the base station apparatus and performs synchronization control based on the selected synchronization signal or reference signal.
US09219582B2
A first radio communication apparatus transmits first and second control signals to a second communication apparatus. The first control signal carries information to be used in communication performed with a first frequency band. The second control signal carries information to be used in communication performed with a second frequency band. The second radio communication apparatus detects these first and second control signals by attempting signal extraction from received signals with common candidates for control signal length. The first radio communication apparatus controls whether to use one frequency band or more than one frequency band to transmit the first and second control signals, based on bandwidths of the first and second frequency bands.
US09219581B2
A frame structure for support of large delay spread deployment scenarios (e.g., cellular system operation in large cell sizes or low frequency bands) is generally presented. In this regard a method is introduced comprising partitioning a radio frame into a plurality of equal-sized (or non-equal-sized) sub-frames to simplify system implementation. Other embodiments are also disclosed and claimed.
US09219579B2
The present invention is generally directed towards a remote access architecture for providing peer-to-peer communications and remote access connectivity. In one embodiment, the remote access architecture of the present provides a method for establishing a direct connection between peer computing devices via a third computing device, such as a gateway. Additionally, the present invention provides the following techniques to optimize peer-to-peer communications: 1) false acknowledgement of receipt of network packets allowing communications via a lossless protocol of packets constructed for transmission via a lossy protocol, 2) payload shifting of network packets allowing communications via a lossless protocol of packets constructed for transmission via a lossy protocol, 3) reduction of packet fragmentation by adjusting the maximum transmission unit (MTU) parameter, accounting for overhead due to encryption, 4) application-aware prioritization of client-side network communications, and 5) network disruption shielding for reliable and persistent network connectivity and access.
US09219572B2
A method and apparatus for allocating subcarriers in an orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) system is described. In one embodiment, the method comprises allocating at least one diversity cluster of subcarriers to a first subscriber and allocating at least one coherence cluster to a second subscriber.
US09219567B2
A converged passive optical network (CPON) and a data transmission method are disclosed. The CPON is a combination of a time division multiple access-passive optical network (TDMA-PON) and an orthogonal frequency division multiple access-passive optical network (OFDMA-PON) and is able to dynamically controlling a bandwidth for upstream signal transmission through allocation of multiple subcarriers to each single optical network unit (ONU).
US09219559B2
Methods and systems are disclosed for audience measurement. An example method includes identifying at least one of a media device, an operation command, or a person in response to a voice command. The voice command is spoken by a user to control the media device. The example method includes collecting audience measurement data related to at least one of the media device, the person, or the user. The example method includes associating the at least one of the media device, the operation command, or the person with the audience measurement data.
US09219555B2
Systems and methods for evaluating device quality are disclosed. Some implementations include receiving, operational parameters for a mobile device, where the operational parameters include data related to service disturbances in a plurality of areas of operational performance of the mobile device, computing, for each dimension of a plurality of dimensions, a curve indicative of a relationship between a device quality index (DQI) and operational parameters of the mobile device, where each dimension corresponds to a particular area of operational performance of the mobile device, identifying cliff points in each dimension of a multi-dimensional surface fitted to each computed curve, where each cliff point corresponds to a reduction in a user's quality of experience in a particular area of operational performance, and projecting the identified cliff points in each dimension of the multi-dimensional surface to determine a horizontal space in the multi-dimensional surface corresponding to a region of acceptable DQIs.
US09219553B1
Method of testing a communication system using a portable wideband antenna-radiated signal generator
A portable wideband harmonic signal generator includes circuitry for generating a signal having a selected fundamental frequency, for producing a signal having a harmonic series of the selected fundamental frequency, for transferring the signal having the harmonic series using a balanced impedance output, and for directionally transmitting transferred signal having the harmonic series using a directional antenna having a characteristic impedance that is matched to the balanced impedance output. There is thus provided a compact, efficient transmitter and antenna assembly for transmitting a wideband signal.
US09219551B2
Proposed is a method of demodulating a phase modulated optical signal received from an optical channel. A time-discrete electrical signal is derived from the phase modulated optical signal, using a local optical signal, which has a frequency that is essentially equal to a carrier frequency of the phase modulated optical signal. A phase error between the local optical signal and the phase modulated optical signal is compensated, by deriving from the local optical signal a phase offset and modifying the derived time-discrete electrical signal by this phase offset. A chromatic dispersion caused by the optical channel is compensated, by filtering the modified time-discrete electrical signal using a digital filter.
US09219543B2
A tracking system includes a tracking arrangement including a processor, memory, and at least a first interface port; and one or more optical modules. Each optical module includes a housing having at least one input port, at least a first output port, and at least a first monitoring port. An optical power splitter arrangement and an optical receiver are disposed within the housing. The splitter arrangement splits optical signals received at the input port onto one or more output lines and one or more monitoring lines. The output lines are routed to the output ports and the monitoring lines are routed to the optical receiver. The optical receiver measures the power of optical signals received from the first monitoring line and provides a measurement signal to the first monitoring port of the housing.
US09219542B2
Control and monitoring of airfield lighting from a control tower and other maintenance/supervisory locations uses double loop self healing fiber optic communications circuits to enhances speed of operation even with large and complex airfield lighting system requirements, and significantly increased reliability and operating lifetime thereof. A plurality of local light control and monitoring groups are used, wherein each group has at least one fiber optic communications concentrator that independently communicates with light controllers within the group and the remote supervisory control and monitoring systems in the control tower and other locations. This allows faster control response of the lamps in each of the airfield light fixtures, and monitoring concentration of operational data within each group. Each of the at least one fiber optic concentrators is optically coupled to double loop self healing fiber optic communications backbone circuits coupled to main and backup computer supervisory control systems for redundancy purposes.
US09219533B2
Systems and methods for downlink scheduling in wireless communications systems are described. In some embodiments, a method includes: applying channel prediction at a transmitter for transmitting information to one or more mobile devices; predicting channel state information for a channel over which the information is transmitted, the channel state information being based, at least, on the channel prediction; determining a precoding matrix to apply to the information, the determining the precoding matrix being based, at least, on predicted channel state information; and scheduling transmission of the information to the one or more mobile devices based, at least, on an asymptotic ergodic rate for the one or more mobile devices. The asymptotic ergodic rate can be based on large-scale channel behavior and a maximum Doppler shift between the mobile devices.
US09219529B2
The disclosed communication system, information recording medium, and relay communication device allow communication via electromagnetic induction, allow the use of low-cost information recording media, improve communication stability when information recording media is misaligned or rotated, and provide high IC-chip tolerance to flexion in information recording media. An information recording medium (3-1) has: an IC chip (32-1) that is capable of communication via electromagnetic induction; and a pair of thin conductive sheets (21-1) connected to the IC chip (32-1). A relay medium (2-1) has thin conductive sheets (31-1) and a loop antenna (22-1), with one of said thin conductive sheets (31-1) connected to one end of the loop antenna (22-1) and the other thin conductive sheet (31-1) connected to the other end of the loop antenna (22-1). A read/write device (1-1) has a loop antenna (12-1).
US09219527B2
An apparatus and method for selecting a Proximity Interface Coupling Card (PICC) of a portable terminal having a Near Field Communication (NFC) module including multiple PICCs are provided. The method includes activating the NFC module when the portable terminal is at a power-off state, determining whether a key signal for activating one PICC among the multiple of PICCs is inputted in the activated NFC module, and activating the PICC mapped with the inputted key signal when the key signal is inputted.
US09219526B2
Systems for channel selection in power line communications (PLC) are described. In some embodiments, a PLC device may include a processor and a memory. The memory stores instructions executable by the processor to cause the PLC device perform operations. One or more time slots in each of a plurality of frequency bands are sequentially scanned. A packet transmitted by a second PLC device to the PLC device over one of the plurality of frequency bands is detected. Additional packets received from the second PLC device are synchronized across the plurality of frequency bands based, at least in part, upon the detected packet. The additional packets are organized in a plurality of frames. Each of the plurality of frames having been transmitted by the second PLC device to the PLC device over a respective one of the plurality of frequency bands. Each frame has a plurality of time slots, and each time slot has a pair of beacon and bandscan packets.
US09219525B2
Provided is a socket including a socket body and a jack, wherein a network communication module is arranged inside the socket body; and the network communication module is connected with a mains line; and the network communication module is configured to provide a user with transmission of a network signal of the Internet through the mains line. The network communication module is arranged inside the socket body to provide the user with transmission of the network signal of the Internet through the mains line, so that the function to access the Internet through the mains line by means of the socket is enabled, to thereby address the problems of one of limited jack locations occupied, a part of an indoor space occupied and some of resources wasted for a wall-plugged power modem.
US09219523B2
Arrangement for transmitting an optical digital WDM signal over an optical transmission link or a passive optical network, the signal (SWDM) including N optical channels matching a given optical frequency grid. The scheme includes supplying the WDM signal (SWDM) to a near end of the optical transmission link or a near end of the passive optical network; receiving the WDM signal (SWDM) at a far end of the optical transmission link or at one or more far ends of the passive optical network; separating the optical channel signals (si(t)) by splitting and bandpass filtering the WDM signal (SWDM) received; and converting the optical channel signals (si(t)) into electrical channel signals using direct optical detection. The signal (SWDM) is created such that neighboring channel signals (si(t)) are orthogonally polarized and are conditioned with specific pre-distortion.
US09219519B2
A proximity wireless transmission/reception device of an embodiment includes a first transmission/reception unit, of a first communication scheme, including a first tuned circuit and a first modulation/demodulation circuit, a second transmission/reception unit, of a second communication scheme, including a second tuned circuit and a second modulation/demodulation circuit, an antenna where communication signals of the first and second communication schemes are induced, a switch unit configured to connect the antenna and the first transmission/reception unit or to connect the antenna and the second transmission/reception unit, a reception determination unit configured to determine reception states of the first and second transmission/reception units, and a switch switching unit configured to control the switch unit according to a determination result of the reception determination unit.
US09219512B2
In one form, an integrated receiver includes a tracking bandpass filter, a tunable lowpass filter, and a mixer formed on a single integrated circuit chip. The tracking bandpass filter has an input for receiving a radio frequency (RF) input signal, and an output, and comprises a variable capacitor having a capacitance that varies in response to a bandpass frequency control signal, in parallel with an integrated inductor. The integrated inductor comprises a plurality of windings formed in a plurality of metal layers. The tunable lowpass filter has an input coupled to the output of the tracking bandpass filter, and an output and having a tuning input for receiving a cutoff frequency signal. The mixer has a signal input coupled to the output of the tunable lowpass filter, a local oscillator input for receiving a local oscillator signal, and a signal output for providing a converted RF signal.
US09219507B2
Because of associated disadvantages of narrow-band off-chip radio-frequency (RF) filtering, a mixer-first receiver front-end designed to tolerate blockers with minimal gain compression and noise factor degradation is disclosed. The mixer-first receiver front-end includes two separate down-conversion paths that help to minimize added noise and voltage gain prior to baseband filtering, which are critical factors in eliminating narrow-band off-chip RF filtering.
US09219499B2
A method for run time zero byte compression of data on a communication bus of a vehicle includes determining a number of zero byt.es provided in a data frame. When there are enough zero bytes, an encoding byte is generated that maps the locations of the zero bytes in the data frame. A data length code related to the number of non-zero data bytes and the encoding byte is provided in a device header. The data length code has a value less than an uncompressed data frame. The compressed data frame is transmitted with the encoding byte and the uncompressed non-zero data bytes. To decompress the compressed data frame, the encoding byte maps the locations of the zero bytes for a data frame. The non-zero data bytes are then provided at the proper locations to recreate the data frame.
US09219497B2
A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium has stored therein a compression program that causes a computer to execute a process. The process includes: reading a plurality of character strings from a compression target file; examining order information whether there are any concatenated character strings that contain a certain character string in the plurality of character strings with an order of the certain character string, in a compression dictionary, the compression dictionary correlating a plurality of concatenated character strings with a plurality of compression codes respectively, each of the plurality of concatenated character strings include a plurality of character strings, the order information indicating whether there is a specific character string in the compression dictionary with an order of the specific character string; and searching the compression dictionary utilizing the plurality of character strings when the order information indicates that one or more concatenated character strings include the certain character string.
US09219496B1
A data compressor for a lossless data compression system includes a hardware aware encoder and a key signal processor. The hardware aware encoder encodes a data value signal into a key signal according to a key assignment formed by determining a number of data values of a value space in which each data value comprises a plurality of bits, determining a size of the key to encode the number of data values of the value space, grouping the data values into a plurality of groups based on a fewest number of bit differences between data values in each group, and assigning fragments of the key based on a fewest number of bits that can differentiate groups based on remaining bits of the data values. The key signal processor has an output adapted to be coupled to a medium for providing a representation of the key signal to the output.
US09219495B2
The application disclose a sigma-delta analog-to-digital converter. The converter comprises: a summing stage, configured to receive an input signal and subtract a first feedback signal and a second feedback signal from the input signal to generate a difference signal; a loop filter coupled to an output node of the summing stage, and configured to filter the difference signal; a quantizer coupled to an output node of the loop filter, and configured to quantize the filtered difference signal to generate a quantized signal, and to generate an overload signal according to the filtered difference signal, wherein the overload signal indicates whether the filtered difference signal is overloaded and/or an overload amount of the filtered difference signal; a first digital-to-analog converter coupled to the quantizer to receive the quantized signal, and configured to generate the first feedback signal according to the quantized signal; and a second D/A converter coupled to the quantizer to receive the overload signal, and configured to generate the second feedback signal according to the overload signal.
US09219483B1
An integrated circuit is disclosed. The integrated circuit may include an interface circuit region and logic circuitry region. The interface circuit region includes interface circuits that transfers signals in and out of the integrated circuit. The logic circuitry region includes logic circuitry that is configured to implement a logic function. The logic circuitry region surrounds the interface circuit region from at least two sides, from at least three sides, or from all four sides.
US09219476B2
Disclosed herein is an apparatus. The apparatus includes a first connector and a switching system. The first connector is configured to receive a second connector having a first contact area and a second different contact area. The switching system is connected to the first connector. The switching system is configured to alternatively connect a ground of the apparatus to the first or the second contact area.
US09219474B2
A driver circuit is connected to a control terminal of a voltage-controlled switching element via a connection line. The drive circuit drives the switching element. The switching element is switched to an ON state by charging the control terminal of the switching element via the connection line. The switching element is switched to an OFF state by discharging the control terminal of the switching element via the connection line. A voltage at a predetermined position on the connection line is detected. An open circuit state between the control terminal and the predetermined position is detected based on a speed of change in the detected voltage at the predetermined position when the switching element is switched to the ON state or the OFF state.
US09219468B2
A failure detector circuit for detecting status of a protected circuit, the failure detector circuit having an operating cycle, has an enabling signal generator, a comparator circuit, a delay circuit. The enabling signal generator enables the comparator for an enable time in each operating cycle. The comparator circuit compares an output of the protected circuit with a reference signal. The delay circuit receives an output signal of the comparator to decide whether a failure occurred within a give delay time.
US09219464B2
A bulk acoustic wave (BAW) resonator, comprises: a first electrode; a second electrode comprising a plurality of sides. At least one of the sides comprises a cantilevered portion. The bulk acoustic wave (BAW) resonator also comprises a piezoelectric layer disposed between the first and second electrodes. The piezoelectric layer comprises a piezoelectric material doped with a plurality of rare earth elements, and the cantilevered portion extends above the piezoelectric layer. The bulk acoustic wave (BAW) resonator comprises a gap between the cantilevered portion and the piezoelectric layer.
US09219455B2
Various embodiments relate to a system for adapting a signal gain, which comprises a peak detector configured to receive an audio input signal containing consecutive signal blocks and to dynamically establish a current input signal level of the audio input signal, and a loudness determination unit configured to dynamically determine a perceived loudness of a current signal block of the audio input signal based on a psycho-acoustic model of a human hearing. Furthermore the system comprises a time constant generation unit configured to determine a time constant based on the perceived loudness of the current signal block and the perceived loudness of a preceding signal block, wherein the time constant describing a change of the signal gain. A gain determination unit is configured to determine the signal gain for the current signal block based on the time constant and the current input signal level.
US09219444B2
A broadband high efficiency (RF) radio frequency amplifier architecture is disclosed. Systems and methods are provided for generating an amplified radio frequency (RF) signal representing a baseband input signal. First, second, and third signal paths are configured to amplify first, second, and third intermediate signals to provide respective amplified signals. A signal combiner assembly is configured to combine the amplified signals to produce the compound amplified RF signal. The signals are combined such that a first amplified signal modulates a load impedance at respective outputs of an active device associated with the plurality of amplifiers in the second signal path, and one of the first amplified signal, the second amplified signal, and a sum of the first and second amplified signals modulates a load impedance of an active device associated with the plurality of amplifiers in the third signal path.
US09219441B2
According to one embodiment, a magnet flux amount estimation device includes a magnetic pole position detector configured to detect a magnetic pole position of a permanent magnet synchronous motor including a permanent magnet within a rotor; an inductance-equivalent value determination module configured to determine an inductance-equivalent value of a d-axis corresponding to a determined magnetic pole direction; and a magnet flux amount estimator configured to calculate an estimation value of a magnet flux amount of the permanent magnet, based on the inductance-equivalent value.
US09219439B2
An electric motor control device includes a current vector controller that follows a target command value for controlling an electric current of the motor by separating the current into a d-axis current and q-axis current orthogonal to each other. The motor control device further includes a driver for driving the motor, a phase-angle generator a phase-angle command generator for generating a phase-angle command β* based on difference Δv* between an absolute value |v*| of a voltage command supplied from the current vector controller to the driver and a given reference value Vlmt, a d-axis current command generator for generating d-axis current command id* based on a sine value of the phase-angle command β*, and a q-axis current limiter for setting a limit value of q-axis current command iq* based on a cosine value of the phase-angle command β*. This structure allows canceling a voltage saturation, and driving the motor stably with high output around a voltage saturation region even if a target command value exceeding an output limit of the motor is input.
US09219438B2
A method for operating a separately excited electric machine, in particular, a generator of a motor vehicle, where an exciting current flows through a rotor winding of the electric machine at a nominal current intensity during a normal operation and at a holding current intensity in an idling operation; the holding current intensity being greater than zero and less than the nominal current intensity.
US09219435B2
A motor control device includes an energization pattern output portion and an inverter circuit. The energization pattern output portion cyclically outputs a plurality of energization patterns. The inverter circuit selectively connects respective coils provided in a motor to a rectifier circuit according to the output energization pattern. The energization pattern output portion delays the output timing of the energization pattern according to a rotation speed of the motor.
US09219429B2
A linear ultrasonic motor includes a vibrator having a piezoelectric element, a movable part applying a pressurization force to the vibrator and bringing the vibrator into pressurized contact with a base part, a cover part being fixed to the base part, a rolling part being rollably held between a movable guide part of the movable part and a cover guide part of the cover part, and a body to be driven having a transmission member that is pivotably supported and being able to move only in the movable direction. The transmission member includes a bias part that abuts on a transmission part of the movable part and applies a biasing force of biasing the movable part to the rolling part, to the transmission part. The rolling part is held by a resultant force of the pressurization force or a reaction force of the pressurization force, and the biasing force.
US09219415B2
There is provided a switching power supply circuit (1) for supplying a power supply voltage to a load through a transmission line PL. The switching power supply circuit (1) includes: a voltage conversion unit (11) for inputting thereinto an input voltage VIN and a control signal Vc, converting the input voltage VIN into an output voltage Vo having a magnitude corresponding to the control signal Vc, and outputting the output voltage Vo to the transmission line PL; a signal generation unit (12) for monitoring a load current ILOAD flowing through the transmission line PL and generating a signal corresponding to a voltage dropped in the transmission line PL; and a low pass filter (13) for outputting the signal generated in the signal generation unit (12) to the voltage conversion unit (11) as the control signal Vc.
US09219413B2
A power supply includes a power circuit for converting an input voltage or current to an output voltage or current, at least one interface port for receiving signals from one or more external devices, and a control circuit coupled to the power circuit and the at least one interface port. The control circuit is adapted to operate the power circuit in response to control signals having a plurality of different control signal formats that are received by the at least one interface port.
US09219410B2
A voltage generator may include a plurality of charge pumps, plural sets of delay pipelines and a phase controller. Given M delay pipelines having N stages each, there may be M*N charge pumps each having a triggering input coupled to a respective stage or a respective pipeline. The phase controller may include a plurality of phase control stages interconnecting among the delay pipelines to induce timing offsets among the outputs of the delay stage. In an alternate design, intermediate nodes among the pipeline's delay stages may be coupled to triggering inputs of a sub-set of the charge pumps. The phase controller may have a plurality of phase control stages coupled, respectively, between the intermediate nodes of the delay pipeline and intermediate nodes of the phase control stages may be coupled to triggering inputs of another sub-set of the charge pumps.
US09219406B1
Methods and systems for assessing current flowing through a link inductor in a resonating current is disclosed. The method includes first integration of an actual voltage measure to obtain an integrated current. A scaling factor can be applied to the integrated current to obtain an actual current. The scaling factor can be determined by a second integration to the integrated current, which can result in an integrated voltage. The integrated voltage can then be compared with actual measured voltage. Subsequently, the scaling factor can be adjusted according to the comparison between the actual and the integrated voltage. A match between the actual and the integrated voltage can serve as an indication that application of the scaling factor to integrated current can result in a match to actual current.
US09219402B2
The earth's magnetic field has not been mined as a source of energy. With average field strength of 0.5×10−4 Tesla around the world it is easy to understand why. A disruptive technology is needed to mine the earth's magnetic field. Such a technology, graphene, is now at an early stage of development with excellent properties in the form of high conductivity, low resistivity sheets that are durable, light weight, and low cost. Multiple sheets of graphene provide a significant multiplier to earth's magnetic field yielding a feasible source of ecologically clean power. Graphene based EcoCharge units can be driven by electric motors putting graphene in motion to mine the earth's magnetic field. Estimates show that 150 EcoCharge units driven by 15 electric motors using 905 kW of input electrical power will generate 504 MW, the output power of a standard coal fired power plant.
US09219396B2
Provided is a rotary electric machine capable of improving cooling performance for a stator coil and a stator core. In the rotary electric machine, an outer-side outer diameter portion (26) of an exhaust hole (24) is formed on an inner diameter side of a position which is opposed to an axial-direction side end surface (30) of a fan blade (27) of a centrifugal fan (13) in an axial direction. Therefore, the axial-direction side end surface (30) of the fan blade (27) and the exhaust hole (24) have a positional relationship so as not to overlap each other in the axial direction. In this manner, cooling air exhausted through the exhaust hole (24) is unlikely to be forced to return to the exhaust hole (24). Therefore, exhaust efficiency is improved to efficiently cool a stator coil (22) and a stator core (21).
US09219393B2
The present invention relates to an electric drive system comprising an electric motor (10) arranged to rotate a drive shaft (16); a drive planetary gear configuration (70) being in driving engagement with said drive shaft (16) and an output shaft (50) rotatable relative to said drive shaft (16); and means for providing change in rotational speed of said output shaft (50), wherein said rotational speed changing means (80, 82) are disposed on opposite sides of the motor (10) respectively. The present invention also relates to a motor driven unit, for example a motor vehicle.
US09219390B2
The disclosure discloses a rotating electrical machine including a stator and a rotor. The rotor includes a cylindrical iron core that is fixed to a shaft and comprises a radial direction and an axial direction, a plurality of permanent magnets that is embedded in the iron core, a plurality of air gaps that are respectively provided in a portion on an inner side of the iron core in the radial direction, a wedge portion that is provided along the axial direction so as to protrude within the air gap, and a non-magnetic reinforcing member that is filled in the air gap.
US09219389B2
A permanent magnet rotating electrical machine includes a stator and a rotatable, approximately cylindrical rotor. The rotor includes a shaft, rotor cores, radial permanent magnets, and side plates. The shaft includes projected and depressed engagement portions. The rotor cores are separated from each other on a magnetic pole basis. The rotor cores constitute circumferentially arranged pole shoes. The radial permanent magnets are each on a circumferential side of a pole shoe among the pole shoes. Each of the radial permanent magnets is engaged with an engagement portion among the engagement portions of the shaft. The side plates are on axial ends of the rotor. The side plates support the rotor cores and the permanent magnets in a radial direction of the rotor.
US09219378B2
Exemplary embodiments are directed to wireless power charging. A device may include at least one sensing element for measuring at least one parameter within a receiver configured to receive wirelessly transmitted power. The device may include a switching element configured to enable the receiver to convey energy to a load when the at least one parameter exceeds a threshold value.
US09219375B2
A battery (30) includes a circuit (164, 234, 260) the selectively ties the cells (32) to the contacts (78, 80). If signals present at the contacts indicate the battery may be short circuited, the voltage is only cyclically presented across the contacts. Until the battery receives a defined recognition code, only a current limited voltage is presented across the contacts.
US09219374B2
A battery control unit includes: a storage section holding remaining amount data that indicates a remaining amount of a battery; and a control section managing the battery in a fashion of separating the battery into a first region and a second region, by a way of separating the remaining amount data into first remaining amount data and second remaining data and of allowing the storage section to hold the first and second remaining amount data.
US09219371B2
According to certain embodiments, an apparatus and method for charging a battery pack for an electronic apparatus includes an earphone connection unit, a charge determining switching unit, a charge circuit, and a control unit. The earphone connection unit is configured to be connected to the electronic apparatus to selectively receive one of an earphone unit for an earphone mode and the spare battery pack for a charge mode. The charge determining switching unit is configured to switch to one of the earphone mode and the charge mode according to the unit connected electrically to the earphone connection unit. The charge circuit is configured to open a charge path for charging the spare battery pack with an external voltage applied to the electronic apparatus, according to the switching of the charge determining switching unit. The control unit is configured to measure a resistance value of the spare battery pack applied to the charge determining switching unit, switches the mode, and opens the charge circuit.
US09219362B2
A power supply circuit generates the internal power supply voltage intVCC from a first power supply capable of supplying a first power supply voltage V1 and a second power supply capable of supplying a second power supply voltage V2, which is lower than the first power supply voltage V1. A first transistor TR1 is provided between the first power supply and an output node, whereas a second transistor TR2 is provided between the second power supply and the output node. A first supply unit supplies the inverted value of an output voltage of the first power supply or the inverted value of a voltage corresponding to the output voltage of the first power supply, to the gate input of the first transistor TR1. A second supply unit supplies the output voltage of the first power supply or the voltage corresponding to the output voltage of the first power supply, to the gate input of the second transistor TR2.
US09219346B2
A laser diode assembly includes: a mode-locked laser diode device; a diffraction grating that configures an external resonator, returns primary or more order diffracted light to the mode-locked laser diode device, and outputs 0-order diffracted light outside; and an imaging section provided between the mode-locked laser diode device and the diffraction grating and imaging an image of a light output end face of the mode-locked laser diode device on the diffraction grating.
US09219345B2
An optical amplification control apparatus is provided with: a first branch unit for branching an optical signal to which an additional optical signal with a predetermined wavelength has been added in a self node or a nearest node; a first filter unit for extracting the additional optical signal from one optical signal into which the first branch unit has branched; an amplification unit for amplifying the other optical signal into which the first branch unit has branched; a second branch unit for branching the optical signal amplified by the amplification unit; a second filter unit for extracting the additional optical signal from one optical signal into which the second branch unit has branched; and a first control unit for performing automatic gain control of the amplification unit based on the additional optical signal extracted by the first filter unit, and the additional optical signal extracted by the second filter unit.
US09219343B1
A crystal capture housing (housing) for cooling an optical device including a crystal having optical end faces and non-optical faces spanning a length between the optical end faces. An outer housing body (body) has end openings and a crystal mount assembly (CMA) includes a thermally conductive material having end openings connected to an internal opening sized to mount the crystal therein. The CMA thermally contacts each of the non-optical faces of said crystal. The CMA includes a plurality of embedded liquid coolant conduit channels (coolant channels) formed therethrough spanning the length, and the CMA is sized to fit within the body and provide an air gap between the CMA and the body.
US09219342B2
A crimping tool includes a first rod, a second rod, a transmission unit and a crimping portion. The first rod includes a first rod body. The second rod includes a second rod body and an abutting element, and the second rod body includes a guiding groove. The transmission unit includes a transmission unit body, an adjustable portion, a sliding element and a linking element, and the adjustable portion is disposed on one end of the transmission unit body, which is external to the second rod body. The crimping portion is connected with the transmission unit body. When the crimping tool is used, the adjustable portion can be adjusted, and, thus, the crimping portion is moved, thereby changing the distance between the crimping portion and the abutting element.
US09219341B1
A portable apparatus for providing electrical power receptacles and device charging ports has a bottom panel member having a top side and a bottom side. A wall structure is attached and substantially perpendicular to the top side of the bottom panel member. The wall structure defines an interior region and comprises a plurality of sections wherein each section has an opening therein. Electrical power devices are located within the interior region. Each electrical power device is attached to a corresponding section of the wall structure and has an electrical power receptacle and device charging ports that are positioned within the opening in the corresponding section of the wall structure. A top panel member covers the interior region defined by the wall structure. The wall structure is attached to the top panel member. An electrical power cable is electrically connected to all of the electrical power devices.
US09219334B2
A connection terminal includes a movable contact portion protruding out of a contact hole of a housing of the connection terminal, and is adapted to be pressed; a first curved portion continuously formed, the first curved portion including a free end portion having a fixed portion; a second curved portion continuously formed, the second curved portion including a free end portion having the movable contact portion; a rigid coupling portion interposed between the first curved portion and the second curved portion, and an abutment portion disposed on an opposite side to the second curved portion with respect to the movable contact portion, and adapted to be displaced toward the rigid coupling portion.
US09219325B2
A connector terminal includes a first contact at one end, a second contact at the other end, and a buffer portion, the connector terminal electrically connecting a first object connected to the first contact to a second object connected to the second object, the buffer portion being bent in accordance with a positional gap between the first and second objects, the buffer portion having a cross-sectional area smaller than the same of the first and second contacts.
US09219324B2
A connector is described for establishing an electrical connection to a plug. The connector has a housing having an inner surface and a plurality of contact chambers. Each contact chamber is designed to establish an electrical connection with respectively one plug contact of the plug. A contact chamber has an outer surface and is designed to be movable in one direction parallel to an insertion direction of the plug in order to assume an inserted state or an extended state.
US09219313B2
An apparatus includes an antenna having multiple layers. At least a first of the layers includes both an effective medium and an electromagnetic bandgap (EBG) medium. The antenna could include a ground plane and a feed line, and the first layer of the antenna can be located between the ground plane and the feed line. The antenna could also include a slot ground and a planar antenna structure, and the first layer of the antenna could be located between the slot ground and the planar antenna structure. The antenna could further include a first substrate between a feed line and a slot ground and a second substrate covering a planar antenna structure, and the first layer could include one of the first and second substrates.
US09219290B2
A method for producing a battery includes forming a space by expanding a liquid housing portion, the liquid housing portion being present at one end of an outer package that houses a battery element, through supply of gas from an opening portion formed at the other end of the outer package; injecting an electrolytic solution from the opening portion to store the electrolytic solution in the space of the liquid housing portion; degassing the outer package through the opening portion in a vacuum state; sealing the opening portion; and impregnating the electrolytic solution into the battery element.
US09219287B2
An example fuel cell assembly may include a proton exchange membrane (or membrane electrode assembly) that has a first major surface and a second major surface. An anode electrode, which may include a patterned metal layer with a plurality of apertures extending through the patterned metal layer, may also be provided. An anode gas diffusion layer secured to an anode adhesive frame may be situated between the anode electrode and the first major surface of the proton exchange membrane. A cathode electrode may, in some instances, include a patterned metal layer with a plurality of apertures extending through the patterned metal layer. A cathode gas diffusion layer secured to a cathode adhesive frame may be situated between the cathode electrode and the second major surface of the proton exchange membrane. In some instances a fuel cell assembly may be flexible so that the fuel cell assembly can be rolled into a rolled configuration that defines an inner cavity with open ends. A fuel pellet may be inserted into the inner cavity, and one or more end caps may be provided to cover and seal the open ends.
US09219286B2
A housing includes a body with a first silicon element and a second porous silicon element, at least one first cavity provided in the porous silicon element, a first electrically conducting contact area electrically coupled to at least a portion of at least one internal wall of the at least one first cavity, and a second electrically conducting contact area electrically coupled to a different portion of the at least one internal wall of the second porous silicon element of the at least one first cavity, wherein the two contact areas are electrically isolated from each other.
US09219281B2
The present invention provides a separator for a fuel cell that improves efficiency of the fuel cell by removing water generated in a membrane-electrode assembly and accumulated in a channel of the separator, a manufacturing method thereof, and a fuel cell stack including the same. The separator for the fuel cell of the present invention includes: a main body of a plate shape; a channel concavely formed in at least one surface of the main body and supplying a fuel or oxygen to a membrane-electrode assembly; and a metal layer provided to a surface of the channel and including an oxide layer formed by an anodic oxidation treatment and minute grooves of a nano-scale formed in the oxide layer, thereby forming the surface of the channel to be super-hydrophilic.
US09219276B2
A cathode composite material includes a cathode active material particle having a surface and a continuous aluminum phosphate layer. The continuous aluminum phosphate layer is coated on the surface of the cathode active material particle. The present disclosure also relates to a lithium ion battery including the cathode composite material.
US09219271B2
Solid composite electrodes with electrode active layers that include an electrode active material, an optional electron conductive material, an optional binder and other optional additives for batteries which are not fuel cells are provided. The solid composite electrodes are formed by the deposition of an electrode composition (slurry) onto a current collector in one or many layers. The electrode structure may be characterized by a porosity of the electrode composition layer that decreases in a direction from the back side of the layer (close to the current collector) towards the outer side of the layer. The electrode structures can be used in for example chemical sources of electric energy such as primary (non-rechargeable) as well as secondary (rechargeable) batteries.
US09219263B2
A center pin for a secondary battery and a secondary battery having the same, which optimizes a void volume of the secondary battery. The center pin is inserted into an electrode assembly of the secondary battery. The center pin has a longitudinal hole and includes a sealing member to seal a portion of the hole. The sealing member can include walls disposed within the center pin, to seal the portion of the hole. The sealing member can include a second center pin, which is inserted into the hole, to seal the portion of the hole.
US09219259B2
A battery pack is constructed with at least two battery cells that are arranged in parallel to each other and provided with surfaces facing each other, and a spacer structure interposed between the facing surfaces of the battery cells. A through-hole is formed in an interior portion of the spacer structure and corresponds to a portion where thicknesses of the battery cells are increased when the battery cells are swollen. Therefore, the facing battery cells do not interfere with each other even if the thickness of the battery cell is changed due to swelling of the middle portion thereof when the battery cells are repeatedly charged/discharged in the case where at least two battery cells are included.
US09219251B2
An organic light emitting display apparatus includes a substrate divided into a first light emission region, and a transmission region adjacent to the first light emission and through which an external light is transmitted, an organic light emitting device on the substrate and in the first light emission region, and including a pixel electrode, an intermediate layer on the pixel electrode and including an organic light emission layer, and an opposite electrode on the intermediate layer; and a light scattering layer on the substrate and in the transmission region, and configured to scatter a light incident thereto from the intermediate layer in the first light emission region.
US09219244B2
An organic light-emitting display apparatus basically comprises a thin film transistor, an organic light-emitting device and a pad electrode, and provides an improved adhesive force between a pad portion and an electrode and a stable signal supply. A method of manufacturing the organic light-emitting display apparatus comprises mask processes for forming on a curve layer of a thin film transistor, a pixel electrode and a first pad electrode, a gate electrode and a second pad electrode, contact holes and an interlayer insulating layer, source and drain electrodes and a third pad electrode, and a pixel define layer.
US09219239B2
An apparatus includes a substrate; and a photoactive layer disposed on the substrate. The photoactive layer includes an electron acceptor material; an electron donor material; and a material having dipoles.
US09219238B2
Disclosed is an organic thin film transistor array substrate and a method for manufacturing. The method increases the manufacturing efficiency of the organic thin film transistor array substrate. In the method, a pixel electrode, a source electrode, a data line and a drain electrode are formed on a substrate through one patterning process, where both of the pattern layer for the source electrode and the pattern layer for the data line and the drain electrode are located above the pixel electrode. An organic semiconductor layer and a gate insulating layer that covers the organic semiconductor layer are formed through one patterning process, where the organic semiconductor layer covers both of the pattern layer for the source electrode and the pattern layer for the data line and the drain electrode. A gate electrode and a gate line are formed through one patterning process on the substrate formed with the gate insulating layer.
US09219237B1
A bis-tridentate iridium complex represented by a formula (I): where R3 to R8, R21 to R23, R9, R10, X1, X2, and X3 are as defined in the specification.
US09219226B2
The spacer in a spin-valve is replaced with an organic layer, allowing for numerous applications, including light-emitting structures. The invention demonstrates that the spin coherence of the organic material is sufficiently long that the carriers do not lose their spin memory even in traversing a thicker passive barrier. At least three methods to fabricate the organic spin-valve devices are disclosed, in which the difficulties associated with depositing the ferromagnetic (FM) and organic layers are addressed.
US09219223B2
Preparations of piezoelectric single crystal elements involving the steps of mechanically finishing a single crystal element with select cuttings, coating electrodes on a pair of Z surfaces, poling the single crystal along the <011> axis under a 500V/mm electric field and a product made by the process thereof.
US09219215B1
The invention provides for a nanostructure, or an array of such nanostructures, each comprising a rough surface, and a doped or undoped semiconductor. The nanostructure is an one-dimensional (1-D) nanostructure, such a nanowire, or a two-dimensional (2-D) nanostructure. The nanostructure can be placed between two electrodes and used for thermoelectric power generation or thermoelectric cooling.
US09219209B2
A light emitting diode (LED) structure (10) has semiconductor layers, including a p-type layer, an active layer, and an n-type layer. The p-type layer has a bottom surface, and the n-type layer has a top surface through which light is emitted. Portions of the p-type layer and active layer are etched away to expose the n-type layer. The surface of the LED is patterned with a photoresist, and copper is plated over the exposed surfaces to form p and n electrodes electrically contacting their respective semiconductor layers. There is a gap between the n and p electrodes. To provide mechanical support of the semiconductor layers between the gap, a dielectric layer (34) is formed in the gap followed by filling the gap with a metal (42). The metal is patterned to form stud bumps (40, 42, 44) that substantially cover the bottom surface of the LED die, but do not short the electrodes. The substantially uniform coverage supports the semiconductor layer during subsequent process steps.
US09219207B2
There are provided a semiconductor unit that prevents connection failure caused by a wiring substrate to improve reliability, a method of manufacturing the semiconductor unit, and an electronic apparatus including the semiconductor unit. The semiconductor unit includes: a device substrate including a functional device and an electrode; a first wiring substrate electrically connected to the functional device through the electrode; and a second wiring substrate electrically connected to the functional device through the first wiring substrate.
US09219199B2
An optoelectronic component includes a semiconductor layer sequence having an optoelectronically active region; a dielectric layer on the semiconductor layer sequence; and a metal layer on the dielectric layer, wherein an adhesion layer is arranged between the dielectric layer and the metal layer, the adhesion layer being covalently bonded to the dielectric layer and to the metal layer.
US09219198B2
A method for forming a metal electrode and a method for manufacturing semiconductor light emitting elements include providing a substrate having a semiconductor layer formed thereon; forming a bonding metal layer and a reflective metal layer on the semiconductor layer; and forming a metal electrode by layer inversion of the bonding metal layer and the reflective metal layer through a heat treatment process. An interface characteristic between a semiconductor layer and an electrode having a reflective metal layer is enhanced by a layer inversion phenomenon. High reflectivity can be obtained, because a reflection metal layer is uniformly distributed on a semiconductor layer. Further, out-diffusion of a reflective metal layer is prevented through layer inversion to enhance the thermal stability of an electrode. And the number of accepters for generating holes is increased through heat treatment under an oxygen atmosphere, so that contact resistance can be lowered.
US09219196B2
Exemplary embodiments of the present invention provide a wafer-level light emitting diode (LED) package and a method of fabricating the same. The LED package includes a semiconductor stack including a first conductive type semiconductor layer, an active layer, and a second conductive type semiconductor layer; a plurality of contact holes arranged in the second conductive type semiconductor layer and the active layer, the contact holes exposing the first conductive type semiconductor layer; a first bump arranged on a first side of the semiconductor stack, the first bump being electrically connected to the first conductive type semiconductor layer via the plurality of contact holes; a second bump arranged on the first side of the semiconductor stack, the second bump being electrically connected to the second conductive type semiconductor layer; and a protective insulation layer covering a sidewall of the semiconductor stack.
US09219192B2
A display apparatus includes a base substrate, a pixel on the base substrate, and a color filter part between the base substrate and the pixel. The pixel includes a cover layer defining a TSC (Tunnel Shaped Cavity) on the base substrate, an image display part provided in the TSC, and first and second electrodes which apply an electric field to the image display part.
US09219187B2
A solar-powered autonomous CMOS circuit structure is fabricated with monolithically integrated photovoltaic solar cells. The structure includes a device layer including an integrated circuit and a solar cell layer. Solar cell structures in the solar cell layer can be series connected during metallization of the device layer or subsequently. The device layer and the solar cell layer are formed using a silicon-on-insulator substrate. Subsequent spalling of the silicon-on-insulator substrate through the handle substrate thereof facilitates production of a relatively thin solar cell layer that can be subjected to a selective etching process to isolate the solar cell structures.
US09219178B2
A method of fabrication of a collimator structure on a detector that includes applying a first layer of resist to a semiconductor sensor, applying a second layer of resist over the first layer of resist and the semiconductor sensor to cover both the first layer of resist and the semiconductor sensor, exposing the second layer of resist to ultraviolet (UV) light with a photomask to transfer a pattern from the photomask to the second layer of resist, removing portions of the second layer of resist corresponding to the pattern from the photomask to produce openings in the second layer of resist, which expose upper portions of the semiconductor sensor, and depositing a layer of metal in the openings and on the second layer of resist to cover the openings, the first layer of resist, the second layer of resist, and the semiconductor sensor.
US09219173B2
Solar cells having emitter regions composed of wide bandgap semiconductor material are described. In an example, a method includes forming, in a process tool having a controlled atmosphere, a thin dielectric layer on a surface of a semiconductor substrate of the solar cell. The semiconductor substrate has a bandgap. Without removing the semiconductor substrate from the controlled atmosphere of the process tool, a semiconductor layer is formed on the thin dielectric layer. The semiconductor layer has a bandgap at least approximately 0.2 electron Volts (eV) above the bandgap of the semiconductor substrate.
US09219171B2
Structures and methods for a solar cell having an integrated bypass switch are provided. According to one embodiment, an integrated solar cell and bypass switch comprising a semiconductor layer having background doping, a frontside, and a backside is provided. A patterned first level metal is positioned on the layer backside and an electrically insulating backplane is positioned on the first level metal. A trench isolation pattern partitions the semiconductor layer into a solar cell region and at least one monolithically integrated bypass switch region. A patterned second level metal is positioned on the electrically insulating backplane and which connects to the first level metal through the backplane to complete the electrical metallization of the monolithically integrated solar cell and bypass switch structure.
US09219165B2
A transistor includes a multilayer film in which an oxide semiconductor film and an oxide film are stacked, a gate electrode, and a gate insulating film. The multilayer film overlaps with the gate electrode with the gate insulating film interposed therebetween. The multilayer film has a shape having a first angle between a bottom surface of the oxide semiconductor film and a side surface of the oxide semiconductor film and a second angle between a bottom surface of the oxide film and a side surface of the oxide film. The first angle is acute and smaller than the second angle. Further, a semiconductor device including such a transistor is manufactured.
US09219152B2
A semiconductor device, such as a PMOS or NMOS device, having localized stressors is provided. Recesses are formed on opposing sides of a gate electrode. A stress-inducing region is formed along a bottom of the recess, and a stressed layer is formed over the stress-inducing region. By having a stress-inducing region with a larger lattice structure than the stressed layer, a tensile strain may be created in a channel region of the semiconductor device and may be suitable for an NMOS device. By having a stress-inducing region with a smaller lattice structure than the stressed layer, a compressive strain may be created in the channel region of the semiconductor device and may be suitable for a PMOS device. Embodiments may be applied to various types of substrates and semiconductor devices, such as planar transistors and finFETs.
US09219142B2
A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate having an element region and a termination region. The element region includes a first body region having a first conductivity type, a first drift region having a second conductivity type, and first floating regions having the first conductivity type. The termination region includes FLR regions, a second drift region and second floating regions. The FLR regions have the first conductivity type and surrounds the element region. The second drift region has the second conductivity type, makes contact with and surrounds the FLR regions. The second floating regions have the first conductivity type and is surrounded by the second drift region. The second floating regions surround the element region. At least one of the second floating regions is placed at an element region side relative to the closest one of the FLR regions to the element region.
US09219128B2
Fabrication methods, device structures, and design structures for a bipolar junction transistor. A dielectric structure is formed that is coextensive with a single crystal semiconductor material of a substrate in an active device region. A semiconductor layer is formed that includes a single crystal section coupled with the active device region. The semiconductor layer has an edge that overlaps with a top surface of the dielectric structure. An intrinsic base layer is formed on the semiconductor layer.
US09219127B2
A SiC field effect transistor includes: a SiC semiconductor layer; and a MIS transistor structure including a first conductivity type source region in the semiconductor layer, a second conductivity type body region in the semiconductor layer in contact with the source region, a first conductivity type drift region in the semiconductor layer in contact with the body region, a gate electrode opposed to the body region with a gate insulation film interposed between the electrode and the body region for forming a channel in the body region to cause electric current to flow between the drift region and the source region, and a barrier forming layer in contact with the drift region to form a junction barrier by the contact with the drift region, the junction barrier being lower than a diffusion potential of a body diode defined by a junction between the body region and the drift region.
US09219126B2
A device, including a substrate, an electronically active component on the substrate, an interface dielectric on the semiconductor, and a relaxor dielectric on the interface dielectric. The relaxor dielectric includes a surfactant that is solid at room temperature.
US09219121B2
A semiconductor component is disclosed. One embodiment provides a semiconductor component including a semiconductor body having a cell array region with trenches and an edge region with pn junction. A transition region with at least one trench is formed between the cell array region and the edge region.
US09219118B2
Hydro-carbon nanorings may be used in storage. Sufficiently cooled, an externally hydrogen doped carbon nanoring may be used to create a radial dipole field to contain streams of electrons. Similarly, an internally hydrogen doped carbon nanoring may be used to create a radial dipole field to contain streams of positrons. When matched streams of positrons and electrons are sufficiently compressed they may form Cooper pairs with magnetic moments aligned to the movement of the stream. Matched adjacent Cooper pairs of electrons and positrons may contain information within their magnetic moments, and as such, may transmit and store information with little or no energy loss. Information may be similarly encoded in magnetic moments of spins of pairs of positrons and electrons, not in the form of Cooper pairs.
US09219116B2
A semiconductor device and method of formation are provided herein. A semiconductor device includes a fin having a first wall extending along a first plane, the fin including a doped region defining a first furrow on a first side of the first plane. A dielectric is disposed within the first furrow, such that the dielectric is in contact with the first furrow between a first end of the dielectric and a second end of the dielectric. The first end is separated a first distance from the first plane. The dielectric disposed within the furrow increases the isolation of a channel portion of adjacent fins, and thus decreases current leakage of a FinFET, as compared to a FinFET including fins that do not include a dielectric disposed within a furrow.
US09219108B2
A semiconductor device including a semiconductor substrate having a main surface; a first insulating layer formed on the main surface and having a first main surface, the first main surface including a first region and a second region without the first area; a first coil formed on the first region of the first insulating layer; a plurality of first wirings formed on the second region of the first insulating layer; a second insulating layer formed on the first coil and on the first wirings, the second insulating layer having a second main surface; a third insulating layer formed on the second main surface above the first region of the first insulating layer and having a third main surface; and a second coil formed on the third main surface of the third insulating layer.
US09219100B2
A solid-state image pickup unit including a pixel section having a plurality of unit pixels two-dimensionally arranged in a matrix formation, wherein a unit pixel includes a conductive region of a first conductivity type having a surface adjacent to a multilayer wiring layer, a charge accumulation region of a second conductivity type formed within the first conductive region, wherein the charge accumulation region is separated from the surface of the conductive region adjacent to the multilayer wiring layer by a separation section, and a contact disposed in the conductive region, the contact electrically connecting the charge accumulation region and an external wire of the multilayer wiring layer.
US09219099B1
A memory structure includes a control unit and a memory unit electrically connected to the control unit. The control unit includes a source and a drain; an active layer in contact with a portion of the source and a portion of the drain; a gate layer; and a gate insulation layer disposed between the active layer and the gate layer. The memory unit includes a bottom electrode layer; a top electrode layer; and a resistive switching layer interposed between the bottom electrode layer and the top electrode layer, which the resistive switching layer and the active layer are formed of aluminum zinc tin oxide (AZTO).
US09219094B2
A backside illuminated image sensor includes a semiconductor substrate having a front side and a backside facing each other, a light receiving element in the semiconductor substrate, the light receiving element being configured to convert light incident on the backside of the semiconductor substrate to an electrical signal, a first semiconductor layer on the front side of the semiconductor substrate, and a second semiconductor layer on the backside of the semiconductor substrate, the second semiconductor layer being connected to a voltage source.
US09219082B2
The invention relates to an array substrate for a display device and to a method for manufacturing an array substrate comprising a thin-film transistor (“TFT”). An array substrate according to an embodiment of the invention comprises a source electrode, a gate electrode and a drain electrode, wherein the gate electrode is located on a first metal layer, the source electrode and the drain electrode are located on a second metal layer, and in the case that dislocation occurs between the first metal layer and the second metal layer, the area of the overlapping region between the source electrode and the gate electrode keeps constant.
US09219080B2
A liquid crystal display device includes a gate electrode; a gate insulating layer on the gate electrode; an active layer on the gate insulating layer corresponding to the gate electrode; source and drain electrodes on the active layer; a first passivation layer on the source and drain electrodes; a common electrode on the first passivation layer; a second passivation layer on the common electrode, covering the common electrode, and having a separate region from the first passivation layer at a thickness of the common electrode; a pixel electrode on the second passivation layer and connected to the drain electrode through a drain contact hole; and a common line at a same layer as the pixel electrode and connected to the common electrode.
US09219072B2
Provided is a nonvolatile memory device having a three dimensional structure. The nonvolatile memory device may include cell arrays having a plurality of conductive patterns having a line shape three dimensionally arranged on a semiconductor substrate, the cell arrays being separated from one another; semiconductor patterns extending from the semiconductor substrate to cross sidewalls of the conductive patterns; common source regions provided in the semiconductor substrate under a lower portion of the semiconductor patterns in a direction in which the conductive patterns extend; a first impurity region provided in the semiconductor substrate so that the first impurity region extends in a direction crossing the conductive patterns to electrically connect the common source regions; and a first contact hole exposing a portion of the first impurity region between the separated cell arrays.
US09219068B2
An improved finFET and method of fabrication using a silicon-on-nothing process flow is disclosed. Nitride spacers protect the fin sides during formation of cavities underneath the fins for the silicon-on-nothing (SON) process. A flowable oxide fills the cavities to form an insulating dielectric layer under the fins.
US09219066B2
Method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes forming, in a first region, a first trench through a second gate electrode film and an interelectrode insulating film, and a second trench partially extending into a sacrificial film in an isolation trench, filling the second trench with a first insulating film; forming a third gate electrode film above the second gate electrode film and into the first trench such that the third gate electrode film contacts the first gate electrode film; etching the third and the second gate electrode film, the interelectrode insulating film, and the first gate electrode film to form select gate electrodes in the first region and a group of memory-cell gate electrodes in the second region; removing the sacrificial film; and forming a second insulating film over the element regions and the isolation trench to define an unfilled gap in the isolation trench below the memory-cell gate electrodes.
US09219062B2
Integrated circuits and methods for fabricating integrated circuits are provided. In accordance with an exemplary embodiment, an integrated circuit includes a semiconductor substrate with a fin structure overlying the semiconductor substrate and having a source region, a drain region, and a channel region between the source region and drain region. The source region and the drain region each have a recessed surface. A source contact is adjacent the recessed surface in the source region and a drain contact is adjacent the recessed surface in the drain region. Linear current paths are defined from the channel region to the source contact and from the channel region to the drain contact.
US09219057B2
An electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection device for protecting an internal circuitry from being damaged during electrostatic discharge, and a method for manufacturing the ESD protection circuit are provided. The electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection device includes: a gate electrode over a substrate; first and second doping regions provided in the substrate exposed at both sides of the gate electrode, the first and second doping regions having the same conductivity type; a third doping region provided in the second doping region and having an opposite conductivity type to that of the second doping region; and fourth and fifth doping regions spaced apart from the gate electrode and provided in the substrate exposed at both sides of the gate electrode, the fourth and fifth doping regions having the same conductivity type as the first and second doping regions.
US09219054B2
Systems, apparatuses, and methods provided for semiconductor devices and integrated circuit (IC) packages that include compliant dielectric layers. In a through silicon via interposer or substrate, a compliant dielectric material may be added to a surface of silicon material body to form a compliant dielectric layer. The compliant dielectric layer provides a thermal buffer and a stress buffer for a resulting IC package. The compliant dielectric material may be selected such that the coefficient of thermal expansion of the compliant dielectric material approximately matches the coefficient of thermal expansion of the circuit board on which the IC package is mounted. The compliant dielectric material may be selected such that it has a deformability that is greater than the silicon material body. Multiple sub-layers of compliant dielectric material may be used.
US09219053B1
A three dimensional stacked multi-chip structure including M chips, a first conductive pillar, and N second conductive pillars is provided. Each chip has a common connection area and a chip-enable area, and includes a substrate and a patterned circuit layer disposed on the substrate. The patterned circuit layer includes an active element, at least one common conductive structure in the common connection area, and N chip-enable conductive structures in the chip-enable area. The first conductive pillar connects the common conductive structure of the M chips. Each second conductive pillar connects one of the N chip-enable conductive structures of the M chips. The chip-conductive areas of the M chips have different conducting states. N is large than 1, M is large than 2, and M is smaller than or equal to 2N.
US09219043B2
A wafer-level package device and techniques for fabricating the device are described that include a second integrated circuit chip electrically coupled to a base integrated circuit chip, where the second integrated circuit chip is placed on and connected to the base integrated circuit chip between multiple high-standoff peripheral pillars with solder bumps. In implementations, the wafer-level package device that employs example techniques in accordance with the present disclosure includes a base integrated circuit chip, multiple high-standoff peripheral pillars with solder bumps, and a second integrated circuit chip electrically coupled to the base integrated circuit chip and placed on the base integrated circuit chip in the center of an array of high-standoff peripheral pillars with solder bumps.
US09219037B2
A porous SiCOH dielectric film in which the stress change caused by increased tetrahedral strain is minimized by post treatment in unsaturated Hydrocarbon ambient. The p-SiCOH dielectric film has more —(CHx) and less Si—O—H and Si—H bonding moieties. Moreover, a stable pSiOCH dielectric film is provided in which the amount of Si—OH (silanol) and Si—H groups at least within the pores has been reduced by about 90% or less by the post treatment. A p-SiCOH dielectric film is produced that is flexible since the pores include stabilized crosslinking —(CHx)— chains wherein x is 1, 2 or 3 therein. The dielectric film is produced utilizing an annealing step subsequent deposition that includes a gaseous ambient that includes at least one C—C double bond and/or at least one C—C triple bond.
US09219036B2
A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device with a cap layer for a copper interconnect structure formed in a dielectric layer is provided. In an embodiment, a conductive material is embedded within a dielectric layer, the conductive material comprising a first material and having either a recess, a convex surface, or is planar. The conductive material is silicided to form an alloy layer. The alloy layer comprises the first material and a second material of germanium, arsenic, tungsten, or gallium.
US09219033B2
The present disclosure relates to a metal interconnect layer formed using a pre-fill process to reduce voids, and an associated method. In some embodiments, the metal interconnect layer has a dielectric layer disposed over a substrate. An opening with an upper portion above a horizontal plane and a lower portion below the horizontal plane extends downwardly through the dielectric layer. A first conductive layer fills the lower portion of the opening. An upper barrier layer is disposed over the first conductive layer covering bottom and sidewall surfaces of the upper portion of the opening. A second conductive layer is disposed over the upper barrier layer filling the upper portion of the opening.
US09219026B2
A semiconductor device has an island portion on which a semiconductor chip is adhered through intermediation of an insulating paste. Recessed portions having an inverted pyramid shape are formed in a semiconductor chip placing region of the island portion. A first opening angle formed by a normal extending upward from a vertex of each of the plurality of recessed portions each having an inverted pyramid shape and an opening line extending to an outer side of the semiconductor chip placing region is smaller than a second opening angle formed by the normal and an opening line extending to an inner side of the semiconductor chip placing region.
US09219020B2
A cavity is formed in a working surface of a substrate in which a semiconductor element is formed. A glass piece formed from a glass material is bonded to the substrate, and the cavity is filled with the glass material. For example, a pre-patterned glass piece is used which includes a protrusion fitting into the cavity. Cavities with widths of more than 10 micrometers are filled fast and reliably. The cavities may have inclined sidewalls.
US09219018B2
An object of the invention is to provide a gas barrier characteristic film that has a gas barrier characteristic and that is excellent in the repetitive reproducibility of the gas barrier characteristic. The film is a gas barrier characteristic film in which an [A] layer and a [B] layer mentioned below are sequentially layered on at least one surface of a macromolecular base, the [A] layer being a crosslinked resin layer whose pencil hardness is greater than or equal to H and whose surface free energy is less than or equal to 45 mN/m, and the [B] layer being a silicon-containing inorganic layer whose thickness is 10 to 1000 nm.
US09219013B2
When forming semiconductor devices including transistors with different threshold voltages, the different threshold voltages of transistors of the same conductivity type are substantially defined by performing different halo implantations. As the other implantations performed typically in the same manufacturing step, such as pre-amorphization, source and drain extension implantation and extra diffusion engineering implantations, may be identical for different threshold voltages, these implantations, in addition to a common halo base implantation, may be performed for all transistors of the same conductivity type in a common implantation sequence. Higher threshold voltages of specific transistors may be subsequently achieved by an additional low-dose halo implantation while the other transistors are covered by a resist mask. Thus, the amount of atoms of the implant species in the required resist masks is reduced so that removal of the resist masks is facilitated. Furthermore, the number of implantation steps is decreased compared to conventional manufacturing processes.
US09219011B2
Various methods and apparatuses are provided relating to separation of a substrate into a plurality of parts. For example, first a partial separation is performed and then the partially separated substrate is completely separated into a plurality of parts.
US09218999B2
Packaging process tools and packaging methods for semiconductor devices are disclosed. In one embodiment, a packaging process tool for semiconductor devices includes a mechanical structure including a frame. The frame includes a plurality of apertures adapted to retain a plurality of integrated circuit dies therein. The frame includes at least one hollow region.
US09218998B2
An electrostatic chuck for clamping a warped workpiece has a clamping surface comprising a dielectric layer. The dielectric layer has a field and one or more zones formed of differing dielectric materials. One or more electrodes are coupled to a power supply, and a controller controls a clamping voltage supplied to the one or more electrodes via the power supply. An electrostatic attraction force associated with each of the field and one or more zones of the dielectric layer of the electrostatic chuck is induced, wherein the electrostatic attraction force varies based on the dielectric material of each of the field and one or more zones. The electrostatic attraction force is greater in the one or more zones than in the field, therein attracting warped regions of the workpiece to the clamping surface and clamping the warped workpiece to the clamping surface across a surface of the warped workpiece.
US09218985B2
Provided are a roller apparatus, a printing method and a method of fabricating an LCD device using the same, which can minimize the number of processes and a printing defect. In the printing method, first patterns are formed on a blanket. The first patterns have different surface energy from that of the blanket, and the blanket is formed around a roller. The roller is rotated and a printing material is dropped to form second patterns on the blanket between the first patterns. The second patterns are transferred from the roller onto a substrate.
US09218984B2
A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device includes forming an etch-target layer over a semiconductor substrate having a lower structure, forming a first mask pattern over the etch-target layer, forming a spacer material layer with a uniform thickness over the etch-target layer including the first mask pattern, forming a second mask pattern on an indented region of the space material layer, and etching the etch-target layer with the first mask pattern and the second mask pattern as an etch mask to form a fine pattern.
US09218970B2
A method to form a titanium nitride (TiN) hard mask in the Damascene process of forming interconnects during the fabrication of a semiconductor device, while the type and magnitude of stress carried by the TiN hard mask is controlled. The TiN hard mask is formed in a multi-layered structure where each sub-layer is formed successively by repeating a cycle of processes comprising TiN and chlorine PECVD deposition, and N2/H2 plasma gas treatment. During its formation, the stress to be carried by the TiN hard mask is controlled by controlling the number of TiN sub-layers and the plasma gas treatment duration such that the stress may counter-balance predetermined external stress anticipated on a conventionally made TiN hard mask, which causes trench sidewall distortion, trench opening shrinkage, and gap filling problem.
US09218968B2
A method for forming the crystalline thin film according to an implementation of the present invention includes: preparing a substrate; forming a non-crystalline thin film above the substrate; and crystallizing at least a predetermined region in the non-crystalline thin film, by irradiating the non-crystalline thin film with a laser beam having a predetermined wavelength and scanned relative to the substrate. In the preparing, a direction of a largest residual stress on the substrate is identified. In the crystallizing, the laser beam is scanned in the identified direction of the largest residual stress.
US09218956B2
A structure for a semiconductor component is provided having a bi-layer capping coating integrated and built on supporting layer to be transferred. The bi-layer capping protects the layer to be transferred from possible degradation resulting from the attachment and removal processes of the carrier assembly used for layer transfer. A wafer-level layer transfer process using this structure is enabled to create three-dimensional integrated circuits.
US09218955B2
A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes forming a thin film containing a predetermined element, oxygen, carbon, and nitrogen on a substrate by performing a cycle a predetermined number of times. The cycle includes supplying a predetermined element-containing gas to the substrate; supplying a carbon-containing gas and a plasma-excited inert gas to the substrate; supplying an oxidizing gas to the substrate; and supplying a nitriding gas to the substrate.
US09218950B2
A ceramic discharge vessel for discharge lamps is provided, with a central main part which extends between the tips of two electrodes and which is essentially tubular and with two ends for fixing and sealing an electrode system, wherein the ceramic discharge vessel has a longitudinal axis and wherein the main part consists of two halves which are connected in the middle of the main part wherein the two halves are frustoconically shaped with a draft angle p of 0.5°≦p≦7.0°.
US09218946B2
The present invention is a method and apparatus for operating boron-coated straw detectors in sealed mode, without the need for a continuous flow of gas. Sealed-mode operation is necessary when using the boron-coated straw detectors in the field, where access to a continuous flow of the required gas mixture is not practical. Also, sealed-mode operation is necessary when the straw detectors are used as portable instruments, that must be moved from one location to the next swiftly, or that must be operated while in motion.
US09218944B2
A plasma reactor has an array of passages extending through its workpiece support pedestal from a bottom thereof that forms a two-dimensional array of openings in the support surface. The reactor further includes a plurality of optical fibers, each fiber extending through a respective one of the passages. Optical sensing apparatus is coupled to the output ends of the optical fibers and is responsive in the range of wavelengths. The reactor further includes a tunable element capable of changing a two-dimensional etch rate distribution across the surface of a workpiece supported on the pedestal, and a process controller connected to receive information from the optical sensing apparatus and to transmit control commands to the tunable element.
US09218928B2
An operating system for a circuit breaker includes a bail and a base that supports the circuit breaker and the bail. The bail extends around the circuit breaker and is pivotally attached to the base, such as by snap engagement. The bail and the base are made of an insulative plastic material such that the circuit breaker may vent hot gases, charged particles, plasma and the like without transferring charge to the operating system components. Additional features may be molded into the parts, such as supports and operators for auxiliary switches.
US09218920B2
A remote switching system for electrical switches in a cabinet provides an actuator frame and slider that may be assembled to the electrical switch to engage the switch actuator for remote control. The actuator frame includes an opening allowing insertion of a lock shank through the opening to block motion of the slider from an “off” state to an “on” state thereby allowing the actuator frame to also serve as a local lockout.
US09218899B2
The present invention relates to a superconducting cable cooling system which pumps a coolant for cooling a superconducting cable to a heat exchange section by using a circulation pump, and cools the coolant by a refrigerator. Specifically, the superconducting cable cooling system includes a heat exchange unit having a cooling space charged with a liquefied gas, a flow rate sensor which detects the flow rate of the coolant, a temperature sensor which detects the temperature of the liquefied gas charged in the heat exchange unit, and a control section which controls the refrigerator based on the detected values of the flow rate sensor and the temperature sensor such that the temperature of the liquefied gas charged in the heat exchange unit has a specific value.
US09218896B2
A permanent seal for a refueling canal of a nuclear power plant. The seal includes a support structure and a membrane. The support structure includes a first annular plate with ribs connected to and extending from a lower surface of the annular plate. The support structure is positioned atop the shield wall on the refueling canal floor, encircling and positioned near the annulus. The membrane includes a first end that is connected to the seal ledge and a second end that is connected to the refueling canal floor. The membrane has a stepped profile, with side walls extending substantially perpendicularly from a central annular plate to form a pocket configured to fit over the support structure. Loads imparted to the membrane are transferred through the support structure annular plate and ribs to the refueling canal floor.
US09218881B2
A NAND flash memory chip includes a first partition that has smaller memory cells, with smaller charge storage elements, and a second partition that has larger memory cells, with larger charge storage elements, in the same memory array. Data is selected for storage in the first or second partition according to characteristics, or expected characteristics, of the data.
US09218876B2
Embodiments disclosed herein may relate to adjusting an aspect of a programming pulse for one or more memory cells, such as based at least in part on one or more detected programmed resistance values for the one or more memory cells.
US09218869B2
A memory device includes: a memory element which includes three or more resistance states by using plural magneto-resistive elements each having a first resistance state or a second resistance state; and a comparison and determination circuit which compares the resistance states of the memory element before and after one first magneto-resistive element from among the plural magneto-resistive elements in the memory element is rewritten into the first resistance state, and determines the resistance state of the memory element in accordance with the comparison result.
US09218864B1
A novel three-terminal SOT-MRAM memory cell with a unique magnetic stabilization layer or structure is proposed. A complementary magnetic footprint of the data storage layer for the memory cell is able to be created within the magnetic stabilization layer or structure by the magnetic field from the storage layer to enhance the magnetic and thermal stability of the memory cell. Several designs for both perpendicular and in-plane SOT-MRAM memory cell have been invented. With proper wire connection and sensing arrangement, the proposed memory cell is capable of forming not only the 2D array but also 3D array.
US09218863B2
A magnetic memory cell including a piezoelectric material, and methods of operating the memory cell are provided. The memory cell includes a stack, and the piezoelectric material may be formed as a layer in the stack or adjacent the layers of the cell stack. The piezoelectric material may be used to induce a transient stress during programming of the memory cell to reduce the critical switching current of the memory cell.
US09218857B2
A method of reading data from an accessed memory cell of an accessed column of an accessed section of a memory array includes, in the accessed section, electrically coupling a first voltage source of at least three voltage sources to a corresponding column internal ground node of the accessed column; and electrically coupling the first voltage source to a corresponding column internal ground node of an un-accessed column. The memory array has at least one segment, the at least one segment has at least one section, and each section has at least one column. Each column has at least three switches and a column internal ground node capable of being electrically coupled to at least three voltage sources through a corresponding one of the at least three switches.
US09218856B2
Circuits, architectures, a system and methods for memories with multiple power supplies and/or multiple low power modes. The circuit generally includes peripheral circuitry operating at a first voltage, a memory array operating at a second voltage, and translation circuitry configured to receive an input from the peripheral circuitry at the first voltage and provide an output to the memory array at the second voltage, the translation circuitry further configured to prevent leakage during a standard operating mode of the memory. The method generally includes operating peripheral circuitry at a first voltage from a first power rail, operating a memory array at the first voltage or a second voltage, the memory array being coupled to a second power rail, coupling the first and second power rails during standard operating mode when the memory array operates at the first voltage, otherwise not coupling the first and second power rails, and reducing leakage in the memory array during a leakage reduction mode by reducing a voltage differential between a ground plane in the memory array and the second power rail.
US09218854B2
Disclosed are various embodiments related to stacked memory devices, such as DRAMs, SRAMs, EEPROMs, and CAMs. For example, stack position identifiers (SPIDs) are assigned or otherwise determined, and are used by each memory device to make a number of adjustments. In one embodiment, a self-refresh rate of a DRAM is adjusted based on the SPID of that device. In another embodiment, a latency of a DRAM or SRAM is adjusted based on the SPID. In another embodiment, internal regulation signals are shared with other devices via TSVs. In another embodiment, adjustments to internally regulated signals are made based on the SPID of a particular device. In another embodiment, serially connected signals can be controlled based on a chip SPID (e.g., an even or odd stack position), and whether the signal is an upstream or a downstream type of signal.
US09218853B2
A control method for a nonvolatile memory device with a vertically stacked structure is provided. The nonvolatile memory device includes a substrate, a common source line formed on the substrate, and plural memory blocks disposed over the substrate. Each memory block includes a cell string connected between a bit line and the common source line. Firstly, a first memory block of the plural memory blocks is selected as an active memory block, and one of the remaining memory blocks is selected as a second memory block. Then, a ground voltage is provided to the bit line of the second memory block, and the cell string of the second memory block is conducted, so that the ground voltage is transmitted from the bit line to the common source line through the cell string.
US09218843B2
A method for managing audio of a device including scanning for an audio controller of a docking station coupled to the device, determining whether an audio device is coupled to an audio interface of the docking station if the device is coupled to the audio controller, and transferring audio between the device and the audio controller of the docking station if the audio device is coupled to the audio interface of the docking station.
US09218842B2
A library apparatus, includes: a plurality of cells in each of which a cartridge-type recording medium is attachably and detachably accommodated; a robot including a hand configured to handle the recording medium; and an information reading unit which is attachably and detachably accommodated in the cells and includes a plurality of readers configured to read information of the recording medium, wherein when the information reading unit is pulled into a portion of the hand, the plurality of readers project to be capable of reading the information of the recording medium.
US09218841B1
Using a thermally assisted magnetic recording head, reference signals are recorded into a magnetic recording medium; reproduction signal intensity of the reference signals is measured in a state where the thermally assisted magnetic head has been moved in the track width direction from the track width center of the track where the reference signals are recorded; a mean signal output of each sector in the track where the reference signals are recorded is calculated from the measurement results of the reproduction signal intensity of the reference signals; and the recording characteristics of a thermally assisted magnetic head are evaluated based upon the mean signal output of the sectors.
US09218833B1
A load/unload ramp configured for a multiple disk-stack, shared actuator hard disk drive (HDD) includes a ramp part configured for loading and unloading a head stack assembly (HSA) from multiple directions, e.g., from multiple disk stacks, and a tooling part configured to couple with an HSA handling part. The HSA handling part is useful for handling a ramp-HSA assembly during installation, such as for moving the ramp along a guide channel of an HDD base, from an initial position to a final position at which a guide channel stop is reached.
US09218832B2
A method of surely removing a read/write slider from a flexure without large displacement of the slider, the slider attached to the flexure of the head suspension through an adhesive, comprises heating the slider so that the adhesive is heated through an adhered surface of the slider being in contact with the adhesive; and applying ultrasonic vibration to the slider so that the adhered surface of the slider vibrates at ultrasonic frequency with respect to the adhesive.
US09218831B1
A side-by-side magnetic multi-input multi-output (MIMO) read head is provided. The read head may include a pair of side-by-side MIMO read sensors disposed between a bottom shield, a top shield and between a pair of side shields. The read head may also include a pair of electrical leads, each of which is coupled with one of the MIMO read sensors. The electrical leads extend away from an air bearing surface.
US09218830B2
A main pole structure is selectively annealed by attaching a lead to a back side thereof and electrically connecting a lead to a front end of a narrow pole tip portion such that when a first current passes between the leads there is resistive heating that raises the temperature in the narrow pole tip to 250° C. to 400° C. As a result, defects and stress level are reduced in the narrow pole tip portion without substantially increasing a temperature in adjacent regions including the read head. Annealing may be performed with a partially completed main pole structure or with a completely fabricated write head. Leads may be removed or left in place after annealing is finished. The extent of annealing may be determined by calculating a difference between resistance measurements taken before and after annealing.
US09218825B2
A magnetic element may be generally configured with at least a write pole that has leading and trailing regions on an air bearing surface. The leading region may have a trailing width connected to a leading width of the trailing region via a transition feature to form a substantially T-shaped cross-section on the air bearing surface.
US09218824B2
A data writer may be generally configured at least with a write pole that has a pole sidewall and a continuous first taper angle connecting leading and trailing edges. The write pole can be positioned adjacent to a side shield that is configured with first and second shield sidewalls tapered to a shield tip that is the closest point between the write pole and side shield.
US09218820B2
Implementations and techniques for audio fingerprint differences for end-to-end quality of experience measurement are generally disclosed.
US09218819B1
Methods and systems are provided for customizing an action. In some implementations, voice input is received from a user and a context is determined from the voice input. Potential contextual data is identified based on the context and the voice input. A level of confidence is determined for an association of the potential contextual data and the context. An action is performed based on the voice input, the potential contextual data, and the level of confidence. The potential contextual data is used to customize the action.
US09218815B2
Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable storage media for performing speaker verification. A system configured to practice the method receives a request to verify a speaker, generates a text challenge that is unique to the request, and, in response to the request, prompts the speaker to utter the text challenge. Then the system records a dynamic image feature of the speaker as the speaker utters the text challenge, and performs speaker verification based on the dynamic image feature and the text challenge. Recording the dynamic image feature of the speaker can include recording video of the speaker while speaking the text challenge. The dynamic feature can include a movement pattern of head, lips, mouth, eyes, and/or eyebrows of the speaker. The dynamic image feature can relate to phonetic content of the speaker speaking the challenge, speech prosody, and the speaker's facial expression responding to content of the challenge.
US09218813B2
Apparatuses, methods and storage medium associated with voice and/or facial recognition based service provision are disclosed herein. In embodiments, an apparatus may include a voice recognition engine and a facial recognition engine configured to provide, individually or in cooperation with each other, identification of a user at a plurality of identification levels. The apparatus may further include a service agent configured to provide a service to a user of the apparatus, after the user has been identified at least at an identification level required to receive the service. Other embodiments may be described and/or claimed.
US09218812B2
The technique is implemented by a vehicular device for performing dialogs with the driver. This device has: a communication portion for communicating with a server; an output portion for outputting speech information to the driver; an input portion for inputting information based on speech uttered by the driver; and a controller for controlling the communication portion, the output portion, and the input portion. When trigger information for starting a dialog process in the vehicular device or in the server is generated, the controller receives information indicative of the type of a first dialog forming a starting point of the dialog process and information indicative of the type of a second dialog forming an ending point of the dialog process from the server and carries out the dialog process based on the received information. The second dialog is different in type from the first dialog.
US09218809B2
A method and system for training a user authentication by voice signal are described. In one embodiment, a set of feature vectors are decomposed into speaker-specific recognition units. The speaker-specific recognition units are used to compute distribution values to train the voice signal. In addition, spectral feature vectors are decomposed into speaker-specific characteristic units which are compared to the speaker-specific distribution values. If the speaker-specific characteristic units are within a threshold limit of the speaker-specific distribution values, the speech signal is authenticated.
US09218807B2
A system and method provide acoustic training of a voice or speech recognition engine and/or voice or speech recognition software application. Instead of requiring a user to read from a prepared or predetermined script, the system and method described herein enable acoustic training using any free text spoken phrases provided by the user directly, or by a previously recorded speech, presentation, or the like, performed by the user.
US09218796B2
A clamp includes a flexible, interior conical component in contact with a barrel and a rigid, exterior conical component in contact with the interior component. The interior component has a longitudinal cut over its entire length and has, at the part that contacts the barrel, two central recesses. The exterior component acts on the interior component, and has the same conicity as the interior component. The exterior component prevents unwanted opening of the interior component by exerting a pressure on the interior component. Both components have a central recess, which form, as a whole, a mouthpiece resonating box that provides greater sound volume and different timbres, depending on the size of the recess and on the material from which it is produced. The flexibility of the interior component prevents breaking of the barrel even though three interior rings thereof are placed in different planes.
US09218788B2
An information-processing device, if an instruction to display a window group is received, displays the window group in a first size in a display area of display means, and then displays at least a part of the window group in a second size that is greater than the first size in the display area. If operation means receives an instruction to specify a window that is displayed in the display area, the information-processing device executes a process based on the specified window.
US09218782B2
A video window detector includes a region characteristic determiner to generate at least one characteristic value for at least one region of a display output; a characteristic map generator to generate an image map from the at least one characteristic value for at least one region of the display output; and a window detector to detect at least one video window dependent on the image map.
US09218780B2
The present disclosure relates to a field of displaying, and particularly to a gate driving circuit, an array substrate, and a display apparatus capable of ensuring that noise can be pulled down immediately once it occurs, and thus increasing a quality of picture and reliability of the display apparatus. The gate driving circuit includes a plurality of cascaded shift registers, wherein an output terminal of the shift register is further connected to two Thin Film Transistors TFTs, wherein sources of the two TFTs are both connected to the output terminal of the shift register, drains of the two TFTs are both connected to a first level signal line VSS, and gates of the two TFTs are input to different control signals respectively, thus ensuring that at least one TFT is turned on when the shift register outputs a switching-off voltage.
US09218776B2
A display device includes a display panel including gate lines, data lines, and pixels each connected to a corresponding gate line and a corresponding data line, a gate driver configured to drive the gate lines, a data driver configured to drive the data lines, and a timing controller configured to generate control signals to control the data driver and to apply a vertical synchronization start signal including a first pulse, a second pulse, a first gate pulse signal, and a second gate pulse signal to the gate driver. The gate driver applies gate driving signals to the gate lines to pre-charge the pixels in response to the first pulse of the vertical synchronization start signal and the first gate pulse signal, and to main-charge the pixels in response to the second pulse of the vertical synchronization start signal and the second gate pulse signal.
US09218764B2
A display device according to an embodiment includes a display panel including a display area having pixel areas, and a non-display area surrounding the display area. The display area includes first power lines for providing a first power to the pixel areas. The display device further includes a driver electrically connected to the first power lines of the display panel. The driver includes a driving integrated circuit, signal output pads connected to the driving integrated circuit and configured to output signals, a power supply line disposed outside the signal output pads and configured to supply the first power, and power output pads connected to the power supply line and configured to output the first power from the power supply line to the first power lines, wherein the power output pads are alternatingly disposed with the signal output pads.
US09218763B2
A display device including a display panel having an image display area and a non-display area, a driver circuit unit to feed an image formation driving signal to the display panel and a controller is provided. The display panel includes a transparent board including a light shielding portion formed along an edge thereof to define the non-display area and a light transmitting portion formed at a part of the light shielding portion, a rear board placed to face the transparent board and a logo module placed on a rear surface of the transparent board to overlap the light transmitting portion to outwardly display a logo through the light transmitting portion. At least a part of the driver circuit unit is formed on one of the transparent board and the rear board so as to overlap the light shielding portion. The display device may minimize a lower bezel region.
US09218761B2
The present invention is a method of driving a display device including a transistor, a capacitor one electrode of which is electrically connected to a first terminal of the transistor and the other electrode of which is electrically connected to a gate of the transistor, and a display element a first electrode of which is electrically connected to a second terminal of the transistor, including the steps of: electrically connecting the gate of the transistor, the first terminal of the transistor, and both electrodes of the capacitor to a first line in a first period; electrically connecting the gate of the transistor and the other electrode of the capacitor to a second line in a second period; and electrically connecting the first terminal of the transistor and one electrode of the capacitor to a third line in a third period.
US09218757B2
A liquid crystal display device may include: a liquid crystal display panel comprising a first and a second common voltage supply line formed in a first direction at both side ends of the substrate, and at least one feedback line formed in the first direction and connected to the first common voltage supply line and/or the second common voltage supply line; and at least one common voltage compensating circuit, an output terminal of which is connected to the first and the second common voltage supply lines, and an input terminal of which is connected to the feedback line.
US09218756B2
In accordance with an embodiment, an integrated circuit includes a plurality of devices on the integrated circuit. Each device includes a driving circuit, an individual contact pad coupled to a first terminal of the driving circuit, and a switch having a first terminal coupled to the first terminal of the driving circuit. Also, the integrated circuit includes a shared contact pad coupled to a second terminal of each switch of the plurality of devices. The integrated circuit also includes a controller coupled to each switch of the plurality of devices, where the controller is configured to selectively control each switch to couple each driving circuit to the shared contact pad.
US09218747B2
A self-teaching guitar and entertainment system for use by a user to learn how to play a song on a guitar includes a guitar having a plurality of strings, a fret board having a plurality of illuminatable portions, and a processor operable to illuminate the illuminatable portions of the fret board. The processor and the illuminatable portions are operable to selectively display illuminated fret numbers in the frets and adjacent the strings on the fret board corresponding to fret numbers on strings in a guitar tablature for playing the song.
US09218744B2
A method for managing aircraft ground operations includes receiving an initial gate assignment schedule, an initial operational task schedule, and a current flight schedule. The method also includes determining a first adjusted gate assignment schedule based at least in part on the initial gate assignment schedule and the current flight schedule to reduce costs associated with reassigning aircraft to alternative gates. In addition, the method includes determining a first adjusted operational task schedule based at least in part on the initial operational task schedule and the current flight schedule to reduce costs associated with reassigning ground crew members to alternative tasks. Furthermore, the method includes determining a second adjusted gate assignment schedule and a second adjusted operational task schedule based at least in part on the current flight schedule, the first adjusted gate assignment schedule, and the first adjusted operational task schedule.
US09218743B2
Navigation aid instrument for an aircraft pilot including: a first display device (R3) extending horizontally, wherein the center of the display device embodies the longitudinal axis (X) of the aircraft, a mobile marker can move on either side of the center of the first display device (R3) indicating the aircraft flight direction relative to the ground, and the mobile marker is further away from the center of the display device (R3) the further the aircraft drifts from the rectilinear flight path, and/or two left (R2) and right (R1) display devices that extend vertically at a distance from each other and have the function of indicating the angle of inclination of the aircraft wings relative to the horizontal respectively on the left side or right side of the aircraft, wherein a mobile marker can move either along the left display device (R2), or along the right display device (R1) to indicate to the pilot which way his aeroplane is inclined and the value of the inclination is higher the further the mobile marker is away from the top of the left (R2) or right (R1) display device concerned.
US09218741B2
A method of aircraft navigation via receiving signals emitted by other aircraft and corresponding reply message transmitted by ground transceivers and the using a new diverse-ranging algorithm that solves for the positions of a eavesdropping aircraft and the positions of direct-reply aircraft emitting the signals received by the eavesdropping aircraft.
US09218737B2
A wall control interface for power management includes a transmitting circuit that generates a switching signal to control a switch and achieve a phase modulation to a power line signal in response to a transmitting-data. A receiving circuit is coupled to detect the phase of the power line signal for generating a data signal and a receiving-data in response to the phase of the power line signal. The receiving circuit further generates a control signal to control power of a load in accordance with the data signal or the receiving-data. The phase modulation is achieved by controlling a turn-on angle of the power line signal. The switch remains in a turn-on state during the normal condition, which achieves good power and low current harmonic. The phase modulation is only performed during the communication of the power management.
US09218734B2
A device configured to be disposed on or proximate to a dispenser and to detect hand hygiene compliance is provided. The device includes a proximity detection device configured to detect a location and an identifier of a caregiver within a proximity of the device. The device also includes a transducer configured to detect a release event from the dispenser by detecting an acoustic waveform emitted from the dispenser when soap or sanitizer is released from the dispenser. The device further includes a processing device configured to associate the caregiver with the release event based on detecting the acoustic waveform when the caregiver is located within the proximity of the device.
US09218726B2
A medium detecting device is provided. The medium detecting device includes a sensor adapted to detect magnetism of a medium being transferred; and a pressing unit adapted to press the medium toward the sensor, and the pressing unit includes at least one supporting part including a plurality of supporters to press the medium toward the sensor; and an elastic member adapted to elastically support the supporting part.
US09218722B1
To bring the excitement to the people (majority, who are not experts in games), we present the examples, described here, for one person be able to bet on and be part of the deal and excitement for a third party, as his agent, proxy, or shadow, to bet for him, or instead of him, or as if the first person was doing the game directly, or one betting for another, or one playing for another with the other person's money. That generates more excitement on the game or casino, with more participation, transactions, income, profit, loyalty, and repeat customers. This also brings a lot of variations on the game, e.g., stock market model, or derivatives model, or hedge model, to make the game very innovative and exciting for mass of people. Other variations and combinations of the games and winnings are also explained in details.
US09218720B2
In at least one aspect, methods and corresponding systems operable to perform the methods are provided herein that allow multiple players, registered and unregistered, to play a game wherein players submit predictions for box office revenue for a plurality of films and, in certain instances, are awarded points for the proximity of the prediction to actual revenues.
US09218708B2
On a lower image display panel 141, a game result of rearranged of symbols 501 is randomly determined. When the result is winning of a bonus game, individual indication data and common indication data associated with the type of the bonus game are specified. After an indication effect starts based on the common indication data, an indication effect is executed based on the individual indication data.
US09218702B2
A device and method for preventing fraudulent withdrawal of a bill from a bill acceptor after credit has been given. The device includes a cash box, a punch plate and a security device. The security device includes at least one bill-cutting edge and at least one string-cutting surface. A method uses a security device to cut a bill when a fraudulent withdrawal of the bill is attempted.
US09218693B2
An apparatus comprising a housing, a gearing system disposed within the housing and comprising a plurality of targets, a plurality of sensors incorporated within the housing, a processor in electrical signal communication with the sensors, and a user interface in signal communication with the processor. A method comprising providing a drive system comprising a drive system power measuring and diagnostic system, wherein the drive system is configured to rotate one or more components comprising a plurality of targets, sense the targets with a sensor pair, thereby producing a data signal, process the data signal from the one or more sensor pairs, thereby producing a processed data signal, and output the processed data signal to a user.
US09218692B2
A first user having a certain set of privileges with respect to an initial three-dimensional (3D) model associates a watermark with the initial 3D model, so that the watermark is displayed whenever the initial 3D model is viewed or edited. A second user having a smaller set of privileges with respect to the initial 3D model is permitted to view, copy and/or modify the initial 3D model, but is not permitted to remove or alter the content of the watermark. The watermark is continuously displayed as the second user works with the initial 3D model. When the second user applies a change to the initial 3D model, an indication of the modifications applied by the second user is generated and stored with the model data corresponding to the updated 3D model.
US09218689B1
An efficient method and system for multi-sample antialiasing in graphics processing is described. Geometric edges as well as implicit edges of primitives in a bin are identified by iteratively rendering bins of pixels. Selective multi-sample antialiasing is applied to pixels that are touched by either a geometric edge or an implicit edge; pixels that are fully covered are not antialiased.
US09218686B2
The present invention intends to provide an image processing apparatus that can process geometrical primitives rapidly and with restrained memory consumption. A sequence of vertex data of a primitive sequence is stored in an index buffer, and size data of the primitive is stored in the head of the sequence. The result of processing of the primitive sequence in a geometry shader is stored in a cache buffer, and a primitive output, which is the output result stored in the cache buffer, is reused in reprocessing of the primitive processed in the geometry shader.
US09218672B2
An image generation engine capable of generating images for a host application from procedural data includes an image generation, a sequential procedural graph traversal module, an intermediate result computation module, an intermediate result rendering time computation module, an intermediate result weight computation module, memory modules for storing the graph G and the corresponding L0, L1, L2, L3 and M lists, and a comparison and deletion module adapted to compare the memory space available for storing new intermediate result data or previously existing data with a given minimum threshold and delete intermediate result data if said memory space available for storing new intermediate result data is below the threshold.
US09218671B2
A system is presented including at least one sensor and a monitor in operable communication with the at least one sensor. The monitor is configured to display a plurality of graphs each representing a measured physiologic parameter versus time, the plurality of graphs configured to be aligned with respect to each other along a time axis. A marker moves along the time axis of each of the plurality of graphs in response to an input received from an input unit. The plurality of graphs are stacked with respect to each other in a vertical orientation and in a non-overlapping manner.
US09218661B2
A system and method for automatic detection of an object feature, such as a lesion, across a plurality of sets of image data, taken from the same subject, which may optionally be a human patient but which may also optionally be any type of animal or a non-biological subject.
US09218660B2
A method and system for analysis of a viscoelastic response in a deformable material. The system includes a light source configured to provide linearly polarized light and a polariscope configured to receive said linearly polarized light and to generate an image associated with a viscoelastic response of said deformable material. The system also includes a machine vision system configured to operate on the image to locate the response on the deformable material and to classify the response as one of a plurality of predefined types of responses. A display may then be provide that is configured to provide feedback of the location of the viscoelastic response and classification of the response to a user of said system.
US09218644B2
A video processing device may generate a two dimensional (2D) output video stream from a three dimensional (3D) input video stream that comprises a plurality of view sequences. The plurality of view sequences may comprise sequences of stereoscopic left and right reference fields or frames. A view sequence may initially be selected as a base sequence for the 2D output video stream, and the 2D output video stream may be enhanced using video content and/or information from unselected view sequences. The video content and/or information utilized in enhancing the 2D output video stream may comprise depth information, and/or foreground and/or background information. The enhancement of the 2D input video stream may comprise improving depth, contrast, sharpness, and/or rate upconversion using frame and/or field based interpolation of images in the 2D output video stream.
US09218640B2
Data of a moving image has a hierarchical structure comprising a 0-th layer, a first layer, a second layer, and a third layer in a z axis direction. Each layer is composed of moving image data of a single moving image expressed in different resolutions. Both the coordinates of a viewpoint at the time of the display of a moving image and a corresponding display area are determined in a virtual three-dimensional space formed by an x axis representing the horizontal direction of the image, a y axis representing the vertical direction of the image, and a z axis representing the resolution. By providing a switching boundary for layers with respect to the z axis, the layers of the moving image data used for frame rendering are switched in accordance with the value of z of the frame coordinates.
US09218639B2
A knight's order processing method for block processing pipelines in which the next block input to the pipeline is taken from the row below and one or more columns to the left in the frame. The knight's order method may provide spacing between adjacent blocks in the pipeline to facilitate feedback of data from a downstream stage to an upstream stage. The rows of blocks in the input frame may be divided into sets of rows that constrain the knight's order method to maintain locality of neighbor block data. Invalid blocks may be input to the pipeline at the left of the first set of rows and at the right of the last set of rows, and the sets of rows may be treated as if they are horizontally arranged rather than vertically arranged, to maintain continuity of the knight's order algorithm.
US09218638B2
The present invention relates to a computer-implemented method, system and computer readable medium for embedding a watermark into a video and extracting a watermark from the original or copy of the watermarked video. The method comprises converting a video frame from RGB color space to YUV color space. Divide a chrominance component into plurality of blocks. Select plurality of blocks based on size of watermark. Associate a pixel in the watermark with selected plurality of blocks. Embed the watermark corresponding to selected plurality of blocks wherein embedding comprises replacing a first pixel value of the block with maximum value of first column of the block if binary value of the corresponding watermark pixel is one or else replace with minimum value. Combine Y component and chrominance components resulting processed YUV video frame and convert it to RGB video frame. Extract the watermark substantially in a reverse process.
US09218636B1
A light positioning system for use in transferring a container to a buffer is disclosed. The system includes a light signal that is disposed adjacent the buffer for guiding an operator to position a chassis into the buffer and a program logic controller. The system also includes a thru beam sensor. The thru beam sensor senses movement of the container into the buffer and outputs data to the program logic controller. The system further includes a distance sensor. The distance sensor determines a distance from the distance sensor to the container and outputs data to the program logic controller. The program logic controller determines a length of the container based on the data received from the thru beam sensor and the distance sensor and provides an output signal to the light signal based on the length of the container and the data received from the distance sensor.
US09218634B1
A system and method for facilitating the execution of law enforcement duties is disclosed. More particularly, according to one aspect of the invention, an electronic system and associated method is configured to facilitate the performance of law enforcement duties by quasi-instantaneously providing actionable intelligence to its users, such as front-line law enforcement officers, in response to a real-time query. According to another aspect of the invention, a system implements a set of automated status classifications for subjects with suspected or confirmed involvement in criminal and/or terrorist activities. The status classifications specifically and concisely establish the subject's involvement in criminal and/or terrorist activities. According to yet another aspect of the invention, a system executes a streamlined electronic process for asset forfeiture actions so as to ensure that criminal and/or terrorist assets are efficiently and effectively seized.
US09218633B2
A cooking management system is described that identifies a customer and orders a product for the customer based at least on current temporal data. The cooking management system identifies customers associated with previous product requests that occurred during a predetermined range of time based at least on a comparison of current temporal data with temporal data associated with the previous product requests. The cooking management system causes presentation of identifiers of the identified customers on a display. Responsive to determining that the identifier for a particular customer has been selected, the cooking management system automatically causes a cooking device to prepare a product for the particular customer based at least on customer data associated with the particular customer.
US09218624B2
A user enables a communication, such as through a tap, between an NFC-enabled payment or funding card and a mobile device. Card information, such as the card number, type, and expiration date, are read by the mobile device. The user is then authenticated through the user device, such as by entering a CVV code, a PIN for the card, a cardholder name, and/or a billing address for the card. If confirmed, the card is added to the user's mobile/cloud wallet.
US09218617B2
A product retail sales management server for managing the retail sales of a product across a communication network comprises: a retail sales management module for managing the retail sales of the product; a price update module 13 for dynamically setting the price of the product in accordance with rules and the retail sales state of the product and in accordance with the actual retail sales state of the product when managed by the retail sales management module; and an acceptance module 11 for, upon the receipt of an information request via the communication network, furnishing a request transmission source with the information concerning the product and the price of the product, set by the price update module at the time the information request is received.
US09218616B2
Access to resources in a cloud computing environment having a plurality of computing nodes is described. A group of users is defined within the cloud computing environment. A first name is assigned to the group. At least one subgroup of users is defined from within the group. A second name is assigned to the at least one subgroup. The second name follows a hierarchical naming structure of the form/group/subgroup.
US09218614B2
A framework is provided for building a visual representation of a product concept including a textual component and/or a graphical component. A designation is received of a first element within at least one of the textual component and the graphical components as a dynamic element. The dynamic element is associated with a variant list including one or more element variants. A second element corresponding to the first element is identified. The second element is linked with the first element. A selection of a first element variant from the variant list is received. A first instantiation of the visual representation is generated including the first element variant as the dynamic element and including the first element variant as the second element.
US09218612B2
An example method involves receiving, at a first internet domain, a first request from a client device, the first request indicative of access to media at the client. The first request includes identifying information identifying the media. A substitute value is generated at the first internet domain, the substitute value corresponding to the identifying information and obfuscating an identity of the media. If the client is not known, a response including the substitute value in place of the identifying information is sent from the first internet domain to the client. The response instructs the client to send a second request to a second internet domain, the second request includes the substitute value to hide the identity of the media within the second internet domain. If the client is known, an impression of the media is logged without sending the second request to the second internet domain.
US09218600B2
An implementation of a system and method for using existing identification token infrastructures for mass transit fare product entitlement and payment is provided. The system and method make use of tokens—usually issued by a third party—for identification purposes and optionally for settlement purposes. The system does not store information on the tokens and instead maintains access control data (i.e., “white” and “black” lists). This implementation differs from known systems that require specially issued credit cards that have dedicated mass transit functionality.
US09218598B2
Universal cards are used in place of all the other traditional cards which a person may want to carry. The universal card can include a short range communications transceiver to communicate with a mobile device. The mobile device can include a user interface and an e-wallet application so that the user can interface with the e-wallet application for programming the universal card via the short range communication link. Once programmed, the universal card emulates a function of a traditional card.
US09218591B2
Embodiments described herein provide numerous applications and implementations of a social network to facilitate individuals to resolve various life issues. These issues may include issues that arise when individuals or families relocate, including logistic problems, assimilation of family members in a community, and roommate pairings. As will be described, embodiments described herein greatly facilitate corporations in relocating their employees logistically, and also assist employees and their families with life issues that may determine whether the employees' relocation will be a success.
US09218588B2
The present invention includes system and methods for the continued operation of a carrier management system having one or more user terminals that normally communicate with at least one data center over a network (online), when the one or more user terminals are unable to communicate with the data center (offline). Once communication is re-established between the one or more user terminal and the data center, local files and data on the user terminals that were used to rate and ship packages while offline are synchronized between the one or more user terminals and the data center.
US09218586B2
Concepts and technologies are disclosed herein for an asset management service. The asset management service can receive asset record creation requests and can store asset records at an asset data repository. The asset records can identify assets and associated information such as, for example, asset identifiers, personnel, organizations, users, geographic locations, time and date information, status information, or the like. A user device can execute an asset management application to generate asset tags including the asset identifiers and to scan existing asset tags. When asset tags are scanned, the user device also can capture device and/or user information that can be used to set a status or provide available status choices. Status updates can be provided to the asset management service for updating of the asset records.
US09218578B2
A cloud administration system for managing a print device license for a remote print device may include a processing module in communication with a plurality of print devices. The processing module may be located remotely from each of the plurality of print devices. The cloud administration system may include a storage module in communication with the processing module. The processing module may be configured to receive a print device license associated with a print device of the plurality of print devices, store the print device license in the storage module, and transmit the print device license to the print device. The cloud administration system may operate as a shared resource for each of the plurality of print devices. The print device license may include instructions for rendering the print device inoperable if the print device does not receive an approval notification from the cloud administration system within a time period.
US09218574B2
Apparatuses, systems, methods, and computer program products are disclosed for machine learning results. An input module may receive user input identifying a value for a machine learning parameter. A display module may display one or more machine learning results for the identified machine learning parameter in response to the input module receiving the user input. An update module may dynamically update the displayed one or more machine learning results in response to the input module receiving additional user input identifying an additional value for the machine learning parameter. A pre-compute module may predetermine permutations of the machine learning results prior to the input module receiving the user input.
US09218565B2
In a method for training an artificial neural network based algorithm designed to monitor a first device, a processor receives a first data. A processor determines a first service action recommendation for a first device using the received first data and an artificial neural network (ANN) algorithm. A processor causes a second device to provide haptic feedback using the received first data. A processor receives a second service action recommendation for the first device based on the haptic feedback. A processor adjusts at least one parameter of the ANN algorithm such that the ANN algorithm determines a third service action recommendation for the first device using the received first data, wherein the third service action recommendation is equivalent to the second service action recommendation.
US09218562B2
The invention relates to a method for manufacturing a contactless microcircuit antenna coil, including steps of: depositing a first electrically conducting layer on a first face of a wafer, and forming in the first layer an antenna coil in a spiral having several turns, including an internal turn coupled to an internal contact pad and an external turn coupled to an external contact pad, the external turn following the entire contour of antenna coil except for a zone through which a conducting path coupling the external contact pad to the external turn can pass, the external and internal contact pads of the antenna coil being formed in a central zone of the external turn, the antenna coil having a bypass zone in which each turn bypasses the external contact pad.
US09218560B2
The present invention relates to a radio frequency identification (RFID) tagging device and method, using which a RFID tag which is designed to attach an object is first linking the object information of an object and an RFID tag with programmed memory data or UID (unique identification) code, being scanned and detected in view of optimizing the RFID tag's signal strength and its effective read rate as well so as to determine a position for the RFID tag to attach thereat while allowing the detection to the RFID tag to be prevented from being adversely affected by metals or magnetic materials, and promising to achieve the optimization of the RFID system applications.
US09218556B2
The present disclosure provides plugs of cables or tubes including at least one depolarizer, configured to emit depolarized light in response to polarized light impinging thereon and arranged such light emitted from the at least one depolarizer and passed through a polarizing element optically orthogonal to the impinging polarized light can be detected by a connection system.
US09218555B2
A printing apparatus in which watermark data is stored and a printing control method that controls whether or not the watermark is to be printed on a receipt superimposed with specific print data received from a host apparatus. When it is determined that the watermark is not to be printed over the specific print data, a controller determines where on the receipt the specific print data is to be printed to avoid the watermark.
US09218551B2
The application discloses a method and an apparatus for rasterizing a page digital image. The method comprises steps of parsing a page digital image to obtain basic information, position information and rasterization information of the image, with the basic information including image data, image type, a width, height and bit depth of the image (S10); decoding data encoding type to obtain the image data and saving the image data into a buffer (S20); acquiring the image data from the buffer and rasterizing the image data by using the image type, the width, height and bit depth of the image and the position information to obtain a rasterized page lattice (S30). The solution may reduce the reading and writing operations for data files on disk and improve the rasterization efficiency of the digital image.
US09218527B2
An example method for anomaly detection in streaming data includes applying statistical analysis to streaming data in a sliding window. The method also includes extracting a feature. The method also includes determining class assignment for the feature using class conditional probability densities and a threshold.
US09218522B2
A method capable of determining fingerprint authenticity is disclosed. The method includes capturing a fingerprint image, performing an analysis program when executed analyzing the fingerprint image using a first color model to obtain a first chromaticity coordinate corresponding to the fingerprint image, performing a conversion program when executed converting the first chromaticity coordinate into a second chromaticity coordinate, performing a verification program when executed determining whether the second chromaticity coordinate satisfies a second predetermined skin color threshold, when the second chromaticity coordinate satisfies the second predetermined skin color threshold confirming the fingerprint image is authentic, and concluding the fingerprint image is forged when the second chromaticity coordinate fails to satisfy the second predetermined skin color threshold.
US09218520B2
This invention relates generally to a method and system for storing, retrieving, and managing data for tags that are associated in some manner to any type of object. More particularly, the present invention writes data to these tags, reads data from these tags, and manages data that is written to and/or read from these tags. In addition, the invention accesses and/or stores data associated with tags from or into repositories, constructs and maintains data structures from these repositories and responds to queries using the data structures.
US09218516B2
Disclosed is a data reading system that includes a housing and a platter window for concealing a data reader configured to read an optical code borne by an item transported through a read zone. The read zone is defined at least in part by the platter window. The data reading system also has a platter supportable on the housing that encompasses the platter window. The platter includes a first integral feature and a second integral feature bordering opposing peripheral sides of the platter window. The first and second integral features cooperatively delineate a preferred data-reading sweep path through the read zone.
US09218515B2
Embodiments of the present disclosure describe devices, methods, computer-readable media and system configurations for communicating and utilizing data received in radio frequency identification (“RFID”) signals to perform various actions. For example, a query signal may be transmitted to a plurality of RFID tags associated with a plurality of objects. A plurality of reply signals may be received from the plurality of RFID tags. Various actions may be performed based on one or more of the reply signals. In various embodiments, an RFID query device may include components such as a camera to capture image data and/or a global positioning system (“GPS”) component. Data from one or more of these components may be used in conjunction with received RFID data to perform various actions. Other embodiments may be described and/or claimed.
US09218507B2
The invention is a method and apparatus for managing the secure acquisition, storage and disclosure of confidential information, to facilitate identity rights management; and/or preemptively authorized data querying techniques to preserve the anonymity of disclosed personal data.
US09218498B2
The method serves to verify the validity of an electronic parking ticket stored in an electronic entity. The method includes a step of securely obtaining from the electronic ticket specific data that is specific to said electronic entity or to the vehicle in which it is installed, and a step of making available at least a portion of said specific data on an inspection device. The method enables a dishonest attack of the “man-the-middle” type to be detected.
US09218495B1
A computer-implemented method for sharing logs of a child's computer activities with a guardian of the child is disclosed. The method may include determining that a child may be involved in a computer activity on a computing device that is not controlled by a guardian of the child, monitoring the computer activity, creating a log of the computer activity, determining that the guardian of the child is authorized to view the log of the computer activity, and providing the log of the computer activity to the guardian of the child. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.
US09218489B2
Systems, methods, computer readable media and articles of manufacture consistent with innovations herein are directed to computer virtualization, computer security and/or data isolation. According to some illustrative implementations, innovations herein may utilize and/or involve a separation kernel hypervisor which may include the use of a guest operating system virtual machine protection domain, a virtualization assistance layer, and/or a rootkit defense mechanism (which may be proximate in temporal and/or spatial locality to malicious code, but isolated from it), inter alia, for detection and/or prevention of malicious code, for example, in a manner/context that is isolated and not able to be corrupted, detected, prevented, bypassed, and/or otherwise affected by the malicious code.
US09218488B2
A mechanism is provided for detecting malicious activity in a functional unit. For a current activity value associated with a functional unit, a determination is made as to whether a thermal level associated with the functional unit differs from a verified thermal level beyond a first predetermined threshold. Responsive to the thermal level associated with the functional unit differing from the verified thermal level beyond the first predetermined threshold, a determination is made as to whether there is a known profile of thread activity levels that substantially matches current thread activity levels. Responsive to identifying the known profile that substantially matches the current thread activity levels, thread activity levels are compared to the known profile of thread activity levels. Responsive to the thread activity levels differing from the known profile beyond a second predetermined threshold, an indication of suspected abnormal activity associated with the given functional unit is sent.
US09218485B2
A program execution device capable of protecting a program against unauthorized analysis and alteration is provided. The program execution device includes an execution unit, a first protection unit, and a second protection unit. The execution unit executes a first program and a second program, and is connected with an external device that is capable of controlling the execution. The first protection unit disconnects the execution unit from the external device while the execution unit is executing the first program. The second protection unit protects the first program while the execution unit is executing the second program.
US09218484B2
A control method is executed by an information processing apparatus that includes a first processor; a second processor that executes a program to be protected; first memory that is shared between the first and the second processors; and non-volatile second memory that stores the program to be protected. The control method includes reading the program that is to be protected and stored in the second memory, when the information processing apparatus is started up; encrypting the read program only once after start up of the information processing apparatus; writing the encrypted program into the first memory; and decrypting the encrypted program that is written in the first memory, and causing the second processor to execute the decrypted program.
US09218481B2
A system or computer usable program product for managing password strength including receiving a password on a data processing system for a user, filtering for personal information about the user from multiple independent data sources accessible across a computer network, computing the password strength by the data processing system using an algorithm which compares the password to the filtered personal information about the user, and presenting feedback to the user through a user interface on a data processing system display regarding the computed password strength.
US09218480B2
An improved authentication method and system is provided where a user securely accesses a variety of target servers for online email, online banking, credit card purchases, ecommerce, brokerage services, corporate databases, and online content (movies, music and software). The method involves a bridge server performing authentication tasks that allow a user to access a server or a group of servers with multiple security levels. The method eliminates the need for the user to remember multiple usernames/passwords for each target server. The method also allows one bridge server and one set of security devices to be used to authenticate the user for multiple servers, thereby reducing security costs and increasing user convenience. A location-based password-ID generating device is also described for secure location-based access.
US09218476B1
A one-time password (OTP) based security scheme is described, where a provider pre-generates a number of verification codes (e.g., OTP codes) which will be valid for a predetermined interval. The provider then encodes the verification codes (e.g., by hashing each code with a time value), and stores the verification codes into a data structure. The data structure can be provided to a verification system that can use the set of pre-generated OTP codes to authenticate requests received from users having personal security tokens.
US09218467B2
A method of randomizing locations of variables in a stack includes: identifying a plurality of stack locations corresponding to a plurality of variables; shuffling the stack locations of the variables to produce shuffled stack locations; and updating the stack locations of the variables with the shuffled stack locations.
US09218465B2
A system and methods for digital content creation and upload through a managed website for providing network-based access to authorized users who pay for predetermined rights that allow for use of the content by the authorized user on a multiplicity of devices, without having to repurchase access to the same content.
US09218459B2
Disclosed are an integrated drug management system and a method of providing prescription drugs by using the same. The integrated drug management system includes a drug information managing module to manage a basic information and a pattern information of an individual drug by performing an image processing scheme for the individual drug, an integrated management control module to control a drug management work and a prescription drug management work, a prescription drug making module to provide the drug by preparing a drug according to a prescription information, a prescription drug inspecting module to inspect a defect state of the drug, a prescription drug reinspecting module connected to the integrated management control module to reinspect the defect state of the drug which has been determined as a defective drug, and a drug pack providing module to provide a drug pack to each ward or each patient.
US09218457B2
The present disclosure is directed to systems and methods for identifying unknown drug targets via adverse event data. An analyzer receives an identification of a first drug having one or more unknown target proteins and identifies a second drug related to the first drug. The analyzer retrieves, from an adverse event database, a first side effect profile associated with the first drug, and a second side effect profile associated with the second drug. The analyzer generates a third side effect profile including a subset of the first side effect profile not shared by the second side effect profile, and identifies a third drug having a fourth side effect profile including the third side effect profile. The analyzer retrieves a list of one or more target proteins of the third drug not targeted by the second drug, and presents the retrieved list as potential target proteins of the first drug.
US09218451B2
Processing genetic data includes receiving two or more genetic data sets for an individual from one or more genetic data sources, wherein the genetic data sets comprises data pertaining to the individual's deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA); merging the genetic data sets from the one or more genetic data sources to obtain a set of merged genetic data for the individual, including: identifying data in the genetic data sets that is conflicting, the identified data corresponding to a genetic marker associated with a variation that occurs at a region in the individual's genome; analyzing the identified data to resolve a discrepancy attributed to the identified conflicting data and automatically determine an appropriate value that corresponds to the genetic marker, the analysis and the determination being based at least in part on contextual information; and storing the appropriate value in the set of merged genetic data.
US09218446B1
Embodiments of the present invention include systems and methods of controlling reticle transmission. A process window for reticle transmission is received. For a given design, default fill cells of a default fill pattern are inserted in unused areas of an integrated circuit (IC). A pattern density is computed for each tile of an IC at each appropriate level, such as metallization levels and contact levels. An IC reticle transmission (RT) is computed for an area corresponding to an entire (or area of) IC or reticle. If the integrated circuit RT is outside of the process window, then the tiles that have an individual tile RT that is outside of the process window are identified and ranked into groups. Default fill cells in one group of tiles are replaced with replacement fill cells having an appropriate pattern and pattern density, and an updated IC RT parameter is computed until the updated IC RT parameter is within the process window.
US09218444B2
Embodiments of the invention describe a Boolean circuit having a voter circuit and a plurality of approximate circuits each based, at least in part, on a reference circuit. The approximate circuits are each to generate one or more output signals based on values of received input signals. The voter circuit is to receive the one or more output signals generated by each of the approximate circuits, and is to output one or more signals corresponding to a majority value of the received signals. At least some of the approximate circuits are to generate an output value different than the reference circuit for one or more input signal values; however, for each possible input signal value, the majority values of the one or more output signals generated by the approximate circuits and received by the voter circuit correspond to output signal result values of the reference circuit.
US09218442B2
A verification method is provided and includes randomly choosing a hardware executed instruction in a predefined program to force Opcode Compare on, determining an identity of a corresponding opcode from the chosen instruction and initializing Opcode Compare logic to trap the chosen instruction to firmware and creating firmware to initiate performance of hardware verification in the firmware and re-initiating performance of the hardware verification in hardware.
US09218428B2
A technique for creating different sessions for each tab of a client browser window includes receiving a first login request associated with a first tab of the client browser window, and in response to the first login request: generating a first uniform resource locator and a first session cookie having a path that includes the first uniform resource locator; and transmitting the first session cookie to the client browser. The technique further includes receiving a second login request that is associated with a second tab of the client browser window, and in response to the second login request, generating a second uniform resource locator and a second session cookie. The second uniform resource locator is different from the first uniform resource locator and a path of the second session cookie includes the second uniform source locator. The technique also includes transmitting the second session cookie to the client browser.
US09218426B1
A non-transitory computer readable storage medium includes instructions to collect explicit feedback from a user regarding user content preferences. Multiple data sources are monitored. Topics associated with the multiple data sources are classified. The importance of the topics to the user is characterized. Content is delivered to the user when a selected topic exceeds an importance threshold for the user. Implicit feedback from the user that characterizes refined user content preferences is tracked. The instructions to characterize the importance of topics evaluates the explicit feedback and the implicit feedback.
US09218425B2
Systems, methods and computer-readable media process a series of media files into a searchable format. The method includes generating a media database by processing each of a plurality of programs. The steps of the method include extracting a subtitle track from each of the programs, retrieving at least one frame associated with the subtitle track, adding metadata to the extracted subtitle track and at least one frame, processing the subtitle track, program statistics and at least one frame in a media database. Another aspect includes receiving a user query associated with dialog in a program, searching the media database and presenting a listing of results, receiving a user selection or program from their listing and transmitting at least one frame, a portion of associated subtitle track and prompts for ordering the program.
US09218423B2
In accordance with embodiments, there are provided mechanisms and methods for dynamically suggesting answers to questions submitted to a portal of an online service. These mechanisms and methods for dynamically suggesting answers to questions submitted to a portal of an online service can enable embodiments to provide help document suggestions with limited user input. The ability of embodiments to provide help document search term suggestions with limited user input can enable users to quickly and efficiently find useful help documents.
US09218420B1
Provided is a process for identifying a new business listing, the process including: identifying, from a log of local search queries, a term that does not correspond to a name of a business listing; determining a number of recent search queries containing the term and a number of historical search queries containing the term; determining that a rate based on the number of recent search queries exceeds a threshold rate based on the number of historical search queries; and identifying the term as a name of a new business listing.
US09218411B2
New text associated with an updated document is compared with existing embedded index items within the updated document and with existing contextual text within the updated document associated with the existing embedded index items. A determination is made as to whether any of the new text includes candidate text for at least one new index item that is not already indexed within the existing embedded index items using a contextual index compendium including contextual index item generation rules and the existing contextual text within the updated document associated with the existing embedded index items. At least one new index item is generated, using the contextual index item generation rules, in response to determining that at least one portion of the new text includes the candidate text that is not already indexed within the existing embedded index items.
US09218407B1
A system and method for exposing volumes with underlying read-write mediums to user operations. When a medium is in the process of being replicated to a storage array, a volume which relies on the medium can be exposed to user operations (e.g., snapshots, read and write operations) once the portions of the medium which underlie the volume have been replicated. The volume can be exposed to user operations while one or more other portions of the medium are unfilled and while the medium is in an intermediate read-write state.
US09218398B2
A data storage method and system. The method includes defining, by a computing system, a meta-object, a schema based structured definition for the meta-object, and a taxonomy with configuration data. The computing system creates content associated with the taxonomy and associates topics of the content with a logical storage room representations. Reference coordinates associated with the logical storage room representations are associated with the taxonomy. The computing system generates updated configuration data that includes the reference coordinates and a uniform resource identifier associated with the content is generated. The computing system generates an account associated with the meta-object for a user. Metering charges for usage of the account and a report associated with the account and usage are generated.
US09218392B1
Technology is described for providing search results based on a search query. The method may include receiving the search query. A user interest based on the search query may also be identified. The user interest may be compared with currently trending interests. Interest items based on the currently trending interests that relate to the user interest may be identified.
US09218390B2
A system and method is provided which may comprise parsing an unstructured geographic web-search query into a field-based format, by utilizing conditional random fields, learned by semi-supervised automated learning, to parse structured information from the unstructured geographic web-search query. The system and method may also comprise establishing semi-supervised conditional random fields utilizing one of a rule-based finite state machine model and a statistics-based conditional random field model. Systematic geographic parsing may be used with the one of the rule-based finite state machine model and the statistics-based conditional random field model. Parsing an unstructured local geographical web-based query in local domain may be done by applying a learned model parser to the query, using at least one class-based query log from a form-based query system. The learned model parser may comprise at least one class-level n-gram language model-based feature harvested from a structured query log.
US09218386B2
One embodiment is directed to a method for controlling access to a domain. The method includes receiving a request from a workbook process for a shared lock on a primary lock file and a secondary lock file controlling access to the domain, and providing the shared lock(s) when there is not an exclusive lock. While the workbook process is still in progress, the method may further include receiving a request from a batch process for an exclusive lock on the primary lock file, immediately providing an exclusive lock on the primary lock file the batch process, receiving a request from the batch process for an exclusive lock on the secondary lock file, and providing the exclusive lock on the secondary lock file to the batch process when there is not a shared lock on the secondary lock file.
US09218383B2
There is provided a method for operating multi-node data stores. A data table is stored in a first computing node and an index table is stored in a second computing node. The index table provides keys used for accessing data in the first computing node and other multi-node data stores. Operations that update or read the data table accessed from the first computing node and the index table accessed from the second computing node are performed. The operations optimize between latency in updating or reading the data table and the index table and data consistency maintained between data entries in the data table and data entries pointed by indices in the index table.
US09218375B2
A storage system according to certain embodiments includes a client-side signature repository that includes information representative of a set of data blocks stored in primary storage. During storage operations of a client, the system can generate signatures corresponding to data blocks that are being stored in primary storage. The system can store the generated signatures in the client-side signature repository along with information regarding the location of the corresponding data block within primary storage. As additional instances of the data block are stored in primary storage, the system can store the location of the additional instances in the client-side signature repository.
US09218374B2
A storage system according to certain embodiments includes a client-side signature repository that includes information representative of a set of data blocks stored in primary storage. During restore operations, the system can use the client-side signature repository to identify data blocks located in primary storage. The system can also use the client-side signature repository to identify multiple locations within primary storage where instances of some of the data blocks to be restored are located. Accordingly, during a restore operation of one client computing device, the system can source a data block to be restored to the client computing device from another client computing device that is in primary storage.
US09218373B2
In an example embodiment, a method of performing data profiling in an in-memory database is provided. A command requesting a data attribute calculation on data in the in-memory database may be received. A precreated procedure stored in the in-memory database may then be used to perform the data attribute calculation on the data in the in-memory database The precreated procedure may be described in a computer language utilized by the in-memory database. Finally, a result of the performing of the data attribute calculation may be returned to the client computer.
US09218372B2
A system and method of record matching using regular expressions and finite state representations. In this manner, the time (or computational effort) involved in record matching is reduced.
US09218369B2
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for ranking images using hover data. In one aspect, a method includes determining a click count and a hover count for an image and a search query pair. The click count specifies a number of times that an image search result that includes a representation of the image has been selected when provided in response to the search query. The hover count specifies a number of times that the representation of the image has been hovered over when the image search result has been provided in response to the search query. A quality measure for the image with respect to the search query is determined. The quality measure is based on the click count and the hover count. A ranking of the image is adjusted for the search query based on the quality measure for the image.
US09218367B2
The invention relates generally to the field of digital image processing, and in particular to a method for associating and viewing related video and still images. In particular, the present invention is directed to methods for associating and/or viewing digital content records comprising ordering a first set of digital content records and the second set of digital content records based upon information associated with each of the digital content records.
US09218366B1
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for generating a query image model. In one aspect, a method includes receiving a set of images determined to be responsive to a query and ranked according to a first order; determining a positive image signature from a first subset of images selected from images ranked highest in the first order, determining a negative image signature from a second subset of images selected from images ranked lowest in the first order, determining a query image signature for the query based on a difference of the positive image signature and the negative image signature; and applying the query image signature to each image in the set of images to rank the images according to a second order that is different from the first order.
US09218365B2
Device, system, and method of visual inference by collaborative composition. A method of searching for similar target content-items for a plurality of source content-items, the method implementable on a computing device, comprises: for each of said plurality of source content-items, searching for similar target content-items in a dataset, while taking into account collaborative feedback exchanged among at least some of currently-searched said plurality of source content-items.
US09218357B2
A system and methods are provided for synchronizing multiple lists of content channels that a user of a multi-channel content service subscribes to or follows, such as lists maintained at different places and/or on different devices. If a list on one of the user's devices has been modified, the device (e.g., a multi-channel content applet) informs a synchronization server by uploading the list. The server synchronizes it with a master list and downloads a copy to the device. A channels list includes an entry for each channel the user follows (and possibly channels he has deleted), which includes an index or ordinal position of the channel among all the member's channels, an identifier of the channel (e.g., a URN), identifiers of sub-lists the channel has been assigned to, and a timestamp identifying the last time the entry changed (e.g., when the channel was added, removed, assigned to a sub-list).
US09218355B2
Systems and methods for transforming a logical data object for storage in a storage device operable with at least one storage protocol, creating, reading, writing, optimization and restoring thereof. Transforming the logical data object comprises creating in the storage device a transformed logical data object comprising and one or more allocated storage sections with a predefined size; processing one or more sequentially obtained chunks corresponding to the transforming logical data object, wherein at least one of said processed data chunks comprises transformed data resulting from said processing; sequentially storing the processed data chunks into said storage sections in accordance with an order the chunks received. The method further includes reading a data range from the transformed logical object in response to a read request specifying desired point in time to be read.
US09218351B2
An information processing apparatus includes a first saving unit configured to save a file received by a first receiving method for receiving one file via one request, a first deletion unit configured to, if it is determined that a file has been newly received, delete the file which the first saving unit has saved, a second saving unit configured to save a file received by a second receiving method which is capable of receiving a plurality of files via one request, and a second deletion unit configured to, if it is determined that a file has been newly received, delete the file which the second saving unit has saved with higher priority than deletion of the file, which the first saving unit has saved, by the first deletion unit.
US09218348B2
A method for archiving files includes determining when a change in an operating file is imminent, capturing the operating file immediately before the change in the operating file occurs, if the operating file has not already been captured; and capturing the operating file immediately after the change in the operating file has occurred.
US09218345B1
A backup computer storage system that protects and/or recovers data on a primary computer storage system is disclosed. The backup computer system may be used to backup databases, files, and/or applications. In some embodiments, the backup system may be used to backup an image of the primary computer storage system. In other embodiments, the backup system may be used to backup one or more databases, replicate an image of data that is on the primary computer storage system, restore data from the backup system to the primary computer storage system, restore data to a database while non-affected portions of the database are available and can be used, record all transactions in real time without overwriting any previously stored backup data, and maintain historical and/or chronological information related to backed up data.
US09218339B2
Systems and methods are provided for scoring a non-scripted speech sample. A system includes one or more data processors and one or more computer-readable mediums. The computer-readable mediums are encoded with a non-scripted speech sample data structure, where the non-scripted speech sample data structure includes: a speech sample identifier that identifies a non-scripted speech sample, a content feature extracted from the non-scripted speech sample, and a content-based speech score for the non-scripted speech sample. The computer-readable mediums further include instructions for commanding the one or more data processors to extract the content feature from a set of words automatically recognized in the non-scripted speech sample and to score the non-scripted speech sample by providing the extracted content feature to a scoring model to generate the content-based speech score.
US09218332B2
An autofill system is described for auto-populating electronic forms with data stored by an on-line social networking system. When a member of an on-line social network system accesses, via a web browser, an autofill-enabled web page, the autofill system determines an identification of the member, scrapes the member's profile to obtain member's information, assembles the member's profile information as member data, and communicates the member data to the web browser together with a script for presenting an autofill button on the web page.
US09218329B2
Embodiments of the present invention address deficiencies of the art in respect to processing forms submissions in a portal environment and provide a method, system and computer program product for independently refreshing a forms submission in a portal view. In one embodiment, a system for independently submitting forms in a portal view can include a portal server configured to render a portal view and a portlet aggregator coupled to the portal server. The portal aggregator can be configured to provide portlet markup for different portlets in the portal view where at least one of the different portlets includes a visible form includes one or more form elements.
US09218323B2
Example pages in which text and graphics have been laid out using a mixed text-and-graphics layout template are received from a user. Hyper parameters of a probabilistic model for the mixed text-and-graphics layout template are optimized, based on the example pages.
US09218319B2
One embodiment of the present invention is a method for increasing the speed of a computer in identifying occurrences of strings in a character stream that match a string pattern involving repetitions of characters of a particular character class. The method uses a parallel bit stream processing module of the computer, which processing module includes a processor equipped with parallel processing instructions, to form a plurality of parallel property bit streams Pj.
US09218316B2
A computing device operating as a controller can obtain image data from a camera component. The computing device can determine a location of the self-propelled device relative to the camera based on the image data. A virtual content may be generated on the computing device based at least in part on the location of the self-propelled device.
US09218315B2
An X-ray analysis apparatus having a function for enabling a plurality of measurement methods to be implemented, the X-ray analysis apparatus having: a measurement system capable of implementing a plurality of measurement methods; measurement software for implementing, in a selective manner, each of the measurement methods; a material evaluation table for storing information relating to a material that may be measured, and a name of an evaluation performed on the material; an input device for inputting the information relating to the material; a wizard program for performing computation for selecting the name of an evaluation on the basis of the information relating to the material inputted using the input device; and a wizard program for selecting a corresponding measurement method on the basis of the selected name of the evaluation.
US09218302B2
Page table data for each page within a memory address space includes a write permission flag and a dirty-bit-modifier flag. The write permission flag is initialised to a value indicating that write access is not permitted. When a write access occurs, then the dirty-bit-modifier flag indicates whether or not the action of the write permission flag may be overridden. If the action of the write permission flag may be overridden, then the write access is permitted and the write permission flag is changed to indicate that write access is thereafter permitted. A page for which the write permission flag indicates that writes are permitted is a dirty page.
US09218300B2
Systems and methods are operable to securely store media content events on a flash memory device. An exemplary embodiment receives user-provided authorization information, compares the received user-provided authorization information with authorization information associated with the flash memory device, and permits access to a flash memory of the flash memory device when the received user-provided authorization information corresponds to the authorization information.
US09218298B2
When an SD card is connected to an SD socket of an electronic device, a control unit of the SD card obtains permission/inhibition information (an output signal) outputted from a setting unit of the electronic device. Based on the obtained permission/inhibition information, the control unit starts the operation of a DC-DC converter corresponding to a memory unit from which reading-out of data is permitted. By virtue of this, reading-out of data from the memory unit is achieved in correspondence to the permission/inhibition information.
US09218297B2
Systems and methods for encrypting a plaintext logical data object for storage in a storage device operable with at least one storage protocol, creating, reading, writing, optimization and restoring thereof. Encrypting the plaintext logical data object comprises creating in the storage device an encrypted logical data object comprising a header and one or more allocated encrypted sections with predefined size; encrypting one or more sequentially obtained chunks of plaintext data corresponding to the plaintext logical data object thus giving rise to the encrypted data chunks; and sequentially accommodating the processed data chunks into said encrypted sections in accordance with an order said chunks received, wherein said encrypted sections serve as atomic elements of encryption/decryption operations during input/output transactions on the logical data object.
US09218295B2
A computer accesses a storage device. The computer includes a processor and a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing computer-readable instructions, when executed by the processor, the computer-readable instructions cause the computer to perform: storing a first time-lock and a second time-lock in the storage device; and, when both the first time-lock and the second time-lock are successfully stored in the storage device by the computer, to obtain an exclusive access privilege during a particular time interval associated with the first time-lock and the second time-lock.
US09218294B1
An access instruction which includes a logical block address (LBA) is received. A first-level table is accessed to obtain a first-level table entry associated with the LBA. From the first-level table entry, a location associated with a second-level table on solid state storage media is determined. The second-level table is accessed at the determined location to obtain a second-level table entry associated with the LBA. From the second-level table entry, a physical block address corresponding to the logical block address is determined.
US09218292B2
A technique for scheduling cache cleaning operations maintains a clean distance between a set of least-recently-used (LRU) clean lines and the LRU dirty (modified) line for each congruence class in the cache. The technique is generally employed at a victim cache at the highest-order level of the cache memory hierarchy, so that write-backs to system memory are scheduled to avoid having to generate a write-back in response to a cache miss in the next lower-order level of the cache memory hierarchy. The clean distance can be determined by counting all of the LRU clean lines in each congruence class that have a reference count that is less than or equal to the reference count of the LRU dirty line.
US09218289B2
A method includes storing, with a first programmable processor, shared variable data to cache lines of a first cache of the first processor. The method further includes executing, with the first programmable processor, a store-with-release operation, executing, with a second programmable processor, a load-with-acquire operation, and loading, with the second programmable processor, the value of the shared variable data from a cache of the second programmable processor.
US09218287B2
A virtual machine system comprises: a processor for executing a secure operating system and a normal operating system; and a cache memory. The cache memory stores data in a manner that allows for identification of whether the data has been read from a secure storage area of an external main memory. The cache memory writes back data to the main memory in a manner that reduces the number of times data is intermittently written back to the secure storage area which occurs when the processor is executing the normal operating system.
US09218274B2
Systems and techniques are provided that allow for comparison of an automatically-generated form to an original form to identify discrepancies efficiently. Portions of the form, such as those expected to contain dynamic data, may be masked, allowing for more efficient and accurate comparison with a predicted form and an actual output form. Further, testing of the form may be automated, allowing for more accurate and efficient generation of each form considered.
US09218269B2
An automated REpresentational State Transfer (REST) testing tool receives a file representing a set of tests to run on a target test platform and identifies a type of the file. Then the testing tool parses the file based on the type to extract test parameters, and performs test actions on the target test platform based on the test parameters.
US09218264B2
Techniques for translating Service Level Agreement (SLA) policy into storage controller requirements within a cloud storage environment are presented. System resource metrics for a storage controller are derived. The SLA policy is defined in terms of SLA parameters. Heuristics are used to translate the SLA parameters into defined percentages of system resources for the storage controller, which are compared to the system resource metrics and adjustments are updates are made as needed.
US09218259B2
A method for testing a serial over local area network (SOL) function of a motherboard of a computing device. The method determines that the SOL function is normal if forward data can be transmitted from the serial port of the motherboard to a network interface controller (NIC) of the motherboard through a predefined path, and backward data can be transmitted from the NIC to the serial port through a predefined reverse path. The method determines that the SOL function is abnormal if the forward data cannot be transmitted from the serial port to the NIC through the predefined path, or the backward data cannot be transmitted from the NIC to the serial port through the predefined reverse path.
US09218253B2
Example embodiments relate to embedded restoration memory. In one example implementation according to aspects of the present disclosure, a computing device may include a processor for executing instructions, a memory for storing instructions, a storage device having a user operating system, and a restoration memory embedded in the computing device and having a restoration module and a restoration image. The restoration operating system may exist independently of the user operating system and may be inaccessible to the user operating system. Additionally, the restoration module may cause the computing device to install the restoration image from the restoration memory onto the storage device upon the occurrence of a trigger event.
US09218252B1
Described are techniques for processing a request from a client. Validation processing is performed to determine whether any restrictions are violated. With respect to two associated objects for a logical device and its snapshot, a business logical provider may perform runtime checks regarding the two associated objects of the same or different frameworks to ensure a valid state exists with respect to the requested operation on the two associated objects. For example, the request may be to restore a logical device to its previous snapshot and the restrictions may indicate to not perform the restore if the logical device is in an active mirroring relationship, a source of an active migration, or if the snapshot has expired. The request may be to destroy the logical device which is included in a consistency group and a restriction indicates that a logical device included in a consistency group may not be destroyed.
US09218251B1
A method and system for disaster recovery includes a process for executing a disaster recovery client software on a target system. The disaster recovery client software queries a disaster recovery server with an identifier for the target system, receives a backup volume information for the target system from the disaster recovery server, mounts the backup volume to the target system, and transfers data from the backup volume to a physical volume of the target system using a destructive recovery process with block level data transfer.
US09218240B2
An approach to determine whether errors associated with transmitted data are associated with a transmitting device, a receiving device, and/or a connecting device that connects the transmitting device to the receiving device. The approach includes a method that includes receiving transmitted data with a buffer. The approach further includes analyzing the transmitted data which includes an error correcting process to detect errors and determine that the transmitted data has an error that requires additional analysis. The approach further includes determining that the error is associated with a receiving device, the transmitting device, or a connecting device that connects the receiving device and the transmitting device.
US09218219B2
A computer implemented method may include identifying allocations for each virtual function of a plurality of virtual functions that are provided via an input/output adapter. The computer implemented method may further include determining a range associated with each group of a plurality of groups based on the identified allocations. The computer implemented method may also include associating each virtual function with a group of the plurality of groups based on the range associated with the group. Where at least one group of the plurality of groups is empty, and where one or more groups of the plurality of groups has two or more virtual functions associated with the one or more groups, the computer implemented method may include distributing the two or more virtual functions to the at least one empty group. The computer implemented method may further include transferring the plurality of virtual functions from each group to a corresponding category at the input/output adapter.
US09218217B1
A global-level manager accesses a work order referencing at least one executable file and one or more input files. The one or more input files are partitioned into multiple shards. The work order is partitioned into multiple jobs. The jobs are distributed among a plurality of to be processed by a task level manager at each of the plurality of clusters. The executable file is loaded into the native client environment through a validator. The validator is configured to insure that the executable file does not include one or more of a defined set of instructions, does not call instructions outside of the executable file, and does not read or write data outside of a data region associated with the executable file.
US09218211B2
A method for priority promotion of a service request comprises receiving the service request for a target address space into a set of work requests, the set of work requests comprising a plurality of service requests for the target address space, the service request originating from a source address space, the service request having a priority equivalent to a priority of the target address space, the source address space having a higher priority than the target address space; determining a number of service requests for the target address space in the set of work requests; and, in the event the number of service requests for the target address space exceeds a predetermined value, promoting the priority of the service request to the priority of the source address space.
US09218209B2
A computer readable storage medium comprises executable instructions to receive a query. A graph is built to represent jobs associated with the query. The jobs are assigned to parallel threads according to the graph.
US09218191B2
An adjustment apparatus includes a storage device, an execution target program, an execution unit, a first API, a second API, a profiler, and a dynamic compiler. The execution unit interprets the program, and calls and executes a function of an API in response to the API description. The first and second API are callable by the execution unit, to respectively allocate an array of a predetermined size, and extend the array. The first and second APIs are converted into code to store an array allocation call context of the pre-extension array into a profile information storage area of the allocated array. The profiler profiles access to arrays. The dynamic compiler inline-expands an array allocation call context included in a code part to be dynamically compiled and embeds an array size determined based on context based access information, as an allocation initial size of the array, into the code part.
US09218190B2
According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a method and technique for hybrid virtual machine configuration management is disclosed. The method includes: assigning to a first set of virtual resources associated with entitled resources of a virtual machine a first priority; assigning to a second set of virtual resources associated with the virtual machine a second priority lower than the first priority, wherein the first and seconds sets when combined exceed the entitled resources for the virtual machine; mapping the first set of virtual resources to a first physical resource of a pool of shared physical resources allocatable to the first and second sets of virtual resources, wherein the first physical resource comprises a desired affinity level to a second physical resource allocated to the virtual machine; and preferentially allocating the first physical resource to the first set of virtual resources.
US09218187B2
The present invention provides a system and methods for managing large user selections in an application. An invertible collection software module solves the problem of managing a large number of user selections within an application. When not inverted, the invertible collection tracks what a user has selected. When inverted, the invertible collection tracks what a user has not selected thus saving memory. One method may comprise defining a specific context having a set of items available for user selection, representing, by an empty inverted invertible collection, the selection of all items within the specific context, tracking one or more items a user has deselected within the specific context depending upon whether the collection is inverted or not inverted and tracking one or more items a user has deselected.
US09218185B2
Embodiments relate to multithreading capability information retrieval. An aspect is a computer system includes a configuration with one or more cores configurable between a single thread (ST) mode and a multithreading (MT) mode. The ST mode addresses a primary thread and the MT mode addresses the primary thread and one or more secondary threads on shared resources of each core. The computer system also includes a multithreading facility configured to control utilization of the configuration to perform a method that includes executing, by the core, a retrieve multithreading capability information instruction. The execution includes obtaining thread identification information that identifies multithreading capability of the configuration, and storing the obtained thread identification information.
US09218179B2
A set of software upgrade tools that perform automated software data model and data upgrades to a first software data model already having customizations to produce a target software data model which includes updates included in a second software data model without loss of the customizations made to the first software data model.
US09218176B1
A computer implemented method for deploying, in a distributed virtual environment, a multi-component software product is disclosed. The method may include requesting and receiving product installation parameters, which may include virtual machine IDs corresponding to subsets of the product installation parameters. The method may also include copying software product installation files and parameters onto a first virtual machine, halting the first virtual machine, cloning the first virtual machine to a second virtual machine and setting virtual machine IDs on the virtual machines. The method may also include starting the virtual machines and identifying, based on virtual machine IDs, subsets of the product installation parameters. The method may also include deploying, based on subsets of the product installation parameters, the software product by installing first and second components of the software product on the first and second virtual machines, respectively.
US09218172B2
An information processing apparatus includes a function management unit, a function-information acquisition unit, and a function-presenting unit. The function management unit manages an application having one or more functions and being capable of directly invoking any of the functions, where the management of the application is performed on a basis of the function. The function-information acquisition unit acquires information about functions relative to a running function of another application on a basis of the function being managed by the function management unit. The function-presenting unit that presents the information about functions acquired by the function-information acquisition unit.
US09218168B1
A compiler identifies a first function call site in a calling function that requires an unconditional Table of Contents (TOC) save of the TOC pointer value. The compiler identifies a first location for the unconditional TOC save that dominates the first function call site. The compiler also identifies a second function call site in the calling function that requires a conditional or unconditional TOC save, and determines that the first location also dominates the second function call site. The compiler emits a TOC save instruction at the first location that satisfies both the unconditional TOC save requirement for the first function call site and the conditional or unconditional TOC save requirement for the second function call site. The compiler then indicates that the emitted TOC save instruction satisfies the TOC save requirement for the second function call site, thus suppressing further TOC save actions for the second function call site.
US09218162B1
A method for synthesizing mobile applications is provided. The method includes receiving a mobile application specification and compiling a first native mobile application based at least in part on the mobile application specification. A second native mobile application is then compiled based at least in part on the mobile application specification. The first native mobile application is sent to a first client device. The first native mobile application is specific to the first client device and the first native mobile application is capable of being executed by the first client device. The second native mobile application is sent to a second client device, the second native mobile application being specific to the second client device and the second native mobile application is capable of being executed by the second client device.
US09218148B2
An information processing apparatus transmits print data to an image forming apparatus by using near field communication or to an image forming apparatus on a network, and at this time, gives preference as a print destination to the image forming apparatus using the near field communication over the image forming apparatus capable of communicating with the information processing apparatus using the network.
US09218146B2
An information processing system includes a first receiving unit receiving a print request; a first specifying unit specifying user identification information stored in a first memory unit in association with first identification information related to a transmission source of the print request; an acquiring unit acquiring second identification information from the print request when the user identification information is not specified by the first specifying unit; a second memory unit storing data related to the print request in association with the user identification information specified by the first specifying unit or the second identification information acquired by the acquiring unit; a second receiving unit receiving the user identification information or the second identification information from an apparatus connected with the information processing system; and a sending unit sending the user identification information received by the second receiving unit or the data stored in the second memory unit to the apparatus.
US09218141B2
Provided are a computer program product, system, and method for managing write operations to an extent of tracks migrated between storage device. An operation to migrate an extent of tracks from the second storage to the first storage is processed. A determination is made of the tracks in the extent having a write indicator indicating that the track was updated in the second storage since the previous time. The data for the determined tracks is copied from the second storage to free locations in the first storage. An extent object for the extent is updated to indicate the free locations to which the data for the tracks were copied as an active address for the track.
US09218140B2
Techniques for selectively utilizing memory available in a redundant host system of a cluster are described. In one embodiment, a cluster of host systems, with at least one redundant host system, with each host system having a plurality of virtual machines with associated virtual machine (VM) reservation memory is provided. A portion of a data store is used to store a base file, the base file accessed by all the plurality of virtual machines. A portion of the memory available in the redundant host system is assigned as spare VM reservation memory. A copy of the base file is selectively stored in the spare VM reservation memory for access by all the plurality of virtual machines.
US09218131B2
Systems and methods directed to changing tiers for a storage area that utilizes thin provisioning. Systems and methods check the area subject to a tier change command and change the tier based on the tier specified in the tier change command, and the tier presently associated with the targeted storage area. The pages of the systems and methods may be further restricted to one file per page.
US09218123B2
An electronic device includes instructions for: displaying a text entry interface area at a first size for the text entry interface area; concurrently displaying a viewing area adjacent to the text entry interface area, at a first size for the viewing area; detecting a continuous finger contact that starts in the viewing area, moves in a first direction towards the text entry interface area, contacts a predefined boundary associated with the text entry interface area, and continues to move in the first direction after contacting the predefined boundary; and, in response to detecting the continuous finger contact continuing to move in the first direction after contacting the predefined boundary: increasing the viewing area to a second size of the viewing area; and scrolling the text entry interface area to reduce the displayed text entry interface area to a second size of the text entry interface area.
US09218115B2
An input device and an image display apparatus are provided. The image display apparatus may include a display, and an input device adjacent to the display. The input device may include a first light emitting device (LED), a second light emitting device (LED), a touch sensor to detect a touch input, and a light source controller to control an intensity of light from the light guide based on the touch input.
US09218105B2
A method of modifying attributes of list elements in a layout space of the list as the list scrolls in a user interface is disclosed herein. The method comprises determining a series of location values of each list element for a duration of a scroll event. Additionally, for each list element, at each determined location value of that list element, the attributes of that list element are determined by evaluating a set of spline curves associated with that list element based on that location value. The list elements are re-rendered in accordance with the determined attributes for the duration of the scroll event.
US09218103B2
The present disclosure provides a method based on an android system for displaying a three-dimension interface, including: a three-dimension engine library transmitting a user operation command to an android system service layer; the android system service layer transmitting the user operation command to a java terminal; the java terminal generating a responding instruction according to the user operation command and sending the responding instruction to the android system service layer; the android system service layer sending the responding instruction to the three-dimension engine library; and the three-dimension engine library controlling a three-dimension model document to load a three-dimension model corresponding to the responding instruction and redrawing the three-dimension interface accordingly. In the present disclosure, with the android system service layer, a decline of processing ability when the system resources are overloaded in an instant can be avoided.
US09218097B2
A capacitive touch device and a sensing method thereof are disclosed. The capacitive touch device includes a touch panel and a plurality of touch detection units. The touch panel includes first sensing lines and second sensing lines. The position of a touch between a last one of the first sensing lines and a first one of the second sensing lines is calculated according to sensed values respectively corresponding to a first sensing line prior to the last one of the first sensing lines, the last one of the first sensing lines and the first one of the second sensing lines. The present invention is capable of avoiding the problem that the frame rate is reduced significantly because of the data transmission between the first and second touch detection units.
US09218093B2
An apparatus may include an internal charge pump within an integrated circuit package, an external pin positioned at an exterior of the integrated circuit package, and a select circuit configured to operate independently from the internal charge pump and located within the integrated circuit package, wherein the select circuit is configurable to selectively couple at least one of the internal charge pump and the external pin to a transmit (TX) sensor electrode.
US09218091B2
A light sensor includes a case, a light reflective layer and a light sensing component. The case has a light incident side. The light incident side is partially covered by the light reflective layer to cause the light incident side to form a light incident area uncovered by the light reflective layer and a light reflective area covered by the light reflective layer and located beside the light incident area. The light sensing component is disposed within the case and has a light sensing surface facing toward the light incident area. An optical touch panel assembly incorporating a plurality of the light sensors is also provided. The optical touch panel assembly includes a touch panel, two above-mentioned light sensors oppositely disposed at two sides of the touch panel.
US09218086B2
A mobile touch-generating device includes logic; a touch-generating system, including one or more touch-generating elements, operatively coupled to the logic and configured to generate touch events detectable by a touchscreen, via the elements; a network connectivity device operatively coupled to the logic to establish a secure connection with a server via a telecommunication network and receive data through an established secure connection; and a visualization device connectable to the logic to display contents according to data received through the established secure connection.
US09218085B2
A display device can include a panel configured to include a plurality of electrodes and a display driver IC that applies a common voltage to the plurality of electrodes, a touch IC configured to generate a touch scan signal, and apply the touch scan signal to the display driver IC. Further, the display device can include a plurality of first link lines configured to connect the plurality of electrodes to the display driver IC in a first direction, and a plurality of second link lines respectively connected to the plurality of electrodes to extend in a second direction opposite to the first direction to contact a distal end of the panel. The display driver IC applies the common voltage or the touch scan signal to the plurality of electrodes through the plurality of first link lines according to a driving mode of the panel.
US09218070B2
Methods and apparatus are provided to further facilitate detection not only of a position on a position detector pointed to by a pointing member, but also of information other than the position information such as pen pressure applied to the pointing member, in a position detection apparatus of the electrostatic coupling type. In one embodiment, a pointing member includes a first electrode substantially in the form of a rod, a substantially cylindrical second electrode disposed in such a manner as to surround the first electrode, and a transmission signal production section for producing a signal of a first frequency f1 and another signal of a second frequency f2 different from the first frequency f1 and controlling a phase difference between the signals in response to pressure applied to the pointing member. On a position detector side, the signal of the first frequency f1 is used for position detection of the pointing member, and the phase difference is used for detection of information other than the position information such as pen pressure on the pointing member. Alternatively, a pulse signal having a pulse width corresponding to pressure applied to the pointing member is produced, and on the position detector side, the position, pen pressure and so forth are detected from the pulse signal and the pulse width.
US09218069B2
An optical sensing device to measure displacement in a parallel direction perpendicular to a proximate surface is disclosed. The optical sensing device may comprise a tracking light source, a displacement light source, a displacement optical element, and a sensor. The tracking light source may generate a first beam spot on the proximate surface and the displacement light source may generate a second beam spot. The second beam spot may be smaller than the first beam spot. The displacement light source may be optically coupled with the displacement optical element to generate the second beam spot at an incident angle α that may generate a shift in the second beam spot position when the optical sensing device is displaced relative to the proximate surface. The shift in the second beam spot position to a new position may correspond to a displacement of the optical sensing device in a direction perpendicular to the proximate surface.
US09218065B2
A Micro-Electro-Mechanical System (MEMS) accelerometer employing a rotor and stator that are both released from a substrate. In embodiments, the rotor and stator are each of continuous a metal thin film. A stress gradient in the film is manifested in capacitive members of the rotor and stator as a substantially equal deflection such that a relative displacement between the rotor and stator associated with an acceleration in the z-axis is substantially independent of the stress gradient. In embodiments, the stator comprises comb fingers cantilevered from a first anchor point while the rotor comprises comb fingers coupled to a proof mass by torsion springs affixed to the substrate at second anchor points proximate to the first anchor point.
US09218057B2
A vehicular display system includes a mobile device having a mobile display part and adapted to be disposed in a predetermined position in a vehicle. The mobile display part is configured to display contents such that at least one of a display size and a display position of each of the contents is changed in accordance with positions of eyes of a driver sitting on a driver's seat in the vehicle with respect to a reference position in the vehicle. Preferably, the mobile device has an imaging unit for picking up an image and recognizes the positions of the driver's eyes and the reference position from the image picked up by the imaging unit. The vehicular display system may further include a vehicle on-board unit fixedly mounted in the vehicle.
US09218051B1
A system, method, and various software tools enable a video hosting website to graphically display statistics of data associated with videos posted on a video hosting website. Data associated with videos is collected, analyzed and stored. A graphical representation of the data and corresponding geographic map are generated based on the collected data. The graphical representation shows the data along a timeline. The corresponding geographical map shows the data by geographic market. The graphical representation and geographical map are associated such that a modification to the graphical representation modifies the geographical map accordingly and a modification to the geographical map modifies the graphical representation accordingly.
US09218043B2
A controller configurable to operate in either in an NVDC mode or a standard mode. The controller includes mode logic that detects a mode value indicative of the selected mode and that asserts a corresponding mode signal, and control logic that is configured to operate according to the selected battery charging mode based on the mode signal and that provides a control signal accordingly. In the standard mode, the control signal is in either an on or off state depending upon presence of an external adapter and the charge state of the battery. In the NVDC mode, the control signal may operate in a linear mode if the battery is deeply discharged. A battery detector provides a battery indication that is used to switch the regulation operating point of an external system voltage. A power monitor output provides an indication of power being provided via the system voltage.
US09218032B2
An apparatus, a method, and a computer program product are provided. The apparatus may be a mobile device. The mobile device receives a first mechanical force applied to at least one region on the mobile device, performs a function unrelated to energy conversion in response to the first mechanical force, receives a second mechanical force applied to the at least one region on the mobile device, converts the second mechanical force into electrical energy using at least one piezoelectric element, and powers at least one component of the mobile device using the electrical energy.
US09218030B2
A programming interface and method of operating a programming interface use a system clock input, an asynchronous reset input, and an interface control input. The method selectively controls multiplexed coupling of a source register to a destination register and the destination register to a buffer register. The multiplexed coupling of the destination register to the buffer register reduces the possibility of the buffer register being corrupted when an asynchronous reset signal is applied to the programming interface. Problems associated with meta-stable asynchronous crossing paths in asynchronous reset programming systems are therefore alleviated.
US09218029B2
A method for resetting a so-called System on Chip SoC is described as well as a system adapted and configured to perform the method. A reset signal applied to the SoC resets the system but at the same time prevents loss and corruption of data that was processed at the time of signal application.
US09218026B2
An electronic device includes a housing, a display panel, and engagement mechanisms. The housing includes a plurality of fixing blocks placed on corners. Each fixing block defines a blind hole and two grooves set on opposite sides of the blind hole. The display panel includes a plurality of corners. Corners outwardly extend to form first extending portions. Each extending portion defines a positioning hole. The engagement mechanisms each comprises a connection portion, a positioning post fixed to a first surface of the connection portion facing the display panel and housing, and two springs fixed to the first surface of the connection portion and set on opposite sides of the positioning post. The positioning posts pass through the positioning holes and are received into the blind holes, each spring is pressed by an external force to engage with one of the grooves to fix the display panel to the housing.
US09218024B2
An accessory for an electronic device, such as a mobile computing device, includes a housing and a support element that are configured to support the electronic device in an inclined orientation. The support element of the accessory may comprise an elongated recess that receives a portion (e.g., an edge portion) of an electronic device to orient and support the electronic device in the inclined orientation. The accessory may also include a peripheral component, such as a user interface component (e.g., a keyboard, a track pad, etc.) or any other component that may enhance or supplement functionality of the electronic device.
US09218014B2
This application discusses apparatus and methods for reducing supply voltage induced band gap voltage variation. In an example, a method of compensating a reference voltage current source for supply voltage variation can include providing at least a portion if a reference current for establishing the reference voltage using a first output transistor coupled to the supply voltage, maintaining a constant voltage across the first output transistor using a second output transistor coupled between the first output transistor and an output node, modulating a compensation impedance between a first node and ground as the supply voltage varies, the first node located where the first output transistor is coupled to the second output transistor, and wherein the modulating includes modulating the compensation impedance to substantially equal an output impedance, the output impedance measured between an output node and an input for the supply voltage.
US09218012B2
A power-supply device has a first power supply circuit adapted to generate from an input voltage a first output voltage and a second power supply circuit adapted to generate from the first output voltage a second output voltage. The second power supply circuit monitors the first output voltage to check if it is higher than a first threshold voltage, and also monitors the first power-supply circuit to check if it has started operation for generating the first output voltage, so that the second power supply circuit stays on stand-by, even when the first output voltage is higher than the first threshold voltage, until the first power supply circuit starts operation for generating the first output voltage.
US09218002B2
A method for operating an aircraft to prevent/recover from a stall condition includes the steps of detecting an actual vertical velocity of the aircraft, calculating vertical velocity error of the aircraft, the vertical velocity error being based upon a comparison between the actual vertical velocity of the aircraft and a commanded vertical velocity of the aircraft, and determining if the aircraft is in one of a near stalled condition and a stalled condition based upon at least the detected vertical velocity error and the polarity of the vertical velocity error. The method further includes the steps of taking control of the aircraft from an operator of the aircraft, reducing a bank angle of the aircraft, pitching the aircraft downward, and increasing the airspeed of the aircraft if the aircraft's airspeed is outside an airspeed window if the aircraft is in one of the near stalled condition and the stalled condition.
US09218001B2
A wireless inducement system and an auto driving apparatus for driving a vehicle and a method of driving the same are provided. The wireless inducement system includes an implanted road positioning signaler, an auto driving apparatus, and smart roadside equipment. The implanted road positioning signaler is installed in a lane and transmits a reference location wireless signal including information about location coordinates and an electric wave sending time. The auto driving apparatus grasps a location using the received reference location wireless signal and performs auto driving, and the smart roadside equipment transmits situation information about an adjacent region of the vehicle to the auto driving apparatus.
US09217992B2
A mechanism for adjusting the active length of a timepiece balance spring whose outer end is fixed to a balance spring stud secured to a bar. This mechanism includes two pins for clamping or touching the outer coil of the balance spring during the operation of this balance spring. These two pins are in a single piece with this bar.
US09217985B2
Provided is an image bearing member protecting agent which contains a fatty acid metal salt and an inorganic lubricant, wherein an aspect ratio (average major axis length/average minor axis length) of the inorganic lubricant is 60 to 400, and a mass ratio of the fatty acid metal salt to the inorganic lubricant (fatty acid metal salt/inorganic lubricant) is 98/2 to 85/15.
US09217981B2
Disclosed is a positively-charged electrophotographic photoreceptor which uses a tubular photosensitive layer support base with a wall thickness of (t), wherein (t) is 0.7 mm or less, a chamfer angle (a) of an end surface of the photosensitive layer support base is 30° or more and 60° or less with respect to a longitudinal tangent of a surface of a tubular photosensitive layer support base, and an outer end surface-tail edge surface width (b) of the tubular photosensitive layer support base is 0.05 mm or more.
US09217974B2
A controller controls a voltage to be applied to the transfer member when there is a recording material having a predetermined largest width at a secondary-transfer position, so that a constant-voltage element maintains a predetermined voltage, whereby it is possible to prevent transfer defect due to short of a primary-transfer electric field at a primary-transfer portion when a toner image is secondary-transferred onto the recording material.
US09217965B2
Provided is an image forming apparatus including a first image unit that uses toner which contains a flat pigment, a second image unit that uses toner which does not contain a flat pigment, and a fixing unit that includes a heating member which contacts with one surface of a recording medium where an image is formed to heat the image and a contact member that contacts with the other surface of the recording medium, and fixes the image to the recording medium, wherein an amount of heat that is applied to the image from the contact member is larger when the image formed by the toner containing the flat pigment is fixed to the recording medium than when the image formed by the toner not containing the flat pigment is fixed to the recording medium.
US09217959B1
An image forming apparatus includes a toner receiving member, and a toner receiver driving section. The toner receiving member supplements toner of a correction patch that falls from and spatters from an intermediate transfer belt. A toner receiver driving section movably supports the toner receiving member. A control section inserts the toner receiving member between a sheet-side transfer roller and the intermediate transfer belt when the sheet-side transfer roller is spaced apart from the intermediate transfer belt.
US09217951B2
An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier, a developing device, a bias applying unit, a leakage detecting unit, a bias control unit and a leakage detection control unit. The developing device includes a magnetic roller and a developing roller. The magnetic roller carries a developer layer by being rotated. The developing roller receives the toner from the developer layer and supplies the toner to the image carrier. The leakage detection control unit performs a leakage detecting operation of detecting a value of an inter-peak voltage, at which the leakage occurred. The leakage detection control unit simultaneously starts the leakage detecting operation for a plurality of developing devices and performs the leakage detecting operations of the developing devices in which leakage simultaneously occurred while switching the leakage detecting operations one by one if the leakage simultaneously occurs in a plurality of developing devices at an inter-peak voltage.
US09217949B2
Disclosed is an image variable magnification device including: a first screen processing unit to carry out a first screen processing for the original image by applying a dither threshold on a position in a dither threshold matrix, which corresponds to a position obtained by adding the shift amount; a second screen processing unit to carry out a second screen processing for the original image by applying a dither threshold on a position in the dither threshold matrix, which corresponds to a position obtained by adding the shift amount and +1 or −1; and a variable magnification processing unit to shift each pixel in an image obtained by the first screen processing, in accordance with the shift amount, and to determine a gradation value of a pixel required to be inserted due to the shift, by adopting a processing result obtained by the second screen processing unit.
US09217940B2
A method for producing a toner includes: dissolving a thermoplastic resin and a thermosetting resin in an organic solvent; mixing the organic solvent containing the thermoplastic resin and the thermosetting resin with an aqueous medium, and micronizing the thermoplastic resin in a mixture obtained; and forming a film of the dissolved thermosetting resin on surfaces of fine particles formed through the micronization.
US09217921B2
There is provided a resist underlayer film forming composition for lithography for forming a resist underlayer film capable of being used as a hard mask; and a forming method of a resist pattern using the underlayer film forming composition for lithography. A resist underlayer film forming composition for lithography comprising: as a silicon atom-containing compound, a hydrolyzable organosilane containing a sulfur atom-containing group, a hydrolysis product thereof, or a hydrolysis-condensation product thereof, wherein in the whole silicon atom-containing compound, the ratio of a sulfur atom to a silicon atom is less than 5% by mole. The hydrolyzable organosilane is preferably a compound of Formula (1): [R1aSi(R2)3-a]bR3 wherein R3 has a partial structure of Formula (2): R4—S—R5.
US09217919B2
A radiation-sensitive composition including a compound (P) having a partial structure (A) having an ionic structural site and capable of decomposing upon irradiation with an actinic ray or radiation to generate an acid and a partial structure (B) having at least one phenolic hydroxyl group, a part or all of hydrogen atoms of the hydroxyl group or groups each being protected by a group capable of leaving by the action of an acid, wherein the ionic structural site of the partial structure (A) contained in the compound (P) is a structure capable of generating an acid anion in the compound (P) upon irradiation with an actinic ray or radiation; a pattern-forming method using the same; and a resin which is used in the composition.
US09217918B2
A photomask according to the present embodiment is used to transfer a pattern to a transfer target substrate in a non-telecentric optical system. A mask substrate includes a first face having a pattern formed thereon and a second face on an opposite side from the first face. A convex portion or a concave portion is formed on the second face in order to correct a position difference in a transfer pattern occurring when the pattern is transferred to the transfer target substrate. The convex portion is formed of a material different from that of the mask substrate.
US09217912B2
A front projection display device is provided including an image-generating source configured to generate an image, a wide angle lens system adapted to receive the image, and a screen. The wide angle lens system may be configured to increase distortion of the image in a first stage and decrease distortion of the image in a second stage. The screen may be configured to receive the image from the wide angle lens system on a first side and reflect the image back to a viewer on the first side. In another embodiment, a screen is provided for a front projection system, the screen may be configured to receive light from a steep angle and may include any number of surface topographies configured to reflect light back to the viewer along a desired viewing plane.
US09217903B2
To provide a display device which can realize multi-gray scale display by reducing voltage fluctuation of a pixel, a display device includes a plurality of source signal lines, a plurality of gate signal lines which is provided so as to intersect with the source signal lines, and a pixel electrode to which a signal voltage of the source signal line is applied through a transistor including an oxide semiconductor, which is provided near an intersection portion of the source signal line and the gate signal line; in which in the pixel electrode which is provided between a pair of the adjacent source signal lines, edge portions thereof overlap with edge portions of the source signal lines and an overlapped area with one of the source signal lines is substantially equal to an overlapped area with the other source signal line.
US09217893B2
A light bar includes a wiring substrate, a plurality of light sources, and at least one high efficient heat-dissipating component. The wiring substrate has a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface. The second surface is divided into at least one high efficient heat-dissipating section and at least one low efficient heat-dissipating section. The light sources are respectively disposed on the first surface opposite to the high efficient heat-dissipating section and the low efficient heat-dissipating section. The high efficient heat-dissipating component is disposed on the high efficient heat-dissipating section.
US09217892B1
A circular polarizer including a line polarizer with an absorption axis, at least one first antireflective film being arranged on a down surface of the line polarizer, and a quarter-wave plate being arranged on the down surface of the first antireflective film is disclosed. A slow axis of the quarter-wave plate and the absorption axis of the line polarizer form an included angle equaling to 45 or 135 degrees. In addition, a liquid crystal panel and the liquid crystal device including the circular polarizer are also disclosed. The light transmission rate of the circular polarizer may be enhanced by increasing the number of the antireflective film such that the display performance of the liquid crystal panel is enhanced. Further, the transmission rate of the liquid crystal panel and the light intensity of the backlight module may be relatively lowered down, which also reduces the costs.
US09217890B2
In an aspect, a touch screen panel including a sensing region and a peripheral region, a plurality of first sensing patterns located in the sensing region, a plurality of second sensing patterns arranged in an intersected direction with the first sensing patterns connected to each other by a connection part, an insulating layer formed on the first sensing pattern, the second sensing pattern, and the connection part, and patterned to expose both side of the first sensing pattern, at least one bridge located to intersect with the connection part on the insulating layer; and a plurality of wires located on a peripheral region and connected to the first sensing pattern and the second sensing pattern are provided.
US09217887B2
Provided is a stereoscopic image forming apparatus which is excellent from the viewpoint of brightness, flicker, and crosstalk when viewed from the front side while tilting a face, and suppresses crosstalk at the time of oblique observation.The stereoscopic image recognition apparatus including: a liquid crystal display device including a liquid crystal cell and a pair of polarizing plates on the both sides of the liquid crystal cell; and a time division image display interception device including a polarizer, a liquid crystal encapsulation body, and a λ/4 plate B.
US09217883B2
Waveguide-type optical phase modulator regions of a linear accelerator-type column electrode structure MZ optical modulator are arranged on a semiconductor optical waveguide. A transmission line of an integrated circuit receives a clock signal through a buffer circuit disposed on an input side. Clock terminators are connected between an end of the transmission line and clock terminator power supply electrodes (VCa, VCb). Individual driving circuits receive the clock signal from different positions of the transmission line. An i (1≦i≦m, i is an integer)-th individual driving circuit counted from the input side outputs a signal obtained by amplifying a digital input signal in synchronization with the clock signal to an i-th waveguide-type optical phase modulator region.
US09217881B2
The present invention discloses an apparatus for programming an energizable Ophthalmic Lens with a programmable Media Insert. In some embodiments, a Media Insert may be programmable to allow for further customization of the energized Ophthalmic Lens. The programming may occur after the electrical components have been encapsulated in the programmable Media Insert. In some embodiments, the apparatus may wirelessly program the Media Insert after the Ophthalmic Lens has been fully assembled. Alternatively, the apparatus may indirectly program the Media Insert by wirelessly programming an overlay. The overlay may subsequently program the Media Insert when placed in proximity to the Media Insert, wherein the placing completes the assembly of the Ophthalmic Lens.
US09217872B2
A display apparatus includes: a liquid crystal display element in which a plurality of display units including at least a pixel that displays an image for a first eyepoint and a pixel that displays an image for a second eyepoint are arranged in a matrix shape; an optical unit which distributes light emitted from the pixel that displays the image for the first eyepoint and light emitted from the pixel that displays the image for the second eyepoint in mutually different directions; a first control electrode and a second control electrode disposed on each pixel in the display units; and a plurality of domain regions of which the orientation is controlled by a diagonal electric field or a lateral electric field formed by the first control electrode and the second control electrode and which have different liquid crystal molecule orientation states.
US09217865B2
A light projection device capable of irradiating light only onto an object includes: a light projector in which an object and a back surface of the object are taken as a projectable range; a shadow region detector that detects a shadow that occurs on the back surface of the object by projection light; and a controller that corrects a shadow region so that a projection region of the light projector and the shadow region can coincide with each other on the back surface of the object, sets the corrected shadow region as a light projection range and sets, as a non-light projection range, a region other than the shadow region, and sets projection light projected onto the set light projection range, wherein the light projector projects the projection light onto a range where the object is present by projecting the set projection light onto the set light projection range.
US09217863B2
A scanning optical system includes a light source including light emission points, a deflector for deflecting a beam in main scanning direction, an optical element for guiding the beam from the light source to the deflector, and a stop for limiting the beam from the optical element, sets the followings appropriately: distance from the light source to the stop; focal length of the optical element; distance in main scanning direction from an intersection of optical axis and the light source at a farthest light emission point from the optical axis in main scanning direction; stop aperture diameter in main scanning direction; total angle at half maximum of a far-field pattern of emitted light; and angle between a marginal ray within main scanning section at the farthest light emission point from the optical axis in main scanning direction and a ray of a maximum intensity.
US09217861B2
Micro-mirror arrays configured for use in a variable focal length lens are described herein. An example variable focal length lens comprises a micro-mirror array having a plurality of micro-mirror elements arranged in at least a first section and a second section. Each micro-mirror element has a tilt axis and comprises, on each of two opposing sides of the tilt axis, (i) at least one actuation electrode, (ii) at least one measurement electrode, and (iii) at least one stopper. Additionally, each micro-mirror element in the first section has a first tilt angle range, and each micro-mirror element in the second section has a second tilt angle range, with the first tilt angle range being less than the second tilt angle range.
US09217856B1
The process for fabricating a visible spectrum modulator makes use of thin film conductive oxides and air gaps to reflect colors of certain wavelengths, achieving transparency due to the transparent nature of conductive oxides and via electrostatic pull-in to reduce the air gaps.
US09217848B1
Present embodiments provide for a mobile device and an optical imaging lens thereof. The optical imaging lens comprises an aperture stop and six lens elements positioned sequentially from an object side to an image side. Through controlling the convex or concave shape of the surfaces of the lens elements and designing parameters satisfying at least one inequality, the optical imaging lens shows better optical characteristics and the total length of the optical imaging lens is shortened.
US09217840B2
A high power fiber laser system is configured with a combiner end fiber spliced to a combiner output fiber. The system further includes a light stripper extending along the combiner end and output fibers and configured with sequentially located zones which are provided with respective refractive indices. In a forward propagating direction of light signal, the upstream zone includes polymeric material with the refractive index higher than that of the cladding of the combiner end fiber. This zone is configured to remove the backreflected core guided light bled into the cladding of the combiner through a splice between combiner end and output fibers. The intermediate zone includes polymeric material configured with a refractive index lower than that of the cladding of the combiner output fiber so it can prevent clad guided signal light from decoupling the cladding under the material. The downstream zone is configured with polymeric material having a refractive index lower than that of the cladding of the combiner output fiber. The polymeric material of the downstream zone is impregnated with a plurality of light diffusers scattering high numerical aperture rays of the clad-guided signal light.
US09217838B2
An example embodiment includes a retention spring. The retention spring includes a central portion, a coupling feature, and a spring arm. The central portion includes a heat sink contact surface configured to contact a detachable heat sink. The coupling feature is configured to mechanically couple the retention spring to an optical component. The spring arm connects the central portion to the coupling feature. The spring arm is configured to elastically deform to allow insertion of the detachable heat sink between the heat sink contact surface and a heat dissipation surface of the optical component and to at least partially retain the detachable heat sink against the heat dissipation surface.
US09217835B2
There is provided a photoelectric conversion module that can be mounted two-dimensionally over a device board in a high-density, low-height manner and cooled efficiently with an easy-to-install collective-type radiator. In the photoelectric conversion module mounted over the device board, an optical connector is attached to that surface of an optical subassembly facing the device board. An electric connector has at least two sides thereof opened so that the optical transmission medium is threaded therethrough and extended through at least two facing sides of the optical subassembly. The optical transmission medium is thus extended between the optical subassembly and the device board in a vertically stacked manner.
US09217832B2
A plurality of connector modules are mounted to a support frame. The connector modules have respective optical connectors to optically connect with respective electronic devices, where the optical connectors are moveable between a retracted position and an extended position. The optical connector of a first of the connector modules is retractable and extendable independently of a second of the connector modules.
US09217831B1
The system includes a first optical device and a second optical device. The second optical device has a second facet. The first optical device has a waveguide on a base. The waveguide terminates at a waveguide facet. The waveguide facet is positioned so as to exchange light signals with the second facet. The first optical device also has one or more actuators that are each configured to move the waveguide facet relative to the second facet.
US09217825B2
Optical fibers are provided for modal discrimination which include a central core and a cladding disposed about the central core. The central core has a non-circular and non-elliptical cross-section, and it is rotated about a central axis of the optical fiber along the length of the optical fiber at a selected pitch resulting in the capability of a fundamental mode beam output for large core sizes. An optical system includes a seed optical source configured to provide a seed beam and an optical amplifier configured to receive and amplify the seed beam. The optical amplifier also includes an active optical fiber having a large mode area non-circular and non-elliptical core rotated about a central axis of said active optical fiber to provide modal discrimination and fundamental mode output.
US09217824B2
A source of optical supercontinuum radiation comprises a length of microstructured optical fiber and a pump laser, the pump laser adapted to generate lasing radiation having a pump wavelength in the wavelength range of 900 nm to 1200 nm for generating an optical supercontinuum, the length of microstructured optical fibre comprising a core region having a diameter in the range of 1 μm to 5 μm and a cladding region which surrounds the core region; the cladding region comprising at least two capillary air holes having substantially the same diameter and which extend substantially along the length of the fibre; the fiber comprising a zero dispersion wavelength within ±200 nm of said pump wavelength; wherein the length of microstructured fiber can support a plurality of modes at said pump wavelength; and wherein said lasing radiation at said pump wavelength is launched into said core region of said length of microstructured optical fiber to excite the fundamental mode of the fiber. In one practice, the source of optical supercontinuum radiation does not include a pump laser arranged for generating the optical supercontinuum and pumping said length of microstructured optical fiber at a wavelength different from a wavelength within the wavelength range.
US09217812B2
A photochromic polymer comprising at least two photochromic moieties linked by a straight or branched chain polymer selected from the group consisting of poly(C2 to C4 alkylene oxide), poly[C1 to C10 alkoxy substituted (C2 to C4 alkylene oxide)] and poly[C1 to C-15 acyloxy substituted (C2 to C4 alkylene oxide)].
US09217810B2
A system can be constructed and operated with at least a wellbore that is connected to a gas detection system. The gas detection system can house a control module, infrared sensor, and first and second pumps in a portable case. The first and second pumps may be respectively positioned on opposite sides of the infrared sensor and configured to provide uniform sample gas flow through the infrared sensor to detect multiple different types of gasses flowing from the wellbore.
US09217808B2
A sensor array is positionable in a wellbore penetrating a subterranean formation. The sensor array includes a plurality of seismic sensors disposable about a perimeter of the wellbore and coupleable to a signal measurer with a configuration to provide three component seismic signal measurement within the wellbore. At least two of the seismic sensors are located at different azimuthal angles relative to one another and oriented tangentially to a longitudinal axis of the wellbore so as to receive tangential components of wellbore seismic signals to the exclusion of longitudinal and radial components of the wellbore seismic signals.
US09217794B2
In one embodiment, a scintillator array includes a plurality of scintillator blocks, and a reflective layer part interposed between the adjacent scintillator blocks. The plurality of scintillator blocks are integrated by the reflective layer part. The reflective layer part includes reflective particles dispersed in a transparent resin. The reflective particles include at least one selected from titanium oxide particles and tantalum oxide particles, and have a mean particle diameter of 2 μm or less. The number of the reflective particles existing per unit area of 5 μm×5 μm of the reflective layer part is in a range of 100 or more and 250 or less.
US09217786B2
A variable-reluctance magnetic detection head delivers an electrical signal (Uin) and a rising wavefront of the electrical signal is compared with a first threshold (Th) in order to switch from a first state (B0) to a second state (B1), and a falling wavefront is compared with a second threshold (Tb) lower than the first threshold (Th) in order to switch from the second state (B1) to the first state (B0). In a diagnostics step, the first threshold (Th) or the second threshold (Tb) is modified, bringing these thresholds closer together, and a magnetic detection head is diagnosed as being defective if the duty cycle of the second state (B1) is modified during the diagnostics step by a value higher than a diagnostics threshold predetermined in relation to a reference level.
US09217785B2
According to one embodiment, a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus includes an imaging condition setting unit and an imaging unit. The imaging condition setting unit is configured to display a setting screen of a radio frequency prepulse on a display unit to set imaging conditions including application timings of radio frequency prepulses according to input information from an input device through the setting screen. The setting screen displays an application timing of a radio frequency excitation pulse and the application timings of the radio frequency prepulses on a time axis. The imaging unit is configured to perform imaging of an object according to the imaging condition.
US09217779B2
The present disclosure provides a method for obtaining degradation of a battery comprising the steps of collecting data of the battery and data related to the degradation of the battery; processing the collected data to obtain parameters related to the degradation of the battery; creating and updating a degradation model for the battery with the obtained parameters; and computing the degradation of the battery by using the degradation model and the parameters.
US09217778B2
A signal processor includes: a plurality of first capacitors provided for respective output terminals of a plurality of multiplexers, the first capacitors having their one ends connected to the respective output terminals of the multiplexers, the first capacitors being charged in accordance with voltages outputted from the respective output terminals; a differential amplifier including an input terminal connected to the other ends of the first capacitors; a second capacitor connected between the input terminal and an output terminal of the differential amplifier; and a second switch connected parallel to the second capacitor. First switches included in at least one of the plurality of multiplexers are configured as high-voltage switches that allow operation at a voltage higher than an operating voltage of first switches included in the other multiplexer or multiplexers.
US09217777B2
A current sense circuit for measuring a charge level of a battery is disclosure. The circuit comprising: a shunt resistor (R10) connected between a high side terminal of the battery and a load/charge terminal for connecting the battery to a load; translation circuitry arranged to produce a voltage across a pair of current sense terminals (GG_SRP, GG_SRN) in proportion to the voltage across the shunt resistor; wherein one of the current sense terminals (GG_SRP) is provided on a first current path connected at one end between the high side terminal of the battery and the shunt resistor (R10), and connected at the other end to ground, and the other of the current sense terminals (GG_SRN) is provided on a second current path connected at one end between the shunt resistor (R10) and the load/charge terminal, and connected at the other end to ground.
US09217764B2
A method is provided for measuring and modulating in real time the electrical consumption of electrical appliances. The method includes measuring in real time the current consumed by each of the electrical appliances on each electrical line portion on which each electrical appliance is situated and extracting the frequency and the voltage of the electrical signal on each electrical line portion. The difference in frequency are calculated and an alert signal is generated associated with an electrical line portion when the difference in frequency on this electrical line portion is greater than a predetermined frequency threshold value (fthreshold) and/or the difference in voltage on this electrical line portion is greater than a predetermined voltage threshold value (Vthreshold).
US09217762B2
A device for use in a power transmission system to sense GICs. The device may be a part of a reactance-injecting device on a power line, it may be a standalone device, or it may be a part of another type of device. The device may include a sensor to sense magnetic fields (e.g., a Hall effect sensor). The sensor may be positioned in the air gap of a magnetic core formed concentrically around the power line. The signal from the sensor may be converted to a digital signal and separately processed to determine the magnitude of the AC current and the magnitude of the DC (or quasi-DC) current. If the output signal of another A/C current sensor is available, that output signal may be used to adjust/calibrate the determined magnitude of the DC current. The sensor may communicate with other devices in a network to provide GIC information.
US09217751B2
An apparatus (1000) comprises a first physical component (1004), a second physical component (1006) and a sensor arrangement. The first and second physical components move relative to one another in operational use of the apparatus. The sensor arrangement senses a relative kinematic state of the first and second physical components. The sensor arrangement comprises a magnet (110) and a sensor (112). The sensor senses a property of a magnetic field of the magnet at a location of the sensor. The sensor is mounted stationary with respect to the first physical component. The sensor arrangement comprises a target object (114), mounted stationary with respect to the second physical component. The target object is configured for affecting an attribute of the property in dependence on the relative kinematic state. According to the invention target object (114) comprises a plurality of interlocking, segments.
US09217744B1
A method to dynamically image the actual translocation of molecular compounds of interest in a plant root, root system, and rhizosphere without disturbing the root or the soil. The technique makes use of radioactive isotopes as tracers to label molecules of interest and to image their distribution in the plant and/or soil. The method allows for the study and imaging of various biological and biochemical interactions in the rhizosphere of a plant, including, but not limited to, mycorrhizal associations in such regions.
US09217743B2
With an aim to provide means for developing a compound devoid of teratogenicity but retaining beneficial actions, a screening method for a non-teratogenic substance comprising bringing a test substance into contact with cereblon or a fragment of cereblon, evaluating the bindability of the test substance with cereblon or the fragment of cereblon, and selecting a test substance that does not bind to cereblon or the fragment of cereblon or a test substance exhibiting lower bindability with cereblon or the fragment of cereblon than does thalidomide is provided.
US09217730B2
A structural health monitoring (SHM) system that protects its active and passive components with filter circuits, instead of switches. The active module of the SHM system utilizes a high pass filter, and the passive module of the SHM system utilizes a low pass filter. The active module transmits its interrogating, or excitation, signals at relatively high frequencies that are filtered out by the low pass filter of the passive module, preventing the passive module from sustaining any damage due to the high voltage excitation signals. Meanwhile, the high frequency interrogating signals are passed to the active module's circuitry by its high pass filter, where they can be analyzed accordingly.
US09217724B2
A potentiometric sensor includes a housing, in which a reference half cell space and a separated, measuring half cell space are formed. The reference half cell space contains a reference electrolyte and at least one part of a first potential sensing electrode for sensing a reference potential, and the measuring half cell space is liquid-tightly sealed by a measuring membrane, and contains an inner electrolyte and at least one part of a second potential sensing electrode for sensing a measuring half cell potential. A passageway extends through a wall of the housing, and opens into the reference half cell space, and is sealed relative to a medium surrounding the housing. The potentiometric sensor has a way for producing through the passageway an electrolytic contact between the reference electrolyte and the medium surrounding the housing.
US09217722B2
The invention relates to “solid state” chemiresistor sensors with electric control of the affinity of a chemosensitive material. The configurations of the present invention enable the fast regeneration of the sensor after analyte binding, which therefore increases selectivity. In one embodiment the chemiresistor sensor is implemented as a multi-electrode chemiresistor, comprising 4 electrodes for the separate measurement of the resistance of the chemosensitive material and the contact resistance, and 2 further electrodes to control the redox state of the chemosensitive sensor material, thereby facilitating fast and effective regeneration of the sensor.
US09217721B2
Some aspects of the present disclosure relate to a sensor design that exploits the different majority carriers (holes/electrons) in WO3 and Cr2O3 to build sensitivity and selectivity to NO at ppb levels, while discriminating against CO at concentrations a thousand-fold higher (ppm) and spread over a considerable range (0-20 ppm). Practical application of this sensor system for detecting NO in human breath is demonstrated.
US09217711B2
A safer, low-cost practical method of dissolving beryllium or a beryllium compound including beryllium oxide in a sample is disclosed. This method discloses use of acidic solutions under mild heating conditions to dissolve beryllium and its compounds. These solutions may then be used to quantitatively analyze for beryllium so as to be able to determine the amount of beryllium in the sample. These solutions may also be combined with fluorescent dye indicating solutions to determine beryllium by fluorescence. A preferred fluorescent dye indicating solution contains a dye (10-hydroxybenzo[h]quinoline-7-sulfonate) which specifically binds with beryllium under basic conditions.
US09217710B2
A fast fluorescence lifetime microscopic system images FRET between multiple labels in live cells and deep tissue, using a quantitative analysis method to reconstruct the molecular machinery behind the multiplexed FRET phenomenon. The system measures fluorescence lifetime, intensity and anisotropy as images of excitation-emission matrices (EEM) in real time and high speed within a single image scan, performs high-resolution deep-penetrating 3D FRET imaging in live samples, and fully analyzes all possible photon pathways of multiplexed FRET. The system provides a way for systematic and dynamic imaging of biochemical networks in cells, tissue and live animals, which will help to understand mechanisms of genetic disorders, cancers, and more.
US09217701B2
A fluid sample is measured with a tear film measuring system that includes a processing device that receives a sample chip comprising a sample region configured to contain an aliquot volume of sample fluid, the processing device configured to perform analyses of osmolarity and of one or more biomarkers within the sample fluid, wherein the analysis of biomarkers includes normalization of biomarker concentration values.
US09217696B2
Improved methods and systems for processing of solid tissue are described. The method may be performed manually or automatically. The system may have modules such as (i) a grossing module where a fresh tissue is sliced to prepare a tissue specimen, (ii) a hardening module that hardens the tissue specimen, (iii) an impregnating module that impregnates the tissue specimen that was hardened, and (iv) an embedding module that embeds a tissue specimen that was hardened and impregnated. Fresh (i.e., not fixed or frozen) tissue, which was excised to diagnose disease or to assess surgical treatment, is grossed to about 0.6 mm. Preferably, the hardening of fresh tissue is initiated, but not completed, during grossing by contact with a chemical admixture. Preferably, dry ice, a thermoelectric device, or a gas condenser cools a metal mold containing the embedded specimen. It is sectioned and then microscopically examined as an alternative to histologic examination of a frozen section to avoid the known problems of discordant and deferred diagnosis.
US09217693B2
Disclosed is a nanostructured device for the in-situ capture of fluid samples at selectable times. The device includes a porous anodic alumina substrate having a plurality of elongated pores and an erodible capping material covering the pores. The device is transported into and through a geological reservoir while suspended in an injected carrier fluid. The device can optionally include a polymeric coating to improve minimize flocculation and sedimentation and prevent adhesion to surfaces in the reservoir. Upon erosion of the capping material, the fluids can diffuse into and fill each exposed pore. After a period of time, the hot water of the medium causes swelling and closure of the pore, effectively locking the fluid sample inside the pore. The device may be retrieved and analyzed to determine the composition and properties of the captured fluids.
US09217689B2
Methods and systems are provided for diagnosing each of a plurality of engine cooling system components including various valves and grill shutters. Each valve may be individually closed and opened for a specified duration, and corresponding changes in coolant temperature may be monitored. If all the components are functional, the various valves may be adjusted to stagnate coolant at the engine and expedite engine warm-up during a cold-start.
US09217672B2
Systems and methods for recognizing a gesture made by a warm object are presented. The system includes a thermal sensor configured to generate a low frequency or direct current signal upon receiving thermal energy. A spatially modulating optic is disposed between the thermal sensor and the warm object. The optic is configured to modulate the thermal energy received by the thermal sensor as a function of an orientation of the warm object with respect to the thermal sensor. An electronics unit in communication with the thermal sensor includes a memory and a processor. The processor is configured by the memory to detect a change in the thermal sensor signal and recognize a characteristic of the thermal sensor signal.
US09217669B2
The present invention provides a one-dimensional global rainbow measurement device and a measurement method. The measurement device comprises three parts, i.e., a laser emission unit, a signal collection unit and a signal processing unit. The laser emission unit is modulated to be a light sheet by a laser beam emitted by a laser, and configured to irradiate droplets in a spray field to generate rainbow signals. The signal collection unit is configured to separately image, by an optical system unit, the rainbow signals at measurement points of different height onto different row pixels of a CCD signal collector. The signal processing unit is configured to convert the received rainbow signals and process by a computer the rainbow signals in a form of data to obtain the measured values. The present invention can analyze gas-liquid phase flow fields during the injection, realize the online measurement of fuel atomization, spray and other processes, and can measure the refractive index, size, temperature and other parameters of the spray droplets in a real-time and non-contact manner.
US09217667B2
There is provided is a spectrometer having a concave reflection type diffraction element, wherein, among surfaces other than a diffraction surface of the diffraction element, non-diffraction surfaces which are located outside the diffraction surface at the same side as the diffraction surface are a glossy surface, the spectrometer includes a light detection unit which is located at an imaging position of a first-order diffracted light diffracted by the diffraction element to receive the first-order diffracted light, and the light detection unit is disposed inside optical paths of light beams regularly reflected on the non-diffraction surfaces outside the diffraction surface. Accordingly, it is possible to effectively suppress a stray light reflected on the surfaces other the diffraction surface from being incident into the light detection unit and to detect the light spectrally diffracted by the diffraction surface at high accuracy.
US09217650B2
An information processing system includes a center server, a first moving object that performs communication with the center server, and a second moving object that performs communication with the center server. The first moving object includes a submission information acquisition unit that acquires submission information related to a travel guiding, and a submission information transmission unit that transmits the submission information to the center server. The center server includes a guiding information accumulation unit that accumulates guiding information which is based on the submission information. The second moving object includes a travel guiding execution unit that executes the travel guiding for the second moving object with respect to the traveling route to the preset destination. The travel guiding execution unit executes the travel guiding using the guiding information of the guiding information accumulation unit.
US09217649B1
Systems and methods for providing topographical graphs and travel routes based on perceived exertion
Systems and methods for providing a topographical graph are provided. A computer-implemented method for providing a topographical graph includes accessing, by a computer processor, road map data associated with a geographic area, and accessing, by the computer processor, elevation data associated with the geographic area. The computer processor references the elevation data to determine points at which there is a change in incline along roads in the geographic area. The topographical graph is constructed, with the points defining nodes in the topographical graph, and arcs between the nodes representing road segments having a substantially constant degree of incline. Further provided are methods for determining levels of perceived exertion in traversing arcs, and for optimizing travel routes for minimal perceived exertion.
US09217646B2
A method and system for detecting that an object, person or vehicle has deviated in space or time from its prescribed route, and guiding it back to the prescribed route, according to strictness criteria predefined by a controlling authority or authorities. The invention allows controlling authorities to pre-specify a level of strictness suiting the object, person or vehicle and purpose of travel, by which the object, person or vehicle is guided back to the prescribed route autonomously, enabling return to route according to established policies, without the necessity of further communication with controlling authorities. The method and system thus operate semi-autonomously, with strictness parameters predefined by the central authorities, and the object, person or vehicle operating with some degree of latitude within those strictness parameters.
US09217642B2
A vibrating gyroscope includes a frame body, first and second exciting members, detection members that detect vibration of the frame body, a first mass adding member, a second mass adding member, a first connecting member, and a second connecting member. The frame body includes first and second vibrating portions, first and second coupling portions, a first supporting portion, and a second supporting portion. The first and second coupling portions couple the first and second vibrating portions. The first supporting portion extends towards the second coupling portion from the first coupling portion. The second supporting portion extends towards the first coupling portion from the second coupling portion. The first and second exciting members and excite the first and second vibrating portions, respectively. The first and second mass adding members are provided at outer sides of the frame body, and are connected to the first and second vibrating portions, respectively.
US09217631B2
The present invention relates to light curtains, in particular safety light curtains, for monitoring a protective field. Furthermore, the present invention relates to optical units which are part of such a light curtain. An optical unit for an alignment system of a light curtain monitoring a protective field comprises an optical processing element for generating a defined radiation pattern from the radiation emitted by an alignment radiation source, and at least one additional optical functional element being formed integrally with the optical processing element.
US09217625B2
Shotshell type ammunition includes a hull, a wad member disposed within the hull, and at least one projectile disposed within at least partially the hull. The hull has a rimless proximal end that includes a primer for firing the ammunition. The hull also has a seat surface for seating the hull against a complementary seat surface in a firing chamber of a firearm. The seat surface is located a distance from an outer end surface of the hull at the rimless proximal end. The hull further includes an outer side surface extending from the rimless proximal end of the hull to the seat surface of the hull. Methods of fabricating such ammunition include forming such a hull, and providing a wad member and one or more projectiles at least partially within the hull.
US09217620B2
A weapon accessory includes an attachment portion that is attachable to a stock of a weapon. The weapon accessory includes a rest portion that allows a user to position the stock above the user's shoulder. The weapon accessory also includes a recoil portion that is configured to transfer a recoil to the user when the user uses the weapon.
US09217613B2
A recovery system for a disrupter barrel. The recovery system limits the distance the disrupter travels as a result of a force or recoil that occurs upon firing the disrupter.
US09217611B2
An air duct mounted to a fan having an end board includes a top board which defines an opening, through which the fan is extended. Two opposite blocking members extend up from the top board at opposite first sides of the opening. Two opposite limiting members extend up from the top board at opposite second sides of the opening. Each blocking member includes a tab to block a top of the end board of the fan. Each limiting member includes a projection to abut a bottom of the end board of the fan.
US09217610B2
A heat exchanger associated with an exhaust gas recirculation system cools the exhaust gasses before directing them to an internal combustion engine. The heat exchanger can include a tube core having a plurality of exhaust gas tubes that can extend along a longitudinal axis. The tube core can also include a plurality of coolant channels disposed between and spacing apart the plurality of exhaust gas tubes. A coolant inlet line is disposed about at least a portion of the tube core to direct coolant inwardly toward the coolant channels. At least a portion of the coolant can converge approximately at the longitudinal axis line.
US09217607B2
The invention provides a planar coil (1) of a tube (2), wherein the planar coil (1) has an overall planar shape. The cross-section of the tube (2) can be oval. The invention further provides a heating device comprising one or more of the planar coil (1). The invention further provides a method for heating a sample comprising the step of heating the sample in the heating device of the invention.
US09217604B2
A device to bring a gas into contact with a particulate solid bulk material, comprising a first and a second tubular, radially gas-permeable element (1, 2) having different diameters and which each define a central axis, wherein one of the elements is essentially coaxially placed in the second element, wherein the elements (1, 2) internally define a ring-shaped shaft (30) for a material (40) that is to be contacted by the gas, wherein the elements have essentially vertically oriented axes, a ventilation device (50) for compelling the gas radially through the shaft and the material, a first device (41) for addition of the material to an upper end of the shaft (30) and a second device (31-36) for output of dried material from the lower end of the shaft. Driving means (12) are provided for internal displacement of the elements (1, 2). At least one of the walls is provided with at least one screw line ramp which maintains a high porosity and a controlled feeding of the material.
US09217596B2
A refrigerator is provided that includes an apparatus for producing ice comprising a reservoir that contains water, at least one freezing member, a power source, and at least one fin located on the reservoir. The at least one freezing member is located at least partially in the reservoir. The at least one freezing member is configured for forming ice by freezing the water along the periphery of the at least one freezing member. The power source is configured to move the reservoir to create a movement of the water about the at least one freezing member. The at least one fin located on the reservoir is configured for enhancing the movement of the water about the at least one freezing member and for restricting a splashing of water from the reservoir.
US09217590B2
A system (200; 300; 400; 500; 600) has a compressor (22; 200, 221). A heat rejection heat exchanger (30) is coupled to the compressor to receive refrigerant compressed by the compressor. An ejector (38) has a primary inlet (40) coupled to the heat rejection heat exchanger to receive refrigerant, a secondary inlet (42), and an outlet (44). A separator (48) has an inlet (50) coupled to the outlet of the ejector to receive refrigerant from the ejector, a gas outlet (54), and a liquid outlet (52). One or more valves (244, 246, 248, 250) are positioned to allow switching of the system between first and second modes. In the first mode: refrigerant passes from the heat rejection heat exchanger, through the ejector primary inlet, out the ejector outlet, to the separator; a first flow from the separator gas outlet passes through the compressor to the heat rejection heat exchanger; and a second flow from the separator liquid outlet passes through a heat absorption heat exchanger (64) and through the ejector secondary port. In the second mode: refrigerant passes from the heat rejection heat exchanger to the separator; a first flow from the separator gas outlet passes to the compressor; and a second flow from the separator liquid outlet passes through the heat absorption heat exchanger to the compressor.
US09217583B2
An installation for draining thermal oil in a thermosolar plant, and includes an oil tank (7), a pump assembly (6), a depressor or suction assembly (8), lines for communication with valves (11, 21), and a valve assembly for opening/closing the passage between the separate elements, with the lines for communication with the valves (11, 21) including pairs of pipes of the closed loop or branches (3, 4) that do not have valves on the free end thereof, with the installation operated by sweeping the separate circuits that form the installation by driving or suction according to the corresponding operation phase.
US09217582B2
Methods, apparatus, and systems relating to the use and design of specially shaped, rotating reflective louvers to provide cost effectively harvesting of electricity, heat, and/or lighting are described. In an embodiment, the reflected and concentrated direct light is focused on the neighboring louver photovoltaic cells to generate electricity and an integral cooling channel allows heat collection. A skylight embodiment permits the indirect light to pass between the louvers and through a transparent backing providing high quality natural light inside while allowing artificial lights to be dimmed or turned off saving energy. In some embodiments, control systems (that may be computer controlled) can modulate the louver position to improve the light transmitted into the building when appropriate to maximize the net energy saved or generated depending on the situation. Moreover, the devices can be retrofitted into existing buildings or integrated into new building construction. Other embodiments are also disclosed.
US09217578B2
An air conditioner includes at least one indoor unit and a wired controller connected to the indoor unit through two lines to receive power from the indoor unit and to perform data communication with the indoor unit. Each of the indoor unit and the wired controller includes a communication unit that modulates a low-frequency communication signal into a high-frequency communication signal and transmits the high-frequency signal and demodulates a received high-frequency signal into a low-frequency signal. When a plurality of indoor units and a wired controller perform communication, a communication signal is transmitted after being modulated into a high-frequency signal and linking the high-frequency signal with DC power. This reduces the inductance of an inductor required to separate the linked high-frequency signal into DC power and a communication signal and the capacitance of a capacitor required to link the signal with DC power, reducing PCB size and inductor and capacitor costs.
US09217576B2
The present invention is to provide a backflow prevention apparatus of a clean room for solving a negative pressure point in the clean room so as to prevent a backflow from underfloor of the clean room. An intake port sucks the air of an underfloor chamber, a fan supplies the air to an upper part in the apparatus, and a blowoff port is installed on a side surface of an upper-floor part of the apparatus for supplying the air into the clean room. By supplying the air of the underfloor chamber into the clean room, the backflow from the underfloor chamber into the clean room is prevented.
US09217574B2
A hot water supply apparatus associated with a heat pump is provided. In the hot water supply apparatus, refrigerant flowing through an evaporator and a compressor of a refrigerant cycle may perform a heat-exchange operation with water so that, a hot water supply operation may be substantially continuously performed without performing a defrosting operation.
US09217568B2
A shell for a combustor liner includes a cold side, a hot side, a row of cooling holes and a jet wall. The jet wall projects from the hot side for creating a wall shear jet of increased velocity cooling flow in a tangential direction away from the row of cooling holes and along an adjacent heat shield cold side wall.
US09217562B2
An organic light emitting diode (OLED) display according to an embodiment includes an organic light emitting diode panel configured to display images, a back cover attached to the organic light emitting diode panel by an adhesive layer, a driving circuit board disposed at a rear surface side of the back cover, and a heat radiator disposed between the driving circuit board and the organic light emitting diode panel, so as to redirect heat generated from the driving circuit board away from the organic light emitting diode panel.
US09217554B1
An optical element is provided having an asymmetric body with a base cavity for receiving a light source, and outer sides providing total internal reflection, and a front face tilted so that the optical element's optical axis is at an oblique angle with respect to a target surface. Curvatures along cavity surfaces and outer sides are selected to output illumination from the body's front face having a distribution extending along the target surface's height and at least a portion of the width thereof having increased intensity with increasing height to provide at least substantially uniform illumination along the target surface's height. One or more optical elements may be in an apparatus, and multiple apparatuses may be disposed in front of one edge of a target surface and spaced from each other to provide the target surface with at least substantially uniform oblique illumination.
US09217550B2
There is disclosed a lighting apparatus that can light a room intensively, fitted to a characteristic of a room, by adjusting an angle of light distribution and that can prevent glare, with improved optical uniformity and beautiful exterior appearance.
US09217543B2
An inventive LED-based lamp, lamp cover component, and methods for manufacturing thereof are disclosed which provides a light diffusive lamp cover having a diffusivity (transmittance) that is different for different areas (zones or regions) of the cover. The diffusivity and location of those areas are configured so that the emission pattern of the whole lamp meets desired emissions characteristics and optical efficiency levels. The diffusive cover may have any number of specifically delineated diffusivity areas. Alternatively, the cover may provide a gradient of increasing/decreasing diffusivity portions over the cover.
US09217536B1
A positioning device for a sliding mechanism that includes exterior, intermediate and interior plates, each plate defining inner and outer side surfaces, the positioning device is characterized by: the intermediate plate having a stop block formed on the inner side surface; and the interior plate including an elongated release rod that is mounted movably on the outer side surface and that has a limit notch receiving the block, and a resilient element engaging the propeller portion for restricting a longitudinal movement of the rod, the interior plate having a position limiting unit constituted by two limiting stubs mounted movably on the outer side surface and having pointed free ends and a biasing element for biasing the limiting stubs in such a manner that the pointed free ends extend into the notch to contact opposite ends of the block, thereby preventing relative movement between the interior and intermediate plates.
US09217533B2
A vibration isolating table is adapted to be disposed between a vibrating body, which vibrates with the playing of a musical instrument, and a floor for suppressing vibration or shock generated by the vibrating body from transmitting to the floor, wherein the vibration isolating table includes: a rigid plate including a plate-shaped member having predetermined rigidity; and a main body portion supporting the rigid plate in a floating condition above the floor. The main body portion is formed of an elastic body having higher elasticity than the rigid plate and includes a bulge means which bulges in a shape tapered from one side to the other side, wherein a lower surface side of the rigid plate is supported by the one side or the other side of the bulge means.
US09217525B2
in order to connect pressure pipes in a fluid-tight manner on-site without welding, a plurality of through holes (h1) are provided in a cylindrical sleeve (1a) at separate locations in the lengthwise direction, and with identical angular intervals around the circumference of the cylindrical sleeve without overlapping in the circumferential direction. Non-through holes (h2) in which screw threads have been formed are provided in pressure plates (P1, P2) at locations corresponding to the holes (h1). An insert (2a) has a pair of opposing annular faces (31, b2), and annular ring grooves (b11, b21) are formed respectively in the annular faces (b1,b2) to house O-rings (3). The insert (2a) is inserted into the sleeve (1a), after which the pressure pipes (P1, P2) are inserted, one from either side, into the interior of the sleeve (1a), and bolts (4) are inserted into the plurality of holes (h1) in the sleeve (1a), and screwed onto the screw threads of the pressure pipes (P1, P2).
US09217523B2
An oil feeding device includes a tube body formed of metal and having a tube connecting part, and a connection pipe formed of resin and having a pipe connecting end. A press-fitting member and a seal member are clamped between the tube connecting part and the pipe connecting end. The press-fitting member includes a press-fitting body having a cylindrical outer peripheral face, which is fitted to an outer periphery of the tube connecting part, and claws which are formed at one end of the press-fitting body. The pipe connecting end is provided with a reduced diameter part which is formed by annularly reducing a diameter of a part of the pipe connecting end. The reduced diameter part retains the pipe connecting end, in engagement with the claws, by being formed by plastic deformation before or after the pipe connecting end is connected to the tube connecting part.
US09217500B2
There is provided a drive train for transmitting a variable power with a variable input speed at a drive shaft and a substantially constant output speed at an output shaft for a power generation installation, driven by a continuous-flow machine. The drive train includes a power-split transmission having a first planetary gear as a superposition gear and a second planetary gear, and a hydrodynamic component which takes up power from an output side and returns said power in a controlled manner to the power-split transmission. The first and second planetary gears are coupled to each other via a common planet carrier. The drive shaft is coupled to a ring gear of the first planetary gear, and wherein in the common planet carrier, planets of the first planetary gear and planets of the second planetary gear are accommodated in an alternating fashion in a circumferential direction.
US09217498B2
A torque converter including: a sealed liquid-tight fluid-containing chamber; an impeller clutch; and at least one piston for the clutch forming a part of the chamber. A torque converter including: first and second fluid-containing chambers; a torque converter clutch; a piston plate for the clutch having a one-way opening and forming part of the first chamber. The first chamber is liquid-tight for pressure levels greater than in the second chamber. During torque converter mode, fluid flows from a torus through the second chamber and one-way opening into the first chamber. A multi-function torque converter including: an impeller clutch; at least one impeller piston plate; a plate; and a fluid-containing chamber. The chamber is at least partially formed by a combination of one or more of the impeller plates and the plate and the combination is at least indirectly connected to balance axial forces generated by pressurization of the chamber.
US09217496B2
Friction driving mechanism for converting a rotating movement of a member into an axial movement of the same and consisting of driving means and to its rotating member connected friction means. The friction means comprises a holder 3, in which there is a number of mutually movable and with the holder 3 in relation to the shaft rotating balls as the axes of rotation of the balls 5 are oblique in relation to the longitudinal axis if the shaft 1. Each of the rotatable balls 5 are according to the invention embedded in rotatable bearing bushes 6. If the shaft 1 meets a stop so that the balls 5 no longer are able to transmit an axial movement to the shaft 1 the axes of rotation of the balls 5 will try to adjust so as to be approximately parallel to the shaft 1. As a result the balls 5 at regular intervals will change position so that the wear is equally distributed over the whole surface of each ball. The advantage is that the friction driving mechanism has a longer lifetime than previously known.
US09217486B2
A magnetorheological fluid shock absorber includes a piston slidably arranged in a cylinder in which magnetorheological fluid is sealed. The piston includes a piston core which is attached to an end part of a piston rod and on the outer periphery of which a coil is provided, a flux ring which surrounds the outer periphery of the piston core and forms a flow passage for the magnetorheological fluid between the piston core and the flux ring, a first plate which is arranged on the outer periphery of the piston rod and specifies the position of one end of the flux ring in an axial direction with respect to the piston core, a second plate which is arranged on the inner periphery of the other end of the flux ring, and a first snap ring which is fitted to the inner periphery of the flux ring and fixes the second plate.
US09217482B2
The invention relates to a leaf spring (1) for motor vehicles, which is made of a fiber-reinforced synthetic material and can absorb potentially occurring lateral forces and transfer them to a leaf spring receiving device, comprises a first end (2) and a second end (3), which can each be fixed in a leaf spring receiving device in a torsion-proof and non-displaceable manner, and a bending joint section (11), which can compensate for a change in length of a resilient section (8) of the leaf spring (1) during a load-induced deformation of the resilient section (8). The leaf spring (1) comprises a first spring limb (5) and a second spring limb (6) which are connected to each other via a transition section (7). In a non-loaded state, both the first spring limb (5) and the second spring limb (6) are approximately planar and disposed at an angle relative to each other. The first spring limb (5) forms the resilient section (8). The bending joint section (11) contains the second spring limb (6). The second spring limb (6) is shorter than the first spring limb (5) and oriented approximately perpendicularly to the first spring limb (5). The leaf spring (1) is integrally produced from unidirectional prepregs having a duroplastic or thermoplastic matrix by means of a pressing method.
US09217474B2
A wheel bearing unit for use with a drum brake including an outer ring and an inner ring. The drum brake having a brake drum and a tie plate. A rotational speed measurement unit having a sensor and a transmitter ring is located in a transmitter chamber defined by the wheel bearing and the back plate. A ventilation duct connects the transmitter chamber to an inner space of the drum brake.
US09217471B2
A lubricant composition capable of effectively preventing a rolling surface of a bearing from flaking owing to hydrogen embrittlement. The bearing is lubricated with the lubricant composition. The lubricant composition is lubricating oil or grease. The lubricant composition contains a molybdate. The lubricant composition also contains an organic acid salt. At least one molybdate is selected from sodium molybdate, potassium molybdate, and lithium molybdate. The organic acid salt is a sodium salt of an organic acid having one to 20 carbon atoms. 0.01 to 5 wt % of the molybdate is added to the entirety of the lubricant composition. 5 wt % to 70 wt % of the organic acid salt is added to the addition amount of the molybdate. The lubricant composition forms a film containing a molybdenum compound in addition to an iron oxide film on a worn surface of the bearing.
US09217468B2
A slide member is provided with a base material and an overlay provided over the base material. The overlay includes a plurality of regions in a thickness direction including a region located in sliding-surface side that slides with the counter element and a region located in a base-material side. A material forming the overlay includes a plurality of crystal planes. Orientation index of at least one of the crystal planes differs in the region located in the sliding-surface side and the region located in the base-material side of the overlay.
US09217467B2
In a method for operating a three-phase inverter of a converter-fed magnetic bearing, two coils are connected to respective outputs of the three-phase inverter at one end and are connected to each other and to a third output of the three-phase inverter at the other end. A variable control current is injected into the third output. A constant bias current flows between the respective outputs and thus serially through the two coils. The control current is divided among the two respective outputs so as to flow parallel through the two coils. This arrangement significantly reduces the effective current load of the three-phase inverter and significantly increases the slew rate of the control current.
US09217466B2
A linear motion bearing system comprising a rolling element retainer structure having at least a portion of a plurality of open axial rolling element tracks formed therein. The rolling element tracks including an open load-bearing portion, an open return portion and turnarounds interconnecting the load bearing and return portions. A plurality of bearing rolling elements are disposed in the rolling element tracks. A plurality of load bearing outer races are axially positioned adjacent the rolling element retainer structure for receiving load from the rolling elements disposed in the load-bearing portion of the rolling element tracks. An outer housing sleeve is effective to hold the rolling element retainer structure. A rail is effective to mate with the rolling element retainer structure, the rail including at least one recess sized and shaped so as to be mateable with at least one of the bearing rolling elements.
US09217463B2
A radial shaft of a gas-turbine engine which is made up of +/−45° layers, zero layers and +/−30° layers of carbon fiber composite and connected to load-input end pieces via sinusoidal connecting areas.
US09217458B2
A prevailing torque locknut having a nut body, a locking band, and a retainer. The nut body includes a threaded portion and an unthreaded counterbore. The locking includes a coil portion and first and second tangs extending tangentially from the coil portion. The locking band is located within the counterbore, and the first and second tangs engage the counterbore sidewall to prevent relative rotation of the locking band within the nut body. The retainer is swaged into the nut body to secure the locking band within the nut body.
US09217455B1
A quick release collapsible bolt utilizes a plurality of bolt segments that surround a removable central core. When the central core is in place, the bolt is used as a normal bolt that may screw into a nut or socket. The central, core can be pulled out when the bolt is attached to a nut to collapse the plurality of bolt segments so that the bolt segments then can be quickly withdrawn from the nut or receptacle without the need to unscrew the nut.
US09217450B2
A method of mechanically connecting two or more components together comprises the steps of: i. mounting an elongate keyway connector (10) comprising regularly spaced keyways (13) to a first component wherein the keyways (13) provide a longitudinal keyway passage (16); ii. mounting at least one elongate key connector (11) comprising regularly spaced keys (14) to a second component; and iii. extending the keys (14) longitudinally within the keyway passage (16) and engaging the keyways (13) with the keys (14) to connect the first and second components together.
US09217447B2
A pump system includes a closed-loop fluid circuit and an open-loop fluid circuit. The closed-loop fluid circuit includes a motor for rotating a first component connected to the closed-loop fluid circuit. A closed-loop pump drives the motor up to a first maximum rotational speed. The open-loop fluid circuit includes an open-loop pump for driving a second component connected to the open-loop fluid circuit. A control circuit includes a control valve for switching the outflow from the open-loop pump. The control valve selectively connects the open-loop pump to the closed-loop fluid circuit and simultaneously disconnects the open-loop pump from the open-loop fluid circuit. When the open-loop pump is connected to the closed-loop circuit, the closed-loop pump and the open-loop pump drive the motor at a second rotational speed greater than the first maximum rotational speed.
US09217445B2
A bladeless fan includes a wind supply device and a first wind guide device disposed on the wind supply device and having a loop-shaped space. Airflow is created by the wind supply device, and enters the loop-shaped space. When the airflow exits the loop-shaped space through an air outlet, surrounding air is forced to flow through a flow guide channel in the first wind guide device to combine with the air flowing from the air outlet, so as to increase the amount and speed of the airflow.
US09217439B2
Disclosed is a low-cost composite-type vacuum pump having a strength capable of withstanding high loads and using a cylindrical rotor formed from a fiber-reinforced plastic material. Having a turbo-molecular pump section (14) and a thread groove pump section (15), the composite vacuum pump is formed by press-fitting a joint portion (20a) of a rotor (17) of the turbo-molecular pump section (14) into the upper end section of a cylindrical rotor (21) formed from the fiber-reinforced plastic material of the thread groove pump section (15). The joint portion (20a) of the rotor (17) is formed on the lower end side of the rotor (17) integrally with said rotor (17) and in the shape of a cylinder with an L shaped cross section, and is provided with: a contact portion (28) having an outer diameter enable press-fitting into the inner peripheral face of the cylindrical rotor (21); and a small-diameter section (29) positioned above said contact portion (28) and, having an outer diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the aforementioned cylindrical rotor (21), capable of being placed inside the cylindrical rotor (21) away from the inner peripheral face of the cylinder rotor (21).
US09217438B2
A pump control device for a pump device having a DC brushless motor as a drive source and a flow rate of the pump device is increased and decreased depending on a corresponding increase and decrease of a rotational speed of the DC brushless motor is structured so that, when the rotational speed of the DC brushless motor is higher than a predetermined speed, the DC brushless motor is controlled in an open loop control and, when the rotational speed of the DC brushless motor is lower than the predetermined speed, the DC brushless motor is controlled in a closed loop control on the basis of a measurement result of an actual rotating speed which is an actual rotational speed of the DC brushless motor.
