US09232680B2
An electronic device is provided. The electronic device includes a main frame, an opening portion formed in the main frame, a recess portion formed along a frame of the opening portion lower than a surface of the main frame, and a plate having frames seated on the recess portion, wherein at least one of the frames of the plate is formed of a curved portion that is curved inwardly. Accordingly, it is possible to absorb an external impact and prevent deformation just by a simple structure change of the plate.
US09232669B2
A data center rack door having a curved permeable member is disposed vertically along a front-face of a data center rack. The curved permeable member provides an increase in surface area that provides for additional openings, increasing airflow through the data center rack. The curved permeable member also provides an increase in volume of space in the data center rack.
US09232658B2
This publication discloses a method for manufacturing an electronic module, in which manufacture commences from an insulating-material sheet (1). At least one recess (2) is made in the sheet (1) and extends through the insulating-material layer (1) as far as the conductive layer on the opposite surface (1a). A component (6) is set in the recess, with its contact surface towards the conductive layer and the component (6) is attached to the conductive layer. After this, a conductive pattern (14) is formed from the conductive pattern closing the recess, which is electrically connected from at least some of the contact areas or contact protrusions of the component (6) set in the recess.
US09232653B2
Provided is a multilayer wiring board, wherein impedance matching can be achieved in a via connection section by means of a configuration, which has a simple structure, and which can be easily processed. In the multilayer wiring board including a ground layer (401) of a layer (1), and a signal line (102) of a layer (2), an elliptical through hole is formed in the ground layer (401), said through hole being at a position facing a part of the signal line (102). The elliptical through hole overlaps the signal line (102) by a length of lambda/36-lambda/2 in the long axis direction, Impedance of the signal line (102) can be adjusted by adjusting the size of the through hole.
US09232647B2
A printed circuit board multilayer construction comprising a layer stack composed of plurality of electrically insulating and/or conductive layers arranged one above another and a cavity in the interior of the layer stack, which extends laterally only in a partial region of the areal extent of the layer stack, is exposed to a pressure surrounding the printed circuit board multilayer construction through an opening provided in the layer stack and is sealed relative to ingress of liquid. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a method suitable for producing a printed circuit board multilayer construction of this type.
US09232630B1
A printed circuit board comprising: a plurality of dielectric core layers comprising at least a top dielectric core layer and a bottom dielectric core layer; a thermally-conductive coin embedded in at least one of the dielectric core layers; and a high frequency material inlaid in at least one of the dielectric core layers.
US09232624B2
Techniques for generating EUV light include directing a first pulse of radiation toward a target material droplet to form a modified droplet, the first pulse of radiation having an energy sufficient to alter a shape of the target material droplet; directing a second pulse of radiation toward the modified droplet to form an absorption material, the second pulse of radiation having an energy sufficient to change a property of the modified droplet, the property being related to absorption of radiation; and directing an amplified light beam toward the absorption material, the amplified light beam having an energy sufficient to convert at least a portion of the absorption material into extreme ultraviolet (EUV) light.
US09232620B2
An AEC unit of an electronic cassette sets a dose target value and a short-circuited pixel used for AEC based on a radiographing condition. When a control unit of the electronic cassette detects start of irradiation of X rays, the AEC unit starts integration of a cumulative dose of X rays which are incident to a target region based on a dose detection signal output by the short-circuited pixel. The AEC unit predicts a stop timing at the time point t1, waits until the time point t2 which is a predetermined time earlier than a scheduled stop time, and sends a stop timing notification to an X-ray generation device at the time point t2. When the stop timing notification is received, a X-ray source control device immediately inputs an irradiation stop command so as to stop an operation of an X-ray source.
US09232619B2
A fluorescent electronic ballast including: a rectifier circuit, for receiving an AC power supply and converting the AC power supply into a DC power supply; an inverter circuit, coupled to a fluorescent driver circuit, for converting the DC power supply into a high-frequency AC power supply for driving a fluorescent; and a detection protection circuit, coupled to the rectifier circuit and the inverter circuit, for detecting the DC power supply provided by the rectifier circuit, and cutting off the electric connection between a control chip of the inverter circuit and all of power supply when the voltage of the direct current power supply is lower than a predetermined value, wherein the power supply at least includes the direct current power supply provided by the rectifier circuit.
US09232618B2
Methods and systems for producing a change in a medium. A first method and system (1) place in a vicinity of the medium at least one upconverter including a gas for plasma ignition, with the upconverter being configured, upon exposure to initiation energy, to generate light for emission into the medium, and (2) apply the initiation energy from an energy source including the first wavelength λ1 to the medium, wherein the emitted light directly or indirectly produces the change in the medium. A second method and system (1) place in a vicinity of the medium an agent receptive to microwave radiation or radiofrequency radiation, and (2) apply as an initiation energy the microwave radiation or radiofrequency radiation by which the agent directly or indirectly generates emitted light in the infrared, visible, or ultraviolet range to produce at least one of physical and biological changes in the medium.
US09232617B2
Discharge lamp electronic ballast includes DC-DC converter circuit for converting voltage of DC power supply to output DC power, inverter circuit for converting DC power into AC power to supply it to discharge lamp, output feedback control circuit for controlling DC-DC converter circuit, and inverter driving signal generator circuit for controlling inverter circuit. Ballast includes microcomputer having voltage detecting function for detecting voltage value of DC power supply, and ballast temperature detector circuit for detecting temperature of ballast. Microcomputer sets first time based on voltage value of DC power supply and detection result of ballast temperature detector circuit, and reduces power supplied to the discharge lamp if first time elapses from time point when lamp is started, thereby supplying lamp with power for stable operation.
US09232615B2
An LED illumination device is configured to receive coded messages by at least one of radio signals in free space, electrically conducted signals by wire, and light wave propagated signals in free space, process the coded messages, and transmit the coded messages by two or more of radio signals in free space, electrically conducted signals by wire, and light wave propagated signals in free space.
US09232613B2
There is provided a light-emitting device including a wireless communication unit that performs wireless communication with another device, a light-emitting unit that emits light, and a control unit that performs control by switching between a mode in which the light emission of the light-emitting unit is controlled in accordance with a timing at which a signal is received by the wireless communication unit and a mode in which the light emission of the light-emitting unit is controlled in accordance with an internal timer based on a light emission timing included in a signal received from the other device by the wireless communication unit.
US09232600B2
A light-emitting module and a driving method thereof are disclosed. In this method, P light-emitting units are selected as a target group, wherein each of the P light-emitting units has N different power parameters corresponding to N sub-bands. P evaluated current values corresponding to the P light-emitting units are computed according to a target spectrum and the N×P power parameters corresponding to the P light-emitting unit in the target group. An emission-spectrum error is computed according to the target spectrum, the N×P power parameters, and the P evaluated current values. It is determined whether the emission-spectrum error conforms with the determining criteria. When the emission-spectrum error conforms with determining criteria, the P evaluated current values are set to be P driving current values corresponding to the P light-emitting units.
US09232592B2
An addressable illuminator is disclosed consisting of multiple optical sources used in combination with an electrical circuit so that different combinations of the optical sources can be energized without exceeding eye-safety limits. Operation of multiple optical sources may be proximate, which is eye-safe, regardless of the number of or which ones of the optical sources are energized and regardless of the position of observers. An illuminator with multiple optical sources remains eye-safe when there are single-point electrical failures, such as short circuits, in the driving circuit. Monitoring or a feedback loop for the output power is not required or necessary to control the distance of an observer in order to be eye-safe.
US09232588B2
Disclosed are LED backlight subassemblies and LCD displays making use thereof. The backlight subassembly includes at least one string of serially connected LEDs in which single LED failures do not lead to a partial or complete loss of image content.
US09232581B2
An LED controller reduces jitter of an LED lamp. In one embodiment, the LED controller includes a jitter detection circuit adapted to determine an amount of jitter in an input voltage signal. The input voltage signal includes a plurality of cycles and indicates an amount of dimming for the LED lamp. The LED controller further includes a jitter compensation circuit, which generates a control signal to control regulated in the LED lamp such that an output light intensity of the LED lamp substantially corresponds to the amount of dimming for the LED lamp. The control signal controls current delivery to the LED lamp to compensate for the determined amount of jitter in the input voltage signal.
US09232580B2
Disclosed herein is a voltage control circuit for a dimmer and a dimming method. In accordance with an embodiment, the dimming method using a voltage control circuit for a dimmer includes the steps of determining whether a current voltage value input to a constant dimming range maintainer is equal to a preset minimum or maximum voltage value or exists between the minimum and maximum voltage values, and determining whether the current voltage value is greater than the maximum voltage value when the current voltage value isn't equal to the minimum or maximum voltage value or doesn't exist between the minimum and maximum voltage values. The method further includes the steps of updating the minimum voltage value to the current voltage value when the current voltage value isn't greater than the maximum voltage value, and updating the maximum voltage value to the current voltage value when the current voltage value is greater than the maximum voltage value.
US09232576B2
An anti-flicker circuit for an LED direct driver under low input voltage operation, the LED direct driver at least having a current source, and the anti-flicker circuit comprises a first path having a first resistor, a second path having a second resistor, a filter capacitor and a comparator having a reference voltage. The filter capacitor is connected to the first path, the second path and the current source of the LED direct driver, and discharges current via the first path. The comparator charges the filter capacitor to the current source via the second path when a voltage of the current source is below the reference voltage, wherein the RC time constant of the first path and the filter capacitor in combination with the second path and the filter capacitor is slower than a period of the flicker. As long as the RC time constant is long enough, then the changes in light output will occur slowly enough so that the deleterious effects for the flicker are eliminated.
US09232573B2
In a first aspect of the present inventive subject matter, a lighting device includes a substrate, a light-emitting element electrically mounted on the substrate, a frame member including a white-colored resin and surrounding the light-emitting element, and a light-transmitting resin in which the light-emitting element and the frame member are embedded. Also, it is suggested that the frame member further includes a light-shielding member entirely sealed by the white-colored resin.
US09232569B2
Apparatus for providing pulsed or continuous energy in a process chamber are provided herein. The apparatus may include a lamphead including a set of lamps, wherein the first set of lamps are not solid state light sources, and a set of solid state light sources disposed on the lamp head, to provide pulsed or continuous energy to the process chamber.
US09232566B2
Techniques are disclosed for reducing interference, in a network device, among multiple radio circuits operating in a same or similar frequency band and in close physical proximity. In some embodiments, a network device includes a first and a second wireless network circuit. The network circuits operate in a same radio frequency band and are collocated. The second network circuit is assigned a higher priority than the first network circuit. The device further includes a coexistence controller coupled to the network circuits via a communication bus and configured to selectively suppress transmitting operations of the first network circuit during receiving operations of the second network circuit. Among other benefits, the embodiments can increase wireless network bandwidth and reduce mobile device power consumption by providing coordination among the radio circuits so that the transmitting and receiving operations are performed in a way that they do not interfere with their respective antennas.
US09232562B2
A wireless device supporting concurrent communication with multiple wireless systems of different radio access technologies (RATs) are disclosed. In an exemplary design, an apparatus includes first and second receivers supporting concurrent signal reception from wireless systems of different RATs. The first receiver receives a first downlink signal from a first wireless system of a first RAT. The second receiver receives a second downlink signal from a second wireless system of a second RAT, which is different from the first RAT. The first and second receivers may operate concurrently. The second receiver may be broadband and/or may support carrier aggregation. The apparatus may further include first and second local oscillator (LO) generators to generate LO signals for the first and second receivers, respectively, based on different divider ratios in order to mitigate voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) pulling.
US09232560B2
A method, system and non-transitory computer storage readable medium comprise operating a Wide Area Network (WAN) device according to a first Internet protocol (IP) translation mode of operation, changing an initial connectivity status between the WAN device and a WAN and transitioning from the first IP translation mode of operation to a second IP translation mode of operation that is different from the first IP translation mode of operation based on the change in the initial connectivity status.
US09232555B2
Operating a UE device having a single radio configured to communicate using a first and second RAT. The UE may begin operating in a connected discontinuous reception (CDRX) mode of the first RAT, where the CDRX mode comprises an on duration timer and an inactivity timer. The method may determine that the single radio of the UE is being used for a second RAT during the CDRX mode. The UE may operate at least one of a CDRX on duration timer or an inactivity timer of the first RAT while the single radio of the UE is being used for the second RAT. While the single radio of the UE is being used for the second RAT, the at least one of the CDRX on duration timer or the inactivity timer may operate even though no communication or monitoring is performed on the first RAT.
US09232536B2
Data is accessed from a network via a wireless communication link. A determination is made as to whether payload data has been received from a subscriber's terminal. If so, then a request is sent for a first set of traffic channels, and the payload data is transmitted over the first set of traffic channels.
US09232532B2
A first wireless access network node determines whether a first wireless equipment is potentially an interferer of wireless communication of a second wireless equipment in a domain of a second wireless access network node, where the first wireless equipment is in a domain of the first wireless access node. In response to determining that the first wireless equipment is potentially the interferer of the wireless communication of the second wireless equipment, configuration information is sent to the second wireless access network node to allow the second wireless access network node or the second wireless equipment to detect an interference from the first wireless equipment and to initiate performance of an interference mitigation procedure with respect to the interference from the first wireless equipment.
US09232531B2
Techniques for prioritizing user equipments (UEs) for switching between wireless systems are disclosed. The wireless systems may be part of a small cell and may include a WLAN system and a cellular system. In one design, a network entity (e.g., the small cell) may identify a plurality of UEs communicating with a first wireless system. The first wireless system may be one of a plurality of wireless systems providing communication coverage for the UEs. The network entity may determine priorities of the UEs for switching from the first wireless system to a second wireless system. The network entity may then select at least one UE among the plurality of UEs to switch from the first wireless system to the second wireless system based on the priorities of the UEs.
US09232522B2
A method for enabling full duplex direct mode calls between radios in an N:1 slotting ratio TDMA radio system includes detecting a request for a full duplex direct mode call at a first radio, transmitting in a particular slot of a first recurring time slot of N recurring time slots on a first single frequency one of a call request and a call header identifying the call as a full duplex call. Subsequently transmitting, by the first radio, during a plurality of subsequent first recurring time slots, outbound voice and/or data transmissions. And receiving, during a plurality of second recurring time slots of the N recurring time slots, each second recurring timeslot positioned immediately adjacent a respective first recurring time slot in an interleaved manner, inbound voice and/or data transmissions from the second radio and playing back the inbound voice and/or data transmission at the first radio.
US09232519B2
A method for transmitting, by a base station, signals in a communication system. Control information for a subsidiary carrier band is transmitted to a mobile station via a primary carrier band. Data is transmitted to the mobile station via the subsidiary carrier band based on the control information and via the primary carrier band. Furthermore, the primary carrier band is a carrier frequency band which the mobile station initially attempts to access or via which information of a carrier aggregation configuration is transmitted. Additionally, the control information includes a logical index assigned to the subsidiary carrier band for the mobile station and a physical index of a frequency allocation band used as the subsidiary carrier band. The physical index corresponds to one of plural absolute frequency band indexes assigned to frequency allocation bands available in the communication system.
US09232505B2
A method of generating a packet of a physical layer transmitter of a TV white space (TVWS) wireless personal area network (WPAN) system operating a WPAN service in TVWS is provided. A packet that is generated by the method of generating the packet includes a preamble, a start frame delimiter that is positioned after the preamble, a first physical layer header that is positioned after the start frame delimiter, and a physical layer service data unit that is positioned after the first physical layer header. Here, the first physical layer header represents whether the packet is a ranging packet for ranging, and includes a ranging packet identification bit corresponding to a reserved bit of the second physical layer header in a SUN system and a LECIM system, and a parity bit.
US09232500B2
In accordance with an example embodiment of the present invention, an apparatus is disclosed that includes a resource module configured to allocate a first resource and a second resource that are at least partially synchronized in at least one of a time domain and a frequency domain in such a way that the first resource and the second resource share at least one of an overlapping frequency band and a same time slot. The apparatus also includes a transceiver configured to transmit a first signal on the first resource and receive a second signal on the second resource, wherein at least one of the first signal and the second signal is at least partially orthogonalized with respect to a third signal that is transmitted on one of the first resource and the second resource from a neighbor network device.
US09232498B2
Techniques for managing traffic delivery to a group of devices are described. In some embodiments, a method for communicating in a wireless network may comprise receiving, at a base station, information intended for a group of devices identified by a device group identifier (DGID), mapping, at the base station, the DGID to a common identifier known by each device in the group of devices, and multicasting the information from the base station to the group of devices over one or more channels of the wireless network using the common identifier. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US09232488B2
In some implementations, a method includes compensating for timing misalignment of subframes associated with at least one of first user equipment (UE) or a second UE. The first UE and the second UE are in an inter-device session (IDS) for direct UE-to-UE communication, and timing for the first UE and a timing for the second UE is derived from an eNode B (eNB).
US09232484B2
Methods and apparatus of controlling user equipment transmit power in a wireless communication system include communicating with a first base station and a second base station. Further, the methods and apparatus include establishing a high speed channel with one of the first base station or the second base station, wherein the one of the first base station or the second base station defines a high speed serving cell and a remaining one of the first base station or the second base station defines a non-high speed cell. Additionally, the methods and apparatus include ignoring a transmit power control command from the non-high speed cell when a high speed power control state applies to controlling a transmit power level.
US09232482B2
Systems, devices, and methods for managing multiple radio access bearer communications are provided. In one aspect, a device configured to communicate a voice and data communication via a wireless communication link is provided. The device includes a receiver configured to receive information selection criteria associated with a power limited condition. The device further includes a processor configured to detect the power limited condition. The processor is further configured to select information for transmission on a data channel, independent of the received information selection criteria.
US09232475B2
An enhanced, ultra low power passive wake-up radio-based sensor includes a passive wake-up radio-based sensor node having an energy harvester and low power wake-up circuit to improve the wake-up range for passive wake-up radio sensor nodes without the need for local power. The wake-up sensor may additionally include a transmitter for providing a wake-up signal to nodes that are outside the wake-up range of a base.
US09232472B2
Multiple virtual MAC addresses may be added to WGA devices that may have different traffic streams to another device that requires different services, thus creating distinct MAC and device level implications. Beamforming training can be done at the device level for all virtual MAC addresses. Wakeup, doze, and ATIM power save can be done at the device level depending on the frames received. Authentication, deauthentication, association, and deassociation can be done variously at both levels. Further MSDUs can be aggregated for the multiple MAC addresses.
US09232471B2
A method and an apparatus for connecting a portable terminal to a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) are provided. The method includes when a WLAN connection event occurs, performing a WLAN connection procedure by keeping a WLAN module in an awake state, and when the WLAN connection is complete, operating the WLAN module according to a Power Save Mechanism (PSM).
US09232468B2
A method (300) of a network node for delivering a plurality of simultaneous sessions to a client via a Radio Access Network (RAN) is provided. The method comprises identifying (301) a streaming session, reshaping (302) the streaming session into a sequence of bursts and silent periods, identifying (303) at least one non-time-critical session, reshaping (304) the at least one non-time-critical session into respective sequences of bursts and silent periods, and transmitting (305) the sequences of bursts and silent periods to the RAN. The reshaping (304) of the non-time-critical sessions is performed such that bursts, or silent periods, or both, of the at least one non-time-critical session are aligned with bursts, silent periods, or both, respectively, of the streaming session. By timely aligning the respective bursts and silent periods with each other, the duration of common silent periods may be increased, thereby utilizing air interface resources more efficiently. In addition, a method of a client for receiving a plurality of simultaneous sessions via a RAN is provided.
US09232462B2
Methods and apparatus for providing cross-cell signaling and/or coordination for interference mitigation in wireless communication networks are described. In one aspect, a UE associated with a serving eNB may receive control signaling from another non-serving eNB in a different cell. The control signaling may be consistent with a characteristic of the serving eNB and associated cell. In another aspect, multiple eNBs may coordinate transmission of DL resources to minimize collisions of control signaling resources.
US09232458B2
In one embodiment, an intermediate device may determine a source route in use from a source to a destination in a reactive routing computer network, and may also determine a request to provide local repair for the source route for duration of a timer set by the source. In response to the request (e.g., and in response to a poor/failed connection), the device may discover a local repair path based on a limited-scope discovery, and maintains the local repair path for the source route until expiration of the timer.
US09232452B2
A method of handling an inter-RAT handover for a mobile device in a wireless communication system includes when, via a handover from a serving network using a first RAT to a target network using a second RAT, the mobile device succeeds in establishing a connection to the target network and has packet switched data for transmission, transmitting a predetermined radio resource control message, indicating existence of a packet switched signaling connection of the mobile device, to the target network.
US09232451B2
A technique for implementing an untethered access point (UAP) mesh involves enabling AP-local switching at one or more UAPs of the mesh. A system constructed according to the technique may include a wireless switch; an access point (AP) wire-coupled to the wireless switch; and a UAP mesh, wirelessly coupled to the AP, including a UAP with an AP-local switching engine embodied in a computer-readable medium. Another system constructed according to the technique may include an untethered access point (UAP), including: a radio; a backhaul service set identifier (SSID) stored in a computer-readable medium; an anchor access point (AAP) selection engine embodied in a computer-readable medium. In operation, the AAP selection engine may use the radio to attempt to associate with the AAP if a beaconed backhaul SSID matches the stored backhaul SSID. A method according to the technique may include beaconing with a backhaul SSID; acting in concert with an upstream switch as an authenticator for a downstream station that responds to the beacon; providing limited local switching functionality for the downstream station.
US09232445B2
The invention relates to a method to manage a CS IRAT (Circuit Switch Inter RAT) handover of a user equipment (UE) from a 2G/3G network to a LTE (Long Term Evolution) network in which: the UE transmits its CS IRAT handover from 2G/3G to LTE capabilities to the BSC/RNC node; the BSC/RNC node selects a routing paths among said different routing paths based on the UE capabilities for CS IRAT handover from 2G/3G to LTE and transmits to a MSC/VLR node (Mobile services Switching Center) of said 2G/3G network a Handover message comprising an information indicative of the selected path corresponding to the selected CS handover technology; and the MSC/VLR node transfers said Handover message to said target eNodeB through a MME (Mobility Management Entity) node or through an IWF node (Interworking Function) depending on the selected CS handover technology.
US09232443B2
A wireless device having a central control entity that coordinates multiple radio transceivers co-located within the same device platform to mitigate coexistence interference. The wireless device comprises an LTE transceiver, a WiFi transceiver, a BT transceiver, or a GNSS receiver. In one embodiment, the central control entity receives radio signal information from the transceivers and determines control information. The control information is used to trigger FDM solution such that the transceivers operate in designated frequency channels to mitigate co-existence interference. In another embodiment, the central control entity receives traffic and scheduling information from the transceivers and determines control information. The control information is used to trigger TDM solution such that the transceivers are scheduled for transmitting or receiving radio signals over specific time duration to mitigate co-existence interference. In yet another embodiment, power control solution is used to mitigate coexistence interference.
US09232435B2
Methods and devices for generating a TFI are described. In some embodiments an extended TFI with more bits than a legacy TFI is provided and the bits of the extended TFI are added in a RLC/MAC data block or in a PAN addressing field.
US09232432B2
A radio base station generates a congestion status flag, based on measured resource usage in its cell, and based on performance of sessions in the cell. The flag may be a one bit, or a small number of bits, indicating whether the base station is congested. The flag can be sent to neighboring radio base stations, for use in determining whether to perform handovers to that radio base station. The flag generated in a radio base station, and the flags generated in neighboring radio base stations, can also be sent to user equipment in a cell.
US09232430B2
A method of controlling the volume of user-plane traffic on the Iub or Iub/Iur interface between a Radio Network Controller and a Node B of a UMTS Radio Access Network during periods of overload. The method comprises, for individual uplink or downlink connections established over the Iub or Iub/Iur interface, monitoring at the Radio Network Controller the late arrival of frames at the Radio Network Controller or at the Node B transmitted over the Iub or Iub/Iur interface, and based on the results of said monitoring, causing a reduction in the Iub or Iub/Iur load for a connection when appropriate.
US09232429B2
Channel data for a plurality of OFDM tones for one or more spatial or space-time streams are determined. A plurality of angle values associated with the one or more spatial or space-time streams and the one or more OFDM tones of the plurality of OFDM tones are determined. For each of the one or more spatial or space time streams, a per-tone signal to noise ratio (PT-SNR) associated with one or more OFDM tone of the plurality of OFDM tones is determined, and an average signal to noise ratio (avg-SNR) is determined by averaging signal to noise ratio (SNR) values corresponding to one or more OFDM tones of the plurality of OFDM tones. A feedback report is generated to include at least i) the plurality of angle values, ii) the PT-SNRs, and iii) the avg-SNR.
US09232426B2
The re-transmission of transmission units (TUs) received in a communication device over a communication link is controlled to improve the information carrying capacity of the link. A received TU has an associated service characteristic indicative of a quality of service (QOS) for the TU. The service characteristic is associated with a select set of key performance indicators (KPIs), such as measures of packet error, packet delay, packet delay variation, and/or packet loss experienced by TUs on the communication link. Upon receipt of a TU, the performance of the communication link is evaluated with respect to each KPI in the select set to obtain a corresponding measurement value, and the measurement values are compared to corresponding threshold values. Upon determining that a determined performance value does not satisfy a corresponding threshold value for a KPI in the select set, re-transmission of the TU is requested.
US09232419B2
System and method for using multiple data packet signal testers having narrower data packet signal bandwidths for testing multiple data packet signal transmitters having wider data packet signal bandwidths. Using multiple data packet signal testers with narrower receiver bandwidths to process respective portions of the wider bandwidth of the data packet signals produced by the devices under test (DUTs) enables use of lower cost, narrower-bandwidth test equipment to test wide-bandwidth signals.
US09232418B2
The invention relates to a method for radio-link monitoring in a user equipment (4) of a communication network (1). The user equipment (4) receives and/or sends on a first carrier using a primary radio access technology system (2) and on a second carrier using a secondary radio access technology system (3). The method comprises: receiving (100), from a network node (5), information about the primary radio access technology system (2) and the secondary radio access technology system (3), and determining (110), in dependence on information related to the primary radio access technology system (2) and the secondary radio access technology system (3), whether to monitor radio link criteria on: the first carrier on the primary radio access technology system (2), or both the first carrier on the radio access technology system (2) and the second carrier on the secondary radio access technology system (3). The invention also relates to a user equipment implementing the method.
US09232407B2
A transmitter-side estimation of the complex channel influence between function variable value transmitters and function receivers is limited to the estimation of the magnitude of the channel influence, so that a pre-distortion of the symbols of the symbol sequences depends on an inverse of the magnitude of the channel influence, but is independent of a phase of the channel influence. Easing the channel estimation does not change the central tendency of the calculated function results transmitted over the multiple channel. Alternatively, on the side of the function receiver, a statistical quantity describing the multiple-access channel is determined. For this purpose, it is sufficient when the function variable value transmitters transmit constant power signals over the multiple-access channel in a channel estimation phase. Thus, the channel estimation effort is transferred to the function receiver and hence occurs less frequently, which again reduces the overall energy expenditure.
US09232406B2
Systems and/or Methods are disclosed for acquiring data from a transceiver responsive to one or more signals that are received at the transceiver from one or more devices. In one embodiment, a transceiver is configured to transmit a signal responsive to having received a first signal from a first device, wherein the signal that is transmitted by the transceiver is configured to trigger a second device to transmit a second signal. The transceiver is further configured to transmit data responsive to having received the second signal that is transmitted by the second device. In other embodiments, a transceiver is configured to receive a signal from a first device over frequencies of a predetermined frequency band that the first device is authorized to use, to receive a signal from a second device over frequencies of the predetermined frequency band and to transmit data responsive to having received both the signal from the first device and the signal from the second device. The transceiver is further configured to require that both the signal from the first device and the signal from the second device be received at the transceiver before the data is transmitted. Analogous methods are also disclosed.
US09232401B2
According to one embodiment, a controller detects generation of an event and transmits a content of the event to a management module. The management module transmits to the controller a determination result which represents permission or inhibition of execution of the processing. The determination result is decided based on a first policy or a second policy different from the first policy that are selectively employed in accordance with a use situation of the apparatus. The management module decides whether to notify a server of the content of the event, in accordance with which of a period in which the first policy is employed and a period in which the second policy is employed is a period in which the event has occurred.
US09232393B2
There is provided a method, comprising: establishing, by a first network node, a communication connection to at least one advertising device located in a geographically limited service area; establishing a communication connection to at least one advertisement-receiving device; generating at least one security key for encrypting and decrypting at least part of the data which is to be transmitted in D2D communication links, wherein each security key is valid for a predetermined validity period, and common to those at least one advertising device and at least one advertisement-receiving device within the service area which fulfill predetermined criteria; causing transmission of information indicating the generated at least one security key to those at least one advertising device which fulfill the predetermined criteria; and causing transmission of information indicating at least one of the generated at least one security key to those at least one advertisement-receiving device which fulfill the predetermined criteria.
US09232389B2
Mixed mode security is provided for a mesh network comprising a plurality of open mesh points and at least one secure mesh point that is capable of sending and receiving encrypted traffic. Aspects of the exemplary embodiment include configuring the secure mesh point to forward unencrypted traffic received from one of the plurality of open mesh points; and configuring the secure mesh point to be a source of unencrypted source traffic, and to receive unencrypted traffic that is destined for the secure mesh point to enable routes in the mesh network to terminate at the secure mesh point.
US09232385B2
A method for synchronizing the discovery of wireless services or applications in a wireless network using a recurring time interval T in which wireless devices within the wireless network can be in one of a predetermined plurality of time states. The method includes selecting a time state from amongst the plurality of time states, performing discovery by a first wireless device supporting a given service or application once during the recurring time interval T at the selected time state, and repeating the above steps in successive ones of the recurring time interval T until all of the predetermined plurality of time states have been selected.
US09232373B1
A message receiving, intercepting and processing method and corresponding application and device may provide receiving a message at a message processing server, the message being intended for a phone number associated with a customer service provider, identifying a telephone number of the sender of the message, parsing at least one word from the message, retrieving user account information of the sender, and generating an automated response to the message that includes contextual information that is based on at least one of the user account information and the parsed at least one word from the message.
US09232372B2
In one embodiment, device status information is received from a mobile device of a first user. The device status information may include: information related to power for the device, information related to network connectivity of the device, or a notification mode of the device. Outgoing messages may be identified to be sent to the first user. A value may be computed for each of the outgoing messages. The computed value may be based on an affinity score determined with respect to an originator of the message and the first user. Based on the computed value, at least one of the outgoing messages may be selected for placement into an outgoing message queue. Upon the detection of a triggering condition, the selected messages may be sent to the mobile device. The triggering condition may be based on the device status information and the respective values of the outgoing messages.
US09232370B2
A method comprises registering, by an enhanced CPM server, to receive IMS registrations for a client device, receiving, by the enhanced CPM server, a message intended for the client device, storing the message in a network store, setting a Message Waiting Indicator flag in a HLR associated with the client device, receiving, from the HLR, an alert message that the client device has registered in a non-IMS network, and delivering, by the enhanced CPM server, at least a reference to the message stored in the network store to the client device.
US09232362B2
Primary and/or secondary communication groups can be assigned to users with communication devices arranged in a hierarchy (FIG. 4). A set of humans are assigned to a role in a role-based hierarchy. A communication device (404) is assigned to the set of humans for communication over a network. One or more secondary communication groups are determined for the communication device (120). The one or more determined secondary communication groups are primary communication groups of other devices used by one or more other humans assigned roles in the role-based hierarchy. Secondary communication group settings are programmed for the communication device (124), where the group settings are consistent with the determined secondary communication groups.
US09232359B2
An apparatus and method of transmitting/receiving a multimedia broadcast/multicast service (MBMS) is disclosed. The present invention enables ARQ and HARQ to be applied to the MBMS transmission, thereby enabling more efficient data transmissions at a greater rate.
US09232356B2
A locator system and method of use is disclosed. The locator system may be used to receive radiolocation signals, calculate location data based on the radiolocation signals, and send the current location data over a telecommunication network to a server computer. A client may request the location data from the server computer and the server may send the location data to the client.
US09232355B1
This disclosure is directed to providing directional feedback to a user. For example, this disclosure describes techniques for determining at least one characteristic of a device in space. For example, a device may be configured to determine, using one or more sensors, one or more characteristics of the device in space. For example, the device may be configured to determine one or more of a direction, and/or geographical position of the device as pointed by a user in space. The device may compare one or more of the determined one or more characteristics of the device in space to a desired destination or path specified by the user, and provide the user with directional feedback if the determined one or more characteristics of the device in space are consistent with the desired destination or path.
US09232346B2
The present invention provides a proximity information registration method, a query method, and a user equipment. The proximity information registration method includes: sending, by a first user equipment, a proximity service request to a proximity service server, where the proximity service request sent by the first user equipment carries an equipment identifier of the first user equipment; monitoring and obtaining, by the first user equipment, broadcast information of a second user equipment which is broadcast by the second user equipment; and registering the broadcast information of the second user equipment with the proximity service server, so that the proximity service server converts the broadcast information of the second user equipment into an equipment identifier of the second user equipment according to a correspondence between the equipment identifier of the second user equipment and the broadcast information of the second user equipment stored by the proximity service server.
US09232340B2
An application store system and an application development method using the application store system are provided in the disclosure. The system includes: a resource management functional entity, a developer community functional entity and an application online-store functional entity, wherein the resource management functional entity is configured to accept an operation of registering resources to the resource management functional entity and display information of the registered resources, wherein the resources include at least one of the followings: telecommunication capability resources and network resources; the developer community functional entity is configured to accept uploading of an application and review the uploaded application, wherein the application invokes the registered resources according to an invoking manner indicated by the information; and the application online-store functional entity is configured to provide an application, which is approved by the developer community functional entity, for a terminal user to download. The disclosure enhances technical supports for developers, and reduces difficulty and complexity of development.
US09232333B2
The disclosed apparatus, systems, and methods provide a calibration technique for calibrating a set of microphones. The disclosed calibration technique is configured to calibrate the microphones with respect to a reference microphone and can be used in actual operation rather than a testing environment. The disclosed calibration technique can estimate both the magnitude calibration factor for compensating magnitude sensitivity variations and the relative phase error for compensating phase delay variations. In addition, the disclosed calibration technique can be used even when multiple acoustic sources are present. The disclosed technique is particularly well suited to calibrating a set of microphones that are omnidirectional and sufficiently close to one another.
US09232331B2
Embodiments that relate to energy efficient gesture input on a surface are disclosed. One disclosed embodiment provides a hand-worn device that may include a microphone configured to capture an audio input and generate an audio signal, an accelerometer configured to capture a motion input and generate an accelerometer signal, and a controller comprising a processor and memory. The controller may be configured to detect a wake-up motion input based on the accelerometer signal. The controller may wake from a low-power sleep mode in which the accelerometer is turned on and the microphone is turned off and enter a user interaction interpretation mode in which the microphone is turned on. Then, the controller may contemporaneously receive the audio signal and the accelerometer signal and decode strokes. Finally, the controller may detect a period of inactivity based on the audio signal and return to the low-power sleep mode.
US09232328B2
A system includes a sound processor included in an electro-acoustic stimulation (“EAS”) device and that directs a cochlear implant to apply electrical stimulation to a patient and a receiver to apply acoustic stimulation to the patient. The system further includes a volume control facility and a selection facility that selectively associates the volume control facility with the electrical stimulation in response to a first user input, selectively associates the volume control facility with the acoustic stimulation in response to a second user input, and selectively associates the volume control facility with both the electrical stimulation and the acoustic stimulation in response to a third user input.
US09232326B2
The fitting of a hearing device and in particular of a hearing aid using frequency compression is to be simplified. A method for determining a knee point of a frequency compression characteristic for a hearing device is therefore proposed wherein a maximum audible frequency of a hearing device user is first determined and the knee point is then determined using a predefined rule in dependence on a maximum audible frequency. An end point of a compression characteristic can also be automatically determined.
US09232325B2
A hearing aid (1) with an ear canal part prepared for being arranged in the ear canal. The ear canal part has a sound opening provided with a bushing (6) for receiving an ear wax guard. The bushing comprises an inner tubular part (11) for receiving the ear wax guard, where the inner tubular part is extending inward from the plane formed by the sound opening. The bushing further comprises an outer tubular part (10) extending inward from this plane. The outer tubular part and the inner tubular part are arranged such that a space is formed in between. This space is adapted for receiving a sound guide (5).
US09232319B2
Systems and methods for audio signal processing are disclosed, where a discrete number of simple digital filters are generated for particular portions of an audio frequency range. Studies have shown that certain frequency ranges are particularly important for human ears' location-discriminating capability, while other ranges are generally ignored. Head-Related Transfer Functions (HRTFs) are examples response functions that characterize how ears perceive sound positioned at different locations. By selecting one or more “location-critical” portions of such response functions, one can construct simple filters that can be used to simulate hearing where location-discriminating capability is substantially maintained. Because the filters can be simple, they can be implemented in devices having limited computing power and resources to provide location-discrimination responses that form the basis for many desirable audio effects.
US09232316B2
The present disclosure relates to a diaphragm that may be used with a mechanical-to-acoustical transducer. The diaphragm may include a layer of optically clear film, a damping layer and another layer of optically clear film. The damping layer may be an adhesive. The diaphragm may also comprise two optically clear films, optionally including a damping layer, wherein the films indicate a desired coefficient of linear thermal expansion in one or both of the machine and transverse directions.
US09232311B2
The method comprises the determination of an observation vector that comprises only electrical measurements of the voltage (Umes) at the loudspeaker terminals and of the current (i) passing through the loudspeaker, and a state vector (X) whose components comprise: values of linear parameters of the loudspeaker response such as the electrical (Re) and mechanical (Req) resistance, and polynomial coefficients of nonlinear parameters such as the force factor (BI), the equivalent stiffness (Keq) and the electrical inductance (Le). The voltage and current measurements are applied to an estimator with a predictive filter of the extended Kalman filter incorporating a representation of a dynamic model of the loudspeaker. This filter operates a prediction of the state vector (X) and readjusts this prediction by calculation of an estimate (Uest) of the voltage based on the state vector and on the measured current and comparison of this estimate with the measurement (Umes) of the voltage.
US09232304B2
An ear tip is adapted to deliver sound to an ear canal. The ear tip includes a first section, a second section and a third section. The first section is connectable to a sound-transmitting device. The second section has a first end, a second end and walls defining a bulbous section. The first end is connected to and in open communication with the first section. The second end is connected to and in open communication with the third section. The third section includes walls defining a flume and an outlet port adapted for open communication with the ear canal. The outlet port has a maximum outer diameter of about 11 millimeters. In a relaxed state, a ratio of a maximum outer diameter of the second section to a maximum diameter of the third section is between about 1.25 and about 2.5.
US09232291B2
Provided is a mobile terminal including a terminal body, a printed circuit board provided in the terminal body, and a microphone provided on the printed circuit board a prescribed distance from the terminal body. The printed circuit board may be provided between an opening in the terminal body and the microphone, and a channel may be provided that extends from the opening in the terminal body to the microphone.
US09232286B2
An IPTV and a method for controlling a video widget in the IPTV are disclosed. Herein, a method for providing a video widget application includes playing-back a video content within an IP packet, executing a video widget application, and selecting a specific area of the video content being played-back, and outputting an object guide including an object list included in the selected specific area. The method also includes selecting at least one object from the object guide, selecting a video filter to be applied to the at least one selected object from the video Widget application, and applying the selected video filter to the at least one selected object.
US09232284B2
A STB resource sharing (RS) group of a home network comprises a plurality of STBs. In the STB RS group, a STB communicates with one or more other STBs to mutually share available device resources comprising hardware and software resources, and/or capabilities. The STB functions as an elected master (EM) or a STB RS client in the STB RS group. As an EM, the STB receives advertisements from other STBs to determine available resources. The determined available resources are announced to other STBs in the STB RS group. The STB manages the use of the determined available resources according to resource sharing requests received from other STBs. As a STB RS client, the STB advertises inherent resources to an EM of the STB RS group. The STB receives announcements from the EM for available resources in the STB RS group. The STB shares its available resources, accordingly.
US09232283B2
Methods and systems for selecting content for outputting on a mobile device during a program break in an Internet television stream using mobile device location information. In one aspect, the methods and systems seamlessly select content for outputting on a mobile device during a program break in an Internet television stream using mobile device location information and program break markers. In another aspect, the methods and systems select content for outputting on a mobile device during a program break in an Internet television stream using mobile device trajectory information. In yet another aspect, the methods and systems select using mobile device location information cohabitation content for sharing a display screen on a mobile device with program content in an Internet television stream.
US09232277B2
An example method includes receiving a first command by a device to group a first playback device with at least a second playback device for synchronous audio playback. In the example method, the group is associated with a first playback queue comprising a list of one or more items for playback by the group. The example method includes, for as long as the playback device is in the group, receiving a second command by the device to remove the first playback device from the group, wherein the first playback device is ungrouped and automatically associated with a second playback queue. In the example method, the second playback queue comprises a list of one or more items for playback by the playback device.
US09232275B2
A video-on-demand (VOD) content delivery system has a VOD Application Server which manages a database of templates ordered in a hierarchy for presentation of video content elements of different selected types categorized in hierarchical order. The templates include those for higher-order displays which have one or more links to lower-order displays of specific content. The VOD Application Server, in response to viewer request, displays a high-order templatized display, and in response to viewer selection of a link, displays the lower-order display of specific content. A web-based Content Management System receives content uploaded online in file formats with metadata for title and topical area, and automatically converts it into video data format compatible with the VOD content delivery system indexed by title and topical area. A User Interface for the system delivers listings data to the viewer's TV indexed by title and topical area specified by the uploaded metadata.
US09232273B2
A system and method is disclosed for processing viewer profiles and program metadata from a number of sources to provide viewing suggestions and recommendations to one or more viewers.
US09232272B2
A content transmission selection system is disclosed. The content transmission selection system receives requests from viewers for specific video content items. Using characteristics of the designated content item, the content transmission selection system determines whether to transmit the content item over a broadcast network or a broadband network.
US09232270B2
A host includes a plurality of Digital Visual Interface (DVI) ports. A controller is configured to receive a single DVI diagnostic request from a source external to the host. The controller is further configured to collect DVI status information associated with each of the plurality of DVI ports in response to the single DVI diagnostic request, and initiate a signal to a display to display the DVI status information associated with the plurality of DVI ports.
US09232267B2
A method and apparatus for dynamically constructing a broadcast multiplex are described. The method includes: receiving metadata associated with a first plurality of events on a plurality of source channels, the metadata including, at least, scheduling metadata; determining, on the basis of a rule-set applied to the metadata, whether events of the first plurality of events are to be included in the multiplex, thereby producing a second plurality of events to be included in the multiplex; for each one event of the second plurality of events, assigning a multiplex priority to the one event, the multiplex priority being a priority the one event is to be assigned in the multiplex in case the one event contends for space in the multiplex with a second event of the second plurality of events; copying events from the second plurality of events into the multiplex in dependence on the multiplex priorities of events in the second plurality of events; and broadcasting the multiplex. Related systems, apparatus, and methods are also described.
US09232266B2
A method includes receiving a playlist at a network device from a client device in communication with the network device over a network. In response to receiving the playlist, the method also includes disabling channel changes not associated with the playlist from executing during times indicated in the playlist. The method further includes transmitting a control message from the network device to the client device that requests the client device to tune to a channel conforming to the playlist when the network device receives a channel change request not associated with the playlist from the client device.
US09232265B2
Techniques and mechanisms for determining an operation mode of an audio-video (AV) device. In an embodiment, communication logic of the AV device may be configured at different times for different ones of a plurality of operation modes including an AV source operation mode for providing AV information to another device and an AV sink operation mode for receiving AV information from another device. In response to a detected event, control logic initializes the communication logic of the AV device into a default mode which prevents operation of the communication logic as an AV source.
US09232261B2
A gateway module according to the disclosure includes an Ethernet connector for receiving a broadcasting signal and a network signal through a coaxial cable to separate to the broadcasting signal from the network signal, a network switch for selecting at least one from a plurality of internal communication networks to transmit the separated network signal to the selected communication network, and an interface part for receiving and transmitting the separated network signal to a TV, in which the gateway module is mounted on one surface of the TV.
US09232251B2
Systems and methods for providing personalized content recommendation and content availability to a user are described. In one implementation, the described methods are implemented in the systems, where the method includes gathering content metadata based on user specific parameters, where the content metadata is content specific. The method also includes determining a primary content metadata from the gathered content metadata based and activity parameters. Further, the method includes rating the primary content metadata based on content rating parameter. Content availability information for the content associated with a secondary content metadata is also ascertained. The method moreover also includes providing the secondary content metadata with the content availability information to the user.
US09232245B2
A method of processing a broadcast signal including an interactive broadcast service at a transmitter is disclosed. The method comprises generating an parameter table containing metadata about applications and interactive broadcast events targeted to the applications, dividing the parameter table into a plurality of parameter blocks, inserting each of the parameter blocks into each of a plurality of parameter table sections, generating a trigger which is a signaling element to identify signaling and establish timing of playout of the interactive broadcast events, inserting the trigger into a closed caption channel of the broadcast signal, transmitting the broadcast signal including the closed caption channel and a specific channel carrying the plurality of parameter table sections, wherein the trigger includes location information specifying a location of the parameter table in the broadcast signal.
US09232237B2
Deblocking filtering is provided in which an 8×8 filtering block covering eight sample vertical and horizontal boundary segments is divided into filtering sub-blocks that can be independently processed. To process the vertical boundary segment, the filtering block is divided into top and bottom 8×4 filtering sub-blocks, each covering a respective top and bottom half of the vertical boundary segment. To process the horizontal boundary segment, the filtering block is divided into left and right 4×8 filtering sub-blocks, each covering a respective left and right half of the horizontal boundary segment. The computation of the deviation d for a boundary segment in a filtering sub-block is performed using only samples from rows or columns in the filtering sub-block. Consequently, the filter on/off decisions and the weak/strong filtering decisions of the deblocking filtering are performed using samples contained within individual filtering blocks, thus allowing full parallel processing of the filtering blocks.
US09232230B2
A scaled motion search section can be used in a video processing device that processes a video input signal that includes a plurality of pictures. The scaled motion search section includes a downscaling module that downscales the plurality of pictures to generate a plurality of downscaled pictures, wherein the downscaling module includes a horizontal downscaling filter and a vertical downscaling filter, and wherein the vertical downscaling filter generates downscaled pixels for a macroblock pair using only pixels from the macroblock pair. A transfer function that models the scaled motion vectors is determined and used to identify a final set of motion vector candidates used in a larger scale motion search.
US09232222B2
An improved lossless image compression technique involves adaptively selecting between spatial prediction and inter-component prediction techniques depending on which allows better results for any given component of a digital image pixel.
US09232218B2
A system for video processing includes a video director, a video encoder, and a picture-in-picture inserter. The video director is configured to generate an edit signal. The video encoder is configured responsively to the edit signal to encode a first area of a video frame of a main video as a first encoded data set, to encode a second area of the video frame as a second encoded data set, and to generate a compressed main video including the first and second encoded data sets. The picture-in-picture (PIP) inserter is configured, responsively to the compressed main video and to a compressed secondary video including a third encoded data set, to generate a compressed PIP video including the first encoded data set and the third encoded data set, and to transmit the compressed PIP video for subsequent decoding.
US09232216B2
A method for assessing the quality of a transmitted video signal sequence at the receiver side includes the steps of: capturing the received input video bit stream prior to decoding and supplying it to a video bit stream analyzer; extracting, during a measurement time window, one or more features from the captured packet headers by the bit stream analyzer, without analyzing or decoding the packet payload; computing from the one or more features, a single parameter, xwpSEQ, representing an estimate of the spatio-temporal extent of the signal degradation due to packet-loss; supplying the determined parameter to a quality estimation module; and calculating, by the quality estimation module, a quality measure due to packet loss (Qtrans) based on the single parameter representing the estimate of the spatio-temporal extent of the signal degradation, xwpSEQ, due to packet-loss and based on video resolution information and employed video codec.
US09232213B2
A stereo image output method includes: providing a request command; outputting current image frame information from a storage unit in response to the request command, and triggering an image synchronization operation to update the image frame information in the storage unit; and outputting a set of stereo images from a memory according to the image frame information.
US09232211B2
A system for three-dimensional visualization of object in a scattering medium includes a sensor for receiving light from the object in the scattering medium and a computing device coupled to the sensor and receiving a plurality of elemental images of the object from the sensor. The computing device causes the elemental images to be magnified through a virtual pin-hole array to create an overlapping pattern of magnified elemental images. The computing device also averages overlapping portions of the element images to form an integrated image.
US09232209B2
One object of the invention is a display matrix controller configured to drive a display matrix (206, 308) to display frames of a source video signal, the controller comprising an input interface (203, 204) configured to provide for each frame to be displayed a frame difference information, specifying changed pixels, whose values change between a frame to be displayed and a currently displayed frame, a brightness equalizer (210) configured control the display of the frame such as to equalize the level of viewer perception of brightness to a predetermined level for each frame to be displayed depending on the frame difference information, and a matrix driving circuit (205, 307) configured to receive the frame difference information and to drive the display matrix (206, 308) to display the frame to be displayed by redrawing only the changed pixels
US09232207B2
The present application discloses a Three Dimensions (3D) video conversion system and method, and a key frame selection method and apparatus thereof. The key frame selection method includes: after the ith key frame is determined, calculating feature matching ratios of video frames after the ith key frame in a 2D video; selecting video frames each of which has a feature matching ratio within the range of T1˜T2 as candidate key frames; selecting a video frame from the candidate key frames as the (i+1)th key frame according to re-projection errors of the candidate key frames. Since key frames are selected according to the feature matching ratios of video frames to the previous key frame, and the later key frame is selected according to the re-projection errors of the candidate key frames. Thus the selection for key frames is more reasonable, and the 2D to 3D video conversion based on more reasonable key frames may improve converted 3D video quality.
US09232199B2
In accordance with an example embodiment a method, apparatus and computer program product are provided. The method comprises receiving a first set of frames corresponding to a scene captured by a color image sensor and a second set of frames corresponding to the scene captured by a panchromatic image sensor. A number of frames in the second set is greater than a number of frames in the first set. The method further comprises generating color frames corresponding to the scene at a frame rate higher than a frame rate of the first set of frames based at least in part on processing of the first set of frames and the second set of frames.
US09232192B2
Disclosed is a system and method for providing low-frame rate continuous presence for all video participants to a video conference.
US09232177B2
A graphics processing unit and a system are described herein. The graphics processing unit includes a decoder, a post processor, and a renderer. The decoder is to decode a video data stream from an incoming data stream. The post processor is to perform post-processing of the decoded video data stream. The renderer is to render the post processed video data stream and discard a null video data stream from a video chat application during a video chat session.
US09232164B2
An image sensor includes a pixel unit having first and second photoelectric converters, an amplifier provided commonly for the first and second photoelectric converters, first and second transfer transistors configured to respectively transfer charges generated in the first and second electric converters to an input portion of the amplifier. The signal read out by the readout portion includes a first optical signal read out in a state in which charges are transferred from the first photoelectric converter to the input portion by the first transfer transistor, and a second optical signal read out, after the readout of the first optical signal, in a state in which charges are transferred from the second photoelectric converter to the input portion by the second transfer transistor.
US09232148B2
An image capture apparatus comprises an X-Y address scan type image sensor; a flicker detector configured to detect a flicker of a light source; a switch configured to switch the image sensor between a first state in which the image sensor is driven by a first driving method which comprises reading out a pixel signal within a range of a first angle of view and a second state in which the image sensor is driven by a second driving method which comprises reading out a pixel signal within a range of a second angle of view narrower than the first driving method; and a controller configured to control the switch so as to drive the image sensor by the first driving method while the flicker detector is detecting the flicker and to drive image sensor by the second driving method when the flicker detector has completed flicker detection.
US09232137B2
Various embodiments provide a wearable camera that is configured to take a cluster of photographs and use image processing techniques to select a photograph with a lesser amount of blur than other photographs in the cluster. The wearable camera can include one or more of a gyroscope or accelerometer for ascertaining the camera's motion. Motion data associated with the camera's motion is utilized to ascertain when to take an automatic photograph.
US09232136B2
An imaging device according to the present invention comprises: an imaging section photoelectrically converting an object image and outputting image data; a display section displaying the object image based on the image data; an acceleration sensor section detecting vibration in at least one direction among a plurality of directions of a camera; a determination section continuously determining an output equal to or greater than a gravity force by means of the acceleration sensor section; and a power supply control section supplying power to the imaging section upon detection of an output equal to or greater than the gravity force by the determination section and also upon detection of an attitude change in a vertical direction or the like or a predetermined acceleration when a photographer sets the camera while viewing the display section of the camera.
US09232135B2
A temperature control system of a mobile device is provided. The system includes a memory for storing a set temperature value and a release temperature value, a temperature sensor for sensing an internal temperature of the mobile device; at least one module that emits heat, and a controller. The controller compares the output of the temperature sensor with the set temperature value in a normal mode in order to determine whether the mobile device is overheated, and controls, if the mobile device is overheated, the at least one module to operate in a heat generation suppressing mode, compares the output of the temperature sensor with the release temperature value in the heat generation suppressing mode in order to determine whether to release the heat generation suppressing mode, and executes the normal mode if the heat generation suppressing mode is released according to the comparison result.
US09232133B2
An image capturing apparatus comprises a first image capturing unit configured to shoot an object side, a second image capturing unit configured to shoot a photographer side, a detection unit configured to detect an object from image data shot by the second image capturing unit, a determination unit configured to determine whether the object detected by the detection unit is a predetermined object, and a control unit configured to, when the determination unit determines that the detected object is the predetermined object, control to prioritize setting of shooting parameters of the second image capturing unit over that of the first image capturing unit.
US09232127B2
A loupe accessory comprising: a loupe, comprising a first lens characterized in a positive focal length of less than 350 mm, the first lens for producing substantially infinity rays from a relatively close object, and an infinity-focus camera, comprising an image sensor and a second lens disposed at a fixed distance from the image sensor, the fixed distance being a focal length of the second lens, wherein the infinity-focus camera is fixed to the first lens, for imaging the infinity rays on the image sensor, thereby a first portion of the infinity rays produced by the first lens is imaged by the infinity-focus camera, and a second portion of the infinity rays produced by a second portion of the first lens is directly viewed by a human eye.
US09232126B2
Described is an apparatus, including computer program products, for adjusting the focus of an image capturing device. An apparatus for capturing a focused digital image of a scene includes a lens having an optical surface including a deformation that is asymmetric with respect to an optical axis of the lens, and an aperture component configured to adjust a position of the aperture stop of the lens on a plane that is substantially perpendicular to the optical axis of the lens. The apparatus includes an image sensor configured to capture a digital image of an optical image formed by the lens, the digital image being defocused based on the position of the aperture stop. The apparatus includes a digital image processor configured to generate a focused digital image based on the digital image captured by the image sensor.
US09232125B2
A method of reducing shutter-lag in a camera image sensor may include maintaining a sensor output image to have a low resolution in a preview mode of a camera image sensor; changing a resolution of the sensor output image from a low resolution to a high resolution in response to a capture preparation signal to change an operation mode of the camera image sensor from a preview mode to a capture preparation mode, the low resolution being a resolution equal to or below a reference resolution, the high resolution being a resolution above the reference resolution; and capturing the sensor output image in response to a capture signal in the capture preparation mode of the camera image sensor.
US09232121B2
Embodiments described herein may operate to image a scene with an imaging system using an image blurring technique. An image sensor array (ISA) element may be identified as a dark defect element if a first ratio of an average of a set of illuminance signal magnitudes from a set of surrounding ISA elements to a magnitude of an illuminance signal from the ISA element is greater than a threshold sharpness value. The image sensor array element may be identified as a bright defect element if a second ratio of the magnitude of the illuminance signal from the ISA element to the average of the set of illuminance signal magnitudes from the set of surrounding ISA elements is greater than the threshold sharpness value.
US09232119B2
A method for integrating image frames includes receiving for each pixel in at least one image frame a value representative of a sensor measurement. The method includes calculating an average difference of the value representative of the sensor measurement over a subset of the plurality of image frames. The method includes detecting motion in at least one pixel of the image frame in the plurality of image frames based on the calculated average difference of the value representative of the sensor measurement over the subset of the plurality of image frames. The method also includes generating an integrated image frame wherein each pixel having detected motion is integrated by an amount less than that of those pixels for which motion is not detected. The amount of frame integration is based on contrast levels, expected rates of motion, and noise characteristics of sensor input image data.
US09232118B1
A system and method for detecting artifacts in a video having a sequence of pictures is described. The method comprises the steps of calculating a motion vector cost and a variable threshold for each of the pictures. In case, the motion vector cost for the picture is greater than the variable threshold of the picture, then a first scene change profile and a second scene change profile for the picture is computed and analyzed for determining the character of the variation in the motion vector cost. An artifact metric for the picture is also calculated and the artifact metric for the picture is compared with a programmable artifact reporting threshold for ascertaining if an artifact is present in the video. The described approach is generic in nature and takes into account various exceptions that may be present within a picture that may be similar in character as an artifact.
US09232115B2
Technologies are generally described for an audio playing scheme for digital billboard systems. In some examples, a method performed under control of a server may include receiving from an end device a control signal configured to indicate that the end device is located in a first predetermined area relative to a first digital billboard, identifying first video data currently displayed on the first digital billboard, determining first audio data corresponding to the first video data, and transmitting the first audio data to the end device based on the control signal.
US09232106B2
An apparatus for moving a unit to execute scanning includes a scanning unit including a motor, an encoder for outputting a signal according to movement of the unit, a detection unit for detecting a current supplied to the motor, a speed control unit for executing a speed control of the motor according to the signal output from the encoder and the current detected by the detection unit, a movement control unit for setting a threshold value, moving the unit by driving the motor, by using the speed control unit, and a current control unit for setting a value greater than the predetermined value according to the threshold value and value of the current detected by the detection unit at a predetermined timing during a time period while the unit is moving.
US09232099B1
An image reading device includes a document conveyance section, a reading section, a determination section, an operation control section, a reading instruction request section, and a reading instruction reception section. The determination section determines whether a document sheet is an identifier sheet indicating identification information for identifying an information processing device that is a communication target. The reading instruction request section communicates with the information processing device identified by the identification information, thereby requesting the information processing device for an instruction pertaining to document reading. Upon the reading instruction reception section receiving the instruction, the operation control section causes the reading section to perform document reading in accordance with a reading setting indicated by the instruction in order to generate image data for document sheets from a document sheet directly after the identifier sheet through to a document sheet directly prior to a next identifier sheet.
US09232095B2
A display input device includes a display unit and a touch panel unit. When the touch panel unit accepts a predetermined transmission start operation, the display unit starts a display in a transmission transition mode, performs a transmission transition display in which a transition source screen gradually disappears while a ratio of a display of a transition destination screen belonging to a next lower layer of the transition source screen as time passes, and repeats the transmission transition display toward a lower layer.
US09232093B2
An information processing apparatus includes a notification part, a request part, and a display part. The notification part transmits information for determining whether to display an error display screen to an application in execution installed in the information processing apparatus, in response to reception of a notification of an error during the execution of the application. The request part requests display of the error display screen in response to reception of a display request, the display request being transmitted from the application in execution in response to reception of the information from the notification part. The display part displays the error display screen in response to the request by the request part.
US09232089B2
An image processing apparatus displays an input screen including a setting area in which setting items are selectably arranged, and detects an operation on the input screen. When a flick operation has been detected in the setting area, the image processing apparatus enlarges the setting area, and moves the setting items in the setting area based on the speed of the flick operation. Then, the image processing apparatus sets a setting item in a selection area among a plurality of the setting items arranged in the enlarged setting area to a selected state.
US09232088B1
A computing device is equipped with a display device primarily for display purpose. Techniques are described to modify such a display device to have the scanning capability and define a scanning region, where only the part of a scanning object falling into the scanning region is scanned.
US09232081B2
An information processing apparatus includes a receiver configured to receive an output instruction to output data; a calculator configured to calculate an index value indicating a cost or an environmental burden when data subjected to output are output in a first output condition specified by the output instruction, and the index value when the data are output in a second output condition differing from the first output condition; and a display controller configured to display a screen to display a calculation result obtained by the calculator and to receive an output instruction based on one of the first and the second output conditions.
US09232073B2
The invention defines a method for providing an xDSL broadband transmission service between a central office and a customer premises equipment which comprises the steps: initiating a handshaking procedure between the central office and the customer premises equipment, determining an xDSL transmission standard for providing the xDSL broadband transmission service, utilizing a non standard information field during the handshaking procedure to indicate a support of a non-standard mode between the central office and the customer premises equipment, and initiating the non-standard mode, in case no synchronization is established between the central office and the customer premises equipment after the handshaking procedure.
US09232071B2
Mobile communication devices, having multiple speakers and/or microphones to perform a number of audio functions, for use with mobile devices, are provided. The microphones may be housed within the communication device housing. To compensate for the unwanted signal feedback between the speakers and microphones, acoustic echo cancellation may be implemented to determine the proper distance and relative location between the speakers and microphones. Acoustic echo cancellation removes the echo from voice communications to improve the quality of the sound. The removal of the unwanted signals captured by the microphones may be accomplished by characterizing the audio signal paths from the speakers to the microphones (speaker-to-microphone path distance profile), including the distance and relative location between the speakers and microphones. The optimal distance and relative location between the speakers and microphones is provided to the user to optimize performance.
US09232046B2
A system includes a database of image data associated with a vehicle; and control logic configured to cause a user device to capture one or more images and compare data associated with the one or more images with the image data to determine if a user is present in a vehicle and disable a text messaging function at least in part responsive to the determination using the image data.
US09232045B1
A telecommunication system is described that allocates backup power to telephones based on telephone usage. When power to the telecommunication system from a primary source, such as from an electrical utility company, is lost, a backup power source is used to keep the telecommunication system functioning. Because the backup power source has a limited amount of energy, only telephones with a high priority are fully powered. Other telephones are provided with reduced power or receive no power. As the energy level of the backup power source is reduced, the telephone priorities are adjusted.
US09232036B2
To provide the case for an electronic device where the device is equipped with the camera and the flash that are adjacent to each other. The case has at least one hole in the case body to expose the camera and the flash. The camera hole has a depth and is formed by a cylindrical wall, and the shading area is provided on the hole wall.
US09232032B2
There is provided an electronic device which includes a display device, a case configured to retain the display device, a stopper disposed between the retained display device and the case, and a component arranged in a space formed by disposing the stopper. Further, there is provided an electronic device which includes a display device, a case including a first space for retaining the display device, the display device being operable to be slid into the first space, a stopper disposed in a second space between the retained display device and the case, and an electronic device arranged in a third space formed by arranging the stopper.
US09232023B2
A method for providing interne services for socialization purposes sends an identity data and a location data to a server. The method further converts the identity data and the location data into a profile status data. The method further retrieves a social organization and a character profile of the identity data and determines whether the character profile satisfies a predetermined condition. The identity data is given an authority for predetermined privileged operations or given a right of organization selection. In another embodiment, the identity data is belongs to a social organization having a territory. The method calculates a movement distance based on the location data and the territory, as well as a length of movement time based on the movement distance and a character profile of the identity data. The length of movement time is proportional to the movement distance but is inversely proportional to the character profile.
US09232019B2
Techniques for managing objects sent in a communication system. For example, an apparatus for managing an object in a communication system is configured to identify an object previously sent in the communication system. A first target to which the object was sent is determined. A first agent is deployed to the first target. The first agent is configured to undo the previously sent object at the first target, and determine if the previously sent object was sent from the first target to a second target. When the previously sent object was sent from the first target to the second target, the apparatus deploys a second agent to the second target to undo the previously sent object at the second target.
US09232013B1
A method and system for enabling data usage accounting are described herein. As an example, the method can be practiced on a computing device that has secure applications and unsecure applications installed thereon. Initially, a request for a data session can be received through a secure application. The request for the data session can be intercepted, and the request for the data session can be modified to cause the request to be re-directed back to the secure application. In addition, a connection can be initiated to enable retrieval of data in response to the request and to enable an accounting of the data session. In one arrangement, this process of modifying the request for a data session may be restricted to secure applications such that data usage of the secure applications is tabulated separately from data usage associated with the unsecure applications.
US09232008B2
A navigation system includes two or more navigation instruments connected with a network, and two or more sensors connected with the network and for detecting information to be used by the navigation instruments. The navigation instrument includes a switch control module for switching between a state in which the navigation instrument functions as a mother unit and as a child unit, a delivery module for transmitting through the network, when one of the navigation instruments functions as the mother unit, representative sensor selection related information to another navigation instrument that functions, the representative sensor selection related information being information about which sensor is to be used among the two or more sensors, and a representative sensor selecting module for selecting the sensor to be used based on the representative sensor selection related information received from the navigation instrument that functions as the mother unit.
US09232002B1
In a cluster network, an ingress component can serve as an entry point for incoming request traffic and route requests to a plurality of backend servers for processing. Each of the backend servers can handle multiple flows (e.g., TCP) established with the ingress component. When a backend server is detected to have been overloaded with requests, a different peer server is selected on the network to take over processing of the requests from the overloaded server. A set of state information for at least one connection is then transferred from the overloaded server to the selected peer server. Thereafter, the ingress component can update its routing information to begin routing new incoming requests or packets for that connection to the new peer server. The state information can be transferred upon reaching a logical boundary between requests, or within a request, received on the connection.
US09232001B1
Systems, methods, and machine-readable media for client-server communication using a set identifier are provided. A system may be configured to receive a set identifier from a client machine, wherein the set identifier is based on the client identifier of the client machine, generate a communication based on the set identifier from the client machine, wherein the communication comprise a number of references to client identifiers associated with the set identifier, and transmit the communication to the client machine.
US09231998B2
A vehicle control and computation system interfaces a task controller in the vehicle with a vehicle-specific computation manager in a cloud network. A wireless data channel couples the task controller and the cloud network. The task controller performs operational tasks in the vehicle using data-related resources in the cloud network. Upon initiating one of the operational tasks, the task controller sends a handshake signal to the computation manager as a resource request. The computation manager calls at least one cloud-based agent from a database of predetermined agents in response to the handshake signal. The task controller completes the operational task via communication with the called agent.
US09231993B2
Discussed is an apparatus for transmitting an encoded video stream, comprising: a slice generating unit that divides a frame, comprised in a video stream, into at least one or more slice; and a transmitting unit transmitting the slice in units of a packet within a slice deadline, which is a time limit required for transmission of the slice, the transmitting unit that preferentially transmits a header packet that contain a slice header information over other packets, and the slice header that comprises of information necessary for reconstructing the slice, wherein the transmitting unit comprises: a packet transmitter that retransmits the packet when the packet fails to be transmitted within the predetermined retry limit; and a header protector performing control for the header packet to be repeatedly transmitted within the slice deadline even when number of retransmissions of the header packet exceeds the predetermined retry limit.
US09231991B1
A method and apparatus of establishing a notification distribution is disclosed. The method may include receiving user information in a notification database identifying a notification recipient. The method may further provide receiving synchronization information from a business entity configured to upload notifications intended for the at least one user recipient. The method may also include transmitting at least one notification to the user recipient during a time window specified by the business entity.
US09231990B2
A method and apparatus for providing collaborative workspace are disclosed. The method receives a request to establish a video conference for two or more participants, and obtains information from historical information on the two or more participants to be used with the collaborative workspace. The method determines preferences for each of the two or more participants as to a presentation of the collaborative workspace. The method receives one or more live images of the two or more participants and presents the collaborative workspace to each of the two or more participants in accordance with the preferences for each of the two or more participants.
US09231989B2
A system is disclosed for creating, operating and participating in an online community that brings its users together via similar experiences (e.g., chronic illnesses) the users are having in their lives and/or the emotions those users are feeling during those experiences. The method may include receiving pane information, creating a pane including the pane information, wherein a counterpane comprises a plurality of panes, receiving a mood indicator representing a mood associated with the pane, associating the mood indicator with the pane, receiving a request for a requested mood, searching the counterpane for requested panes associated with the requested mood and distinguishing the requested panes.
US09231987B2
Technologies and implementations for providing a data center access and management settings transfer service are generally disclosed.
US09231983B2
Methods and systems for providing trusted signaling of domain-specific security policies. One method includes intercepting a connection request to a remote server from a client device on a domain and returning a security certificate with policy information for regulating the communications with the target server.
US09231982B2
Transferring metadata is disclosed. Information about a network interaction is processed to generate metadata describing the network interaction. Based on the metadata it is determined whether the metadata is to be transferred to an aggregator. In the event that the metadata is to be transferred, one or more aggregators are determined to which the metadata is to be transferred. The metadata is transferred to the one or more aggregators.
US09231979B2
This disclosure describes methods, systems, and computer-program products for determining classification rules to use within a fraud detection system The classification rules are determined by accessing distributional data representing a distribution of historical transactional events over a multivariate observational sample space defined with respect to multiple transactional variables. Each of the transactional events is represented by data with respect to each of the variables, and the distributional data is organized with respect to multi-dimensional subspaces of the sample space. A classification rule that references at least one of the subspaces is accessed, and the rule is modified using local optimization applied using the distributional data. A pending transaction is classified based on the modified classification rule and the transactional data.
US09231977B2
An approach is provided for determining one or more user inputs for specifying configurable privacy-related data for at least one shared device, wherein the one or more user inputs are associated with one or more users of the at least one shared device. The approach involves processing and/or facilitating a processing of the one or more user inputs to identify at least one potential privacy conflict resulting from the one or more user inputs. The approach also involves causing, at least in part, an initiation of at least one privacy preserving action based, at least in part, on the at least one potential privacy conflict.
US09231972B2
The present disclosure discloses a method of identifying malicious websites. The method includes: filtering a target website using a local website-filtering list; if the target website is not on the local website-filtering list, filtering the target website using a server website-filtering list. The present disclosure also discloses, based on the above-described method, a system for identifying malicious websites. By using the disclosed malicious website identifying method and system, the number of times needed to access a network to identify malicious websites can be reduced effectively. That is, the number of times that the identification calculation is performed by a network server can be reduced and, thus, increasing the speed of the identification process and reducing network traffic. As a result, the efficiency of the malicious website identifying process can be improved.
US09231970B2
Techniques for security-aware admission control of requests in a distributed system. A method includes identifying a request dropped by a first application component in a distributed system, determining one or more actions to take with respect to the dropped request, said determining comprises identifying one or more policies of the first application component responsible for the dropped request and identifying one or more additional application components in the distributed system to be affected based on the identified one or more policies, and executing said one or more actions to control admission of one or more requests associated with the dropped request at the one or more additional application components.
US09231965B1
In one embodiment, a particular node in a network determines information relating to network attack detection and mitigation from a local machine learning attack detection and mitigation system. The particular node sends a message to an address in the network indicating capabilities of the local machine learning attack detection and mitigation system based on the information. In response to the sent message, the particular node receives an indication that it is a member of a collaborative group of nodes based on the capabilities of the local machine learning attack detection and mitigation system being complementary to capabilities of other machine learning attack detection and mitigation systems. Then, in response to an attack being detected by the local machine learning attack detection and mitigation system, the particular node provides to the collaborative group of nodes an indication of attack data flows identified as corresponding to the attack.
US09231959B2
Example methods and systems are directed to a multiple transaction interface framework. A system may comprise three computing devices. The first computing device may be accessible to a plurality of users. The second computing device may be inaccessible to the plurality of users, but accessible by a user account of the first computing device. The third computing device may be inaccessible to the plurality of users, and inaccessible by the user account of the first computing device, but accessible by a user account of the second computing device. In some example embodiments, the first computing device causes a user interface to be presented. The user interface may include data retrieved from the second computing device. The data may have been retrieved by the second computing device from the third computing device, which may be configured to store the data.
US09231953B2
A network management system for managing communications in a cellular communication network comprising an access point operably coupled to an access controller. The network management system comprises an access controller configuration logic module arranged to configure the access controller with configuration information. The network management system further comprises an access point configuration logic module arranged to configure the access point with configuration information comprising, at least in part, configuration information intended for the access controller.
US09231951B2
Methods for probabilistically expediting secure connections via connection parameter reuse are provided. In one aspect, a method includes determining whether a client had previously established a secure connection with a hostname. The method also includes obtaining a source identifier used by the client to establish the previous secure connection when it is determined that the client previously established the previous secure connection with the hostname. The method also includes sending a request to the hostname for a new secure connection based on the obtained source identifier. Systems and machine-readable media are also provided.
US09231948B1
Techniques, including systems and methods, for providing access to remote computing services are described and suggested herein. In an embodiment, a first computer system provides a key to a user device over a network. The user device provides the received key to a second computer system that uses the key to authenticate the user device. The second computer system executes an operating system for the user device according to instructions received from the user device. Results of execution of the operating system are provided to the user device.
US09231946B2
Techniques are described for implementing a cloud computer system to facilitate communication between a computing device (e.g., a mobile computing device) and enterprise computer systems. In certain embodiments, the cloud computer system may receive, from a computing device, a request for a service provided by an enterprise computer system. The cloud computer system may determine security authentication of a user for the requested service. A security protocol may be determined for a requested enterprise computer system and a security token may be generated for the request according to the determined security protocol. The request may be sent to the requested enterprise computer system. In some embodiments, security authentication for a request to an enterprise computer system may be determined based on previous authentication. The cloud computer system may be configured to communicate with several different enterprise computer systems according to their supported protocols (e.g., communication protocol and/or security protocol).
US09231939B1
A system and method for integrating business tools in a social networking environment. A proxy access module includes a social network application, a business registration engine, an application directory engine, an access request engine and a graphical user interface engine. The social network application receives input from a user for sharing the business tool with other members of a social network. The business registration engine receives and processes registration information for allowing access to a business tool. The application directory engine determines whether the user has permission to access the business tool. The access request engine receives and processes a request for accessing a business tool via a social network. The graphical user interface engine generates graphical data for displaying a business tool.
US09231936B1
A computer-implemented method for authenticating messages in a control area network is described. In one embodiment, a message identifier for a data message is ascertained. Each device is associated with one or more message identifiers. The data message is sent from a first device to a second device. The data message is associated with the ascertained message identifier. An authentication code computed by the first device is sent to the second device. The authentication code is sent by the first device in the data message or in an authentication message.
US09231928B2
A method involving a communication device, which comprises sending a request to a communication device; receiving a response from the communication device over a local communication path; deriving a received data set from said response; determining at least one data set that had been previously transmitted to the communication device over a wireless portion of a second communication path different from the local communication path; and validating the response based on the received data set and the at least one previously transmitted data set.
US09231923B1
Organizations maintain and generate large amounts of sensitive information using computer hardware resources and services of a service provider. Furthermore, there is a need to be able to delete large amounts of data securely and quickly by encrypting the data with a key and destroying the key. To ensure that information stored remotely is secured and capable of secure deletion, cryptographic keys used by the organization should be prevented from being persistently stored during serialization operations. If the keys used to encrypt the data have not been exposed during serialization operation, they may be deleted or destroyed enabling the destruction of data encrypted with the keys.
US09231917B2
Methods and apparatus for optimizing security configurations of a set of computers are disclosed. A set of local servers, each functioning as a deep-security manager supporting a respective subset of the computers, maintains protection software containing filters and rules for deploying each filter. A local server receives updated protection software from a central server. Each local server interrogates each computer of its subset of computers to acquire computer-characterizing data and applies relevant rules to determine an optimal set of filters for each computer. Each rule adaptively determines required characterizing data elements from each computer for determining an optimal security configuration. A local server updates the security configuration of a computer to suit changes in the operational environment of the computer.
US09231911B2
A network device to provide per-user firewall capabilities. The network device identifies a user associated with a received frame and a role of the user. The network device determines the firewall actions to be taken for the frame based on the role of the associated user. The user role may be dynamically changed by an administrator or automatically. A user role may be altered based on the authentication level of the user. The network device provides a system where a customized authentication experience may be provided for each user and services and permissions may be managed on a per-user basis.
US09231908B2
Aspects of the subject matter described herein relate to symmetric routing to a private network. In aspects, a remote client may try to connect to an entity of a private network using a non-routable network address. Upon detecting that connectivity is not established or not possible via a given network address, the client may obtain network data associated with a gateway that provides access to the private network and create a virtual interface where the gateway is the next-hop router. After creating the virtual interface, the client may communicate with entities of the private network using the virtual interface of the client. By sending traffic through the virtual interface with a source address having a prefix associated with the gateway, the client may ensure that traffic sent to and from the private network traverses the gateway.
US09231904B2
A method, system, and computer program product for network-connected devices.
US09231891B2
Some embodiments provide a method that identifies several higher level switching elements for facilitating lower level switching elements to forward packets among network hosts. The method establishes a set of tunnels among the lower level switching elements and the higher level switching elements. At least one tunnel is established between a lower level switching element and a higher level switching element. For each higher level switching element in the several higher level switching elements, the method identifies a first set of forwarding data that specifies forwarding of packets between the higher level switching element and the several lower level switching elements. For each lower level switching element in the several lower level switching elements, the method identifies a second set of forwarding data that specifies forwarding of packets between the lower level switching element, the several of network hosts, and the several higher level switching elements.
US09231887B2
The subject specification comprises techniques employing multi-stage multi-layer switches for packet switching using fully shared buffers with a scalable switch fabric. A switch component includes a set of input modules (IMs) of switches that receive packets and are associated with a set of central modules (CMs) of switches that are associated with a set of memories. The switch component includes a second set of CMs associated with the set of memories, the second set of CMs being associated with a set of output modules (OMs) that can provide packets as output. A switch management component controls switching of the packets between the IMs and first set of CMs to the memories during a first switching phase, and switching of the packets from the memories to the second set of CMs to the OMs for output during a second switching phase, based on a defined scheduling algorithm.
US09231884B2
A traffic control device that controls traffic of data transmitted from mobile units that belong to different groups, includes a memory, and a processor coupled to the memory, configured to switch an output destination for the data in accordance with a group and a type of the data, store the data to a plurality of data storage sections on a first-in-first-out basis, adjust an output timing for the stored data in accordance with the group and the type of the data, and attach an identifier to the data output from the plurality of data storage sections in accordance with the group and the type of the data.
US09231874B2
The embodiments herein relate to a method in a network node (110) for handling TCP traffic in a packet switched network (100). The network node (110) receives TCP traffic from a mobile node (101). The TCP traffic comprises an original window size. The network node (110) replaces the original window size with an optimized window size when the network node (110) comprises information about dropped TCP traffic and when the original window size is larger than the optimized window size. The network node (110) sends the TCP traffic comprising the optimized window size to a correspondent node (105) in the packet switched network (100) indicating an amount of TCP traffic receivable by the mobile node (101).
US09231865B2
An architecture for a specialized electronic computer for high-speed data lookup employs a set of tiles each with independent logic elements lookup memory portions. The tiles may each comprise gate-array-like functional units that may be wired together by a multi-way switch for extremely low latency.
US09231864B2
Techniques for managing packets in an input/output virtualization (IOV) capable computing environment are described herein. One aspect comprises receiving, at one or more transceivers comprising an input/output capable adapter, a packet addressed to an input/output virtualization capable adapter destination, and forwarding the packet to a virtual router; applying, by a processor circuit coupled to the one or more transceivers, one or more packet management policies to the packet via the virtual router; routing the packet via the virtual router to the input/output virtualization capable adapter destination; and transmitting the packet to the input/output virtualization capable adapter destination via an input/output virtualization capable adapter architecture. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US09231862B2
The present disclosure discloses a method and network device for selective service based virtual local area network (VLAN) flooding. The disclosed system receives a packet originated from a device received on a first VLAN, and flood one or more copies of the packet to a second and different VLAN if the packet is received on an access port. Furthermore, the system will flood copies of the packet to the first and same VLAN if the packet is received on a trunk port. The device originating the packet is a member of the first VLAN but not a member of the second VLAN.
US09231856B2
A method for detecting a message loop, a routing agent apparatus, and a networking system. The method for detecting a message loop includes: receiving a request message sent by a network element apparatus; acquiring routing information for sending the request message to a server apparatus; detecting whether a next-hop link for sending the request message in the routing information and a link for receiving the request message belong to a same link set; and sending a response to the network element apparatus that a message loop is detected, when it is detected that the link for sending the request message in the routing information and the link for receiving the request message belong to a same link set. The technical solutions disclosed herein can improve the efficiency of detecting the message loop and thus have strong practicability.
US09231837B2
Methods and apparatus for analyzing, collecting, and presenting data in a communication network are disclosed. An example method includes analyzing collected data to generate gateway metrics representative of a user experience of a user-initiated communication within a network, the network comprising network elements, the gateway metrics comprising at least one of a number of termination attempts for a DS0 channel, a number of rejected attempts for the DS0 channel, a number of terminations answered for the DS0 channel, a number of attempts for a hunt group, a number of rejected attempts for the hunt group, or a number of terminations answered for the hunt group; determining an average upper transaction time per customer based on the collected data; and presenting the gateway metrics in a plurality of tabular views corresponding to service area levels, the views presenting performance data representing the average upper transaction times of the service area levels.
US09231828B2
One embodiment provides a system that facilitates bandwidth-profile enforcement. During operation, the system indicates a packet's compliance with a bandwidth profile based at least on available high-compliance tokens and medium-compliance tokens. The system further accounts for overflow tokens from a respective class of service (CoS) and distribute an overflow token to another CoS priority level based on the overflow token's CoS information.
US09231827B2
An apparatus and method for centralized policy management of large-scale networks (221) of computational devices is disclosed. The apparatus includes a number of distributed clients (400) run on registered computers (201-203), gathering policy advisories (401) and reporting (405) relevance (403) to a system administrator (224). The system administrator may view the relevant messages (505) through a management interface (500) and deploy suggested actions to distributed clients (503), where the actions are executed to apply the solutions of the advisories (408).
US09231826B2
A method of zero configuration for a virtual distributed device in a distributed network is disclosed. A plurality of peer devices are added as virtual devices to a network device. Configuration information is imported to the network device. A peer group comprising the plurality of peer devices, and corresponding topology of the peer group, are established in the network device. A connection between the network device and one of the plurality of peer devices is established via an uplink switch, the plurality of peer devices being connected to one another by virtual links. The network device distributes the configuration information to the plurality of peer devices in accordance with the established topology via the peer device connected to the uplink switch.
US09231818B2
Methods, systems, apparatuses, and/or computer-readable media for providing device management via application modification may be provided. In some embodiments, upon receiving a request to perform an action associated with an application, a determination as to whether performing the action will utilize a metered resource may be made. If so, a further determination may be made as to whether the request complies with at least one cost compliance policy and, in response to determining that the request complies with the at least one cost compliance policy, the action may be caused and/or authorize to be performed.
US09231815B2
Systems and methods for script injection are shown and described. The method can include intercepting, by a network appliance, a request for a web page from a computing device, transmitting, by the network appliance, the request for a web page to a web server, and intercepting, by the network appliance, a response from the web server, the response including at least a portion of the requested web page. The method can also include injecting, by the network appliance, a script having instructions that when executed by the computing device registers to be notified of the occurrence of a web page event thereby creating a modified response and transmitting the modified response to the computing device that requested the web page.
US09231811B2
A receiver device is provided with: channel estimation unit which obtains channel estimation values for a frequency domain on the basis of pilot symbols disposed in an OFDM subcarrier; interpolation unit which performs interpolation so that the number of samples of channel estimation values obtained by the channel estimation unit is a power of 2; transformation unit which transforms the channel estimation values interpolated by the interpolation unit into a time domain to obtain a delay profile; and power peak position detection unit which detects a power peak position of the delay profile so as to obtain a propagation delay time. The power peak position detection unit references the signal power of the portion interpolated by the interpolation unit in order to detect a suitable power peak position in the delay profile.
US09231809B2
Logic may determine phase correction information from pilot tones. Logic may determine phase correction information from some of the pilot locations. Logic may process the shifting pilot tones for less than all of the pilot tones. Logic may process pilot tones at any location within orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) packet. Logic may determine to process only pilot tones at the even or odd symbol indices or subcarriers. And logic may transmit a packet with a frame with a capabilities information field comprising an indication that a receiver may can process shifting pilot tones for phase tracking.
US09231808B1
Embodiments of the present disclosure generally pertain to systems and methods for compensating for impulse noise. A system in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure comprises a receiver coupled to a subscriber line. The receiver is configured to receive an encoded data signal via the subscriber line and separate the signal into a common mode (CM) signal and a differential mode (DM) signal. The receiver is further configured to detect impulse noise on the CM signal and mark corresponding sub-words of the DM signal affected by the detected impulse noise as erasures. The receiver then decodes the DM signal based on whether the sub-words are marked as erasures.
US09231806B2
Systems and/or methods for communication generate a plurality of spatial streams. Each of the spatial streams comprises a plurality of symbols. At least a portion of a training sequence is distributed across a first symbol in a first one of the spatial streams and a second symbol in a second one of the spatial streams.
US09231802B2
An apparatus including a receiver coupled to receive an input signal from a communication link and operable to employ decision feedback equalization to the input signal of the communication link and generate an edge sample signal. The apparatus also includes a timing recovery module coupled to the receiver and operable to receive the edge sample signal and use the edge sample signal to generate a data sampling phase signal, wherein the edge sample signal influences a settling point of the data sampling phase signal.
US09231801B2
A wireless communication device including two or more aggressor transmitters and a victim receiver that is adversely affected by intermodulation distortion (IMD) components associated with the signals transmitted by the two or more aggressor transmitters. Because the aggressor transmitters and the victim receiver are located on the same device, the transmit waveforms that contribute to the IMD components are known and available. More specifically, digital baseband samples used by the aggressor transmitters to generate the transmit waveforms are available. These digital baseband samples are used to reconstruct the IMD component on the wireless device. This reconstructed (estimated) IMD component is provided to the victim receiver, and is subtracted from a signal received by the victim receiver, thereby effectively removing the IMD component present in this received signal. An adaptive filter using a Volterra series can be used to estimate the IMD component in response to the transmitter digital baseband samples.
US09231792B1
An adaptive equalization system and operating method thereof are disclosed herein. According to an embodiment, an apparatus comprises a plurality of equalizers and control logic to selectively enable one or more equalizers of the plurality of equalizers and disable one or more other equalizers of the plurality of equalizers based, at least in part, on a quality of the channel over which the signal is received. In another embodiment, the apparatus includes first control logic to select an equalizer for a header of a packet and second control logic to select an equalizer for a data payload of the packet.
US09231785B2
A method, computer readable medium and apparatus for clearing hang calls in a communication network are disclosed. For example, the method detects a failure of an adjacent call stateful network element in a signaling path, identifies one or more calls that are affected by the failure of the adjacent call stateful network element, tests a media path of the one or more calls for activity and clears the one or more calls that are affected by the failure of the adjacent call stateful network element if the media path of the one or more calls is inactive.
US09231784B2
A method and system for eliminating redundant connections, including transmitting a request to merge two connections, terminating a first portion of a first connection, terminating a first portion of a second connection, and merging a second portion of each of the first and second connections, are described. A method and system for merging connections, including receiving a request to merge two connections, terminating a first portion of a first connection, terminating a first portion of a second connection, and merging a second portion of each of the first and second connections.
US09231780B2
A radio frequency (RF) switching circuit may include: a first switching circuit unit connected between a first signal port for signal transmission and reception and a common connection node connected to an antenna port and operated according to a first gate signal; a second switching circuit unit connected between a second signal port for signal transmission and reception and the common connection node and operated according to a second gate signal; a negative voltage generating unit generating a negative voltage using a voltage of an RF signal from the common connection node; and a gate signal generating unit generating the first and second gate signals using the negative voltage from the negative voltage generating unit and an operating voltage.
US09231776B2
A system and method handles a group session of a communication group. The method includes determining server association data and access network association data for each mobile unit in a communication group. The server association data indicates a first association with a Push-To-Talk (PTT) server. The access network association data indicates a second association with an operating area respective to the PTT servers. The method includes determining a first MU of the MUs in the communication group being associated with a first PTT server and associated with a MBMS operating area of a second PTT server, the first PTT server controlling the group session. When none of the MUs participating in the group session is associated with the second PTT server, the method includes inviting the second PTT server to join the group session of the communication group.
US09231775B2
Conference participants are selected via a network element in a network, the geographical area locations, for example, buildings of an enterprise, of the conference participants are determined and depending on the determined locations a geographical conference area, for example a conference room is determined for each conference participant. The conference area together with the conference information is communicated to the conference participants. The availability of the conference participants can be checked for the communication.
US09231771B2
An arrangement for gathering data from a communication network (101) includes a server device (102) connected to the communication network. The arrangement includes in user terminal devices (107,108) an interface application arranged to transmit to the server device first data related to telecommunication services provided by the communication network. The server device is arranged to produce second data, e.g. fees payable due to the usage of the telecommunication services, at least partly on the basis of the first data and to make the second data accessible to users (109,110) of the user terminal devices. The user terminal devices are utilised in gathering data from the communication network and thus the data is automatically gathered from those locations of the communication network in which the network and the telecommunication services are being used and thus no separate devices for gathering data are needed.
US09231765B2
A trusted device, such as a wristwatch 2, is provided with authentication circuitry 26, used to perform an authentication operation to switch the trusted device into an authenticated state. Retention monitoring circuitry 32 monitors the physical possession of the trusted device by the user following the authentication operation and switches the trusted device out of an authenticated state if the trusted device does not remain in the physical possession of the user. While the trusted device remains in the physical possession of the user, communication triggering circuitry 38 is used to detect a request to establish communication with a target device that is one of a plurality of different target devices and communication circuitry 40 is used to communicate with that target device using an authenticated identity of the user.
US09231759B2
The invention relates to a method of authenticating a user equipment in a communications network. The method involves sending a message from a network entity to the user equipment. This message includes a set of options for an authentication procedure for authenticating an internet protocol communication over a first interface between the user equipment and the network entity; said options including a “shared key”-based authentication procedure. The method also involves selecting an option from the set. In the event that the “shared-key”-based authentication procedure is selected, a shared secret from a security key established in a generic bootstrapping architecture (GBA) is generated over a second interface between the user equipment and a bootstrapping service function. The shared secret is then used to compute and verify authentication payloads in the key-based authentication procedure for the communication over the first interface.
US09231751B1
A clock-data recovery circuit includes a variable delay circuit that adjusts timing of a recovered clock by an amount to recover a received data stream at timing corresponding to a maximum opening of an eye pattern of the data stream. The delay timing is adjusted iteratively. The data stream in input to a 2-bit ADC, where the sampled data stream is compared with reference values representative of conditions of the eye pattern, and a result of the comparisons increases or decreases the clock delay according to a relative height of the eye pattern. A method of clock-data recovery uses the recovery circuit.
US09231750B2
Described herein are systems and methods for reducing power consumption, latency, and chip complexity in a datacom/telecom multiplexer and demultiplexer. Adding a high frequency analog domain data path around or in place of a standard digital core data path allows the elimination of the demultiplexing and multiplexing stages required to drop the data rate of data streams down to that required for a standard digital core. Latency is also reduced due to the higher operating frequency of sequential elements required for data operations. The digital core can be powered down when not in use, and can be activated when necessary.
US09231746B2
The present invention refers to a method and a transmitter element (35) for transmitting channel information (CI) for link adaptation of a radio channel (33) in a wireless network (11). In order to allow for reliable and efficient transfer of the channel information (CI) and to adapt the detection probability to the importance of the CI as well as to the channel stability, it is suggested that the method comprises encoding (19) the channel information (CI) using multi-level coding, said multi-level coding (19) comprising combining multiple bit sequences (c1, c2, . . . , cn, d), each bit sequence (c1, c2, . . . , cn, d) corresponding to a coding level (1, . . . , n) of said multilevel coding (19) and assigning (37) one of said coding levels (1, . . . , n) to at least a part (ci1, ci2) of the channel information (CI) such that at least a part (ci1, ci2) of the channel information (CI) corresponds to the bit sequence (c1, c2, . . . , cn) of that coding level (1, . . . , n). Furthermore, the present invention refers to a method and a receiver element for receiving the transmitted channel information (CI).
US09231744B2
A method and apparatus of a user equipment are provided for transmitting a channel status report in a communication system. The method includes receiving first information for at least one channel status report; generating a first channel status report corresponding to the first information for the at least one channel status report based on a reference signal in a first subframe; and transmitting the first channel status report based on the first information for the at least one channel status report in a second subframe. The first information for the at least one channel status report comprises information for a period and an offset, and a difference between the first subframe and the second subframe is a smallest value greater than or equal to a predetermined value.
US09231742B2
A base station transmits a message comprising configuration parameters of first radio resources of a control channel. The first radio resources comprise one or more sets of resource blocks in a subset of subframes in a plurality of subframes. The base station transmits scheduling information on the control channel for a packet transmitted on an uplink data channel. The base station transmits a positive or negative acknowledgement on second radio resources of a feedback channel for the received packet. The second radio resources start from a first OFDM symbol of a second subframe.
US09231739B2
A wireless station includes a receiver configured to receive a packet, a processor configured to set a retransmission start time of a packet transmitted to another wireless station based on the received packet, and a transmitter configured to control transmission of a packet that is the same as the transmitted packet in accordance with whether a response signal responsive to the transmitted packet is received before the set retransmission start time is reached.
US09231734B2
An apparatus and a method for performing shortening and puncturing in case of performing encoding and decoding using a parity test matrix in a communication/broadcasting system are provided. The method includes determining a number of zero-padding bits, determining a number Npad of bit groups in which all bits are padded with zeros, padding the all bits within 0th to (Npad−1)th bit groups with zeros based on a shortening pattern, encoding information bits including the zero-padded bits to generate a codeword. Here, the shortening pattern is defined in a sequence of bit groups defined as 9, 8, 15, 10, 0, 12, 5, 27, 6, 7, 19, 22, 1, 16, 26, 20, 21, 18, 11, 3, 17, 24, 2, 23, 25, 14, 28, 4, 13, 29.
US09231731B1
The common-mode input voltage of a common-gate input amplifier receiving a differential signal is set in an open-loop manner by basing the bias current and/or source load impedances of the common-gate amplifier on a transmitter bias current and driving impedance. The common-mode input voltage of a common-gate input amplifier receiving a differential signal may be set in a closed-loop manner using a feedback loop having a captured target voltage compared to the common-mode input voltage at a node of the amplifier. The common-mode input voltage of a common-gate input amplifier receiving a differential signal may be set in a continuous time closed loop manner by sending a reference current through resistances that are multiples of a resistance used to generate the reference current.
US09231730B2
A radio communication device includes a first antenna, a second antenna, a phase varying section that varies a phase of a first RF signal received by or transmitted from the first antenna, and a phase control section that causes the phase varying section to vary a phase amount, which is a varied amount of the phase of the first RF signal received by or transmitted from the first antenna. Thus, it is possible to prevent the size of a device configuration from increasing and avoid the lowering of a reception electric field level in a localized area.
US09231729B2
A data communication system comprises a wave-front multiplexer configured to wave-front multiplex first electronic signals into second electronic signals. An electronic-to-optical converter is configured to convert a third electronic signal carrying information associated with the second electronic signals into a first optical signal. An optical transferring module is configured to split the first optical signal into second optical signals, wherein each of the second optical signals carries the same data as the first optical signal carries. Optical-to-electronic converters are configured to convert the second optical signals into fourth electronic signals. Wave-front demultiplexers each are configured to wave-front demultiplex the fourth electronic signals into fifth electronic signals equivalent to the first electronic signals respectively.
US09231722B2
A method and system for channelizing a Passive Optical Network (PON) Media Access Controller (MAC) includes increasing a clock rate of each of one or more PON MAC(s) to create communication lanes each comprising a plurality of N channels. The PONs are channelized according to NX, where N equals a number of ports supported by the MAC and X equals a designated operating PON MAC clocking rate allowing for leveraging of existing Passive Optical Network (PON) infrastructures to provide a more power efficient and physically smaller MAC layer for OLTs.
US09231719B2
A sensor system includes a first sensor and a second sensor and a multiplexor having at least two multiplexer inputs connected to the sensors. The output of the multiplexor is connected to a time correlation logic circuit via at least a signal conditioning and anti-aliasing filter, and the output of the time correlation logic is a time correlated sensor reading of the first and second sensor.
US09231705B1
A data communications network in which a first information-containing radio frequency signal input is applied to a modulation circuit for modulating a carrier wave with the signal input, and a second information-containing radio frequency signal is applied to at the modulation circuit for modulating least one of the constellation points of the first modulation.
US09231687B2
Disclosed is a communication system including a first communication apparatus and a second communication apparatus that communicate with each other through a dual polarization antenna, the system including: a first communication apparatus which calculates a co-polar ratio defined by a ratio of a first channel gain for a first polarization and a second channel gain for a second polarization; and a second communication apparatus which calculates a first rotation angle for the first polarization and a second rotation angle for the second polarization, respectively, by using the co-polar ratio transferred from the first communication apparatus, and transmits to the first communication apparatus a first rotational polarization generated by rotating the first polarization at the first rotation angle and a second rotational polarization generated by rotating the second polarization at the second rotation angle.
US09231678B2
A method and system is disclosed for precoding in a two transmit antenna MIMO system, for example, a wireless backhaul network. The method only uses the first column of the 2×2 precoder as the feedback information. When the feedback information is available to the transmitter, the transmitter performs an interpolation and reconstruction procedure to obtain the precoder matrix for each subcarrier. The method offers no significant loss in performance, with reduced computational complexity and feedback overhead compared to conventional known matrix representation methods.
US09231669B2
A system and method for optimizing the performance for MIMO are provided, the system including multiple antennas, including at least one modal antenna, wherein each of the at least one modal antenna has multiple modes corresponding to multiple radiation patterns, and a processor coupled to the multiple antennas and configured to select a mode among the multiple modes to optimize signal quality for each time interval based on a CQI by considering envelop correlation effects.
US09231657B2
Embodiments of methods and systems for adaptive sub-band point-to-point communication are presented. In one embodiment a method includes performing functions using a power line communication (PLC) transmitter device. The method may include generating a first data packet having a first adaptive sub-band information set, the first sub-band information set comprising information to be used by a PLC receiver for determining a sub-band hopping pattern. The method may also include transmitting the first data packet on a first PLC sub-band. Additionally, the method may include hopping to a second PLC sub-band, and generating a second data packet having a second adaptive sub-band information set, the second sub-band information set comprising information to be used by the PLC receiver for determine the sub-band hopping pattern. The method may further include transmitting the second data packet on the second PLC sub-band.
US09231649B2
A method of generating the correlation function of a TMBOC(6,1,4/33) signal according to the present invention includes generating a signal delayed based on a phase delay τ with respect to a signal pulse train of a TMBOC(6,1,4/33)-modulated received signal, generating 12 partial correlation functions by performing the autocorrelation operation of the received signal and the delayed signal with respect to a total time T(0≦t≦T) , generating a sub-correlation function by performing an elimination operation of sixth and seventh partial correlation functions, and generating a main correlation function by summing results obtained by performing elimination operations between the remaining 10 partial correlation functions, excluding the sixth and seventh early partial correlation functions from the 12 partial correlation functions, and the sub-correlation function. The elimination operation is an operation satisfying algebraic relations in which |A|+|B|−|A−B|=0 when real numbers A and B are AB≦0 and |A|+|B|−|A−B|>0 when the real numbers A and B are AB>0 .
US09231646B1
A method for single signal transmit/receive module amplifier switching control is disclosed. Step (A) of the method may receive a control signal through a single pin of a circuit. The control signal may alternately conveys (i) a receive mode and (ii) a transmit mode. Step (B) may generate a transmit signal in a disabled state in response to the control signal transitioning from the transmit mode to the receive mode. The transmit signal in the disabled state is generally configured to disable a transmit amplifier. Step (C) may generate a receive signal in an enabled state a receive delay time after the control signal transitions from the transmit mode to the receive mode. The receive signal in the enabled state is generally configured to enable a receive amplifier. The receive delay time may allow the transmit amplifier to switch off before the receive amplifier switches on.
US09231645B2
A mobile terminal apparatus includes: a microphone; a switch control unit, which switches between a normal mode, in which a voice uttered toward the microphone is transmitted to an intended party, and a mute mode, in which the voice is not transmitted to the intended party; and a proximity sensor, which detects whether a detection object is in proximity to the proximity sensor, wherein, while the mute mode is being executed, if the detection object is detected by the proximity sensor, the switch control unit switches to the normal mode.
US09231628B2
A system may comprise circuitry that includes a sequence estimation circuit and a non-linearity modeling circuit. The circuitry may be operable to receive a single-carrier signal that was generated by passage of symbols through a partial response filter and through a non-linear circuit. The circuitry may be operable to generate estimated values of the symbols using the sequence estimation circuit and using the non-linearity modeling circuit. An output of the non-linearity modeling circuit may be equal to a corresponding input of the non-linearity modeling circuit modified according to a non-linear model that approximates the non-linearity of the non-linear circuit through which the received signal passed.
US09231625B2
A radio that includes a transceiver to transmit and receive RF signals. The transceiver including a transmitter, a transformer, and a receiver, the transformer is coupled to and shared between the transmitter and the receiver. A resonator is formed by the combination of the transformer and capacitive elements of the transmitter and receiver.
US09231609B1
A dielectric resonator oscillator includes a dielectric resonator; a transmission line disposed adjacent the dielectric resonator; an active device having an input electrically connected to the transmission line; a matching network having an input electrically connected to an output of the active device and an output configured to be connected to a load; wherein both the transmission line and the active device are positioned sufficiently close to the dielectric resonator to form part of a resonant circuit with the dielectric resonator.
US09231608B1
A method and apparatus is provided for on-the-fly calibration of and correction for time interleave error, including generation of correction data associated with an interleave corrector employed by a system for converting a time-domain input stream, corresponding to samples acquired from an interleaved system of digitizers having impairment due to interleave mismatch, to a time-domain output stream. The method includes determining at least one time-domain acquisition segment; determining at least one frequency-domain acquisition segment; determining at least one frequency-domain block acquisition segment, whereby the frequency-domain block acquisition segment comprises a block of tone values; determining the suitability of the frequency-domain block acquisition segment for use in the generation of adjusted correction data; determining a block dominant tone segment from the frequency-domain block acquisition segment; and determining a block impairment transfer column vector in accordance with the block dominant tone segment and the frequency-domain block acquisition segment.
US09231607B2
A digital-to-analog converter (DAC) system includes a DAC and a clock interconnect module. The DAC includes a plurality of segments and a plurality of drivers. Each of the plurality of segments receives driver signals from a respective one of the plurality of drivers and generates a positive output and a negative output based on the driver signals. Each of the plurality of drivers receives a respective one of a plurality of clock signals and outputs the driver signals based on the respective one of the plurality of clock signals. The clock interconnect module includes an interconnect loop. A clock input is connected to a first portion of the interconnect loop and the plurality of clock signals are output from a second portion of the interconnect loop connected to the plurality of drivers. An output interconnect module receives the positive outputs and the negative outputs generates a differential output signal.
US09231595B2
A method for efficient logging in a control system is provided. A first plurality of registers, frequently accessed registers, is identified. A request is received from a server to access at least one of the first plurality of registers. The request includes a second plurality of registers and a plurality of data values to be stored in the second plurality of registers. At least some registers included in the request are frequently accessed registers. A third plurality of registers is identified based on predetermined criteria for inclusion. The third plurality of registers is a subset of the second plurality of registers storing a corresponding subset of the plurality of data values. A log entry is stored in an event log file corresponding to each data value included the third plurality of registers.
US09231592B1
A clock generating circuit includes oscillators each having a delay rise vote input, a delay fall vote input, a delay rise output, a delay fall output, and a clock output; a vote rise circuit having inputs coupled individually to the delay rise outputs of the oscillators, and an output coupled in common to the delay rise vote inputs of the oscillators; a vote fall circuit having inputs coupled individually to the delay fall outputs of the oscillators, and an output coupled in common to the delay fall vote inputs of the oscillators; and a vote clock circuit having inputs coupled individually to the clock outputs of the oscillators, and an output for providing a synchronized clock signal.
US09231591B1
An apparatus includes a first programmable circuit block including a plurality of programmable circuit elements. The plurality of programmable circuit elements include a hardwired, instrumented memory element. The instrumented memory element includes a first flip-flop configured to receive a data signal, a delay circuit configured to generate a delayed version of the data signal, and a second flip-flop identical to the first flip-flop and configured to receive the delayed version of the data signal. The instrumented memory element also may include a comparator configured to compare an output signal from the first flip-flop and an output signal from the second flip-flop and an error signal generator. The error signal generator is configured to generate an error signal responsive to a mismatch of bits between the output signal from the first flip-flop and the output signal from the second flip-flop.
US09231580B2
A semiconductor apparatus includes a back bias control block, a first back bias switching block and second back bias switching block. The back bias control block is configured to generate a first P channel control signal and a second N channel control signal. The first back bias switching block is configured to provide one of first and second high voltages as a first P channel back bias of a first circuit in response to the first P channel control signal, and to provide one of first and second low voltages as a first N channel back bias of the first circuit in response to the first N channel control signal. The second back bias switching block is configured to provide one of the first and second high voltages as a second P channel back bias of a second circuit in response to the second P channel control signal, and to provide one of the first and second low voltages as a second N channel back bias of the second circuit in response to the second N channel control signal.
US09231573B2
A driving circuit includes first and second switches coupled in series, a delay generating circuit and a delay controlling circuit. The delay generating circuit and the delay controlling circuit are coupled to first and second control terminals of the first and second switches. The delay generating circuit is configured to alternately turn ON the first switch and the second switch in accordance with an input signal and with a delay between successive ON times of the first switch and the second switch. The delay controlling circuit is configured to store a setting of the delay, and control the delay generating circuit to generate the delay in accordance with the stored setting, a first voltage on the first control terminal and a second voltage on the second control terminal.
US09231566B2
The circuit includes a first wiring for supplying a power supply potential to a signal processing circuit, a transistor for controlling electrical connection between the first wiring and a second wiring for supplying the a power supply potential, and a transistor for determining whether or not the first wiring is grounded. At least one of the two transistors is a transistor whose channel is formed in the oxide semiconductor layer. This makes it possible to reduce power consumption due to cutoff current of at least one of the two transistors.
US09231565B2
A circuit includes a bipolar transistor circuit including a first node, a second node, and a plurality of bipolar transistors coupled in parallel between the first node and the second node. The circuit further includes a drive circuit configured to switch on a first group of the plurality of bipolar transistors, the first group including a first subgroup and a second subgroup and each of the first subgroup and the second subgroup including one or more of the bipolar transistors. The drive circuit is further configured to switch off the first subgroup at the end of a first time period and switch off the second subgroup at a time instant before the end of the first time period.
US09231564B2
A gate on array driver unit, a gate on array driver circuit, and a display device. The gate on array driver unit comprises an input sampling unit, an output unit, a reset unit, and a storage capacitor. The storage capacitor is connected at a first end thereof to a gate electrode driving signal output end of the present stage. The input sampling unit is connected to a second end of the storage capacitor, and, under the control of a gate electrode driving signal of a previous stage of the gate on array driver unit, precharges the storage capacitor and allows the gate driving signal of the present stage to sample the input signal. The output unit is connected to the second end of the storage capacitor, and, when the input sampling unit completes the precharging of the storage capacitor, controls the output of the gate electrode driving signal of the present stage. The reset unit, under the control of the gate electrode driving signal of the gate on array driver unit of a next stage, resets the gate electrode driving signal of the present stage. Employment of the gate on array driver unit allows for reduced circuit layout area for the gate on array driver circuit.
US09231563B2
A system and method for assigning received channels to preset tuning keys of a receiver. A series of preset keys are sequentially labeled and one preset key, such as the preset key marked “0,” is a pre-defined preset key. An elongated pressing of the pre-defined key causes the currently tuned channel, if it is not assigned to a preset key, to be assigned to an unassigned preset key. If the currently tuned channel is already assigned to a preset key, pressing the pre-defined key instead causes the currently selected channel to be un-assigned from that preset key. Radios with two tuners that each process different sets of radio signals assign channels for a particular tuner to alternating preset keys, allowing acceleration of sequentially selecting channels assigned to pre-set keys by pre-tuning another tuner to the next channel in the sequence.
US09231558B2
A high frequency power amplifier includes an amplification element amplifying a high frequency signal; a duplexer to which an output signal of the amplification element is inputted, the duplexer allowing a signal of a certain frequency band to pass and attenuating signals of other frequency bands; a matching circuit connected between the amplification element and the duplexer; an external terminal connected to the matching circuit; and a passive element connected between the external terminal and a grounding point. The amplification element, the matching circuit, and the duplexer are integrally mounted on a single substrate. The passive element is located outside the substrate.
US09231551B2
A common mode filter with a multi-spiral layer structure includes a first coil, a first insulating layer, a second coil, a second insulating layer, a third coil, a third insulating layer, and a fourth coil, wherein the first coil serially connects with the fourth coil, and the second coil serially connects with the third coil. A first conductive pillar is configured to connect the first coil and the fourth coil, and a second conductive pillar is configured to connect the second coil and the third coil, wherein the first conductive pillar and the second conductive pillar are internally diagonally disposed relatively within a corner or the same side of corners of the rectangular spiral.
US09231547B2
The present invention discloses a filter for removing noise, which includes: a lower magnetic body; an insulating layer disposed on the lower magnetic body and including at least one conductor pattern; input and output stud terminals electrically connected to the conductor pattern for electrical input and output of the conductor pattern; and an upper magnetic body consisting of an inner upper magnetic body including ferrite powder with a size corresponding to the interval between the input and output stud terminals and an outer upper magnetic body including ferrite powder with a size corresponding to the interval between the input and output stud terminals and an outer surface of the lower magnetic body.According to the present invention, it is possible to implement a coil part with high performance and characteristics by increasing permeability and improving impedance characteristics through simple structure and process.
US09231544B2
An amplifier circuit and a method of amplification using automatic gain control (AGC) are disclosed. A method for reducing distortions incurred by an audio signal when being rendered by an electronic device is described. The method comprises receiving an input signal; determining signal strength; determining a frequency-dependent AGC filter; wherein the frequency-dependent AGC filter is adapted to selectively attenuate the input signal within a number N of predetermined frequency ranges, according to corresponding N degrees of attenuation; wherein N predetermined frequency ranges depend upon a rendering characteristic of the electronic device; and wherein the N-degrees of attenuation depend upon the signal strength; and attenuating the input signal using the frequency-dependent AGC filter to obtain an output signal for rendering by the electronic device.
US09231537B1
An apparatus having a first circuit and a second circuit. The first circuit may be configured to generate an output signal in response to an intermediate signal. The first circuit may be implemented using a first transistor type. The second circuit may be configured to generate the intermediate signal in response to (i) an input signal and (ii) a feedback of the output signal. The second circuit may be implemented using a second transistor type. The output signal is an amplified version of the input signal while maintaining linearity.
US09231534B2
A method and apparatus is provided to improve upon the efficiency of a power amplifier. Suitable hardware/software in the form of circuitry, logic gates, and/or code functions to construct an envelope tracking waveform of an input communications signal and modulate the input supply voltage based on power amplifier circuitry operational parameters such as slew rates.
US09231530B1
A system for calibrating a power amplifier (PA) includes a memory, a processor, a digital pre-distorter (DPD), and a data converter. The DPD includes a programming interface module, a pattern generator, a multiplier, and a pre-distorter module. The multiplier multiplies reference baseband stream data from the memory with pattern coefficient data generated by the pattern generator to generate shaped reference baseband stream data. The pre-distorter module generates pre-distorted shaped reference baseband stream data. The PA receives a low-power reference radio frequency (RF) signal corresponding to the pre-distorted shaped reference baseband stream data and generates a high-power reference RF signal. The processor receives and compares the pre-distorted shaped reference baseband stream data with amplified shaped reference baseband stream data corresponding to the high-power reference RF signal, and adjusts pre-distortion parameters in the pre-distorter module based on the comparison such that the PA generates a linear high-power RF signal.
US09231517B2
A photovoltaic array, including: (a) supports laid out on a surface in rows and columns; (b) photovoltaic modules positioned on top of the supports; and (c) fasteners connecting the photovoltaic modules to the supports, wherein the supports have an upper pedestal surface and a lower pedestal surface such that the photovoltaic modules are positioned at a non-horizontal angle when edges of the photovoltaic modules are positioned on top of the upper and lower pedestal surfaces, and wherein a portion of the fasteners rotate to lock the photovoltaic modules onto the supports.
US09231513B2
An electric motor system including: a rotor (9); a stator (8); the rotor and the stator being mounted for movement relative to one another; the rotor having multiple magnetic poles (11); the stator having multiple salient poles (12) facing the magnetic poles; a first coil set (1A) and a second coil set (1B); the first coil set having three phases, each of the phases comprising a first coil (u1, v1, w1) and a second coil (u1 v1′, w1′) connected in series and wrapped around different of the salient poles in different directions relative to the rotor; the second coil set having three phases, each of the phases comprising a first coil (u2, v2, w2) and a second coil (u2′, v2′, w2′) connected in series and wrapped around different of the salient poles in different directions relative to the rotor; a driver (2) configured to drive the first coil set with a first three-phase voltage (U1, V1, W1) and to drive the second coil set with a second three-phase voltage (U2, V2, W2); the driver configured to drive the first phase of the first three-phase voltage and the first phase of the second three-phase voltage with a relative phase shift.
US09231508B2
A motor driver apparatus that is formed of a semiconductor integrated circuit which is supplied with an electric power and drives a direct current motor includes a signal generating part that generates an indication signal for indicating a back electromotive force generation period while the direct current motor generates a back electromotive force, a removing part that detects a voltage variation generated in a power-supply voltage by the back electromotive force generated by the direct-current motor during the back electromotive force generation period indicated by the indication signal, and removes the detected voltage variation, and a limiting part that limits the power-supply voltage so as to be less than a predetermined voltage at a speed higher than that in the removing part.
US09231498B2
A gel actuator includes: a gel having a projected part made of an inductive high-polymer material; a positive electrode disposed so as to be in contact with a top of the projected part; and a negative electrode disposed in a position sandwiching the projected part in a height direction in cooperation with the positive electrode. When voltage is applied between the positive and negative electrodes, creep deformation occurs so that the projected parts adhere to the positive electrode side, and the gel contracts in the thickness direction.
US09231494B2
In a power supply device, the bridge circuit including a plurality of switching arms which is an inverse-parallel circuit of a semiconductor switch and a diode. The power supply device includes a control unit. The control unit switches the semiconductor switch such that a voltage v between AC terminals becomes a positive-negative voltage whose peak value is the voltage Vo between the DC terminals only during prescribed time periods before and after a point that has deviated from each zero crossing point ZCP of a current i by a prescribed compensation period φ and such that the voltage v between the AC terminals becomes a zero voltage during the other time periods, and sets the compensation period φ such that a time period during which the voltage v between the AC terminals becomes a zero voltage is the shortest.
US09231487B2
FETs disposed in a DC/DC converter are each driven by a drive transformer. A voltage from a single drive power supply disposed in common for the FETs is divided into positive and negative biases to be applied to the FETs, and an operational state of the FETs is detected based on voltage signals. A sequence circuit turns on an input from a three-phase AC power supply by driving a relay circuit at a time point when it is confirmed that the FETs have normally started stable ON/OFF operation, and drives a power factor improvement circuit, which converts AC voltage from the three-phase AC power supply into a DC voltage by simultaneously performing full-wave rectification and power factor improvement.
US09231485B2
A power supply may include a driving power supply unit converting input power to supply driving power to a load, and a power supply control unit performing a control to detect a change in a voltage level of the driving power and cut off the input power when the detected voltage level of the driving power is equal to or more than a preset voltage level, in a preset standby mode.
US09231483B2
A pulse modulator generates a pulse modulation signal SPM having a duty ratio which is adjusted according to a feedback voltage Vfb that corresponds to the output voltage VOUT of a DC/DC converter. A second oscillator generates a second cyclic signal which is asserted with each of a predetermined second period. A light load detection circuit generates a light load detection signal which is asserted when the feedback voltage Vfb becomes lower than a first threshold voltage. A driving circuit drives a switching transistor according to the pulse modulation signal SPM. Furthermore, the driving circuit suspends the driving of the switching transistor during a period until the second cyclic signal is next asserted after the light load detection signal is asserted.
US09231473B2
An electromechanical energy conversion system includes a variable capacitor, an electronic charging/discharging unit and a power source/sink; the power source/sink being coupled to the electronic charging/discharging unit which is coupled to the variable capacitor; the variable capacitor including first and second electrodes that are separated by an intermediate medium providing a gap distance therebetween; the gap distance being adjustable between a minimal distance and a maximal distance as a function of an externally applied mechanical force; the electronic charging/discharging unit being arranged for charging the variable capacitor from the power source/sink at substantially a state of the variable capacitor when the gap distance is minimal and the area of the elastically deformed body maximal, and for discharging the variable capacitor to the power source/sink at substantially a state of the variable capacitor when the gap distance is maximal and the area of the elastically deformed body minimal.
US09231472B2
In accordance with an embodiment, a method of operating a switched-mode power supply includes receiving power from an input node via a first transistor, providing a first portion of the received power to a load via a switching transistor having a first terminal coupled to the first transistor and a second terminal coupled to the load via a series resistor and a series inductor, measuring a current through the load, measuring comprising monitoring a voltage across the series resistor; and controlling an average current through the load by switching on and switching off the switching transistor according to the measured current.
US09231468B2
An interleaved converter configured by connecting a plurality of switching converter circuits in parallel includes an inter-inductor switch that selects whether inductors are connected in series, an input side switch that is connected to a connection point of the inductor and the inter-inductor switch and selects whether electric power is supplied from a rectifier circuit to the inductor side, an output side switch that is connected to a connection point of the inductor and the inter-inductor switch and selects whether electric power is supplied from the inductor to the diode side, and a control circuit that controls the inter-inductor switch, the input side switch, and the output side switch.
US09231466B2
The invention provides an electronic circuit capable of reducing surge voltage while reducing switching loss when a MOSFET is turned off. A capacitor (91) is connected between apart closer to a first power source terminal (31) of a U-phase module (3) in a bus bar (61a) and a part closer to a second power source terminal (32) of the U-phase module (3) in a bus bar (64a). A capacitor (92) is connected between apart closer to a first power source terminal (41) of a V-phase module (4) in a bus bar (62) and a part closer to a second power source terminal (42) of the V-phase module (4) in a bus bar (65). A capacitor (93) is connected between a part closer to a first power source terminal (51) of a W-phase module (5) in a bus bar (63) and a part closer to a second power source terminal (52) of the W-phase module (5) in a bus bar (66).
US09231455B2
An electrical machine, in particular a generator, preferably a claw pole generator, having a contact element for electrically connecting electrical components, which is made up of a generally arc-shaped, electrically non-conductive substrate having arc end areas, including electrical conductors for connecting the components. At least one of the electrical conductors is designed as an external connection conductor, which runs outside the substrate from one arc end area to the other arc end area.
US09231453B2
An electric actuator includes a motor, an electricity storing body, a manual operating unit, a switch and a resetting unit. In a state wherein a controlled element has arrived at a first opening and a supply of power to the motor from the electricity storing body is cut off, the motor and the controlled element are in a non-linked state only while a button is pushed. The switch keeps a supply path of electric power open when the button has been pressed once. The resetting unit closes the switch at a point in time that the controlled element that is driven by the motor arrives at a specific second opening at a time of restoration of the external power supply in a state wherein the non-linked state of the motor and the controlled element by the button has been undone.
US09231452B2
A device to facilitate the assembly and fixation of a junction box to an electrical engine, where the attachment requirements of the junction box are different from the attachment requirements of the electrical engine, is disclosed. The device comprises an adapting plate which includes vertexes, bores and a traverse opening.
US09231448B2
A motor includes a base, a stator, and a rotor. The base includes a shaft tube having an open end and receiving an inner assembly. The stator is mounted to an outer periphery of the shaft tube. The rotor is rotatably coupled to the inner assembly. The stator includes an insulating bobbin unit having an extension extending in a radial direction to the open end of the shaft tube. The extension includes an engagement hole. The shaft tube includes a positioning member having an engaging section engaged in the engagement hole. The insulating bobbin unit is fixed by an end of the engaging section. The engagement stability of the stator is enhanced by engagement of the positioning member of the base and the insulating bobbin unit.
US09231447B2
Apparatus for producing electrical power from mechanical power, includes an electric generator with a rotor and with a stator. The electric generator is configured for conversion of mechanical power into a polyphase alternating current. The polyphase alternating current has more than three phases. The stator has a stator core with a stator bore. The stator core provides a plurality of stator slots arranged at a distance from one another. A plurality of coil portions are inserted in the stator slots, and the coil portions are connected to form coils. The coils include a plurality of Z-shaped portions and are laid out in a wave pattern.
US09231446B2
A motor drive device includes a motor including a high-speed drive winding and a low-speed drive winding, a winding switching portion switching the connection states of the high-speed drive winding and the low-speed drive winding of the motor, a power conversion portion connected to the motor, and a plurality of case portions housing at least the motor, the winding switching portion, and the power conversion portion, while the plurality of case portions are coupled to each other.
US09231444B2
This invention relates to a superconducting electrical machine, comprising: a superconducting winding at least partially surrounded by a magnetic flux guide, wherein the magnetic flux guide includes a binder loaded with a magnetic material.
US09231435B2
Solar power tracking techniques are described herein. In one aspect of the invention, a solar power tracking apparatus includes, but is not limited to, a voltage converter and a controller coupled to the voltage converter. The voltage converter includes an input capable of being coupled to a solar power source and an output capable of being coupled to an electronic load, such as, for example, a portable electronic device. The voltage converter is configured to monitor or detect an amount of power drawn by the electronic load at the output of the voltage converter. In response to the monitored power drawn, the controller is configured to control the voltage converter to reduce amount of power to be drawn subsequently if the monitored amount of power exceeds a predetermined threshold. As a result, the output voltage from the solar power source is maintained within a predetermined range. Other methods and apparatuses are also described.
US09231433B2
Apparatus for charging an electrical energy store from an AC voltage source. The apparatus includes a rectifier device with a capacitor interconnected in parallel with the rectifier device A current controller device is interconnected with the rectifier device. A converter device is interconnected with the current controller device. The converter device includes at least one first half-bridge having two switches connected in series, An inductor is interconnected with a connection point of the switches of the first half-bridge Depending on the voltage of the AC voltage source and a current through the inductor a switch of the current controller device and one of the switches of the first half-bridge of the converter device are switchable by means of a controller in such a manner that a current for charging the electrical energy store drawn from the AC voltage source and a voltage of the AC voltage source are substantially in phase.
US09231423B2
A voltage at an output end of a switch of an electric vehicle supply equipment is detected before charging an electric vehicle. An earth leakage circuit breaker is tripped for cutting off power inputted to the switch and preventing the output end from outputting the power when the voltage is higher than a first predetermined value. The switch is turned on for outputting the power from the output end to charge the electric vehicle when the voltage is lower than the first predetermined value. A current is detected at the output end. Power inputted to the switch is cut off for preventing the output end from outputting the power when the current is higher than a second predetermined value.
US09231418B2
A method is described for monitoring a charging process of a battery, in which cell voltages of a plurality of battery cells are measured at regular time intervals, and loading of the battery by a process of switching on an additional electrical load is prevented if the measured cell voltage of one battery cell exceeds a predetermined cell voltage threshold value. A motor vehicle is also described, which is configured to carry out the method according to the disclosure during a battery charging process. In addition, a battery system is described, in which a controller is configured to determine an estimated value as a function of measured battery parameters during a charging process of the battery. The estimated value corresponds to the maximum temperature in the battery if the charging process is continued without interruption.
US09231408B2
A matrix connection device disposed between n unidirectional energy sources (PV1, PV2, PVn) and n power converters (C1, C2, Cn) for the purpose of powering a common load (10), said device comprising: n matrix switch units (I1, I2 to In), each of which comprises n link switches (Ki1, Ki2 to Kin) having their outlets connected together and having their n inlets connected to the n outlets of said photovoltaic panels and/or wind turbines; at least one additional switch unit (In+1) comprising n switches (Kn+11, Kn+12 to Kn+1n) having their outlets connected together and their n inlets connected to respective ones of the n outlets of the unidirectional energy sources; and a monitoring and control circuit (14) for starting up or not starting up said power converters as a function of the power available at each of said unidirectional energy sources, and then for keeping them switched on or for deactivating them as a function of the power consumed by each of them.
US09231394B2
A cross arm is provided, for use in a support structure for conductors within an electrical grid. The cross arm is made of a cementitious composite and has a rough “C” cross sectional shape. Pairs of the cross arms are attached to utility poles in a parallel position on opposite sides of the utility pole. Alternatively, a single cross arm may be attached to a utility pole. Embedded metal or glass fiber reinforced polymer bars extend along the length of the cross arms.
US09231390B2
An expandable electrical enclosure system is presented where expansion collars can be serially added to an existing base box to increase the dimension of the enclosure in only the Z direction. A removable cover can be disconnected and connected as each expansion collar is added.
US09231381B2
A spark plug and method of construction is provided. The spark plug has a generally annular ceramic insulator extending between a terminal end and a nose end. A conductive shell surrounds at least a portion of the ceramic insulator and a ground electrode having a ground electrode sparking surface is operatively attached to the shell. An elongate center electrode has a body extending between opposite ends. The body of the center electrode is formed of a compacted and sintered conductive or semi-conductive ceramic material. The ceramic material of the body comprises at least one oxide. For example, the body of the center electrode can be formed of a perovskite structure or a spinel structure.
US09231378B2
A spark plug for an internal combustion engine includes a center electrode, a tubular insulator, a tubular metal shell, a ground electrode and an overvoltage preventer. The insulator has the center electrode inserted and held therein. The metal shell has the insulator inserted and held therein such that a proximal part of the insulator is exposed from the metal shell. The ground electrode is joined to a distal end of the metal shell and faces the center electrode through a spark gap formed between the center and ground electrodes. The overvoltage preventer prevents a voltage higher than or equal to a threshold voltage from being applied across the spark gap. The overvoltage preventer is arranged in the proximal part of the insulator so as to be positioned outside the metal shell and farther than the metal shell from the spark gap.
US09231370B2
A group III nitride semiconductor laser device includes a laser structure, an insulating layer, an electrode and dielectric multilayers. The laser structure includes a semiconductor region on a semi-polar primary surface of a hexagonal group III nitride semiconductor support base. The dielectric multilayers are on first and second end-faces for the laser cavity. The c-axis of the group III nitride tilts by an angle ALPHA from the normal axis of the primary surface in the waveguide axis direction from the first end-face to the second end-faces. A pad electrode has first to third portions provided on the first to third regions of the semiconductor regions, respectively. An ohmic electrode is in contact with the third region through an opening of the insulating layer. The first portion has a first arm, which extends to the first end-face edge. The third portion is away from the first end-face edge.
US09231366B2
An optical transmitting device includes: a laser diode to which a first or second driving current is provided; a controller to provide the laser diode with the first driving current to transmit an optical signal and with a plurality of second driving currents, to emit light, different from each other in magnitude during a stop of providing the first driving current; a measuring unit to measure an intensity of the light emitted by the laser diode; a calculator to calculate a threshold current of the laser diode, based on the intensities corresponding to the plurality of second driving currents measured by the measuring unit and magnitudes of the plurality of second driving currents; and a determination unit to determine a precursor of a sudden-death of the laser diode, based on an amount of variation in the threshold current calculated by the calculator during a specific period.
US09231360B2
A portable crimper tool is disclosed having a frame, a crimper anvil and a bolt adapted to engage the frame and connected to the crimper anvil for actuation of the crimper tool.
US09231358B1
A power cable holder includes a holder body and power cable-holding portions. The power cable-holding portions couple with one or more cables. The cable-holding portions hold power plugs on the cables in a predetermined spacing and order with respect to one another. A power connector plug extraction mechanism may be operable by a user to extract the power connector plugs from corresponding power connector receptacles in a power distribution unit.
US09231355B2
A USB cable includes two USB connectors and a plurality of cable lines. Each USB connector includes a circuit board, a tongue board, a plurality of connection terminals, a signal processing IC, an isolated housing and a metal housing. The tongue board is connected with the circuit board. One end of the connection terminals are connected to the circuit board, and the other end of the connection terminals are set in the tongue board. The signal processing IC is electrically connected to the circuit board and further connected to the connection terminals. The isolated housing encapsulates the circuit board and the signal processing IC. The metal housing encapsulates the tongue board and the connection terminals. The signal processing IC encrypts data for transmitting externally through the connection terminals, and decrypts data received by the connection terminals to transmit to other end of the USB cable to be used.
US09231351B2
A smart socket is provided. The smart socket has a set of power sockets, configured for a set of power pins of a smart plug to plug into, a driving pin and a set of detection pins, configured for forming a circuit with a set of feedback pins of a smart plug when the set of power pins is plugged into the power sockets, and an identification code module, configured for obtaining an identification code of an electric appliance, from the circuit, to which the smart plug belongs.
US09231350B2
A connector includes a cylindrical-shaped housing inserting therein a wire, a shield shell disposed on an outer side of the housing, and a mounting member assembled with the housing and the shield shell. The mounting member includes a tubular portion inserted into a gap between the housing and the shield shell in a diameter direction of the housing and contacted with an end face of the housing. The shield shell includes a fixing portion fixed to the housing and a movable portion rotatably connected to the fixing portion. A fixing mechanism is provided between the movable portion and the tubular portion, moves the end face toward the tubular portion when the movable portion is rotated, and fixes the housing and the shield shell to the mounting member when the tubular portion and the end face closely contacted with each other.
US09231349B2
An electrical connector is provided, including a main body, first terminals installed at a seat of the main body, second terminals embedded in the seat, and a housing. The housing has a bottom wall, two side walls, and a top wall, and defines an accommodating space having a first opening and a second opening. A plurality of first spring plates are disposed on the top wall and bottom wall. A second spring plate is disposed near the second opening of the top wall. Third spring plates are disposed near the second opening of the bottom wall. When a connector plug is plugged into the electrically connector, the first, second and third spring plates make contact with an iron housing of the connector plug to increase the contact area between the connector plug and the electrical connector, and reduce electromagnetic interference to peripheral devices.
US09231343B2
An inlet is an inlet to which a charging connector is connected when charging a power storage device mounted in a hybrid vehicle from an external power supply. The inlet includes a cylindrical guide wall that guides the charging connector to be connected to the inlet; a flange portion that is provided in a plate shape on an outer periphery of the guide wall, and is fixed to the vehicle; a lever retaining portion that is provided on the outer periphery of the guide wall, and retains the charging connector; and a recessed portion that is provided in a position overlapping with the lever retaining portion when viewed from a connecting direction of the charging connector, and is recessed toward the connecting direction of the charging connector from the flange portion. This kind of structure provides an inlet in which a protruding length from the vehicle side is reduced.
US09231339B1
Certain embodiments described herein are directed to couplers configured to provide an electrical connection between two or more separate electrical wires. In certain embodiments, the coupler is configured to provide the electrical connection without the two electrical wires physically contacting each other. In other instances, the coupler can be configured to provide an electrical connection between the wires without the use of an electrical box or wiring nuts.
US09231335B2
A main object of the present invention is to provide a connection structure for a solar power generation module that has much better impact resistance at low temperature and flame retardancy even when made thinner and more compact. A connection structure for a solar power generation module according to the present invention is a connection structure for a solar power generation module, which links a solar power generation module with a cable for connecting to the solar power generation module, and includes a specific thermoplastic resin composition.
US09231333B2
An electric connector includes an electrically insulative housing, and a terminal having an engagement section and inserted into a terminal space formed in the housing in a direction from a rear towards a front of the housing. The housing includes a lance protruding in the housing towards an axis of the terminal space, and is able to engage to and disengage from the engagement section of the terminal. A resilient support resiliently supports the lance such that the lance is able to move away from the axis, and a path is provided through which a jig for disengaging the lance from the engagement section is inserted into the housing through a front of the housing towards the lance along the engagement section. The resilient support is formed with a slit communicating with the path and extending towards the lance from an entrance of the path.
US09231326B2
A high-current (HC) plug-in connector for currents exceeding 100 A, in particular 200 A, is provided. The high-current (HC) plug-in connector may include a first connecting element having a first contact section, and a second connecting element having a second contact section. Furthermore, a spring element is provided for establishing an electrical connection between the first and the second connecting element. The spring element may include at least two clamping elements which are interconnected via at least one web, the web and respective first sections of the clamping elements being arranged on a first outer surface of the connection formed by the first and the second contact section, and second sections of the clamping elements being arranged at least in part on a second outer surface opposite the first outer surface. At least one contact spring is arranged on the at least one web, the at least one contact spring generating, on the first outer surface, a contact force oriented in the direction of the second outer surface, whereby mutually facing contact surfaces of the first and the second contact section are pressed against each other, the second sections of the clamping elements serving as abutments.
US09231319B2
An electrical connector assembly includes an electrical connector and a complementary connector mated with the electrical connector. The electrical connector includes a shell and a terminal module received in the shell. The shell defining a mating portion extending forwardly and a receiving room recessed from the rear face thereof. The mating portion defines a mating face at a side surface thereof. The terminal module includes an insulator and a plurality of first terminals retained in the insulator. The insulator defines a first face and a second face opposite to the first face. The first terminals includes contacting portions protruding from the first face of the insulator. A supporting plate is inserted between the second face of the insulator and an inner surface of the receiving room and pushing the contacting portions of the first terminals exposed to the mating face.
US09231313B2
A finger friendly twist-on wire connector having a spiral coil and an open end rigid shell secured to the spiral coil with the rigid shell having an outer surface with a circumferential band and a closed end supporting a finger cushion material integral to at least a portion of the outer surface of the rigid shell with the finger cushion material including a plurality of circumferentially spaced elongated ribs resiliently deformable in response to radially and tangential finger forces thereon as rotational finger forces are transmitted to the rigid shell through the finger cushion material to thereby inhibit finger fatigue and finger injury while allowing the user to maintain a feel of the wire engagement within the wire connector.
US09231311B2
In various embodiments, a radiating cell of an antenna array can comprise a compacted hybrid as part of a stripline feed network, a radiating element having slots rotated with respect to the compacted hybrid, and a feed circuit layer in communication with the stripline feed network. The radiating cell radius can be a ½ wavelength or less. Furthermore, the compacted hybrid has two input ports and two output ports, where the input and output ports of the compacted hybrid are non-orthogonal and non-parallel to the slots of the radiating element. A radiating cell can comprise a ground plane with a first side and a second side, where the ground plane comprises a slot. The slot can be non-orthogonal and non-parallel to the two output ports of the feed network.
US09231305B2
A wireless IC device has a resonant frequency that is hardly altered or affected by external influences and reliably communicates with a reader/writer. The wireless IC device includes a wireless IC chip arranged to process a radio signal, a feeder circuit board coupled to the wireless IC chip and including a feeder circuit, and a radiation electrode arranged at least one principal surface of the feeder circuit board. The feeder circuit board includes a magnetic material and has the feeder circuit disposed therein. The radiation electrode is disposed on at least one principal surface of the feeder circuit board so as to be electromagnetically coupled to the feeder circuit and includes at least two open ends. The wireless IC chip is coupled to the radiation electrode through the feeder circuit and communicates with a reader/writer using HF band frequency.
US09231304B2
Provided is an antenna. In one aspect, the antenna includes a feed element having a first feed element end and a second feed element end, the first feed element end configured to electrically connect to a positive terminal of a transmission line. The antenna, in this aspect, further includes a loop antenna element having a first loop antenna element end and a second loop antenna element end, wherein the first loop antenna element end is coupled to the second feed element end and the second loop antenna element end is configured to electrically connect to a negative terminal of the transmission line. The antenna, of this aspect, further includes a monopole antenna element having a first monopole antenna element end and a second monopole antenna element end, wherein the first monopole antenna element end is coupled to the second feed element end.
US09231303B2
A method of antenna array processing. Digitized time-series data from a plurality of antenna elements are divided into a plurality of time windows. A Fourier Transform is performed on a time window of the plurality of time windows for each antenna element of the plurality of antenna elements to generate a plurality of frequency domain vectors. The plurality of antenna elements is divided into a plurality of largest aperture sub-arrays. The frequency domain vectors are compressive beamformed tor the each sub-array to generate a plurality of bearing estimates corresponding to the plurality of sub-arrays. The plurality of bearing estimates from the plurality of sub-arrays are sparsely combined to generate a plurality of frequency-specific bearing estimates. The plurality of frequency-specific bearing estimates are incoherently averaged over a range of frequencies to generate a bearing for a bearing-timing record. A plurality of bearings for the bearing-timing record is generated.
US09231294B2
The present invention provides a method and an apparatus for compensating frequency shifting of an antenna, applicable to a wireless communication device having at least one frequency shifted operating mode, in which a frequency shifting exists due to a variation of a device use mode or an environmental condition, wherein the method comprises setting in the antenna at least one compensation matching circuit corresponding to the at least one frequency shifted operating mode; detecting the use mode, in which the wireless communication device operates; when the wireless communication device is in the frequency shifted operating mode, switching to a compensation matching circuit corresponding to the frequency shifted operating mode as detected. In the present invention, the difficulty in the bandwidth design of the antenna is reduced, and the effect of the variation of the use mode or environmental condition on the performance of the antenna is compensated adaptively.
US09231290B2
The present invention is a method for producing ready to use RFID devices in a convenient and economical manner. The method in one embodiment includes a substrate having a first a second face and applying a pattern of adhesive to the first face of the substrate. A conductive foil is then laminated to the pattern of adhesive, and the conductive foil is cut to form a plurality of antenna patterns. A chip is applied to each of the antenna patterns. Printing is applied on the second face of the substrate to create distinct printed areas. Each of the printed areas is then read and the information is matched with each of the distinct printed areas to information encoded in each of the chips. Finally, each distinct printed area is separated from the substrate.
US09231278B2
Provided is an electrolyte solution for a magnesium battery, containing a mesoionic compound represented by the following general formula (1): (in general formula (1), R1 and R2 are each independently a C1-7 hydrocarbyl group or oxygen-containing hydrocarbyl group and X is O or S).
US09231271B2
A battery having the electrodes of multiple cell types interleaved to prevent thermal runaway by cooling a shorted region between electrodes. The battery includes multiple cell types where each cell type has multiple electrodes a first polarity. The electrodes of each of the cell types share a pair of the common electrodes having a second polarity. The electrodes of the multiple cell types and the multiple common electrodes are interleaved such that if the electrodes of the multiple cell types and the adjacent common electrodes of one or more cell types short together, the current within the shorted cells is sufficiently small to prevent thermal runaway and the electrodes of the adjacent cells of the other cell types of the first polarity and the common electrodes of the second polarity not having short circuits provide heat sinking for the heat generated by the short circuit to prevent thermal runaway.
US09231263B2
A system and method that monitor the rate of a voltage drop of fuel cells in a fuel cell stack to determine whether the voltage drop is a result of cathode reactant starvation or anode reactant starvation. The method looks at a falling voltage of a fuel cell to determine whether the rate of the fall in voltage indicates that hydrogen starvation of the anode of the fuel cell is occurring. The method also looks at the actual voltage of the fuel cell that is falling to determine whether it is a below a predetermined minimum voltage threshold also indicating that hydrogen starvation of the anode of the fuel cell is occurring. If hydrogen starvation is occurring, the method performs power limiting of the fuel cell stack either based on the rate or the voltage level.
US09231256B2
The traditional method of pressing CFx, screen and SVO sheet assembly results in an electrode that is cupped and not flat. This results in the reduction of the effective volumetric energy density of the electrode or the addition of a process step of flattening of the cathode if at all possible. The new method of assembly effectively eliminates the cupping behavior and produces a flat electrode. In addition, the physical density of the cathode is also increased.
US09231255B2
According to one embodiment, a lithium-ion secondary battery includes a first current collector, a first layer, and a separator. The first current collector has a plurality of first recesses on a surface of the first current collector. The first layer is provided on the first current collector. The layer includes a first active material body, a first binder, and a first conductive body. The separator is provided in the first recesses via the first layer and including a fiber.
US09231250B2
The present invention provides nickel-cobalt-manganese composite hydroxide and a method for manufacturing same, the nickel-cobalt-manganese composite hydroxide as a precursor allowing a positive electrode active material having excellent battery characteristics and a high-density to be manufactured. The nickel-cobalt-manganese composite hydroxide is represented by a general formula: Ni1-x-y-zCoxMnyMz(OH)2 (wherein 0
US09231248B2
According to one embodiment, an electrode includes a current collector, an active material-containing layer, a first peak, a second peak and a pore volume. The active material-containing layer contains an active material having a lithium absorption potential of 0.4 V (vs. Li/Li+) or more. The first peak has a mode diameter of 0.01 to 0.1 μm in a diameter distribution of pores detected by mercury porosimetry. The second peak has a mode diameter of 0.2 μm (exclusive) to 1 μm (inclusive) in the diameter distribution of pores. The pore volume detected by the mercury porosimetry is within a range of 0.1 to 0.3 mL per gram of a weight of the electrode excluding a weight of the current collector.
US09231246B2
A method is provided to synthesize nanocomposites containing intercalated FeF2— or Fe2O3— nanoparticles in a graphitic carbon matrix by reaction of a volatile iron compound with a graphite fluoride (CFx) or a graphite oxide (COx). Additionally provided is a nanocomposite material containing intercalated FeF2— or Fe2O3— nanoparticles in a graphitic carbon matrix and its use as an electrochemically active material in particular for use in electrochemical storage cells.
US09231242B2
A method for producing a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery includes: subjecting a mixture of a negative-electrode active material on which oil has been adsorbed, CMC and water to hard kneading to prepare a primary kneaded mixture; diluting the primary kneaded mixture with water to prepare a slurry; and adding a binder to the slurry. The method further includes defining an amount of the oil to a value equal to or more than 50 ml/100 g and equal to or less than 62 ml/100 g, wherein the amount of the oil is an amount at the time when the viscosity characteristics of the negative-electrode active material exhibits 70% of the maximum torque that is generated when the oil is titrated onto the negative-electrode active material. The 1% aqueous solution viscosity of the CMC is defined to a value equal to or more than 6000 mPa·s and equal to or less than 8000 mPa·s.
US09231240B2
A battery unit includes a case accommodating an electrode assembly, the case having an opening and a cap plate for covering the opening, the cap plate having a terminal insertion portion. The battery unit further includes a terminal member inserted into the case through the terminal insertion portion from an outside of the case and coupled to the electrode assembly, the terminal member including a current collector electrically coupled to the electrode assembly; a terminal portion extending parallel to an upper surface of the cap plate to an outside of the cap plate; and a connection portion electrically coupled to the current collector and to the terminal portion. The battery unit further includes a fixing member in the terminal insertion portion and fixing the terminal member to the cap plate, the fixing member including injection-molded plastic resin in the terminal insertion portion and surrounding the terminal member.
US09231238B2
In an electric storage device, lithium electrodes are disposed on respective outermost portions of an electrode laminated unit in which a positive electrode and a negative electrode are laminated alternately via positive/negative electrode separators. The lithium electrode includes lithium metal serving as a lithium ion supply source, and a lithium electrode separator (a non-woven fabric separator) constituted by a non-woven fabric that satisfies the following conditions: (a) an average fiber diameter of 0.1 μm to 10 μm; and (b) a thickness of 5 μm to 500 μm is provided. By forming the lithium electrode separator that contacts the lithium electrode including the lithium ion supply source from a non-woven fabric in this manner, a dramatic improvement can be achieved in the cycle characteristic of the electric storage device.
US09231227B2
A first device is provided. The first device comprises an integrated OLED structure disposed over a single substrate. The integrated OLED structure includes a blue-emitting OLED, a green emitting OLED, and a red emitting OLED. The blue emitting OLED has a first active area defined by a first electrode of the blue emitting OLED disposed in a first plane. The green emitting OLED has a second active area. The red emitting OLED has a third active area. The second and third active areas are disposed in a second plane different from and parallel to the first plane. Each of the second and third active areas are at least partially superposed with the first active area.
US09231225B2
An organic light-emitting device may include a substrate; an anode on the substrate; a hole transport region on the anode; an emission layer on the hole transport region; an electron transport region on the emission layer; and a cathode on the electron transport region. The electron transport region may include an electron injection layer including a first component which is a salt chloride and a second component which is at least one metal selected from ytterbium (Yb), scandium (Sc), vanadium (V), yttrium (Y), indium (In), cerium (Ce), samarium (Sm), europium (Eu), and terbium (Tb). In addition, the cathode may contacts the electron injection layer and may include an alloy of a first cathode metal including at least one of Ag, Au, Pt, Cu, Mn, Ti, Co, Ni, and W, and a second cathode metal including least one of Yb, Sc, V, Y, In, Ce, Sm, Eu, and Tb.
US09231224B2
An organic light emitting diode (OLED) display is provided. An OLED display in accordance with an exemplary embodiment may include a substrate including a first subpixel, a second subpixel, and a third subpixel, a first electrode disposed on each of the first subpixel, the second subpixel, and the third subpixel, a second electrode facing the first electrode, a first common layer disposed on the first subpixel and the second subpixel, a first emission layer and a second emission layer disposed on the first common layer, a second common layer disposed on the third subpixel, and a third emission layer disposed on the second common layer. The first common layer may include a first doping layer and a second doping layer disposed on the first doping layer. Each of the doping layers may including a p-type dopant, and the second common layer may be formed as a single layer.
US09231217B2
Provided is a 5,6-diaryl-2-pyrazyl triflate, its synthetic method, and a method for synthesizing an organometallic complex having a triarylpyrazine ligand from the 5,6-diaryl-2-pyrazyl triflate. The triflate is readily obtained from the corresponding 5,6-diarylpyrazin-2-ol, and the palladium-catalyzed coupling of the 5,6-diaryl-2-pyrazyl triflate with an arylboronic acid derivative leads to a high yield of a triarylpyrazine derivative having high purity. The use of the triarylpyrazine derivative in the reaction with a metal compound such as a metal chloride results in an ortho-metallated organometallic complex with high purity. The high purity of the organometallic complex contributes to the extremely high durability of a light-emitting element.
US09231216B2
A compound represented by Formula 1 below: (R1)a—CB—[Ar]n—CB—(R2)b wherein CB denotes carborane, Ar is a substituted or unsubstituted phenylene group, and a detailed description of R1, R2, a, b, and n is provided in the detailed description. An organic light-emitting diode including an organic layer including the compound has high luminous efficiency.
US09231212B2
The invention relates to a fabrication apparatus for fabricating a layer structure comprising at least a patterned first layer on a substrate. A layer structure (6) with an unpatterned first layer is provided on the substrate. A protective material application unit (8) applies protective material at least on parts of the provided layer structure for protecting at least the parts of the provided layer structure (6), an ablation unit (12) ablates the unpatterned first layer through the protective material such that the patterned first layer is generated, and the protective material removing unit (15) removes the protective material (9). This allows fabricating a layer structure for, for example, an OLED without necessarily using a technically complex and costly photolithography process. Moreover, ablation debris can be removed with removing the protective material, thereby reducing the probability of unwanted effects like unwanted shortcuts in the OLED caused by unwanted debris.
US09231208B2
A method includes forming a resistance-switching layer and a second electrode over a first electrode. The method includes applying a forming voltage to the resistance-switching layer such that the resistance of the resistance-switching layer is decreased. The method includes applying an initial reset voltage to the first electrode or the second electrode such that the resistance of the resistance-switching layer is increased. The method includes applying a first set voltage to the first electrode or the second electrode such that the resistance of the resistance-switching layer is decreased. The method includes applying a second reset voltage to first electrode or the second electrode such that the resistance of the resistance-switching layer is increased. The method includes applying a second set voltage to first electrode or the second electrode such that the resistance of the resistance-switching layer is decreased. The second set voltage is lower than the first set voltage.
US09231204B2
Embodiments include low voltage embedded memory having conductive oxide and electrode stacks. A material layer stack for a memory element includes a first conductive electrode. A conductive oxide layer is disposed on the first conductive electrode. The conductive oxide layer has a plurality of oxygen vacancies therein. A second electrode is disposed on the conductive oxide layer.
US09231202B2
A thermal isolation layer is formed between the bit line (BL) layers or word line (WL) layers of the decks of a multi-deck phase-change cross-point memory to mitigate thermal problem disturb of memory cells that tends to increase as memory sizes are scaled smaller. Embodiments of the subject matter disclosed herein are suitable for, but are not limited to, solid-state memory arrays and solid-state drives.
US09231201B2
The electric device (100) according to the invention comprises a layer (107) of a memory material which has an electrical resistivity switchable between a first value and a second value. The memory material may be a phase change material. The electric device (100) further comprises a set of nanowires (NW) electrically connecting a first terminal (172) of the electric device and the layer (107) of memory material thereby enabling conduction of an electric current from the first terminal via the nanowires (NW) and the layer (107) of memory material to a second terminal (272) of the electric device. Each nanowire (NW) electrically contacts the layer (107) of memory material in a respective contact area. All contact areas are substantially identical. The method according to the invention is suited to manufacture the electric device (100) according to the invention.
US09231193B2
According to one embodiment, a magnetic memory includes a magnetoresistive effect element provided in a memory cell, the magnetoresistive effect element including a multilayer structure including a first magnetic layer, a second magnetic layer, and a nonmagnetic layer between the first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer, a first electrode provided on an upper portion of the multilayer structure and including a first material, and a first film provided on a side surface of the first electrode and including a second material which is different from the first material of the first electrode.
US09231186B2
The invention relates to an electro-switchable polymer film assembly having a first and a second surface side, comprising at least one pair of electrodes (3, 4) and a polymer matrix (2), wherein structuring particles (5) can be embedded in the polymer matrix and the polymer matrix or the structuring particles consist of an electro-active polymer, wherein furthermore, the first and/or the second surface sides can be transferred from a plane condition into a structured condition by electric switching of the electro-active polymer.
US09231184B2
A piezoelectric resonator element includes a piezoelectric substrate formed of an AT-cut quartz crystal substrate in which the thickness direction thereof is a direction parallel to the Y′ axis; and excitation electrodes disposed so as to face vibrating regions on both front and rear principal surfaces of the piezoelectric substrate. The piezoelectric substrate includes a rectangular excitation portion in which sides parallel to the X axis are long sides thereof, and sides parallel to the Z′ axis are short sides thereof; and a peripheral portion having a smaller thickness than the excitation portion and formed around the excitation portion. Each of side surfaces of the excitation portion extending in a direction parallel to the X axis is present in one plane, and each of side surfaces of the excitation portion extending in a direction parallel to the Z′ axis has a step.
US09231183B2
When a length along a vibrating direction of the thickness shear vibration of a multi-stage type mesa substrate of A resonator element is x, a thickness of the vibration section is t, and a distance between the vibration section and the bonding region is y, y is in a range of −0.0151×(x/t)+0.3471≦y≦−0.0121×(x/t)+0.3471.
US09231177B2
Provided is a light emitting device in which deterioration of the substrate member can be reduced. The light emitting device includes a base member mainly made of a resin, a plurality of wiring portions and arranged on the base member via an adhesive agent, a groove portion defined between adjacent wiring portions, and at least one light emitting element which is disposed straddling at least a part of the groove portion. The adhesive agent is applied covering the base member from the groove portion, and contains a light-shielding member. The light-shielding member shields the base member from light, for example at a specific wavelength, emitted from the at least one light emitting element.
US09231172B2
A screen printing method of LED module with phosphor includes: board preparation providing an LED module board with a substrate and a plurality of LED sources fixed on the substrate. The LED sources are flip chip structural and the metal electrodes thereof are fixed to the bonding pads of the substrate. A screen board is provided with meshes corresponding to the shiny sides of the LED sources of the substrate one by one. A projection of each mesh to the shiny side of the corresponding LED source has similar shape with the shiny side of the LED source. The top of the screen board is printed with allocated colloidal phosphor until each mesh is coated fully. The printed substrates are baked to solidify the phosphor. The periphery of the shiny side is fully coated.
US09231167B2
An insulation structure for high temperature conditions and a manufacturing method thereof. In the insulation structure, a substrate has a conductive pattern formed on at least one surface thereof for electrical connection of a device. A metal oxide layer pattern is formed on a predetermined portion of the conductive pattern by anodization, the metal oxide layer pattern made of one selected from a group consisting of Al, Ti and Mg.
US09231165B2
A light-emitting diode (LED) chip is disclosed. The LED chip includes a substrate and a LED stack on the substrate. The LED stack includes a first-type semiconductor layer, an active layer covering a portion and exposing another portion of the first-type semiconductor layer, and a second-type semiconductor layer on the active layer. A current spreading layer is formed on the second-type semiconductor layer. A first electrode is formed on the exposed portion of the first-type semiconductor layer, and a second electrode is formed on the current spreading layer. The current spreading layer includes a first portion having a first thickness and a second portion having a second thickness. A vertical projection of the second portion onto the first-type semiconductor layer surrounds a vertical projection of a portion of the first electrode onto the first-type semiconductor layer. The first thickness is greater than the second thickness.
US09231163B2
A semiconductor light emitting apparatus includes semiconductor lamination of n-type layer, active layer, and p-type layer; recess penetrating the lamination from the p-type layer and exposing the n-type layer; n-side electrode formed on the n-type layer at the bottom of the recess and extending upward above the p-type layer; a p-side electrode formed on the p-type layer and having an opening surrounding the recess in plan view, the n-side electrode extending from inside to above the recess; and an insulating layer disposed between the p-side and the n-side electrodes on the p-type layer, the p-side electrode constituting a reflective electrode reflecting light incident from the active layer, the n-side electrode including a reflective electrode layer covering the opening in plan view and reflects light incident from the emission layer side, the reflective electrode layer having peripheral portion overlapping peripheral portion of the p-side electrode in plan view.
US09231158B2
A light-emitting diode (LED) structure and a method for manufacturing the LED structure are disclosed for promoting the recognition rate of LED chips, wherein a roughness degree of the surface under a first electrode pad of a first conductivity type is made similar to that of the surface under a second electrode pad of a second conductivity type, so that the luster shown from the first electrode pad can be similar to that from the second electrode pad, thus resolving the poor recognition problem of wire-bonding machines caused by different lusters from the first and second electrode pads.
US09231156B2
A method for manufacturing a light-emitting device, comprising: forming, over a substrate, a plurality of multilayered light-emitting structures each including a first electrode, a light-emitting layer, and a second electrode; forming, in the substrate, a plurality of grooves that surround the multilayered light-emitting structures individually; forming, over the substrate, a sealing film that covers the multilayered light-emitting structures and the grooves; and separating the multilayered light-emitting structures from one another after forming the sealing film, by cutting the substrate such that, in each groove, part of the sealing film covering a given inner side surface of the groove remains, the given inner side surface being adjacent to any of the multilayered light-emitting structures.
US09231151B2
A light-emitting device comprises a textured substrate comprising a boundary and a plurality of textured structures within the boundary, wherein the textured structures and the textured substrate are both composed of sapphire; and a light-emitting stack overlaying the textured substrate, comprising a first conductivity type semiconductor layer, an active layer, and a second conductivity type semiconductor layer, wherein each of the plurality of textured structures comprises a top portion having a first top-view shape and a bottom portion parallel to the top portion, the bottom portion having a second top-view shape, wherein the first top-view shape comprises a circle or ellipse and the second top-view shape comprises a polygon, wherein the first top-view shape and the second top-view shape overlap each other, and the textured structures are spaced apart from each other from a top view of the light-emitting device.
US09231147B2
Inverted metamorphic multijunction solar cells having a heterojunction middle subcell and a graded interlayer, and methods of making same, are disclosed herein. The present disclosure provides a method of manufacturing a solar cell using an MOCVD process, wherein the graded interlayer is composed of (InxGa1-x)y Al1-yAs, and is formed in the MOCVD reactor so that it is compositionally graded to lattice match the middle second subcell on one side and the lower third subcell on the other side, with the values for x and y computed and the composition of the graded interlayer determined so that as the layer is grown in the MOCVD reactor, the band gap of the graded interlayer remains constant at 1.5 eV throughout the thickness of the graded interlayer.
US09231140B2
Solar cell modules for converting solar energy into electrical energy, such as used in a concentrating photovoltaic system. The modules have a first ventilating opening in the module housing; and a ventilating subassembly mounted on the module housing and disposed over the ventilating opening in the module housing. The ventilating subassembly has a housing having a first chamber adjacent to and in communication with the first ventilating opening in the module housing; a second chamber adjacent to the first chamber, the second chamber having a second ventilating opening to the external environment; and a filter membrane separating the first chamber from the second chamber to allow air to flow between the first chamber and the second chamber through the filter membrane.
US09231138B2
Provided are a barrier film production method and a barrier film comprising at least one organic layer and two or more inorganic layers on a surface of a plastic film, wherein, under an atmosphere of at least 0.3 atmospheric pressure and at most 1.1 atmospheric pressure (1 atmospheric pressure is 1.01325×105 Pa), an organic layer coating liquid is applied on at least one surface of the plastic film, and dried to form the organic layer, thereafter, an inorganic layer coating liquid containing an inorganic compound is applied and dried on the organic layer to laminate at least 2 to 6 inorganic layers, and thereafter, at least two layers of the laminated inorganic layers are subjected to a conversion process.
US09231135B2
Low bandgap, monolithic, multi-bandgap, optoelectronic devices (10), including PV converters, photodetectors, and LED's, have lattice-matched (LM), double-heterostructure (DH), low-bandgap GaInAs(P) subcells (22, 24) including those that are lattice-mismatched (LMM) to InP, grown on an InP substrate (26) by use of at least one graded lattice constant transition layer (20) of InAsP positioned somewhere between the InP substrate (26) and the LMM subcell(s) (22, 24). These devices are monofacial (10) or bifacial (80) and include monolithic, integrated, modules (MIMs) (190) with a plurality of voltage-matched subcell circuits (262, 264, 266, 270, 272) as well as other variations and embodiments.
US09231134B2
Photovoltaic devices are presented. A photovoltaic device includes a window layer and a semiconductor layer including a semiconductor material disposed on window layer. The semiconductor layer includes a first region and a second region, the first region disposed proximate to the window layer, and the second region including a chalcogen-rich region, wherein the first region and the second region include a dopant, and an average atomic concentration of the dopant in the second region is greater than an average atomic concentration of the dopant in the first region.
US09231133B2
A photovoltaic device and method include depositing a metal film on a substrate layer. The metal film is annealed to form islands of the metal film on the substrate layer. The substrate layer is etched using the islands as an etch mask to form pillars in the substrate layer.
US09231130B2
Provided is a photoelectric conversion element that has an nip structure formed of amorphous silicon and that is improved in energy conversion efficiency by a structure in which an n+-type a-Si layer is in contact with a transparent electrode formed by an n+-type ZnO layer. This makes it possible to realize photoelectric conversion elements and a solar cell module or facility with large area and high power with an influence on the global resources minimized.
US09231129B2
Approaches for the foil-based metallization of solar cells and the resulting solar cells are described. In an example, a solar cell includes a substrate. A plurality of alternating N-type and P-type semiconductor regions is disposed in or above the substrate. A conductive contact structure is disposed above the plurality of alternating N-type and P-type semiconductor regions. The conductive contact structure includes a plurality of metal seed material regions providing a metal seed material region disposed on each of the alternating N-type and P-type semiconductor regions. A metal foil is disposed on the plurality of metal seed material regions, the metal foil having anodized portions isolating metal regions of the metal foil corresponding to the alternating N-type and P-type semiconductor regions.
US09231121B2
A high voltage circuit layout structure has a P-type substrate; a first N-type tub, a second N-type tub, a third N-type tub, a first P-type tub with a first width and a second P-type tub with a second width formed on the P-type substrate; wherein the first P-type tub is formed between the first N-type tub and the second N-type tub; and the second P-type tub is formed between the second N-type tub and the third N-type tub.
US09231119B2
A sensor includes a circuit board, a wiring connection layer, a sensor element, and a conductive post. The circuit board has a first electrode. The wiring connection layer has second and third electrodes. The second electrode is connected to the first electrode. The sensor element has a fourth electrode. The conductive post connects the third electrode electrically with the fourth electrode. This sensor can be driven efficiently.
US09231104B2
A semiconductor device having a cell area and a peripheral area includes a semiconductor substrate, a cell insulating isolation region delimiting a cell active region of the semiconductor substrate in the cell area, a word line disposed within the semiconductor substrate in the cell area, a bit line contact plug disposed on the cell active region, a bit line disposed on the bit line contact plug, a peripheral insulating isolation region delimiting a peripheral active region of the semiconductor substrate in the peripheral area, and a peripheral transistor including a peripheral transistor lower electrode and a peripheral transistor upper electrode. The bit line contact plug is formed at the same level in the semiconductor device as the peripheral transistor lower electrode, and the bit line electrode is formed at the same level in the semiconductor device as the peripheral transistor upper electrode.
US09231098B2
Embodiments of mechanisms for forming a semiconductor device are provided. The semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate. A source region and a drain region are formed in the semiconductor substrate, and metal silicide regions are formed in the source region and the drain region, respectively. The semiconductor device further includes a metal gate stack formed over the semiconductor substrate and between the source region and the drain region. The semiconductor device also includes an insulating layer formed over the semiconductor substrate and surrounding the metal gate stack, wherein the insulating layer has contact openings exposing the metal silicide regions, respectively. The semiconductor device includes a dielectric spacer liner layer formed over inner walls of the contact openings, wherein the whole of the dielectric spacer liner layer is right above the metal silicide regions. The semiconductor device includes contact plugs formed in the contact openings.
US09231095B2
A semiconductor device includes: a semiconductor layer disposed above a substrate; an insulating film formed by oxidizing a portion of the semiconductor layer; and an electrode disposed on the insulating film, wherein the insulating film includes gallium oxide, or gallium oxide and indium oxide.
US09231087B2
Device structures, design structures, and fabrication methods for a bipolar junction transistor. A first layer comprised of a first semiconductor material and a second layer comprised of a second semiconductor material are disposed on a substrate containing a first terminal of the bipolar junction transistor. The second layer is disposed on the first layer and a patterned etch mask is formed on the second layer. A trench extends through the pattern hardmask layer, the first layer, and the second layer and into the substrate. The trench defines a section of the first layer stacked with a section of the second layer. A selective etching process is used to narrow the section of the second layer relative to the section of the first layer to define a second terminal and to widen a portion of the trench in the substrate to undercut the section of the first layer.
US09231074B2
Device structures, fabrication methods, and design structures for a bipolar junction transistor. A trench isolation region is formed in a substrate. The trench isolation region is coextensive with a collector in the substrate. A base layer is formed on the collector and on a first portion of the trench isolation region. A dielectric layer is formed on the base layer and on a second portion of the trench isolation region peripheral to the base layer. After the dielectric layer is formed, the trench isolation region is at least partially removed to define an air gap beneath the dielectric layer and the base layer.
US09231073B2
In accordance with an embodiment, a diode comprises a substrate, a dielectric material including an opening that exposes a portion of the substrate, the opening having an aspect ratio of at least 1, a bottom diode material including a lower region disposed at least partly in the opening and an upper region extending above the opening, the bottom diode material comprising a semiconductor material that is lattice mismatched to the substrate, a top diode material proximate the upper region of the bottom diode material, and an active diode region between the top and bottom diode materials, the active diode region including a surface extending away from the top surface of the substrate.
US09231070B2
An object is to provide a technique to manufacture an insulating film having excellent film characteristics. In particular, an object is to provide a technique to manufacture a dense insulating film with a high withstand voltage. Moreover, an object is to provide a technique to manufacture an insulating film with few electron traps. An insulating film including oxygen is subjected to plasma treatment using a high frequency under the conditions where the electron density is 1×1011 cm−3 or more and the electron temperature is 1.5 eV or less in an atmosphere including oxygen.
US09231068B2
Systems, apparatuses, and methods related to the design, fabrication, and manufacture of gallium arsenide (GaAs) integrated circuits are disclosed. Copper can be used as the contact material for a GaAs integrated circuit. Metallization of the wafer and through-wafer vias can be achieved through copper plating processes disclosed herein. To avoid warpage, the tensile stress of a conductive layer deposited onto a GaAs substrate can be offset by depositing a compensating layer having negative stress over the GaAs substrate. GaAs integrated circuits can be singulated, packaged, and incorporated into various electronic devices.
US09231065B2
A semiconductor device in which a gettering layer is formed in a semiconductor substrate, and a method for forming the same are disclosed, resulting in increased reliability of the semiconductor substrate including the gettering layer. The semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate; a gettering layer formed of a first-type impurity and a second-type impurity in the semiconductor substrate so as to perform gettering of metal ion; and a deep-well region formed over the gettering layer in the semiconductor substrate.
US09231064B1
A semiconductor structure having: a Group III-N channel layer, a Group III-N top-barrier polarization-generating layer forming a heterojunction with an upper surface of the channel layer; and a Group III-N back-barrier polarization-generating layer forming a heterojunction with a lower surface of the channel layer. The channel layer has disposed therein a predetermined n-type conductive dopant.
US09231059B2
A semiconductor device includes a substrate; a carrier traveling layer formed on the substrate, made of first group III nitride semiconductor, and containing carriers traveling in a direction along a principal surface of the substrate; a barrier layer formed on the carrier traveling layer and made of second group III nitride semiconductor having a wider band gap than the first group III nitride semiconductor; and an electrode formed on the barrier layer. The device further includes a cap layer formed on the barrier layer at a side of the electrode, and made of third group III nitride semiconductor containing a mixture of single crystals and polycrystals.
US09231057B2
A power switching device includes a channel forming layer on a substrate which includes a 2-dimensional electron gas (2DEG), and a channel supply layer which corresponds to the 2DEG at the channel forming layer. A cathode is coupled to a first end of the channel supply layer and an anode is coupled to a second end of the channel supply layer. The channel forming layer further includes a plurality of depletion areas arranged in a pattern, and portions of the channel forming layer between the plurality of depletion areas are non-depletion areas.
US09231044B2
There is provided a light emitting device in which low power consumption can be realized even in the case of a large screen. The surface of a source signal line or a power supply line in a pixel portion is plated to reduce a resistance of a wiring. The source signal line in the pixel portion is manufactured by a step different from a source signal line in a driver circuit portion. The power supply line in the pixel portion is manufactured by a step different from a power supply line led on a substrate. A terminal is similarly plated to made the resistance reduction. It is desirable that a wiring before plating is made of the same material as a gate electrode and the surface of the wiring is plated to form the source signal line or the power supply line.
US09231042B2
Occurrence of a crosstalk phenomenon in a light-emitting device is inhibited. A light-emitting device including an insulating layer 416; a first lower electrode 421a formed over the insulating layer; a second lower electrode 421b formed over the insulating layer; a partition 418 formed over the insulating layer and positioned between the first lower electrode and the second lower electrode; a stacked-layer film 423 which is formed over the first lower electrode, the partition, and the second lower electrode and includes a light-emitting layer containing a light-emitting substance and a layer having higher conductivity than that of the light-emitting layer; an upper electrode 422 formed over the stacked-layer film; and a shield electrode 419 which is formed under the partition and does not overlap with the first lower electrode and the second lower electrode.
US09231041B2
Disclosed is an OLED display device. The OLED display device includes a metal line and a thin film transistor that are formed on a substrate, a first insulating layer formed on the metal line and the thin film transistor, a storage electrode formed on the first insulating layer, and connected to the metal line, a second insulating layer formed on the storage electrode, and an anode electrode formed on the second insulating layer to be connected to the thin film transistor and overlapping the storage electrode with the second insulating layer therebetween.
US09231035B2
An organic light emitting diode display device includes a substrate including a display region, wherein a plurality of pixel regions are defined in the display region; a first electrode over the substrate and in each of the plurality of pixel regions; a first bank on edges of the first electrode; a second bank on an upper surface of the first bank and covering only a portion of the first bank; an organic emitting layer on the first electrode and a portion of the first bank; and a second electrode on the organic emitting layer and covering an entire surface of the display region.
US09231033B2
A display panel includes a plurality of unit pixels, where each of the unit pixels has a hexagonal-shape and includes: a first sub-pixel configured to emit a first color light, where the first sub-pixel has a rhombus-shape; a second sub-pixel configured to emit a second color light, where the second sub-pixel has the rhombus-shape; and a third sub-pixel configured to emit a third color light, where the third sub-pixel has the rhombus-shape, where first sub-pixels, second sub-pixels or third sub-pixels of neighboring unit pixels in a same row are arranged to adjoin each other.
US09231029B2
According to one embodiment, a semiconductor memory device includes a plurality of global bit lines, a plurality of word lines, a plurality of bit lines, a plurality of resistance change films, a plurality of semiconductor layers, a gate insulating film, and a plurality of gate electrodes. Spacing in the first direction between the plurality of semiconductor layers is larger than spacing in the second direction between the plurality of semiconductor layers. The plurality of gate electrodes is separated in the first direction.
US09231027B2
The present invention is directed to a spin transfer torque (STT) MRAM device having a perpendicular magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) memory element. The memory element includes a perpendicular MTJ structure in between a non-magnetic seed layer and a non-magnetic cap layer. The MTJ structure comprises a magnetic free layer structure and a magnetic reference layer structure with an insulating tunnel junction layer interposed therebetween, an anti-ferromagnetic coupling layer formed adjacent to the magnetic reference layer structure, and a magnetic fixed layer formed adjacent to the anti-ferromagnetic coupling layer. At least one of the magnetic free and reference layer structures includes a non-magnetic perpendicular enhancement layer, which improves the perpendicular anisotropy of magnetic layers adjacent thereto.
US09231021B2
An image pickup apparatus includes a semiconductor substrate, and multiple pixels. Each of the multiple pixels includes a photoelectric-conversion unit disposed in the semiconductor substrate, a first conductive first semiconductor region disposed in the semiconductor substrate, which holds charge generated by the photoelectric-conversion unit at a place different from the photoelectric-conversion unit, a first transfer unit which transfers charge to the first semiconductor region, and a second transfer unit which transfers charge held at the first semiconductor region. The first semiconductor region includes a first portion, a second portion, and a third portion. At the depth where the third portion is disposed, the first portion is disposed between the third portion and first transfer unit, and the second portion is disposed between the third portion and second transfer unit. Impurity concentration of the third portion is lower than that of the first and second portions.
US09231016B2
A solid-state image pickup apparatus includes a substrate, a wiring layer, and a waveguide. The substrate is provided with a pixel array portion constituted of a plurality of pixels each having a photoelectric converter that converts incident light into an electrical signal. The wiring layer includes a plurality of wirings and an insulating layer that covers the plurality of wirings that are laminated above the substrate. The waveguide guides light to each of the photoelectric converters of the plurality of pixels, the waveguide being formed in the wiring layer. The waveguide is formed to have a waveguide exit end from which light exits the waveguide so that a distance between the waveguide exit end and a surface of the photoelectric converter that receives light from the waveguide become shorter, as wavelengths of light guided by the waveguide are longer.
US09231014B2
A back side illumination photodiode includes a light-receiving back side surface of a semiconductor material substrate. An area of the light-receiving back side surface includes a recess. The recess is filled with a material having an optical index that is lower than an optical index of the semiconductor material substrate. Both the substrate and the filling material are transparent to an operating wavelength of the photodiode. The recess may be formed to have a ring shape.
US09231006B2
A solid-state imaging device includes a semiconductor region of p-type; a buried region of n-type, configured to serve as a photodiode together with the semiconductor region; a extraction region of n-type, configured to extract charges generated by the photodiode from the buried region, having higher impurity concentration than the buried region; a read-out region of n-type, configured to accumulate charges, which are transferred from the buried region having higher impurity concentration than the buried region; and a potential gradient changing mechanism, configured to control a potential of the channel, and to change a potential gradient of a potential profile from the buried region to the read-out region and a potential gradient of a potential profile from the buried region to the extraction region, so as to control the transferring/extraction of charges.
US09231005B2
A pixel array for imaging comprises an array of pixels of a first pixel type and a second pixel type. Each pixel of the first pixel type comprises a first photo-sensitive element having a first area. Each pixel of the second pixel type comprises a second photo-sensitive element and a third photo-sensitive element. The second photo-sensitive element has a second area, which is smaller than the first area. Only the second photo-sensitive element in the pixel of the second pixel type is connected to a readout circuit. The third photo-sensitive element is connected to a charge drain via a permanent connection or a switchable connection. Outputs of the second photo-sensitive elements can be used to perform phase detect autofocussing.
US09230996B2
A light-emitting device capable of suppressing variation in luminance among pixels is provided. A light-emitting device includes a pixel and first and second circuits. The first circuit has a function of generating a signal including a value of current extracted from the pixel. The second circuit has a function of correcting an image signal by the signal. The pixel includes at least a light-emitting element and first and second transistors. The first transistor has a function of controlling supply of the current to the light-emitting element by the image signal. The second transistor has a function of controlling extraction of the current from the pixel. A semiconductor film of each of the first and second transistors includes a first semiconductor region overlapping with a gate, a second semiconductor region in contact with a source or a drain, and a third semiconductor region between the first and second semiconductor regions.
US09230995B2
Embodiments of the present application relate to an array substrate, the manufacturing method thereof and a display device. The array substrate comprises: a substrate, of gate lines and of data lines, a plurality of pixel units, defined by the gate lines and the data lines, each of the pixel units comprising a thin film transistor and a pixel electrode, wherein the thin film transistor comprises a source electrode, a drain electrode, an active layer, a gate insulating layer and a gate electrode, and the source electrode and the drain electrode are provided on the substrate opposing to each other with a channel of the thin film transistor provided therebetween, and the pixel electrode is positioned in a region outside the thin film transistor within the pixel unit, and is extended to a position above the drain electrode to be partly lapped over and directly connected to the drain electrode.
US09230992B2
A semiconductor device includes at least one first semiconductor fin formed on an nFET region of a semiconductor device and at least one second semiconductor fin formed on a pFET region. The at least one first semiconductor fin has an nFET channel region interposed between a pair of nFET source/drain regions. The at least one second semiconductor fin has a pFET channel region interposed between a pair of pFET source/drain regions. The an epitaxial liner is formed on only the pFET channel region of the at least one second semiconductor fin such that a first threshold voltage of the nFET channel region is different than a second threshold voltage of the pFET channel.
US09230990B2
Silicon-on-insulator integrated circuits including body contact structures and methods for fabricating the same are disclosed. A method for fabricating a silicon-on-insulator integrated circuit includes filling a plurality of first and second shallow isolation trenches with an insulating material to form plurality of first and second shallow trench isolation (STI) structures, and forming a gate structure over the semiconductor layer that includes a first portion disposed over and parallel to at least two of the plurality of second STI structures and a second portion disposed in between the at least two of the plurality of second STI structures. The method further includes forming contact plugs to a body contact region of the semiconductor layer. The body contact region comprises a portion of the semiconductor layer between at least one of the plurality of first STI structures and at least one of the plurality of second STI structures.
US09230987B2
A first stack of alternating layers including first electrically conductive layers and first electrically insulating layers is formed with first stepped surfaces and a first dielectric material portion thereupon. Dielectric pillar structures including a dielectric metal oxide can be formed through the first stepped surfaces. Lower memory openings can be formed, and filled with a disposable material or a lower memory opening structure including a lower semiconductor channel and a doped semiconductor region. At least one dielectric material layer and a second stack of alternating layers including second electrically conductive layers and second electrically insulating layers can be sequentially formed. Upper memory openings can be formed through the second stack and the at least one dielectric material layer. A memory film and a semiconductor channel can be formed after removal of the disposable material, or an upper semiconductor channel can be formed on the doped semiconductor region.
US09230980B2
A memory film layer is formed in a memory opening through an alternating stack of first material layers and second material layers. A sacrificial material layer is deposited on the memory film layer. Horizontal portions of the sacrificial material layer and the memory film layer at the bottom of the memory opening is removed by an anisotropic etch to expose a substrate underlying the memory opening, while vertical portions of the sacrificial material layer protect vertical portions of the memory film layer. After removal of the sacrificial material layer selective to the memory film, a doped semiconductor material layer can be formed directly on the exposed material in the memory opening and on the memory film as a single material layer to form a semiconductor channel of a memory device.
US09230978B2
Some embodiments include methods of forming semiconductor constructions. Alternating layers of n-type doped material and p-type doped material may be formed. The alternating layers may be patterned into a plurality of vertical columns that are spaced from one another by openings. The openings may be lined with tunnel dielectric, charge-storage material and blocking dielectric. Alternating layers of insulative material and conductive control gate material may be formed within the lined openings. Some embodiments include methods of forming NAND unit cells. Columns of alternating n-type material and p-type material may be formed. The columns may be lined with a layer of tunnel dielectric, a layer of charge-storage material, and a layer of blocking dielectric. Alternating layers of insulative material and conductive control gate material may be formed between the lined columns. Some embodiments include semiconductor constructions, and some embodiments include NAND unit cells.
US09230972B1
A monolithic three dimensional memory device includes a semiconductor substrate having a major surface and a doped well region of a first conductivity type extending substantially parallel to the major surface of the semiconductor substrate, a plurality of NAND memory strings extending substantially perpendicular to the major surface of the semiconductor substrate, and a plurality of substantially pillar-shaped support members extending substantially perpendicular to the major surface of the semiconductor substrate, each support member including an electrically insulating outer material surrounding an electrically conductive core material that extends substantially perpendicular to the major surface of the semiconductor substrate and electrically contacting the doped well region.
US09230970B2
A semiconductor device with a novel structure is provided in which stored data can be held even when power is not supplied and the number of writing is not limited. The semiconductor includes a second transistor and a capacitor over a first transistor. The capacitor includes a source or drain electrode and a gate insulating layer of the second transistor and a capacitor electrode over an insulating layer which covers the second transistor. The gate electrode of the second transistor and the capacitor electrode overlap at least partly with each other with the insulating layer interposed therebetween. By forming the gate electrode of the second transistor and the capacitor electrode using different layers, an integration degree of the semiconductor device can be improved.
US09230969B2
A semiconductor device in which wirings are formed adequately and electrical couplings are made properly in an SRAM memory cell. In the SRAM memory cell of the semiconductor device, a via to be electrically coupled to a third wiring as a word line is directly coupled to a contact plug electrically coupled to the gate wiring part of an access transistor. Also, another via to be electrically coupled to the third wiring as the word line is directly coupled to a contact plug electrically coupled to the gate wiring part of another access transistor.
US09230966B2
A capacitor includes a substrate, a multilayer over the substrate, a plurality of container-shaped storage node structures on the semiconductor substrate and surrounded by the multilayer, the storage node structure has a sidewall extending upwardly from the base to the top, where the sidewall includes an upper segment and a lower segment thinner than the upper segment, a capacitor dielectric material along a surface of each storage node structure, and a capacitor electrode material over the capacitor dielectric material.
US09230963B2
A method for fabricating a semiconductor device includes forming a gate dielectric layer over a substrate; forming a metal containing layer, containing an effective work function adjust species, over the gate dielectric layer; forming an anti-reaction layer over the metal containing layer; increasing an amount of the effective work function adjust species contained in the metal containing layer; and forming, on the substrate, a gate stack by etching the anti-reaction layer, the metal containing layer, and the gate dielectric layer.
US09230959B2
A semiconductor structure includes a semiconductor substrate; a planar transistor on a first portion of the semiconductor substrate, wherein the first portion of the semiconductor substrate has a first top surface; and a multiple-gate transistor on a second portion of the semiconductor substrate. The second portion of the semiconductor substrate is recessed from the first top surface to form a fin of the multiple-gate transistor. The fin is electrically isolated from the semiconductor substrate by an insulator.
US09230939B2
A method for producing an image pickup apparatus includes: a process of fabricating a plurality of image pickup chips by cutting an image pickup chip substrate where light receiving sections and electrode pads are formed; a process of fabricating a joined wafer by bonding the image pickup chips to a glass wafer; a process of filling a gap between the plurality of image pickup chips with a sealing member made of a BCB resin or polyimide; a process of machining the joined wafer to reduce a thickness; a process of forming through-hole vias; a process of forming an insulating layer that covers the image pickup chips; a process of forming through-hole interconnections; a process of forming external connection electrodes, each of which is connected to each of the through-hole interconnections; and a process of cutting the joined wafer.
US09230937B2
There is provided a technology capable of suppressing the damage applied to a pad. When the divergence angle of an inner chamfer part is smaller than 90 degrees, the ultrasonic conversion load in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the pad is very small in magnitude. In other words, the ultrasonic conversion load in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the pad is sufficiently smaller in magnitude than the ultrasonic conversion load in a direction in parallel with the surface of the pad. Consequently, when the divergence angle of the inner chamfer part is smaller than 90 degrees, the ultrasonic conversion load in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the pad can be sufficiently reduced in magnitude, which can prevent pad peeling.
US09230935B2
A package on package structure includes a first substrate having a first region and a second region, a bump formed on the first region of the first substrate, a first semiconductor die bonded to the second region of the first substrate, and a semiconductor die package bonded to the first substrate. The bump includes a metallic structure and a plurality of minor elements dispersed in the metallic structure. The semiconductor die package includes a connector bonded to the bump, and the first semiconductor die is between the semiconductor die package and the first substrate.
US09230931B2
A semiconductor device includes an active region tilted at an angle with respect to a buried bit line. The buried bit line includes a metal silicide pattern and a metal pattern. The metal silicide pattern has a plurality of metal silicide films each disposed at a lower portion of the active region and corresponding to a bit line contact region. The metal pattern has a plurality of metal films. The metal silicide films and the metal films are alternately arranged and electrically coupled to each other.
US09230929B2
Wire-bonded semiconductor structures using organic insulating material and methods of manufacture are disclosed. The method includes forming a metal wiring layer in an organic insulator layer. The method further includes forming a protective layer over the organic insulator layer. The method further includes forming a via in the organic insulator layer over the metal wiring layer. The method further includes depositing a metal layer in the via and on the protective layer. The method further includes patterning the metal layer with an etch chemistry that is damaging to the organic insulator layer.
US09230927B2
A method of fabricating a wafer-level chip package is provided. First, a wafer with two adjacent chips is provided, the wafer having an upper surface and a lower surface, and one side of each chip includes a conducting pad on the lower surface. A recess and an isolation layer extend from the upper surface to the lower surface, which the recess exposes the conducting pad. A part of the isolation layer is disposed in the recess with an opening to expose the conducting pad. A conductive layer is formed on the isolation layer and the conductive pad, and a photo-resist layer is spray coated on the conductive layer. The photo-resist layer is exposed and developed to expose the conductive layer, and the conductive layer is etched to form a redistribution layer. After stripping the photo-resist layer, a solder layer is formed on the isolation layer and the redistribution layer.
US09230926B2
An electronic device which comprises at least one interconnect, a semiconductor chip comprising at least one electric chip pad, an encapsulant structure packaging at least a part of the semiconductor chip, and an electrically conductive redistribution layer arranged between and electrically coupled with the at least one interconnect and the at least one chip pad, wherein the redistribution layer comprises at least one adjustment structure configured for adjusting radio frequency properties of a transition between the semiconductor chip and its periphery.
US09230921B2
A self-healing crack stop structure and methods of manufacture are disclosed herein. The structure comprises a crack stop structure formed in one or more dielectric layers and surrounding an active region of an integrated circuit chip. The crack stop comprises self healing material which, upon propagation of a crack, is structured to seal the crack and prevent further propagation of the crack.
US09230919B2
A rigid wave pattern formed on a first side of a substrate in a semiconductor die package. The rigid wave pattern aligns with and overlies the contact fingers formed on the second side of the substrate. The rigid wave pattern includes a first pattern with an etched portion and an unetched portion around the etched portion. When the substrate and dice are encased during the molding process, the rigid wave pattern effectively reduces deformation of and stresses on the dice, therefore substantially alleviating die cracking.
US09230905B2
A multilevel device includes: at least one device region and at least one contact region having a stack of alternating plurality of continuous electrically conductive layers and plurality of electrically insulating layers located over a base. Each electrically conductive layer in the stack is electrically insulated from the other electrically conductive layers in the stack. The base may include a raised portion and a plurality of recesses in the raised portion, each recess in the plurality of recesses having a different lateral size from the other recesses in the plurality of recesses. The electrically conductive layers in the stack may be substantially conformal to the plurality of recesses in the base and expose one or more top surfaces of the raised portion of the base. A first electrically conductive layer in the stack may be a topmost layer in a laterally central portion of a first one of the plurality of recesses. A second electrically conductive layer in the stack different from the first electrically conductive layer may be a topmost layer in a laterally central portion of a second one of the plurality of recesses.
US09230903B2
Wafer-level package semiconductor devices for high-current applications are described that have pillars for providing electrical interconnectivity. In an implementation, the wafer-level package devices include an integrated circuit chip having at least one pillar formed over the integrated circuit chip. The pillar is configured to provide electrical interconnectivity with the integrated circuit chip. The wafer-level package device also includes an encapsulation structure configured to support the pillar. The wafer-level package device also includes an integrated circuit chip device (e.g., small die) configured upon the integrated circuit chip (e.g., large die). In the wafer-level package device, the height of the integrated circuit chip device is less than the height of the pillar and/or less than the combined height of the pillar and the one or more solder contacts.
US09230895B2
A package substrate includes: a dielectric layer having two opposite surfaces; a wiring layer embedded in the dielectric layer and exposed from the two opposite surfaces of the dielectric layer, wherein the wiring layer has solder pads, conductive pads and circuit wires electrically connecting the solder pads and the conductive pads; and a first insulating protection layer disposed on one of the two opposite surfaces of the dielectric layer to cover the dielectric layer and the wiring layer and having a plurality of openings for exposing the conductive pads, respectively. The package substrate, by directly using the dielectric layer as a base, provides a package substrate having reduced thickness and lower fabrication costs compared to the prior art.
US09230888B2
A semiconductor assembly comprises a semiconductor wafer, an adhesive coating disposed on the back side of the wafer, and a bare dicing tape, preferably UV radiation transparent. The assembly is prepared by the method comprising (a) providing a semiconductor wafer, (b) disposing a wafer back side coating on the semiconductor wafer, (c) partially curing the wafer back side coating to the extent that it adheres to the back side of the wafer and remains tacky, and (d) contacting the bare dicing tape to the partially cured and tacky wafer back side coating, optionally with heat and pressure.
US09230875B2
Embodiments of provide an integrated circuit (IC) device. The IC device can include a substrate having first and second opposing surfaces, an IC die electrically coupled to the first surface of the substrate, a plurality of contact members coupled to the first surface of the substrate, and an interposer. The interposer can include a plurality of contact elements located on a first surface thereof, each conductive element being coupled to a respective one of the plurality of contact members, and an antenna formed using a conductive layer of the interposer, the antenna being electrically coupled to the IC die through at least one of the plurality of contact elements and at least one of the plurality of contact members.
US09230870B2
An integrated test circuit, including a plurality of test structure elements, wherein each test structure element includes at least a supply line and a test line; a plurality of select transistors, wherein each select transistor is assigned to one corresponding test structure element, and wherein each select transistor includes a first controlled region, a second controlled region, and a control region, wherein the second controlled region of each select transistor is respectively connected to the supply line of the corresponding test structure element, so that each select transistor is unambiguously assigned to the corresponding test structure element; and a plurality of contact pads, connected to respective first controlled regions and control regions of the plurality of select transistors, such that each test structure element of the plurality of test structure elements can be individually addressed by the plurality of contact pads.
US09230866B2
A fabricating method of a customized mask includes forming first patterns in a mold structure, forming second patterns in the mold structure using initial masks, the mold structure having the first patterns formed therein, measuring overlap failure between the first patterns and the second patterns, and fabricating customized masks by compensating for pattern positions of the initial masks based on the measuring results, wherein compensating for the pattern positions of the initial masks includes shifting positions of at least some patterns of the initial masks according to shift directions and sizes of at least some of the first patterns.
US09230864B1
A method of forming a semiconductor device having a metal gate includes the following steps. First of all, a first gate trench is formed in a dielectric layer. Next, a first work function layer is formed, covering the first gate trench. Then, a protection layer is formed in the first gate trench, also on the first work function layer. Then, a patterned sacrificial mask layer is formed in the first gate trench to expose a portion of the protection layer. After that, the exposed protection layer is removed, to form a U-shaped protection layer in the first gate trench. As following, a portion of the first work function layer under the exposed protection layer is removed, to form a U-shaped first work function layer in the first gate trench. Finally, the patterned sacrificial mask layer and the U-shaped protection layer are completely removed.
US09230863B2
Integrated circuits with tungsten components having a smooth surface and methods for producing such integrated circuits are provided. A method of producing the integrated circuits includes forming a nucleation layer overlying a substrate and within a cavity, where the nucleation layer includes tungsten. A nucleation layer thickness is reduced, and a fill layer if formed overlying the nucleation layer.
US09230861B2
A backside contact structure is created using the following sequence of steps: etching a deep trench from the front surface of the semiconductor wafer to the buried layer to be contacted; depositing an isolation layer into the trench which covers the surfaces of the trench; performing an ion beam anisotropic etch in order to selectively etch the isolation layer at the bottom of the trench; filling the trench with a conductive material in order to create an electrical connection to the backside layer. The process can either be performed at a front-end stage of wafer processing following the formation of shallow trench isolation structures, or at a back-end stage after device transistors are formed. The backside contact structure so fabricated is used to electrically isolate circuit structures constructed on the wafer's upper surface, so that the various components of an integrated circuit can operate at different reference voltages.
US09230854B2
A system and method for a semiconductor device are provided. An embodiment comprises a dielectric layer, a hard mask layer over the dielectric layer, and a capping layer over the hard mask layer. A multi-patterning process is performed to form an interconnect using the capping layer as a mask to form an opening for the interconnect.
US09230853B2
A semiconductor device including active regions defined in a semiconductor substrate to be non-parallel with a first direction and a second direction which are perpendicular to each other, word lines intersecting active regions and extending in first directions to be spaced apart from each other in the second direction, bit lines crossing over word lines and extending in second directions to be spaced apart from each other in the first direction, first impurity regions disposed in respective ones of central portions of active regions to non-overlap with the word lines, second impurity regions disposed in both ends of each of the active regions to non-overlap with the word lines, and bit line contact plugs disposed between the first impurity regions and the bit lines. The bit line contact plugs having longish shapes including major axes substantially parallel with the second direction and minor axes substantially parallel with the first direction.
US09230852B2
An integrated circuit (IC) die has a top side surface providing circuitry including active circuitry configured to provide a function, including at least one bond pad formed from a bond pad metal coupled to a node in the circuitry. A dielectric passivation layer is over a top side surface of a substrate providing a contact area which exposes the bond pad. A metal capping layer includes an electrically conductive metal or an electrically conductive metal compound over at least the contact area to provide corrosion protection to the bond pad metal, which is in electrical contact with the bond pad metal. The metal capping layer can extend over structures other than the bond pads, such as to cover at least 80% of the area of the IC die to provide structures on the IC die protection from incident radiation.
US09230850B2
The invention relates to a method for manufacturing a multilayer structure on a first substrate made of a material having a first Young's modulus. The method includes: providing a second substrate covered with the multilayer structure, the multilayer structure having a planar surface opposite the second substrate, the second substrate being made of a material having a second Young's modulus; applying first deformations to said surface; molecularly boding the first substrate to said surface, the molecular bonding resulting in the appearance of second deformation in said surface in the absence of the first deformations, the first deformations being opposite the second deformations; and removing the second substrate, the resulting deformations in said surface being less than 5 ppm.
US09230840B2
In one embodiment, a substrate transfer device is equipped with a chamber wall, a table, a linear motor transfer mechanism, an optical window, and a laser measuring instrument. The chamber wall defines a transfer space. The table is housed within the transfer space. It is possible for a substrate to be loaded on the table. The linear motor transfer mechanism moves the table within the transfer space, by a linear motor. The optical window is installed between the transfer space and the space to the outside of the transfer space. For example, the optical window is disposed so as to seal off an opening defined in the chamber wall. The laser measuring instrument irradiates a laser light through the optical window and towards the table, receives reflected light from the table, and measures the position of the table.
US09230838B2
A storage apparatus for objects in the manufacture of substrates, in particular of substrates for electronic components, is provided with a housing which forms at least one closed area for storage of the objects. The storage apparatus also has a pure air device by which a pure air atmosphere can be produced at least within a section of the housing. Using at least one input/output device for the storage apparatus, objects can be passed into the interior of the housing or removed from the interior, in which case the objects can be handled by at least one handling device in the interior of the housing, and object receptacles are provided within the housing, in which objects can be temporarily stored outside transport containers. In order to require a position area which is as small as possible for a storage apparatus such as this, despite it having a high storage capacity, the invention provides that two areas which are arranged at least partially one above the other are formed in the same housing of the storage apparatus, with a first area for an object storage device, and a second area for a transport container storage device.
US09230828B2
A device includes a semiconductor fin over a substrate, a gate dielectric on sidewalls of the semiconductor fin, and a gate electrode over the gate dielectric. A source/drain region is on a side of the gate electrode. A dislocation plane is in the source/drain region.
US09230823B1
A method of photoresist strip includes providing a semiconductor substrate and performing an immerse step and a strip step, wherein the semiconductor substrate comprises a base, a bonding pad, a protective layer, an under bump metallurgy layer, a patterned photoresist layer and a bump. The patterned photoresist layer covers the under bump metallurgy layer and a lateral surface of the bump, wherein a first connection interface is formed between the patterned photoresist layer and the lateral surface of the bump, and a second connection interface is formed between the patterned photoresist layer and the under bump metallurgy layer. In the immerse step, the patterned photoresist layer contacts with a chemical solution which degrades the bond strength of the first connection interface. Therefore, in the strip step, the semiconductor substrate is scoured by a flow with appropriate force of impact, which strips the patterned photoresist layer from the base.
US09230822B1
A semiconductor structure with mixed n-type and p-type non-planar transistors includes a residual overlapping mask bump on one or more of the dummy gates. A dielectric layer is created over the structure having a top surface above the residual bump, for example, using a blanket deposition and chemical-mechanical underpolish (i.e., stopping before exposing the gate cap). The residual bump is then transformed into a same material as the dielectric, either in its entirety and then removing the combined dielectric, or by removing the dielectric first and partly removing the residual bump, the remainder of which is then transformed and the dielectric removed. In either case, the structure is planarized for further processing.
US09230809B2
A system and method for a semiconductor device are provided. An embodiment comprises a dielectric layer and masking layers over the dielectric layer. A thin spacer layer is used to form spacers alongside a pattern. A reverse image of the spacer pattern is formed and an enlargement process is used to slightly widen the pattern. The widened pattern is subsequently used to pattern an underlying layer. This process may be used to form a pattern in a dielectric layer, which openings may then be filled with a conductive material.
US09230806B2
The present invention relates to a method for forming a crystallized silicon layer made up of grains having an average size of no less than 20 μm, including at least the steps that comprise: (1) providing a layer of silicon to be (re)crystallized, the average grain size of which is less than 10 μm; (2) placing said layer of silicon to be (re)crystallized in contact with a liquid composition at least partially made up of a metal solvent; and (3) exposing the assembly to a thermal treatment suitable for (re)crystallizing said layer of silicon with the expected grain size, characterized in that said thermal treatment includes heating the assembly made up of the layer of silicon in contact with said liquid composition to a temperature that is lower than 1410° C. and at least equal to the eutectic temperature in the solvent-silicon phase diagram.
US09230798B2
Monocrystalline silicon semiconductor wafers have a front side and a rear side, and a denuded zone which extends from the front side to the rear side as far as a depth which between a center and an edge of the semiconductor wafer on average is not less than 8 μm and not more than 18 μm, and having a region adjoining the denuded zone having BMDs whose density at a distance of 30 μm from the front side is not less than 2×109 cm−3. The semiconductor wafers are produced by a method comprising providing a substrate wafer of monocrystalline silicon and an RTA treating the substrate wafer, the treatment subdivided into a first thermal treatment of the substrate wafer in an atmosphere consisting of argon and into a second thermal treatment of the substrate wafer in an atmosphere consisting of argon and ammonia.
US09230794B2
Semiconductor wafers are cleaned, dried, and hydrophilized the following steps in the order stated: a) treating the semiconductor wafer with a liquid aqueous solution containing hydrogen fluoride, the semiconductor wafer rotating about its center axis at least occasionally, and b) drying the semiconductor wafer by rotation of the semiconductor wafer about its center axis at a rotational speed of 1000 to 5000 revolutions per minute in an ozone-containing atmosphere, the liquid aqueous solution containing hydrogen fluoride flowing away from the semiconductor wafer on account of the centrifugal force generated by the rotation, and the surface of the semiconductor wafer being hydrophilized by ozone.
US09230793B2
A semiconductor device has a semiconductor substrate including a cell region and a peripheral region and includes: a Silicon-Metal-Silicon (SMS)-structured wafer formed in the cell region, which includes a stacked structure of a first silicon substrate, a metal layer, and a second silicon substrate; and a Silicon On Insulator (SOI)-structured wafer formed in the peripheral region, which includes a stacked structure of the first silicon substrate, a silicon insulation film, and the second silicon substrate.
US09230788B2
In eight electrodes arranged at an interval of a rotational angle of 45° around an ion optical axis, two neighboring electrodes are electrically connected together as one group, and electrodes in alternate groups are also electrically connected together. A voltage VDC+v cos ωt is applied to electrodes in alternate groups around the optical axis, and a voltage VDC−v cos ωt is applied to the other electrodes. Then, while an ion guide has the same electrode structure as that of an octupole-type ion guide, a radio-frequency electric field mainly having a quadrupole field component is formed, and the ion guide can be used as a quadrupole-type ion guide. Accordingly, only by changing the wiring for applying a voltage by using the electrodes having the same structure, ion guides of, for example, a quadrupole type and an octupole type, having different properties such as ion receiving properties and ion passing properties can be achieved.
US09230787B2
Provided is an ionization apparatus including: a holder configured to hold a sample; a probe configured to determine a part to be ionized of the sample held by the holder; an extract electrode configured to extract ionized ions of the sample; a liquid supply unit configured to supply liquid to a part of a region of the sample; and a unit configured to apply a first voltage between the probe and the extract electrode, in which the first voltage is pulse-modulated.
US09230781B2
The present invention relates to a capacitive-coupled plasma processing apparatus, wherein an electric field regulating element, i.e., an “electric field lens”, is arranged in the reaction chamber to generate a regenerated electric field in a direction opposite to that of the original radio frequency electric field in the reaction chamber, so that the non-uniformity of etching rate on the surface of the substrate of the plasma incurred by the original radio frequency electric field is decreased; and the electric field regulating element, i.e., the “electric field lens”, further decreases the equivalent quality factor Q value of the reaction chamber, expands the radio frequency band, and prevents high-voltage electric arcing. The present invention further provides a method for processing the substrate using the processing apparatus.
US09230773B1
A plasma chamber having improved controllability of the ion density of the extracted ribbon ion beam is disclosed. A plurality of pairs of RF biased electrodes is disposed on opposite sides of the extraction aperture in a plasma chamber. In some embodiments, one of each pair of RF biased electrodes is biased at the extraction voltage, while the other of each pair is coupled to a RF bias power supply, which provides a RF voltage having a DC component and an AC component. In another embodiment, both of the electrodes in each pair are coupled to a RF biased power supply. A blocker may be disposed in the plasma chamber near the extraction aperture. In some embodiments, RF biased electrodes are disposed on the blocker.
US09230763B2
A relay assembly comprises a relay mounted on a board. The relay may be a single or individual relay or a polyphasic relay. The relay has a housing and at least one dip solder pin extending from the housing and soldered to a circuit board. The relay is mounted on the circuit board via at least one fastening clip having a fitting part fitted into a hole in the housing, a latching part latched to a bore in the board, and a central flange between the fitting part and the latching part.
US09230754B2
The illuminated keyboard includes a base plate, a backlight module, a plurality of input keys and a mask layer. The backlight module and the plurality of input keys are disposed on opposite sides of the base plate. The mask layer is disposed between the base plate and the backlight module. A pointing stick cursor key includes a holding structure, an opening and a masking portion. The holding structure with a hole is disposed on the base plate. The opening is formed on the mask layer in a position corresponding to the holding structure. The holding structure is extended into the backlight module via the opening. The at least one masking portion is connected to a periphery of the opening for bendably attaching against the holding structure for covering the hole when the holding structure is extended into the backlight module via the opening.
US09230752B2
A seat switch assembly can maintain a reliable switching operation due to enhanced durability. A pressing plate has guides which are fastened to guide holes of a base. A seat switch housing is fastened to an assembly hole of the base. An actuation rod is received inside a through-hole of the seat switch housing, and moves in the top-bottom direction in response to a pressure from the pressing plate. A V-shaped contact pin is fixed to a fixing guide of the actuation rod. One portion of a terminal pin is buried inside the seat switch housing, and the other portion of the terminal pin is exposed to the outside. A return spring is received in the lower portion of the actuation rod. A cover closes the lower portion of the through-hole. The inner surfaces of the through-hole and the terminal pin are coplanar without a stepped portion.
US09230750B2
An outer peripheral wall surrounds a heating chamber that communicates with an arc chamber through an opening that separates fixed contacts from each other in a circumferential direction. The outer peripheral wall includes a heat-resistive cylindrical heat-flow receiving wall portion that is arranged at a position opposed to the opening in a radial direction, and a cylindrical wall portion that is connected to the heat-flow receiving wall portion in a direction of a center axis and also connected to a fixed-side energizing member at its one end on the opposite side to where the wall portion is connected to the heat-flow receiving wall portion, and is made of an insulating material. With this configuration, the outer peripheral wall surrounding the heating chamber can be protected from damage and heat deterioration due to the influence of hot gas.
US09230741B2
A device and method for providing electrical energy storage of high specific energy density. The device contains a plurality of layers of high dielectric constant material, such as Barium Titanate or Hexagonal Barium Titanate, sandwiched between electrode layers made up of a variety of possible conducting materials. The device includes additional insulating layers, such as Diamond Like Carbon Coating, between the electrodes that provide for very high breakdown voltages. Layers are created by a variety of methods and assembled to form the device that is the High Energy Density Storage Device.
US09230728B2
A magnetic device includes a T-shaped magnetic core, a wire coil and a magnetic body. The T-shaped magnetic core includes a base and a pillar, and is made of an annealed soft magnetic metal material, a core loss PCL (mW/cm3) of the T-shaped magnetic core satisfying: 0.64×f0.95×Bm2.20≦PCL≦7.26×f1.41×Bm1.08, where f (kHz) represents a frequency of a magnetic field applied to the T-shaped magnetic core, and Bm (kGauss) represents the operating magnetic flux density of the magnetic field at the frequency. The magnetic body fully covers the pillar, any part of the base that is located above the bottom surface of the base, and any part of the wire coil that is located directly above the top surface of the base.
US09230725B2
Embodiments are provided that include methods of designing an inductor. The inductor can include a conductive line including at least one turn and an opening positioned within an interior of a region of the conductive line. Embodiments of forming the inductor can include: providing an inductor design including a conductive line having at least one turn; determining a region of the conductive line that has current density below a threshold; and forming an opening in the region, the opening enclosed within the conductive line.
US09230723B2
A primary coil is configured by series connection of a first coil element (L1a), a second coil element (L1b) and a fifth coil element (L1c), and a secondary coil is configured by series connection of a third coil element (L2a), a fourth coil element (L2b) and a sixth coil element (L2c). The coil elements (L1a, L2b, L1c) are disposed coaxially and the coil elements (L2a, L1b, L2c) are also disposed coaxially. The respective coil elements (L1a, L1b, L1c) of the primary coil and the respective coil elements (L2a, L2b, L2c) of the secondary coil are disposed adjacently in a layer direction of a base material layer, respectively. The coil elements (L1a, L1b, L1c, L2a, L2b, L2c) are connected in such a manner that a magnetic field in the same direction is generated in all of the coil elements (L1a, L1b, L1c, L2a, L2b, L2c) when common mode current flows.
US09230718B2
A chip thermistor includes a thermistor element body and a pair of outer electrodes. The thermistor element body has a pair of end faces opposing each other and a main face connecting the end faces to each other. The pair of outer electrodes are arranged on the pair of end faces, respectively. The pair of outer electrodes have a width in a direction intersecting the opposing direction of the pair of end faces made narrower with distance from the thermistor element body.
US09230714B2
A tether, and system using such a tether, adapted to provide mechanical and electrical coupling of an airborne flying platform to the ground. The tether may have a center structural core with electrical conductors on or near the outer diameter of the tether. The tether may utilize exterior configurations adapted to reduce drag.
US09230713B2
A conductive path structure includes a conductor that includes a first conductive portion and a second conductive portion which are connected to each other through a cut-off facilitating portion, and an insulation member that covers the cut-off facilitating portion directly or indirectly. When the cut-off facilitating portion is cut off so as to separate the first conductive portion and the second conductive portion to each other due to an impact applied to the cut-off facilitating portion, the insulation member is configured so as to cover the separated first conductive portion and the separated second conductive portion.
US09230711B2
A composition for a wire protective member with heat resistance, flame retardancy, and resistance against both a calcium chloride and a braided wire; a wire protective member and a wire harness using the composition. The composition for a wire protective member is produced by including a polypropylene having a propylene monomer constituting 50 to 95 percent by mass of monomers forming a polymer, a melt flow rate of 0.5 to 5 g/10 min, and a melting point of 150 degrees C. or more; a bromine-based flame retardant and an antimony trioxide as a flame retarder; a phenol-based antioxidant as a heat resistance life improving agent; and a metal deactivator, wherein the propylene has a tensile strength of 20 to 35 MPa and a Charpy impact strength of 10 kJ/m2 or more at 23 degrees C.
US09230706B1
An improved process for wire harness assembly using air pressure to seat and manufacture wiring harnesses.
US09230700B2
Radon is removed from a gas in an apparatus comprising: (a) a liquid-contacting apparatus having a shielded reservoir containing a fresh working liquid in which radon is soluble; and (b) a means for causing a stream of gas containing radon to pass through the liquid-contacting apparatus. When the radon level in the working liquid reaches a certain level, the working liquid is either taken out of service and stored until the radon level is reduced or the working liquid is diluted with additional working liquid having no radon.
US09230687B2
A method, system and computer program product are provided for implementing ECC (Error Correction Codes) redundancy using reconfigurable logic blocks in a computer system. When a fail is detected when reading from memory, it is determined if the incorrect data is in the data or the ECC component of the data. When incorrect data is found in the ECC component of the data, and an actionable threshold is not reached, a predetermined Reliability, Availability, and Serviceability (RAS) action is taken. When the actionable threshold is reached with incorrect data identified in the ECC component of the data, an analysis process is performed to determine if the ECC logic is faulty. When a fail in the ECC logic is detected, the identified ECC failed logic is replaced with a spare block of logic.
US09230680B2
A method includes, in an array of analog memory cells that are arranged in rows associated with respective word lines, reading a first group of the memory cells in a selected word line, including one or more memory cells that store a status of at least one word line in the array other than the selected word line. A readout configuration for a second group of the memory cells is set responsively to the read status. The second group of the memory cells is read using the readout configuration.
US09230674B1
A memory system with improved power consumption and operation speed. A memory system performs a data read operation in a low power read mode to improve operation speed and reduce power consumption by biasing bit cells in the memory system at a negative voltage. The use of the negative voltage minimizes changing of voltages of the bit cells. Additionally, the memory system performs data read operation in a margin read mode to improve accuracy of the reading by biasing the bit cells at a positive voltage.
US09230671B2
According to one embodiment, there is provided an output circuit including a driver transistor and a pre-driver circuit. The driver transistor is connected to an output terminal. The pre-driver circuit is configured to turn ON/OFF the driver transistor. The pre-driver circuit includes a first transistor, a second transistor, a third transistor. The first transistor is configured to control ON speed of the driver transistor. The second transistor is connected in parallel with the first transistor. The second transistor is configured to control ON speed of the driver transistor. The third transistor is connected in parallel with the first transistor and in series with the second transistor. The third transistor is configured to activate or deactivate the second transistor.
US09230669B2
A method of operating a memory system including a non-volatile memory device and a memory controller controlling the non-volatile memory device, includes reading data from a memory cell array in a unit of a page which includes a plurality of sectors; performing error correction decoding on the read data in a unit of a sector of the page; selecting at least one target sector which includes at least one uncorrectable error and selecting at least one pass sector wherein all errors of the pass sector are correctable by the error correction decoding; inhibiting precharging of bit-lines connected to the at least one pass sector while precharging target bit lines connected to the at least one target sector; and performing a read retry operation for data in the at least one target sector.
US09230662B2
The present invention relates to a register cell comprising one output node, at least two power supply nodes, and a first flash transistor and a second flash transistor, wherein the register cell is configured so that the output node can be driven by at least one of the power supply nodes as a function of the value stored in at least one of the flash transistors. The invention further relates to an FPGA comprising the register cell.
US09230661B2
The present disclosure includes apparatuses and methods for determining soft data for combinations of memory cells. A number of embodiments include an array of memory cells, wherein the array includes a first memory cell and a second memory cell, wherein the first and second memory cells are each programmable to one of a number of program states, and wherein a combination of the program states of the first and second memory cells corresponds to one of a number of data states. A number of embodiments also include a buffer and/or a controller coupled to the array and configured to determine soft data associated with the program states of the first and second memory cells and determine soft data associated with the data state that corresponds to the combination of the program states of the first and second memory cells based, at least in part, on the soft data associated with the program state of the first memory cell and the soft data associated with the program state of the second memory cell.
US09230659B2
A method of programming a memory cell of a nonvolatile memory device by executing a plurality of program loops comprises detecting whether a loop count or a level of a program pulse to be applied to the memory cell is within a specific range, wherein the specific range is an operation section in which a level of a current peak flowing into the bitline increases up to a reference value or more, charging a bitline of the memory cell at a first charging speed or a second charging speed slower than the first charging speed according to a result of the detection, and applying the program pulse to a wordline of the memory cell.
US09230650B2
A semiconductor device employs a technology for improving data retention characteristics of a cell array storing data regarding conditions for controlling internal operations of the semiconductor device. The semiconductor device includes a content addressable memory (CAM) cell array configured to store CAM data regarding conditions for controlling the internal operations, a control logic configured to store the CAM data read out of the CAM cell array, and a microprocessor configured to perform a reprogramming operation on the CAM cell array using the CAM data stored in the control logic.
US09230644B2
An electronic device includes semiconductor memory, which includes a memory cell block including first and second cell arrays and a column control block. The first cell array includes a word line, a first bit line, and a first variable resistance layer disposed between the word line and the first bit line. The second cell array includes the word line, a second bit line crossing the word line and the first bit line, and a second variable resistance layer disposed between the word line and the second bit line. The first and second variable resistance layers include different materials. The column control block supplies a first write bias for switching a resistance state of the first variable resistance layer to the first bit line and a second write bias for switching a resistance state of the second variable resistance layer to the second bit line.
US09230641B2
A memory device includes an array of resistive memory cells. Each resistive memory cell in the array includes a first resistive memory element, a second resistive memory element electrically coupled with the first resistive memory element at a common node between a first terminal of the first resistive memory element and a first terminal of the second resistive memory element, and a transistor comprising a gate electrically coupled with the common node.
US09230635B1
A method for manufacturing a dynamic random access memory device is provided. The method includes fabricating a dynamic random access memory device having a plurality of memory cells. Each of the memory cells has a refresh characteristic that meets or exceeds a refresh specification provided for a DDR3 SDRAM device or a DDR4 SDRAM device. The method includes testing the dynamic random access memory device. The testing includes determining the refresh characteristic for each of the memory cells, classifying each of the memory cells as a good memory cell or a bad memory cell based upon the refresh characteristic, identifying each of the bad memory cells, and storing an address location for each of the bad memory cells. The method then includes transferring the address location for each of the bad memory cells into an address match table.
US09230624B2
In one embodiment, the invention is a magnetic shift register memory device. One embodiment of a memory cell includes a magnetic column including a plurality of magnetic domains, a reader coupled to the magnetic column, for reading data from the magnetic domains, a temporary memory for storing data read from the magnetic domains, and a writer coupled to the magnetic column, for writing data in the temporary memory to the magnetic domains.
US09230623B2
Magnetic memory devices, and methods of operating the same, include a magnetoresistive element including a free layer, a pinned layer, and a separation layer between the free layer and the pinned layer. The devices, and methods, further include a first conductive line connected to the free layer and configured to apply a Rashba field to, or induce the Rashba field in, the free layer, and a second conductive line spaced apart from the free layer and configured to apply an external magnetic field to the free layer. A magnetization direction of the free layer is switchable by application of the Rashba field and the external magnetic field to the free layer.
US09230619B2
A device includes a semiconductor substrate, a first penetrating electrode penetrating through the semiconductor substrate, a first test pad, and a first tri-state buffer coupled between the first penetrating electrode and the first test pad. The first tri-state buffer receives a buffer control signal at a control terminal thereof. The device further includes a buffer control circuit supplying the buffer control signal to the first tri-state buffer.
US09230615B2
In a conventional DRAM, data read errors are more likely to occur along with miniaturization of DRAM A small change in the potential of a first bit line is inverted by a first inverter constituted by an n-channel transistor and a p-channel transistor, and is output to a second bit line through a first selection transistor, which is a first switch. Since the potential of the second bit line is the inverse of the potential of the first bit line, the potential difference between the first bit line and the second bit line is increased. The increased potential difference is amplified by a known sense amplifier, a flip-flop circuit composed of the first inverter and a second inverter (constituted by an n-channel transistor and a p-channel transistor), or the like.
US09230613B2
A power up detecting system for generating one of a first power up detecting signal and a second power up detecting signal as the final power up detecting signal, according to power provided by a power supplier. The power up detecting system comprises: a power up detecting module, controlled by a control signal to generate the first power up detecting signal in a first mode and to generate the second power up detecting signal in a second mode, wherein a voltage level of the first power up detecting signal is transited when the power reaches a first predetermined voltage value, and the voltage level of the second power up detecting signal is transited when the power reaches a second predetermined voltage value; where the first predetermined voltage value is higher than the second predetermined voltage value.
US09230611B2
A switching device has a bottom conductor, a top conductor, and a device body formed between the top and bottom conductors. The device body has a switching layer that is switchable by means of current passed through the device body and between the top and bottom conductors. A lower via connects the bottom conductor to the device body. The width of the lower via is smaller than a width of the device body.
US09230605B1
A data storage device is disclosed comprising a head actuated over a disk. Data is written to the disk and read from the disk to measure a quality metric. A recording parameter is repeatedly adjusted and the quality metric is measured for each adjustment of the recording parameter. An operating value for the recording parameter is selected that corresponds to a substantially maximum areal density for the disk when the measured quality metric substantially matches a target quality metric.
US09230604B2
A video indexing method, a video indexing apparatus, and a computer readable medium are disclosed. The video indexing apparatus comprises a generation module, a calculation module and a construction module. The generation module generates a frame movement analysis graphics according to a plurality of analysis points corresponding to a plurality of video frames of a video record. The calculation module calculates a plurality of frame movement velocities corresponding to the video frames according to the frame movement analysis graphics. The construction module constructs an indexing graphics of the video record according to the frame movement velocities.
US09230600B2
Provided is a method for recording data to a tape medium in such a manner as to achieve the easy management of mutually related multiple data pieces. First data and second data continuously received as a file from a higher level apparatus are accumulated in multiple buffer segments in the form of multiple successive data sets. A data structure is determined for each of the accumulated data sets. Management information indicating a result of the determination is added to the data sets, and the data sets and the management information thereof are stored into the tape medium.
US09230598B1
In certain embodiments, an apparatus includes a basedeck for a hard disc drive. The basedeck includes an interior surface for supporting disc drive components and an exterior surface. The basedeck includes a cavity in either the exterior surface or interior surface. The cavity includes at least two pads for supporting an electrical connector.
US09230597B2
In one embodiment, a magnetic head includes a main pole configured to write data to a magnetic medium, a trailing shield positioned on a trailing side of the main pole, and a STO between the main pole and the trailing shield, wherein the STO includes a laminated structure having a FGL, a spun polarization layer (SPL), and a non-magnetic spacer positioned between the FGL and the SPL, wherein the FGL includes a laminated structure having one or more layers of a CoFe alloy and a Heusler alloy alternately laminated in this order from an end of the FGL closest to the non-magnetic spacer. In another embodiment, a method is presented for forming such a magnetic head utilizing a FGL that includes a laminated structure baying layers of a CoFe alloy and a Heusler alloy alternately laminated in this order from an end of the FGL closest to the non-magnetic spacer.
US09230590B1
Embodiments of the present invention provide tape drives and methods for operating a tape drive. In one embodiment, tape head wrap angles are dynamically adjusted to increase or decrease contact pressure of magnetic tape on modules of a tape head. Embodiments of the present invention can be used to extend the lifespan of tape drives and components, and enable usage of tape media having increased smoothness and areal density.
US09230583B1
According to an embodiment, there is provided a disc device that execute a filtering process to remove one or more resonances from the first signal by the sum of transfer functions, the one or more resonances being included in first transfer characteristics from the first signal transmitted via the first control line to response of the first head, the transfer functions being indicative of resonances included in second transfer characteristics from the first signal transmitted via the second control line to response of the first head.
US09230578B2
The present invention generally relates to a read head in a magnetic recording head. The read head utilizes two reader elements that are stacked in the down track direction within the same read gap to improve resolution and SNR by combining the signals from the two reader elements. The output waveform from each read element is asymmetric in the down track direction; however, by use of equalizer settings and waveform combining the algorithm in signal processing, the combined waveform has a similar or better resolution and higher SNR compared to a single read element in a smaller read gap.
US09230569B1
In one embodiment, a magnetic head includes a main magnetic pole positioned configured to generate a writing magnetic field when current is applied to a write coil, and a spin torque oscillator (STO) located adjacent the main magnetic pole, the STO being configured to generate a high frequency magnetic field when current is applied thereto, wherein the high frequency magnetic field is generated simultaneously to the writing magnetic field to assist in reversing magnetization of a magnetic recording medium. The STO includes: a spin polarization layer (SPL), a field generation layer (FGL) positioned adjacent the SPL, and one or more interlayers positioned between the SPL and the FGL, and a magnetization easy axis of the SPL is positioned in an in-plane direction such that the SPL has no perpendicular magnetic anisotropy.
US09230557B2
An apparatus for manipulating an audio signal comprising a transient event has a transient signal replacer configured to replace a transient signal portion, comprising the transient event of the audio signal, with a replacement signal portion adapted to signal energy characteristics of one or more transient signal portions of the audio signal, or to signal energy characteristics of the transient signal portion, to obtain a transient-reduced audio signal. The apparatus also has a signal processor configured to process the transient-reduced audio signal to obtain a processed version of the transient-reduced audio signal. The apparatus also has a transient-signal-re-inserter configured to combine the processed version of the transient-reduced audio signal with a transient signal representing, in an original or processed form, a transient content of the transient signal portion.
US09230555B2
An apparatus receives an input encoded audio data signal comprising a base layer and at least one enhancement layer. A reference unit (103) generates reference audio data corresponding to audio data of a reference set of layers. A layer unit (105) divides the layers of the input signal into a first subset and a second subset. A sample unit (107) generates sample audio data corresponding to the audio data of the first subset. A comparison unit (109) generates a difference measure by comparing the sample audio data to the reference audio data based on a perceptual model. An output unit (111) then determines if the difference measure meets a similarity criterion and generates an output signal without audio data from a layer of the second subset if the similarity criterion is met and including the audio data of the layer otherwise. The invention may provide reduced data rates without an unacceptable degradation of quality.
US09230550B2
In one embodiment, a computer system stores speech data for a plurality of speakers, where the speech data includes a plurality of feature vectors and, for each feature vector, an associated sub-phonetic class. The computer system then builds, based on the speech data, an artificial neural network (ANN) for modeling speech of a target speaker in the plurality of speakers, where the ANN is configured to discriminate between instances of sub-phonetic classes uttered by the target speaker and instances of sub-phonetic classes uttered by other speakers in the plurality of speakers.
US09230542B2
A method for language-independent, non-semantic speech analytics that may analyze spoken utterances without regard for the language or speakers, comprising the steps of receiving an audio input containing human speech, analyzing the audio to identify the waveform pattern, and analyzing the waveform to identify periods of silence, and additional methods for alternative non-speech-based speech analysis, and a system for non-speech-based analysis comprising a media server that receives audio input, an analytics server that processes the audio input, and a management server that configures operation of the analytics server.
US09230532B1
A personal audio device, such as a wireless telephone, includes an adaptive noise canceling (ANC) circuit that adaptively generates an anti-noise signal from an output of a microphone that measures ambient audio. The anti-noise signal is combined with source audio to provide an output for a speaker. The anti-noise signal causes cancellation of ambient audio sounds that appear at the microphone. A processing circuit estimates a level of background noise from the microphone output and sets a power conservation mode of the personal audio device in response to detecting that the background noise level is lower than a predetermined threshold.
US09230530B2
A bell that rings when the entire rolling element bell is shaken, includes a base section having a recess, and a bell section that is supported directly or indirectly by the base section, a rolling element that is adapted to roll in the recess, the rolling element hitting the base section when the entire rolling element bell has been shaken, and the rolling element has rolled to reach an edge of the recess of the base section, and the rolling element bell being configured so that sound produced by the rolling element bell is adjusted by adjusting a contact angle or a contact height of the rolling element with an inner wall of the bell section.
US09230519B1
An instrument string lighting device lights the strings of an instrument for enhanced visibility in low light conditions. The device includes a clip configured for coupling to a stringed instrument adjacent to strings of the stringed instrument. A housing is coupled to the clip and a light is coupled to the housing. The light directs illumination outwardly from the housing wherein the strings of the stringed instrument are illuminated by the light.
US09230517B2
Virtual surface techniques are described. These techniques support the use of initialization and batching of updates, use of updates and lookaside lists, use of gutters, blending and BLT operations, use of surface optimization techniques such as push down as well as enumeration and clumping, mesh usage, and use of occlusion management techniques.
US09230514B1
Methods and systems for rendering text to simulate human penmanship are described. A text rendering engine converts a text string into an image that can be displayed on a string using one or more seed numbers to influence the rendering and appearance of the text. The text rendering engine may render each character of the text string using a size, weight, slope, or Bezier curve control point selected based on the seed numbers.
US09230512B2
A LED backlight driving circuit is disclosed. The LED backlight driving circuit includes a boost circuit for converting an input voltage to an output voltage for a LED unit, a driving IC for controlling the boost circuit such that the boost circuit converts the input voltage to the output voltage for the LED unit, a discharging module for releasing charges stored within the boost circuit after the driving circuit is turned off, and a detecting module for detecting a voltage at an output end of the boost circuit and then for generating enable signals for controlling the operations of the driving IC. The LED backlight driving circuit is capable of detecting a discharging state of the boost circuit after being quickly rebooted. The driving circuit can be rebooted only if the output voltage is smaller than a reference voltage as the charges stored within the boost circuit is released. As such, the flashing issue is avoided. In addition, the liquid crystal device including the above LED backlight driving circuit is also disclosed.
US09230510B1
Certain aspects direct to a double-sided display device, which includes a backlight module; two display panels respectively disposed at two light-emitting sides of the backlight module, two input ports; and a controller. When the controller receives video signals from only one of the two input ports, the controller generates display signals according to the video signals, and sends the display signals to the two display panels to control the pixels of the two display panels to simultaneously display the same video signals. When the controller receives the video signals from both of the two input ports, the controller generates two separate streams of display signals respectively according to the video signals received from the two input ports, and send the two separate streams of display signals respectively to the two display panels to control the two display panels to respectively display the video signals received from the two input ports.
US09230507B2
A system and method for reducing power consumption in an electronic device by controlling the transition of the electronic device from a sleep mode to a full power mode. The electronic device comprises a main processor a touch-sensitive overlay, and an overlay controller. A sequence of touch inputs on the touch-sensitive overlay are detected and captured using the overlay controller while the main processor is in the sleep mode. A subset of the sequence of touch inputs is processed using the overlay controller to determine that the sequence of touch inputs corresponds to a coarse model of a pre-determined wake-up gesture prior to transitioning the electronic device from the sleep mode to the full power mode.
US09230499B2
A source driving apparatus with power saving mechanism and a flat panel display using the same are provided. The source driving apparatus includes an output buffer stage and a power-saving circuit. The output buffer stage operates under a dual power, and has a positive and negative output channels respectively coupled to two adjacent data lines in a display panel. Moreover, the power-saving circuit is coupled between the output buffer stage and the display panel. The power-saving circuit collects charges from an equivalent load capacitor of each data line, before the output buffer stage drives the two adjacent data lines through the positive and negative output channels. The power-saving circuit charges one of a positive supply and a negative supply of the dual power in response to the collected charges, during the output buffer stage drives the two adjacent data lines through the positive and negative output channels.
US09230492B2
An electro-optic display uses first and second drive schemes differing from each other, for example a slow gray scale drive scheme and a fast monochrome drive scheme. The display is first driven to a pre-determined transition image using the first drive scheme, then driven to a second image, different from the transition image, using the second drive scheme. The display is thereafter driven to the same transition image using the second drive scheme; and from then to a third image, different from both the transition image and the second image, using the first drive scheme.
US09230489B2
An object of the invention is to suppress degradation in image quality of a liquid crystal display device which performs display by field sequential method and to reduce power consumption of a backlight. The highest brightness of a first color light in a pixel region is detected. Gamma correction is performed so that transmittance of a pixel of the region displaying the highest brightness of the first color light is set to maximum and transmittance of other pixel of the region is decreased in accordance with lowering of the first color light intensity, and the region is irradiated with the highest brightness of the first color light. Similarly, a second color light is irradiated in another region concurrently with irradiation of the first color, whereby input of an image signal and lighting of the backlight are performed simultaneously in every region of the pixel portion.
US09230474B2
A method for testing an array, by using an array testing device for detecting a voltage distribution formed on an array substrate, includes resetting pixel voltages of a plurality of pixel circuits formed on the array substrate with a predetermined voltage, detecting the voltage distribution of the array substrate, generating a correction value for correcting the voltage distribution of the array substrate, and measuring a threshold voltage of a driving transistor included in the plurality of pixel circuits formed on the array substrate by applying the correction value.
US09230468B2
A display device includes: a flexible display panel including a recognition pattern; a housing for holding the flexible display panel, wherein varying amounts of a display area of the flexible display panel are exposable to the outside to display an image; and a sensor in the housing for sensing an amount of the exposed display area corresponding to the recognition pattern.
US09230466B2
A display device is provided and includes a display panel and a lens board. The lens board is stacked with the display panel. A thin film transistor (TFT) array substrate of the display panel includes a first scan line and a second scan line. A first strip bar electrode in a first pixel portion and a second strip bar electrode in a second pixel portion are arranged in an array along a direction parallel to the first scan line. The first straight line of the first strip bar electrode is intersected with the second straight line of the second strip bar electrode.
US09230465B2
A 3D display system for displaying a 3D image includes a tracking unit, a pixel panel, a grating array, and a control unit. The tracking unit is configured to determine a spatial position of a viewer of the 3D display system. The pixel panel contains alternatingly arranged display units from two or more view images of the 3D image, and the grating array is coupled to the pixel panel to separate light from the view images from the pixel panel. The control unit is configured to adjust certain parameters of the grating array such that a maximum width of horizontal projection of edges of adjacent display units through the grating array is less than or equal to a inner-eye distance, and a minimum width of horizontal projection of two edges of a single display unit through the grating array is greater than or equal to an outer-eye distance.
US09230459B2
An information handling system display frame disposed at the periphery of a display blends display and ambient light to provide a transitional zone for viewing of the display in ambient lighting conditions. A semi-scattering material absorbs light from the display and the ambient environment and scatters the light through the frame. A semi-reflective material directs at least some of the scattered light out of the frame so provide an appearance of the frame that transitions between displayed visual images of the display and the ambient light environment.
US09230458B2
A support for plural display modules each including a rearwardly extending heat sink includes a compound structural frame that defines a frame frontside, a frame backside, and a vertical cooling conduit, the frame backside for mounting the structural frame to a mounting structure, the frame frontside defining a bay member, the bay member defining an opening that couples to the vertical cooling conduit, the bay member configured to receive and support one of the display modules with the heat sink extending through the opening and into the vertical cooling conduit whereby the display module is convectively cooled by the vertical motion of air through the cooling conduit.
US09230451B2
Actuators are disposed between a lower wiring substrate and an upper wiring substrate. The actuators, the lower wiring substrate, and the upper wiring substrate are interposed between a lower frame and an upper frame. The end of each actuator is held between pushing parts of the lower frame and upper frame. The free ends of the actuators move projections upward that are displayed in a tactile display.
US09230450B1
Simulation equipment can be integrated into courseware presented to a student using technology which, based on the native output of a system running the courseware, can generate control signals for the simulation equipment. Such signals could then be sent to the simulation equipment without requiring the designer of the courseware to create low level programming code to communicate directly with the simulation equipment itself.
US09230445B2
Event driven/service oriented online testing facilitates the configuration, development, delivery, and management of educational tests with interactive participation by students, teachers, proctors, and administrators even when some or all of them are remotely located. Event driven/service oriented online testing may include a module for an online testing platform that may include an installation protocol to configure a computing facility and prevent other applications from executing during an exam, administrator interfaces, test proctor interfaces, and test taker (e.g. student) interfaces to allow each participant to view, navigate, and interact with aspects of the online test platform that are intended to meet their needs.
US09230439B2
A method and system for monitoring interactions with a vehicle are disclosed, the method comprising associating a mobile device of a user allowed for operating the vehicle with a device capable of providing an indication of a position of the vehicle; obtaining position data from the device capable of providing an indication of a position of the vehicle; obtaining position data from the mobile device associated with the device; comparing the obtained position data from the device with the obtained position data from the mobile device and using the comparison of the position data of the device with the position data of the mobile device to thereby monitor interactions with the vehicle.
US09230431B2
A system includes a vehicle processor configured to detect one or more brake presses. The processor is also configured to detect one or more accelerator presses. Further, the processor is configured to add values related to the brake presses and accelerator presses to aggregate an index value based on detected brake and acceleration presses. The processor is additionally configured to enact a safety and convenience related measure based on the index value passing at least a first predetermined threshold.
US09230420B2
Provided are a method and system for implementing alarms for a medical device through a mobile device. The method includes: storing details of examination of a specimen (hereinafter, referred to as examination details) in the medical device, wherein the storing is performed by the medical device; accessing the medical device and establishing a connection with the medical device, wherein the accessing and the establishing of the connection is performed by the mobile device; reading the examination details stored in the medical device, wherein the reading is performed by the mobile device; analyzing the read examination details, wherein the analyzing is performed by the mobile device; and implementing an alarm if the result of analysis satisfies a predetermined criterion, wherein the implementing is performed by the mobile device.
US09230419B2
Systems and methods to detect and warn proximate entities of interest are described herein. An example signal generation system for a vehicle capable of different modes of movement includes a detector to determine at least one property of vehicle movement and an output representative of that at least one property and a selectively variable signal generator includes an input to receive the at least one output representative of the at least one property of vehicle movement and, responsively, generates a selected signal based on the received output. In some examples, a detector on a pedestrian detects the selected signal from the signal generator and, responsively, provides an output indicative of a vehicle in proximity to the pedestrian. In some examples, a trajectory vector is generated for at least two entities of interest based on at least one characteristic of movement of each entity. Each entity's trajectory vector is expanded and each entity's expanded trajectory vector is analyzed for overlap with the other entity's expanded trajectory vector to assess the possibility of a collision between them.
US09230417B2
Wireless communication devices and systems are disclosed which provides for simple yet effective communications between co-workers in areas of high ambient noise. Devices are provided which are operable to use vibration to provide an alert to a wearer of the device, the device including a transmitter/receiver unit, a transmit button operably connected to the transmitter/receiver unit and at least one vibration device operably connected to the transmitter/receiver unit. The device may be positioned inside or on a hard hat or other headgear of a worker.
US09230412B2
In a gaming machine, a symbol display device variably displays a plurality of symbols, and an input device inputs an instruction related to a game. A controller executes a normal game in which the symbol display device variably displays and then stop-displays symbols, triggers a bonus game when a plurality of specific symbols are stop-displayed in the normal game, selects any one of a plurality of options by an operation of the input device by a user in the bonus game, and awards a benefit according to the selected option. Further, when the selected option selected in the processing is a specific option, the controller selects another one of the plurality of options by the operation of the input device by the user, and awards a benefit according to the selected another option.
US09230407B2
A method for wagering, comprises receiving a bet regarding a spin of the reels of a slot machine. The method continues by determining a first symbol for a first reel of the slot machine based at least in part upon a first value and a second value. The first value is associated with a value of a digit of a first financial market indicator at a first point in time, and the second value is associated with the value of a digit of a second financial market indicator at the first point in time. The method continues by determining a second symbol for a second reel of the slot machine, and by determining a third symbol for a third reel of the slot machine. The method concludes by determining an outcome of the bet based at least in part upon the first symbol, the second symbol, and the third symbol.
US09230386B2
A product providing apparatus and display apparatus, and a method for providing a GUI using the same are provided. The product providing apparatus includes a display unit, a collecting unit and a control unit which controls an image based on user characteristic information to be displayed.
US09230384B2
A device for inserting bank notes into a bank note processing device. The bank note processing device has a main body, a support surface for supporting a bank note to be inserted on a flat side, and at least one lateral positioning edge for laterally positioning the slot on the bank note processing device and/or for connecting the slot to the bank processing device in an accurately fitting manner. The device for inserting bank notes into a bank note processing device is characterized by a setting mechanism for variably setting the position of the positioning edge transversely to the insertion direction of the bank note through the slot.
US09230380B2
A biometric security system, including a biometric validation module for receiving a biometric profile (such as a fingerprint scan) and asserting a control signal responsive to a biometric evaluation of the biometric profile for securing access to a physical locking storage unit, such as a cabinet. Disclosed is a system that not only provides secured mechanical locking devices for security and access control, it further augments such a system with a computer controlled biometric access control and access monitoring system. The system is managed by central management software which may encompass a standalone configuration or a networked configuration. Preferred embodiments of the present invention provide a solution that provides a software platform and firmware that provides a control signal controls an electromechanical locking assembly for an electrical physical locking unit, such as a server cabinet having at least one locking/unlocking door panel for gaining entry thereof.
US09230357B2
Approaches for prioritized rendering of objects in a virtual universe are provided. In one embodiment, there is a prioritization tool containing a plurality of components configured to: determine a priority of each of a set of objects in a commercial area of the virtual universe, the commercial area having a plurality of virtual retail stores; assign a priority to each of the plurality of virtual stores in the commercial area based on the priority of each of the set of objects in the virtual universe; and download and cache each of the objects from the set of virtual stores from the plurality of virtual stores in the virtual universe, that are outside a rendering radius of the avatar, based on the relative priorities of each of the set of the plurality of virtual stores in the virtual universe.
US09230353B2
The invention relates to a method and an apparatus for encoding images, more particularly to an encoding unit in conjunction with a library of pictorial entities and image qualifiers. The method and apparatus provide encoding an image by using a code factor table in conjunction with a set of element codes. The resulting image code allows the set pictorial elements of an image and their associated image, qualifiers to be represented by a compact code uniquely representing a given configuration of pictorial elements. The use of the resulting image code facilitates the transmission and storage of images requiring only the code to be sent or stored. The invention further provides a computer readable medium comprising a program element that direct a computer to implement the encoding process.
US09230349B2
An electronic device and a control method enable easily inputted characters or numbers to be converted and used in an application. When characters are inputted via input keys and the inputted characters are determined to match at least part of prescribed characters stored in a memory, a control unit keeps the inputted characters displayed on a display unit while also displaying, on the display unit, prescribed numbers associated with the prescribed characters. Then, with the inputted characters and prescribed numbers displayed on the display unit, if an instruction is given to start up an application related to the inputted characters and prescribed numbers, the control unit starts up the application, inputting either the inputted characters or the prescribed numbers.
US09230347B2
The present disclosure discloses a transparency-based image processing method, device, and terminal. The method includes steps of: acquiring first simulated pixel information representing a first pixel, and acquiring first transparency information; acquiring second simulated pixel information representing a second pixel, and acquiring second transparency information; calculating third simulated pixel information representing a third pixel as a sum of a product of the first simulated pixel information times the first transparency information and a product of the second simulated pixel information times the second transparency information; and acquiring a third actual pixel by narrowing the third simulated pixel information. Compared with an existing fixed-point-number method, the present disclosure reduces prior six integer multiplications and three integer additions to two integer multiplications and one integer addition, such that efficiency in operating the method may be enhanced; compared with an existing method by looking up a table, the transparency-based image processing method provided by the present disclosure does not require traversing any 2D-array table or occupying more memory.
US09230345B2
Systems, methods and apparatus for image formation improve power efficiency of display devices by displaying low resolution composite color subfields. In some implementations, a display controller receives data indicative of a plurality of pixel values included in an image frame and derives a plurality of initial component color subfields. The display controller then derives a composite color subfield including a plurality of common composite color intensity values assigned to respective pixel blocks. Each pixel block is associated with a plurality of pixels. The display controller derives a plurality of updated component color subfields based on the initial component color subfields and the composite color subfield.
US09230344B2
A method of changing colors in a video comprises providing a paint map image video comprising multidimensional location information of spatial points of an animated object, providing a rendered replacement image video comprising visual colors, each visual color comprising a transparency and shades of multiple linearly independent colors, identifying a first replacement image location on the animated object in a frame of the replacement image video, the first replacement image location having a first visual color, identifying a first paint map image location corresponding to the first replacement image location in a corresponding frame of the paint map image video, the first paint map image location represented by a first spatial color, creating a color mapping function that maps the first spatial color to a different visual color, and providing an altered rendered replacement image video that has been rendered according to the color mapping function.
US09230336B2
A video surveillance system comprises two or more video cameras each providing a video signal, the cameras each being positioned at a respective known location; a motion detector to detect image motion of an image feature within the field of view of one of the video cameras and for deriving a corresponding physical motion of an object represented by the image feature; and a motion predictor to predict the physical motion of the object with respect to the known locations of the cameras so as to derive an expected time when the object may be observed in the field of view of another one of the video cameras, in which the motion predictor is responsive to routing data defining possible routes from the observed location of the object to the field of view of another of the cameras.
US09230334B2
An X-ray CT apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment includes: a specifying unit that specifies the position of a lesion and the position of a surrounding site positioned in a surrounding of the lesion, from pieces of image data of the inside of the patient corresponding to the mutually-different temporal phases; a movement information calculating unit that calculates movement information related to movements of the lesion and the surrounding site, based on the positions of the lesion and the surrounding site specified by the specifying unit; and a relative relationship calculating unit that calculates a relative relationship between the movement information of the lesion and the movement information of the surrounding site calculated by the movement information calculating unit.
US09230331B2
A computerized method for model-less segmentation and registration of ultrasound (US) with computed tomography (CT) images of an organ with a fluid filled chamber. The method is based on correlating between the US image(s) and the CT image(s) by processing the US image(s) by iteratively expanding the CT image segment so that the expanded CT image segment is correlated with the visual boundaries of the US image segment; transforming the CT image(s) according to an estimated US transducer position and estimated US beam direction related to the US image(s) so that at least one of shape and volume of the organ in the CT image is adapted with at least one of shape and volume of the organ of the US image, to form a CT image representation which is correlated with US image(s).
US09230329B2
According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided a method comprising: obtaining at least one image comprising at least one object; analyzing the at least one image to determine at least one gripping location to grip an object; selecting a gripping location from the at least one gripping location based on a predetermined criterion; and issuing at least one instruction to a gripper to grip the object at the selected gripping location.
US09230326B1
This invention provides a system and method for automatic (non-manual) calibration of one or more cameras employs a tessellating calibration plate having a checkerboard tile pattern and a plurality of 2D codes embedded within the checkerboard pattern. Each 2D code encodes the (X,Y) coordinates that identify tile calibration feature locations in the pattern, and the remaining, surrounding tiles allow measurement of the corner positions as calibration features. One or more vision system camera(s) can be calibrated to a single coordinate system automatically. During calibration, an image of at least a portion of a calibration plate is acquired, the encoded data is decoded for at least one 2D code within the field of view of each camera and then the position of the field of view is determined on the calibration plate for each camera using the 2D code data and the checkerboard tile pattern.
US09230320B2
A computer aided diagnostic system and automated method diagnose lung cancer through modeling and analyzing the shape of pulmonary nodules. A model used in such analysis describes the shape of pulmonary nodules in terms of spherical harmonics required to delineate a unit sphere corresponding to the pulmonary nodule to a model of the pulmonary nodule.
US09230318B2
A method for processing an image of a surface of a tire to be inspected is described. A three-dimensional digital image is captured of the surface, and each pixel of a plane of the image is assigned an item of information relating to an elevation of the pixel with respect to the surface. By utilizing of a morphological operator that uses a structuring element, a first transformation of the image of the surface is performed with aid of an opening and then of a closing, so as to tailor a grey level of pixels situated abnormally above or below the surface.
US09230315B2
Automatic determination of the complexity associated with converting image content from 2-dimensions to 3-dimensions commences by first determining how many different scenes exist within the image content. Each scene then undergoes analysis to determine its complexity based on the motion, texture and occlusion within the scene. The scene complexities are added to the scene transition complexity and the total gets weighted to yield an overall indication of the complexity of converting of image content from 2-dimensions to 3-dimensions.
US09230303B2
A computer implemented method is provided for computing a two-way optical flow between a reference frame and one or more associated frames in an optical flow module. A forward warping operator and a backward warping operator can be generated between the reference frame and each of the one or more associated frames in a warping module. The forward warping operator and the backward warping operator provide motion compensation between the frames. Weights for each of the forward warping operators and the backward warping operators can be computed in a weight module. The weights correspond to uncertainty of motion estimation. A super resolution iteration algorithm can be calculated in a super-resolution iteration module.
US09230287B2
A system and method for sending a notification to a user in a social network is disclosed. A controller receives a first photo from a first user. The first user is associated with a social network. A identification module determines a first location of the first photo. The identification module determines a second location of a second user. The second user has a connection with the first user in the social network. The identification module determines that the first location matches the second location. A notification module sends a first notification to the second user. The first notification identifies the first photo. The controller receives a second photo taken at the second location. A determining engine determines to share the second photo with the first user.
US09230286B2
A method is provided for associating a first user using a first device and a second user using a second device. The method may include receiving an invitation request from the first user; verifying, by a verification server, the invitation request; sending an invitation to the second user after verifying the invitation request; and receiving an acknowledgement from the second user to acknowledge an association between the first user and the second user. The invitation request may be identified as directed to the second user and may include at least a device token associated with at least one of the first and second devices and an identification associated with at least one of the second device and the second user.
US09230284B2
A method of data processing between a hub computer and a plurality of spoke computers is disclosed. The hub computer is arranged to communicate with each of the spoke computers. Furthermore, each spoke computer is remote from the hub computer and remote from each other. The method comprises: (a) receiving at the hub computer from a user a request for the spoke computer to run a data processing operation on accounting data of an organization hosting the spoke computer, the accounting data locally accessible by the spoke computer; (b) the hub computer communicating the request to the spoke computer; (c) in response to receiving the request, the spoke computer running the data processing operation on the accounting data; and (d) the spoke computer returning results of the data processing operation to the hub computer.
US09230277B2
A method, system, and/or computer program product presents product recommendations based on input derived from a user's social network. A description of a product selected for purchase by a user is received. A social networking site is searched for information relevant to a characterization the product. The relevant information is characterized according to a social relationship between the user and an other member of the social networking site, a product family of the product, and a product expertise of the other member about the product. Characterized information about the product is then presented to the user.
US09230249B1
An interactive shopping system and method for use in a retail store. The system can include a removable sleeve which can be attached to a shopping cart or basket. The system can have a scanner for reading product codes and retrieving information on specific products and an onboard scale to match the product weight as products are placed in the cart or basket. A processor can be in communication with a network and configured to match products codes in real time to a store library of products. A display can be used to market products that might interest the user based on the user's shopping list and shopping history at the store. A light array and alarm system can be mounted to the removable sleeve to provide a visual or audible alarm to indicate the status of payment or nonpayment of products in the cart or basket.
US09230247B2
An automated banking machine system operates to cause financial transfers responsive to data read from data bearing records. The system is operative to read a financial card bearing account indicia with a card reader. A user is enabled to perform at least one banking operation responsive to account indicia read from the card. Such banking operations may include dispensing cash and accessing financial accounts. A user is also enabled to perform at least one banking operation responsive to financial account data communicated to the automated banking machine from a mobile phone.
US09230239B2
Systems and methods to facilitate the collection and processing of content generated by users are disclosed. Specifically, in one embodiment, user generated content may be aggregated from multiple retailers. This user generated content may be processed to obtain a variety of statistical data associated with the user generated content, including an importance metric. This importance metric may be utilized to rank the products of the manufacturer such that statistical, or other, data related to the manufacturer's products may be presented to a user in the order of product importance.
US09230238B2
Techniques are described to share items from a favorites list. In an implementation, a list entry for a favorites list may be associated with content from a third party source by a first user. The favorites list may be presented in a webpage to display the list entry and the associated content to another user. A control operable to share the list entry with the other user may be exposed with the list entry. Responsive to operation of the control, the content and/or related data may be obtained from the third party source and data may be stored to associate the list entry including the obtained content with the other user. In at least some embodiments, the control is operable by a single-click to cause the sharing of the list entry.
US09230230B2
A pickup location that includes a control station and one or more storage compartment modules provides the ability for items to be ordered and delivered for pickup by a user without having to pack those items in a shipping package prior to shipping from a materials handling facility. Delivering items for pickup by a user without having to package the items prior to shipping, may provide a better experience for the customer, reduce waste in packaging material and a lower cost of delivering the ordered items to the customer.
US09230227B2
A material handling apparatus including pallets developed to operate in radio frequency rich environments. Pallets are provided having at least one large compartment capable of enclosing at least one electronic device or a package populated with a plurality of devices. The devices include RFID pallet tags that communicate with RFID item tags and RFID beacon tags positioned within distributed RFID networks. The devices include sensors to monitor pallet conditions to which a pallet management system is responsive. The devices include wireless transceivers for communicating indicative information through LAN, WLAN and Cellular communications networks. An antenna array operating on different radio frequency signals is provided. The apparatus includes a power resource in order to facilitate long term autonomous operation.
US09230226B2
In accordance with aspects of the disclosure, systems and methods are provided for capacity planning management by generating a capacity expansion plan for a plurality of production resources used to produce one or more products relative to one or more time intervals. The systems and methods may include evaluating production patterns for each production resource to determine a production capacity within each time interval, evaluating budget patterns for each production resource to determine a production cash flow within each time interval, generating one or more potential capacity expansion forecasting schemes for each production resource and production budget based on the production patterns for each production resource and the budget patterns for each production budget, and generating the capacity expansion plan within each time interval based on the one or more potential capacity expansion forecasting schemes for each production resource and production budget.
US09230224B2
A system and method for providing a timeline control in a multi-tenant database system. In one embodiment, a method includes determining a plurality of entitlement processes and milestones that are to be enforced, where each entitlement process includes one or more actions, and where each action is associated with a corresponding milestone. The method further includes displaying a timeline control window that shows one or more milestones for an entitlement process, and updating the timeline control window as the status of the entitlement process changes.