US09233004B2

A wrist implant requires minimal resection of the distal radius and preserves the sigmoid notch and articulation with the head of the distal ulna. The wrist implant generally includes a radius portion, a carpal portion and a carpal ball. The wrist implant includes a primary articulation and a secondary rotational articulation. The primary articulation occurs between the radius portion and the carpal ball. The secondary articulation occurs between the carpal ball and the carpal portion.
US09232996B2

A prosthetic heart valve having a stent, a plurality of leaflets positioned within the stent, and a suspension assembly coupled to the leaflets and the stent. The suspension assembly includes a central support structure that is spaced from the plurality of leaflets in the direction of blood flow. A plurality of elongate suspension members are secured to the central support structure, and at least one elongate suspension member is secured to each leaflet of the valve, thereby providing mechanical reinforcement for the leaflets.
US09232980B2

An operation input device that has multi jointed arms includes: a holding unit that holds proximal ends of the multi-jointed arms in a state in which a relative positional relationship between the proximal ends is fixed; a detection unit that detects a joint movement amount that represents a movement of a joint by a rotation angle or a translational displacement from an unknown initial joint value; engagement units that are provided in distal ends of the multi jointed arms; a data acquisition unit that acquires a plurality of sets of joint movement amounts detected by the detection unit in a time series when engaging and moving the distal ends; and an initial value calculation unit that calculates the unknown initial joint value under a condition that a relative positional relationship between the distal ends is fixed via the engagement units.
US09232977B1

An instrument guiding device featuring a base having an aperture for a catheter; one or more legs disposed on the base; a first plate and a second plate each extending upwardly from the base perpendicularly to each other, the second plate is pivotally attached to the base; a guide component having an inner channel adapted to receive the catheter, the first end of the guide component is pivotally attached to the second plate, the guide component can be pivoted toward sides of the second plate; a first scale disposed on the first plate, a second scale disposed on the second plate; reference markers on the second plate and on the guide component; and a temporary attachment means for holding the second plate in place with respect to the first plate and for holding the guide component in place with respect to the second plate.
US09232975B2

A steerable laser probe may include an actuation structure, a nosecone fixed to the actuation structure by one or more links and one or more link pins, a housing tube having a first housing tube portion with a first stiffness and a second housing tube portion with a second stiffness, and an optic fiber disposed in the housing tube and the actuation structure. A compression of the actuation structure may be configured to gradually curve the housing tube and the optic fiber. A decompression of the actuation structure may be configured to gradually straighten the housing tube and the optic fiber.
US09232970B2

A femur fixation device including an elongated nail configured for insertion into the medullary canal of the femur and a buttress element extending from the elongated nail. The buttress element is configured to reinforce the lesser trochanter region of the femur and assist in stabilizing the head portion of the femur.
US09232967B2

A dynamic fixation device is provided that allows the vertebrae to which it is attached to move in flexion within the normal physiological limits of motion, while also providing structural support that limits the amount of translation motion beyond normal physiological limits. The present invention includes a flexible portion and two ends that are adapted for connection to pedicle screws. In at least one embodiment of the present invention, the normal axis of rotation of the vertebrae is substantially duplicated by the dynamic fixation device. The flexible portion of the dynamic fixation device can include a geometric shape and/or a hinge portion.
US09232957B2

A curved bur with an inner flexible member that is rotatably positioned within an outer tube. The curved bur has a design that constrains the flexible inner coil within the outer tube as the curved bur is rotated (without permitting the coil to stretch and to allow the bur tip to come out of the distal end of the outer tube). To ensure containment of the flexible coil within the outer tube, the outer tube is provided with a constraining neck feature at its distal end to allow the flexible inner assembly to be constrained within the outer tube, and to prevent bur extrusion. The constraining neck feature also centers the bur tip and prevents bur wobble. The curved bur may have a convex or concave bend configuration.
US09232954B2

In a first embodiment, the present invention includes an instrumentation system for preparing a bone for soft tissue repair, the instrumentation system including a flexible drill pin capable of bending along a curved path; an aimer capable of engaging the flexible pin to bend the flexible pin; and a flexible reamer having a flexible portion along at least a portion of its length, the flexible portion comprising a plurality of laser cuts. In an alternate embodiment, the present invention may also include a method for preparing a bone tunnel in a femur adjacent a knee joint, the method including introducing a flexible drill pin into the knee joint; guiding the flexible drill pin towards a surface of the femur with an instrument introduced into the knee joint; drilling the flexible drill pin into the femur; removing the instrument from the knee joint; introducing a cannulated flexible reamer into the knee joint by placing the flexible pin within the cannulation of the flexible reamer; and reaming the bone tunnel in the femur along the path of the flexible pin.
US09232950B2

A number of orthopaedic surgical instruments for use in a surgical procedure to prepare a patient's femur to receive an orthopedic prosthesis. The tools include guide tools, cutting tools, surgical blocks, and other orthopaedic surgical instruments configured to plan and guide the preparation of the patient's femur. A method of using the orthopaedic surgical instruments is also disclosed.
US09232948B2

Catheters such as guide catheters can be configured to provide distal occlusion, while still providing sufficient interior lumen space for device delivery. Such catheters can also provide a desired level of flexibility, yet can include sufficient column support. A catheter can include an elongate shaft having a distal region, a proximal region and a lumen extending therebetween. A distal occlusion member can be disposed over a portion of the distal region of the elongate shaft and an occlusion activating member can be disposed over the elongate shaft.
US09232946B2

A device to maintain temporary engagement with a bone plate and a bone, the device comprising a first biased appendage positioned opposite a second biased appendage, the first and second biased appendages including an arcuate vertical profile that partially defines an interior region; a platform concurrently coupled to the first and second biased appendages, the platform also partially defining the interior region, the platform including a through hole open to the interior region; a first tab extending from at least one of the first biased appendage, the second biased appendage, and the platform, the first tab extending into the interior region and adapted to engage a bone plate; a first arcuate flange mounted to a distal portion of the platform; and a second arcuate flange mounted to a proximal portion of the platform.
US09232935B2

This disclosure may disclose, inter alia, a handle for actuating a device. The handle may include a top comprising a first end and a second end, a first top side coupled to the first end of the top via a first corner hinge, and a second top side coupled to the second end of the top via a second corner hinge. The handle may further include a first bottom side coupled to the first top side via a first side hinge, a second bottom side coupled to the second top side via a second side hinge, and a bottom coupled to the first bottom side via a third corner hinge and coupled to the second bottom side via a fourth corner hinge. In some examples, actuation of the handle may cause deployment or retraction of an element from or into a shaft.
US09232934B2

Systems and methods for communicating ultrasound probe location and image information are provided. One system includes an ultrasound device coupled with an ultrasound probe and configured to acquire ultrasound images of a subject. The ultrasound imaging system also includes at least one camera configured to acquire (i) scene information including ultrasound imagery of the ultrasound probe with the subject during an image scan and (ii) ancillary probe data. The ultrasound imaging system further includes a processor configured to receive the ultrasound images and the ancillary probe data and a multiplexing unit configured to receive (i) the ultrasound images and ancillary probe data from the processor and (ii) the scene information from the camera, wherein the multiplexing unit is further configured to associate in time the ultrasound images, ancillary probe data and scene information. The ultrasound imaging system additionally includes a communication device.
US09232932B2

There are provided embodiments for providing a motion mode image corresponding to a motion of a target object. In one embodiment, by way of non-limiting example, an ultrasound system comprises: a user input unit configured to receive input information for setting a region of interest on a brightness mode image; and a processing unit configured to form the brightness mode image based on first ultrasound data corresponding to a target object and form vector information of the target object based on second ultrasound data corresponding to the target object, the processing unit being further configured to form a motion mode image including at least one of a brightness motion mode image and a color motion mode image based on the first ultrasound data and the vector information corresponding to the region of interest.
US09232921B2

A system and method for intracranial access is disclosed. In particular, a drill stop is shown providing a way to control the penetration of a drill bit as an access hole into the brain is being formed. Access to a desired location is achieved using a catheter guide device. Also disclosed is a mechanism by which multiple diagnostic and treatment devices can be placed at a desired location in brain tissue without the need for more than one access hole. A drainage catheter is disclosed with a mechanism to allow both drainage and to allow intracranial pressure measurement.
US09232917B2

A system evaluates a patient for a physiological abnormality. A urinary catheter is insertable within a patient's bladder and has a first pressure sensor for measuring bladder pressure and a second pressure sensor for measuring mid-urethral pressure at the mid-urethral sphincter. A processing device is connected to the first and second pressure sensors and configured to receive the measured bladder pressure and measured mid-urethral pressure during at least one breath cycle and process the data representative of the bladder and mid-urethral pressures obtained during the at least one breath cycle to diagnose a physiological abnormality within the patient.
US09232909B2

The invention provides methods and systems for determining the position of a remote object such as an in vivo medical device such as capsule or probe within a medical patient. Integrated computer and computer executable remote permanent magnetic dipole position and orientation detection system monitors remote object movement. User interface displays remote permanent magnetic dipole location and orientation in a 3-dimensional view. Database stores object position movement in association with time. Magnetic sensor planes detect remote objects with permanent magnetic dipole and generate magnetic field information signal. Computer stores and searches location and posture information use a file.
US09232900B2

A system and method for providing diagnosis and monitoring of congestive heart failure for use in automated patient care is described. At least one recorded physiological measure is compared to at least one other recorded physiological measure on a substantially regular basis to quantify a change in patient pathophysiological status for equivalent patient information. An absence, an onset, a progression, a regression, and a status quo of congestive heart failure is evaluated dependent upon the change in patient pathophysiological status.
US09232894B2

A remote patient management system comprising a display and a processor. Execution of instructions cause the processor to: determine at least one first boundary value between a safe zone and a warning zone for each of at least one patient vital sign; determine at least one second boundary value between the warning zone and an alert zone for each of the at least one patient vital sign; repeatedly receive the at least one patient vital sign; determine a status value indicating the safe zone, warning zone, or alert zone; calculate a transition risk value; and display a patient status indicator which indicates the status level and the transition risk.
US09232892B2

An applanation tonometer for measuring intraocular pressure (IOP) so that the health of a human or animal eye can be determined. The applanation tonometer includes a prism having a contact tip at one end to be moved into contact with and lightly touched against the cornea or the eye. Incident laser light is transmitted inwardly through the prism to the contact tip at which some of the light is decoupled and lost though the contact tip depending upon the area of contact between the contact tip and the cornea. The remaining light is reflected by the contact tip outwardly through the prism. A photo defector which is responsive to the light reflected by the contact tip of the prism and a force detector which is responsive to the pressure at the area of contact between the contact tip and the cornea generate paired force and area data pairs that are processed to measure IOP.
US09232888B2

Provided is an optical tomographic imaging apparatus including: a tomographic image acquiring unit for acquiring a tomographic image of an eye of a patient; a scanning type two-dimensional image acquiring unit for acquiring a two-dimensional image of the eye; a patient information storage unit for storing images acquired by the tomographic image acquiring unit and the scanning type two-dimensional image acquiring unit together with patient information; and a display unit. The display unit performs a list display of patient information of at least one patient stored in the patient information storage unit. When one patient is selected from a patient group in the list display, at least one past acquired tomographic image and a two-dimensional image acquired substantially simultaneously with the tomographic image of the patient are displayed as thumbnail images in a list. An image parameter of the tomographic image displayed as the thumbnail image is changeable.
US09232873B2

A brewing apparatus including a fluid reservoir having a first end and a second end. The brewing apparatus can include a lid portion configured to removably engage the first end of the fluid reservoir and a cartridge holder configured to removably engage the second end of the fluid reservoir. A spring-loaded plunger can slidably connect to the lid portion.
US09232864B2

A product management display system for merchandising product on a shelf or tray includes using a trackless pusher mechanism that travels along a surface on which product is placed. In one example, the tray or shelf can include a first product retaining member which prevents products from being pushed off of the tray. The pusher mechanism of an exemplary embodiment includes a pusher surface, a second product retaining member, and a pusher floor that extends forward of the pusher surface and between the pusher surface and the second product retaining member. A flat coiled spring or other biasing element may be operatively connected behind the pusher mechanism. In use, the product to be merchandised may be placed on the pusher floor. With this configuration, the pusher surface is prevented from pushing the last product off of the shelf and onto the floor.
US09232863B1

Support structures which can be placed around the waist of a user, for example a mother nursing twins. A front member and a rear member cooperate to provide an openable enclosure which can first be placed around, and then closed around, the waist of the user. The front member provides a platform which is in front of the user and on which are placed one or more babies, or other items desired by the user. The platform has desired characteristics, for example a first surface which is horizontal and a second surface which is inclined towards the user.
US09232861B2

A portable stand for securely supporting an object or infant above a vehicle seat is presented. The stand is adjustable for use on an angled or flat surface. The stand securely engages the gap in a vehicle seat, thereby providing a stable support surface for an object. The stand is easily collapsible for storage.
US09232851B2

A brush for applying mascara or the like, comprising an elongated core and a plurality of coating surfaces axially spaced along the elongated core, distributed around the core over a substantial portion of the length of the core extending from the distal end thereof. The coating surfaces are arranged in a plurality of rows forming turns of at least one helix extending lengthwise of the core and spaced laterally around the core periphery. The axial distance between consecutive rows of coating surfaces varies longitudinally along the core.
US09232846B2

A mirror apparatus (10) includes a platform (12), a mirror support (14) depending from the platform (12), a mirror member (16) mounted to the mirror support (14) and an illuminating member (34) mounted about at least a peripheral segment of the mirror member (16) for providing illumination. The mirror member (16) may include a first mirror side (24) having a substantially planar mirror surface and a second mirror side (26) having a magnifying mirror surface. The mirror support (14) may be mounted for movement relative to the platform (12) between a first operative position and a second transport position. The mirror support (14) may be mounted for pivotal movement relative to the platform (12) between the first operative position and the second transport position. The mirror support (14) may be adapted to be releasably secured in the first operative position.
US09232845B2

The application device (12) for a cosmetic product (16) comprises a receptacle (20) and a cosmetic article (22), the cosmetic article (22) being suitable for moving relative to the receptacle (20) between a retracted position inside the receptacle (20) and an extended position outside the receptacle (20), the cosmetic article (22) comprising a body (34) and the cosmetic product (16) housed inside the body (34), the body (34) defining a cosmetic product (16) outlet orifice (38) from the body (34).The application device (12) further comprises an electromechanical device (40) for moving the cosmetic product (14, 16) relative to the body (34), and an assembly (50) for controlling the electromechanical device (40) for adjusting the position and/or movement of the cosmetic product (16) relative to the body (34), the control assembly (50) being suitable for switching between: an idle state when the cosmetic article (22) is in the retracted position, and an active state when the cosmetic article (22) is in the extended position.
US09232843B2

A nail polish curing device comprises: a lower part having a top surface and a reflective lower recess-defining surface that extends downwardly from the top surface and that defines a lower recess; an upper part disposed above the lower part and having a top wall, a bottom surface, and a reflective upper recess-defining surface that extends upwardly from the bottom surface and that defines an upper recess, the top wall being formed with a plurality of through-holes; a circuit board mounted on the top wall of the upper part; and a plurality of light emitting elements mounted on and electrically connected to the circuit board and extending respectively through the through-holes into the upper recess so as to emit light into the upper and lower recesses.
US09232842B2

Hair tweezers have a bend section from which a pair of opposing plate-shaped gripping sections extend in the longitudinal direction, and opposing gripping surfaces are respectively formed on the ends of the gripping sections which are located on the side facing the bend section. The hair tweezers do not cause a problem in that, when the hair tweezers are in use, the ends on the side on which the gripping surfaces are formed are displaced relative to each other in the vertical direction, which intersects the longitudinal direction, to make it difficult for the user to grip a targeted unwanted hair. The thickness of a bend portion is equal to or greater than the thickness of the portions of a pair of gripping sections which are not included in the bend section. The pair of gripping sections are respectively provided with thin sections, which have a small thickness, located between the bend section and the ends having the gripping surfaces formed thereon.
US09232836B1

A shade device has a canopy mounted on a collapsible frame which is supported by a lateral support tube and an upright support tube. The collapsible frame supports the canopy in either up open configuration or a closed configuration, and includes a central support structure. The lateral support tube is attached to the central support structure above the canopy, and extends to approximately over the outer perimeter of the canopy. The upright support tube is attached to the lateral support tube and includes mounting device for mounting the upright support tube in or on the ground surface.
US09232833B2

Disclosed is a double locking buckle. The double locking buckle includes a plug member having a pair of lock arms and a locking rod provided between the lock arms and a socket member having locking parts in a chamber with which the lock arms are locked. A locking unit is provided at the front end of the locking rod, and the socket member is provided at the center thereof with a guide groove coupled with the locking road and a locking protrusion coupled with the locking unit.
US09232830B2

A ventilation system for an article of footwear is disclosed. The ventilation system may be configured to direct air from outside the article of footwear to the inside of the article of footwear. The ventilation system may include a sole layer and a sockliner configured to lie on top of the sole layer. One or more paths may be formed within the sole layer to provide a pumping mechanism during the normal course of providing cushioning for the user. The paths may be activated by forefoot or heel based pressure to force air from the exterior of the article of footwear to a sockliner directly above the sole layer. An air inlet extending through a sidewall of the sole layer may allow outside air to enter the path within the sole layer. An opening in the sockliner may allow air inside the path to enter inside the article of footwear.
US09232829B2

A combination of a ski boot and a training aid (110) attached thereto that is suitable for training a user to focus pressure on the sweet spot of a ski; wherein the training aid (110) comprises a balancing member (122) positioned underneath the ski boot at a location that would be vertically aligned with the sweet spot of a ski if the training aid were fitted to the ski boot; the training aid (110) allowing the user wearing a pair of ski boots, without skis and with a training aid attached to each boot, to pivot about the balancing members (122) until a desired balancing position is reached, whereby pressure is focussed at a spot corresponding to said sweet spot.
US09232825B2

A wearable protection device with a plurality of plate members adjacent in a side-by-side configuration so as to define a protection front surface or side adapted to face an impact is described. Pairs of the plate members at least partially overlap each other along a longitudinal direction by means of superposition of a portion of a first plate member on a front surface of a corresponding portion of a second plate member adjacent in the side-by-side configuration, so as to define a zone of surface discontinuity between adjacent plate members on the front surface of the second plate member. The device comprises a plurality of pads each associated with one of the plate members on an opposite side to the protection front surface. A surface discontinuity or boundary zone between adjacent pads is offset along the longitudinal direction with respect to the zone of surface discontinuity between adjacent plate members.
US09232822B1

A garment is disclosed, which includes a bodice having a front portion with a neckline, a back portion, and a bottom, a padded lining disposed in the bodice and adjacent to the neckline, a plurality of adjustable straps attached to the front and back portions, a band lining the bottom of the bodice, and a non-visible boning disposed in the front portion configured to support and shape the abdomen of a user.
US09232821B2

Smoking articles which involve the use of amphiphile-modified sorbents are disclosed. The amphiphile-modified sorbent has at least one amphiphilic compound bound to an inorganic molecular sieve substrate. The amphiphile-modified sorbent selectively removes certain constituents from cigarette smoke, while maintaining other constituents, such as those that contribute to flavor. Methods for making cigarette filters and smoking articles using amphiphile-modified sorbents, as well as methods for smoking a cigarette containing an amphiphile-modified sorbent, are also provided.
US09232820B2

An apparatus for inserting one or more objects into a filter component of a tobacco rod includes a storage apparatus that stores a plurality of the objects, each object having a predetermined volume; an inserter wheel that receives the objects stored in the storage apparatus, and inserts the objects into a band of filter material, the inserter wheel having an outer periphery with a plurality of pockets defined in the outer periphery and distributed about the outer periphery. Each pocket has a shape configured to support one of the objects with between about one quarter and about one half of the volume of the object received in the pocket. The remainder of the volume of the object protrudes from the pocket above the outer periphery of the inserter wheel. A method of inserting one or more objects into a filter component of a tobacco rod is also described.
US09232811B2

A process for preparing aerated ice confection particles by manufacturing an aerated ice confection in a mass; further freezing the mass cryogenically to a temperature close to the glass transition temperature (Tg) of the aerated ice confection to form a aerated frozen mass, and comminuting the frozen mass to aerated ice confection particles with a high surface area to volume ratio. These particles can be used for a variety of purposes but preferably are used for forming frozen ice drinks in a simple, rapid and convenient manner. This is particularly useful when a single serving of such drinks is desired as no special equipment to make the drink is required. The invention also relates to packaging for the aerated ice confection particles and methods of making frozen ice drinks from the aerated ice confection particles.
US09232785B2

The present invention relates to methods, use and compositions for reducing sunburn damage in plants. More specifically, it relates to methods and compositions for controlling, preventing, or treating sunburn damage using UV filters.
US09232782B2

The invention relates to a device for deterring birds from landing in a defined area, for example on maritime vessels, without causing physical damage, said device comprising a vertically positionable rotary actuating shaft whereon a retractably connected pair of rods (3) is arranged at the top by means of a hinged joint, such that said two rods (3) are able to extend horizontally and perpendicularly in relation to the actuating shaft and opposite each other, said actuating shaft (2) being mounted on a support (4) provided with hinge means in the lower part, that can angularly fold down said support (4) in relation to a base body (5). The lower part of said actuating shaft (2) is in contact with a spherical region arranged inside said support (4).
US09232773B2

A method of destacking or restacking standardized containers used in poultry hatchery operations using robotic means involves the step of moving a container from a conveyor onto a box transport dolly or vice versa. The box transport dolly is dimensionally secured within a dolly docking station adjacent a robot. A quantity of eggs may be transferred into the destacked container.
US09232761B2

The invention relates to the soybean variety designated 01051996. Provided by the invention are the seeds, plants and derivatives of the soybean variety 01051996. Also provided by the invention are tissue cultures of the soybean variety 01051996 and the plants regenerated therefrom. Still further provided by the invention are methods for producing soybean plants by crossing the soybean variety 01051996 with itself or another soybean variety and plants produced by such methods.
US09232760B2

The invention relates to the soybean variety designated 01051987. Provided by the invention are the seeds, plants and derivatives of the soybean variety 01051987. Also provided by the invention are tissue cultures of the soybean variety 01051987 and the plants regenerated therefrom. Still further provided by the invention are methods for producing soybean plants by crossing the soybean variety 01051987 with itself or another soybean variety and plants produced by such methods.
US09232758B2

The invention relates to the soybean variety designated 01046904. Provided by the invention are the seeds, plants and derivatives of the soybean variety 01046904. Also provided by the invention are tissue cultures of the soybean variety 01046904 and the plants regenerated therefrom. Still further provided by the invention are methods for producing soybean plants by crossing the soybean variety 01046904 with itself or another soybean variety and plants produced by such methods.
US09232757B2

The invention relates to the soybean variety designated 01046242. Provided by the invention are the seeds, plants and derivatives of the soybean variety 01046242. Also provided by the invention are tissue cultures of the soybean variety 01046242 and the plants regenerated therefrom. Still further provided by the invention are methods for producing soybean plants by crossing the soybean variety 01046242 with itself or another soybean variety and plants produced by such methods.
US09232755B2

The invention relates to the soybean variety designated 01046197. Provided by the invention are the seeds, plants and derivatives of the soybean variety 01046197. Also provided by the invention are tissue cultures of the soybean variety 01046197 and the plants regenerated therefrom. Still further provided by the invention are methods for producing soybean plants by crossing the soybean variety 01046197 with itself or another soybean variety and plants produced by such methods.
US09232749B2

The invention relates to the soybean variety designated 01045635. Provided by the invention are the seeds, plants and derivatives of the soybean variety 01045635. Also provided by the invention are tissue cultures of the soybean variety 01045635 and the plants regenerated therefrom. Still further provided by the invention are methods for producing soybean plants by crossing the soybean variety 01045635 with itself or another soybean variety and plants produced by such methods.
US09232736B2

According to the invention, there is provided seed and plants of the hybrid corn variety designated CH810147. The invention thus relates to the plants, seeds and tissue cultures of the variety CH810147, and to methods for producing a corn plant produced by crossing a corn plant of variety CH810147 with itself or with another corn plant, such as a plant of another variety. The invention further relates to genetic complements of plants of variety CH810147.
US09232733B2

According to the invention, there is provided seed and plants of the hybrid corn variety designated CH653970. The invention thus relates to the plants, seeds and tissue cultures of the variety CH653970, and to methods for producing a corn plant produced by crossing a corn plant of variety CH653970 with itself or with another corn plant, such as a plant of another variety. The invention further relates to genetic complements of plants of variety CH653970.
US09232730B2

According to the invention, there is provided seed and plants of the hybrid corn variety designated CH000656. The invention thus relates to the plants, seeds and tissue cultures of the variety CH000656, and to methods for producing a corn plant produced by crossing a corn plant of variety CH000656 with itself or with another corn plant, such as a plant of another variety. The invention further relates to genetic complements of plants of variety CH000656.
US09232728B2

According to the invention, there is provided seed and plants of the hybrid corn variety designated CH669468. The invention thus relates to the plants, seeds and tissue cultures of the variety CH669468, and to methods for producing a corn plant produced by crossing a corn plant of variety CH669468 with itself or with another corn plant, such as a plant of another variety. The invention further relates to genetic complements of plants of variety CH669468.
US09232726B2

According to the invention, there is provided seed and plants of the hybrid corn variety designated CH286938. The invention thus relates to the plants, seeds and tissue cultures of the variety CH286938, and to methods for producing a corn plant produced by crossing a corn plant of variety CH286938 with itself or with another corn plant, such as a plant of another variety. The invention further relates to genetic complements of plants of variety CH286938.
US09232725B2

According to the invention, there is provided seed and plants of the hybrid corn variety designated CH585789. The invention thus relates to the plants, seeds and tissue cultures of the variety CH585789, and to methods for producing a corn plant produced by crossing a corn plant of variety CH585789 with itself or with another corn plant, such as a plant of another variety. The invention further relates to genetic complements of plants of variety CH585789.
US09232719B1

A novel maize variety designated PH1V8M and seed, plants and plant parts thereof. Methods for producing a maize plant that comprise crossing maize variety PH1V8M with another maize plant. Methods for producing a maize plant containing in its genetic material one or more traits introgressed into PH1V8M through backcross conversion and/or transformation, and to the maize seed, plant and plant part produced thereby. Hybrid maize seed, plant or plant part produced by crossing the variety PH1V8M or a locus conversion of PH1V8M with another maize variety.
US09232718B1

A novel maize variety designated PH1V6W and seed, plants and plant parts thereof. Methods for producing a maize plant that comprise crossing maize variety PH1V6W with another maize plant. Methods for producing a maize plant containing in its genetic material one or more traits introgressed into PH1V6W through backcross conversion and/or transformation, and to the maize seed, plant and plant part produced thereby. Hybrid maize seed, plant or plant part produced by crossing the variety PH1V6W or a locus conversion of PH1V6W with another maize variety.
US09232714B2

The invention relates to the soybean variety designated A1036394. Provided by the invention are the seeds, plants and derivatives of the soybean variety A1036394. Also provided by the invention are tissue cultures of the soybean variety A1036394 and the plants regenerated therefrom. Still further provided by the invention are methods for producing soybean plants by crossing the soybean variety A1036394 with itself or another soybean variety and plants produced by such methods.
US09232713B2

The invention relates to the soybean variety designated A1035917. Provided by the invention are the seeds, plants and derivatives of the soybean variety A1035917. Also provided by the invention are tissue cultures of the soybean variety A1035917 and the plants regenerated therefrom. Still further provided by the invention are methods for producing soybean plants by crossing the soybean variety A1035917 with itself or another soybean variety and plants produced by such methods.
US09232712B2

The invention relates to the soybean variety designated A1035727. Provided by the invention are the seeds, plants and derivatives of the soybean variety A1035727. Also provided by the invention are tissue cultures of the soybean variety A1035727 and the plants regenerated therefrom. Still further provided by the invention are methods for producing soybean plants by crossing the soybean variety A1035727 with itself or another soybean variety and plants produced by such methods.
US09232707B2

The invention relates to the soybean variety designated A1036212. Provided by the invention are the seeds, plants and derivatives of the soybean variety A1036212. Also provided by the invention are tissue cultures of the soybean variety A1036212 and the plants regenerated therefrom. Still further provided by the invention are methods for producing soybean plants by crossing the soybean variety A1036212 with itself or another soybean variety and plants produced by such methods.
US09232700B2

An improved method to produce artificial light for plant cultivation, an illumination device with a semiconductor light emission solution and device suited for plant cultivation in a greenhouse and/or dark growth chamber environment are described. The best mode is considered to be a lighting device with LEDs that produces an emission spectrum similar to the photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) spectrum in a dark growth chamber. The methods and arrangements allow more precise spectral tuning of the emission spectrum for lights used in plant (310, 311) cultivation. Therefore unexpected improvements in the photomorphogenetic control of plant growth, and further improvements in plant production, especially in dark growth chambers, such as basements, are realized.
US09232695B1

A bale hauler for mounting on a front end loader with the bale hauler having forwardly extending bale teeth which are freely pivotally movable between first and second positions. In the first position, the bale teeth extend forwardly in a horizontal manner from the main frame of the bale hauler. In the second position, the bale teeth extend forwardly and upwardly from the main frame of the bale hauler to enable the bale teeth to be withdrawn from a stacked bale without moving the stacked bale.
US09232694B2

A combine side-shaking control system and a method for controlling operation of a side-shaking mechanism in a combine. The control system includes at least one sieve for separating crop material from other materials and a movable side-shaking mechanism coupled to the at least one sieve and configured to move the at least one sieve in a side-to-side motion. The control system also includes at least one sensor for sensing at least one operating condition of a combine system. The control system further includes a controller for receiving the at least one operating condition and causing the side-shaking mechanism to stop moving the at least one sieve in the side-to-side motion or start moving the at least one sieve in the side-to-side motion based on the at least one operating condition.
US09232691B2

Controlled release of one or more agricultural chemicals is provided by microcapsules adapted to rupture in a magnetic field. The microcapsules, which may be applied to soil, seeds and/or plants, each have a shell that encapsulates an agricultural chemical, such as a fertilizer, herbicide or insecticide. One or more organosilane-coated magnetic nanoparticles is/are covalently bound into the shell of each microcapsule. For example, (3-aminopropyl)trimethylsilane-coated magnetite nanoparticles may be incorporated into the shell of a urea-formaldehyde (UF) microcapsule during in situ polymerization. In one embodiment, microcapsules encapsulating a fertilizer are applied during seed planting. Controlled release is subsequently triggered after an appropriate period of dormancy by positioning a magnetic field generating device proximate the microcapsules to generate a magnetic field sufficient to rupture the microcapsule shells through magnetic stimulation of the organosilane-coated magnetic nanoparticles. The ruptured microcapsule shells release the fertilizer.
US09232690B2

A method and system for controlling an air cart to deliver custom blends of fertilizer to a field is disclosed. A farmer purchases base nutrients which are mixed together during delivery to the field. An air cart having multiple compartments is selected according to the number of base nutrients and/or seed to be delivered. Metering units associated with each compartment control the rate at which product is delivered. An operator defines a desired blend of fertilizer and identifies each of the base nutrients loaded into the air cart. The controller generates control signals output to each metering unit to control the rate at which product is delivered according to the desired blend of fertilizer. Thus, a farmer may purchase and store base nutrients rather than various blends of fertilizer and create multiple customized blends as needed according to the area and the type of seed to be planted.
US09237686B2

A wiring board on which an electronic component is to be mounted includes a resist having an opening exposing a joint face which is part of the surface of a wiring layer and to which a terminal of the electronic component is to be joined. In the placing step, the electronic component is placed on the wiring board such that the terminal covers the opening entirely and contacts the solder paste applied onto the joint face. Next, the solder paste applied onto the joint face is heated to melt solder and soften thermosetting resin. This allows the solder to gather in a first space within the opening closed with the wiring layer and the electronic component, while allowing the thermosetting resin to gather in a second space formed between a top side of the resist and a lateral side of the electronic component.
US09237684B2

A measurement transmitter for providing a measured value to a control system, comprising: a sensor having a transducer for outputting a primary signal dependent on the measured value; a first electronic circuit for processing the primary signal to an intermediate signal; a second electronic circuit for processing the intermediate signal to a signal representing the measured value, wherein the second electronic circuit has a signal output for outputting the signal to connection lines; a housing arrangement having a metal material, wherein the first electronic circuit has at least a first circuit carrier, and the second electronic circuit has at least a second circuit carrier, and wherein the first and second electronic circuits are positioned in the housing arrangement spaced from one another. Electrically conducting shielding and high frequency filters for protecting against HF disturbances, which can get into the housing arrangement via the connection lines. The electrically conducting shielding and the high frequency filters are arranged between the first and second circuit carriers.
US09237673B2

A holding mechanism of a display device includes a first arm, a second arm and a damper. The first arm and the second arm hold the display device in such a manner that the display device is capable of being displaced between a first disposition in which a lower edge portion of the display device is away from a placing face with a display screen facing to a front and a second disposition in which the lower edge portion is in contact with the placing face with the display screen facing more upward than in the first disposition. The damper applies, to the first arm, a force that buffers a force by which the display device is liable to displacement from the first disposition to the second disposition due to self-weight.
US09237650B2

A method and an electronic component including: a substrate including at least a hole at least partially going through a thickness of the substrate; an electrically conducting element positioned in the hole and configured to form an electric connection through the hole, wherein the electrically conducting element includes an electrically conducting and self-supporting pillar with a height oriented according to the thickness of the substrate; and a space between at least a part of the wall of the hole and a part of a peripheral wall of the pillar.
US09237648B2

An interposer has conductive elements at a first side and terminals at a second side opposite therefrom, for connecting with a microelectronic element and a second component, respectively. The component includes a first element having a thermal expansion coefficient less than 10 ppm/° C., and an insulating second element, with a plurality of openings extending from the second side through the second element towards the first element. A conductive structure extending through the openings in the second element and through the first element electrically connects the terminals with the conductive elements.
US09237646B2

A conductive thin film device includes a substrate and a thin film structure applied to the substrate. The thin film structure is applied as a first layer and forms a one-dimensional nanomaterial networked layer deposited on the substrate. A coating layer overlays the one-dimensional nanomaterial networked layer and can be made from graphene or graphene oxide. The coating layer at least partially covers the nanomaterial networked layer, thereby forming the device as a double-layer structure.
US09237643B2

A circuit board structure including a dielectric layer, a fine circuit pattern and a patterned conductive layer is provided, wherein the fine circuit pattern is embedded in a surface of the dielectric layer, and the patterned conductive layer is disposed on another surface of the dielectric layer and protrudes therefrom.
US09237641B2

The present invention provides an accelerating structure capable of increasing a degree of vacuum at a middle part inside the accelerating structure while confining an alternating electric field to the inside. An accelerating structure 1 is formed of a plurality of annular discs 2 and 3 serially connected into a cylindrical shape. At least one of the discs 3 disposed at a middle part of the accelerating structure 1 includes: a choke structure formed by a choke filter 7; and a vacuum port 8 opened in an outer circumferential surface of the disc on an outer circumferential side radially outward from the choke structure, and the vacuum port 8 is connected to an external exhaust device.
US09237635B2

The present invention relates to an intelligent lighting control apparatus and method, which control an intelligent lighting unit including multiple sensors depending on time, place, scene, environment, or the like, based on the results of sensing by the sensors. The intelligent lighting control apparatus includes a multi-sensor unit including multiple sensors, the multi-sensor unit sensing motion of a person or an object within a set sensing area using at least one of the multiple sensors. A lighting control unit controls an operation of a lighting unit based on frequency data corresponding to results of sensing by the multi-sensor unit and a class of lighting type corresponding to the frequency data.
US09237634B2

According to the present invention, a light guidance system for adapted illumination in emergency or power cut situations is provided, wherein the light guidance system is connected to an auxiliary power supply system (101) and comprises at least one light unit (103) adapted to emit light for illuminating surroundings and a control unit adapted to increase a light level of the light unit (103) according to a presence signal indicating the presence of a person, wherein the increasing of the light level is adjusted to enable a mandatory lighting period and a mandatory light level by considering a power value of the auxiliary power supply system (101).
US09237633B2

A laser interlock system and allows laser radiation to be generated when an inspector and a subject correctly wear safety glasses and during use of a photo-acoustic imaging apparatus, thereby protecting the eyes of the inspector and the subject and preventing unnecessary power consumption. The laser interlock system includes a sensing unit to sense whether or not contact between a user and safety glasses occurs, a light source unit to generate a laser, and a control unit that determines, based on an output value from the sensing unit, whether or not the user is wearing the safety glasses normally, and generates an interlock signal to turn on or off the light source unit for selective laser generation according to the determination.
US09237632B2

Provided are an illumination lighting apparatus that provides various and intuitional light in response to a motion of a user, and an illumination controlling method. The illumination lighting apparatus may include a lamp unit including at least one light emitting part that is selectively turned on and off, a motion sensing unit including at least one motion sensor, transmitting a sensed signal when the at least one motion sensor senses a motion of a user, and enabling the lamp unit to provide a light corresponding to the sensed signal, and a control unit to receive the sensed signal from the motion sensing unit to adjust a light emitting type of the lamp unit in a plurality of modes, and the motion sensing unit may transmit, based on a mode of the control unit, different sensed signals to the control unit to change the light emitting type of the lamp unit.
US09237623B1

An illumination device and methods are provided herein for avoiding over-current and over-power conditions in one or more power converters included within the illumination device. The illumination device may generally include a plurality of light emitting diode (LED) chains, a driver circuit, at least one power converter, and a control circuit. The LED chains may produce illumination for the illumination device at a chromaticity consistent with a chromaticity setting. The power converter(s) may be coupled for powering the LED chains, and may each comprise a maximum safe current level or a maximum safe power level, which varies with temperature. The control circuit may be configured for determining a maximum lumens value that can be safely produced by all LED chains at a predetermined safe temperature to achieve the chromaticity setting without exceeding the maximum safe current level or the maximum safe power level of the power converter(s) at the predetermined safe temperature.
US09237619B2

Controllers (360, 360′), lighting circuits and methods are disclosed, for a dimmable LED lighting circuit having a series arrangement of two types of LED, the controller comprising a control circuit (330), a bypass circuit (340) and optionally a further bypass circuit and being operable for controlling a current, the current (Idriver) being separable into first and second parts (IW, IB), and into further first and second parts, wherein the controller is configured to direct the (further) first part through the LED or LEDs of the second (first) type and direct the (further) second part through the (further) bypass circuit (respectively), and wherein the control circuit is configured to adjust the ratio between the first, or further first, part and the second, or further second respectively, part in dependence on a dimming level of the LED lighting circuit.
US09237618B2

Disclosed is an LED lighting apparatus capable of improving a power factor and temperature characteristics. The LED lighting apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention includes a light source having a plurality of LED channels and performs a current regulating operation to allow a light source to emit light. The light source uses a current path provided by current regulating to emit light.
US09237615B2

An electromagnetic touch-control screen structure, comprising: a display panel; a touch-control plate over the display panel; an electromagnetic induction plate over the touch-control plate; and a cover lens attached on the electromagnetic induction plate. The electromagnetic touch-control screen of the disclosure, by deploying reasonable structure and manufacturing technique, stacks an electromagnetic induction plate with a touch-control plate, a cover lens and a display panel. Compared with existing manufacturing techniques, it can reduce one time of lamination operation, and dramatically decrease the thickness and weight of the electromagnetic structure, so that it can meet the need of lightness and thinness, for touch-control display equipments, like cellphone.
US09237611B2

A housing assembly for an electronic display including a housing having a top surface, a bottom surface, a rim, and an opening, where the opening is bounded by the rim; and a lens having a top surface, a bottom surface, and a ridge, where the ridge is integral with and extends upwardly from the top surface of the lens forming a space, and where the bottom surface of the housing rests upon the top surface of the lens, and the housing matingly engages the lens, such that the ridge of the lens protrudes upwardly through the opening of the housing. The housing and the lens are convexly-shaped and the bottom surface of the lens is secured to a tubular-shaped member. The housing assembly further includes at least one electronic display disposed within the space formed by the ridge of the lens.
US09237605B2

An electrical heat lamp for pig breeding includes a housing and an electrical heating source. The heating source is a U-shaped, infrared electromagnetic radiation heating element, and includes an electric member portion for connecting to an external electric energy source. The heat lamp includes a reflector arranged in the housing, the reflector being adapted to reflect the electromagnetic radiation emitted from the heating source, is adapted to fit the shape of the heating source, and has a U-shaped groove which in turn has a parabolic cross section. The heat lamp includes a sealing member sealing the space or electrical connection between the heating source and the electric member portion against water; optionally, one or two more sealing members are provided.
US09237600B2

Wireless mobile communication (WMC) devices located in near proximity of each other may be enabled to form a mesh (ad hoc wireless) network. WMC devices may form and/or tear down intra-mesh connection with other WMC devices in the same mesh network. WMC devices may utilize information related to other WMC devices in the mesh network in determining formation and tearing down of intra-mesh connections. This information may comprise relative speeds, locations, and directions of movement of the WMC devices forming/tearing intra-mesh connections. Other information including data bandwidth and/or power consumption may be utilized in such determination. This information may also comprise available services advertised by WMC devices in the mesh network.
US09237597B2

Systems and techniques relating to wireless communications are described. A described technique includes generating a physical frame and causing a transmission of the physical frame to the wireless communication device. The physical frame includes (i) one or more medium access control data units that encapsulate data for a wireless communication device, (ii) a medium access control layer pad that includes one or more padding delimiters, and (iii) a physical layer pad, wherein a length of the medium access control layer pad and a length of the physical layer pad are based on the physical frame. The one or more padding delimiters can include an end-of-frame flag to inform the wireless communication device to stop receiving a remaining portion of the physical frame.
US09237592B1

The invention introduces a method for establishing a direct connection, executed by a processing unit of a first electronic apparatus, which contains at least the following steps. A first location of the first electronic apparatus and an angle of the first electronic apparatus are obtained. Second locations are collected via a communications interface of the first electronic apparatus, where each second location is of a second electronic apparatus. It is determined which of the second electronic apparatuses the first electronic apparatus is aimed at, according to the first location, the second locations, and the angle of the first electronic apparatus. A direct connection is established with the determined second electronic apparatus via the first communications interface.
US09237588B2

Provided are a method for transmitting uplink data by a terminal in a mobile communication system, the method comprising: when data to be transmitted to uplink is generated in an idle mode, transmitting a ranging request message including at least one of a group identifier allocated to each terminal group to which the terminal belongs, an offline transmission indicator indicating transmission of uplink data in a state in which the terminal is not connected to a network, and uplink data, to a base station; and receiving a ranging response message confirming that the uplink data has been successfully transmitted, from the base station.
US09237582B2

A method and an apparatus for requesting Uplink (UL) resource allocation in a beamforming-based wireless communication system are provided. A Mobile Station (MS) acquires UL beam pair information indicating a best MS transmit beam and a best Base Station (BS) receive beam for UL transmission, determines a best BS transmit beam for Downlink (DL) reception, selects a Bandwidth Request (BR) code and a BR channel from available BR codes and a designated BR transmit resource, wherein at least one of the BR code and the BR channel is mapped to at least one of the best BS receive beam and the best BS transmit beam, and transmits the selected BR code to a BS over the selected BR channel. The BS allocates a UL resource for transmission of a BR message and UL data considering the best BS receive beam.
US09237576B2

The present invention discloses a power control method and apparatus. The power control method of the present invention includes: when a service runs in a first-standard communication system, determining a transmit power P1 of the first-standard communication system; determining that the transmit power P1 is higher than or equal to a threshold value P2 of power interference of the first-standard communication system to a second-standard communication system; use a power lower than P1 to send data on an interference frequency of the first-standard communication system. According to the power control method in the present invention, a signal transmit power of the interfering frequency of the first-standard communication system can be reduced when it is determined that the first-standard communication system will cause interference to the second-standard communication system, thereby reducing the interference of the first-standard communication system to the second-standard communication system.
US09237567B2

An eNB assigns an uplink SRS resource for transmitting the SRS utilized in an adaptive array control, and a PDSCH resource that overlaps, on a frequency axis, with the uplink SRS resource, to a UE. The eNB assigns the uplink SRS resource within a range of an SRS transmission available frequency band f1 that can be used for transmitting the SRS. When it is necessary to transmit downlink repeat data to a first UE when an assignment of the uplink SRS resource is switched from the first UE to a second UE, the eNB assigns the PDSCH resource for the downlink repeat data in an SRS transmission unavailable frequency band f2 outside the range of the SRS transmission available frequency band f1.
US09237560B2

Methods and systems are proposed for transmitting data from a source (110) to a destination (130) via a relay station (120) having multiple antennae (122, 124). The relay station (120) receives from the source a message containing the data and a first cyclic prefix. It does this using each of its antennae (122, 124), so producing multiple respective received signals. In certain embodiments, the relay station (120) removes the first cyclic prefix from the received signals, replacing it with a new one. In other embodiments, the relay station (120) removes only a portion of the first cyclic prefix. In either case, the relay station (120) may apply space-time coding to generate second signals, which it transmits to the destination (130), which extracts the data. Methods are also proposed for estimating parameters of the channel, to enable the destination (130) to decode the data.
US09237558B2

A wireless communication system controls a transmission timing in each cell so that a control channel of a first cell and a data channel of a second cell temporally overlap each other. The wireless communication system includes a base station of the first cell. The base station of the first cell includes a first control unit and a first communicating unit. The first control unit notifies a base station of the second cell of information used to specify a resource of the control channel of the first cell. The first communicating unit transmits a control signal to a mobile station of the first cell by using a first resource of the control channel of the first cell.
US09237556B2

Provided is a method of operating an access point and a wireless communication system using an access point. The method includes classifying the terminals according to the QoS type of a service required by each of the terminals, allocating any one antenna among the plurality of antennae to one terminal of a group of terminals having the highest order of priority according to the QoS type, among the classified groups of terminals, and selecting another antenna and terminal, which maximizes a signal to interference and noise ratio (SINR) calculated from channel information between the terminal and the antenna, among the terminals and antennae, except the allocated antenna and terminal, to allocate the antenna.
US09237551B2

The present invention relates to a method for paging, by a network mobility management unit, a mobile entity in a cellular network. The method includes receiving plural location reports, each respectively including an indicator indicating a position of the mobile entity, determining whether indicators included in at least two successive location reports indicate a position in a same second area, selectively setting paging control information for the mobile entity to a first area mode or to a second area mode based on said determining, paging the mobile entity in a first area of the cellular network when the paging control information is set to the first area mode, or paging the mobile entity in said second area when the paging control information is set to the second area mode. The second area is a sub-area of the first area.
US09237547B1

A method, system, and medium are provided for managing CDMA reference cell identifiers (IDs) in a long-term-evolution (LTE) network using Session Initiation Protocol (SIP). A network node subscribes to RF coverage information and location information of eNodeBs and CDMA base stations within the network. After receiving this information from the eNodeBs and the CDMA base stations, the network node uses the information to determine CDMA base stations that are in proximity to each eNodeB. The eNodeBs in the network subscribe to CDMA reference cell IDs of those CDMA base stations that have been determined by the network node to be in proximity to the respective eNodeB. After receiving the CDMA reference cell IDs from the network node, the eNodeB utilizes the received information to select a CDMA base station to utilize when a network customer's UE requires circuit-switched services.
US09237546B1

In a wireless network, a first access point includes a transmitter to transmit a first frame to a first device and a receiver to receive a second frame from the first device. The first and second frames are also received by second and third devices, which are separated from the first access point by predetermined distances. A timing module generates timing information including times of departure and arrival of the first and second frames at the first access point. At the first access point, a feedback module receives feedback information from the second and third devices including times of arrival of the first and second frames at the second and third devices, and a location determining module determines a location of the first device based on the timing and feedback information and predetermined locations of the first access point and the second and third devices in the wireless network.
US09237543B2

A wireless location system is disclosed. Locations of mobile stations (MS) may be determined using one or more MS locating technologies based on, e.g.: computed offsets from terrestrial base stations; satellite transmissions; indoor antennas; low range base stations; and in particular, signal pattern recognition for associating wireless signal characteristics with distinct geographic locations. The system can: adapt and/or calibrate its performance with environmental and geographical changes; capture location signal data for enhancement of a self-maintaining database of predictive location signal data; evaluate MS locations using heuristics and constraints related to terrain, MS velocity and path extrapolation; and adjust MS locations adaptively and/or statistically for providing more reliable and accurate locations. The system can be configured for environments ranging from dense urban, urban, suburban, rural, mountain to low traffic or isolated roadways. The system is useful for 911 emergencies, tracking, routing (e.g., to desired products/services), people and animal location including applications for confinement to and exclusion from certain areas.
US09237537B2

A Base station transmits a control command for transmission of a random access preamble on a first cell if the base station determines radio resources of the first cell are required for transmission of a portion of data and that the first cell requires a different uplink timing from all currently activated cells of the wireless device. The base station transmits at least one control packet for providing transport format information and resource allocation information for transmission of a plurality of packets of the data to be transmitted on a first data channel of the first cell.
US09237532B2

The present invention relates to a method, a base station and an interface for handover in a wireless communication network. Handover is initiated when the signal quality falls below a predetermined value. Random access serves as an uplink procedure to enable the UE to make handover from a first base station (eNodeB) to a suitable second base station (eNodeB). In the present invention, random access parameters are exchanged between second and first base station before said first base station signals said random access parameters to said user equipment.
US09237530B2

A method for wireless communications includes reducing transmission power, by a femto base station, at its radio frequency (RF) transmitter, and cancelling a transmitted data signal of the RF transmitter at its network listen (NL) receiver. The reduction occurs in response to: occurrence of a network listen process; and/or a signal quality of the local macro coverage area exceeding a threshold quality. Additionally or alternatively, the femto base station may detect quality of its macro coverage area, and respond to the signal quality being below the threshold quality by: suspending reduction of transmission power and cancellation of the transmitted data signal; suspending the RF transmitter during transmission gaps assigned to user equipments (UEs); and triggering an NL operation in response to suspension of the RF transmitter, wherein the NL operation occurs within the duration of each of the transmission gaps.
US09237527B2

Deciding a power control command for transmitting to a communication device, wherein the deciding takes into account a signal distortion characteristic of the communication device, and wherein the power control command is for use by communication device in determining a transmission power for the communication device.
US09237520B2

The present invention relates to methods for transceiving a contention-based uplink channel signal, and apparatuses for supporting the same. According to one embodiment of the present invention, a method for transmitting first uplink data through a contention-based uplink channel comprises the steps of: receiving, by a terminal, an uplink grant (CB UL Grant) message from a base station (BS), the uplink grant message including allocation information on the contention-based uplink channel; and transmitting the first uplink data, which is distinguished from second uplink data transmitted through the contention-based uplink channel by another terminal, through the contention-based uplink channel to the base station.
US09237518B2

Power saving in wireless networks is disclosed. A wireless network entity that includes a module to enable a reduction in power consumption in that wireless network entity is also disclosed. The module is configured to determine that a selected wireless station of one or more wireless stations associated with the wireless network entity in a same wireless network will transmit system control information (including synchronization information and service identification information) that is normally transmitted by the wireless network entity.
US09237514B2

The present invention filters access points presented to a user and locks onto an access point. The present invention includes an access point filtering unit and an access point locking unit. The access point filtering unit determines the access points that are accessible by a client device and then filters them to present only the access points that are acceptable to under a security policy in force. The access point locking unit has a plurality of operating modes and can lock onto a user selected access point, a security policy prescribed access point, or the access point with the best signal profile. The present invention also includes several methods such as: a method for filtering access points for presentation to the user, a method for locking onto an access point selected by the user, a method for locking onto an access point with the best signal profile, and a method for locking onto an access point prescribed by a security policy for a given location.
US09237510B2

A mobile terminal and system search method for the same are provided. The present invention enables a rapid system search with minimized battery consumption after a system loss. The system search method, using a search parameter specifying a first search time S0 and search periods (Do+S1) of a wait time Do and search time S1, includes performing, when the mobile terminal experiences a system loss, an initial system search to search for a system to use for the first search time S0 and increasing, when a system to use is found during the first search time S0, the first search time S0 to reset the search parameter.
US09237505B2

The present invention relates to a method for routing at least a data packet in a wireless sensor network (10), the wireless sensor network (10) comprising: at least a source node (S) that is configurable to transmit at least a data packet; at least a destination node (D) that is configurable to receive the data packet transmitted by the source node (S), and interconnectable network nodes (si) between the source node (S) and the destination node (D) that are configurable to receive and forward the data packet, the method comprising the steps of: operating the network nodes (si) according to a sleep-active schedule comprising at least a sleep mode and an active mode, and configuring the network nodes (si) to have information on their own geographic location and the geographic location of the destination node (D), the method further comprising the steps of: dividing the wireless sensor network (10) into a plurality of disjoint areas (A0, AM-1, A1, A2) that are separated by boundaries; separating each area (A0, AM-1, A1, A2) into at en least two regions, the regions being an inner boundary region (I), a central region (C) and an outer boundary region (O); selecting forwarding nodes out of the network nodes (si) to route the data packet from the source node (S) to the destination node (D), such forwarding nodes being selected on the basis of their geographic location relative to the destination node (D) and the network nodes being synchronized relative to each other, and configuring the sleep-active schedule such that only those forwarding nodes that are selected to route the data packet in a given time window are operable in the active mode and all the other network nodes (si) are operable in the sleep mode.
US09237502B1

Systems and methods are described for balancing wireless network load between band classes using automatic neighbor relations or another similar protocol. Serving cells may use neighbor lists to determine a number of first neighboring cells associated with band classes, the band classes being defined by signal frequencies. Over one or more periods of time, each of the serving cells may receive network characteristics for second neighboring cells. The neighbor lists may be reconfigured based on the network characteristics, and a number of second neighboring cells in each of the band classes in the reconfigured neighbor lists may be compared with the number of first neighboring cells in each of the band classes to determine a preferred band class for each serving cell or within a cluster of serving cells. Wireless devices may be instructed to initiate wireless connections with cells outside the preferred band class.
US09237479B2

The present invention provides a method and a device for data traffic distribution. The method includes: measuring, by a mobile wireless interconnection wifi device, signal strength of a wifi network; and switching, by the mobile wifi device, data traffic between a cellular wireless communication network and the wifi network according to the signal strength of the wifi network, where, when the data traffic is transmitted over the wifi network, the mobile wifi device, by means of time division multiplexing, serves as an access point AP and a station STA respectively to route the data traffic between STAs having an Internet access demand and APs capable of providing an Internet access service. The embodiments of the present invention can implement data distribution in the scenario of multiple WAN ports.
US09237476B2

Embodiments of methods and apparatus for providing information indicative of traffic delay of a wireless link are generally described herein. Other embodiments may be described and claimed.
US09237473B2

A networks node generates an inter-frequency neighbor list of neighbor cells intended to be measured including neighbor cells satisfying an alignment condition and a sufficient measurement time. The alignment condition is satisfied when subframes of a first signal having a first frequency transmitted via a reference cell associated with the user equipment are synchronized with, have a known offset relative to or have a random offset smaller than one half of a sub frame relative to corresponding subframes of a second signal having a second frequency transmitted via a neighboring cells. The sufficient measurement time is determined by an overlap of measurement gaps and positioning subframes in the second signal. The user equipment performs the inter-frequency Reference Signal Time Difference (RSTD) measurements during measurement gaps.
US09237468B2

A method for logging and reporting IDC interference information is provided. The method includes receiving an IDC interference measurement configuration from a network, the IDC interference measurement configuration comprising information instructing that a logging of IDC interference information be started, performing first IDC interference measurement on a first subframe, logging first IDC interference information comprising a first IDC interference measurement result, performing second IDC interference measurement on a second subframe, logging second IDC interference information comprising a second IDC interference measurement result, and reporting the first IDC interference information and the second IDC interference information to the network.
US09237461B1

In systems and methods of selecting access nodes for broadcast, signal strength metrics are received from a plurality of wireless devices, wherein the signal strength metrics are based on signals received by the plurality of wireless devices from a plurality of access nodes. A first signal strength criteria is determined for each of the wireless devices based on the received signal strength metrics, and wireless devices for which the first signal strength criteria meets a threshold are selected from among the plurality of wireless devices. A second signal strength criteria is determined for each of the plurality of access nodes. A minimum number of the access nodes is selected wherein the second signal strength criteria meets the threshold for each of the selected wireless devices, and a multicast transmission is transmitted from the selected access nodes to the selected wireless devices.
US09237458B2

A multiple-input, multiple-output (MIMO) communication system comprising a master base station and a slave base station. The master base station has a plurality of transmit antennas and transmits a first set of data to a mobile station in a first transmission. The slave base station has a plurality of transmit antennas and transmits a second set of data to the mobile station in the first transmission. The master base station retransmits the second set of data to the mobile station during a first retransmission and the slave base station retransmits the first set of data to the mobile station during the first retransmission.
US09237455B2

The present invention relates to a method for allocating wireless resources in a wireless access system that supports an operation in an unlicensed band, as well as to an apparatus for the method. More particularly, a method for allocating wireless resources in a wireless access system that supports a television white space (TV WS) band comprises the steps of: allocating, to a terminal and from among TV WS bands, available frequency bands which are not used by a licensed device; if a receiving band of another device exists in a neighboring band of the available frequency bands, setting up a guard band in a portion of the band adjacent to the neighboring band from among the available frequency bands; allocating wireless resources to a terminal in a frequency band from among the available frequency bands, excluding the guard band; and receiving uplink data from the terminal through the wireless resources, wherein the guard band is determined using the allocation location of the wireless resources, the amount of wireless resources, and the transmission power of the terminal.
US09237453B2

A spectrum channel sharing system may coordinate a shared usage of one or more spectrum channels between a first communication system and a second communication system. The first communication system may transmit a request to the second communication system to clear communication traffic associated with the second communication system from a spectrum channel. The first communication system may then initiate a communication session on the spectrum channel after the communication traffic associated with the second communication system has been at least partially cleared from the spectrum channel.
US09237451B2

Methods and systems for enhanced 2-wire and 3-wire wireless local area network (WLAN) Bluetooth coexistence solution may include determining whether adaptive frequency hopping is active in a Bluetooth communication device. If the adaptive frequency hopping is active, handshaking with a collocated non-Bluetooth communication device may be disabled. The collocated non-Bluetooth communication device may be a wireless local area network communication device. If the adaptive frequency hopping is inactive, handshaking with the collocated non-Bluetooth communication device may be enabled. If the adaptive frequency hopping is inactive, the Bluetooth communication device may initiate handshaking prior to transmitting data. If the adaptive frequency hopping is inactive, the Bluetooth communication device may also respond to the handshaking initiated by the collocated non-Bluetooth communication device. The handshaking may be executed via a 2-wire Bluetooth/WLAN coexistence interface or a 3-wire Bluetooth/WLAN coexistence interface.
US09237449B2

A method and system for detection of available a white space channel in an area of licensed transmitters includes a detector which utilizes the autocorrelation analysis of a channel in an frequency modulated (FM) band. Calculation of the autocorrelation excludes an initial set of correlation delay values such that large values of autocorrelation are removed. The remaining autocorrelation based on higher correlation delay values exposes the sinusoidal nature of an FM transmitter operating in the selected channel. White space becomes available to a user if no transmitter is detected using the autocorrelation detection method.
US09237447B2

A device and a method for managing access rights to a wireless network uses wireless connection devices advantageously based on a smart card, which enable the wireless connection to the network once connected to a terminal. These devices include devices for time and/or geographical management of access to the network and authentication device. These devices can be easily preprogrammed by the entity managing the service and then distributed to the users.
US09237439B2

A method for configuring service settings for a mobile subscriber in a mobile communication network wherein the mobile subscriber is associated with a first instant communication client which is adapted to communicate via an instant messaging protocol with an instant communication server, and wherein the instant communication server is associated to a mobile switching center of the mobile communication network. The method includes: sending, by the first instant communication client, an instant service command via the instant communication server to a second instant communication client, associated with the mobile switching center; converting, by the mobile switching center, the instant service command into a service setting message; and sending the service setting message to a user database to modify service settings for the mobile subscriber.
US09237433B1

A system and method for the real-time management of a device, and more particularly to the establishment and enforcement of policies or rules associated with the feature or functions that may be performed with the device, such as making and receiving calls, exchanging data, playing games and music, sending and receiving email, accessing web sites, and paying for goods and services. If a child or employee is using the device, there may be a need to regulate how that device can be used and to determine who will pay for what goods or services. In addition to providing all of the features associated with a device, service providers need to be able to establish and enforce rules (policies) regulating how and when that device can be used and who will pay for a good or service requested by the user of the device.
US09237430B2

The present invention relates to methods and apparati for presenting and displaying caller-identifying information to outbound roamers using means outside of the visited network's facility, or communications channels outside of the call path.
US09237420B2

The present invention provides a system and mobile device for providing geographic information to a user. The system includes a mobile device that is wirelessly connected to a geographic database. The mobile device includes a plurality of sensors for determining a first location and a first direction. A controller is adapted to provide information requested based on local queries and distal queries. In addition, the controller can respond to thematic queries of each variety, wherein the database search is limited to objects, entities or features that fit within a selected theme. Finally, the controller is adapted to select and order query results based upon two-and three-dimensional query windows.
US09237417B2

Embodiments disclosed aggregate a plurality of crowdsourced measurement sets for antennas received from a plurality of Mobile Stations (MS) with a Base Station Almanac (BSA), based on a measurement location estimate and a measurement location uncertainty estimate associated with each measurement set. A map comprising a plurality of map layers may be obtained, where each map layer associates locations in the BSA with spatially variable Forward Link Calibration (FLC) values for the antenna derived from the updated BSA data, wherein each spatially variable FLC value is associated with a corresponding location in the updated BSA data. Map layers, which may also include multipath map and/or received signal strength layers, may be provided to MS′ as location assistance data.
US09237407B2

A multichannel wireless digital audio distribution system provides for the synchronization of the output of audio data by different receiving units set to output audio data for receiver unit assigned channels. The transmitter includes parallel data respectively representing a plurality of audio data channels in each data packet. The data packets are broadcast wirelessly with known, predetermined packets including a timing marker. Each receiver unit receives the broadcast data packets and selects the parallel data respectively representing the receiver unit assigned audio data channel. The receiver unit outputs the selected data synchronized to the receipt of the timing marker by the receiving unit.
US09237406B2

An integrated circuit for processing audio and voice signals in a telephone is disclosed. The integrated circuit comprises an audio output port having a first and a second output terminal for connection to a first and a second input terminal, respectively, of a speaker. The integrated circuit further comprises an audio input port having a first and a second input terminal for connection to a first and a second output terminal of an audio input source. The integrated circuit also comprises at least one audio output path and one audio input path. Moreover, the integrated circuit comprises a test impedance, such as a resistor, (RT) for measuring an electrical impedance of the speaker.
US09237402B2

The claim invention is directed at a MEMS microphone die fabricated using CMOS-based technologies. In particular, the claims are directed at various aspects of a MEMS microphone die having anisotropic springs, a backplate, a diaphragm, mechanical stops, and a support structure, all of which are fabricated as stacked metallic layers separated by vias using CMOS fabrication technologies.
US09237401B2

Electronic devices may provide microphone bias voltages to accessories. The accessories may include circuitry powered from the microphone bias voltages. The output impedances and the voltages of the microphone bias voltages may be adjusted during operation of the electronic devices. An electronic device may provide a bias voltage to an accessory, may lower the output impedance of the bias voltage, and may increase the voltage of the bias voltage during operation of the electronic device. Accessories that received bias voltages with lowered impedances or raised voltage levels may exhibit greater tolerance to faults such as moisture-based shorts and may be able to continue operating even in the presence of some faults.
US09237400B2

The present invention relates to audio signal processing. In particular, it relates to a method and system for reliably concealing intermittent mono reception of FM stereo radio receivers. The system comprises a parametric stereo parameter estimation stage configured to determine a first parametric stereo parameter based on a first frame of the received two-channel audio signal. The system further comprises a concealment detection stage configured to determine an energy of a side signal within the first signal frame; determine a number of following successive signal frames during which the energy of the side signal drops from a value above the high threshold to a value below a low threshold; determine that the two-channel audio signal following the first signal frame is a forced mono signal if the number of successive signal frames is below a frame threshold; and determine the parametric stereo parameter based on the first parametric stereo parameter.
US09237384B2

Embodiments are provided for causing a playback device to be automatically added to a secure network for rendering media in synchrony with other devices in the secure network. The playback device may, without any input from a user, transmit a first message indicating that the playback device is available to join the network. Upon receiving the first message, a device already in the secure network may transmit to the playback device a second message indicating security parameters for joining the network. The playback device may then join the secure network accordingly. Embodiments are also provided for causing a playback device to be automatically configured, without any input from a user. Another device in the secure network may receive a configuration table indicating setup information for the playback device, and may subsequently transmit the setup information to the playback device and cause the playback device to be configured accordingly.
US09237375B2

Disclosed is a portable information processing device which can improve convenience by reducing an operational burden resulting from a selecting operation of the user. A control portion (18a) of the portable information processing device (1) selects, at least on the basis of that an external display device (5) is connected and a prescribed application is being started, a second mode from a first mode causing an external display device to display the same data as the data displayed on an built-in display portion (10) and the second mode causing the built-in display portion to display data different from the data displayed on the external display device.
US09237359B2

In an example, a method for filtering pixel data in video coding comprises determining a pixel filtering task from a plurality of pixel filtering tasks for filtering the pixel data, wherein each filtering task of the plurality of pixel filtering tasks is based on an instruction set for a programmable instruction set based controller, and executing the determined filtering task on the pixel data.
US09237353B2

There are provided a method and apparatus for illumination and color compensation for multi-view video coding. A video encoder includes an encoder for encoding a picture by enabling color compensation of at least one color component in a prediction of the picture based upon a correlation factor relating to color data between the picture and another picture. The picture and the other picture have different view points and both corresponding to multi-view content for a same or similar scene.
US09237333B2

A depth information measuring method and apparatus for a three-dimensional (3D) camera may output, to an object, an optical pulse of which an intensity is higher than an intensity of an ambient light. The depth information measuring method and apparatus may generate a voltage that is proportional to a log value of an intensity of a light reflected from the object. The depth information measuring method and apparatus may use discharging units, and the discharging units may respectively include dischargers having different discharging speeds or capacitors having different capacities.
US09237323B2

A method of providing uninterrupted playback of content being rendered by a media rendering device (102a) in a home network (100) is disclosed. The method comprises retaining (202) the media rendering device (102a) within the home network and checking whether the media rendering device is rendering content and if so checking (204) whether the media rendering device wants to continue its current ongoing rendering of content uninterruptedly and if so configuring (206) the media rendering device to notify the plurality of controller devices not to subscribe and invoke rendering service request thereby suspending the processing of rendering service request. The rendering devices could be connected televisions, streamium devices, connected photo frames, set-top-boxes, mobile phones and personal computers/laptops within the home network. The disclosed method could help the media rendering device and controller devices to save on power and network traffic.
US09237322B2

Various embodiments are disclosed for facilitating selective rendering during video editing. In accordance with one embodiment, a method of editing video comprises obtaining a video editing project, the video editing project including at least one video clip and timing information corresponding to the at least one video clip. The method further comprises obtaining a reference file generated according to the video editing project and obtaining, from a user, a modification for at least one segment in the video editing project. Based on the modification, each of the at least one segment is identified as a modified segment or an unmodified segment. Based on the identification of at least one modified segment, at least one corresponding segment is extracted from the reference file. The method further comprises applying the modification to the extracted at least one corresponding segment from the reference file, rendering only the extracted at least one corresponding segment, and combining the at least one rendered segment with a remaining portion of the reference file to generate an output file.
US09237321B2

An image processing device includes: an image acquisition section that acquires captured image data captured using an image sensor including color filters corresponding to bands, and corresponding to a plurality of frames; an alignment processing section that performs an alignment process on the captured image data to generate integrated captured image data; a reference band selection section that selects a reference band from the bands using an output image in a preceding frame; a reference image generation section that performs an interpolation process on image data included in the integrated captured image data and corresponding to the color filter corresponding to the reference band; and an interpolated image generation section that performs an interpolation process on image data included in the integrated captured image data and corresponding to the color filter corresponding to a band differing from the reference band based on a reference image to generate an interpolated image.
US09237315B2

A method and system of intrusion detection, which includes displaying sensing device output data as an image of a field of view of a sensing device. Through interaction with a GUI: a user input defines an image detection area in relation to the image of the field of view, the image detection area being correlated to a detection area to be monitored for intrusion detection. A user input defining a detection vector in the image detection area is received, specifying a predetermined minimum displacement and displacement direction in the field of view. A graphical representation of the vector may be displayed on the image detection area. A target object is detected and tracked through the detection area and it is determined whether the progressive displacement of the target object has a component exceeding the minimum displacement in the direction of the vector.
US09237311B2

An application server that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, web interface for receiving a client request from a web server operating within an interactive TV network and application logic operatively coupled to the web interface for executing source code and generating HTML code according to the client request where the application logic is operatively coupled to a database that serves as a repository for executable source code, images and user information indexed according to the client request where the application logic receives the executed source code from the database and supplies the HTML code to the web server by way of the web interface and where the web server submits to a client device that generated the client request the HTML code for rendering a presentation at the client device. Other embodiments are disclosed.
US09237308B2

A method and system may include sending a non-linear content signal to cause display of non-linear content at a display device, identifying a termination identifier associated with display of the non-linear content, and sending a graphical user interface signal to cause display of a graphical user interface that includes a current location field and a previous location field. The system and method may further include receiving a selection request selecting one of the current location field and the previous location field.
US09237300B2

PVR functionality is enabled on a media player of a placeshifting system, which allows a user to record media programs from locations that are physically remote from a source of the media programs. The media player may receive program schedule information and present the program schedule information to the user. Based on user input, the media player identifies a media program and associated schedule information. When the media program is scheduled to play, the placeshifting device directs a media recording device to receive the media program and to store the program. The placeshifting device may digitize, transcode, and/or transrate the media program, if necessary, and transmit the media program to the remote device for playback.
US09237283B2

In a manufacturing method of a solid-state image pickup device according to an embodiment, a transfer gate electrode is formed in a predetermined position on an upper surface of a first conductive semiconductor area, through a gate insulating film. A second conductive charge storage area is formed in an area adjacent to the transfer gate electrode in the first conductive semiconductor area. A sidewall is formed on a side surface of the transfer gate electrode. An insulating film is formed to extend from a circumference surface of the sidewall on a side of the charge storage area to a position partially covering the upper part of the charge storage area. A first conductive charge storage layer is formed in the charge storage area by implanting first conductive impurities from above, into the charge storage area which is partially covered with the insulating film.
US09237279B2

A method of investigating a solid sample, in particular a geological sample, such as a borehole core sample, includes the steps of positioning the sample on a sample support device, positioning a hyperspectral camera device, so that a line-shaped surface region of the sample is covered by a field of view of the hyperspectral camera device, illuminating the sample on the sample support device, moving the hyperspectral camera device and the sample support device relative to each other, wherein the field of view of the hyperspectral camera device is moved along a scanning direction over the surface of the sample, and collecting a hyperspectral image of the sample during the moving step, wherein the hyperspectral image is composed of multiple hyperspectral line images.
US09237278B2

In an image/audio playback technology in a mobile communication terminal, a single image is divided into two halves, i.e., left-half and right-half images, which are displayed on two mobile communication terminals, respectively. In addition, two mobile communication terminals can play left-side and right-side audio data, respectively, which compose stereo audio data, according to the relative locations of the two mobile communication terminals.
US09237277B1

Aspects of the subject technology relate to accurately simulating a shallow depth of field (DOF) in an image through post-processing, such as using contrast detection. The highest contrast value in the image is used to determine high contrast areas and low contrast areas. The boundaries or edges of the high contrast areas are determined from contrast values in the image. A blur is applied to the low contrast areas, which stops abruptly at the edges. Blurring the low contrast areas simulates the shallow DOF by mimicking the blur in out-of-focus areas when taking photos with a camera and lens system having a shallow DOF.
US09237275B2

Embodiments of the invention relates to cameras and flash photography, and to modulating intensity of light over time and space to subjects in an associated composition. As the composition of a photograph is created, subjects in the composition are metered and flash illumination is determined. A mask is created from an array of filters. The mask is a pattern of opacity of the filters, with the pattern modulating output of the flash. The mask pattern is applied to an associated flash head so that an exposure of the composition is made with the masked flash. Exposure of the subjects in the composition is balanced through a selective illumination of the subjects by the varied intensity created through the mask.
US09237274B2

Technologies are generally described for methods and systems effective to reduce glare in augmented reality. In some examples, a method for producing a modified image of an object may include receiving first image data. The first image data may correspond to a first light reflected from the object through a clear filter. The method may further include receiving second image data. The second image data may correspond to a second light reflected from the object through a polarized filter. The method may further include combining the first image data and the second image data to generate modified image data. The method may further include producing the modified image of the object based on the modified image data. The method may further include rendering the modified image on an augmented reality display. The modified image may be different from the first image and different from the second image.
US09237270B2

An auto focus image system that includes a pixel array coupled to a focus signal generator. The pixel array captures an image that has at least one edge with a width. The focus signal generator may generate a focus signal that is a function of the edge width and/or statistics of edge widths. A processor receives the focus signal and/or the statistics of edge widths and adjust a focus position of a focus lens. The edge width can be determined by various techniques including the use of gradients. A histogram of edge widths may be used to determine whether a particular image is focused or unfocused. A histogram with a large population of thin edge widths is indicative of a focused image. Edge corruption/partial corruption may be detected. Partially corrupted edge may have edge width calculated by relying more on the side that is not corrupted and less on the side that is corrupted. Edge or edge side corruption may be detected by detecting a presence of an adjacent edge of the opposite sign.
US09237265B2

According to an aspect of the present invention, the camera body can switch the present version, which is an original version, to specifications of an older version. Thus, even if the present versions of the camera body and the interchangeable lens doe not have compatibility, if an old version has compatibility, a minimum operation can be ensured by the specifications of the old version without updating the firmware, although the functions may have possibility of being restricted.
US09237255B1

Various embodiments for methods and systems for processing a document are disclosed. A font size associated with each of one or more text regions included in the document is determined. A first resolution of each of the one or more text regions is modified based on respective font size associated with each of the one or more text regions to generate a multi-resolution document.
US09237253B2

An ultraviolet image pattern and a gloss effect pattern are created on a recording medium having florescence properties and being a first color by electronically creating a first electronic pattern ink, the first electronic pattern ink including a second color, holes, and a first pattern, the holes representing areas in the first electronic pattern ink wherein the second color is absent; electronically creating a second electronic pattern ink, the second electronic pattern ink including the second color, holes, and the first pattern, the holes of the second electronic pattern ink representing areas in the second electronic pattern ink filled with a third color, the third color being equal to the first color; electronically creating an electronic image region having a background and a foreground; electronically painting, using the first electronic pattern ink, the background of the electronic image region; electronically painting, using the second electronic pattern ink, the foreground of the electronic image region; and rendering, using marking materials, the electronic image region on a recording medium such that only the florescence properties of the recording medium are only visible through the holes when viewing the recording medium using ultraviolet illumination and such that the electronic image region is visible when a relative angle between an observer's viewing angle and an angle of illuminating the recording medium by an illumination source is a first angle, the electronic image region not having the predetermined portion of the holes painted with the third color being not visible when the relative angle between the observer's viewing angle and the angle of illuminating the recording medium by the illumination source is a second angle, the second angle being not equal to the first angle.
US09237243B2

A method and system for identifying and addressing community issues that burden the emergency response system, the method including receiving an electronic report for an incident, matching a person or location identifier from the electronic report with patient-centric data from a database, and providing an alert to a specialized caregiver if the identity or incident matches a list of frequent or high priority emergency service users.
US09237241B2

A voice packet dynamic echo cancellation system includes an input/output unit configured to communicate over a packet network and a storage unit configured to store network performance information associated with node segments on the packet network. The system also includes a processing unit configured to execute instructions to: set-up a call from an originating call device to a terminating call device; determine the network performance of the call between the originating call device and the terminating call device; locate an echo signal of the call to the originating call device based on the network performance; produce a echo cancellation signal based on the echo signal; cancel the echo signal with the echo cancellation signal; and recheck the network performance information during a duration of the call and adjust the specific delay point of the received signal window based on the network performance information.
US09237226B2

In one embodiment, an echo canceller configured to cancel echo in a wideband voice conference is provided. A double-talk condition may be when a plurality of users are speaking substantially simultaneously. When a double-talk condition is detected in the wideband conference, a high-frequency process is enabled and used to process signals in the high band to reduce echo. Accordingly, echo in the high band may not be produced by end devices being used by the users' speaking. Also, the users speaking have the echo cancelled in the low band and substantial echo does not result. This results in the users speaking experiencing the conference in the narrowband. The other users that are not speaking, however, continue to receive wideband signals. The users not speaking also continue to have echo cancellation performed for the high band and low band because these users are not speaking and thus attenuation of their voices is not a consideration.
US09237224B2

A computerized communication device has a display screen, a mechanism for a user to select words or phrases displayed on the display screen, and software executing from a non-transitory physical medium, the software providing a function for providing audio signal output in a connected voice-telephone call from the text words or phrases selected by a user.
US09237221B2

A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a communication device having a controller to detect a selection of an image from a graphical user interface, identify an entry in a contact book responsive to the detected selection of the image, and retrieve one or more communication identifiers associated with the party from the entry of the contact book for initiating a communication session. Other embodiments are disclosed.
US09237219B2

A communications system may include at least one mobile wireless communications device, and a wireless communications network for sending text messages thereto. More particularly, the at least one mobile wireless communications device may include a wireless transceiver and a controller for cooperating therewith for receiving text messages from the wireless communications network. It may further include a headset output connected to the controller. The controller may be for switching between a normal message mode and an audio message mode based upon a connection between the headset output and a headset. Moreover, when in the audio message mode, the controller may output at least one audio message including speech generated from at least one of the received text messages via the headset output.
US09237218B2

A method of inputting an electronic address into a text field on a communications device is disclosed, as well as a device and controller for implementing the method. The method includes: receiving, through a user input interface of the device, an input corresponding to a predetermined delimiter; selecting a non-text symbol character from a set of non-text symbol characters in dependence on a number of times the input corresponding to the predetermined delimiter has been repetitively input without any intervening inputs; and adding the selected non-text symbol character to the text field of the communications device when an input other than that corresponding to the predetermined delimiter is received.
US09237203B2

In a system for the customization of media content metadata, media content metadata includes a plurality of records which are associated with a particular type of media content and each of the records includes a plurality of fields for defining the type of media content. At least one end user device is capable of displaying the media content metadata, and a content server is operable to obtain or receive the metadata from one or more available metadata providers. The content server is also operable to transmit the metadata to the end user device in response to a request from the end user device. A customization scheme is utilized by the content server to customize the quantity of records or the types of fields included within each record which is transmitted to the end user device in response to the request.
US09237200B2

It would be beneficial to allow one or more of information, applications, desktops, and in general any information to be shared between a computer and a communications device. For example, it would be useful to be able to move a presentation from a computer to a mobile communications device. Some solutions attempt to address this by requiring a user to load the information on a laptop, USB key, burn it to an optical disk or the like, and then “open” the information on another device located at the remote destination. In one embodiment, through the use of one or more of virtualization and content translation, any information and/or applications can be exchanged between a computer and a communications device. More specifically, one embodiment utilizes metadata in conjunction with a virtualization environment to allow the exchange of information and/or applications between a personal computer and a communications device, or vice versa.
US09237198B2

An embodiment provides a user equipment that includes a processor configured to receive a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) NOTIFY message transmitted by a network component as a result of a registration event. The SIP NOTIFY message contains at least a portion of information included in a first SIP message sent between a first user equipment and the network component. Another embodiment provides method and apparatus for a network node to determine whether filter criteria include one or more indicators that specify the need for information, and including in a second SIP message the information specified by the one or more indicators.
US09237194B2

A method and system may receive a request to configure a computing resource, such as a load balancer or firewall based on configuration information received from a user via a web portal. The configuration information may be stored and a subsequent request to commit the stored configuration information may be received. One or more jobs may be queued in a jobs database based on the request to commit the configuration information. The one or more jobs may be dequeued by a workflow engine and executed to configure the computing resource.
US09237192B2

One embodiment of the present method and apparatus adaptive in-operator load shedding includes receiving at least two data streams (each comprising a plurality of tuples, or data items) into respective sliding windows of memory. A throttling fraction is then calculated based on input rates associated with the data streams and on currently available processing resources. Tuples are then selected for processing from the data streams in accordance with the throttling fraction, where the selected tuples represent a subset of all tuples contained within the sliding window.
US09237186B2

A graphical user interface used in a virtual media system for allowing a server computer to access objects (files and folders) on storage devices of a client computer. The server is controlled by input signals from the client. The desktop of the client displays a first file management window showing objects on the storage devices, and a second window representing a desktop of the server. Using input devices connected to the client, a user selects objects in the first window and drags and drops them on the second window. In response, the client performs a virtual media mounting process to present the selected objects to the server as objects on a local drive of the server, without presenting any unselected content on the storage devices. The local drive is shown in the second window on the client's desktop to allow the user to explore its content.
US09237182B1

Systems and methods for a situated multi-user environment are provided. In one aspect, the method includes a step for receiving a user event message for a first user based on data received by a data source. The method also includes a step for updating a display based on the received user event message for the first user, wherein the display provides an indication of a relative physical location of the first user amongst a group of users within a certain proximity of each other. The method also includes a step for receiving a command from a first user to share a content item with a second user in the group of users. The method also includes a step for providing access to the shared content item to a device of the second user.
US09237179B2

A Method is described for synchronizing the output of terminals. The method according to the invention may be used in a system comprising a station, which transmits a packetized stream to at least a first and second terminal. Each terminal comprises a variable delay unit and each terminal is connected through a low-delay communication channel to at least one synchronization unit for calculating delay information. Further, each terminal is capable of determining media reference information of a received media unit from the stream. The method comprising the steps of providing one or more low delay communication channels between the terminals and a synchronization unit; the synchronization unit calculating delay information on the basis of synchronization information received from the terminals via the one or more low delay communication channels; and transmitting the delay information to at least one of the terminals allowing the at least one terminal to delay its output such that the output of the terminals are substantially synchronized.
US09237175B2

Techniques are disclosed for virtualizing internet protocol (IP) addresses in terminal server sessions. A client component comprises a layer service provider (LSP) and a name service provider (NSP) that intercept a socket call to associate a port with a socket for a terminal server session. The client component queries a server component for a virtual IP address, and the server component determines whether the terminal server session can use a virtual IP address. Where the session can use a virtual IP address, the server returns a virtual IP address and the client component binds the socket call to the virtual IP address. Where the session cannot use a virtual IP address, the server returns an indication of that, and the client component acts as a proxy for that socket call and any future calls for that socket.
US09237173B2

A method that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, receiving an assignment to provide communication services to a communication device, supplying a first telephone number mapping system of a first internet protocol multimedia subsystem communication system with contact information of the communication device and a serving call session control function operating in the first internet protocol multimedia subsystem communication system, supplying a second telephone number mapping system of a second internet protocol multimedia subsystem communication system with contact information of the communication device and the serving call session control function, and receiving a session initiation protocol INVITE from an originating serving call session control function of the second internet protocol multimedia subsystem communication system for establishing communications with the communication device. Additional embodiments are disclosed.
US09237172B2

In-band signaling may be used between two stations to determine the capabilities of the stations and/or send actionable information between the stations participating in the call. The in-band signals are indicative that the station that is transmitting the in-band signals can use in-band signals as a conduit to send and/or receive various types of information and are used to probe whether the receiving station can operate similarly. If the receiving station detects and reacts to the in-band signals, then both stations can pass control information and data as well as enhancements between each other, without any need of infrastructure upgrade and/or quality compromise to legacy phone users. Additionally or alternatively, out of band interfaces and watermarking may also be used.
US09237166B2

An Internet infrastructure that supports search operations along with malware screening that uses a search server of a search string from a client device. The search server comprises a search engine for searching the Internet and contains modules for malware detection and quarantine functions. The search server identifies the malwares in the search results, generates malware metadata, and provides appropriate messages to the client device that initiated the search service so the user can avoid malware while browsing and searching Internet. The search results that span to a desired level of sub-domain Universal Resource Locators (URLs) and links are quarantined and denied access when found to be infected with malwares. The associated status messages of the search results are displayed with color code and a popup window displays all the information about the searched links when accessed.
US09237163B2

Systems and methods for managing forwarded infectious messages are provided. Managing electronic message comprises receiving a message, forwarding the message, determining that the forwarded message is infectious after the message has been forwarded and preventing the infectious forwarded message from spreading.
US09237161B2

A malware detection/identification system scores each subject file and/or scores ‘tags’ obtained from the subject file to determine the potential that the file contains malicious components. A file or tag score tending to indicate that the subject file may contain malicious components/properties/attributes, may be used to notify the system (and a user of the system) that the file may be potentially malicious, so that the file may be quarantined and subject to further analysis. Embodiments of the current disclosure utilize a database structure that contains multitudes (e.g., hundreds, thousands, or even millions) of “tags” that have been pulled from known malicious and known benign sample files, where the database provides many-to-many relations between the known sample files and the tags.
US09237155B1

User-specified policies may be efficiently implemented and enforced with a distributed set of policy enforcement components. User-specified policies may be transformed into a normal form. Sets of normal form policies may be optimized. The optimized policies may be indexed and/or divided and provided to the distributed set of policy enforcement components. The distributed policy enforcement may have a sandbox mode and/or verification mode enabling policy configuration verification. With appropriate authorization, substitute data may be used in verification mode to evaluate requests with respect to policies. Evaluation results, relevant policies, and decision data utilized during request evaluation may be collected, filtered and reported at a variety of levels of detail. Originating user-specified policies may be tracked during the policy normalization process to enable reference to user-specified policies in verification mode reports.
US09237147B2

A remote access manager in a virtual computing services environment negotiates a time limited NAT routing rule to establish a connection between a remote device and virtual desktop resource providing user computing services. A series of NAT connection rules are revised in a dynamic manner such that a pool of ports is available to connect a plurality of remote users to local virtual compute resources over one or more public IP addresses. Once a connection is established, an entry is made in a firewall state table such that the firewall state table allows uninterrupted use of the established connection. After an entry has been made in the state table, or the routing rule has timed out, the port associated with the original NAT routing rule is removed and the same port can be re-used to establish another connection without disrupting active connections.
US09237144B2

The invention discloses a method, a device and a system for verifying based on a verification diagram, and a storage medium, and the method includes: generating an input interface diagram according to a verification diagram including a basic information element and verification information, where the input interface diagram includes the basic information element of the verification diagram except for the verification information; transmitting the verification diagram and the input interface diagram to a terminal; receiving sliding path information inputted on the input interface diagram presented on the terminal; and determining whether the sliding path information matches the verification information, and if so, the verification is successful. The invention is advantageous for preventing the erroneous verification information inputted into a verification code input box caused due to an erroneous touch on an input keyboard, thereby improving the success rate of login authentication on a terminal user by a web-hosting server.
US09237133B2

Technology is described for two parties, by leveraging previously established secure connections with third parties, to obtain a shared secret for generating a secure connection with each other in a way that reduces vulnerability to man-in-the-middle attacks. In some examples, the technology can include generating a session identifier; coordinating use of the session identifier by the two parties; finding an available secure communication channel to a third party; transmitting the session identifier to the third party via the available secure communication channel; receiving, via the available secure communication channel, a third party identifier and a session identifier-specific secret; sharing information about the received third party identifier; determining that the received third party identifier matches a third party identifier received by the second party; and using the session identifier-specific secret received with the matching third party identifier to generate a cryptographic key to secure communication between the two parties.
US09237131B2

A method for providing virtual private storage array (VPSA) service for cloud users over a computer network includes receiving parameters for the VPSA over the network and creating the VPSA from resources of server computers. Creating the VPSA includes allocating and exposing drives that meets or exceeds specified drive characteristics, drive quantity, and array redundancy criteria to virtual controllers (VCs) in the VPSA, and dedicating parts of processor/memory complexes that each meets or exceeds a specified virtual controller hardware model to the VCs. The VCs run on virtual machines on the dedicated parts of processor/memory complexes on independent server computers. The VCs discover the exposed drives, create a virtual pool from the exposed virtual drives, implement data protection on the virtual pool, create volumes from the virtual pool, expose the volumes over the network to a customer computer, and handle access requests to the volumes from the customer computer.
US09237130B2

At least one of an HTTP request message and an HTTP response message is intercepted. A corresponding HTTP message model includes a plurality of message model sections. A representation of the at least one of an HTTP request message and an HTTP response message is parsed into message sections in accordance with the message model sections of the HTTP message model. A plurality of security rules are bounds to the message model sections. The plurality of security rules each specify at least one action to be taken in response to a given condition, which is based, at least in part, on a corresponding given one of the message sections. The at least one of an HTTP request message and an HTTP response message is processed in accordance with the plurality of security rules. Techniques for developing rules for a web application server firewall are also provided.
US09237129B2

The present invention relates to a method and system for performing deep packet inspection of messages transmitted through a network switch in a Software Defined Network (SDN). Embodiments of the invention include a network switch, a controller, and a firewall in a software defined networking environment. In the present invention, the network switch is a simple network switch that is physically separate from the controller and the firewall. The invention may include a plurality of physically distinct network switches communicating with one or more controllers and firewalls. In certain instances, communications between the network switch, the controller, and the firewall are performed using the Open Flow standard communication protocol.
US09237128B2

Mechanisms are provided for performing an operation on a received data packet. A data packet is received and a hash operation on a header field value of a header of the data packet is performed to generate a hash value. A lookup operation is performed in a hash table associated with a type of the header field value to identify a hash table entry. A bit string associated with the hash table entry is retrieved, where each bit in the bit string corresponds to a class of rules of a rule set of a firewall. A matching operation of the header field value to rules in classes of rules corresponding to bits set in the bit string is performed to select one or more search trees. Operations are performed based on rules in the classes of rules being matched by header field value of the data packet.
US09237124B2

A device in a server having a processor and a storage. The device has a protocol blind network path indication unit configured to obtain an indicator corresponding to a predetermined path to a data communication unit in the network using a destination address of a received data packet, an upstream communication unit configured to transmit a network protocol blind packet including the data packet and the indicator corresponding to the predetermined data path to the data communication unit in the network, a combiner configured to bind the indicator to the data packet received by the downstream communication unit, and a protocol blind correlation storage unit configured to provide information related to target addresses and indicators corresponding to a plurality of predetermined data paths in the network. The protocol blind network path indication unit obtains the indicator corresponding to a predetermined path by accessing the protocol blind correlation structure.
US09237118B2

A method of transmitting an upstream communication packet from a distributed trunk (DT) switch is described. The method comprises receiving a packet from a device connected to a DT port of the DT switch; and transmitting the received packet via a non-DT port of the DT switch if the DT switch is the owner of the device and transmitting the received packet via a DT interconnect (DTI) port of the DT switch if the DT switch is not the owner of the device.
US09237109B2

A system and method suited for improved overall data transmission having a hardware-based transceiver configured for transmitting upstream data with suppressed data packets. In TCP sessions between devices, a server seeks an “acknowledgement” that the downstream data transmission has been received by a client. Some data packets sent upstream may contain only TCP acknowledgement data and therefore may be combined with other purely TCP acknowledgement data packets in order to reduce the impact of the TCP acknowledgement packets on the overall upstream data throughput. In addition, this results in increased TCP performance in the downstream transmission direction as well because the algorithm enables replacing earlier arriving ACK packets with later arriving ACK packets which allows the device to send all TCP ACK information known to the suppressor at the earliest possible time.
US09237104B2

A method for relieving network node congestion includes determining an average of an aggregated load on a network node that routes network traffic, projecting a demand on the network node based on extrapolating the average of the aggregated load to a future period, determining a current level of congestion on the network node, and projecting a future level of congestion on the network node based on the projected demand and the current level of congestion. An available capacity of other network nodes in a portion of the communication network that includes the network node is determined, as well as whether the projected future level of congestion on the network node can be relieved using the determined available capacity of the other network nodes.
US09237095B2

A reconfigurable, scalable and flexible island-based network flow processor integrated circuit architecture includes a plurality of rectangular islands of identical shape and size. The islands are disposed in rows, and a configurable mesh command/push/pull data bus extends through all the islands. The integrated circuit includes first SerDes I/O blocks, an ingress MAC island that converts incoming symbols into packets, an ingress NBI island that analyzes packets and generates ingress packet descriptors, a microengine (ME) island that receives ingress packet descriptors and headers from the ingress NBI and analyzes the headers, a memory unit (MU) island that receives payloads from the ingress NBI and performs lookup operations and stores payloads, an egress NBI island that receives the header portions and the payload portions and egress descriptors and performs egress scheduling, and an egress MAC island that outputs packets to second SerDes I/O blocks.
US09237094B2

A communication system includes a plurality of first nodes that, in accordance with processing rules (packet handling operations) prescribing processing contents for a packet belonging to a pre-set flow, processes a packet received, which matches to the processing rules, and a second node that forwards the received packet via its ports without referencing the processing rules. The communication system also includes a control apparatus that sets, for the first nodes situated on a forwarding path for the packet belonging to the pre-set flow, processing rules to forward the packet belonging to the pre-set flow to each next hop. The control apparatus also sets, for the first node not situated on the forwarding path, processing rules to instruct dropping the packet that is forwarded from the second node and that is deviated from the forwarding path.
US09237092B2

A method for updating ring network topology information includes: receiving a topology discovery packet from an originating node, where the topology discovery packet at least carries identifiers of nodes traversed by the topology discovery packet when the packet is transferred from the originating node to a current node; and updating ring network topology information of the current node according to the identifiers of the nodes carried in the topology discovery packet. The apparatus includes a receiving module and an updating module. The system includes an originating node and a receiving node.
US09237081B2

In a method implemented in a communication device an available bandwidth for transmitting one or more data frames is determined, wherein the available bandwidth corresponds to a first composite communication channel comprising a plurality of communication channels. A control frame to indicate a request to transmit via the first composite communication channel is generated, wherein the control frame includes a header, and wherein a portion of the header includes information indicating the bandwidth of the first composite channel. The control frame is transmitted via the first composite communication channel, wherein at least the portion of the header is duplicated in a plurality of bandwidth portions of the first composite communication channel.
US09237076B2

A first end node obtains trace information in a packet switched network. The first end node sends a request message for setting up a test call towards a second end node. The request message includes a first request for collecting trace information. The second end node sends a first response message, to the first end node, that includes a trace request and trace information. The first response message is routed between the second and first end nodes via at least a first intermediate node that adds additional trace information relating to the first intermediate node to the trace information of the first response message. The first end node receives the first response message, which includes the additional trace information added by the first intermediate node.
US09237071B2

On the basis of a possible value of a variable that is specified by a conditional sentence extracted from a script that is used for the first system configuration and on the basis of a possible value of an item in configuration information on the first system configuration, a verification device creates a first association relationship that indicates the relationship between the variable and the item. On the basis of a possible value of a variable that is specified by a conditional sentence extracted from a script that is used for a second system configuration and on the basis of a possible value of an item in configuration information on the second system configuration, the verification device creates a second association relationship between the variable and the item. The verification device extracts a difference between the first association relationship and the second association relationship.
US09237068B2

A policy distribution server provides, on a subscription basis, policy updates to effect desired behaviors of network intermediary devices. The policy updates may specify caching policies, and may in some instances, include instructions for data collection by the network intermediary devices. Data collected in accordance with such instructions may be used to inform future policy updates distributed to the network intermediary devices.
US09237064B2

The invention provides a communication system for a power distribution network, which comprises at least two distribution domains, each of the domains includes one management device and at least one electrical device. The management device is configured as connected with the electrical devices within its domain, and is further configured as capable of collect information from the electrical devices. The system also comprises a communication link, which is arranged for the management devices of different domains, and the management devices are configured as capable of directly exchanging information through the link.
US09237061B2

A transmission apparatus includes a digital circuit that has an input circuit into which packets are input at indefinite intervals; a measuring circuit that measures an interval during which no packet is input into the input circuit; a determiner circuit that determines, based on the interval measured by the measuring circuit, whether to insert a given frame between packets input into the input circuit; and a transmitter that inserts, based on a result of determination by the determiner circuit, the given frame between the packets input into the input circuit and sequentially transmits the packets with the given frame therebetween.
US09237057B1

A method and system for load balancing for virtual connections over a fiber channel network, the virtual connections using SCSI. The method including finding a one-way reassignment of a virtual connection (VC) from busiest VCE or locality domain to least busy VCE or locality domain placing the busiest VCE or locality domain and least busy VCE or locality domain in a target load range without reversing a load order, and executing the reassignment by a server fiber channel adapter.
US09237055B2

A unified balun low noise amplifier (LNA) and I/Q mixer is provided as a single-chip design, and includes a passive/active gain-boosted balun-LNA-I/Q-mixer (blixer), a filter section and a buffer amplifier. The filter section includes an IF-noise-shaping transistorized current-mode lowpass filter sharing a common power supply with the blixer, which allows the blixer and lowpass filter to draw a single bias current. The filter section also includes a complex-pole load providing image rejection and channel selection.
US09237051B2

A transmitting apparatus may comprise a symbol mapper; a first DFT and a second DFT performing DFT spreading on symbols mapped in the symbol mapper; and a subcarrier mapper mapping symbols which are DFT-spread in the first DFT and the second DFT to subcarriers, wherein the first DFT performs DFT spreading on all resource blocks to be transmitted when a total size of the resource blocks to be transmitted is a size which can be processed by the first DFT, or the first DFT performs DFT spreading on as many resource blocks among the resource blocks to be transmitted as the first DFT can process and the second DFT performs DFT spreading on the rest of the resource blocks to be transmitted when a total size of the resource blocks to be transmitted is not a size which can be processed by the first DFT.
US09237047B1

A circuit for receiving data in an integrated circuit is described. The circuit comprises a receiver configured to receive an input signal and to generate output data based upon the input signal, the receiver having a level detection circuit coupled to receive the input signal; and a calibration circuit coupled to the receiver, the calibration circuit having an input for receiving the input signal; an error detection circuit coupled to the input, the error detection circuit coupled to receive the input signal, a first reference voltage and a second reference voltage; and a control circuit coupled to an output of the error detection circuit, wherein the control circuit selectively generates either an offset control signal or an amplitude control signal based upon comparisons of the input signal to the first reference voltage and the second reference voltage. A method of receiving data is also disclosed.
US09237046B2

An n-tap (n≧2 (in the case of FIG. 1, n=2)) DFE equalizes a received signal on the basis of a determination result of a signal which has been received, and outputs a determination result of the received signal after equalization. An adjustment section generates a plurality of filter patterns for observation of an inter-symbol interference amount by changing values of n bits included in the plurality of filter patterns. The adjustment section then compares each of the plurality of filter patterns generated with an output data string corresponding to the determination result of the received signal after equalization and adjusts tap coefficients set for n (in the case of FIG. 1, 2) taps included in the DFE on the basis of adjustment values corresponding to values of the n bits included in a filter pattern which matches the output data string.
US09237045B2

A receiver termination circuit includes an internal AC coupling capacitor and an adjustable resistor forming an adjustable high-pass filter (HPF) at a receiver side of a transmission medium, and a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) coupled to the adjustable HPF, the DAC configured to provide a signal having a low-pass filter response to the adjustable HPF to provide a DC restore function.
US09237041B1

A method relates generally to data reception for any of a plurality of data rates. In such a method, information and phases of a clock signal are obtained by a decision feedback equalizer. The information is equalized using the phases of the clock signal with the decision feedback equalizer to provide equalized sample streams. The equalized sample streams and the phases of the clock signal are provided to a selection circuit block. A first and a second phase of the phases are swapped, along with swapping a first and a second equalized sample stream corresponding to the first phase and the second phase, responsive to a data rate of the plurality of data rates.
US09237040B1

Presented herein are techniques for enhancing pre-equalization operations in a telecommunications network. In one example, a cable modem termination system (CMTS) determines the coherent bandwidth for pre-equalization coefficients associated with upstream transmissions received from a cable modem. The CMTS uses the coherent bandwidth of the pre-equalization coefficients to calculate a time constant for a time domain filter that may be applied to the pre-equalization coefficients. The CMTS also calculates, based on the time constant, filter coefficients for the time domain filter and applies the time domain filter to the pre-equalization coefficients to generate signal-to-noise ratio (SNR)-enhanced pre-equalization coefficients. The CMTS then sends the SNR-enhanced pre-equalization coefficients to the cable modem.
US09237035B2

A technique for implementing an optical virtual private network is disclosed. In one particular exemplary embodiment, the technique may be realized by a method comprising the steps of managing at least one client edge-virtual private network at a client edge by a service provider; and supporting a set of client edge-users at each client edge-virtual private network at each client edge wherein each client edge provides at least one virtual private network service to each client edge-user; wherein each client edge determines connectivity associated with each client edge-user and the service provider establishes the connectivity determined by each client edge.
US09237027B2

Systems and methods for protecting a network including preventing data traffic from exiting the network unless a domain name request has been performed by a device attempting to transmit the data traffic. In an embodiment, a device within the protected network attempting to send data outside the protected network requests an address for a destination outside the protected network from a domain name server (DNS). In response, the DNS provides an address of the destination to the device and a gateway. In response to receiving the address, the gateway temporarily allows access to the address. In an embodiment, a DNS is coupled to a protected network and the gateway, the DNS provides an external address to a device in response to a request; and a mapping to the gateway; the gateway, coupled to a protected network and an external network, allows traffic according to the mapping.
US09237026B2

A remote notification method is applicable to a remote notification method, where a server, through the Internet, receives user information sent by an application program executed in a first communication device, the server according to the user information sets a remote notification mode. When the server receives a startup command sent by a terminal device, the server, through the Internet, receives a message sent by the application program and sends out the message according to the remote notification mode. Therefore, a user can change the notification mode according to real usage requirements and can obtain the message received by the first communication device when not being able to directly operate the first communication device.
US09237012B2

Establishing secure communication between an implantable medical device and an external device includes: accessing, at the implantable medical device, biological data; utilizing the biological data, at the implantable medical device, to generate a public cryptographic key; and utilizing the public cryptographic key, at the implantable medical device, to generate a private cryptographic key.
US09237009B2

Methods and systems for disrupting password attacks using compression are described. A user password may be stored on a mobile computing device. The password may be compressed, for example, using a Huffman compression algorithm, and may be subsequently encrypted using a short secret as a key. The user password may be stored as the compressed and encrypted key. The compressed and encrypted password may be stored such that a brute force password attack, for example, using every possible short secret, would reveal too may possible matches to allow an attacker to select the real password.
US09237000B2

A method and apparatus for transceiver clock architecture with transmit PLL and receive slave delay lines. In one embodiment, the method includes the generation of a transmitter (Tx) clock signal by adjusting a control voltage of a voltage controlled oscillator to lock a phase and frequency of Tx clock signal to a reference clock signal. In one embodiment, a frequency of the Tx clock signal is a multiple of a frequency of the reference clock signal. In one embodiment, a slave delay line may be used, including a plurality of variable delay buffers that are configured according to the control voltage to generate a receiver (Rx) clock signal in response to a received clock signal that is synchronized with the reference clock signal. The Rx clock signal may be provided to data recovery logic to sample data. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US09236996B2

A full-duplex transceiver is provided with componentry and methods for cancellation of nonlinear self-interference signals. The transceiver is capable of receiving an incoming radio-frequency signal that includes both a desired radio-frequency signal component and a self-interference component caused by the transceiver's own radio-frequency transmission. The transceiver demodulates the incoming radio-frequency signal to generate a first demodulated signal. The transceiver combines an analog corrective signal with the first demodulated signal to generate a second demodulated signal with reduced self-interference. The transceiver processes the first and second demodulated signals to determine a desired incoming baseband signal and to determine nonlinear components of the self-interference signal, such as nonlinearities introduced by the transceiver's power amplifier.
US09236995B2

A method and device for sending an aggregated CQI are provided by the disclosure. The method includes a terminal side receiving CSI-RS configuration information and/or interference measurement information sent from a base station side, the terminal side determining a sending sequence of aggregated CQI of each aggregated CSI-RS configuration resource and/or interference measurement resource according to a receiving sequence of the CSI-RS configuration information and/or interference measurement information, wherein each aggregated CSI-RS configuration resource and/or interference measurement resource is aggregated of at least one configuration CSI-RS configuration resource and/or interference measurement resource corresponding to the CSI-RS configuration information and/or interference measurement information, the terminal side sending the aggregated CQI to the base station according to the sending sequence. The disclosure resolves the problem in related art that the base station side cannot acquire the channel state of the terminal side accurately due to the fact that the base station side cannot acquire the CSI-RS configuration resource and/or interference measurement resource fed back by the terminal side corresponding to the aggregated CQI, thereby the interference between cells is reduced, and the throughput of system is improved.
US09236993B2

Provided is a method and apparatus for transmitting a reference signal by a base station in a multi-cell cooperative communication environment. The method for transmitting the reference signal according to the present invention comprises the steps of: transmitting cell ID information of a second cell to a terminal which uses a first cell as a serving cell; generating reference signal sequences in the first cell and the second cell on the basis of the same cell ID; and performing resource element mapping on each of the generated reference signals, generating signals, and transmitting the signals to the terminal, wherein the same cell ID used in generating the reference signal sequences is a cell ID of the first cell or a cell ID of the second cell.
US09236992B2

The present invention relates to a method for transceiving scheduling signals in a multi-carrier wireless communication system, comprising a step of transmitting, via a predetermined downlink component carrier, a PDSCH transmission scheduling signal on one or more downlink component carriers and/or a PUSCH transmission scheduling signal on one or more uplink component carriers; and a step of transceiving the PDSCH and/or the PUSCH in accordance with the scheduling signals. The scheduling signals can be defined to the same size in a PDCCH transmission region of said predetermined downlink component carrier in the event different MIMO transmission modes are applied to the PDSCH transmission or the PUSCH transmission, or in the event said one or more downlink component carriers or said one or more uplink component carriers have different bandwidths.
US09236986B2

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for controlling data traffic in a time-division duplex (TDD) system that uses multi-component carriers. The method for controlling data traffic in a TDD system that uses multi-component carriers according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises the steps of: a base station transmitting, to a user equipment, a wireless signal including data through one or more component carriers among a component carrier group including a first element carrier which is a primary cell (PCell) and a second element carrier (SCell) which is a secondary cell, wherein the Pcell and the Scell consist of uplink and downlink subframes in a time division duplex system; and the base station receiving, from the user terminal, a wireless signal including response control information for the data through the second component carrier.
US09236985B2

Systems and methodologies are described herein that facilitate control and data multiplexing for uplink (UL) multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) communication within a wireless communication system. As described herein, a device conducting uplink MIMO communication in a wireless communication system can multiplex control signaling and data across one or more of a plurality of layers (e.g., corresponding to spatial layers, codewords, etc.) associated with an uplink transmission. Techniques are described herein for selecting layers of a transmission on which to schedule control signaling and selecting offsets to apply to the control signaling scheduled on selected layers. Further, techniques are described herein for leveraging a multi-layer transmission to increase the efficiency of acknowledgement communication. In addition, techniques are described for selecting a modulation and coding scheme (MCS) to apply to control signaling that is combined with data in an uplink multi-layer transmission.
US09236979B2

Disclosed are an apparatus and method for transmitting/receiving control information in a wireless communication system that supports carrier aggregation. According to the present invention, a processor of a base station device that transmits control information configures a component carrier type for each of a plurality of downlink component carriers (DL CCs) in accordance with whether or not each of the plurality of DL CCs can support a relay PDCCH (R-PDCCH), which is a downlink control channel dedicated to a relay node. A transmitting antenna transmits information on the type of each of the configured DL Cs to the relay node.
US09236972B2

An apparatus comprising at least one processor configured to implement a method comprising receiving a path computation request comprising at least one path computation constraint, and determining whether there is a path through an optical network that satisfies the path computation constraints. Also disclosed is an apparatus configured to process a data structure comprising a flags field comprising at least one flag having one of an active state or an inactive state, wherein each flag is representative of an optical quality constraint.
US09236971B2

An OLT controller makes each optical transceiver transmit a search signal at a prescribed time so that the search signals reach all ONU connection ends of an optical transmission path. In the case where an ONU connected to the ONU connection end of the optical transmission path is unregistered, when the ONU controller receives the search signal, the ONU controller tunes a wavelength of an optical transmitter of the ONU to a wavelength corresponding to the search signal and makes the optical transmitter transmit a response signal to an OLT.
US09236965B2

A method may include receiving identification information associated with each of one or more users. Interactions may be received from the one or more users relating to content displayed on a television device. Interaction information associated with the interactions may be captured, wherein the interaction information includes at least interaction type information, interaction status information, interaction origin information, and user identification information. The captured interaction information may be stored. A request to display at least some of the captured interaction information may be received. At least some of the captured information may be retrieved and displayed responsive to the request.
US09236960B1

A calibration circuit for calibrating harmonics in a mixer. The calibration circuit includes an RF signal path configured to receive an RF signal corresponding to an output of the mixer, selectively receive a test signal injected into the RF signal path, and provide feedback to the mixer according to the RF signal and/or the test signal. The test signal corresponds to a selected harmonic of the harmonics in the mixer. A measurement circuit is configured to detect, in the output of the mixer, the test signal injected into the RF signal path. A calibration module is configured to receive a feedback signal indicative of the test signal detected in the output of the mixer and, based on the feedback signal indicative of the test signal detected in the output of the mixer, adjust a duty cycle associated with the mixer to calibrate the selected harmonic.
US09236944B2

A method for providing access to a passive optical network for services to homes or businesses from two or more telecommunications service providers and a billing means is described. A first service provider connects to a point of presence at one side of passive optical network. The provider transmits the appropriate services through this network to an authorization receiver. The authorization receiver is used to receive a periodic authorization code from the network provider to enable the appropriate services from the service provider to be transmitted to a subscriber at a home or business. The authorization receiver enables an optical fiber path to be established for the services to flow to and from the home or business. The authorization code that is transmitted through the network also provides an unambiguous means to provide a billing record such that the service provider can be billed by the network provider on an individual service address connected basis in conjunction with a record of houses passed and not yet connected.
US09236942B1

This disclosure provides systems, methods and apparatus of establishing a free-space communication link through a medium. The medium can be an occluded environment with increased absorption and/or scattering effects. The free-space communication link includes a transmitter configured to transmit an optical signal at a wavelength suitable for transmission through the medium without suffering excessive optical losses due to absorption and/or scattering effects. The free-space communication link includes a receiver configured to receive the transmitted optical signal. The transmitter-receiver pair is configured to efficiently transmit optical signals at the suitable wavelength over a distance between about 1 mm and about 50 m. The transmitter and the receiver can be configured as portions of a fiber-optic connector assembly that can be used to connect two fiber-optic cables in an occluded environment.
US09236938B2

The present invention relates to methods and arrangements for improving the capabilities of an evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network, in particular for cases when more than one radio access network applying a time-division duplex transmission mode need to co-exist on a same carrier. The invention addresses further problems concerning an efficient allocation of uplink resources and resource allocation in a handover situation. The present invention assigns an attribute in form of a distinguishing value to the time slots used for the uplink and downlink transmission on said carrier such as to avoid scheduling of transmissions via a first radio access network in downlink or uplink time slots assigned to the second radio access network and to avoid scheduling of transmissions via the second radio access network in uplink time slots assigned for transmissions in the first radio access network.
US09236929B2

Methods and apparatus are provided for allowing a transmitter (Tx) to perform antenna selection independently of a receiver (Rx) in a transceiver supporting both transmit diversity and receive diversity. Certain aspects may utilize a cross switch, which may be used in a parallel or cross configuration, to provide for the independent antenna selection, such that the Rx may maintain the ability to operate on the same antenna as the Tx, on another antenna, or on both antennas for enhanced receive diversity. Furthermore, certain aspects may employ additional switching in the baseband domain in an effort to avoid, or at least reduce, switching glitches in the Rx caused by changing the cross switch configuration. In this manner, the Rx need not re-converge upon antenna switching.
US09236925B2

A method of transmitting modulation and coding scheme (MCS) feedback (MFB) in a wireless local area network system is provided. The method is performed by a first station and includes receiving, from a second station, a physical layer convergence procedure (PLCP) protocol data unit (PPDU), estimating a MFB based on the PPDU and transmitting, to the second station, feedback information including a MFB field and a MFB type field. The MFB field includes the MFB and the MFB type field indicates whether or not the MFB is in response to a MFB request (MRQ) of the second station.
US09236919B2

The present invention discloses a MIMO wireless communication method functioning through a main wireless communication device and comprising: acquiring a transmission opportunity; issuing an distributed MIMO initiation frame including a transmission duration, a number Ns1 of transmission spatial stream(s), and a number Nr1 of reception spatial streams which an intended receiver is operable to process; receiving an initial portion which an attendant wireless communication device sends in response to the distributed MIMO initiation frame, or issuing the initial portion after reaching a time limit; and transmitting a distributed MIMO packet to the intended receiver while the attendant wireless communication device is allowed to transmit another distributed MIMO packet to the intended receiver or another intended receiver concurrently, wherein the sum of the number Ns1 and a number Ns2 of transmission spatial stream(s) of the attendant wireless communication device is equal to or less than the number Nr1.
US09236908B2

An obstruction lighting and power line communication system is provided. The system includes a first controller coupled to and configured to control a first light source. The system includes a first transceiver associated with the first light source and configured to transmit and receive telemetry data signals associated with the first light source. The system includes a power line cable coupling the first controller and the first transceiver. The system includes a power supply coupled to the power line cable and configured to provide power to the first light source over the power line cable. The system includes a system controller configured to exchange control and telemetry signals with the first controller and the first transceiver over the power line cable.
US09236907B2

An electronic device comprising a laminate constituted by pluralities of insulation layers on which conductor patterns are formed; ground electrodes being formed on an upper-surface-side insulation layer and a bottom-surface-side insulation layer in the laminate; the laminate being partitioned to first and second regions by a first shield constituted by a line of via-holes electrically connecting the upper-surface-side ground electrode to the bottom-surface-side ground electrode; conductor patterns constituting a first filter for a first frequency band and conductor patterns constituting a first balun for the first frequency band being arranged in the first and second regions, respectively; pluralities of terminal electrodes being formed on bottom or side surfaces of the laminate; one of terminal electrodes of the first filter, which acts as an unbalanced port, being adjacent to a terminal electrode of the first balun, which acts as an unbalanced port, with no other terminal electrode than a ground electrode existing therebetween; and the first filter and the first balun being not electrically connected.
US09236902B2

The present invention describes a method and apparatus for implementing a mobile receiver (10) that combats multiple access interference (MAI) in a code division multiple access (CDMA) spread spectrum system. Such capability is required by mobile receivers to support high data rate applications such as the ones provided by HSDPA and 1xTREME. A receiver (10) combining equalization and interference cancellation (IC), according to the invention, avoids the shortcomings of either equalization or IC and provides superior performance relative to prior art methodologies. The approach proposed by this invention for the operation of the mobile receiver is to first perform equalization (12) of the received signal (r) and then use the resulting decisions to perform IC. Combining equalization and IC yields a complexity that is smaller to that obtained by implementing conventional IC with a Rake receiver for the same performance.
US09236892B2

Logarithmic Detector Amplifiers (LDAs), multiple antennas, active antennas, and multiple active antennas and receivers are provided in a variety of configurations that are synchronized to reduce or eliminate interference so at to provide, a greater range and bandwidth between wireless routers and their clients in WLAN and WAN environments.
US09236890B1

A method for decoding includes receiving channel inputs for respective bits of a super code word that includes at least first and second component code words having a shared group of bits. At least the first and second component code words are iteratively decoded, and, in response to recognizing that the first and second component code words contain errors only within the shared group of bits, the first and second component code words are jointly decoded.
US09236887B2

A method of encoding data operates on an ordered set of input symbols and includes generating redundant symbols from the input symbols, and includes generating output symbols from a combined set of symbols including the input symbols and the redundant symbols, wherein the number of possible output symbols is much larger than the number of the combined set of symbols, wherein at least one output symbol is generated from more than one symbol in the combined set of symbols and from less than all of the symbols in the combined set of symbols. The redundant symbols are generated from an ordered set of input symbols in a deterministic process such that a first set of static symbols calculated using a first input symbol has a low common membership with a second set of static symbols calculated using a second input symbol distinct from the first input symbol.
US09236882B2

Data compression using a combination of content independent data compression and content dependent data compression. In one aspect, a system for compressing data comprises: a processor, and a plurality of data compression encoders wherein at least one data encoder utilizes asymmetric data compression. The processor is configured to determine one or more parameters, attributes, or values of the data within at least a portion of a data block containing either video or audio data, to select one or more data compression encoders from the plurality of data compression encoders based upon the determined one or more parameters, attributes, or values of the data and a throughput of a communications channel, and to perform data compression with the selected one or more data compression encoders on at least the portion of the data block.
US09236861B2

A capacitive proximity sensor circuit capable of distinguishing between instances of detected user proximity includes one or more guard electrodes, a first sensor, and a second sensor. The capacitive proximity sensor is installed in a device such that a first sensor faces a first component of the device, and the second sensor faces a second component of the device. The first and second sensors measure a capacitance to detect proximity of a user relative to the respective sensor. The guard electrode is provided to mitigate stray capacitance to reduce error in the capacitance measurements obtained by the first and second sensors.
US09236852B2

A microcontroller has an input capture peripheral, wherein the input capture peripheral is configured to store timer values of an associated timer in a memory and wherein the input capture peripheral has a gating input which controls whether an input capture function is activated.
US09236845B2

A ceramic multilayer component includes a ceramic body including a plurality of ceramic layers stacked on top of one another, internal electrodes located inside the ceramic multilayer body, terminal electrodes located on a mounting surface of the ceramic multilayer body, and via hole conductors that are arranged inside the ceramic multilayer body so as to connect the internal electrodes and the terminal electrodes to each other. An insulating portion is arranged to extend as a single body across a surface of the ceramic multilayer body and across the terminal electrodes. The insulating portion covers at least a portion of each of the via conductors and covers a portion of each of the terminal electrodes when viewed from the mounting surface side.
US09236844B2

A ceramic multilayer component has a base body with connecting contacts, fitted to it, with a ferrite ceramic, which is provided for an inductive area and in which an inductance is arranged which is formed by electrical conductors, and with a varistor ceramic, wherein the varistor ceramic comprises at most 40% of the volume of the base body.
US09236830B2

An electrical machine includes a stator including a plurality of electrical phases and a rotor having a plurality of magnets. Each electrical phase includes at least one coil and power electronics. There are means to detect an electrical short circuit in a faulted coil and means to supply an electrical current to the faulted coil when an electrical short circuit is detected in the faulted coil. The means to supply the electrical current to the faulted coil includes one or more un-faulted electrical phases of the electrical machine. The un-faulted electrical phases of the electrical machine are arranged to supply the electrical current to the electrical phase containing the faulted coil. The power electronics of the un-faulted electrical phases are arranged to supply the electrical current from the un-faulted electrical phase to the power electronics of the electrical phase having the faulted coil. This overcomes a problem of a fault in the DC or AC busbar of the electrical machine.
US09236814B2

Inverters connected in parallel each include a power converter that carries out a direct current to alternating current conversion and supplies voltage to a motor, and a control unit, where one of the inverters is a master inverter and the control unit computes a voltage command value for the power converter in the one inverter, while the other inverter is a slave inverter and the power converter in the slave inverter is driven by the voltage command value, a transmission means transmits the voltage command value, and the control unit of the master inverter includes a delay device that delays the voltage command value by a transmission time needed when transmitting a computed voltage command value to the slave inverter, and provides the voltage command value delayed by the delay device to the power converter of the master inverter.
US09236811B2

A multiphase transformer rectifier unit for converting a three-phase alternating current supplied from a power distribution system to direct current supplied to at least one load. The multiphase transformer rectifier unit includes a magnetic core having a primary winding set and secondary winding set, and a rectifier circuit. The secondary winding set is arranged to generate N substantially equally distributed output phases, wherein N is an odd number multiple of 3, and N>3, and the primary winding set (17) is arranged to provide a positive or negative phase shift equal substantially to 360 ( 8 × N ) degrees of said output phases. Also an arrangement of two inventive multiphase transformer rectifier units for reducing current distortion in the power distribution system.
US09236809B2

A circuit includes a conduction detector configured to monitor conduction of a body diode of a synchronous rectifier switch relative to a predetermined threshold and to generate a detector output that indicates conduction or non-conduction of the body diode. A window analyzer is configured to generate a timing signal to indicate if the synchronous rectifier switch is turned off prematurely or turned off late relative to an on-time turn off based on the detector output from the conduction detector. A controller is configured to adjust the timing of the synchronous rectifier switch based on whether the timing signal indicates that the synchronous rectifier switch is turned off prematurely or turned off late relative to the on-time turn off.
US09236798B2

A DC-DC converter control circuit has an inductor configured to be interposed between a first node which is set to a first direct current voltage or a second direct current voltage and a second node which outputs an output voltage at a predetermined direct current voltage level, an error signal generator configured to generate an error signal depending on a voltage difference between a reference voltage and a voltage correlating with the output voltage, a ripple extractor configured to extract and output ripple components contained in the voltage of the first node, a single-ended signal generator configured to generate a single-ended signal based on the error signal and an output signal from the ripple extractor, and a switch drive unit configured to drive and control, based on the single-ended signal, a switch circuit which sets the first node to the first direct current voltage or the second direct current voltage.
US09236797B2

A system includes: a first converter for receiving a pre-stage input DC voltage from a power source, and providing a pre-stage output DC voltage including a first DC voltage or a second DC voltage; a modulator the modulator controlling the first converter; a second converter, coupled to the first converter; and a controller, the controller controlling an operation mode of the second converter and notifying the modulator about the operation mode of the second converter. The modulator and the controller receive an external voltage indication signal indicating whether the pre-stage output DC voltage is the first DC voltage or the second DC voltage. The modulator controls the first converter to output the pre-stage output DC voltage based on the voltage indication signal. The modulator notifies the controller about whether the pre-stage output DC voltage reaches a target level.
US09236794B2

A charge pump circuit, and associated method and apparatuses, for providing a split-rail voltage supply, the circuit having a network of switches that is operable in a number of different states and a controller for operating the switches in a sequence of said states so as to generate positive and negative output voltages together spanning a voltage approximately equal to the input voltage and centered on the voltage at the common terminal.
US09236787B2

A motive power transmission device capable of suppressing deformation of matching surfaces of cases is provided. A motive power transmission device is used as a transmission for a hybrid vehicle containing a first rotating electric machine and a second rotating electric machine as two rotating electric machines. The first rotating electric machine and the second rotating electric machine each serving as a motor/generator are housed in independent first case and second case, and the both are coupled to constitute the transmission for a hybrid vehicle. A first stator and a second stator are fastened and fixed to the first case and the second case on sides opposite to a first matching surface and a second matching surface.
US09236784B2

A flux-switching electric machine includes a rotor having a rotor core that is configured to rotate about a central longitudinal axis. The rotor core has a circumference that includes an approximately constant radius of curvature along an arc length of the rotor core. The rotor core includes magnetic and non-magnetic segments that are arranged in an alternating pattern of magnetic segments and non-magnetic segments along the arc length of the rotor core. The flux-switching electric machine also includes a stator having a stator core that extends a length along the central longitudinal axis. The stator core includes a stator base and stator teeth that extend radially from the stator base relative to the central longitudinal axis. The stator includes a direct current (DC) field coil wound around at least one corresponding stator tooth. The stator includes an alternating current (AC) armature coil wound around at least one corresponding stator tooth. The DC field coil overlaps the AC armature coil along an arc length of the stator core.
US09236779B2

A rotatable output shaft, a rotatable rotary plate member coupled with the output shaft, rotary weight members supported by the rotary plate member, a guide member fixed in motionless condition having a partially arc shape at a side where the rotary weight members rise, and rotation engagement members pivotally supported by the rotary place member are provided. Each of the rotary weight members includes a circular plate section, and a weight section fixed to the circular plate section to bias a position of the center of gravity of each rotary weight member from the axis of the circular plate section. Each of the rotary weight members is adapted to rotate in one direction when an outer circumference side surface of the circular plate section is driven by the outer circumference side surface of each rotation engagement member.
US09236764B2

A DC power supply system includes a DC power supply and a secondary battery for backing up the DC power supply. When a voltage of the DC power supply is lower than a voltage of the secondary battery, the DC power system adds an extra voltage to the voltage of the DC power supply to provide an input voltage to the secondary battery higher than the voltage of the secondary battery by using an electric power of the secondary battery, and the secondary battery is charged.
US09236762B2

A system of monitoring and/or maintaining remotely located autonomously powered lights, security systems, parking meters, and the like is operable to receive data signals from a number of the devices, and provide a comparison with other similar devices in the same geographic region to detect a default condition of a particular device, and/or assess whether the defect is environmental or particular to the specific device itself. The system includes memory for storing operating parameters and data, and outputs modified control commands to the devices in response to sensed performance, past performance and/or self-learning algorithms. The system operates to provide for the monitoring and/or control of individual device operating parameters on an individual or regional basis, over preset periods.
US09236759B2

There is provided a charging apparatus and a wireless charging apparatus that facilitate display of a fully charged state using a monochromatic display device. The charging apparatus and the wireless charging apparatus include a power supply unit supplying a charging power, a charging unit supplying the charging power to an external charging target device, a charging control unit controlling a charging state of the charging unit, a display unit that displays the charging state under the control of the charging control unit and, when the charging target device is in a fully charged state, stops an operation of displaying the charging state, and a delay unit that delays stopping the operation of the display unit that displays the charging state, for a previously set period of time, when the charging target device in the fully charged state is recharged.
US09236755B2

A charging system is provided for charging a chargeable battery. The charging system includes a phase-shifting transformer and a converting unit. The phase-shifting transformer includes a three-phase primary winding assembly and plural three-phase secondary winding assemblies. After a three-phase AC input voltage is received by the three-phase primary winding assembly, the three-phase AC input voltage is decreased, so that plural three-phase AC output voltages are outputted from respective three-phase secondary winding assemblies. The converting unit is electrically connected with the phase-shifting transformer, and includes plural three-phase rectifying circuits and a DC-DC converting circuit. The plural three-phase AC output voltages are rectified by the three-phase rectifying circuits, and the rectified voltage is converted into a DC charging voltage to charge the chargeable battery.
US09236746B2

A battery control device is provided that uses a discharge to adjust the capacitance of cells that form a bipolar battery and calculates the voltage increase value of the remaining cells that do not discharge to adjust capacitance if one or more cells, among all of the cells that form the bipolar battery, are discharged to adjust capacitance in a battery control device that controls voltage dispersion or volume dispersion between cells that form the bipolar battery; and setting the general discharge value when there is a discharge to adjust capacitance on the basis of the result of the voltage increase value calculation.
US09236745B2

A control for a vehicle including a battery, an auxiliary load, an electric power controller controlling electric power exchanged between the battery and the auxiliary load and a charger charging the battery using a power supply outside the vehicle includes: during vehicle drive control, controlling the electric power controller so that an SOC falls within a predetermined range; when the power supply is connected to the vehicle, controlling the electric power controller and the charger so as to carry out extended charging in which a variation in the SOC during the external charging is larger than a width of the predetermined range that is a control range from a control lower limit value to a control upper limit value during drive control; and calculating the full charge capacity by multiplying a ratio of a maximum value of the SOC to a variation in the SOC during the extended charging by an accumulated value of current flowing into the battery during the extended charging.
US09236734B2

The invention provides a method of forming an electric field gap device, such as a lateral field emission ESD protection structure, in which a cathode layer is formed between dielectric layers. Anode channels are formed and they are lined with a sacrificial dielectric layer. Conductive anode pillars are formed in the anode channels, and then the sacrificial dielectric layer is etched away in the vicinity of the anode pillars. The etching leaves a suspended portion of the cathode layer which defines a lateral gap to an adjacent anode pillar. This portion has a sharp end face defined by the corners of the cathode layer and the lateral gap can be defined accurately as it corresponds to the thickness of the sacrificial dielectric layer.
US09236727B2

Provided is a current mode step-down switching regulator which is capable of enhancing over-current limiting characteristics even when an over-current limiting function operates to reduce an output voltage. The current mode step-down switching regulator includes a pulse adjusting circuit. When an over-current is detected, a switching output signal is thinned out by the pulse adjusting circuit to be outputted in order to reduce an apparent oscillation frequency, thereby reducing an influence by response delay in an over-current detecting comparator.
US09236725B2

The present invention provides a hydroelectric turbine system comprising an array of turbines in series and a cabling system for use in connecting together adjacent turbines in the array, the cabling system being designed to allow the majority of the cabling connecting adjacent turbines to be laid substantially in line with the direction of tidal flow in order to reduce stress on the cabling system when the turbines are deployed on the seabed at sites of high tidal flow.
US09236724B2

The busbar unit includes a first busbar having a substrate section provided with first fusible portions, and a first plate section that extends from the substrate section; a second busbar having a substrate section provided with a second fusible portion, and a second plate section overlapped with the first plate section; and an insulating housing section that accommodates the plate sections in a state in which the plate sections are overlapped with each other. The first plate section is provided with a retainer that fixes the first and second plate sections so that the first and second plate sections are not displaced in either a direction in which the first and second plate sections approach each other, or a direction in which the first and second plate sections are overlapped with each other.
US09236721B2

A condulet coupler is provided for attachment to a condulet. The condulet coupler can facilitate tapping into an existing conduit system and reclosing the condulet opening to introduce new conduit runs beginning midstream in an in-place conduit and to introduce splices in an existing run. Other functional changes, such as rerouting select wiring, can also be served by the condulet coupler.
US09236699B2

A power adapter includes an adapter body including a positioning structure and an insertion slot disposed at two opposite sides relative to an accommodation chamber therein and an electrical plug member for connection to an external power source, and an electrical module including a circuit board mounted in the accommodation chamber for converting inputted AC power supply into DC power supply, an adapter plate fixedly mounted on the circuit board at right angles and inserted into the positioning structure to electrically connect the electrical plug member to the circuit board and a power transmission device electrically connected to the circuit board and facing toward the insertion slot for DC power supply output.
US09236694B2

A coaxial connector system comprises a coaxial plug connector and socket connector. The coaxial connectors have a center conductor defining a center axis of the connector and an outer conductor coaxial to the center conductor. The plug connector's outer conductor has a cylindrical shape with slits forming a plurality of spring loaded contact elements, while the socket connector's outer conductor is a cylindrical shape forming a contact surface. Furthermore, the connectors have a mechanical contact surface at a right angle to their center axis and distant from the spring loaded contact elements and the contact surface. Cylindrically precision centering means are provided at the connectors, which fit into each other and precisely align the center axis of the connectors resulting in reduced passive intermodulation. This design allows for further reducing contact gaps between the outer and inner conductors to further improve return loss at high frequencies.
US09236691B2

A multi-port or multi-outlet cassette that may be configured as a low profile, high-density cassette. Selected embodiments include a bezel member having a projection positioned between each adjacent pair of outlets to help reduce crosstalk. A releasable latch mechanism may be included that is configured to selectively latch and unlatch the cassette to a patch panel. Embodiments configured for use with fiber optic cables may include a movable connector member. A cable connector may be mounted to the movable connector member to move therewith as a unit. Moving the movable connector member determines an angle of the cable connector relative to the panel. Angles may be selected to reduce stress on a cable connected to the cable connector. In particular, it may be desirable to position the cable connector such that it is orthogonal to the panel.
US09236685B2

A quickly connectable plug and socket for power connection of electrical lighting apparatus comprising a male plug which is capable to be inserted and connected with a female socket; conductive contact pieces are provided in the female socket; conductive pins are provided on the male plug; at least two resilient claws are arranged along a circumference of a cavity of an insertion portion of the female socket; each resilient claw is provided with first teeth axially arranged in a column with respect to the female socket; outer circumferential surface of an insertion portion of the male plug is provided with second teeth corresponding to the first teeth and arranged axially in columns with respect to the male plug; the insertion portion of the female socket is also provided with a position limiting groove; a position limiting button corresponding to the position limiting groove is provided on the male plug.
US09236684B2

A cable interface connection structure includes a jack and a plug. The plug is received in the jack. The jack includes a case, a support body, and a plurality of pins. The pins are received in the support body, and the support body is received in the case. The jack defines two rows of the pins. The plurality of pins in each row is the same. The plug includes two rows of contact terminals. A plurality of contact terminals in each row is the same. The pins are coupled to the contact terminals.
US09236683B2

The present invention generally relates to network connectors, and more particularly, to apparatuses, systems, and methods associated with network jacks having compatibility with more than one plug and corresponding plugs. In one embodiment, the present invention is a jack having multiple printed circuit boards, wherein each circuit board is used for connection to a particular style of a plug. In one embodiment, the jack according to the present invention is compatible with an RJ45 plug.
US09236680B2

A connector includes: a first connector terminal to which a first electric cable is to be connected; a second connector terminal to which a second electric cable is to be connected; a sidewall that surrounds the first connector terminal and the second connector terminal; a protection cover; and an interlock mechanism. The interlock mechanism includes an interlock connector and an interlock pin. The interlock connector is disposed between the first connector terminal and the second connector terminal, and the interlock pin is provided at the protection cover and is positioned such that the interlock pin is inserted into the interlock connector when the protection cover is attached to the sidewall.
US09236678B2

The Present Disclosure relates to a card socket contact terminal furnished on an electronic apparatus. The card socket contact terminal having a plurality of contact points of the Present Disclosure is a contact terminal that is furnished on the housing of a card socket furnished on an electronic apparatus so as to make contact with a card that holds various data for information. It comprises main terminals that are furnished in a number corresponding to the card terminals furnished on the card so as to make contact with the card terminal, and auxiliary terminals that are each connected to the same card terminal to which the respective main terminal connects and to the respective main terminal. Because it can make a plurality of contacts with a single card terminal, it enables contact with the card terminal via the auxiliary terminal even if the main terminal is damaged.
US09236674B2

An interface card assembly of a bus extension system for coupling a solid state drive to a host bus adaptor of a host computer includes a printed circuit board having an edge connector with a plurality of pins and a plurality of first conducting traces. The interface card also includes a plurality of first serially aligned plated holes disposed along a first center-line having a first end and a second and being disposed perpendicularly to the edge connector and a slot. The slot is milled in the printed circuit board so that the slot is parallel and adjacent to the first center-line and extends beyond the first and second ends thereby leaving each of the first plated holes in a semi-circular shape.
US09236670B2

The coaxial connector of the Present Disclosure includes a tube-shaped outer conductor, an insulating portion and an inner conductor. The insulating portion has a first fixed portion, a first elastic portion positioned on one side of the first fixed portion, and a second elastic portion. The inner conductor has a second fixed portion, a first holding portion positioned on one side of the second fixed portion, and a second holding portion positioned on the other side of the second fixed portion. The first elastic portion biases the outer peripheral surface of the first holding portion towards the outer peripheral surface of the inner conductor of the other coaxial connector. The second elastic portion biasing the outer peripheral surface of the second holding portion towards the outer peripheral surface of the inner conductor of the other coaxial connector.
US09236666B2

A structure of connection between a coaxial cable and a shield terminal includes the coaxial cable configured to have at least one core wire part made of a conductor, an insulating coating part with which said core wire part is coated, a braided shield with which an outer peripheral surface of said insulating coating part is covered, and an insulating tube with which an outer peripheral surface of said braided shield is covered, the shield terminal that has a cylindrical press bond part pressed and is bonded to the outer peripheral surface of the braided shield, and a ring-shaped crimp member that is pressed and bonded to an outer peripheral surface of the insulating tube.
US09236660B2

Electromagnetic attenuation of an object is accomplished by attaching a boot to a surface of an operational part of the object. The boot includes a thermoplastic material, such as in a thermoplastic layer, and an electromagnetic attenuation material, such as in an electromagnetic attenuation layer that overlies at least part of the thermoplastic layer. The attaching is accomplished by placing the boot onto the operational part, and then heat shrinking the boot to attach the boot to the operational part. The electromagnetic attenuation layer may have gaps in it prior to the heat shrinking, gaps that are closed during the heat shrinking, to the greater contraction of the thermoplastic layer. The boot and method may be used to advantageously provide electromagnetic attenuation without a need for spraying processes. The method may be used to retrofit and/or repair an object, without needed to remove it from the field.
US09236639B2

A method of controlling a temperature of a battery is disclosed. The method includes providing a thermoelectric device in thermally-conductive contact with the battery, measuring an actual temperature of the battery, comparing the actual temperature of the battery to a reference temperature for the battery, heating the battery by operation of the thermoelectric device when the actual temperature is less than the reference temperature and cooling the battery by operation of the thermoelectric device when the actual temperature exceeds the reference temperature.
US09236633B2

A composition of graphene-based nanomaterials and a method of preparing the composition are provided. A carbon-based precursor is dissolved in water to form a precursor suspension. The precursor suspension is placed onto a substrate, thereby forming a precursor assembly. The precursor assembly is annealed, thereby forming the graphene-based nanomaterials. The graphene-based nanomaterials are crystallographically ordered at least in part and configured to form a plurality of diffraction rings when probed by an incident electron beam. In one aspect, the graphene-based nanomaterials are semiconducting. In one aspect, a method of engineering an energy bandgap of graphene monoxide generally includes providing at least one atomic layer of graphene monoxide having a first energy bandgap, and applying a substantially planar strain is applied to the graphene monoxide, thereby tuning the first energy band gap to a second energy bandgap.
US09236631B2

There are provided an electrode assembly, a battery cell including the electrode assembly, and a device including the electrode assembly. The electrode assembly includes a combination of two or more electrode units having the same width and different lengths, wherein the electrode units are stacked so that a stepped portion is formed between the electrode units, and electrodes having different polarities face each other at an interface between the electrode units.
US09236630B2

Disclosed is a secondary battery having a structure in which a jelly-roll having a cathode/separator/anode structure is mounted in a cylindrical battery case and a plate-shaped insulator is mounted on top of the jelly-roll, wherein the insulator has a porous structure in which a plurality of fine pores communicate in a longitudinal direction, or in traverse and longitudinal directions.
US09236624B2

Embodiments of the invention provide an ammonia operated fuel cell system including an alkaline membrane fuel cell (AMFC) having an anode, and an ammonia thermal cracker including a combustion chamber, the cracker being in gas communication with an ammonia source, and configured to provide a supply of H2 directly to the AMFC anode.
US09236620B2

Composite separators having a porous structure and including acid-stable, hydrophilic, inorganic particles enmeshed in a substantially fully fluorinated polyolefin matrix can be utilized in a number of applications. The inorganic particles can provide hydrophilic characteristics. The pores of the separator result in good selectivity and electrical conductivity. The fluorinated polymeric backbone can result in high chemical stability. Accordingly, one application of the composite separators is in redox flow batteries as low cost membranes. In such applications, the composite separator can also enable additional property-enhancing features compared to ion-exchange membranes. For example, simple capacity control can be achieved through hydraulic pressure by balancing the volumes of electrolyte on each side of the separator. While a porous separator can also allow for volume and pressure regulation, in RFBs that utilize corrosive and/or oxidizing compounds, the composite separators described herein are preferable for their robustness in the presence of such compounds.
US09236618B2

A rechargeable battery, and more particularly, a rechargeable battery having a function of detecting water contact. The area for detecting water contact is formed on the rechargeable battery or its component parts by applying water-soluble ink on a surface thereof. It is straightforward to form such a rechargeable battery and to easily determine whether the rechargeable battery or its component parts have been in contact with water.
US09236614B2

A process for forming a metal supported solid oxide fuel cell, the process comprising the steps of: a) applying a green anode layer including nickel oxide, copper oxide and a rare earth-doped ceria to a metal substrate; b) firing the green anode layer to form a composite including oxides of nickel, copper, and a rare earth-doped ceria; c) providing an electrolyte; and d) providing a cathode. Metal supported solid oxide fuel cells comprising an anode a cathode and an electrolyte, wherein the anode includes nickel, copper and a rare earth-doped ceria, fuel cell stacks and uses of these fuel cells.
US09236607B2

A method for making a lithium ion battery cathode is provided. A carbon nanotube source including a plurality of carbon nanotubes is made. A cathode active material including a plurality of cathode active material particles and a solvent is provided. The carbon nanotube source and the cathode active material are added into the solvent, and the solvent with the carbon nanotube source and the cathode active material is shaken using ultrasonic waves. The carbon nanotube source and the cathode active material are then separated from the solvent to obtain a lithium ion battery cathode.
US09236606B2

An electrode with a porous protective film includes an electrode in which an active material layer is disposed on a collector and a porous protective film which is disposed on a surface of the active material layer and which contains fine particles, a binder, a surfactant, and a thickener. A nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery includes a negative electrode in which a negative electrode active material layer is disposed on a negative electrode collector, a positive electrode in which a positive electrode active material layer is disposed on a positive electrode collector, a nonaqueous electrolyte, a separator, and a porous protective film which is disposed on at least one of a surface of the negative electrode active material layer or a surface of the positive electrode active material layer and which contains fine particles, a binder, a surfactant, and a thickener.
US09236600B2

A method for making a lithium ion battery anode is provided. A carbon nanotube source including a plurality of carbon nanotubes is made. An anode material including a number of anode material particles and a solvent is provided. The carbon nanotube source and the anode material are added into the solvent, and the solvent with the carbon nanotube source and the anode material is shaken using ultrasonic waves. The carbon nanotube source and the anode material are then separated from the solvent to obtain the lithium ion battery anode.
US09236598B2

A porous ceramic electrode with metallic coating and a high quantity of iron particles/iron alloys is applied to the top side of the wet (not dried) ceramic electrode, which forms first layer of a bonding process for metallic bonding to ceramics. Iron particles are added to a wet porous ceramic electrode and then attracted to one side of the electrode with a magnetic field; by turning a magnet on and drawing doped iron particles to the bottom side of the ceramic electrode. The iron particles are doped with a bonding agent to improve bonding the ceramic electrode to a second layer of metals. The second layer of metallic coating is a material that improves efficiently of the electrode on products such as fuel cell electrodes, hydrogen generator electrodes and batteries. The second coating may be applied using the atomic layer deposition method or vapor deposition.
US09236596B2

A rechargeable battery includes: an electrode assembly in a case; a cap plate coupled to an opening of the case; a rivet electrically connected to the electrode assembly, the rivet including: a first rivet flange; and a second rivet flange; and a gasket between the rivet flange and the cap plate, the gasket including: a first gasket flange configured to be coupled with the first rivet flange; and a second gasket flange configured to be coupled with the second rivet flange.
US09236583B2

Provided is an organic EL element, wherein the thickness of the organic EL element can be made small and the width of a seal can be made narrower, and change in light-emitting quality over time can be inhibited. The organic EL element (1) is configured to be provided with: a second electrode (13) provided so as to cover an organic compound layer (12); an inorganic insulation film (15) formed within a prescribed area within a non light-emitting area of a first electrode (11), and formed between the first electrode (11) and the second electrode (13); an inorganic film (14) provided so as to cover the second electrode (13); a sealing resin layer (3) provided so as to cover the inorganic film (14); and a sealing base material (4) provided upon the sealing resin layer (3).
US09236581B2

A display unit includes a plurality of first electrodes provided to respective pixels; an insulating layer having an opening facing each of the first electrodes and having an overhang at an edge of the opening; a charge injection-transport layer being cut or having higher resistance at the overhang of the insulating layer to exhibit one or both of a charge injection property and a charge transport property; an organic layer including one light-emitting layer or a plurality of light-emitting layers common to all of the pixels; and a second electrode formed on an entire surface of the organic layer, the first electrodes, the insulating layer, the charge injection-transport layer, the organic layer, and the second electrode being disposed in this order from a substrate side.
US09236575B1

After forming a plurality of metal anchors arranged in a matrix of rows and columns and a plurality trenches separating adjacent rows of metal anchors on a substrate, a dispersion comprising charged single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) having a surface binding group on each end of the charged SWCNTs is directed to flow through the plurality of trenches. During the flow process, one end of each of the charged SWCNTs binds to a corresponding metal anchor through a surface binding group. An electric field is then applied to align the charged SWCNTs parallel to lengthwise directions of the plurality of trenches such that another end of the each of the SWCNTs binds to an adjacent metal anchor through another surface binding group. The aligned charged SWCNTs can be used as conducting channels for field effect transistors (FETs).
US09236568B2

A memory device includes an array of electrodes that includes thin film plates of electrode material. Multilayer strips are arranged as bit lines over respective columns in the array of electrodes, including a layer of memory material and a layer of top electrode material. The multilayer strips have a primary body and a protrusion having a width less than that of the primary body and is self-aligned with contact surfaces on the thin film plates. Memory material in the protrusion contacts surfaces on the distal ends of thin film plates of electrodes in the corresponding column in the array. The device can be made using a damascene process in self-aligned forms over the contact surfaces.
US09236562B2

Techniques are disclosed for enhancing performance of a perpendicular magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) by implementing an additional ferromagnetic layer therein. The additional ferromagnetic layer can be implemented, for example, in or otherwise proximate either the fixed ferromagnetic layer or the free ferromagnetic layer of the perpendicular MTJ. In some embodiments, the additional ferromagnetic layer is implemented with a non-magnetic spacer, wherein the thickness of the additional ferromagnetic layer and/or spacer can be adjusted to sufficiently balance the energy barrier between parallel and anti-parallel states of the perpendicular MTJ. In some embodiments, the additional ferromagnetic layer is configured such that its magnetization is opposite that of the fixed ferromagnetic layer.
US09236554B2

A piezoelectric device includes a piezoelectric vibrating piece, a base plate, and a lid plate. The base plate includes one principal surface where the piezoelectric vibrating piece is placed and includes a connecting electrode electrically connected to the extraction electrode, and another principal surface including a mounting terminal. The lid plate seals the vibrator. The lid plate seals the vibrator. At least a part of the mounting terminal includes a first metal film, a second metal film, and an electroless plating film. The second metal film is formed to cover the first metal film or is formed at a part of a surface of the first metal film. The second metal film has a different area from the first metal film. The electroless plating film is formed at least on a surface of the second metal film by electroless plating.
US09236540B2

The light-emitting diode includes first and second layers of semiconductor material, having opposite conductivity types, an active light-emitting area located between the first and second layers of semiconductor material, an electrode arranged on the first layer of semiconductor material and a photonic crystal formed in the first layer of semiconductor material. The photonic crystal and the electrode are separated by a distance optimized to simultaneously promote the electric injection and minimize the light absorption in the LED.
US09236524B2

The present disclosure relates to a method of manufacturing a semiconductor light emitting device, comprising: forming a finger electrode in electrical communication with a second semiconductor layer; forming, on the finger electrode, a non-conductive reflective layer made up of a multi-layer dielectric film, for reflecting light from the active layer towards a first semiconductor layer on the side of a growth substrate, with the non-conductive reflective layer including a bottom layer formed by chemical vapor deposition and at least two layers formed by physical vapor deposition; and forming an electrical connection, passing through the non-conductive reflective film and being connected the finger electrode.
US09236517B2

A solar concentrator assembly includes a light splitting element, a light converging element, an optical fiber unit and a photoelectric unit. The light converging element is located between the light splitting element and the optical fiber unit. The optical fiber unit is located between the light converging element and the photoelectric unit. The light splitting element splits sunlight into light of different wavelengths. The light converging element converges the split light onto different focal points. The optical fiber unit transmits the converged light to the photoelectric unit. The photoelectric unit converts the light into electrical energy.
US09236516B2

A solar energy collector includes a generally tubular housing or multiple tubular housings each having an open end for receipt of solar rays which are then reflected from a generally conical mirror within the housing onto solar cells lining the inside surface of the housing. Various mechanisms are utilized to favorably orient the housing or otherwise direct the solar rays and to maximize the incidence of reflected solar rays onto solar cells.
US09236512B2

An interconnected arrangement of photovoltaic cells is achieved using laminating current collector electrodes. The electrodes comprise a pattern of conductive material extending over a first surface of sheetlike substrate material. The first surface comprises material having adhesive affinity for a selected conductive surface. Application of the electrode to the selected conductive surface brings the first surface of the sheetlike substrate into adhesive contact with the conductive surface and simultaneously brings the conductive surface into firm contact with the conductive material extending over first surface of the sheetlike substrate. Use of the laminating current collector electrodes allows facile and continuous production of expansive area interconnected photovoltaic arrays.
US09236498B1

A low resistance polysilicon (poly) structure includes a first poly coupled to a substrate and having a sidewall. A second poly is separated from the sidewall of the first poly and the substrate by a programming oxide. The first poly and the second poly have substantially a same planarized height above the substrate. The first poly extends from a device region to a strap region, and extends substantially parallel to a first length of the second poly. A second length of the second poly extends away from the first poly in the strap region and includes a salicide. A first diffusion region crosses the first poly and the second poly in the device region. A masked width of the first length of the second poly is defined by an etched spacer. A low resistance contact is coupled to the second length of the second poly in the strap region.
US09236486B2

A multiple vertical transistor device includes a polymeric material post on a substrate. An inorganic material cap extends beyond first and second edge of the post to define first and second reentrant profiles. First and second portions of a conformal conductive gate layer define first and second gates in the first and second reentrant profiles, respectively. A conformal electrically insulating layer maintains the first and second reentrant profiles and is in contact with the first and second gates. First and second portions of a semiconductor layer, maintaining the first and second reentrant profiles, are in contact with the conformal electrically insulating layer that is in contact with the first and second gates, respectively. The first and second portions of the semiconductor layer are electrically independent from each other. First and second electrodes are associated with the first gate. Third and fourth electrodes are associated with the second gate.
US09236485B2

A thin film transistor substrate with an adhesive strength between a semiconductor layer and a source electrode, and between a semiconductor layer and a drain electrode; and an LCD device using the thin film transistor substrate. The thin film transistor substrate includes a substrate, a gate electrode on the substrate, a gate insulating film on the gate electrode, an active layer on the gate insulating film, an ohmic contact layer on the active layer, a barrier layer on the ohmic contact layer. The barrier layer is formed of a material layer containing Ge. A source electrode and a drain electrode are on the barrier layer. The source and drain electrodes are provided at a predetermined interval from each other.
US09236484B2

A thin film transistor, a pixel, and an organic light emitting diode (OLED) display including the same are disclosed. The thin film transistor includes a connection to the channel region separate from connections to the source and drain.
US09236473B2

A memcapacitor device includes a pair of opposing conductive electrodes. A semiconductive material including mobile dopants within a dielectric and a mobile dopant barrier dielectric material are received between the pair of opposing conductive electrodes. The semiconductive material and the barrier dielectric material are of different composition relative one another which is at least characterized by at least one different atomic element. One of the semiconductive material and the barrier dielectric material is closer to one of the pair of electrodes than is the other of the semiconductive material and the barrier dielectric material. The other of the semiconductive material and the barrier dielectric material is closer to the other of the pair of electrodes than is the one of the semiconductive material and the barrier dielectric material. Other implementations are disclosed, including field effect transistors, memory arrays, and methods.
US09236465B2

A semiconductor structure includes a first III-V compound layer. A second III-V compound layer is disposed on the first III-V compound layer and is different from the first III-V compound layer in composition. A carrier channel is located between the first III-V compound layer and the second III-V compound layer. A source feature and a drain feature are disposed on the second III-V compound layer. A gate electrode is disposed over the second III-V compound layer between the source feature and the drain feature. A fluorine region is embedded in the second III-V compound layer under the gate electrode. A diffusion barrier layer is disposed on top of the second III-V compound layer. A gate dielectric layer is disposed over the second III-V compound layer. The gate dielectric layer has a fluorine segment on the fluorine region and under at least a portion of the gate electrode.
US09236464B2

A method of forming a high electron mobility transistor may include: forming a second III-V compound layer on a first III-V compound layer, the second III-V compound layer and the first III-V compound layer differing in composition; forming a p-type doped region in the first III-V compound layer; forming an n-type doped region in the second III-V compound layer, the n-type doped region overlying the p-type doped region; forming a source feature over the second III-V compound layer, the source feature overlying the n-type doped region; and forming a gate electrode over the second III-V compound layer, the gate electrode disposed laterally adjacent to the source feature.
US09236449B2

A high-voltage LDMOS device with voltage linearizing field plates and methods of manufacture are disclosed. The method includes forming a continuous gate structure over a deep well region and a body of a substrate. The method further includes forming oppositely doped, alternating segments in the continuous gate structure. The method further includes forming a contact in electrical connection with a tip of the continuous gate structure and a drain region formed in the substrate. The method further includes forming metal regions in direct electrical contact with segments of at least one species of the oppositely doped, alternating segments.
US09236438B2

A semiconductor device includes a substrate and a plurality of transistors arranged on the substrate in an array. The transistor includes a first electrode, a plurality of second electrodes, and a gate electrode. The second electrodes are arranged around the first electrode. The gate electrode is located between the first electrode and the second electrodes. The first electrode is a polygon. The gate electrode is around the first electrode, and an edge of the gate electrode facing the first electrode has a shape corresponding to that of the first electrode. The first electrode and the edge of the gate electrode facing the first electrode are regular polygons, and have the same center.
US09236434B2

A semiconductor device according to an embodiment includes a first-conductive-type semiconductor substrate; a first-conductive-type first semiconductor layer formed on the semiconductor substrate, and having an impurity concentration lower than that of the semiconductor substrate; a second-conductive-type second semiconductor layer epitaxially formed on the first semiconductor layer; and a second-conductive-type third semiconductor layer epitaxially formed on the second semiconductor layer, and having an impurity concentration higher than that of the second semiconductor layer. The semiconductor device also includes a recess formed in the third semiconductor layer, and at least a corner portion of a side face and a bottom surface is located in the second semiconductor layer. The semiconductor device also includes a first electrode in contact with the third semiconductor layer; a second electrode connected to the first electrode while being in contact with the second semiconductor layer at the bottom surface of the recess; and a third electrode in contact with a lower surface of the semiconductor substrate.
US09236431B2

A termination region structure of a semiconductor device is provided, which includes: a semiconductor layer; a plurality of trenches, formed on a surface of the semiconductor layer; a connecting trench, formed on the surface of the semiconductor layer, for connecting two adjacent trenches in the plurality of trenches; a first insulating layer, formed on surfaces of the plurality of trenches, the connecting trench, and the semiconductor layer; a conductive material, formed in the plurality of trenches and the connecting trench; a second insulating layer, covering part of a surface of the first insulating layer and part of a surface of the conductive material; and a metal layer, covering part of a surface of the second insulating layer.
US09236430B2

The deposition rate of a porous insulation film is increased, and the film strength of the porous insulation film is improved. Two or more organic siloxane raw materials each having a cyclic SiO structure as a main skeleton thereof, and having mutually different structures, are vaporized, and transported with a carrier gas to a reactor (chamber), and an oxidant gas including an oxygen atom is added thereto. Thus, a porous insulation film is formed by a plasma CVD (Chemical Vapor Deposition) method or a plasma polymerization method in the reactor (chamber). In the step, the ratio of the flow rate of the added oxidant gas to the flow rate of the carrier gas is more than 0 and 0.08 or less.
US09236427B2

Some embodiments include a method of forming a capacitor. An opening is formed through a silicon-containing mass to a base, and sidewalls of the opening are lined with protective material. A first capacitor electrode is formed within the opening and has sidewalls along the protective material. At least some of the silicon-containing mass is removed with an etch. The protective material protects the first capacitor electrode from being removed by the etch. A second capacitor electrode is formed along the sidewalls of the first capacitor electrode, and is spaced from the first capacitor electrode by capacitor dielectric. Some embodiments include multi-material structures having one or more of aluminum nitride, molybdenum nitride, niobium nitride, niobium oxide, silicon dioxide, tantalum nitride and tantalum oxide. Some embodiments include semiconductor constructions.
US09236423B2

In an organic light-emitting display device and a method of manufacturing the same, the organic light-emitting display device includes: a first insulating layer, a transparent conductive layer, and a second insulating layer which are sequentially formed on a substrate; a thin film transistor including an active layer formed under the first insulating layer, a gate electrode including a part of the transparent conductive layer as a lower electrode layer, and source and drain electrodes connected to both sides of the active layer; an organic light-emitting device including a sequentially stacked structure comprising a part of the transparent conductive layer as a pixel electrode, an intermediate layer which includes an emission layer, and an opposite electrode; and a capacitor including a first electrode and a second electrode, which includes a part of the transparent conductive layer as a lower electrode layer; wherein the transparent conductive layer and the second insulating layer include a hole.
US09236422B2

Provided is a display panel having a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix of rows and columns. Each of the pixels is composed of a plurality of first sub-pixels emitting light of different colors. Each of the first sub-pixels is composed of a plurality of second sub-pixels emitting light of the same color. Each of the second sub-pixels includes: a first electrode; a second electrode above the first electrode; and a light-emitting layer between the first electrode and the second electrode.
US09236420B2

A flexible organic light-emitting display device and a method of manufacturing the flexible organic light-emitting display device are provided. The flexible organic light-emitting display device comprises a lower flexible substrate assembly and an upper flexible substrate assembly that are bonded by a bonding layer. The lower flexible substrate assembly includes a first flexible substrate, a thin film transistor formed on the first flexible substrate, a white organic light-emitting element formed on the thin film transistor, and an encapsulation layer formed on the white organic light-emitting element. The upper flexible substrate assembly comprises a second flexible substrate, an interlayer and a touch sensing unit formed on the interlayer layer. The interlayer may be at least one of a color filter layer, a transparent resin layer, an insulating film layer and a second flexible substrate.
US09236414B2

A light-emitting device includes a substrate, and a plurality of light-emitting elements that are mounted on the substrate and each include an LED chip and a phosphor layer on a surface thereof. A maximum deviation in a value of a chromaticity coordinate x of light emitted from the plurality of light-emitting elements is not less than 0.0125.
US09236409B2

An integrated-circuit image sensor that includes an array of pixel regions composed of binary pixel circuits. Each binary pixel circuit includes a binary amplifier having an input and an output. The binary amplifier generates a binary signal at the output in response to whether an input voltage at the input exceeds a switching threshold voltage level of the binary amplifier. A light-detecting element of the binary pixel circuit is coupled to the input of the binary amplifier. Initialization circuitry of the binary pixel circuit is coupled to the input of the binary amplifier. The initialization circuitry sets the input voltage to a level that is offset relative to the switching threshold voltage level of the binary amplifier by an offset voltage amount, the offset voltage amount representing a threshold amount of light incident on the light detecting element.
US09236408B2

A solid-state image sensing element including a transistor with stable electrical characteristics (e.g., significantly low off-state current) is provided. Two different element layers (an element layer including an oxide semiconductor layer and an element layer including a photodiode) are stacked over a semiconductor substrate provided with a driver circuit such as an amplifier circuit, so that the area occupied by a photodiode is secured. A transistor including an oxide semiconductor layer in a channel formation region is used as a transistor electrically connected to the photodiode, which leads to lower power consumption of a semiconductor device.
US09236400B2

A p channel TFT of a driving circuit has a single drain structure and its n channel TFT, a GOLD structure or an LDD structure. A pixel TFT has the LDD structure. A pixel electrode disposed in a pixel portion is connected to the pixel TFT through a hole bored in at least a protective insulation film formed of an inorganic insulating material and formed above a gate electrode of the pixel TFT, and in an interlayer insulating film disposed on the insulation film in close contact therewith. These process steps use 6 to 8 photo-masks.
US09236392B1

Contact openings extending to sacrificial layers located at different depths can be formed by sequentially exposing a greater number of openings in a mask layer by iterative alternation of trimming of a slimming layer over the mask layer and an anisotropic etch that recesses pre-existing contact openings by one level. In one embodiment, pairs of an electrically conductive via contact and electrically conductive electrodes can be simultaneously formed as integrated line and via structures. In another embodiment, encapsulated unfilled cavities can be formed in the contact openings by non-conformal deposition of a material layer, electrically conductive electrodes can be formed by replacement of portions of the sacrificial layers, and the electrically conductive via contacts can be subsequently formed on the electrically conductive electrodes. Electrically conductive via contacts extending to electrically conductive electrodes located at different level can be provided with self-aligned insulating liner.
US09236369B2

A method is disclosed that includes the steps outlined below. A first oxide layer is formed to divide a first semiconductor substrate into a first part and a second part. A second oxide layer is formed on the first part of the first semiconductor substrate. The first oxide layer is bonded to a third oxide layer of a second semiconductor substrate. The second part of first semiconductor substrate and the first oxide layer are removed to expose the first part of the first semiconductor substrate.
US09236368B2

A semiconductor device includes a substrate (102) with a cavity (112) formed therein for receiving a semiconductor die. In examples, the semiconductor die is a controller die (114). The controller die (114) may be electrically connected to the substrate (102) with electrical traces (120) which may be formed for example by printing. After the controller die (114) is electrically connected to the substrate (102), one or more memory die (150) may be affixed to the substrate (102), over the cavity (112) and controller die (114).
US09236350B2

An integrated circuit package including a first substrate, a first die, a second die, a second substrate, and a system on chip. The first substrate includes a first portion including first connections, a second portion including no connections, a third portion including second connections, a first opening between the first portion and the second portion, and a second opening between the second portion and the third portion. The first die is arranged on the first substrate. The first die includes third connections to connect to the first connections via the first opening. The second die is arranged adjacent to the first die on the first substrate. The second die includes fourth connections to connect to the second connections via the second opening. The second substrate is connected to the first substrate. The system on chip is arranged on the second substrate between the first substrate and the second substrate.
US09236349B2

Semiconductor device including through via structure and redistribution structures is provided. The semiconductor device may include internal circuits on a first side of a substrate, a through via structure vertically penetrating the substrate to be electrically connected to one of the internal circuits, a redistribution structure on a second side of the substrate and electrically connected to the through via structure, and an insulating layer between the second side of the substrate and the redistribution structure. The redistribution structure may include a redistribution barrier layer and a redistribution metal layer, and the redistribution barrier layer may extend on a bottom surface of the redistribution metal layer and may partially surround a side of the redistribution metal layer.
US09236346B2

A device includes a substrate with a recess, having a bottom and sides, extending into the substrate from the substrate's upper surface. The sides include first and second sides oriented transversely to one another. A stack of alternating active and insulating layers overlie the substrate's surface and the recess. At least some of the active layers have an upper and lower portions extending along upper and lower planes over and generally parallel to the upper surface and to the bottom, respectively. The active layers have first and second upward extensions positioned along the first and second sides to extend from the lower portions of their respective active layers. Conductive strips adjoin the second upward extensions of the said active layers. The conductive strips can comprise sidewall spacers on the sides of the second upward extensions, the conductive strips connected to overlying conductors by interlayer conductors.
US09236343B2

An integrated circuit includes a substrate having a plurality of electronic devices, a plurality of interconnect layers disposed on one or both sides of the substrate, and a plurality of active electrically conductive interconnect layer structures. The plurality of interconnect layers include horizontal interconnect and vertical-interconnect-access (VIA) layers. The plurality of active electrically conductive interconnect layer structures are disposed on at least one of the plurality of interconnect layers and electrically coupled with at least one of the plurality of electronic devices. The integrated circuit also includes a plurality of spare electrically conductive interconnect layer structures disposed on at least one of the plurality of interconnect layers and electrically isolated from the plurality of active electrically conductive interconnect layer structures.
US09236342B2

Self-aligned via and plug patterning with photobuckets for back end of line (BEOL) interconnects is described. In an example, an interconnect structure for an integrated circuit includes a first layer of the interconnect structure disposed above a substrate, the first layer having a first grating of alternating metal lines and dielectric lines in a first direction. The dielectric lines have an uppermost surface higher than an uppermost surface of the metal lines. The integrated circuit also includes a second layer of the interconnect structure disposed above the first layer of the interconnect structure. The second layer includes a second grating of alternating metal lines and dielectric lines in a second direction, perpendicular to the first direction. The dielectric lines have a lowermost surface lower than a lowermost surface of the metal lines of the second grating. The dielectric lines of the second grating overlap and contact, but are distinct from, the dielectric lines of the first grating. The integrated circuit also includes a region of dielectric material disposed between the metal lines of the first grating and the metal lines of the second grating, and in a same plane as upper portions of the dielectric lines of the first grating and lower portions of the dielectric lines of the second grating. The region of dielectric material is composed of a cross-linked photolyzable material.
US09236328B1

A through-silicon-via structure formed within a semiconductor device is provided. The TSV structure may include a trench located within a substrate of the semiconductor device, an insulator layer located on at least one side wall of the trench, an electrically conductive layer located on the insulator layer, a first dielectric layer located on the electrically conductive layer, and a second dielectric layer located on the first dielectric layer and filling the trench. The second dielectric layer includes a higher refractive index relative to the first dielectric layer, such that the first and the second dielectric layer create an optical waveguide. The electrically conductive layer provides electrical coupling between the semiconductor device and another semiconductor device, while the optical waveguide provides optical coupling between the semiconductor device and the another semiconductor device, whereby the another semiconductor device has another substrate that is separate from the substrate of the semiconductor device.
US09236323B2

An integrated heat spreader comprising a heat spreader frame that has a plurality of openings formed therethrough and a plurality of thermally conductive structures secured within the heat spreader frame openings. The thermally conductive structures can be formed to have various thicknesses which compensate for varying heights between at least two microelectronic devices in a multi-chip package. The thermally conductive structures can be secured in the heat spreader frame by sizing the openings and the thermally conductive structures such that the thermally conductive structures can be secured within the openings without requiring welding or adhesives.
US09236316B2

The present invention has a tray corresponding to a heat sink, a circuit part is accommodated in an accommodating part of the tray, and the circuit part is potting-sealed with a sealing resin such that external electrodes are exposed. The sealing resin covers and seals a top part of the tray.
US09236313B2

A method of fabricating a semiconductor device having a dual gate allows for the gates to have a wide variety of threshold voltages. The method includes forming a gate insulation layer, a first capping layer, and a barrier layer in the foregoing sequence across a first region and a second region on a substrate, exposing the gate insulation layer on the first region by removing the first capping layer and the barrier layer from the first region, forming a second capping layer on the gate insulation layer in the first region and on the barrier layer in the second region, and thermally processing the substrate on which the second capping layer is formed. The thermal processing causes material of the second capping layer to spread into the gate insulation layer in the first region and material of the first capping layer to spread into the gate insulation layer in the second region. Thus, devices having different threshold voltages can be formed in the first and second regions.
US09236304B2

A method of manufacturing a semiconductor light emitting device includes forming a plurality of semiconductor light emitting devices on a substrate, the semiconductor light emitting devices having at least one electrode pad formed on upper surfaces thereof; forming a conductive bump by forming a bump core on the electrode pad of each of the semiconductor light emitting devices and forming a reflective bump layer enclosing the bump core; forming a resin encapsulating part containing a phosphor on the plurality of semiconductor light emitting devices to encompass the conductive bump; polishing the resin encapsulating part to expose the bump core of the conductive bump to an upper surface of the resin encapsulating part; and forming individual semiconductor light emitting devices by cutting the resin encapsulating part between the semiconductor light emitting devices.
US09236299B2

One method includes forming a barrier layer in a trench/opening in an insulating material, forming a first region of a copper material above the barrier layer, forming a metal layer in the trench/opening on the first region of copper material, forming a second region of copper material on the metal layer, performing at least one CMP process to remove any materials positioned above a planarized upper surface of the layer of insulating material outside of the trench/opening so as to thereby define a structure comprised of the metal layer positioned between the first and second regions of copper material, forming a dielectric cap layer above the layer of insulating material and above the structure, and performing a metal diffusion anneal process to form a metal cap layer adjacent at least the upper surface of a conductive copper structure.
US09236284B2

Methods of and apparatuses for dicing semiconductor wafers, each wafer having a plurality of integrated circuits, are described. In an example, a tape frame lift assembly for a plasma processing chamber includes a capture single ring having an upper surface for supporting a tape frame of a substrate support and for cooling the tape frame. The tape frame lift assembly also includes one or more capture lift arms for moving the capture single ring to and from transfer and processing positions. The tape frame assembly also includes one or more captured lift plate portions, one captured lift plate portion corresponding to one capture lift arm, the one or more captured lift plate portions for coupling the one or more capture lift arms to the capture single ring.
US09236281B2

A multi-ingot furnace for the growth of crystalline semiconductor material has one or more heating devices for heating a hot zone in which crucibles containing semiconductor material are received. At least one of the heating devices is arranged to apply a predetermined differential heat flux profile across a horizontal cross-section of the semiconductor material in one or more of the crucibles, the predetermined differential heat flux profile being selected in dependence the position of the one or more crucibles in an array. In this manner, the heating device can at least partially compensate for differences in the temperature across the semiconductor material that arises from its geometric position in the furnace. This reduces the possibility of defects such as dislocations during the growth of a crystalline semiconductor material. Associated methods are also disclosed.
US09236277B2

An integrated circuit includes a substrate and at least one chip. Each chip is disposed over the substrate or the other chip. Solder bumps are disposed between the substrate and the at least one chip. An insulating film is disposed around the solder bumps and provides electrical insulation for the solder bumps except areas for interconnections. A thermally conductive underfill is disposed between the substrate, the at least one chip, and the solder bumps.
US09236275B2

A MEMS acoustic transducer is provided, which includes a substrate, a MEMS chip, and a housing. The substrate has a first opening area and a lower electrode layer disposed over a surface of the substrate, wherein the first opening area includes at least one hole allowing acoustic pressure to enter the MEMS acoustic transducer. The MEMS chip is disposed over the surface of the substrate, including a second opening area and an upper electrode layer partially sealing the second opening area, wherein the upper electrode layer and the lower electrode layer, which are parallel to each other and have a gap therebetween, form an induction capacitor. The housing is disposed over the MEMS chip or the surface of the substrate creating a cavity with the MEMS chip or the substrate. In addition, a method for fabricating the above MEMS acoustic transducer is also provided.
US09236273B2

An integrated circuit device includes a lightly doped region such as the base region of a bipolar junction transistor within a semiconductor body. The device further includes a UV barrier layer formed over the lightly doped region. The UV barrier protects the lightly doped region from damage that can occur during high energy plasma etching or UV irradiation to erase EPROM.
US09236272B2

An etching apparatus includes: a chamber configured to accommodate a substrate to be processed having an etching target film; a gas exhaust mechanism configured to exhaust an inside of the chamber; an etching gas supply mechanism configured to supply an etching gas into the chamber; and a gas cluster generation mechanism configured to generate a gas cluster in the chamber by spraying a cluster gas into the chamber, wherein a gas produced by a reaction when the etching target film is etched with the etching gas is discharged from the chamber by the gas cluster generated by the gas cluster generation mechanism.
US09236268B2

In the manufacturing method of a semiconductor device according to the present embodiment, a resist is supplied on a base material. A template including a first template region having a device pattern and a second template region being adjacent to the device pattern and having supporting column patterns is pressed against the resist on the base material. The resist is cured, thereby transferring the device pattern to the resist on a first material region of the base material corresponding to the first template region and at the same time transferring the supporting column patterns to the resist on a second material region of the base material corresponding to the second template region to form supporting columns. The supporting columns are contacted with the first template region when the device pattern is transferred to a resist supplied to the second material region.
US09236257B2

A method for processing a substrate includes providing a set of patterned structures separated by a first gap on the substrate and directing first implanting ions to the substrate at a first ion energy, where the first implanting ions are effective to impact the substrate in regions defined by the first gap. The method also includes directing depositing ions to the substrate where the second ions are effective to deposit material on at least a portion of the set of patterned structures to form expanded patterned structures, where the expanded patterned structures are characterized by a second gap smaller than the first gap. The method further includes directing second implanting ions to the substrate at a second ion energy, where the second implanting ions effective to impact the substrate in regions defined by the second gap, the second ion energy comprising a higher ion energy than the first ion energy.
US09236255B2

In some embodiments, a method of forming a three dimensional NAND structure atop a substrate may include providing to a process chamber a substrate having alternating nitride layers and oxide layers or alternating polycrystalline silicon layers and oxide layers formed atop the substrate and a photoresist layer formed atop the alternating layers; etching the photoresist layer to expose at least a portion of the alternating nitride layers and oxide layers or alternating polycrystalline silicon layers and oxide layers; providing a process gas comprising sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), carbon tetrafluoride (CF4), and oxygen (O2) to the process chamber; providing an RF power of about 4 kW to about 6 kW to an RF coil to ignite the process gas to form a plasma; and etching through a desired number of the alternating layers to form a feature of a NAND structure.
US09236253B2

A semiconductor device comprises a substrate comprising a major surface; a p-type Field Effect Transistor (pFET) comprising: a P-gate stack over the major surface, a P-strained region in the substrate adjacent to one side of the P-gate stack, wherein a lattice constant of the P-strained region is different from a lattice constant of the substrate, wherein the P-strained region has a first top surface higher than the major surface; and a P-silicide region on the P-strained region; and an n-type Field Effect Transistor (nFET) comprising: an N-gate stack over the major surface, an N-strained region in the substrate adjacent to one side of the N-gate stack, wherein a lattice constant of the N-strained region is different from a lattice constant of the substrate, wherein the N-strained region has a second top surface lower than the major surface and a N-silicide region on the N-strained region.
US09236246B2

The temperature of a substrate is elevated rapidly while improving the temperature uniformity of the substrate.The substrate is loaded into a process chamber, the loaded substrate is supported on a first substrate support unit, a gas is supplied to the process chamber, the temperature of the substrate supported on the first substrate support unit is elevated in a state of increasing the pressure in the process chamber to higher than the pressure during loading of the substrate or in a state of increasing the pressure in the process chamber to higher than the pressure during processing for the surface of the substrate, the substrate supported on the first substrate support unit is transferred to the second substrate support unit and supported thereon after lapse of a predetermined time, and the surface of substrate is processed while heating the substrate supported on the second substrate support unit.
US09236242B2

A substrate can be appropriately oxidized, while oxidation of the substrate can be suppressed.The present invention includes a step of generating mixed plasma by causing a mixed gas of hydrogen (H2) gas and oxygen (O2) or oxygen-containing gas supplied to a processing chamber to form a plasma discharge, and processing the starting substrate by the mixed plasma; and a step of generating hydrogen plasma by causing hydrogen (H2) gas supplied to the processing chamber to form a plasma discharge, and processing the substrate by the hydrogen plasma.
US09236234B2

The present invention uses an AC voltage instead of DC voltage on an ion gate to filter/selectively pass ions. The ions that pass through the AC ion gate can be further separated in a spectrometric instrument. An ion mobility spectrometer using the AC ion gate can achieve better gating performance. For a time of flight ion mobility spectrometer with an AC ion gate, a narrow pulse of selected ions can be passed into a drift tube where they are separated based on their low field ion mobility. Moreover, when the AC voltage at the AC ion gate has a waveform as used for differential ion mobility spectrometry, the time of flight ion mobility spectrometer is converted into a two dimensional separation spectrometer, where ions are first separated based on their high field ion mobility and then further separated based on their low field ion mobility.
US09236233B2

A detection device including an ionization region, an ion gate comprising two electrodes, an ion modifier comprising two electrodes, a drift chamber and a collector. The ion gate and ion modifier are combined so the ion gate is one of the ion modifier electrodes.
US09236223B2

A charged particle beam writing apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention includes an emission unit to emit a charged particle beam, an electron lens to converge the charged particle beam, a blanking deflector, arranged backward of the electron lens with respect to a direction of an optical axis, to deflect the charged particle beam in the case of performing a blanking control of switching between beam-on and beam-off, a blanking aperture member, arranged backward of the blanking deflector with respect to the direction of the optical axis, to block the charged particle beam having been deflected to be in a beam-off state, and a magnet coil, arranged in a center height position of the blanking deflector, to deflect the charged particle beam.
US09236218B2

There is provided a defect inspection apparatus including: an electron scanning unit configured to scan a surface of a sample with an electron beam; a plurality of detectors arranged around an optical axis of the electron beam and configured to detect electrons emitted from the surface of the sample by scanning the electron beam; a signal processing unit configured to generate image data of the surface of the sample based on detection signals from the detectors; an analysis unit configured to detect a defect due to irregularities of the surface of the sample based on the image data; and a control unit configured to control a scanning speed of the electron beam depending on the type of the sample.
US09236206B1

A thin keyboard command trigger structure includes a circuit board and a frame. The frame is stacked over the circuit board and formed an outer frame, a plurality of inner frames and a plurality of keycaps in an integrated manner. The outer frame has a plurality of holding zones. Each keycap is held in one of the holding zones. The outer frame and the keycap are bridged by one inner frame. Each inner frame has at least two first connecting portions connected to the outer frame and at least two second connecting portions connected to the keycap. Each first connecting portion and each second connecting portion are bridged by a support portion which has a bend spot and can generate deformation when the keycap is moved to the trigger portion. The support portion at the second connecting portion is at an elevation higher than the first connecting portion.
US09236203B2

A pushbutton pullstring adaptor includes a pullstring and a housing enclosing a pushbutton. The pullstring includes an engagement portion and elongate string portion. The engagement portion, which is disposed within the housing, moves with respect to the housing to engage the pushbutton when a pushing force is applied and to engage the end of the housing when a pulling force is applied. One end of the string portion is securely attached to the engagement portion. The other end of the string portion passes through an aperture in the housing. The string portion moves freely through the aperture when a pushing force or pulling force is applied. When a pushing force is applied to the string portion, the engagement portion engages the pushbutton to control the hearing aid. When a pulling force is applied, the engagement portion engages the housing to remove the hearing aid from a user's ear.
US09236202B2

Processes for manufacturing touch sensors with one or more guard traces to reduce the effect of moisture damage are provided. One example process can include forming one or more guard traces between an edge of the touch sensor and the metal traces that route the drive and sense lines to bond pads. The one or more guard traces can be uncoupled from the drive lines and sense lines to protect the inner metal traces from moisture damage. In some examples, ends of the one or more guard traces can be coupled to ground by copper. In other examples, ends of the one or more guard traces can be coupled to ground by indium tin oxide or the one or more guard traces can be coupled to ground by a strip of indium tin oxide. In yet other examples, the guard trace can be floating (e.g., not coupled to ground).
US09236195B2

A dye-sensitized solar cell having a transparent conductive film at the inner surface of a tube-shaped transparent glass vessel, a semiconductor film photoelectrode to which a dye has been adsorbed formed on this transparent conductive film, and a counter electrode provided in the tube-shaped vessel spaced from this photoelectrode and an electrolytic solution enclosed in the tube-shaped vessel. Both ends of the tube-shaped vessel are tightly sealed by formation of sealing portions melting and compress the glass of the vessel; the transparent conductive film extends into the sealing portion at one end of the tube and an external lead is connected electrically to said transparent conductive film and is led out from the sealing portion to the outside of the tube-shaped vessel; and a lead connected electrically to the counter electrode is led out from the sealing portion at the other end to the outside of the tube-shaped vessel.
US09236192B2

A capacitor assembly that contains a solid electrolytic capacitor element positioned within a multi-layered casing is provided. The casing contains an encapsulant layer that overlies the capacitor element and a moisture barrier layer that overlies the encapsulant layer. Through careful control of the materials employed in the casing, the present inventor has discovered that the resulting capacitor assembly can be mechanically stable while also exhibiting electrical properties in the presence of high humidity levels (e.g., relative humidity of 85%). For example, the encapsulant layer may be formed from a thermoset resin (e.g., epoxy) that is capable of providing the capacitor element with mechanical stability. The moisture barrier layer may likewise be formed from a hydrophobic material.
US09236182B2

A common mode filter is disclosed. The common mode filter provided by the present invention includes: a magnetic substrate; a coil layer formed on the magnetic substrate and including a coil pattern; an external electrode formed on the coil layer so as to be electrically connected with the coil pattern; a ground electrode formed on the coil layer and configured to discharge static electricity brought in to the external electrode; a post formed on each of the external electrode and the ground electrode; and an electrostatic discharge member formed between the external electrode and the ground electrode so as to cover a side surface of the post and configured to discharge static electricity brought in to the external electrode to the ground electrode.
US09236173B2

The present invention discloses a coil part including: a lower magnetic body; primary and secondary lower patterns formed on the lower magnetic body in a spiral shape in parallel to each other; a lower insulating layer covering the primary and secondary lower patterns; primary and secondary upper patterns electrically connected to the primary and secondary lower patterns, respectively, and formed on the lower insulating layer in a spiral shape in parallel to each other to correspond to the primary and secondary lower patterns; and an upper magnetic body formed on the primary and secondary upper patterns, wherein the primary and secondary upper patterns have portions which cross the primary and secondary lower patterns on the plane, and a method of manufacturing the same.
US09236170B2

Provided are a multilayer chip ZnO varistor with base metal inner electrodes and a preparation method thereof. The varistor is formed by ceramic sheets and inner electrodes which were alternately laminated. Wherein the main material of inner electrodes is the base metal nickel(Ni), both ends of the varistor are coated with silver electrodes. The present invention has the following beneficial effects: (1) the material formula of ZnO varistor is suitable for the preparation process of reduction and reoxidation; (2) the base metal Ni is used as inner electrodes which can sharply reduce the preparation cost of a multilayer chip ZnO varistor; (3) using a conventional solid-phase sintering method, it can complete the burning of silver and the oxidation of the ceramic simultaneously which is suitable for mass production; (4) the nonlinear coefficient of the ZnO multilayer chip varistor produced by the method of this invention can reach 30 or more, the varistor breakdown voltage is less than 20V and the size can be standard chip package size 0805,0603,0402 and 0201.
US09236167B2

A DC superconducting coaxial transmission system provides electrical transmission of 5,000 megawatts of energy while simultaneously delivering liquid hydrogen. The transmission system includes a coaxial transmission segment including an inner superconductor, an outer superconductor disposed in surrounding relation to the inner conductor, and a dielectric insulator disposed between the inner superconductor and the outer superconductor. Liquid hydrogen surrounds the superconductors. Three phase transformers and poly phase rectifier/inverters provide a DC voltage source to the superconductors from the electrical grid. In one embodiment, a switching circuit connected between the voltage source and the superconductor injects a cancellation current component into the direct current flow. The cancellation current component is polarized to flow in a direction opposite to the direct current flow to produce a current zero, thus enabling safe interruption of the high DC current while minimizing the magnitude of transient voltages during switching.
US09236165B2

To provide an electric cable that can satisfy flame retardancy and battery fluid resistance in the CHFUS region provided in ISO 6722 and also satisfy low-temperature resistance, wear resistance, and peelability by using a halogen-containing flame retardant. An electric cable in which a coat layer is formed of a non-crosslinked resin composition that includes (A) 40 to 84 parts by mass of a polypropylene homopolymer, (B) 1 to 10 parts by mass of a polypropylene-based modified resin, (C) 10 to 30 parts by mass of a polyolefin-based copolymer, and (D) 5 to 20 parts by mass of an olefin-based elastomer and further includes 1 to 45 parts by mass of a metal hydroxide and 10 to 80 parts by mass of a halogen-containing flame retardant based on 100 parts by mass of the resins (A), (B), (C), and (D) in total.
US09236159B2

Provided is a polyether rubber that contains a specific proportion of a specific unit containing an onium ion. According to the present invention, a conductive member and a cross-linked rubber that constitutes part of the conductive member can be provided, in which the conductive member has low electrical resistance value and little variation in electrical resistance, and suppressed increases in the electrical resistance value even if used continuously.
US09236157B2

The invention provides a process for producing a transparent conducting film, which film comprises a doped zinc oxide wherein the dopant comprises Si, which process comprises: disposing a composition which is a liquid composition or a gel composition onto a substrate, wherein the composition comprises Zn and Si; and heating said substrate. The invention further provides transparent conducting films obtainable by the process of the invention, including transparent conducting films which comprise a doped zinc oxide wherein the dopant comprises Si, and wherein the film covers a surface area equal to or greater than 0.01 m2. The invention also provides a coated substrate, which substrate comprises a surface, which surface is coated with a transparent conducting film, wherein the film comprises a doped zinc oxide wherein the dopant comprises Si, and wherein the area of said surface which is coated with said film is equal to or greater than 0.01 m2. The invention further provides coatings comprising the films of the invention, processes for producing such films and coatings, and various uses of the films and coatings.
US09236152B2

The present invention relates to a method for detecting the drop of a cluster in a pressurized-water nuclear reactor, comprising the steps of: detecting a negative time derivative of the neutron flux, and comparing the absolute value of said time derivative to a first threshold value (S1); triggering a time delay (ΔT) if said absolute value is greater than said threshold value (S1); detecting a positive time derivative of said neutron flux, and comparing the absolute value of said time-derivative to a second threshold value (S2); and triggering the emergency shutdown of the reactor if the absolute value of said positive time derivative of said flux becomes greater than said second threshold value (S2) during said time delay (ΔT).
US09236150B2

Disclosed embodiments include nuclear fission reactor cores, nuclear fission reactors, methods of operating a nuclear fission reactor, and methods of managing excess reactivity in a nuclear fission reactor.
US09236136B2

An electronic memory or controller may use a first type of read command, addressed to a first page of memory of an electronic memory that includes information to indicate that a second page of memory of the electronic memory has not been programmed and a second type of read command, addressed to the first page of memory, that includes information to indicate that the second page of memory has been programmed. The first page of memory may include a lower page of a multi-level cell (MLC), and the second page of memory may include an upper page of the same MLC. The second page of memory is enabled during a period of time that the first type of read command is used.
US09236125B2

An electronic device can include a tunnel structure that includes a first electrode, a second electrode, and tunnel dielectric layer disposed between the electrodes. In a particular embodiment, the tunnel structure may or may not include an intermediate doped region that is at the primary surface, abuts a lightly doped region, and has a second conductivity type opposite from and a dopant concentration greater than the lightly doped region. In another embodiment, the electrodes have opposite conductivity types. In a further embodiment, an electrode can be formed from a portion of a substrate or well region, and the other electrode can be formed over such portion of the substrate or well region.
US09236117B2

A semiconductor memory device includes a pipe channel layer formed on a semiconductor substrate, a first channel layer, a second channel layer and a third channel layer, connected with the pipe channel layer, first conductive layers stacked while surrounding the first channel layer, second conductive layers stacked while surrounding the second channel layer, and third conductive layers stacked while surrounding the third channel layer, wherein the first to third conductive layers are separately controlled.
US09236109B1

A semiconductor device includes a plurality of channels. Each of the channels includes a plurality of banks sequentially activated at intervals of a predetermined time in response to a refresh command; a comparator, when the refresh command is input to a corresponding channel, configured to detect whether the refresh command is applied to a contiguous channel; a delay decision unit configured to output a control signal to determine a bank active delay time in response to an output signal of the comparator; and a delay circuit configured to control an active delay time of the plurality of banks in response to an output signal of the delay decision unit.
US09236108B1

A semiconductor memory apparatus may include a row address control block configured to output an address as a row address or output a counted signal as the row address in response to a refresh signal and the address, and generate an auto-precharge signal and a pre-bank active signal in response to the refresh signal and a bank active signal. The semiconductor memory apparatus may include a bank control block configured to generate the bank active signal in response to an active signal, a precharge signal, a bank address signal, the auto-precharge signal and the pre-bank active signal.
US09236107B1

A system on chip (SoC) may have an array ferroelectric bit cells. The array may include a plurality of bit cells organized into a plurality of rows and columns. A set of word lines is configured such that one of the plurality of word lines is connected to each bit cell in a row of bit cells. A set of column oriented platelines is provided, wherein each column of bit cells has one of the plurality of platelines connected to each bit cell in the column of bit cells. A set of bitlines is provided, wherein each column of bit cells has one of the plurality of bitlines connected to each bit cell in the column of bit cells. Multiplexors may be used to allow one plateline drivers, bitline drivers, and sense amps to be shared between multiple platelines and bitlines.
US09236104B2

A semiconductor storage device according to the present embodiment includes a plurality of bit lines, a plurality of word lines, and a plurality of memory cells corresponding to intersections between the bit lines and the word lines, respectively, and including magnetic tunnel junction elements capable of storing data. A plurality of sense amplifiers respectively correspond to the bit lines and are configured to detect data stored in the memory cells via a bit line selected from among the corresponding bit lines. A plurality of read latch parts correspond to the sense amplifiers, respectively, and are configured to latch data detected by the corresponding sense amplifiers. A plurality of read global data buses are connected to the read latch parts, respectively, and are configured to consecutively transmit data latched by the read latch parts at a time of a data read operation.
US09236096B2

An embodiment of the invention discloses a method for writing concurrently a binary logical value to one or more dummy memory cells in a dummy bit line pair. A diode is electrically connected between a power supply and the positive power supply line connected to the dummy memory cells. The binary logical value is then driven on to the dummy bit line pair. Next, one or more dummy word lines are driven to a logical high allowing selected dummy memory cells to be written with the binary logical value. After the selected dummy memory cells have been written to, the one or more dummy word lines are driven to a logical low. Next the diode is disabled by turning on a PFET connected between the power supply and the positive power supply line. Turning on the PFET also electrically connects the power supply to the positive power supply line.
US09236092B2

Described herein are system(s), method(s), and apparatus for embedding personal video recorder functions at the picture level. In one embodiment, there is presented a computer readable medium for storing a data structure. The data structure comprises a picture header and at least one command following the picture header.
US09236091B2

An apparatus for processing stored data packets in a media data container and stored associated meta information in a metadata container, the associated meta information having transport timing information and location information indicating a storage location of the stored data packets in the media data container, the apparatus having a processor for determining, based on the stored data packets and the stored associated meta information, decoding information for a media payload of the stored data packets, wherein the decoding information indicates at which time instant to replay which payload of the stored data packets.
US09236086B1

Systems and methods for reducing operational latency of data storage systems are disclosed. More particularly, a data storage device can perform conditioning operations on inactive zones while the data storage device is idle. When an active zone is the target of a write command, the data storage device can exchange a conditioned inactive zone for the unconditioned target zone. The write operation can be performed immediately on the previously-inactive already-conditioned zone. At a later time, the target zone can be conditioned.
US09236082B2

A plasmon generator includes a first portion and a second portion that are adjacent in a first direction orthogonal to the direction of travel of light propagating through a core. The second portion includes a front end face located in a medium facing surface of a magnetic head. The core has a concave portion recessed from the top surface of the core. At least part of the first portion is received in the concave portion. The concave portion has a surface including an evanescent light generating portion. The first portion includes a plasmon exciting portion opposed to the evanescent light generating portion. The evanescent light generating portion is inclined relative to a first surface.
US09236071B1

A method of manufacturing a suspension for a head of a data storage device is disclosed, the method comprising etching at least one continuous cycle of a periodic pattern on the suspension, wherein a first part of the continuous cycle adjusts a pitch static attitude (PSA) of the suspension and a second part of the continuous cycle adjusts a roll static attitude (RSA) of the suspension.
US09236069B2

A method for making a current-perpendicular-to-the-plane magnetoresistive sensor structure produces a top electrode that is “self-aligned” on the top of the sensor and with a width less than the sensor trackwidth. A pair of walls of ion-milling resistant material are fabricated to a predetermined height above the biasing layers at the sensor side edges. A layer of electrode material is then deposited onto the top of the sensor between the two walls. The walls serve as a mask during angled ion milling to remove outer portions of the electrode layer. The height of the walls and the angle of ion milling determines the width of the resulting top electrode. This leaves the reduced-width top electrode located on the sensor. Because of the directional ion milling using walls that are aligned with the sensor side edges, the reduced-width top electrode is self-aligned in the center of the sensor.
US09236067B2

The back EMF (BEMF) of a motor is sensed and compared to a target back EMF (BEMF) to generate an error control signal. The circuit supply voltage is also sensed. A PWM motor control signal is generated in response to a comparison of the error control signal to a ramp signal having a variable slope. The variable slope is selected in response to the sensed circuit supply voltage. The motor is then driven in response to the PWM control signal. The sign of the error control signal is used to selectively short one of motor terminals to a reference voltage supply node while the other motor terminal is driven in response to the PWM control signal.
US09236065B2

A method is provided for automatically reclaiming areas with unneeded data in a tape cartridge (medium) storing files updated by appended writing. In this reclamation method, the appended writing entails the sequential compression of data needed by the updated file (needed data) and data not needed by the file (unneeded data) and storage of the compressed data on the medium, and the medium is divided into at least three data partitions for the storage of data.
US09236063B2

A method of bit allocation is described. The method includes, for each among a plurality of vectors, calculating a corresponding one of a plurality of gain factors. The method also includes, for each among the plurality of vectors, calculating a corresponding bit allocation that is based on the gain factor. The method further includes, for at least one among the plurality of vectors, determining that the corresponding bit allocation is not greater than a minimum allocation value. The method additionally includes, in response to the determining, for each of the at least one vector, changing the corresponding bit allocation.
US09236055B2

Methods and devices for a low complex inter-channel difference estimation are provided. A method for the estimation of inter-channel differences (ICDs), comprises applying a transformation from a time domain to a frequency domain to a plurality of audio channel signals, calculating a plurality of ICD values for the ICDs between at least one of the plurality of audio channel signals and a reference audio channel signal over a predetermined frequency range, each ICD value being calculated over a portion of the predetermined frequency range, calculating, for each of the plurality of ICD values, a weighted ICD value by multiplying each of the plurality of ICD values with a corresponding frequency-dependent weighting factor, and calculating an ICD range value for the predetermined frequency range by adding the plurality of weighted ICD values.
US09236053B2

An encoding and decoding system includes: a characteristic determining unit which determines whether a sound signal is a speech signal or an audio signal; an encoder which encodes the sound signal into an encoded signal, based on a determination by the characteristic determining unit; a transmitting unit which transmits the encoded signal; a receiving unit which receives the encoded signal; a decoder which decodes the encoded signal; and a packet loss detecting unit which detects a loss of data of the encoded signal and transmits a notification indicating the loss of the data to the characteristic determining unit. Upon receiving the notification indicating the loss of the data, the characteristic determining unit causes the encoder to encode the sound signal portion into a signal portion composed of independently decodable frames.
US09236045B2

Techniques for presenting data input as a plurality of data chunks including a first data chunk and a second data chunk. The techniques include converting the plurality of data chunks to a textual representation comprising a plurality of text chunks including a first text chunk corresponding to the first data chunk and a second text chunk corresponding to the second data chunk, respectively, and providing a presentation of at least part of the textual representation such that the first text chunk is presented differently than the second text chunk to, when presented, assist a user in proofing the textual representation.
US09236043B2

Controlling a reading machine while reading a document to a user by receiving an image of a document, accessing a knowledge base that provides data that identifies sections in the document and processing user commands to select a section of the document. The reading machine applies text-to-speech to a text file that corresponds to the selected section of the document, to read the selected section of the document aloud to the user.
US09236040B2

A sounding device of the present invention includes a grip, an actuator adjacent the grip, and a resonator adjacent the actuator. The grip is configured to be worn on one hand of a user. The actuator is configured to strike the resonator, and the resonator is configured to make a sound when struck by the actuator. A method of utilizing the sounding device includes securing the sounding device on a hand of a user by inserting a first finger of the user's hand near the thumb through the grip, and inserting a second finger of the user's hand adjacent the first finger on at least a portion of the grip. The method further includes placing the thumb on the actuator and activating the sounding device by causing the actuator to make contact with the resonator, wherein the resonator is configured to make a sound when contacted by the actuator.
US09236035B1

A technique analyzes an image to be displayed on a screen, before it is displayed, to determine a current draw of that image on the screen. Based on this analysis, adjustments can be made to the circuitry so that when the image is displayed, it is done so more efficiently. In a specific implementation, a DC-to-DC converter includes two boost converter circuits. Based on the analyzed image, the technique turns on a single boost converter when the current draw of that image is below an identified current threshold level, and turns on two boost converters when above the identified current threshold level.
US09236033B2

A display controller displays, on a display device, a color to be adjusted used to adjust a display color, and a plurality of candidate colors which define a first color range including the color to be adjusted, all of which are instructed by a user. A selector selects one of the plurality of candidate colors based on a user instruction. The display controller displays the selected candidate color as the color to be adjusted on the display device, and also displays, on the display device, a plurality of candidate colors which define a second color range including the color to be adjusted. The second color range is narrower than the first color range.
US09236030B2

An electro-optic device including a pixel circuit that includes an electro-optic element and a driving transistor; a first data generation unit that, during a first period when image display operation is not performed, detects a temperature and generates first data which allows control of brightness of an image in accordance with the detected temperature; and a luminance control unit that, during a second period when image display operation is performed, performs control of luminance of the electro-optic element on the basis of the first data which is generated during the first period.
US09236023B2

A liquid crystal display device (1) includes a plurality of pixels disposed in a matrix form. The liquid crystal display device (1) is driven such that, after a common data voltage is applied to liquid crystal layers of sub pixels disposed in each of the pixels, the transmittance of the liquid crystal layer of a sub pixel which is positioned closest to a boundary between a retarder plate (RR) and a retarder plate (RL) will be decreased. The maximum value of the transmittance of the liquid crystal layers of the sub pixels in a first display mode is smaller than that in a second display mode.
US09236018B2

A display device includes a display portion having gate and source signal lines, and a plurality of pixels, a gate driver that outputs gate signals, a source driver that outputs source signals, and a controller that causes the display portion to display an image at a frame frequency. The controller sets the frame frequency to a first frame frequency F1 when the image is a moving picture, and the controller sets the frame frequency to a second frame frequency F2 lower than F1 when the image is a still picture. The gate driver outputs the gate signals to the gate signal lines in an aligned order of gate signal lines in a second direction when the frame frequency is F1, and the gate driver outputs the gate signals to the gate signal lines in different order from the array order when the frame frequency is F2.
US09236007B2

An organic light-emitting display device comprising first through third pixels emitting light of first through third colors, respectively and a fourth pixel comprising first through third subpixels which emit light of the first through third colors, respectively, is disclosed.
US09235996B2

An article (101) is provided which includes a plurality of panels (103), wherein each panel comprises a first edge having a first longitudinally extending protrusion (107) adjacent thereto and a second edge having a second longitudinally extending protrusion (109) adjacent thereto, wherein each of the first and second protrusions has a planar exterior surface (131) and an interior surface (133) having an indentation (135) therein, and wherein the plurality of panels are arranged in an abutting manner such that the planar exterior surface of at least one first protrusion and at least one second protrusion are disposed in an opposing relation to each other. A coupler (113) is also provided which extends over said first and second protrusions. The coupler is equipped with at least a first protuberance (145) which engages the indentation on the interior surface of the first protrusion.
US09235987B2

A method and system may manage the driver's attention while driving. The driver may be driving using an autonomous driving system or limited-ability autonomous driving system. A method may detect, by a sensor, characteristics of a driver; determine, based on the detected characteristics of the driver, whether the driver exercises sufficient supervisory control of the vehicle; and provide a series of one or more prompts, wherein each prompt's intrusiveness is related to the determination of whether the driver exercises sufficient supervisory control of the vehicle.
US09235986B2

An apparatus and method for programming a universal remote control. The method includes receiving a transmitted signal of unknown modulation technique from a native remote control and characterizing the received signal in parameters of a pre-determined modulation technique.
US09235980B2

A security system comprises a system control panel for arming and disarming the security system. A door sensing unit comprises a first radio frequency (RF) transceiver interconnected with the system control panel over a network. The first RF transceiver is mounted proximate to a door that defines at least a portion of a perimeter around an area to be monitored by the security system. The first RF transceiver has an RF detection field proximate to the door. A disarm device comprises a second RF transceiver that automatically transmits a disarm device packet. The first RF transceiver receives the disarm device packet when the second RF transceiver is within the RF detection field. The first RF transceiver sends a disarm message to the system control panel over the network to disarm the security system based on at least the disarm device packet.
US09235978B1

An alert suggestion generator may automatically suggest alerts for a user based on user input. The user input may include natural language text and/or user actions that the suggestion generator can use to generate alerts that have a high likelihood of relevance, and therefore desirability, to the user. Each alert may have a trigger condition such as passage of time, measurement of a numeric metric, or other factors. Each alert may also have a notification setting defining how the user is to be notified. The alert suggestion generator may retrieve a user profile of the user to further determine what alerts would be most relevant to the user. The user may be queried to confirm the alerts, and the alerts may them be set. Partial alerts may be generated and then the user may be queried for the trigger condition and/or notification setting needed to complete the alerts.
US09235977B2

A system and methods is provided for facilitating, monitoring and recording caregiver and patient compliance with established hospital hand hygiene protocols. The system comprises a 3-D imaging and monitoring assembly and an optional intelligent programmable monitor/sanitizer. Three dimensional imagery tracks a caregiver's movements and location while generating a representative image value. Information acquired by the imaging system determines the proximity of a caregiver to the patient and/or contamination source and determines if the sanitizers provided have been utilized and if so, at an appropriate time and distance from the patient per hospital protocol. While being monitored, a representative Avatar based on physical characteristics derived from three dimensional images of the caregiver and patient may be generated so as to maintain anonymity of both unless a violation of institutional protocol occurs which may be forensically recorded in real-time for analysis.
US09235971B1

A service window optimized system alert engine is disclosed for automated generation and delivery of alerts relating to detected conditions of a monitored system. The service window optimized system alert engine comprises a state monitor, a system configuration and history module, an alert generator, and an alert router. The state monitor is configured to send status data of the monitored system to the alert generator. The system configuration and history module provides information to the alert generator specifying an alert generation policy established for the monitored system. The alert generator is configured to process the status data from the state monitor in accordance with the alert generation policy specified by the system configuration and history module to generate at least one alert. The alert router is configured to determine optimal delivery characteristics for the generated alert and to deliver the alert in accordance with the optimal delivery characteristics.
US09235968B2

A wearable computing device comprises one or more one eye pieces each of which further comprises a flexible frame surrounding a display screen and tactile elements arranged on the perimeter of the display screen. The tactile elements provide tactile feedback to the user that is synchronous with the display on the display screen. A detection system is also included in the flexible frame to monitor the movements of a wearer's eyes and the eye sockets and to execute various tasks in response to the detected movements. A visual cortex thought detector also coupled to the wearable computing device obtains information regarding the wearer's thoughts and manipulates a display on the display screen based on the obtained information.
US09235967B1

An apparatus that operates to cause financial transfers responsive to data read from data bearing records, includes at least one processor that is in operative connection with a card reader, a check acceptor, a cash dispenser and a display. The at least one processor causes the machine to operate to read card data from a user card, and to cause a determination to be made that the read card data corresponds to an authorized financial account. The at least one processor is operative to cause data to be read from a check and/or cash to be dispensed, and a financial transfer to or from the account corresponding to the value thereof. Machine instructions are output and user transaction inputs can be received through either a primary or an auxiliary touch screen display.
US09235961B2

Methods and apparatus for playing video games in a network environment are provided. One method includes receiving a request to initiate a game for a player of a first network connected device and enabling a second player from a second networked connected device to play the game. The method also enables transfer of currency between the first and second players using the network for playing the game. The method debits an account of a player that transferred the currency and credits an account of a player that that received the currency. The method then enables purchases in the game using the credited currency and displays an avatar of the first player on a display of the second networked connected device, and displays an avatar of the second player on a display of the first networked connected device.
US09235960B2

An apparatus and method allow a value of a credit balance on a gaming device to be determined. If the value is not less than a predetermined threshold, a benefit is provided to the player of the gaming device. In various embodiments, the benefit may be, e.g., an increase in the player's credit balance.
US09235957B2

A publisher-subscriber architecture with standardized and/or dynamic event/message look up can be implemented on wagering game establishment networks to establish a robust and flexible reporting and reacting mechanism. Processes that operate in accordance with the publisher-subscriber architecture can coordinate operations across multiple devices in a wagering game establishment, and even across multiple wagering game establishments, in response to an event occurring. Processes can operate as publishers and/or subscribers, and can reside on a WGM (e.g., standalone, portable, etc.) or a server. Processes operating as publishers on a WGM can publish information about events that occur on the WGM. Processes operating as subscribers can interpret published event information from different vendors and use published event information in a number of different ways.
US09235948B2

A device for checking a secured object provided with at least one security element for generating sequential or dynamic optical effects according to the orientation thereof and/or the movements applied thereto, has a display screen, a position and/or motion sensor and a device for generating and displaying on the screen a simulation of the nominal security element associated with the secured object, the display depending on the orientation of the device as determined by the position and/or motion sensor, so as to be able to compare the security element of the object to be checked and the simulation according to the respective orientations or movements thereof. A method for checking the secured object is by means of such a device.
US09235947B2

A subject discriminating apparatus discriminates a subject having an unevenness pattern on a surface of the subject. The subject discriminating apparatus includes: a transparent unit including a supporting surface supporting the subject; a light irradiation unit irradiating illumination light onto the surface of the subject through the transparent unit; an imaging unit imaging an imaging region including at least a part of the transparent unit, and generating image data; and a discrimination processing unit discriminating the subject, using the image data generated by the imaging unit. The discrimination processing unit discriminates the subject based on discrimination image data generated by correcting subject image data using correction image data. The subject image data is generated by imaging the imaging region in a state of the subject presenting in the imaging region. The correction image data is generated by imaging the imaging region free from the subject in the imaging region.
US09235941B2

Methods and systems for a media controller subsystem that can provide video streaming using a distributed network control server, media server, and virtual network console on a common processing or circuit board and filter and apply restrictions to media content based on one or more of the identity of the vehicle occupant requesting media content, the identity of a portable computational device associated with the vehicle occupant, and the spatial location of the vehicle occupant and/or remote computational device.
US09235932B2

A method and apparatus to generate a volume-panorama image based on three-dimensional (3D) volume images is provided. A method of generating a volume-panorama image includes receiving pieces of image data of one or more volume images, extracting partial regions including one or more voxels from the volume images, determining a global conversion function representing a relationship of a conversion between a second volume image of the volume images and a first volume image of the volume images, the determined global conversion function being based on a conversion function representing a relationship of a conversion between one of the extracted partial regions of the second volume image and one of the extracted partial regions of the first volume image, and generating image data of a volume image to be combined with the first volume image from image data of the second volume image based on the determined global conversion function.
US09235924B2

Methods for generating a virtual world are described. The virtual world may comprise a three-dimensional gameworld associated with a video game. The virtual world may be represented by a plurality of voxels arranged in a three-dimensional grid. Each voxel of the plurality of voxels may be associated with various attributes such as one or more color values, an opacity value, a location within the virtual world, a fill value, and a cubify value. In some embodiments, the virtual world may be generated or edited using a computer graphics editing tool that assigns one or more cubify values to one or more voxels using a voxel selection tool, such as a cubify brush. A voxel's cubify value may be used to determine how the voxel is rendered by a rendering engine, for example, whether the voxel is rendered as a rectilinear cube or as a smooth isosurface.
US09235923B1

Systems and methods for providing a visualization of satellite sightline obstructions are provided. An example method includes identifying an approximate position of a receiver antenna. The method further includes providing a rendering of a physical environment surrounding the receiver antenna for display within a user interface. The user interface can be provided on a display. Satellite positional data associated with the position of a satellite is accessed and a sightline between the approximate position of the receiver antenna and the position of the satellite is determined. The method further includes presenting the sightline within the user interface in association with the rendering. An example system includes a data capture system and a computing device to provide a visualization of satellite sightline obstructions.
US09235920B2

The present invention relates to three dimension (3D) scene representations and in particular to a method and a processor for providing improved 3D scene representations. An objective of the embodiments of the present invention is to improve the determination of consistency among a plurality of projections at a virtual view denoted vF. When determining the consistency, entries of a distance matrix, indicative of distance differences of 3D components between different views for a corresponding segment k when projected to the predefined view (vF) for each segment k, are compared with entries of a threshold matrix. The objective is achieved by assigning each segment k of a 3D component to a cluster based on individual rules for each cluster and one threshold matrix and by determining one threshold matrix for each cluster based on the segments of that cluster.
US09235908B2

A method, system, and program product are provided for removing artifacts from an EM field generator from a rotational 3D scan. The method comprises: preoperatively, characterizing the artifacts from the EM field generator over a range of rotational positions of an x-ray source and detector; intraoperatively, determining the position of the EM field generator relative to the x-ray source and detector; and removing the preoperatively characterized artifacts for the determined relative position of the EM field generator from current x-ray image.
US09235903B2

An image processing system and method of operation includes: a source image having source pixels; a homogeneity image module for forming a homogeneity image having homogeneity pixels each with a homogeneity value indicating the local homogeneity of source pixels of the source image; a watershed image module, coupled to the homogeneity image module, for forming a watershed image having watershed segments with a segment weight, the watershed image formed by segmenting the homogeneity image, and for merging one of the watershed segments with another of the watershed segments both having the segment weight less than or equal to a segment threshold; a contour map module, coupled to the watershed image module, for forming a segmentation contour map having boundaries of the watershed segments formed by merging the watershed segments; and a composite image module for forming a composite image with the segmentation contour map for display on a device.
US09235902B2

Contact-less remote-sensing crack detection and/quantification methodologies are described, which are based on three-dimensional (3D) scene reconstruction, image processing, and pattern recognition. The systems and methodologies can utilize depth perception for detecting and/or quantifying cracks. These methodologies can provide the ability to analyze images captured from any distance and using any focal length or resolution. This adaptive feature may be especially useful for incorporation into mobile systems, such as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) or mobile autonomous or semi-autonomous robotic systems such as wheel-based or track-based radio controlled robots, as utilizing such structural inspection methods onto those mobile platforms may allow inaccessible regions to be properly inspected for cracks.
US09235891B2

A system and method for predicting disease outcome by analyzing a large, heterogeneous image by a boosted, multi-field-of-view (FOV) framework, based on image-based features from multi-parametric heterogeneous images, comprises (a) inputting the heterogeneous image; (b) generating a plurality of FOVs at a plurality of fixed FOV sizes, the method for generating the plurality of FOVs at a plurality of fixed FOV sizes comprising dividing simultaneously, via the computing device, the large, heterogeneous image into (i) a plurality of FOVs at a first fixed FOV size from among the plurality of fixed FOV sizes; and (ii) a plurality of FOVs at a second fixed FOV size from among the plurality of fixed FOV sizes; (c) producing simultaneously for the heterogeneous image a combined class decision for: (i) the plurality of FOVs at the first fixed FOV size, and (ii) the plurality of FOV s at the second fixed FOV size.
US09235882B2

A method for detecting a dust spot (16) in a digital image (10) includes the steps of determining (226) an expected dust spot configuration (344) of the dust spot (16) in the image (10); applying (228) a statistic order filter to a value channel of an HSV color space of the image to generate a filtered value for each pixel being evaluated (349), the filtered value being based upon the expected dust spot configuration (344); and comparing (230) the filtered value to an actual color space value of a plurality of pixels (348) in the digital image (10) to generate (232) a binary image (350). In one embodiment, the method can also include the step of comparing (234) the binary image (350) to the expected dust spot configuration (344) to determine a probability of the presence of the dust spot (16) in the digital image (10).
US09235881B2

An embodiment of the invention provides an apparatus and a method. An intensity gradient between first and second optical image data of an optical image produced by an optical scanning device is determined. The first optical image data is a first optical image pixel and the second optical image data is a second optical image pixel. An intensity gradient image comprising a plurality of intensity gradient image pixels is determined, each intensity gradient image pixel representing the magnitude of an intensity gradient. One or more anomalies in the optical image in dependence on the magnitude of the intensity gradient being greater than or equal to a threshold value is identified.
US09235872B2

An image processing device (10) includes: a representative pixel value storage unit (12) which selects one of plural sub-pixels as a representative sub-pixel, and store, into a representative pixel value storage area, a representative pixel value which is a pixel value of the representative sub-pixel; and a sub-pixel value storage unit (13) which stores, into a sub-pixel value storage area, pixel values of sub-pixels other than the representative sub-pixel, wherein the sub-pixel value storage area stores one or more sets corresponding to N number of pixels, the one or more sets each including a pixel position and a pixel value of each sub-pixel other than the representative sub-pixel of a pixel at the pixel position, N being a natural number smaller than a total number of the plural pixels in the unit of processing for an edge determination unit (11).
US09235871B2

A method and system for a command processor for efficient processing of a program multi-processor core system with a CPU and GPU. The multi-core system includes a general purpose CPU executing commands in a CPU programming language and a graphic processing unit (GPU) executing commands in a GPU programming language. A command processor is coupled to the CPU and GPU. The command processor sequences jobs from a program for processing by the CPU or the GPU. The command processor creates commands from the jobs in a state free command format. The command processor generates a sequence of commands for execution by either the CPU or the GPU in the command format. A compiler running a meta language converts program data for the commands into a first format readable by the CPU programming language and a second format readable by the GPU programming language.
US09235866B2

Disclosed is a method and system for analyzing a social network, the method comprising: segregating, by a processor, the social network into a plurality of groups of users, wherein each group of users has a unique identity in the social network; mining, by the processor, data from a group of users of the plurality of groups of users; identifying a plurality of social variables from the data, wherein the plurality of social variables comprises at least one of a number of users, connections of the users, interactions of the users, affinity of the users, or posts by the users; equating a social variable of the plurality of social variables with a thermodynamic variable of a plurality of thermodynamic variables; determining quantitative values of the plurality of thermodynamic variables based upon the plurality of social variables; generating a virtual thermodynamics system based upon the quantitative values for analyzing the social network.
US09235860B1

A system and method for guiding consumers through category-based transactions leads consumers through the creation of registries or shopping lists by displaying a group of items in a series of categories, and selecting one or more of the items within the categories. A user's progress in creating the registry may be displayed in a persistent menu bar that remains displayed on an interface as the user advances from one category to another. The systems and methods may be utilized by one or more users to create an electronic baby registry or wedding registry, to prepare for any event, or to enhance any category-based shopping experience at an online marketplace.
US09235859B2

An apparatus and method for obtaining image feature data of an image are disclosed herein. A color histogram of the image is extracted from the image, the extraction of the color histogram including performing one-dimensional sampling of pixels comprising the image in each of a first dimension of a color space, a second dimension of the color space, and a third dimension of the color space. An edge map corresponding to the image is analyzed to detect a pattern included in the image. In response to a confidence level of the pattern detection being below a pre-defined threshold, extracting from the image an orientation histogram of the image. And identify a dominant color of the image.
US09235858B1

Disclosed are various embodiments for locally searching a search string in network content. A user accesses network content through a client device and enters a search string through the client device. Once the local search is performed on the network content by a client application or a search application through a network, the result would be encoded and displayed for the user to view. Furthermore, a content modifying application modifies the content of one or more network contents or pages based on the stored local search data. The content modifying application may also make recommendations as to what information should be included in the network content.
US09235854B1

A method, system and computer program product for generating a review rating the performance of a pattern. The deployment of a pattern, the service history of the pattern and the operation of the pattern are monitored and information pertaining to the monitored pattern deployment, the monitored service history and the monitored pattern operation is collected, where a pattern is an abstract model of a topology and application environment that encapsulates installation, configuration and management of middleware and applications. The collected information is analyzed to automatically generate a review that contains a score and a comment rating the performance, such as the success or lack of success, in deploying, servicing and operating the pattern. In this manner, a review of a pattern, including a score and a suggested comment, may be automatically generated without requiring the user, such as a system administrator, to spend time writing the review.
US09235852B2

Contextually relevant pieces of alternative content, including advertisements, are selected for display with requested content based on documents or other second content sources that are referenced by or in the requested content.
US09235850B1

Systems and methods for adaptation of content to mobile devices. A mobile device type can be identified based upon a request originating from the mobile device. Content can also be identified based upon the request. The content can be converted based upon the mobile device type and the converted content can be served to the mobile device.
US09235849B2

User profile information for a user may be determined by (a) determining initial user profile information for the user, (b) inferring user profile information for the user, and (c) determining the user profile information for the user using both the initial user profile information and the inferred user profile information. Initial user profile information for the user may be determined using past search queries submitted by the user, and/or past document selections by the user. User profile information for the user may be inferred by (a) defining a node for each of a number of documents and the user, (b) adding edges between nodes if there is an association between the nodes to define a graph, and (c) inferring user profile information for the user using a topology of the graph and user profile information of other documents. Similarly, user profile information for a document may be determined by (a) determining initial user profile information for the document, (b) inferring user profile information for the document, and (c) determining the user profile information for the document using both the initial user profile information and the inferred user profile information. The initial user profile information for the document may be determined using content information from the document, and/or document meta information. User profile information for the document may be inferred by (a) defining a node for each of a number of documents and for each of a number of users, (b) adding edges between nodes if there is an association between the nodes to define a graph, and (c) inferring user profile information for the document using a topology of the graph and user profile information of users and of other documents. Document, user, and/or ad user profile information may be used when serving ads.
US09235839B2

A novel system and methodology for conducting financial and other transactions using a wireless device. Credentials may be selectively issued by issuers such as credit card companies, banks, and merchants to consumers permitting the specific consumer to conduct a transaction according to the authorization given as reflected by the credential or set of credentials. The preferred mechanism for controlling and distributing credentials according to the present invention is through one or more publicly accessible networks such as the Internet wherein the system design and operating characteristics are in conformance with the standards and other specific requirements of the chosen network or set of networks. Credentials are ultimately supplied to a handheld device such as a mobile telephone via a wireless network. The user holding the credential may then use the handheld device to conduct the authorized transaction or set of transactions via, for example, a short range wireless link with a point-of-sale terminal.
US09235838B2

A flow control apparatus for controlling fluid flow in a petroleum reservoir. The flow control apparatus has a flow control mechanism, a controller operable to control the flow control mechanism to adjust fluid flow through the flow control mechanism, the controller comprising a processor operable to execute according to a control algorithm, and a non-volatile memory connected to the controller. The non-volatile memory includes instructions to cause the controller to execute an authentication mechanism operable to authenticate a control computer and to prevent operation of the controller until the authentication mechanism authenticates the control computer.
US09235836B2

A method of verifying the authenticity of an identification card, including capturing, with a point-of-sale scanner, a first image of the identification card, configuring an ultraviolet filter mounted within the point-of-sale scanner to allow the passage of ultraviolet light within, illuminating the identification card with ultraviolet light, capturing, with the point-of-sale scanner, a second image of the identification card, and determining if the identification card is authentic by analyzing the first and second images.
US09235831B2

A method includes providing a first payment account that is issued by a first financial institution and enables an accountholder thereof to make payments at merchants via a closed-loop payments network corresponding to the first financial institution and mobile person-to-person payments using the payment account. The method includes enabling a second payment account that is issued by a second financial institution to be electronically linked to the first payment account and used as a source of funds. The method includes providing a mobile operating system and enabling a plurality of merchant-specific payment accounts to be associated with a mobile communications device having the operating system. The method includes determining whether a merchant-specific payment account that is accepted only by a particular merchant is available to the accountholder via the mobile communications device and receiving a fee when the first payment account is used for a purchase.
US09235825B2

Methods and systems using aggregated electrical system load profiles in determining additional load profiles, and determining consumption management system characteristics, features, and operating requirements at a site are disclosed, along with methods of generating and maintaining databases of load profile information and consumption management system requirements. By using some embodiments of the methods and systems described herein, it is faster and easier to design and implement effective consumption management systems, to determine problematic electrical systems at a site, and to diminish anomalous consumption patterns in an aggregate unprofiled electrical system load profile.
US09235816B2

Seat selection for prospective spectators at a performance venue is facilitated by displaying virtual views of the performance space from any selected seat. The virtual seat views can be photorealistic renderings based on a three dimensional digital model of the performance venue. The virtual seat views can also reflect the seat locations as well as estimated spectator heights of eye.
US09235815B2

A method, device and computer program product for name resolution in a collaborative environment may include receiving initiation of a collaboration from a user, where the collaboration includes actions from at least two applications. The method may also include determining an identity of the user initiating the collaboration. The method may further include retrieving an alias of the user and attaching the alias of the user to the collaboration.
US09235810B2

An event analysis apparatus configured to analyze events including alarms generated in a plurality of devices and operations targeting the devices is provided. The event analysis apparatus includes an event log collection unit configured to collect an event log including an occurrence date and time of the event, a device identifier (ID) of the device in which the event occurs, and an event type ID of the event, an event log storage unit configured to convert the event log into an event matrix representing presence and absence of occurrence of each device event obtained by coupling the device ID and the event type ID in time series and save the event matrix; and an event analysis unit configured to calculate a conditional probability between the device events to construct a Bayesian network by dividing the event matrix into blocks, each of which has a predetermined reference time width and determining the presence and absence of the occurrence of each of the device events in each of the blocks, and decide a device event as a cause of a device event of an analysis target or a device event to be generated later using the constructed Bayesian network.
US09235804B1

Sensor data having values received from several sensors of a mobile device and response data associated with the sensor data may be used in the determination or training of a predictive model. Received sensor data may be input into the predictive model, and the output of the predictive model may be used in the selection and serving of content items to the mobile device. Data to effect presentation of the selected content item may be outputted to the mobile device to effect presentation. In some instances, the predictive model may be updated using the received plurality of values. The updated predictive model may be used in the selection of a subsequent content item for the mobile device. In other implementations, historical sensor data may be used with the set of received sensor data as input for the predictive model.
US09235803B2

A web extension and content are linked contextually. A user interaction with the content launches a process to match a regular expression rule from the web extension to a portion of the content. An entity matching the regular expression rule is recorded and transmitted back to the web extension. Matched entity is integrated into the rule. The integrated rule is displayed in a web extension pane. The integrated rule and the entity are highlighted within the web extension pane and the content pane, respectively. The highlighted entity and the highlighted rule illustrate a contextual link between the web extension and the content.
US09235798B2

A data analysis system to analyze data. The data analysis system includes a data buffer configured to receive data to be analyzed. The data analysis system also includes a state machine lattice. The state machine lattice includes multiple data analysis elements and each data analysis element includes multiple memory cells configured to analyze at least a portion of the data and to output a result of the analysis. The data analysis system includes a buffer interface configured to receive the data from the data buffer and to provide the data to the state machine lattice.
US09235788B2

Disclosed is an image forming apparatus including a command receiving unit that receives a print command, a detector that detects a state of the operation unit, and a controller. When the detector detects that the state of the operation unit is a predetermined state subsequent to receiving the print command by the command receiving unit and prior to completion of printing based on the print command, the controller causes the printing to be terminated. When the detector detects that the state of the operation unit is not the predetermined state subsequent to receiving the print command by the command receiving unit and prior to the completion of the printing based on the print command, the controller causes the printing to be executed.
US09235785B2

A method for controlling the metering of ink in a printing press uses a control unit for comparing measured color values established on a print control strip to target color values and for controlling the metering of ink in the inking units of a printing press. The method is distinguished by the fact that the halftone of the measurement fields used for establishing the measured color values in the print control strip is independent of the halftone of the printed image. A printing substrate, a printing plate and a printing press having a device for creating halftone image data are also provided.
US09235782B1

A system and method for searching images and identifying images with similar facial features is disclosed. In one implementation, the system includes a pre-processing module, a feature extraction module, a model creation module, a similarity identifier module and a results display module. The pre-processing module receives a facial image, determines key-points associated with a facial feature and identifies a facial area including the facial feature. The feature extraction module extracts the key-points. The model creation module creates a similarity model for determining similar facial features at least in part by comparing the facial feature from a plurality of images. The similarity identifier module applies the similarity model to the facial feature an image in relation to the facial feature in other images and determines which other image has a most similar facial feature. The results display module presents a result based at least in part on the determination.
US09235768B1

Providing access to digitally published data includes creating a note having at least a portion that is handwritten by a first user, converting handwriting of the note into a content access identifier that varies according to the portion that is handwritten by the first user, associating the content access identifier with the digitally published data, and making the digitally published data available to a second user by making the note available to the second user. The digitally published data may be written to a public database and/or a private database. A portion of the note may be pre-printed. A pre-printed distinguishing pattern on the note may indicate that handwritten content corresponds to a content access identifier. The pre-printed portion may be a regular dotted pattern. The note may have a known identifiable color and size.
US09235767B2

A driving assistance device is provided with a turning state detection unit, an imaging unit, a solid object detection unit and a detection region modification unit. When the turning state detection unit detects that a host vehicle is in a turning state, the detection region modification unit alters a position of a detection region with respect to the host vehicle, or alters a shape or an area of the detection region based on the turning state of the host vehicle. For example, the detection region modification unit sets a shorter region length of the detection region as the turning radius of the host vehicle becomes smaller. Hereby, the region closest to the host vehicle is set, to a limited extent, as the detection regions.
US09235760B2

An image processing apparatus comprises an image acquiring unit that acquires images from the image managing server; an image analyzing unit that analyzes the acquired images to determine evaluation values thereof; a grouping unit that groups the acquired images into groups based on collateral information of the acquired images; a group selecting unit that selects groups including images having operation information as the collateral information out of the plurality of groups; an image selecting unit that selects images out of the images included in the selected groups, based on the evaluation values and the operation information; and an image arranging unit that arranges the selected images in a predetermined layout to create the synthetic image.
US09235756B2

A technique is described for table grid detection and separation during the analysis and recognition of documents containing table contents. The technique includes the steps of table detection, grid separation, and table cell extraction. The technique is characterized by the steps of detecting the grid lines of a table using, for example, inverse cell detection, separating noise and touching text from the grid lines, and extracting the cell contents for OCR recognition.
US09235755B2

A method for removing horizontal and vertical lines in a document image while preserving integrity of the character strokes that intersect the lines. For each detected horizontal line, a vertical run length profile is calculated. Areas of the run length profile having two adjacent peaks with a valley in between are detected, which correspond to intersections of the horizontal line with non-vertical lines. A first derivative curve may be used to detect such peaks and valleys. Areas of the run length profile with large run length value for consecutive pixel locations are also detected, which corresponds to intersections of the horizontal line with near vertical lines. The horizontal line is removed in areas outside of the intersection areas, while preserving pixels within the intersection areas. Vertical line removal may be done similarly. This template-free method can remove lines in tables, forms, and underline and extract handwriting or printed characters.
US09235753B2

A method for processing data includes receiving a temporal sequence of depth maps of a scene containing a humanoid form having a head. The depth maps include a matrix of pixels having respective pixel depth values. A digital processor processes at least one of the depth maps so as to find a location of the head and estimates dimensions of the humanoid form based on the location. The processor tracks movements of the humanoid form over the sequence using the estimated dimensions.
US09235752B2

A machine-learning engine is disclosed that is configured to recognize and learn behaviors, as well as to identify and distinguish between normal and abnormal behavior within a scene, by analyzing movements and/or activities (or absence of such) over time. The machine-learning engine may be configured to evaluate a sequence of primitive events and associated kinematic data generated for an object depicted in a sequence of video frames and a related vector representation. The vector representation is generated from a primitive event symbol stream and a phase space symbol stream, and the streams describe actions of the objects depicted in the sequence of video frames.
US09235742B1

Wearable scanners or readers may be mounted to and operated from at least one extension of the human body, such as a portion of a hand or wrist of a user. The wearable scanners or readers may include one or more manual or automatic actuators for initiating a scanning or reading of a marking on an object. Such actuators may be worn about the portion of the hand or wrist of the user, including within a palm of the hand, or in a ring-like device surrounding at least one finger of the hand. Additionally, the wearable scanners or readers may include optical elements configured to capture images in one or more directions or along one or more axes, and may further include any type of display elements (e.g., touchscreens, LED or LCD displays, or electrophoretic displays) formed in substantially flat or curved shapes.
US09235740B1

An inventory system can include radio frequency identification (RFID) tags and RFID tuners that can be brought into interacting proximity with one another to provide input or other information about the location or other condition of movable elements within the inventory system. For example, a closed or at least partially open state of a drawer can be determined based on signals from an RFID tag when the RFID tag and a corresponding RFID tuner are mounted on opposing faces of the drawer and a compartment that receives the drawer.
US09235739B2

Disclosed is a communication device of a system for monitoring wheels of a vehicle (C), the wheels (R) being equipped with a tire comprising an electronic chip (200), the tire comprising a metal structure (S), remarkable in that it comprises an electronic module (110) housed in the wheel (R) of the vehicle (C), the electronic module (110) transmitting waves (O) over a frequency range established so as to enable the waves to be reflected on the metal structure (S), so that the waves (O) can reach the chip (200) whatever the position thereof with respect to the module (110) so that the module (110) can correspond with the chip (200) for the purposes of activation and/or transmission of data for writing and/or reading. Also disclosed is a communication method.Applications: monitoring of tires.
US09235737B2

A system for reading code symbols includes a camera, a user interface system, and a processor communicatively coupled to the camera and the user interface system. The user interface system includes a visual display. The processor is configured for (i) capturing an image including a code symbol, (ii) displaying the image on the visual display, (iii) determining whether the code symbol in the image is readable by the processor, and (iv) displaying on the visual display a positive indicator overlaying the code symbol in the image when the processor determines that the code symbol in the image is readable by the processor. The processor is further configured for reading the code symbol in the image in response to a selection input received from the user interface system.
US09235735B2

A card reader device is configured to carry out communication with a contactless readable card according to standard ISO/IEC 14443 type B. In order to provide that a modulation index, which self-adjusts in close range in a presence of a contactless readable card, corresponds to a desired specified modulation index, the magnetic field is received and evaluated via a reception antenna of the card reader device. The modulation index is controlled or regulated accordingly in case of deviations between a measured modulation index and a specified value for the modulation index in order to approximate the measured modulation index to the specified value.
US09235728B2

In one embodiment, a method includes generating, by a computer system, a search-engine query from stored identity-theft nomenclature. The method also includes querying, by the computer system, at least one search engine via the search-engine query. Further, the method includes crawling, by the computer system, at least one computer-network resource identified via the querying. In addition, the method includes collecting, by the computer system, identity-theft information from the at least one computer-network resource. Additionally, the method includes processing, by the computer system, the identity-theft information for compromised personally-identifying information (PII).
US09235727B2

A process for decomposing safety software involves the steps of providing a first software module associated with a first logical unit, providing a second software module associated with a second logical unit, instructing the first software module to implement a first safety goal based on a quality management level, and instructing the second software module to implement a second safety goal based on a safety integrity level, where the second software module uses at least one input and at least one output of the second logical unit to determine if the second safety goal is satisfied. Consequently, the second software module uses a result of the first software module to determine if the first safety goal has been completed, and the second software module uses at least one algorithm to verify an operational status of the first logical unit.
US09235724B2

Embodiments of computer-implemented methods, systems, and non-transitory computer-readable medium having one or more computer programs stored therein are provided to transfer data between two or more networks configured to have different levels of network security protection. Large data backup files to be transmitted between the two or more networks can be partitioned into smaller partitioned files, contents of which can be encoded as data barcodes. Generated data barcodes can then be decoded to produce contents of the partitioned files. Decoded contents of the partitioned files can then be securely communicated back to the sender for comparison by generating validation barcodes to be decoded by the sender. Generated verification barcodes can then be decoded to confirm success of the transmission of contents of the partitioned files from the sender. Decoded contents of the partitioned files can be merged and stored responsive to an indication of successful transmission.
US09235721B2

In accordance with embodiments, there are provided mechanisms and methods for facilitating management of data in an on-demand services environment. In one embodiment and by way of example, a method for facilitating management of data in an on-demand services environment is provided. The method of embodiment includes detecting an attempt by a user to manipulate data via a collaboration application at a computing system, wherein the attempt includes attempted deletion of the data posted for viewing using the collaboration application. The method may further include determining whether the user is authorized to manipulate the data, and blocking the attempt if the user is not authorized to manipulate the data.
US09235720B2

In providing an image processing apparatus having a browser, it is aimed to improve the operability of the web browser and enhance access restriction. In order to solve conventional problems, an information processing method according to the present invention has the following steps. That is, an information processing method for a browser which operates in an image processing apparatus communicably connected to a network and receives and displays a content from the network includes a detection step (step S902) of detecting whether link information to another content included in a content permitted to be displayed by the browser is selected, and a restriction step (steps S903 and S904) of restricting access to another content in the case the link information to another content is detected to be selected in the detection step.
US09235719B2

Described herein are apparatus, system, and method for providing memory access control to protect software (e.g., firmware backup) and other data. The method comprises providing, by a processor, a protected storage area in a memory for storing backup image of software; detecting corruption in the software; accessing the backup image of the software from the protected storage area; and updating the corrupted software using the backup image, wherein the protected storage area is a reserved storage area of the memory.
US09235718B2

There is provided a printing apparatus including: a storage section configured to store printing data; an accepting section configured to accept an issuance instruction to issue a password corresponding to the printing data; a password generating section configured to generate a password; an obtaining section configured to obtain a destination corresponding to the printing data; a transmission section configured to transmit the generated password to the destination, on condition that the accepting section accepts the issuance instruction; an input section configured to accept an input of a password by a user; a judgment section configured to judge as to whether or not a password accepted by the input section is coincident with the transmitted password; and a printing section configured to start printing in a case that the judgment section judges that the accepted password is coincident with the transmitted password.
US09235716B1

Methods, systems, and computer-readable storage media for post-hoc analysis of access control decisions, where actions include receiving a request to analyze an access control request, for which an access control decision has been provided based on a policy, retrieving information associated with the access control request from a log, the information including a first security state version and a time, determining a time interval based on the time and an audit policy, retrieving information associated with at least a second security state version based on the time interval, and evaluating the access control request based on information of the first security state and information of the second security state to provide a post-hoc access control decision.
US09235715B1

Methods, apparatus and articles of manufacture for increasing mobile device security are provided herein. A method includes establishing a pre-determined set of cryptographic information, wherein said pre-determined set of cryptographic information comprises one or more user-selected non-alphanumeric input elements applied to one or more visual components; generating a prompt via a computing device interface in connection with an authentication request to access a protected resource associated with the computing device; processing input cryptographic information entered via the computing device interface in response to the prompt against the pre-determined set of cryptographic information; and resolving the authentication request based on said processing.
US09235711B1

At least one of the embodiments described herein relate generally to a method of providing visual privacy for a message sent to at least one device. The method may include the acts of: receiving the message at the at least one device, the message including content and a privacy indicator; converting the content to a content image; applying a blur function to the content image to generate a blurred content image; generating an obscured layer from the blurred content image; partitioning the content image into one or more segments to generate a content layer, the one or more segments each having one or more segment attributes; aligning the obscured layer with the content layer, wherein selecting an area on the obscured layer corresponding to the one or more segments removes the obscured layer for the one or more segments based on the one or more segment attributes.
US09235707B2

Methods and arrangements to launch trusted, distinct, co-existing environments are disclosed. Embodiments may launch trusted, distinct, co-existing environments in pre-OS space with high assurance. A hardware-enforced isolation scheme may isolate the partitions to facilitate storage and execution of code and data. In many embodiments, the system may launch a partition manager to establish embedded and main partitions. Embedded partitions may not be visible to the main OS and may host critical operations. A main partition may host a general-purpose OS and user applications, and may manage resources that are not assigned to the embedded partitions. Trustworthiness in the launch of the embedded partition is established by comparing integrity metrics for the runtime environment against integrity measurements of a trusted runtime environment for the embedded partition, e.g., by sealing a cryptographic key with the integrity metrics in a trusted platform module. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US09235704B2

Application programs for mobile communication devices are stored in a data store. The applications may be collected from any number of different sources such as through an application programming interface (API), from web crawling, from users, or combinations of these. The applications are analyzed and the analysis results reported. The applications may be “continuously” analyzed so that any changes in assessments can be reported. If an application for which an analysis is sought is not in the data store, information about a different, but related application may be provided.
US09235702B2

A method that includes receiving, from a first entity having an input permission, a first data structure into a HSM, wherein the first data structure maps a first many-to-one mapping between a first and a second PIN numeral system. The method also includes determining whether the content of the first data structure is valid, storing the first data structure in the HSM if the first data structure is valid and marking the stored first data structure as inactive. The method further includes activating the first data structure if a second data structure is input into the HSM by a second entity having an activation permission, wherein the first entity is different from the second entity, the first data structure is identical to the second data structure. The method additionally includes converting from the first to the second PIN numeral system responsive to the activated first data structure.
US09235691B2

Apparatus, techniques and systems for preventing illegal use of software and other digital files based on operations of a data storage device controller in a computer or computer system. For example, a method for preventing illegal use of software includes: configuring a computer to use a data storage device controller to control use of each digital file stored on one or more data storage devices; before a use of each digital file, operating the data storage device controller to access a storage device on which the digital file is stored to check whether the digital file meets a condition for use; and operating the data storage device controller to block use of the digital file when the condition is not met and to allow execution of the digital file when the condition is met. The digital file can be an application software or other digital documents.
US09235689B2

Systems and methods for detecting a likely misuse of a medicament by a user. The system includes a computer communicatively coupled with a dispensing device. The computer receives a usage pattern of a medicament by the user as indicated by the dispensing device and a result of a test correlating with an actual consumption of the medicament by the user. Based on the usage pattern, the computer computes an estimated result of a test corresponding to the at least one predetermined test. Based on a comparison between the estimated result and the test result, a determination is made as to whether the user has likely misused the medicament.
US09235684B2

Using an in silico testing environment, host-pathogen interactions can be modeled and simulated by, in any effective order, identifying a plurality of biological events associated with a pathogen's invasion of a host; identifying for each biological event, at least one agent associated with the event; describing the state for each agent and/or identifying at least one action for each agent; identifying at least one interaction between agents; simulating a temporal course of the host-pathogen interaction using the plurality of biological events; and displaying the results of the simulation phase. The simulation phase may be accomplished using an agent-based simulation system that includes a feedback loop. The feedback loop is configured for continuously using output of at least one simulation as input for at least another simulation until an end is met.
US09235669B2

A method and a system embodying the method for automatic application-specific instruction-set processor design and verification, comprising generating programming and simulation tools in accordance with application-specific instruction-set processor specifications automatically by an Electronic Design Automation tool; generating a reference model and a hardware description of the application-specific instruction-set processor in accordance with the application-specific instruction-set processor specifications automatically by the Electronic Design Automation tool; and verifying the hardware description against the reference model is disclosed.
US09235654B1

A computer-implemented method for proving complete query suggestions, performed by a server system, includes receiving a partial search query from a client system. A database of complete search queries is searched to identify a first set of matching complete search queries. If the first set of matching complete search queries fails to satisfy predefined criteria (e.g., with respect to the quantity and/or quality of the matching complete search queries), a rewrite of the received partial search query is performed to produce a first set of rewritten partial search queries. The database of complete search queries is searched to identify a second set of complete search queries matching any of the first set of rewritten partial search queries. At least a subset of the second set of matching complete queries are sent to the client system.
US09235631B2

A method and system for conducting an offline session simulating an online session between a client and server in a network environment. The client imports data and functional logic from the server prior to going offline. The imported functional logic is embedded into a format or document that is capable of being interpreted and performed by the local interface at the client that is used interact with server during an online session. Whether offline or online, the user utilizes the same local interface at the client to transmit instructions to the functional logic in order to manipulate the data. In an offline session, such instructions cause the imported and embedded functional logic to execute, thereby manipulating the data that is imported at the client. Synchronization methods may also be used in order to maintain consistency and coherency between the imported data at the client and the database at the server.
US09235626B2

A system obtains a document that is responsive to a user query. The system determines an interest of the user based on stored data associated with the user, and determines that a portion of the document relates to the interest of the user. The system generates a first snippet for the document based on the portion of the document that relates to the interest of the user, and provides the first snippet for the document as part of a result list.
US09235618B2

Systems and methods of the present disclosure provide for caching, by a device intermediary to a client and a database, a result of a structured query language (SQL) query request. In some embodiments, the device intermediary to a plurality of clients and a database receives a SQL response from the database to a first SQL query request of a client of the plurality of clients. The device may maintain a cache of SQL responses from the database. The device may identify that the first SQL query request matches a rule of a policy for caching SQL responses from the database. The policy may include a cache action to take when the rule is matched. The device may perform, responsive to the policy, on the SQL response the cache action identified by the policy.
US09235614B2

Techniques for providing feed-based case management on an online social network. A user interface that includes a publisher and an information feed is provided. Information associated with a record is received and the record is updated in a database system. A feed item associated with the database system update is generated and provided in the information feed. The feed item includes one or more actionable selections providing a reference to the publisher. Selection of one of the one or more actionable selections causes the publisher to be operable to receive further information associated with the record. The record is capable of being updated based on the further information. In some implementations, the record is a case and the user interface serves as a single interface for all interactions required in solving the case.
US09235612B1

A data management resource receives event log data indicating content consumption by multiple subscribers in a network environment. The data management resource converts the event data into bit strings stored in a multi-dimensional information array. One dimension of the multi-dimensional information array represents the multiple subscribers. Another dimension of the multi-dimensional information array represents time. The bit strings stored in the multi-dimensional information array indicate at what time, if any, a respective subscriber tunes to consume particular. The data compression resource stores a compressed rendition of the multi-dimensional array information in a repository for subsequent application of queries.
US09235610B2

Systems and techniques are disclosed to express sequences of codes, and in particular sequences of ASCII characters, in a lossless compressed format. The techniques may include dividing a universe of expressible codes into smaller subsets, called code sets, such that every code exists within one code set, but no code exists within two code sets. The code sets are then utilized for compression based on the heuristic that it is more likely that a next code in the sequences of codes is in the same code set as a previous code in the sequences of codes, rather than that the next code in sequences of codes being in any other code set (sentence structure).
US09235607B1

A method and a test system for specifying a predetermined degree of inconsistency for test data are disclosed. The test system obtains a test policy, which specifies a predetermined degree of inconsistency between write operations and subsequent read operations on a set of data and subsequently receives a request to provide test data to an application. In response to the request to provide test data to the application the test system generates a set of test data including a plurality of entities retrieved from the set of data, based at least in part on the test policy. The test data includes a respective entity that is not consistent with a previous write operation. The test system further provides the set of test data to the application. The application optionally processes the set of test data to produce results, which are used to determine performance of the application.
US09235606B1

A set of objects associated with an incremental backup is determined where the set of objects includes one or more full backup objects associated with a full backup from which the incremental backup depends. A backup is performed using the set of objects, including by setting one or more timestamps associated with the one or more full backup objects to a time later than the full backup.
US09235596B2

A method of data sharing among multiple entities is provided. Each entity exports to a data store a structured data representation comprising a versioned file system local to that entity. The method begins by forming a sharing group that includes two or more entities. Sharing of the structured data representations by members of the sharing group is enabled. The filers use a single distributed lock to protect each version of the file system. This lock is managed to allow each filer access to the shared file system volume to create its new version. To share a fully-versioned file system, asynchronous updates at each of the filers is permitted, and each node is then allowed to “push” its individual changes to the store to form the next version of the file system. A mechanism also may be used to reduce the period during which filers in the group operate under lock.
US09235587B2

A monitoring application and method for using a monitoring application are disclosed. The monitoring application is configured to manage file system objects in a memory device layer (including copying of the file system objects) and is configured to manage one or more data structures to enable the management of the file system objects to be transparent to the application layer and/or the operating system layer.
US09235585B1

A method, article of manufacture, and apparatus for recovering data. An object to be recovered is selected, sub-objects of the object are recovered based on the priorities assigned to the sub-objects, and the sub-objects are reprioritized based on an application's I/O during recovery. Reprioritizing the sub-objects may include assigning a lower priority to the sub-objects when an application has completed I/O on the object. Sub-objects may be recovered to a remote location.
US09235584B2

Self-removal of enterprise application data (e.g., managed application data) is disclosed. It may be determined that a data removal condition has been satisfied. Based at least in part on the determination, data removal information may be generated for a plurality of applications including a managed set of mobile applications. The data removal information may be provided to at least a first application included in the plurality of applications. The first application may provide the data removal information to a data storage location accessible to at least a second application upon a data removal-related event.
US09235578B2

A data partitioning apparatus receives stream data and stores with previous-and-subsequent information that specifies data previous and subsequent to the data. Then, for groups, each of which contains the data that are stored and that are partitioned into the number of the groups, the data partitioning apparatus stores top information specifying data located at the top in a corresponding group and end information specifying data located at the end in the corresponding group. Then, when new data is stored, the data partitioning apparatus specifies data previous and subsequent to the new data and stores the new data by associating it with the previous-and-subsequent information that specifies the data previous and subsequent to the new data. Then, when data is inserted, the data partitioning apparatus updates information for each group such that the difference between the number of data belonging to each group is equal to or less than one.
US09235563B2

Systems and computer-implemented processes for identification of features and determination of feature associations in a group of documents can involve providing a plurality of keywords identified among the terms of at least some of the documents. A value measure can be calculated for each keyword. High-value keywords are defined as those keywords having value measures that exceed a threshold. For each high-value keyword, term-document associations (TDA) are accessed. The TDA characterize measures of association between each term and at least some documents in the group. A processor quantifies similarities between unique pairs of high-value keywords based on the TDA for each respective high-value keyword and generates a similarity matrix that indicates one or more sets that each comprise highly associated high-value keywords.
US09235540B1

Systems, methods, apparatus, and techniques relating to a transmitter interface are disclosed. A soft-IP transmitter interface includes a Reed-Solomon encoder operating according to any one of multiple bus width and bandwidth parameter pairs, and a gearbox module that includes multiple gearboxes. The multiple gearboxes receive input data at a bus width and clock rate parameter pair specified by the soft-IP transmitter interface and convert the input data into output data according to a number of physical lanes and bandwidth parameter pair specified by a physical medium attachment (PMA) standard.
US09235538B2

Systems and methods for injecting interrupts in a virtualized computer system. An example method may comprise providing a data structure associating message destination addresses and virtual processor identifiers for a plurality of interrupt destination modes, receiving an interrupt message including a message destination address, looking up the message destination address in the data structure, and forwarding the interrupt message to a virtual processor associated by the data structure with the message destination address.
US09235530B2

A system and method for clearing data from a cache in a storage device is disclosed. The method may include analyzing the cache for the least recently fragmented logical group, and evicting the entries from the least recently fragmented logical group. Or, the method may also include analyzing compaction history and selecting entries for eviction based on the analysis of the compaction history. The method may also include scheduling of different eviction mechanisms during various operations of the storage device. The system may include a cache storage, a main storage and a controller configured to evict entries associated with a least recently fragmented logical group, configured to evict entries based on analysis of compaction history, or configured to schedule different eviction mechanisms during various operations of the storage device.
US09235528B2

A system, method, and memory device embodying some aspects of the present invention for remapping external memory addresses and internal memory locations in stacked memory are provided. The stacked memory includes one or more memory layers configured to store data. The stacked memory also includes a logic layer connected to the memory layer. The logic layer has an Input/Output (I/O) port configured to receive read and write commands from external devices, a memory map configured to maintain an association between external memory addresses and internal memory locations, and a controller coupled to the I/O port, memory map, and memory layers, configured to store data received from external devices to internal memory locations.
US09235515B2

A storage system which includes a cache memory needless of replacement of a power storage device, a cache memory with low power consumption, or a cache memory having no limitation on the number of writing operations is provided. An array controller for storing data externally input in any of a plurality of storage devices or a storage system including the array controller includes a processor which specifies at least one of the plurality of storage devices where the data is to be stored and a cache memory which stores the data and outputs the data to the at least one of the plurality of storage devices. The cache memory includes a storage circuit in which a transistor including an oxide semiconductor layer is used.
US09235511B2

Embodiments relate to methods, computer systems and computer program products for improving software performance by identifying and preloading data pages. Embodiments include executing an instruction that requests a data page from the one or more auxiliary storage devices. Based on determining that the instruction is present in the long-running instruction list, embodiments include examining one or more characteristics of a plurality of data pages that will be requested by the instruction. Based on determining that the plurality of data pages are located on a single auxiliary storage device and that the plurality of data pages can be efficiently retrieved by the single auxiliary storage device, embodiments include initiating a pre-load operation to move the plurality of data pages to the main memory.
US09235504B2

According to one embodiment, a storage control apparatus includes an interface and a controller. The interface transfers data or a command to or from a nonvolatile memory including a storage area for each of banks. The controller controls read operations for the banks in accordance with generation of access requests to the banks, respectively. The controller prioritizes performing read-command issuance processing included in each of the read operations.
US09235500B2

Memory objects may be allocated and re-allocated within a computer system to consolidate infrequently used memory objects to memory regions that may be operated at lower power. During initial allocation of memory objects, the objects may be placed into high power regions. During subsequent periodic analysis, memory objects in high power regions that are infrequently used may be relocated to lower power regions while memory objects in low power regions that are frequently used may be moved to the high power regions. Various heuristics or logic may be used to handle unmovable objects, shared objects, and other types of objects.
US09235494B2

Systems, methods, and computer program products for analyzing source code are disclosed. The system includes a file reader module on a computer, a parser module on a computer, a metrics accumulator module, and a reporting engine on a computer. The file reader module may read an input source code file. The parser module may parse source code in the source code file into source code components. The metrics accumulator module may analyze the source code components in accordance with one or more rules to generate application metadata. The reporting engine may use the generated application metadata to generate a report of the analysis.
US09235484B2

A cluster system according to the present invention includes an active server and a standby server which have a failover function, and a shared disk. The active server includes a control device configured to operate free of influence from an OS, and a disk input/output device configured to input and output data into and from the shared disk. The control device of the active server includes a communication module configured to communicate with the standby server, and an initialization module configured to, when a failure occurs in the active server, initialize the disk input/output device and notify to the standby server via the communication module.
US09235462B2

Embodiments of the present invention relate to communications technologies and disclose a tunnel management method, a tunnel management apparatus, and a communications system so that a node that causes failure of a tunnel management request can be determined. According to the present invention, a response returned by a tunnel management node to an initiating node includes not only a cause value of tunnel management request failure but also information of the node that causes failure of the tunnel management request, so that the initiating node can find the node that causes failure of the tunnel management request and determine the error checking direction. The present invention is applicable to network devices in a communications network.
US09235454B2

A method and a server for generating a display and operating view for an operating and monitoring device of an industrial automation arrangement, wherein after an event has been logged, information relating to the event and details of the identity or role of a user of the operating and monitoring device are transmitted to an entity, after which planned information relating to at least one component of the industrial automation arrangement affected by the event is retrieved from an engineering database using the event and specifically for the identity or role of the user, current state information is also retrieved from the at least one affected component, and finally the planned information and the state information is used to generate the display and operating view such that, the display and operating images are advantageously set up and activated in an event-controlled manner.
US09235440B2

This disclosure describes monitoring the execution of jobs in a work plan. In an embodiment, a system maintains a risk level associated with the critical job to represent whether the execution of a job preceding the critical job has a problem, and it maintains the list associated with the critical job so as to quickly identify the preceding job which may cause a delay to the critical job execution.
US09235434B2

Embodiments of apparatuses and methods for processing virtualization events in a layered virtualization architecture are disclosed. In one embodiment, an apparatus includes a event logic and evaluation logic. The event logic is to recognize a virtualization event. The evaluation logic is to determine whether to transfer control from a child guest to a parent guest in response to the virtualization event.
US09235430B2

An information processing apparatus is provided which includes a storage unit to store reference parameter information made up of a plurality of pieces of parameter information and associated with each program, an acquisition unit to acquire the plurality of pieces of parameter information of current time, a specifying unit to specify a program associated with a reference parameter similar to the plurality of pieces of parameter information of current time, and a display control unit to create a startup menu screen containing a startup display of a program according to a specified result by the specifying unit.
US09235427B2

A method for booting is provided. A devices manager disables resources of one or more bootable devices of a list of bootable devices having resource conflicts with a selected one of the list of bootable devices. The devices manager attempts to boot the selected one of the list of bootable devices. If the selected one of the list of bootable devices fails to boot, then the devices manager selects a next bootable device of the list of bootable devices for booting and repeats disabling resources and attempting to boot the selected next bootable device until one of the list of bootable devices boots or all bootable devices of the list of bootable devices fail to boot.
US09235426B2

A multicore processor system includes a processor configured to detect, among cores that have booted with an old boot program in the multicore processor, a core to which no process is assigned; change upon detecting a core to which no process is assigned, a reference area from a storage area for the old boot program to a storage area for a new boot program; and notify the core to which no process is assigned of a reboot instruction specifying the reference area after the change.
US09235418B2

A processor device includes a memory and a sequencer that is responsive to the memory. The sequencer supports very long instruction word (VLIW) type instructions and at least one VLIW instruction packet uses a number of operands during execution, The processor device further includes a plurality of instruction execution units responsive to the sequencer and a plurality of register files. Each of the plurality of register files includes a plurality of registers and the plurality of register files are coupled to the plurality of instruction execution units. Further, each of the plurality of register flies includes a number of data read ports and the number of data read ports of each of the plurality of register files is less than the number of operands used by the at least one VLIW instruction packet.
US09235401B2

Update preferences might be utilized to specify that an update to an application should not be applied until the demand for the application falls below a certain threshold. Demand for the application is monitored. The update to the application is applied when the actual demand for the application falls below the specified threshold. The threshold might be set such that updates are deployed during the off-peak periods of demand encountered during a regular demand cycle, such as a diurnal, monthly, or yearly cycle.
US09235399B2

A system, method, and computer-readable medium are disclosed for separating the installation of an operating system from the fulfillment, installation, and entitlement of other digital assets. Information associated with the purchase of a system and digital assets to be processed by the system is received, including the system's unique system identifier. The unique system identifier is associated with the digital assets to generate digital assets entitlement data. A personalization agent installed on the system determines the system's unique system identifier and automatically downloads the purchased digital assets, which comprises an operating system (OS), and their associated digital assets entitlement data. Once downloaded, the personalization agent uses the digital assets entitlement data to first install the OS according to any restrictions imposed by the OS manufacturer, and then the remaining digital assets, on the system, which is then entitled to process the installed digital assets.
US09235392B2

A system, method, and computer program product are provided for compiling a computer program comprising arithmetic operations having different requirements with respect to numeric dynamic range, numeric resolution, or any combination thereof. The method comprises generating a transformed graph representation of the computer program by applying propagation rules that provide for relaxed numeric requirements, where applicable, and generating output code based on the transformed graph representation. Relaxing numeric requirements, such as dynamic range and resolution requirements, may advantageously lower power consumption during execution of the computer program.
US09235388B2

Systems and methods of providing a visual output of a compilation phase is provided. An example method includes receiving input source code for compilation by a compiler and displaying a multi-dimensional coordinate system including first and second axes. The method also includes providing a first user interface object associated with the first axis and providing a second user interface object associated with the second axis. The first user interface object enables a user to select one or more compilation phases, and the second user interface object enables the user to select one or more compiler versions. The method further includes receiving via the first user interface object a user selection of a compilation phase and obtaining an output of the input source code compiled in accordance with the selected compilation phase. The method further includes displaying the output between two axes of the multi-dimensional coordinate system.
US09235373B2

The subject disclosure provides devices, methods, and computer readable programs for establishing a secure wireless connection among a plurality of displays thus forming a screen for purposes of depicting a larger version of a content. The formation of the screen may be initiated by a master display detecting a presence of a plurality of slave displays in the master display's vicinity and requesting permission to connect to the detected slave displays. Furthermore, provided are methods and computer-executable programs that may facilitate easier collaboration and exchange of the content among users, a real-time adjustment of the content displayed on the screen, as well as an easier depiction of 3-dimensional content on a screen created by arranging the plurality of displays in a 3-dimensional configuration.
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