US09263751B2
A method for controlling a fuel cell system, capable of quickly detecting the pressure rise caused by a faulted open anode injector, reducing pressure in the fuel cell stack when the fault occurs, and taking remedial action to allow continued operation of the fuel cell stack, and militate against a walk-home incident.
US09263748B2
A membrane electrode assembly (MEA) for a fuel cell which exhibits enhanced reversal tolerance. In particular, a layer of iridium or an iridium compound, preferably metallic iridium or iridium oxide supported on TiO2, is provided on the anode to electrolyze available water and pass the majority of the current during a reversal of the fuel cell, thereby preventing damage to the MEA. The iridium or iridium compound is applied to an anode structure according to a predetermined pattern, with only part of the anode active area containing Ir. The parts of the MEA that do not contain Ir are not expected to suffer degradation from Ir cross-over, so that overall degradation of the cell will be diminished. Having less precious metals will also translate into less cost.
US09263743B2
(A) A cathode active material of a cathode includes a lithium phosphate compound represented by LiaM1bPO4 (M is Fe and the like, 0≦a≦2, b≦1). (B) Fine pore distribution of the cathode measured by a mercury intrusion method indicates a peak P1 in a range where a pore diameter is equal to or more than about 0.01 micrometers and less than about 0.15 micrometers, and indicates a peak P2 in a range where the pore diameter is from about 0.15 micrometers to about 0.9 micrometers both inclusive. (C) A ratio I2/I1 between intensity I1 of the peak P1 and intensity I2 of the peak P2 is from about 0.5 to about 20 both inclusive. (D) Porosity of the cathode is from about 30 percent to about 50 percent both inclusive.
US09263736B2
A positive electrode material for a lithium ion secondary battery contains a first compound represented by Li3V2(PO4)3 and one or more second compounds selected from vanadium oxide and lithium vanadium phosphate.
US09263729B2
A lithium secondary battery of the present invention has a positive electrode is provided with a positive electrode mix layer that includes a positive electrode active material and a conductive material. The positive electrode mix layer has two peaks, large and small, of differential pore volume over a pore size ranging from 0.01 μm to 10 μm in a pore distribution curve measured by a mercury porosimeter. A pore size of the smaller peak B of the differential pore volume is smaller than a pore size of the larger peak A of the differential pore volume.
US09263727B2
This is to provide an all solid state secondary battery which can be produced by an industrially employable method capable of mass-production and has excellent secondary battery characteristics. This is an all solid state secondary battery containing a laminated material in which a positive-electrode unit and a negative-electrode unit are laminated alternately through an ion conductive inorganic-material layer, the positive-electrode unit has positive active material layers on both surfaces of a positive-electrode collector layer, the above-mentioned negative-electrode unit has negative active material layers on both surfaces of a negative-electrode collector layer, (A) at least one of the positive-electrode collector layer and the negative-electrode collector layer comprises a metal of either of Ag, Pd, Au and Pt, or an alloy containing either of Ag, Pd, Au and Pt, or a mixture containing two or more kinds selected from the metals and alloys, (B) each layer is in a sintered state, or (C) at least the starting material for the ion conductive inorganic material of the ion conductive inorganic-material layer is a calcined powder.
US09263720B2
In one embodiment, battery separator for a lead acid battery includes a gel impregnated nonwoven. The nonwoven includes an acid dissolvable fiber and a non-acid dissolvable fiber. The gel may have a basis weight in a range of about 20-160% of the nonwoven's basis weight. In another embodiment, battery separator for a lead acid battery includes a microporous membrane with the gel impregnated nonwoven adhered thereto.
US09263714B2
A system includes a power source having a set of power terminals, a cover encapsulating the power source including the set of power terminals and sealing the power source including the set of power terminals within the cover, and a set of conductive contacts passing through the cover, contacting the set of power terminals, and providing conductive access to the set of power terminals of the power source from outside the cover without allowing exposure of the power source to an environment outside the cover.
US09263704B2
An organic light emitting diode display device includes a first substrate including a display area, wherein a plurality of pixels each including sub-pixels is defined in the display area; a switching thin film transistor and a driving thin film transistor in each of the sub-pixels over the first substrate; light-blocking patterns in at least one of the sub-pixels; a color filter layer in at least one sub pixel; a first passivation layer over the switching thin film transistor, the driving thin film transistor and the light-blocking patterns; a first electrode in each of the sub-pixels over the first passivation layer; an organic light emitting layer on the first electrode all over the display area; and a second electrode on the organic light emitting layer all over the display area.
US09263703B2
A display apparatus includes a substrate, a display unit on the substrate and including an emission area and a non-emission area, a first blocking layer at the non-emission area on the display unit, the first blocking layer having a thickness that tapers toward an edge of the first blocking layer, and a second blocking layer on the first blocking layer and configured to block external light reflection.
US09263699B2
A dispenser capable of forming a uniform material layer and a method of fabricating an organic light emitting display device using the same are disclosed. The dispenser includes a syringe including a coating material and provided with a nozzle for ejecting the coating material to a substrate and a syringe cap for controlling a coating amount from the nozzle, a pressing unit providing a pressure for ejecting the coating material, a transporting unit for moving the syringe above, and a cap-driving unit for driving the syringe cap to control the coating amount.
US09263694B2
There is provided an organic EL element including a light emitting unit including at least a plurality of light emitting layers each containing an organic compound and emitting light when a predetermined potential difference is supplied and an intermediate layer that is arranged between the light emitting layers to inject electric charge into the light emitting layers, an anode and a cathode between which the light emitting unit is interposed in a stacking direction and which supply the predetermined potential difference to the light emitting unit, and a potential control mechanism configured to control potential of the intermediate layer in a manner that the potential is set to potential between potential of the anode and potential of the cathode.
US09263693B2
A light-emitting element having high external quantum efficiency is provided. A light-emitting element having a long lifetime is provided. A light-emitting element includes a light-emitting layer between a pair of electrodes. The light-emitting layer contains at least a phosphorescent compound, a first organic compound (host material) having an electron-transport property, and a second organic compound (assist material) having a hole-transport property. The light-emitting layer has a stacked-layer structure including a first light-emitting layer and a second light-emitting layer, and the first light-emitting layer contains a higher proportion of the second organic compound than the second light-emitting layer. In the light-emitting layer (the first light-emitting layer and the second light-emitting layer), a combination of the first organic compound and the second organic compound forms an exciplex.
US09263691B2
A triplet light emitting device which has high efficiency and improved stability and which can be fabricated by a simpler process is provided by simplifying the device structure and avoiding use of an unstable material. In a multilayer device structure using no hole blocking layer conventionally used in a triplet light emitting device, that is, a device structure in which on a substrate, there are formed an anode, a hole transporting layer constituted by a hole transporting material, an electron transporting and light emitting layer constituted by an electron transporting material and a dopant capable of triplet light emission, and a cathode, which are laminated in the stated order, the combination of the hole transporting material and the electron transporting material and the combination of the electron transporting material and the dopant material are optimized.
US09263690B2
An organic EL device with which occurrence of leakage current between electrodes can be prevented includes: a substrate; a first electrode layer separating groove that separates a first electrode layer into small pieces; a function layer separating groove that separates a function layer into small light emitting regions; and a unit light emitting element separating groove extending from a second electrode layer to the function layer and separating the second electrode layer into small pieces. One of the small pieces of the first electrode layer, one of the small light emitting regions, and one of the small pieces of the second electrode layer structure a unit organic EL element, electrically connected in series. The average width of the unit light emitting element separating groove at the second electrode layer is wider than the average width of the unit light emitting element separating groove at the light emitting portion separating layer.
US09263689B2
An organic optoelectronic device that includes a substrate and a plurality of structures disposed thereon, the structures include: (a) a first electrode; vertically separated from (b) a second electrode by (c) an electrode gap that includes an organic photoactive layer disposed within the gap, wherein one of the electrodes includes a plurality of plasmonic nanopores or metal nanostructures, wherein the nanostructures project towards the electrode gap and the metal is selected from gold, aluminum, silver, calcium, copper, and nickel is presented.
US09263683B2
A method for employing certain cobalt complexes as electron donors and in combination with an electron acceptor is provided for preparing an active layer in a photovoltaic conversion cell, as well as to the photovoltaic conversion cell in which the electron donor of the active layer includes such cobalt complexes.
US09263681B2
Heteroaryl-aryl compounds such as compounds represented by the Formula: HT-[Ph1]r-Py-Het-ET may be used in electronic devices such as organic light-emitting devices. For example, the compounds may be used as an emissive material in an emissive layer.
US09263679B2
An organic light emitting display includes a base substrate, an active layer on the base substrate, a gate insulating layer on the active layer, a gate electrode on the gate insulating layer, a first inter-insulating layer on the gate electrode, a second inter-insulating layer covering the first inter-insulating layer, source and drain electrodes on the second inter-insulating layer and connected to the active layer, a first electrode connected to the drain electrode, an organic light emitting layer on the first electrode, a second electrode facing the first electrode while the organic light emitting layer is between the first and second electrodes, and first and second capacitor electrodes facing each other while the gate insulating layer is between the first and second capacitor electrodes. The second inter-insulating layer makes contact with an upper surface of the second capacitor electrode through an opening formed on the first inter-insulating layer.
US09263678B2
A method of manufacturing an organic solar cell is provided. According to the exemplary embodiments of the present invention, a laminate section can be easily removed from a substrate by causing a cleaning unit to move up and down above the substrate or to move forward and backward in a reciprocating manner in the width direction of the substrate. Furthermore, when a contact member is detachably connected to the cleaning unit, the contact member that has been contaminated with a laminate material can be separated from the cleaning unit and easily washed. Also, the laminate section can be removed by spraying a solvent through a discharging unit to dissolve the laminate section, and suctioning the laminate section through a suctioning unit. In this case, the laminate section can be easily removed from the substrate by dissolving the laminate section with the solvent.
US09263660B2
A generator includes a heat-electricity transforming device and a heat collector. The heat-electricity transforming device is configured to transform heat into electricity. The heat collector includes at least one heat absorption module. The at least one heat absorption module includes a carbon nanotube structure. The at least one heat absorption module is connected to the heat-electricity transforming device and transfers heat to the heat-electricity transforming device.
US09263659B2
A thermoelectric energy harvesting system may include a thermoelectric generator and an electronics module. The thermoelectric generator may produce a voltage in response to a temperature difference across the thermoelectric generator and generate power when coupled to a load. The system may include a housing mounted on top of the thermoelectric generator. The housing may include a cavity containing the electronics module. The electronics module may condition the power generated by the thermoelectric generator. The cavity may be enclosed by an inner surface of the housing. A radiation shield may cover at least a portion of the inner surface and may block radiative heating of the cavity from the housing.
US09263658B2
Disclosed are a light-emitting device and a manufacturing method thereof. A light-emitting device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes a base, a lighting element disposed on the base, the lighting element including an epitaxial layer and a substrate disposed on the epitaxial layer, a contact member disposed between the lighting element and the base, the contact member electrically connecting the lighting element and the base, and a lens disposed on the substrate.
US09263655B2
An optoelectronic component has a semiconductor chip and a carrier, which is bonded to the semiconductor chip by means of a bonding layer of a metal or a metal alloy. The semiconductor chip includes electrical connection regions facing the carrier and the carrier includes electrical back contacts on its back remote from the semiconductor chip. The back contacts are connected electrically conductively to the first electrical or second connection region respectively, in each case by at least one via extending through the carrier. The first and/or second electrical back contact is connected to the first or second electrical connection region respectively by at least one further via extending through the carrier.
US09263654B2
A LED (Light-Emitting Diode) package structure is provided. The LED package improved structure includes a base, a plurality of metallic nanoparticles and a LED unit. The base has an accommodating space, wherein the accommodating space has a bottom surface and at least one side surface surrounding the bottom surface. The metallic nanoparticles cover the bottom surface and/or the side surface. The LED unit is disposed in the accommodating spare, in which light emitted from the LED unit is reflected or scattered by the metallic nanoparticles, each of the metallic nanoparticles has a diameter smaller than 10 nm and is electrically isolated.
US09263652B2
A semiconductor light-emitting device includes a semiconductor region having a light-emitting structure, an electrode layer formed on the semiconductor region, and a reflective protection structure extending exposing the upper surface of the electrode layer and covering the semiconductor region adjacent to the electrode layer.
US09263636B2
A light emitting diode (LED) for achieving an asymmetric light output includes a multilayered structure comprising a p-n junction, where at least one layer of the multilayered structure comprises a surface configured to provide a peak emission in a direction away from a normal to a mounting surface, the surface being a top or bottom surface of the layer.
US09263635B2
A semiconductor structure includes a silicon substrate, a buffer layer, a nitride-based epitaxial structure layer and multiple discontinuous strain-releasing layers. The buffer layer is disposed on the silicon substrate. The nitride-based epitaxial structure layer is disposed on the buffer layer. The discontinuous strain-releasing layers are disposed between the silicon substrate and the nitride-based epitaxial structure layer, wherein a material of the discontinuous strain-releasing layers is silicon nitride.
US09263631B2
According to one embodiment, a semiconductor light emitting device includes an n-type layer, a p-type layer, and a light emitting unit provided between the n-type layer and the p-type layer and including barrier layers and well layers. At least one of the barrier layers includes first and second portion layers. The first portion layer is disposed on a side of the n-type layer. The second portion layer is disposed on a side of the p-type layer, and contains n-type impurity with a concentration higher than that in the first portion layer. At least one of the well layers includes third and fourth portion layers. The third portion layer is disposed on a side of the n-type layer. The fourth portion layer is disposed on a side of the p-type layer, and contains n-type impurity with a concentration higher than that in the third portion layer.
US09263626B1
A material stack including an ohmic contact layer and a single crystalline semiconductor base substrate of a first conductivity type and having a surface Fermi level pinned close to a band edge (either the conduction band or valence band) is first provided. A stressor layer is then formed above the ohmic contact layer and a material portion of the single crystalline semiconductor base substrate is removed by a process referred to as spalling. A transparent conductive oxide layer is then formed on an exposed surface of the material portion of the single crystalline semiconductor base substrate that was removed by spalling.
US09263622B2
Methods of fabricating solar cells are described. A porous layer may be formed on a surface of a substrate, the porous layer including a plurality of particles and a plurality of voids. A solution may be dispensed into one or more regions of the porous layer to provide a patterned composite layer. The substrate may then be heated.
US09263612B2
This disclosure relates to structures for the conversion of light into energy. More specifically, the disclosure describes devices for conversion of light to electricity using ordered arrays of semiconductor wires coated in a wider band-gap material.
US09263607B2
A photodetector using graphene includes: a gate electrode; a graphene channel layer which is opposite to and spaced apart from the gate electrode and does not have π-binding; a first electrode which contacts a first side of the graphene channel layer; and a second electrode which contacts a side of the graphene channel layer, where the first and second sides are opposite to each other, and where the graphene channel layer includes a first graphene layer and a first nanoparticle disposed on the first graphene layer. The first graphene layer may include a single graphene layer, or the first graphene layer may include a plurality of single graphene layers, which is sequentially stacked and does not have π-binding.
US09263603B2
A method of fabricating a solar cell with a connecting sheet includes a fixing step of bonding at least a portion of a peripheral region of a back electrode type solar cell (8) to a connecting sheet (10). A method of fabricating a solar cell module includes the step of sealing the solar cell with a connecting sheet obtained by the method on a transparent substrate (17) by a sealing material (18). A solar cell with a connecting sheet has a first adhesive arranged between a back electrode type solar cell (8) and a connecting sheet (10), and a second adhesive arranged at at least a portion of a peripheral region of the back electrode type solar cell (8) to bond a back electrode type solar cell (8) with a connecting sheet (10). A solar cell module has the solar cell with a connecting sheet sealed on a transparent substrate (17) by a sealing material (18).
US09263597B2
A semiconductor assemblage of a super-trench Schottky barrier diode (STSBD) made up of an n+ substrate, an n-epilayer, trenches etched into the n-epilayer that have a width and a distance from the n+ substrate, mesa regions between the adjacent trenches having a width, a metal layer on the front side of the chip that is a Schottky contact and serves as an anode electrode, and a metal layer on the back side of the chip that is an ohmic contact and serves as a cathode electrode, wherein multiple Schottky contacts having a width or distance and a distance between the Schottky contacts, and between the Schottky contact as anode electrode and the first Schottky contact, are located on the trench wall.
US09263592B2
A transistor includes source/drain electrodes provided on a substrate; a semiconductor oxide layer provided between the source/drain electrodes; a gate electrode facing the semiconductor oxide layer; and a gate insulating layer interposed between the semiconductor oxide layer and the gate electrode, wherein the semiconductor oxide layer has a nano-layered structure including at least one first nano layer comprised of a first material and at least one second nano layer comprised of a second material that are alternatingly stacked one on another to provide at least one interface, and wherein the first material and the second material are different materials that are effective to form an electron transfer channel layer at the interface.
US09263586B2
The present disclosure provides a quantum well fin field effect transistor (QWFinFET). The QWFinFET includes a semiconductor fin over a substrate and a combo quantum well (QW) structure over the semiconductor fin. The combo QW structure includes a QW structure over a top portion of the semiconductor fin and a middle portion of the semiconductor fin. The semiconductor fin and the QW comprise different semiconductor materials. The QWFinFET also includes a gate stack over the combo QW structure.
US09263584B2
A single crystalline dielectric layer is provided on an insulator layer including an amorphous dielectric material. The single crystalline dielectric layer can be patterned into various crystalline dielectric portions including dielectric fins, dielectric nanowires, and a dielectric fin-plate assembly. A semiconductor material can be deposited on the single crystalline surfaces of the various crystalline dielectric portions by a selective epitaxial deposition process while not growing on the surfaces of the insulator layer. Single crystalline semiconductor material portions can be formed on the surfaces of the dielectric fins, around the dielectric nanowires, and on horizontal and vertical surfaces of the dielectric fin-plate assembly. Source and drain regions can be formed in the single crystalline semiconductor material portions, and gate electrodes can be formed to provide various field effect transistors.
US09263572B2
A semiconductor device includes: a first semiconductor region; a second semiconductor region; a third semiconductor region; a fourth semiconductor region; an insulation film, which is arranged on an inner wall of a recess extending from an upper surface to the second semiconductor region; a control electrode, which is arranged on a region of the insulation film on a side surface of the recess; a first main electrode connected to the first semiconductor region; a second main electrode connected to the fourth semiconductor region; and a bottom electrode, which is arranged on the insulation film and is electrically connected to the second main electrode, and a length of the recess in an extension direction thereof is equal to or larger than a width of the recess, and the width of the recess is wider than an interval between the adjacent recesses.
US09263570B2
A semiconductor device includes a high breakdown voltage DMOS transistor formed on a first conductivity type semiconductor substrate. The semiconductor device includes: a DMOS second conductivity type well; a DMOS first conductivity body region; a DMOS second conductivity type source region; a DMOS second conductivity type drain region; a LOCOS oxide film formed between the DMOS second conductivity type drain region and the DMOS first conductivity type body region; and a DMOS gate insulating film formed in succession to the LOCOS oxide film to cover a DMOS channel region between the DMOS second conductivity type source region and the DMOS second conductivity type well, wherein the DMOS gate insulating film includes a first insulating film which is disposed outside the DMOS channel region and a second insulating film which is disposed in the DMOS channel region and is thinner than the first insulating film.
US09263555B2
One illustrative method disclosed herein includes, among other things, forming a plurality of trenches that define a fin, performing a plurality of epitaxial deposition processes to form first, second and third layers of epi semiconductor material around an exposed portion of the fin, removing the first, second and third layers of epi semiconductor material from above an upper surface of the fin so as to thereby expose the fin, selectively removing the fin relative to the first, second and third layers of epi semiconductor material so as to thereby define two fin structures comprised of the first, second and third layers of epi semiconductor material, and forming a gate structure around a portion of at least one of the fin structures comprised of the first, second and third layers of epi semiconductor material.
US09263553B2
A transistor includes a substrate, a source terminal and a drain terminal, each terminal being supported by the substrate, and the source and drain terminal being separated by a portion of the substrate, a layer of semiconductive material deposited so as to cover the portion of the substrate and to connect the source terminal to the drain terminal, a layer of dielectric material deposited so as to cover at least a portion of the layer of semiconductive material, and a layer of electrically conductive material deposited so as to cover at least a portion of the layer of dielectric material. The layer of electrically conductive material providing a gate terminal to which a potential may be applied to control a conductivity of the layer of semiconductive material connecting the source and drain terminals.
US09263548B2
A method for fabricating a semiconductor integrated circuit having a self-aligned structure, the method comprises the steps of: providing a semiconductor substrate; forming a gate dielectric layer, a first polysilicon layer, and a first capping layer on top of the semiconductor substrate; patterning the first capping layer, the first polysilicon layer and stopping on the gate dielectric layer to form a gate structure; forming and patterning a composite dielectric layer, a second polysilicon layer, and a second capping layer to form an interconnect structure; forming a composite spacer; removing the photo-resist layer; forming a third polysilicon layer; making blanket removal of the third polysilicon layer to leave a remain third polysilicon layer; removing the first and the second capping layer; forming a source and a drain; and forming a silicide layer overlying the gate structure, source, drain and the interconnect structure to form the self-aligned structure.
US09263530B2
A field effect transistor (FET) disclosed herein comprising a substrate, a C-doped semiconductor layer disposed on the substrate, a channel layer disposed on the C-doped semiconductor layer, and an electron supply layer disposed on the channel layer. The FET further comprises a diffusion barrier layer disposed between the C-doped semiconductor layer and the channel layer, wherein the diffusion barrier layer contacts the channel layer directly.
US09263519B2
Nanowire array structures based on periodic or aperiodic nanowires are provided in various configurations for sensing and interacting with light and substances to provide various functions such as sensors for detecting DNAs and others and solar cells for converting light into electricity.
US09263512B2
A method including forming an oxide layer on a top of a substrate; forming a deep trench capacitor in the substrate; bonding a III-V compound semiconductor to a top surface of the oxide layer; and forming a III-V device in the III-V compound semiconductor.
US09263507B2
An organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display having thin film transistors (TFTs) is disclosed. In one aspect, TFTs of the OLED display include a substrate and a first semiconductor layer formed over the substrate and including first channel, source, and drain regions and a lightly doped region between the first channel region and the first source and drain regions. The OLED display also includes a second semiconductor layer formed over the substrate and including second channel, source, and drain regions. The OLED display further includes first and second gate electrodes formed over the first semiconductor layer and a third gate electrode formed over the second semiconductor layer. The width of the second gate electrode is less than that of the first gate electrode and the lightly doped region overlaps a portion of the first gate electrode and does not overlap the second gate electrode.
US09263506B2
An organic light emitting diode (OLED) display is disclosed. In one aspect, the OLED display includes a flexible substrate and a plurality of OLEDs. The flexibility substrate includes at least one curved portion. The OLEDs are positioned in every pixel area that is set on the flexible substrate and includes a pixel electrode, an organic emission layer, and a common electrode. At least one OLED that is positioned at a curved portion in the OLEDs is formed in a lens shape and concentrates light toward the center of a pixel area.
US09263502B2
A white organic light emitting element, a white organic light emitting display device, and a method of manufacturing the white organic light emitting element are provided. The organic light emitting element includes a multi-layered emission layer structure. The multi-layered emission layer structure includes a first electroluminescent layer and a second electroluminescent layer that are arranged to overlap at first area of the white organic light emitting element. The lights from the first and second electroluminescent layers collectively form white light. Among the first and second electroluminescent layers, one of the EL layers is extended out to the second area of the white organic light emitting element. A plurality of color filter elements are used to filter the white light to generate colored lights at the corresponding sub pixel regions.
US09263496B2
The present technology includes: bonding a device formation side of a first substrate having a first device and a device formation side of a second substrate having a second device in opposition to each other; forming a protective film on at least an edge of the second substrate having the second device; and reducing a thickness of the first substrate.
US09263494B2
A CMOS image sensor including a pixel including: a photodiode in series with a MOS transistor between a first reference potential and a sense node; a MOS transistor connecting the sense node to a second reference potential; and a third MOS transistor assembled as a source follower between the sense node and a read circuit, wherein the oxide thickness of the third transistor is smaller than that of the first and second transistors, the voltage difference between the first and second reference potentials is greater than the maximum voltage capable of being applied between two terminals of the third transistor, and the body or drain region of the third transistor is connected to a third reference potential in the range between the first and second potentials.
US09263492B2
An image sensor package including a PCB including bonding areas, an image sensor including bonding pads on edge portions thereof on the PCB, bonding wires connecting the bonding pads with the bonding areas, an insulating adhesion film attaching the bonding wires to the bonding pads on the edge portions of the image sensor, a heat spread pattern spaced apart from the bonding wires and the image sensor on the insulating adhesion film, a supporting holder spaced apart from the edge portions of the image sensor, encloses the image sensor, contacts a top surface of the heat spread pattern and the PCB, and includes a supporting portion at an upper portion thereof, and a transparent cover covering the image sensor on the supporting portion of the supporting holder and spaced apart from the top surface of the image sensor is provided.
US09263484B2
A pixel of an image sensor includes a polysilicon layer, and an active region which needs to be electrically coupled with the polysilicon layer, wherein the polysilicon layer extends over a portion of the active region, such that the polysilicon layer and the active region are partially overlapped, and the polysilicon layer and the active region are coupled through a buried contact structure.
US09263479B2
A display device includes a display unit including a plurality of pixels respectively including thin film transistors; and a terminal unit including an array of a plurality of terminals. The display device includes a first insulating film provided on a substrate; the thin film transistors provided on the first insulating film; a second insulating film that is provided in the display unit and in the terminal unit and has openings located between the plurality of terminals; a plurality of signal lines that are provided on the second insulating film and are respectively connected to the thin film transistors, and a plurality of terminal lines that are provided on the second insulating film in the terminal unit; and a third insulating film that is located on the plurality of signal lines and the plurality of terminal lines and is formed of an organic insulating film.
US09263476B2
An inexpensive display device, as well as an electrical apparatus employing the same, can be provided. In the display device in which a pixel section and a driver circuit are included on one and the same insulating surface, the driver circuit includes a decoder 100 and a buffer section 101. The decoder 100 includes a plurality of NAND circuits each including p-channel TFTs 104 to 106 connected to each other in parallel and other p-channel TFTs 107 to 109 connected to each other in series. The buffer section 101 includes a plurality of buffers each including three p-channel TFTs 114 to 116.
US09263469B2
A display device including TFT elements having satisfactory characteristics and being easy to assemble. In the display device, a pixel emitting red light comprises a red color filter. The red color filter forms a light shielding film for the TFT elements in a driver circuit portion or in a pixel portion.
US09263462B2
A semiconductor device may include a first insulating pillar having a substantially Y-shaped cross-sectional structure to define first through third regions, channel pillars formed in the first through third regions, respectively, and second insulating pillars disposed opposite one another across the first through third regions. The semiconductor device may also include third insulating pillars disposed between the second insulating pillars and disposed opposite one another across the first through third regions. The third insulating pillars may extend in a direction intersecting the second insulating pillars.
US09263461B2
Various apparatuses, including three-dimensional (3D) memory devices and systems including the same, are described herein. In one embodiment, a 3D memory device can include at least two sources; at least two memory arrays respectively formed over and coupled to the at least two sources; and a source conductor electrically respectively coupled to the at least two sources using source contacts adjacent one or more edges of the source. Each of the at least two memory arrays can include memory cells, control gates, and data lines. There is no data line between an edge of a source and the source contacts adjacent the edge.
US09263456B2
A semiconductor device comprises a semiconductor substrate, a first transistor including a gate insulating film and a gate electrode sequentially formed on the semiconductor substrate, a sidewall, an interlayer insulating film formed on the semiconductor substrate, and a contact plug which penetrates through the interlayer insulating film and reaches the semiconductor substrate. The sidewall is formed on a side surface of the gate electrode, and includes a first insulating film and a second insulating film formed on the first insulating film and containing a metal oxide different from the first insulating film.
US09263455B2
An array of recessed access gate lines includes active area regions having dielectric trench isolation material there-between. The trench isolation material comprises dielectric projections extending into opposing ends of individual active area regions under an elevationally outermost surface of material of the active area regions. The active area material is elevationally over the dielectric projections. Recessed access gate lines individually extend transversally across the active area regions and extend between the ends of immediately end-to-end adjacent active area regions within the dielectric trench isolation material. Other arrays are disclosed, as are methods.
US09263446B1
One illustrative method disclosed herein includes, among other things, forming a shared gate cavity that spans across an isolation region and is positioned above first and second active regions, forming at least one layer of material in the shared gate cavity above the first and second active regions and above the isolation region, forming a first masking layer that covers portions of the shared gate cavity positioned above the first and second active regions while exposing a portion of the shared gate cavity positioned above the isolation region, with the first masking layer in position, performing at least one first etching process to remove at least a portion of the at least one layer of material in the exposed portion of the shared gate cavity above the isolation region, and removing the first masking layer.
US09263435B2
Technology capable of improving reliability of a semiconductor device is provided. In the present invention, a gate pad GPj formed on a front surface of a semiconductor chip CHP1 is disposed so as to be closer to a source lead SL than to other leads (a drain lead DL and a gate lead GL). As a result, according to the present invention, a distance between the gate pad GPj and the source lead SL can be shortened, and thus a length of the wire Wgj for connecting the gate pad GPj and the source lead SL together can be shortened. Thus, according to the present invention, a parasitic inductance that is present in the wire Wgj can be sufficiently reduced.
US09263434B2
An array substrate includes a substrate, a dummy pad and a driving signal output line. The substrate includes a display area displaying an image, and a peripheral area surrounding the display area. The dummy pad extends along a first direction in the peripheral area of the substrate, and includes a first protrusion portion protruding from an end portion of the dummy pad along the first direction. The driving signal output line extends along a second direction crossing with the first direction, is disposed adjacent to the dummy pad, and provides an external signal. Accordingly static electricity provided to the driving signal output line flows into the dummy pad having the first protrusion portion, so that static electricity may be prevented from flowing into the display area.
US09263430B2
A semiconductor device includes an SCR ESD device region disposed within a semiconductor body, and a plurality of first device regions of the first conductivity type disposed on a second device region of the second conductivity type, where the second conductivity type is opposite the first conductivity type. Also included is a plurality of third device regions having a sub-region of the first conductivity type and a sub-region of the second conductivity type disposed on the second device region. The first regions and second regions are distributed such that the third regions are not directly adjacent to each other. A fourth device region of the first conductivity type adjacent to the second device region and a fifth device region of the second conductivity type disposed within the fourth device region are also included.
US09263425B2
A semiconductor device includes a laminate, a first semiconductor chip at least partly embedded in the laminate, a second semiconductor chip mounted on a first main surface of the laminate, and a first electrical contact arranged on the first main surface of the laminate. The second semiconductor chip is electrically coupled to the first electrical contact.
US09263420B2
Embodiments of methods for forming a device include performing an oxidation inhibiting treatment to exposed ends of first and second device-to-edge conductors, and forming a package surface conductor to electrically couple the exposed ends of the first and second device-to-edge conductors. Performing the oxidation inhibiting treatment may include applying an organic solderability protectant coating to the exposed ends, or plating the exposed ends with a conductive plating material. The method may further include applying a conformal protective coating over the package surface conductor. An embodiment of a device formed using such a method includes a package body, the first and second device-to-edge conductors, the package surface conductor on a surface of the package body and extending between the first and second device-to-edge conductors, and the conformal protective coating over the package surface conductor.
US09263417B2
The embedded package includes a semiconductor chip having contact portions disposed on a top surface thereof, a first dielectric layer substantially surrounding sidewalls of the semiconductor chip and including first fillers dispersed therein, a second dielectric layer substantially covering the top surface of the semiconductor chip and including second fillers dispersed therein, and first external interconnection portions disposed on the second dielectric layer and electrically connected to the contact portions, wherein an average size of the first fillers is different from that of the second fillers.
US09263413B2
A method for making a microelectronic unit includes forming a plurality of wire bonds on a first surface in the form of a conductive bonding surface of a structure comprising a patternable metallic element. The wire bonds are formed having bases joined to the first surface and end surfaces remote from the first surface. The wire bonds have edge surfaces extending between the bases and the end surfaces. The method also includes forming a dielectric encapsulation layer over a portion of the first surface of the conductive layer and over portions of the wire bonds such that unencapsulated portions of the wire bonds are defined by end surfaces or portions of the edge surfaces that are uncovered by the encapsulation layer. The metallic element is patterned to form first conductive elements beneath the wire bonds and insulated from one another by portions of the encapsulation layer.
US09263407B2
A method includes forming a plurality of metal posts. The plurality of metal posts is interconnected to form a metal-post row by weak portions between neighboring ones of the plurality of metal posts. The weak portions include a same metal as the plurality of metal posts. A majority of each of the plurality of metal posts is separated from respective neighboring ones of the plurality of metal posts. An end portion of each of the plurality of metal posts is plated with a metal. The plurality of metal posts is disposed into a metal post-storage. The method further includes retrieving one of the metal posts from a metal-post storage, and bonding the one of the metal posts on a metal pad.
US09263406B2
A semiconductor device according to the present invention includes a semiconductor chip having a front surface and a rear surface, a sealing resin layer stacked on the front surface of the semiconductor chip, a post passing through the sealing resin layer in the thickness direction and having a side surface flush with a side surface of the sealing resin layer and a forward end surface flush with a front surface of the sealing resin layer, and an external connecting terminal provided on the forward end surface of the post.
US09263402B2
Device structures, design structures, and fabrication methods for a metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor. A gate structure is formed on a top surface of a substrate. First and second trenches are formed in the substrate adjacent to a sidewall of the gate structure. The second trench is formed laterally between the first trench and the first sidewall. First and second epitaxial layers are respectively formed in the first and second trenches. A contact is formed to the first epitaxial layer, which serves as a drain. The second epitaxial layer in the second trench is not contacted so that the second epitaxial layer serves as a ballasting resistor.
US09263397B2
A method for providing alignment in a die picking process may include aligning a semiconductor wafer based on a reference die, forming an indicator line relative to the reference die by picking a number of dice along a line extending across the wafer, and using the reference line to monitor a position of the picking machine relative to the wafer. A die attach machine may include a control system for automatically implementing such method.
US09263387B2
The embodiments of the present disclosure provide a GOA circuit of an array substrate and a display apparatus, which are used in the field of display technology, and enable reducing short-cut of a GOA unit due to ESD, and improving the yield of the GOA circuit. The GOA circuit includes a GOA unit and an STV signal wire electrically connected to the GOA unit, the STV signal wire including a first part and a second part; the GOA circuit further includes a first transparent electrode and an insulating layer located between the first transparent electrode and the first part, the first transparent electrode, the first part and the insulating layer forming a first capacitor.
US09263385B1
Semiconductor fuses with epitaxial fuse link regions and fabrication methods thereof are presented. The methods include: fabricating a semiconductor fuse including an anode region and a cathode region electrically linked by a fuse link region, and the fabricating including: forming, epitaxially, the fuse link region between the anode region and the cathode region, wherein the fuse link region facilitates the semiconductor fuse open circuiting from applying a programming current between the anode region and the cathode region thereof. The semiconductor fuses include: an anode region and a cathode region electrically linked by a fuse link region, wherein the fuse link region includes an epitaxial structure and facilitates the semiconductor fuse open circuiting from applying a programming current between the anode region and the cathode region, wherein the epitaxial structure is in at least partial crystallographic alignment with the anode region and the cathode region of the semiconductor fuse.
US09263381B2
A semiconductor module according to one embodiment includes a semiconductor chip, a wiring substrate, a mounting plate provided with the wiring substrate thereon, a frame body defining a case for the wiring substrate, together with the mounting plate, a bus bar extending from the case and being inserted into a side wall of the frame. The side wall has a projection. The bus bar includes a first region in the side wall, a second region extending from a first end of the first region outward from the frame, a third region extending from a second end of the first region into the frame. The third region is bent based on the shape being close to the wiring substrate of the projection. The mounting plate with the wiring substrate is attached to the frame such that the third region is in press-contact with the wiring pattern.
US09263377B2
A device includes a bottom package component that includes a bottom die, and a dam over a top surface of the bottom die. The dam has a plurality of sides forming a partial ring, with an air gap surrounded by the plurality of side portions. The air gap overlaps the bottom die. A top package component is bonded to the bottom package component, wherein the air gap separates a bottom surface of the top package component from the bottom die.
US09263376B2
A chip interposer may include: a first interconnect level including a first pad; and a second interconnect level including a second pad, wherein the second pad may face in the same direction as the first pad.
US09263373B2
A high density film adapted for nanochip package comprises three redistribution layers. A bottom redistribution circuit has a plurality of first bottom pads adapted for a nanochip to mount; and has a plurality of first top pads. The density of the first bottom pads is higher than the density of the first top pads. A middle redistribution circuit has a plurality of second bottom pads electrically coupled to the first top pads; and has a plurality of second top pads. The density of the second bottom pads is higher than the density of the second top pads. A top redistribution circuit has a plurality of third bottom pads electrically coupled to the second top pads; and has a plurality of third top pads. The density of the third bottom pads is higher than the density of the third top pads.
US09263372B2
A semiconductor device bonded by an anisotropic conductive film, the anisotropic conductive film including a phenoxy resin including a fluorene-substituted phenoxy resin; and a radically polymerizable resin including a fluorene-substituted acrylate.
US09263370B2
A semiconductor device comprising a second surface of a logic die and a second surface of a via bar coupled to a first surface of a substrate, a second surface of a memory die coupled to a first surface of the via bar, a portion of the second surface of the memory die extending over the first surface of the logic die, such that the logic die and the memory die are vertically staggered, and the memory die electrically coupled to the logic die through the via bar. The via bar can be formed from glass, and include through-glass vias (TGVs) and embedded passives such as resistors, capacitors, and inductors. The semiconductor device can be formed as a single package or a package-on-package structure with the via bar and the memory die encapsulated in a package and the substrate and logic die in another package.
US09263366B2
A semiconductor assembly for use with forced liquid and gas cooling. A relatively rigid nano-structure (for example, array of elongated nanowires) extends from an interior surface of a cap toward a top surface of a semiconductor chip, but, because of the rigidness and structural integrity of the nano-structure built into the cap, and of the cap itself, the nano-structure is reliably spaced apart from the top surface of the chip, which helps allow for appropriate cooling fluid flows. The cap piece and nano-structures built into the cap may be made of silicon or silicon compounds.
US09263345B2
A transistor structure with improved device performance, and a method for forming the same is provided. The transistor structure is an SOI (silicon-on-insulator) transistor. In one embodiment, a silicon layer over the oxide layer is a relatively uniform film and in another embodiment, the silicon layer over the oxide layer is a silicon fin. The transistor devices include source/drain structures formed of a strain material that extends through the silicon layer, through the oxide layer and into the underlying substrate which may be silicon. The source/drain structures also include portions that extend above the upper surface of the silicon layer thereby providing an increased volume of the strain layer to provide added carrier mobility and higher performance.
US09263344B2
A replacement metal gate process in which a high-k dielectric is applied. The high-k dielectric may be doped with lanthanum in an NMOS region or aluminum in a PMOS region. Alternatively, after a dummy gate is removed in the NMOS and PMOS regions to leave openings in the NMOS and PMOS regions, lanthanum oxide may be deposited in the NMOS opening or aluminum oxide deposited in the PMOS opening. Thereafter, first work function metals are deposited in the NMOS opening and second work function metals are applied in the PMOS openings. A suitable gate electrode material may then fill the remainder of the NMOS and PMOS openings.
US09263343B2
Silicon germanium regions are formed adjacent gates electrodes over both n-type and p-type regions in an integrated circuit. A hard mask patterned by lithography then protects structures over the p-type region while the silicon germanium is selectively removed from over the n-type region, even under remnants of the hard mask on sidewall spacers on the gate electrode. Silicon germanium carbon is epitaxially grown adjacent the gate electrode in place of the removed silicon germanium, and source/drain extension implants are performed prior to removal of the remaining hard mask over the p-type region structures.
US09263341B2
Some embodiments include methods of forming transistors. Recesses are formed to extend into semiconductor material. The recesses have upper regions lined with liner material and have segments of semiconductor material exposed along lower regions. Semiconductor material is isotropically etched through the exposed segments which transforms the recesses into openings having wide lower regions beneath narrow upper regions. Gate dielectric material is formed along sidewalls of the openings. Gate material is formed within the openings and over regions of the semiconductor material between the openings. Insulative material is formed down the center of each opening and entirely through the gate material. A segment of gate material extends from one of the openings to the other, and wraps around a pillar of the semiconductor material between the openings. The segment is a gate of a transistor. Source/drain regions are formed on opposing sides of the gate.
US09263336B2
A method of manufacturing a bipolar junction transistor (BJT) array may include forming a substrate of doped silicon and forming a plurality of BJTs on the substrate. Each of the BJTs may have a first region and a second region sandwiching a base region vertically. The first region may be in contact with the substrate, where the BJTs are formed in a first row and a second row. The first row and the second row may each have BJTs separated from one another by a word line distance and the first row and second row may be separated by a bit line distance. A plurality of word line contacts may be formed laterally enclosing and electrically connected to each base region of the BJTs. The word line contacts may have a lateral thickness more than one half the word line distance and less than one half the bit line distance.
US09263332B2
A semiconductor device is made by mounting a semiconductor wafer to a temporary carrier. A plurality of TSV is formed through the wafer. A cavity is formed partially through the wafer. A first semiconductor die is mounted to a second semiconductor die. The first and second die are mounted to the wafer such that the first die is disposed over the wafer and electrically connected to the TSV and the second die is disposed within the cavity. An encapsulant is deposited over the wafer and first and second die. A portion of the encapsulant is removed to expose a first surface of the first die. A portion of the wafer is removed to expose the TSV and a surface of the second die. The remaining portion of the wafer operates as a TSV interposer for the first and second die. An interconnect structure is formed over the TSV interposer.
US09263331B2
A method of etching self-aligned contact/via features in a low-k dielectric layer disposed below a hardmask, which is disposed below a planarization layer. At least one cycle is provided, where each cycle comprises thinning the planarization layer, forming a deposition layer on the hardmask and planarization layer; and etching the low-k dielectric layer masked by the deposition layer.
US09263330B2
A method for forming a contact is provided. The method includes: forming a first dielectric layer over a substrate; forming a second dielectric layer over the first dielectric layer; patterning the second dielectric layer to form a first recess; patterning the first dielectric layer by a first etchant through the first recess to form a second recess, wherein the first etchant has a higher etching rate with respect to the first dielectric layer than with respect to the second dielectric layer and further wherein the second recess is aligned with the first recess; and forming a continuous contact plug in the first recess and the second recess.
US09263328B2
One or more embodiments relate to a semiconductor device that includes: a conductive layer including a sidewall; a conductive capping layer disposed over the conductive layer and laterally extending beyond the sidewall of the conductive layer by a lateral overhang; and a conductive via in electrical contact with the conductive capping layer.
US09263325B1
Embodiments of the present invention provide a method for cuts of sacrificial metal lines in a back end of line structure. Sacrificial Mx+1 lines are formed above metal Mx lines. A line cut lithography stack is deposited and patterned over the sacrificial Mx+1 lines and a cut cavity is formed. The cut cavity is filled with dielectric material. A selective etch process removes the sacrificial Mx+1 lines, preserving the dielectric that fills in the cut cavity. Precut metal lines are then formed by depositing metal where the sacrificial Mx+1 lines were removed. Thus embodiments of the present invention provide precut metal lines, and do not require metal cutting. By avoiding the need for metal cutting, the risks associated with metal cutting are avoided.
US09263320B2
An object of the invention is to provide a semiconductor device having improved performance. A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes: forming a trench and then forming a first insulating film made of a silicon oxide film through CVD using a gas containing an O3 gas and a TEOS gas to cover the side surface of the trench with the insulating film; forming a second insulating film made of a silicon oxide film through PECVD to cover the side surface of the trench with the second insulating film via the first insulating film; and forming a third insulating film made of a silicon oxide film through CVD using a gas containing an O3 gas and a TEOS gas to close the trench with the third insulating film while leaving a space in the trench.
US09263316B2
A semiconductor device is provided. The semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate and a trench isolation. The trench isolation is formed in the semiconductor substrate, and includes an isolation oxide and a spin coating material. The isolation oxide is peripherally enclosed by the semiconductor substrate. The spin coating material is peripherally enclosed by the isolation oxide.
US09263308B2
Methods of dicing substrates having a plurality of ICs are disclosed. A method includes forming a mask comprising a water soluble material layer over the semiconductor substrate. The mask is patterned with a femtosecond laser scribing process to provide a patterned mask with gaps. The patterning exposes regions of the substrate between the ICs. The substrate is then etched through the gaps in the patterned mask to singulate the IC and the water soluble material layer is washed off.
US09263303B2
Rinsing methodologies and components to accomplish rinsing of tool surfaces in tools that are used to process one or more microelectronic workpieces. The invention can be used to rinse structures that overlie a workpiece being treated in such a manner to function in part as a lid over the process chamber while also defining a tapering flow channel over the workpiece. Rather than spray rinsing liquid onto the surface in a manner that generates undue splashing, droplet, or mist generation, a swirling flow of rinse liquid is generated on a surface of at least one fluid passage upstream from the surface to be rinsed. The swirling flow then provides smooth, uniform wetting and sheeting action to accomplish rinsing with a significantly reduced risk of generating particle contamination.
US09263302B2
A via or pillar structure, and a method of forming, is provided. In an embodiment, a polymer layer is formed having openings exposing portions of an underlying conductive pad. A conductive layer is formed over the polymer layer, filling the openings. The dies are covered with a molding material and a planarization process is performed to form pillars in the openings. In another embodiment, pillars are formed and then a polymer layer is formed over the pillars. The dies are covered with a molding material and a planarization process is performed to expose the pillars. In yet another embodiment, pillars are formed and a molding material is formed directly over the pillars. A planarization process is performed to expose the pillars. In still yet another embodiment, bumps are formed and a molding material is formed directly over the bumps. A planarization process is performed to expose the bumps.
US09263299B2
In an example embodiment, an integrated circuit (IC) comprises a device die having a top-side surface and an under-side surface, the top-side surface having bond pads connected to active circuit elements, the under-side surface having a conductive surface. A first set of lead frame clips having upper portions and lower portions, are solder-anchored, on the upper portions, to a first set of bond pads; the lower portions are flush with the conductive surface. Wires are bonded to an additional set of bond pads opposite the first set of bond pads and to lower lead frame portions of a second set of lead frame clips opposite the first set of lead frame clips; the lower lead frame portions of the second set of lead frame clips are flush with the conductive surface. The device is encapsulated in a molding compound leaving exposed the conductive surface and underside surfaces of the first and second sets of the lead frame portions.
US09263298B2
A plasma etching apparatus 11 includes a mounting table that holds a semiconductor substrate W thereon; a first heater 18a that heats a central region of the semiconductor substrate W held on the mounting table 14; a second heater 18b that heats an edge region around the central region of the semiconductor substrate W held on the mounting table 14; a reactant gas supply unit 13 that supplies a reactant gas for a plasma process toward the central region of the semiconductor substrate W held on the mounting table 14; and a control unit 20 that performs a plasma etching process on the semiconductor substrate W while controlling the first heater 18a and the second heater 18b to heat the central region and the edge region of the processing target substrate W held on the mounting table 14 to different temperatures.
US09263294B2
A method of forming a semiconductor device is provided. A material layer, a first flowing material layer and a first mask layer are sequentially formed on a substrate. A first etching process is performed by using the first mask layer as a mask, so as to form a first opening in the material layer. The first mask layer and the first flowing material layer are removed. A filler layer is formed in the first opening. A second flowing material layer is formed on the material layer and the filler layer. A second mask layer is formed on the second flowing material layer. A second etching process is performed by using the second mask layer as a mask, so as to form a second opening in the material layer.
US09263292B2
A process for overcoming extreme topographies by first planarizing a cavity in a semiconductor substrate in order to create a planar surface for subsequent lithography processing. As a result of the planarizing process for extreme topographies, subsequent lithography processing is enabled including the deposition of features in close proximity to extreme topographic surfaces (e.g., deep cavities or channels) and, including the deposition of features within a cavity. In a first embodiment, the process for planarizing a cavity in a semiconductor substrate includes the application of dry film resists having high chemical resistance. In a second embodiment, the process for planarizing a cavity includes the filling of cavity using materials such as polymers, spin on glasses, and metallurgy.
US09263280B2
A downsized semiconductor device having an excellent reverse characteristic, and a method of manufacturing the semiconductor device is sought to improve. The semiconductor device comprises a semiconductor body having a polygonal contour. An active area is formed in the semiconductor body. An EQR electrode is formed so as to surround the active area and to have curved portions of the EQR electrode along the corners of the semiconductor body. An interlayer insulating film is formed to cover the active area and the EQR electrode. The EQR electrode is embedded in the interlayer insulating film around the active area. EQR contacts are in contact with the curved portions of the EQR electrode and the semiconductor body outside the curved portions, and have at least side walls covered with the interlayer insulating film.
US09263274B2
In QFN packages for vehicles which are required to have high reliability, the side surface of leads is mostly covered with lead-to-lead resin protrusions, which prevent smooth formation of solder fillets during reflow mounting. When the lead-to-lead protrusions are mechanically removed using a punching die, there is a high possibility of causing cracks of the main body of the package or terminal deformation. When a spacing is provided between the punching die and the main body of the package in order to avoid such damages, a resin residue is produced to hinder complete removal of this lead-to-lead resin protrusion. The present invention provides a method for manufacturing semiconductor device of a QFN type package using multiple leadframes having a dam bar for tying external end portions of a plurality of leads. This method includes a step of removing a sealing resin filled between the circumference of a mold cavity and the dam bar by using laser and then carrying out surface treatment, for example, solder plating.
US09263273B2
A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device may include the following steps: preparing a semiconductor substrate that includes a first substrate region, a second substrate region, and a third substrate region; providing a first mask that overlaps the semiconductor substrate; etching, using the first mask, the first semiconductor substrate to form a trench in each of the substrate regions; providing a second mask that overlaps the semiconductor substrate and includes three openings corresponding to the substrate regions; performing first ion implantation through the three openings to form a P-doped region in each of the substrate regions; performing second ion implantation through the three openings to form an N-doped region in each of the substrate regions; and performing third ion implantation through the three openings to form another N-doped region in each of the substrate regions; and forming an isolation member in each of the trenches.
US09263270B2
Methods of forming a semiconductor device structure at advanced technology nodes and respective semiconductor device structures are provided at advanced technology nodes, i.e., smaller than 100 nm. In some illustrative embodiments, a fluorine implantation process for implanting fluorine at least into a polysilicon layer formed over a dielectric layer structure is performed prior to patterning the gate dielectric layer structure and the polysilicon layer for forming a gate structure and implanting source and drain regions at opposing sides of the gate structure.
US09263262B2
The invention relates to nanowires which consist of or comprise semiconductor materials and are used for applications in photovoltaics and electronics and to a method for the production thereof. The nanowires are characterized in that they are obtained by a novel method using novel precursors. The precursors represent compounds, or mixtures of compounds, each having at least one direct Si—Si and/or Ge—Si and/or Ge—Ge bond, the substituents of which consist of halogen and/or hydrogen, and in the composition of which the atomic ratio of substituent:metalloid atoms is at least 1:1.
US09263261B2
In a method according to the present invention, an occurrence ratio of popcorn is suppressed by adjusting kinetic energy of a source gas supplied to a reaction furnace for producing polycrystalline silicon with a Siemens method (flow velocity and a supply amount of the source gas in source gas supply nozzle ejection ports). Specifically, in performing deposition reaction of the polycrystalline silicon under a reaction pressure of 0.25 MPa to 0.9 MPa, when flow velocity of the source gas in gas supply ports of the source gas supply nozzles (9) is represented as u (m/sec), a source gas supply amount is represented as Q (kg/sec), and an inner volume of the reaction furnace (100) is represented as V (m3), values of u and Q of each of the source gas supply nozzles (9) are set such that a total Σ(Q×u2/V) of values Q×u2/V is equal to or larger than 2500 (kg/m·sec3).
US09263259B2
A semiconductor device in which an increase in oxygen vacancies in an oxide semiconductor layer can be suppressed is provided. A semiconductor device with favorable electrical characteristics is provided. A highly reliable semiconductor device is provided. A semiconductor device includes an oxide semiconductor layer in a channel formation region, and by the use of an oxide insulating film below and in contact with the oxide semiconductor layer and a gate insulating film over and in contact with the oxide semiconductor layer, oxygen of the oxide insulating film or the gate insulating film is supplied to the oxide semiconductor layer. Further, a conductive nitride is used for metal films of a source electrode layer, a drain electrode layer, and a gate electrode layer, whereby diffusion of oxygen to the metal films is suppressed.
US09263252B2
This description relates to a method including forming an interlayer dielectric (ILD) layer and a dummy gate structure over a substrate and forming a cavity in a top portion of the ILD layer. The method further includes forming a protective layer to fill the cavity. The method further includes planarizing the protective layer. A top surface of the planarized protective layer is level with a top surface of the dummy gate structure. This description also relates to a semiconductor device including first and second gate structures and an ILD layer formed on a substrate. The semiconductor device further includes a protective layer formed on the ILD layer, the protective layer having a different etch selectivity than the ILD layer, where a top surface of the protective layer is level with the top surfaces of the first and second gate structures.
US09263251B2
An oxide film capable of suppressing reflection of a lens is formed under a low temperature. A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes forming a metal-containing oxide film on a substrate by performing a cycle a predetermined number of times, the cycle comprising: (a) supplying a metal-containing source to the substrate; (b) supplying an oxidizing source to the substrate; and (c) supplying a catalyst to the substrate.
US09263250B2
Provided is a method of forming a silicon nitride film on a surface to be processed of a target object, which includes: repeating a first process a first predetermined number of times, the process including supplying a silicon source gas containing silicon toward the surface to be processed and supplying a decomposition accelerating gas containing a material for accelerating decomposition of the silicon source gas toward the surface to be processed; performing a second process of supplying a nitriding gas containing nitrogen toward the surface to be processed a second predetermine number of times; and performing one cycle a third predetermined number of times, the one cycle being a sequence including the repetition of the first process and the performance of the second process to form the silicon nitride film on the surface to be processed.
US09263248B2
A pseudo-substrate (1, 11) for use in the production of semiconductor components, having a carrier substrate (2, 12) with a crystalline structure and a first buffer (3, 13), which is arranged on a surface of the carrier substrate (2, 12), if appropriate on further intervening intermediate layers, wherein the first buffer (3, 13) is embodied as a single layer or as a multilayer system and includes, at least at the surface facing away from the carrier substrate (2, 12), arsenic (As) and at least one of the elements aluminum (Al) and indium (In). The invention is characterized in that a second buffer (4, 14) is additionally arranged on a side of the first buffer (3, 13) facing away from the carrier substrate (2, 12), if appropriate on further intervening intermediate layers, said second buffer being embodied as a single layer or as a multilayer system, wherein the second buffer (4, 14) is embodied such that it includes, at a first surface facing the first buffer (3, 13) arsenic and at least one of the elements aluminum and indium and comprises, at a second surface facing away from the first buffer (3, 13) antimony (Sb) and at least one of the elements aluminum and indium, and wherein the second buffer is embodied with a decreasing proportion of arsenic and with an increasing proportion of antimony in each case proceeding from the first surface towards the second surface. The invention furthermore relates to a method for producing a pseudo-substrate (1, 11).
US09263245B2
Energy-saving lamps contain a gas filling of mercury vapour and argon in a gas discharge bulb. Amalgam balls are used for filling the gas discharge bulb with mercury. Novel coated balls whose operating life in the case of automatic metered introduction is increased by coating of the balls with an alloy powder and conglutination of the amalgam balls during storage and processing is prevented are proposed.
US09263237B2
The following description relates to a plasma processing apparatus and a method thereof. The plasma processing apparatus comprises a first plasma chamber having a first plasma discharge space, a first plasma source for supplying a first activation energy to the first plasma discharge space within the first plasma chamber, a second plasma chamber which is connected to the first plasma chamber and has a second discharge space, and a second plasma source for supplying a second activation energy for inducing inductive coupled plasma to the second plasma discharge space within the second plasma chamber.
US09263233B2
A charged particle multi-beam inspection system comprises a beam generator directing a plurality of primary charged particle beams onto an object to produce an array of beam spots; an array of a first number of detection elements generating detection signals upon incidence of electrons; imaging optics imaging the array of beam spots onto the array of detection elements; wherein the beam generator includes a multi-aperture plate having an array of a second number of apertures greater than the first number; wherein the beam generator includes a selector having plural different states, wherein, in each of the plural different states, the apertures of a different group of apertures are each traversed by one primary charged particle beam, wherein a number of the apertures of the different group of apertures is equal to the first number.
US09263230B2
A method for transmitting a broadband ion beam (100) and an ion implanter adopt an analyzing magnetic field (1), a calibration magnetic field (2) and an analyzing grating (6) to transmit a broadband ion beam. If the analyzing magnetic field (1) enables the broadband ion beam (100) emitted into the analyzing magnetic field from an incident face (101) thereof to be deflected anticlockwise in a horizontal direction, the calibration magnetic field (2) enables an ion beam diffusing again after passing through the analyzing grating (6) to be deflected clockwise in the horizontal direction; if the analyzing magnetic field (1) enables the broadband ion beam (100) emitted into the analyzing magnetic field from the incident face (101) thereof to be deflected clockwise in the horizontal direction, the calibration magnetic field (2) enables an ion beam diffusing again after passing through the analyzing grating (6) to be deflected anticlockwise in the horizontal direction. The analyzing magnetic field (1) and the calibration magnetic field (2) enable the ion beam to be deflected along different directions in the horizontal direction, so that distribution of the required ions in the broadband ion beam (100) when emitted out of the calibration magnetic field (2) from an emergence face (202) thereof is the same as the distribution when being emitted into the analyzing magnetic field.
US09263218B2
An integrated circuit includes an electrically resettable fuse device. The electrically resettable fuse device has a plurality of resettable fuse modules coupled in parallel. Each resettable fuse module including a fuse element characterized by a first and a second impedance states. The plurality of resettable fuse modules are configured such that when the fuse element is in the first impedance state, and a current flowing through each fuse element in a first direction exceeds a current limit, the fuse element enters into the second impedance state. When the fuse element is in the second impedance state and, in response to a global reset signal and a local reset signal, a current is applied to the fuse element in a second direction opposite the first direction, the fuse element is reset to the first impedance state.
US09263217B2
A protective switch assembly (100) includes switch position sensors (109) that sense switch blade (14) position and indicate whether one or more switches (104) are open. According to another aspect, the voltage and current of the switch circuits are monitored to determine switch position as well as overall circuit status.
US09263201B2
A planetary limit switch contains a front transmission module, at least one following transmission module, and at least one micro switch. The front transmission module couples with an external power source and includes a first planetary gear carrier and plural first planetary gears for matching with the first planetary gear carrier, a front driving gear meshes with the plural first planetary gears and connects with a driving shaft so as to be driven by the driving shaft. Each following transmission module includes a second planetary gear carrier and a plurality of second planetary gears, and the plurality of second planetary gears meshing with a following gear, wherein the second planetary gear carrier has a cam portion arranged on an outer peripheral side thereof. The at least one micro switch is fixed below at least one following transmission module and touched by the cam portion of the second planetary gear carrier.
US09263198B2
An electric double-layer capacitor having a capacitor element, a package defining a closed space accommodating the capacitor element, and electrolytic solution loaded in the closed space. The package includes a body and a lid, and the body has a metallic portion and a resin portion. The metallic portion includes two lead-out terminals electrically coupled to the capacitor element, and these two lead-out terminals are electrically isolated from each other by the resin portion. The resin portion includes two projections extending into the closed space, which make the closed space narrower and reduce the amount of loading of the electrolytic solution.
US09263193B2
A solid electrolytic capacitor includes: a porous sintered body; an anode wire extending in a first direction and connected to the porous sintered body such that one end portion of the anode wire in the first direction is exposed; a resin package covering the porous sintered body and the anode wire; and a lead including a terminal exposed from the resin package and a lead side connector connected to the terminal. The anode wire includes a base and a connector placed at one side of the base in the first direction, a sectional area of the connector is smaller than that of the base, and the connector and the lead side connector are welded together.
US09263186B2
Some implementations provide a semiconductor device that includes a first substrate, a die coupled to the first substrate, and a set of solder balls coupled to the first substrate. The set of solder balls is configured to provide an electrical connection between the die and a second substrate. The semiconductor device also includes at least one decoupling capacitor coupled to the die through the first substrate. The at least one decoupling capacitor is configured to provide an electrical connection between the die and the second substrate. The at least one decoupling capacitor is coupled to the first substrate such that the at least one decoupling capacitor is positioned between the first substrate and the second substrate. In some implementations, the second substrate is a printed circuit board (PCB). In some implementations, the first substrate is a first package substrate, and the second substrate is a second package substrate.
US09263173B2
A method of manufacturing a high-voltage electrical insulator (1), having at least one metal insulator element (4, 6) cemented to a dielectric insulator element (2) by a cement mortar (5), includes at least one of the following steps: preparing the cement mortar (5) from aluminous cement and sand that are mixed with at least water; assembling the dielectric element (2) with the metal element (4, 6), the mortar (5) being placed between the dielectric insulator element (2) and the metal element (4, 6); and vibrating the dielectric element (2) and the metal element (4, 6) as assembled together, so as to distribute the mortar (5) between the dielectric element and the metal element (2, 4, 6). In order to prepare the mortar (5), an active ingredient of the polymer superplasticizer type based on polyglycol methacrylic acid ester is added, and the vibrating is performed for a duration lying in the range 2 seconds to 20 seconds, and preferably in the range 4 seconds to 15 seconds.
US09263167B2
An aluminum alloy wire rod has a composition consisting of Mg: 0.10 to 1.00 mass %, Si: 0.10 to 1.00 mass %, Fe: 0.01 to 2.50 mass %, Ti: 0.000 to 0.100 mass %, B: 0.000 to 0.030 mass %, Cu: 0.00 to 1.00 mass %, Ag: 0.00 to 0.50 mass %, Au: 0.00 to 0.50 mass %, Mn: 0.00 to 1.00 mass %, Cr: 0.00 to 1.00 mass %, Zr: 0.00 to 0.50 mass %, Hf: 0.00 to 0.50 mass %, V: 0.00 to 0.50 mass %, Sc: 0.00 to 0.50 mass %, Co: 0.00 to 0.50 mass %, Ni: 0.00 to 0.50 mass %, and the balance: Al and incidental impurities. The aluminum alloy wire rod has an average grain size of 1 μm to 35 μm at an outer peripheral portion thereof, and an average grain size at an inner portion thereof is greater than or equal to 1.1 times the average grain size at the outer peripheral portion.
US09263166B2
A sintered structure and method for forming it are disclosed. The method includes obtaining core-shell particles having a core material and a shell material, forming the particles into a powder compact, and annealing the powder compact at an annealing temperature. The shell material is a metal that diffuses faster than the core material at the annealing temperature and diffuses to the contacts between the core-shell particles during annealing to form sintered interfaces between the core-shell particles. The sintered structure can have discontinuous regions of shell material between the sintered interfaces. The core material can be a metal, semiconductor or ceramic. The core material can be copper and the shell material can be silver. The sintered interfaces can be almost purely shell material. The annealing temperature can be significantly lower than the temperature needed to form interfaces between particles of the core material without the shell material.
US09263150B2
A one-time programmable memory includes a first cell array including a plurality of one-time programmable memory cells, and a second cell array including a plurality of one-time programmable memory cells, wherein the first cell array and the second cell array are programmed separately during a program operation, and read in combination during a read operation.
US09263146B2
A threshold voltage distribution scheme for multi-level Flash cells where an erase threshold voltage and at least one programmed threshold voltage lie in an erase voltage domain. Having at least one programmed threshold voltage in the erase voltage domain reduces the Vread voltage level to minimize read disturb effects, while extending the life span of the multi-level Flash cells as the threshold voltage distance between programmed states is maximized. The erase voltage domain can be less than 0V while a program voltage domain is greater than 0V. Accordingly, circuits for program verifying and reading multi-level Flash cells having a programmed threshold voltage in the erase voltage domain and the program voltage domain use negative and positive high voltages.
US09263138B1
The present inventions are related to systems and methods for storing data, and more particularly to systems and methods for writing data to a storage device.
US09263134B2
A non-volatile memory cell includes a plurality of rows of memory cells, a plurality of bit lines coupled to the plurality of rows of memory cells for accessing data to the plurality of rows of memory cells, a plurality of word lines each coupled to a corresponding row of memory cells, and a decoder coupled to the plurality of word lines for enabling at least one row of memory cells of the plurality of rows of memory cells.
US09263131B2
According to one embodiment, a semiconductor storage device includes a memory cell array and a controller. The memory cell array includes a first memory cell, a second memory cell, a third memory cell, and a fourth memory cell. The controller writes data having n values (n is natural numbers of 2 or more to k or less) in the second memory cell and simultaneously writes the fourth memory cell, after writing the data having the n values in the first memory cell. When reading the data from the first memory cell, the controller reads data of the first memory cell and the third memory cell which is selected simultaneously with the first memory cell and, changes a read voltage of the first memory cell based on the data read from the third memory cell.
US09263128B2
Methods and apparatus for programming memory cells in a memory array are disclosed. A most recent programming time is determined, the most recent programming time being a time when a most recent programming operation was applied to a reference memory cell in the memory array. A programming signal is then applied to a target memory cell in the memory array, the programming signal having a programming parameter which depends at least in part on the most recent programming time.
US09263127B1
An embodiment of the invention provides a memory. The memory includes a plurality of word lines, a plurality of bit lines, a plurality of source lines and a memory cell array. The memory cell array has a plurality of memory cells disposed at the intersections of the word and bit lines to form a matrix of rows and columns, wherein each memory cell comprises a resistive memory device and a transistor. The source lines are each disposed between two word lines, wherein each source line is coupled to source terminals of the transistors. When a RESET operation is applied to a selected memory cell, the voltage level of the source line is pulled up to a first voltage level, and when another operation is applied to the selected memory cell, the source line is grounded.
US09263117B2
A writing method for a solid state disk is disclosed. The method comprises following steps: A writing unit is arranged in a buffer memory, wherein plane addresses of the writing unit are in one-to-one correspondence with non-volatile memories of the solid state disk. A writing data is received. A reordered plane address of the writing unit is obtained by using the residue of the logical allocation address of the writing data dividing the plane address number. Whether the reordered plane address is empty is checked. If the reordered plane address is not empty, the next plane address is shifted and the plane address is reordered. If the reordered plane address is empty, the writing data is buffered to the reordered plane address and the logical allocation address of the writing data is arranged in order.
US09263116B2
In a memory device, memory capacity per unit area is increased while a period in which data is held is ensured. The memory device includes a driver circuit provided over a substrate, and a plurality of memory cell arrays which are provided over the driver circuit and driven by the driver circuit. Each of the plurality of memory cell arrays includes a plurality of memory cells. Each of the plurality of memory cells includes a first transistor including a first gate electrode overlapping with an oxide semiconductor layer, and a capacitor including a source electrode or a drain electrode, a first gate insulating layer, and a conductive layer. The plurality of memory cell arrays is stacked to overlap. Thus, in the memory device, memory capacity per unit area is increased while a period in which data is held is ensured.
US09263115B2
A method includes measuring a first pulse width of a resistance variable memory cell coupled between a first terminal and a second terminal, the first pulse width including a period from starting a first data writing of the resistance variable memory cell by applying a voltage between the first and second terminals to ending the first data writing of the resistance variable memory cell, and measuring a second pulse width of the resistance variable memory cell coupled between the first and the second terminal. The method includes setting longer one of the first and second pulse widths in a first storage area as a pulse width to be used in program.
US09263105B2
Memory systems are provided. A memory system may include a plurality of nonvolatile memories and a memory controller configured to control the plurality of nonvolatile memories. Moreover, the memory system may include an input/output buffer circuit connected between the memory controller and the plurality of nonvolatile memories. A data channel may be connected between the memory controller and the input/output buffer circuit, and first and second internal data channels may be connected between the input/output buffer circuit and respective first and second groups of the plurality of nonvolatile memories. The input/output buffer circuit may be configured to connect the data channel to one of the first and second internal data channels.
US09263102B2
Apparatuses, systems, and methods are disclosed for executing data transformations for a data storage device. A storage controller module controls a storage operation for a set of data within a data storage device. A transformation module determines to apply a data transformation to the set of data in response to a transformation indicator. A processing module applies the data transformation to the set of data internally on the data storage device prior to completing the storage operation.
US09263101B2
A semiconductor memory device includes first and second memory regions configured to store data in a mirrored fashion with respect to each other during a high speed operation period; and a read operation block configured to repeatedly and alternately select the first and second memory regions and read data from a selected memory region, in the case where the first or second memory region is repeatedly selected n read operations of at least two times during the high speed operation period.
US09263099B2
A semiconductor memory device includes a standby voltage providing unit. The standby voltage providing unit is configured to receive an external voltage, primarily clamp and secondarily clamp a predetermined voltage, and provide the predetermined voltage as an internal voltage, during a standby mode.
US09263098B2
A memory controller of inventive concepts may include an active regulator configured to operate in an active mode and be inactive in a sleep mode, an active logic configured to receive a drive voltage, a power gating switch configured to connect the active regulator to the active logic after a transient state of the active mode, the transient state being an initial time period of the active mode, and a charging circuit configured to charge the active logic during the transient state.
US09263095B2
A memory array having memory cells and methods of forming the same. The memory array may have a buried digit line formed in a first horizontal planar volume, a word line formed in a second horizontal planar volume above the first horizontal planar volume and storage devices formed on top of the vertical access devices, such as finFETs, in a third horizontal planar volume above the second horizontal planar volume. The memory array may have a 4F2 architecture, wherein each memory cell includes two vertical access devices, each coupled to a single storage device.
US09263094B2
Improving track following performance and reliability in a hard disk drive involves the use of disk separator plates positioned between adjacent recording disks, where a disk separator plate is made of stamped metal with plastic over-molded mounting portions coupled to the metal, thereby reducing the reliability risks associated with the use of fiber-filled materials.
US09263082B2
A system includes a linear storage media tier; a second storage tier having higher performance than the linear storage media tier; a data controller for moving data between the tiers; and a host interface responsive to disk and/or network storage commands. The linear storage media tier includes: a rest area for storing reels having linear media thereon, at least one linear media drive configured for reading and/or writing the linear media, and at least one robot for transporting the linear storage media between the rest area and the at least one linear media drive. The robot moves along a first surface via contact with the surface. A system according to another embodiment includes a linear storage media tier characterized by having a read access time to any block of data stored on any reel in the rest area in less than 10 seconds.
US09263079B2
The present invention provides a device and a method for producing a magnetic recording medium having a lubricant membrane with a uniform thickness on a surface. The device for producing the magnetic recording medium includes: a hanger device that is inserted into the central hole of the magnetic recording medium and supports the magnetic recording medium in a hanging state; and a raising and lowering device that raises and lowers one of the hanging device and an immersion tank with respect to the other thereof. The hanger device includes a support plate of which an upper end comes into contact with an inner circumference of the magnetic recording medium and a liquid-cutting plate which extends from a lower end of the support plate and is distant by a space along the inner circumference of the magnetic recording medium from the inner circumference of the magnetic recording medium.
US09263075B2
Disclosed are a magnetic recording medium for a heat-assisted recording device, which has a high SNR at high density, and a manufacturing method thereof. The magnetic recording medium includes a non-magnetic substrate; a magnetic recording layer; a protective layer; and a liquid lubricating layer. The magnetic recording layer has a granular structure formed by magnetic portions and non-magnetic portions that surround the magnetic portions in which the non-magnetic portions between adjacent magnetic portions are recessed with respect to the magnetic portions. The non-magnetic portions have a volume percentage based on total volume of the granular structure ranging from 15 vol % to 30 vol % and include a carbon-based material. The magnetic recording medium has a surface having an arithmetic mean roughness Ra and an average length of roughness curve elements RSm such that Ra/RSm ranges from 0.05 to 0.15.
US09263071B1
The present disclosure generally relates to an EAMR head having a plasmonic bulk metal plate adjacent thereto. The waveguide core has a trapezoidal shaped cross-section, when viewed from the ABS, and the plasmonic bulk metal plate is disposed adjacent the short side of the trapezoid. The plasmonic bulk metal plate reduces the temperature of the NFT.
US09263066B1
A data writer can be configured with at least a write pole separated from a front shield by a non-magnetic gap layer. The front shield may consist of at least a seed layer and a shielding layer with the shielding layer having an easy axis coercivity along a first direction of 4 Oe or more and a hard axis coercivity along a second direction of 0.5 Oe or more.
US09263059B2
In a method for deep tagging a recording, a computer records audio comprising speech from one or more people. The computer detects a non-speech sound within the audio. The computer determines that the non-speech sound corresponds to a type of sound, and in response, associates a descriptive term with a time of occurrence of the non-speech sound within the recorded audio to form a searchable tag. The computer stores the searchable tag as metadata of the recorded audio.
US09263054B2
A method for controlling an average encoding rate by an electronic device is described. The method includes obtaining a speech signal. The method also includes determining a first average rate. The method further includes determining a first threshold based on the first average rate. The method additionally includes controlling the average encoding rate by determining at least one other threshold based on the first threshold. The method also includes sending an encoded speech signal.
US09263051B2
A method, system and program for decoding a speech signal. In some embodiments, the method comprises: receiving an encoded speech signal having quantization values; transforming the quantization values by adding simulated random-noise samples; and from the encoded speech signal, determining a parameter of the transformation that is usable to control the transformation of the quantization values.
US09263039B2
Systems and methods are provided for receiving speech and non-speech communications of natural language questions and/or commands, transcribing the speech and non-speech communications to textual messages, and executing the questions and/or commands. The invention applies context, prior information, domain knowledge, and user specific profile data to achieve a natural environment for one or more users presenting questions or commands across multiple domains. The systems and methods creates, stores and uses extensive personal profile information for each user, thereby improving the reliability of determining the context of the speech and non-speech communications and presenting the expected results for a particular question or command.
US09263030B2
A speech recognition system adaptively estimates a warping factor used to reduce speaker variability. The warping factor is estimated using a small window (e.g. 100 ms) of speech. The warping factor is adaptively adjusted as more speech is obtained until the warping factor converges or a pre-defined maximum number of adaptation is reached. The speaker may be placed into a group selected from two or more groups based on characteristics that are associated with the speaker's window of speech. Different step sizes may be used within the different groups when estimating the warping factor. VTLN is applied to the speech input using the estimated warping factor. A linear transformation, including a bias term, may also be computed to assist in normalizing the speech along with the application of the VTLN.
US09263025B2
A high quality speech is reproduced with a small data amount in speech coding and decoding for performing compression coding and decoding of a speech signal to a digital signal. In speech coding method according to a code-excited linear prediction (CELP) speech coding, a noise level of a speech in a concerning coding period is evaluated by using a code or coding result of at least one of spectrum information, power information, and pitch information, and various excitation codebooks are used based on an evaluation result.
US09263017B2
In one aspect, the present invention is directed to a modular electronic musical keyboard instrument, comprising: an array of separate keyboard segments (30, 32), each comprising a piano keyboard (20) in a range of one octave; a control system, for converting a keystroke of each key in the array of keyboard segments to a note sound in a level corresponding to the order of the key in the array of keyboard segments; octave order setting means (22), for determining to the control system the order of each keyboard segment in the array of keyboard segments; communication means of each of the keyboard segments with the control system; and connection means (12, 14) with another keyboard segment.
US09263013B2
In one embodiment, a system for analyzing melodies is disclosed that may receive data for a musical composition, the data including a sequence of notes that make up a melody contained in the musical composition, and store, in a database, a pitch and a duration for at least one note in the sequence of notes in association with the melody. In addition, the system may determine at least one pitch differential and at least one duration ratio for at least two consecutive notes in the sequence of notes, and store, in the database, the at least one pitch differential and the at least one duration ratio in association with the melody. The system may also generate at least one metric associated with the melody based on the at least one pitch differential and/or the at least one duration ratio.
US09263007B2
A guitar pick is described that places the playing edge and associated tip at an angle relative to a planar body that is grasp by the thumb and forefinger of a player to permit the player to hold his/her wrist at a more natural angle when playing. The pick is characterized by an arcuate wall that rises from a distal end of the pick, which in combination with the body forms a cradle for the thumb. A planar jut extends from the top edge of the arcuate wall and includes the playing edge and tip of the pick. The plane defined by the jut and the plane defined by the body define an acute angle of intersection.
US09263006B2
Non-electrical devices and methods for producing wah-wah and other effects with stringed instruments
A non-electrical stringed instrument sound effects device includes a crosspiece, having a string interface, and a strapping system that is configured to removably fasten the crosspiece, including the string interface, around a plucking or strumming hand of a player of the stringed musical instrument. A method of creating a sound effect using the device includes attaching the device to a plucking or strumming hand of a player of a stringed musical instrument such that the strapping system extends around the hand and the crosspiece is disposed adjacent the outside of the hand, positioning the hand in a conventional plucking or strumming position such that the string interface of the crosspiece extends across at least one of the strings, and manipulating the string interface of the crosspiece against the strings while plucking or strumming to achieve a desired sound effect without use of electrical power.
US09263003B2
Methods and systems which may implement buffer swapping are provided. The methods include rendering, onto screen locations of a display screen, data from a memory having a first buffer and a second buffer, each buffer having respective buffer memory locations which correspond to the screen locations of the display screen. The methods can include: rendering first data from the first buffer onto the display screen; writing, to the second buffer, second data based on at least some of the first data from the first buffer by performing at least one of transforming at least some first data and changing corresponding screen locations of at least some first data from the first buffer, by writing at most once to each buffer memory location of the second buffer; and rendering the second data from the second buffer onto the display screen.
US09263000B2
A graphics system includes an integrated graphics processor and a discrete graphics processing unit. An intra-system bus coupled data from the discrete graphics processing unit to the integrated graphics processor. In a high performance mode the discrete graphics processing unit is used to render frames. Compression techniques are used to aid in the data transfer over an intra-system bus interface.
US09262992B2
The disclosed embodiments provide a system that drives a display from a computer system. The system includes a first hardware path for controlling a backlight of a display of the computer system. The system also includes a second hardware path for controlling the backlight. Finally, the system includes a backlight controller that enables use of the first and second hardware paths in controlling the backlight from the computer system.
US09262991B2
According to an example, in a method for displaying visual analytics of entity data, geographic locations of entities may be plotted as first pixel cells on a first region and as second pixel cells on a second region of a geographic map. A determination may be made that the first pixel cells have a higher degree of overlap with each other in the first region compared to the second pixel cells in the second region. The geographic map may be distorted to enlarge the first region and the first pixel cells may be arranged in the first region in a manner that prevents the first pixel cells from overlapping each other. A color value for each of the pixel cells may be determined from a multi-paired color map that represents two variables corresponding to the entities by color and the pixel cells may be caused to be displayed on the distorted geographic map according to the determined respective color values.
US09262978B2
There are provided a driving circuit of a semiconductor display device which can obtain an excellent picture without picture blur (display unevenness) and with high fineness/high resolution, and the semiconductor display device. A buffer circuit used in the driving circuit of the semiconductor display device is constituted by a plurality of TFTs each having a small channel width, and a plurality of such buffer circuits are connected in parallel with each other.
US09262976B2
A chip on glass (COG) type liquid crystal display comprises: a glass substrate (3); two or more than two driving circuits, which are provided on the glass substrate (3) and are connected one another in series; a constant current source (9), which is separately connected to at least one of the two or more than two driving circuits to supply a constant current signal to each driving circuit; and converting circuits (8), which are provided in each driving circuit to convert the constant current signal received to a voltage signal.
US09262974B2
Image display device including driving integrated circuit for different pixel arrangement structures
A driving integrated circuit capable of driving various image display panels having different pixel arrangements is described. A data driving unit alternately supplies analog image signals to one of two adjacent data lines. A data switching unit selects the data lines such that the image signals are alternately supplied to the adjacent data lines of the plurality of data lines and electrically connecting the data lines to the output channels of the data driving unit.
US09262972B2
A method for controlling an electro-optic device switches between a first driving scheme for changing an optical state between a-number of optical states and a second driving scheme for changing an optical state between b-number of optical states (b>a). In the first driving scheme, an integrated value W (A→B) of drive voltage and drive time when changing an optical state A to an optical state B, and an integrated value W (B→A) of drive voltage and drive time when changing the pixel from the optical state B to the optical state A satisfy a relation of W (A→B)=−W (B→A), and the integrated value W (A→B) and W (B→A) for the optical state A and B in the second driving scheme are equal to the integrated value W (A→B) and W (B→A) in the first driving scheme, respectively.
US09262969B2
Electronic device and a method for backlighting a liquid crystal display (LCD) display to provide different display definitions, the LCD display includes a backlight unit composed of one or more backlighting blocks. The method determines a display definition of a video image and illuminates or turns off backlighting blocks of the backlight unit to display the video image accordingly. The video image is displayed in full screen by all backlighting blocks if the video image is an ultra high definition (UHD) image, and turns on a smaller number of the backlighting blocks to display the video image if the video image has other than UHD display definition. As such, the electronic device is controlled to save power consumption in different display definitions of the LCD display.
US09262967B2
A display apparatus disclosed herein includes a plurality of pixel circuits, each having a plurality of switches configured to receive a driving signal of a predetermined period and to be controlled for opening and closing operation by the driving signal, a drive circuit configured to control the open/closed state of the switches, being operable to scan the pixel circuits and open and close the switches in periods independent of each other.
US09262964B2
Provided is an organic light emitting diode (OLED) display device including a plurality of pixels to display images, each of the pixels including an OLED, a driving transistor connected to the OLED, and a switching transistor configured to supply data signals to the OLED, the device including: a sensor configured to sense a change amount of a mobility of the driving transistor; a compensation value calculator configured to obtain a change amount of a threshold voltage of the driving transistor based on the sensed change amount of the mobility; and a data compensator configured to adjust the data signals based on the sensed change amount of mobility and the obtained change amount of the threshold voltage.
US09262951B2
Techniques for stereoscopic 3D display systems with active shuttered glasses are provided which overcomes the real-world limitations of sample/load & hold displays, resulting in greater overall brightness, while reducing crosstalk between each eye perspective. In some embodiments, a first left-eye perspective frame and a first right-eye frame are determined from image data. A first composite frame of a first type is then created. This first composite frame of the first type comprises one or more left-eye pixel values from the first left-eye frame and one or more right-eye pixel values from the first right-eye frame. The first composite frame of the first type is outputted to the display area. This may also include use of scanning backlight synchronized to loading/hold of display in conjunction with the composite frame.
US09262950B2
Augmented reality extrapolation techniques are described. In one or more implementations, an augmented-reality display is rendered based at least in part on a first basis that describes a likely orientation or position of at least a part of the computing device. The rendered augmented-reality display is updated based at least in part on data that describes a likely orientation or position of the part of the computing device that was assumed during the rendering of the augmented-reality display.
US09262949B1
A portable collapsible sign assembly including a fabric covering and support frame which is adjustable between a collapsed and expanded position. When the sign assembly is expanded, or in its deployed state, the fabric covering and support frame possess a connective tension relationship with respect to one another which creates and supports both the sign assembly display sign and base in a stable manner. The fabric covering engagement with the support frame enables the entire sign assembly, including both the display sign and assembly base, to be simultaneously deployed in one user-initiated motion.
US09262938B2
In a method of answering questions, a question is received, a question LAT is determined, and a candidate answer to the question is identified. Preliminary types for the candidate answer are determined using first components to produce the preliminary types. Each of the first components produces a preliminary type using different methods. A first type-score representing a degree of match between the preliminary type and the question LAT is produced. Each preliminary type and each first type-score is evaluated using second components. Each of the second components produces a second score based on a combination of the first type-score and a measure of degree that the preliminary type matches the question LAT. The second components use different methods to produce the second score. A final score representing a degree of confidence that the candidate answer matches the question LAT is calculated based on the second score.
US09262935B2
Systems, methods, and products for language learning that may extract text from various resources having text, using various natural-language processing features, which can be combined with custom-designed learning activities to offer a needs-based, adaptive learning methodology. The system may receive a resource, extract keywords pedagogically valuable to non-native language learning and academic exercises. Metadata describing various aspects of resources from which keywords are extracted may be associated with keywords. Metadata describing various aspects of keywords may also be associated with keywords. Extracted keywords may be stored into a keyword store along with any metadata associated with keywords.
US09262934B2
A portable wireless data transfer and display device includes a user interface, a display, a processor, and a short-range wireless communication module configured to wirelessly receive vehicle data, in real-time, from a data acquisition device mounted inside a vehicle when in close proximity to the data acquisition device. The device is configured to receive an input of driver information and driver communications from a user via the user interface. The short-range wireless communication module is configured to communicate two ways, in real-time, the driver communications via a long-range wireless network. The device is configured to process into a trip schedule at least one of: the vehicle data, the driver information, and the driver communications via the processor. The device is further configured to present the trip schedule and the driver communications to the user via the display.
US09262924B2
A human machine interface (HMI) can communicate warnings and messages to a driver by selecting among a variety of warning devices based on information related to the driver's viewing angle. The variety of warning devices can include a primary-visual warning device (e.g., a heads up display), secondary-visual warning devices (e.g., an instrument cluster or a navigational screen), a portable device (e.g., a tablet or a cellular phone), an audio system, or a haptic device. The HMI apparatus displays warnings on visual warning devices within the driver's view, can signal an active portable device to output a warning. Visual warnings can include directional cues. Audio warnings may accompany the visual warnings, and can be output with greater intensity when no visual devices are within the driver's view.
US09262920B2
A method and to a device are provided for outputting information in a motor vehicle, in which as a function of an event visual and/or acoustic information is output to a driver of the motor vehicle. In order to achieve an improved choice of the suitable timing of the outputting of the information it is provided that the time between registering of the event and outputting of the information is set as a function of the orientation of the driver's head.
US09262918B2
A signal information processing device and a signal information processing method for calculating the state of a traffic light for driving assistance for traffic lights for which signal information is not transmitted from a roadside apparatus, and a driving assistance device and a driving assistance method for performing driving assistance on the basis of the calculated state of the traffic light. A driving assistance ECU of a vehicle acquires signal information corresponding to a first traffic light and information indicating the driving environment of the vehicle corresponding to a second traffic light placed at a position different from the first traffic light. The driving assistance ECU is provided with a signal information processing unit, which estimates signal information of the second traffic light by performing a computation on the basis of the signal information corresponding to the first traffic light and the information indicating the driving environment of the vehicle.
US09262917B2
Provided is a safety directional indicator to improve highway safety. Embodiments of the invention include devices for guiding a driver of a vehicle in a desired direction, typically away from highway workers, pedestrians, curbs, and opposing lanes of traffic. Specifically included is a safety directional indicator system comprising a flexible belt with a plurality of light transmitting bars disposed along the belt and having a plurality of LEDs disposed at one elongated end of each light transmitting bar and in operable communication with a control system for illuminating the LEDs in a manner to indicate a direction for traffic. Safety devices according to the invention can be stand-alone devices, devices capable of being attached to objects or structures at a highway scene, or configured to be worn on a person's body. An object of the safety devices according to embodiments of the invention is to increase driver awareness of highway situations especially during conditions of restricted visibility.
US09262899B2
Embodiments of the present invention disclose a method, a device, and a system for implementing video recording retrieval. The method includes receiving an alarm event, where the alarm event includes a device identifier of an alarm device and an alarm occurrence time. The method further includes generating a video recording index of a video recording corresponding to the alarm event according to the alarm event, where the video recording index includes video recording time information and video recording acquisition information. The method also includes generating a video recording bookmark of the video recording corresponding to the alarm event according to the alarm event, where the video recording bookmark includes a camera identifier and the alarm occurrence time.
US09262897B2
An image information management system includes: a reading device which reads unique information from a storage medium in which the unique information is stored; an imaging device which automatically starts shooting a video at a time of detecting a change of a picture image in an image area; and a processing device which includes a database which receives the unique information read by the reading device and the image information shot by the imaging device and associates the unique information and the image information to store the unique information and the image information. The processing device includes a control unit which associates the unique information and the image information to store the unique information and the image information in the database in a case of receiving the unique information and the image information, and which associates the image information and identification information indicating that no unique information is received to store the image information and the identification information in the database in a case of receiving only the image information from the imaging device and no unique information from the reading device.
US09262888B1
A system is provided that, in some aspects, determines a user's intent to place a wager or redeem a wager based on bar codes generated by a client device operated by the user.
US09262885B2
A gaming table provides for use of RFID technology to track chip movement on a table game and to infer an association between a wager and a player position based on a chip identifier of a chip placed on a particular position of the table. In some embodiments, previous position history of the chip is also taken into account in determining a player position associated with a wager.
US09262883B2
A performance apparatus includes an accepting unit, a memory, an output unit and a performance unit. The accepting unit accepts first performance information from a source outside of the performance apparatus, and the memory stores second performance information. The output unit outputs one of a performance signal based on the first performance information accepted by the accepting unit and a performance signal based on the second performance information stored in the memory on the basis of a predetermined performance condition. The performance unit executes a performance according to the performance signal output from the output unit.
US09262876B2
A method for controlling fraud using a personal hybrid card and a verification process is disclosed. The method includes registering personal information of an individual in a database forming a registered account for the individual, and assigning a personal hybrid card to the individual with the registered account. The personal hybrid card includes a data storage and a copy of the personal information, including first biometric data stored in the data storage. The method continues by verifying, at an access point, that the individual with the personal hybrid card matches the first biometric data of the individual, that is stored on the personal hybrid card. Next, the individual's personal information is transmitted from the access point to the database for requesting verification of the individual to use the personal hybrid card, and receiving eligibility verification or denial of the individual for accessing services, benefits, programs, and combinations thereof.
US09262874B2
A computer implemented method, apparatus, and computer program product for real-time creation of vessel performance models. Performance inputs are received from a set of sensors during a voyage of a vessel. The performance inputs are data associated with a performance of the vessel during the voyage. A real-time performance model is generated during the voyage using a subset of the performance inputs. A predicted value for velocity made good is identified for the vessel using the real-time performance model.
US09262871B2
In one example, the invention includes steps of: activating feeding and exiting motors of a dispensing device that cause corresponding rollers to rotate in forward direction, wherein the feeding motor is operatively connected to a displacement optical sensor, wherein the feeding and exiting rollers move a dispensing object; wherein an exit sensor generates a first signal, indicating that a leading edge of the dispensing object has activated the exit sensor, generating, by the stationary displacement optical sensor, a second signal, when, by passing at least one light beam over a surface of the portion of the dispensing object, the stationary displacement optical sensor determines that the portion of the dispensing object has traveled a pre-determined distance along the dispensing passage.
US09262869B2
A method of 3D morphing driven by facial tracking is provided. First, a 3D model is loaded. After that, facial feature control points and boundary control points are picked up respectively. A configure file “A.config” including the facial feature control points and boundary control points data that are picked up corresponding to the 3D avatar is saved. Facial tracking algorithm is started, and then “A.config” is loaded. After that, controlled morphing of a 3D avatar by facial tracking based on “A.config” is performed in real time by a deformation method having control points. Meanwhile, teeth and tongue tracking of the real-time face image, and scaling, translation and rotation of the real-time 3D avatar image is also provided. In addition, a control point reassignment and reconfiguration method, and a pupil movement detection method is also provided in the method of 3D morphing driven by facial tracking.
US09262860B2
Provided are systems and methods that address the problem of single scattering in homogeneous volumes. In one implementation, an importance sampling technique is provided that avoids a singularity near point light sources. The system and method can be extended to the situation of area lights of arbitrary shapes. The error caused by the non-constant distance to the finite-extent area light is distributed by using random sample points within the area light as points from which lighting is calculated for sampling points along the ray.
US09262857B2
Systems and method for modeling hair in real-time with user interactive controls are presented. One embodiment may take the form of a method of hair motion modeling including representing hair with hair guides, each hair guide comprising a plurality of hair points and reducing a dimensionality of the hair guides to achieve a reduced sub-space. Additionally, the method includes generating a data tensor for multiple factors related to the hair guides and decomposing the tensor to create a model characterizing the multiple factors in a multi-linear hair framework. The hair may be hair, such as human hair, animal fur, or clothing fibers.
US09262853B2
Techniques are disclosed for virtual scene generation. An image depicting a scene and annotated by a sparse set of labels is received. A dense set of labels annotating the image and a density map associated with the image are generated based on the sparse set of labels. A virtual scene is generated based on the dense set of labels and the density map, and the virtual scene is output.
US09262849B2
Chart animation control may be provided. Upon receiving a change to a displayed visualization comprising a plurality of data elements, a determination may be made as to whether to animate an update of the visualization according to the change to the displayed visualization. In response to determining to animate the update of the visualization according to the change to the data value, an animation of the update may be constructed and rendered and the updated visualization may be displayed.
US09262844B2
Methods and systems for processing data for medical imaging are disclosed. The method includes obtaining a set of continuous bed motion (CBM) data from a first imaging modality. The set of CBM data includes a plurality of gating signals. A CBM normalization matrix is calculated. The CBM normalization matrix calculation includes the plurality of gating signals. An image is reconstructed from the CBM data and the CBM normalization matrix. The first imaging modality can be a PET imaging device.
US09262843B1
A circuit for detecting features in an image, the circuit including M time encoders, each time encoder having two inputs, Xi and Ti, where Xi is an ith element of an input vector X1 XM of the image and Ti is an ith element of a template vector T1 TM, and having an oscillatory output, wherein when the input vector X1 XM and the template vector T1 TM are more matched, the oscillatory outputs of the time encoders are more synchronized, and wherein when the input vector X1 XM and the template vector T1 TM are less matched, the oscillatory outputs of the time encoders are less synchronized.
US09262838B2
The present invention provides a method and an apparatus for detecting traffic video information. The method includes: acquiring a traffic video stream; determining color features of each frame of image in the traffic video stream; calculating the inter-frame distance between adjacent frames according to the color features; calculating the boundary of an image clustered frames' group according to the inter-frame distance by adopting an image clustering evaluation standard in RGB space and an image clustering evaluation standard in YUV space respectively; and determining a final boundary of the image clustered frames' group according to the boundaries of the image clustered frames' group in RGB space and YUV space. By using the present invention, the stability of detection results in different environments may be improved.
US09262832B2
Methods and apparatus provide for a Cart Inspector to create a suspicion level for a transaction when a video image of the transaction portrays an item(s) left in a shopping cart. Specifically, the Cart Inspector obtains video data associated with a time(s) of interest. The video data originates from a video camera that monitors a transaction area. The Cart Inspector analyzes the video data with respect to target image(s) associated with a transaction in the transaction area during the time(s) of interest. The Cart Inspector creates an indication of a suspicion level for the transaction based on analysis of the target image(s). Creation of a high suspicion level for the transaction indicates that the transaction's corresponding video images most likely portray occurrences where the purchase price of an item transported through the transaction area was not included in the total amount paid by the customer.
US09262822B2
An image analysis embodiment comprises subsampling a digital image by a subsample factor related to a first anomaly size scale, thereby generating a subsampled image, smoothing the subsampled image to generate a smoothed image, determining a minimum negative second derivative for each pixel in the smoothed image, determining each pixel having a convex down curvature based on a negative minimum negative second derivative value for the respective pixel, joining each eight-neighbor connected pixels having convex down curvature to identify each initial anomaly area, selecting the initial anomaly areas having strongest convex down curvatures based on a respective maximum negative second derivative for each of the initial anomaly areas, extracting one or more classification features for each selected anomaly area, and classifying the selected anomaly areas based on the extracted one or more classification features.
US09262815B2
A method for deblurring a blurry image (18) includes utilizing a spatial mask and a variable splitting technique in the latent sharp image estimation cost function. Additionally or alternatively, the method can include the utilizing a spatial mask and a variable splitting technique in the PSF estimation cost function. The spatial mask can be in a regularization term of either or both the latent sharp image estimation cost function and the PSF cost function. The latent sharp image estimation cost function can be used for non-blind deconvolution. Alternatively, one or both cost functions can be used for blind deconvolution.
US09262812B2
A method for the reduction of noise in an image including identifying neighboring pixel values in pixels proximate to a subject pixel; comparing the neighboring pixel values to a preset tolerance range; using neighboring pixel values within the tolerance range to calculate a pixel intensity correction value; and applying the pixel intensity value to the subject pixel.
US09262810B1
A method denoises a noisy image by, for each pixel in the noisy image, first constructing a key from a patch, wherein the patch includes locally neighboring pixels around the pixel. A function is selected from a function library using the key. Then, the function is applied to the patch to generate a corresponding noise free pixel for the pixel.
US09262809B2
Methods and apparatus for filtering noise of low frequency from an image of the surface characteristics of an object expressed with reference to orthogonal first and second axis and obtained with linear light scanning, involve calculating a difference between pixel values of an image column vector along the second axis adjacent a selected reference image column vector and respective pixel values of the selected reference image column vector to obtain a pixel difference vector. The pixel difference values not mainly associated with a corresponding atypical change of surface characteristics as compared with noise are then selected, and a mean value from the selected pixel difference values are calculated as an estimated value of the noise. The estimated noise value are subtracted from the adjacent image column vector to obtain a corrected image column vector. The calculations are repeated using the corrected image vector as the reference image column vector and a further adjacent image column vector to obtain further corrected image column vectors, from which a noise filtered image is generated.
US09262800B2
A system and method for an omnidirectional camera for use in recording events around a police vehicle is disclosed. The system and method include an omnidirectional camera and a digital processor for processing the omnidirectional images captured by the omnidirectional camera. The digital processor may be operable to locate one or more regions of interests disposed within the omnidirectional images. A recordable medium is also disclosed for storing at least some of the captured images.
US09262797B2
A system, method, and computer program product are provided for multi-sample processing. The multi-sample pixel data is received and an encoding state associated with the multi-sample pixel data is determined. Data for one sample of a multi-sample pixel and the encoding state are provided to a processing unit. The one sample of the multi-sample pixel is processed by the processing unit to generate processed data for the one sample that represents processed multi-sample pixel data for all samples of the multi-sample pixel or two or more samples of the multi-sample pixel.
US09262796B2
In an agent function, when a character image in motion is displayed, a number of the character images to be displayed is changed, depending on whether or not a speech utterance of a user is being received. In other words, during receipt the speech utterance of the user, the communication apparatus sends the character images to the vehicle-mounted apparatus at a first reduced frequency. Thus, even when a process of receiving the speech utterance and a process of displaying the character images are concurrently performed, the vehicle-mounted apparatus is not overloaded with the processes. Therefore, a stopping state of a process caused by overload of the vehicle-mounted apparatus with processes can be prevented and stoppage of the motion of the character image can also be prevented even during the receipt of the speech utterance.
US09262790B2
Provided are a system and method for determining rankings of keywords according to a user group. The keyword ranking determining system includes a data grouping unit to group data of a weblog according to a predetermined theme, a weight application unit to calculate a document concentration that denotes a concentration degree, with respect to the theme, of a document corresponding to the data grouped according to the theme and to apply a weight corresponding to the document concentration to the data, a data set generation unit to generate at least one data set by grouping the data applied with the weight according to a search intention and a ranking determination unit to determine rankings of the at least one data set according to the theme, and a main keyword determination unit to determine a main keyword representing each of the at least one data set.
US09262788B1
In a computer-implemented method and system for capturing the condition of a structure, the structure is scanned with a three-dimensional (3D) scanner. The 3D scanner generates 3D data. A point cloud or 3D model is constructed from the 3D data. The point cloud or 3D model is then analyzed to determine the condition of the structure.
US09262784B2
Embodiments of computer implemented systems and methods for comparison shopping are described. One example embodiment includes receiving a data resource associated with a web page, the web page including an offering of a product and product offering terms, extracting product descriptors from the data source, requesting a search of marketplace offerings of the product based on the product descriptors, receiving results of the search (the results including marketplace offering terms of the marketplace offerings of the product), and displaying the marketplace offering terms, thereby facilitating comparison of the product offering terms with the marketplace offering terms.
US09262783B1
A method and system for evaluating service definitions in a service-oriented architecture (SOA) system which provides service offerings categorized according to service categories using a taxonomy. A specification field receives a formal definition of a service. The formal definition is for inclusion to define one of service offerings of the SOA. A current grammar is determined which is currently in effect as a specification-requirement of acceptable definitions for a service category in which the service is categorized. The current grammar is a common grammar. The system determines whether the formal definition in the specification field is acceptable, by adhering to the current grammar determined to be currently in effect as the specification-requirement for the category of the service. The formal definition is accepted for the service when it is determined to be acceptable according to the current grammar. Otherwise, the formal definition is rejected.
US09262773B2
A social media platform and method for displaying and ranking content from an individual user against content from other users. The method prompts the individual user to input user-generated information; receives the user-generated information; acquires related information; receives at least one visual recording related to the user-generated information; associates the user-generated information, the related information, and the captured visual recording to create a user single trophy entry in a remote database; ranks the user single trophy entry relative to a plurality of single trophy entries in the remote database to determine a relative rank; and displays the user single trophy entry with the determined rank. The social media platform displays and ranks trophies taken by a plurality of users utilizing a database, a ranking module, and an output module.
US09262771B1
A mobile device with a display, processor(s), and memory: displays promotional offers; detects a user input selecting one of the promotional offers; and initiates performance of a transaction with an automatic retail machine to purchase a product stocked by the automatic retail machine. The mobile device also: receives a transaction completion notification from the payment module indicating that the product corresponding to the selected promotional offer was vended by the automatic retail machine; and, in response to receiving the transaction completion notification, provides a prompt to the user of the mobile device to obtain a product code for the vended product to validate the promotional offer. The mobile device further: obtains the product code for the vended product; transmits the product code to the server; and, in response: receives promotion validation information from the server; and displays the promotion validation information indicating whether the respective promotion offer was validated.
US09262764B2
A brand engine receives a request from a user device operated by a first user to display user information of a second user. User information of the first user is mapped to at least the user information of the second user by the brand engine. The mapping may map the user information of the first user to user information of further users in a social network. The mapping may map of any combination of spatial, temporal, social, and topical data related to the users. A modified representation of received content is generated by the brand engine based on the mapping. The modified representation is transmitted to the user device. The user device displays the modified representation for the first user. The modified representation of the received content may include any combination of filtered and/or sorted content items, recommended content items, and/or modified content items.
US09262755B2
During a financial transaction, a customer provides an identifier to a peripheral device (which may be a barcode scanner, a wireless receiver or a keyboard) coupled to the point-of-sale terminal. This identifier corresponds to a one-time payment credential token that includes financial information of the customer. Then, a service object executing on the point-of-sale terminal, which acts as a driver for the peripheral device, performs one or more operations based on at least the identifier to obtain the financial information. After providing the financial information and transaction information associated with the financial transaction to a financial institution specified in the financial information, the point-of-sale terminal receives a confirmation from the financial institution that the financial transaction has been completed.
US09262740B1
A method for monitoring a plurality of tagged assets on at least one offshore asset, by creating a customer profile and a library of survey set ups and storing information from independent survey set ups mounted on or proximate to the offshore asset on the administrative data storage. The method includes creating a library of tagged assets for the offshore asset using at least one independent survey set up, wherein each tagged asset has an icon with a hyperlink to a library of images. The method includes identifying placement locations on offshore assets and forming an executive dashboard for display on at least one client device, wherein a virtually positioned icon positioned on an image of the tagged assets presents a hyperlink to the library of survey set ups for that tagged asset, thereby enabling toggling from the image to the library of survey set ups.
US09262735B2
Methods and systems for identifying conditional actions in a business process are disclosed. In accordance with one such method, text fragments are extracted from input documents. In addition, a plurality of pairs of the text fragments that respectively include text fragments that are similar according to a pre-defined similarity standard are determined. For each pair of at least a subset of the pairs, at least one difference between the text fragments of the corresponding pair is determined. Further, at least two particular pairs of the subset of the pairs are merged in response to determining that the particular pairs have at least one of the determined differences in common. Additionally, the merged particular pairs are output to indicate the conditional actions in the business process.
US09262732B2
A system and method of tracking action items in an enterprise data processing environment. The method includes receiving, by a client from a server, an action item that includes a location. The method further includes performing a check-in, by the client, at the location related to the action item. The method further includes performing a check-out, by the client, related to the action item. The method further includes changing, by the client, the status of the action item. In this manner, a database of action items and statuses may be developed for more effective business collaboration and business management.
US09262726B2
A method and system for analysis of data, including creating a first node, determining a first hyper-cube for the first node, determining whether a sample resides within the first hyper-cube. If the sample does not reside within the first hyper-cube, the method includes determining whether the sample resides within a first hyper-sphere, wherein the first hyper-sphere has a radius equal to a diagonal of the first hyper-cube.
US09262721B2
A population comparison system, method and a computer program product. A stored list of population members, e.g., hydrocarbon reservoirs, includes parameters for corresponding known characteristics and analogous members for each member. A new population member input receives new member descriptions including parameters for each respective new member. A parameter extraction system automatically extracts an estimated value for each missing key parameter, providing a supplemented description. An analogous member selector automatically selects a subset of listed population members as analogous members for each new population member responsive to the supplemented description. The analogous members serve as a basis for uncertainty characterization from the joint parameter distribution and univariate distributions for each parameter.
US09262711B2
A near field communication tag (101), comprises a first tag interface (107) for wireless near field communication with a first device (105), a second tag interface (113) for wired communication with a second device (103), a field detection section (119) for detecting a near field (109) for the wireless near field communication, a pin (121) connectable to the second device (103), wherein an output signal (127) is determined based on a result of the detecting of a near field (109) and the output signal (127) is provided to the pin (121), and an electronic storage (125) storing pin configuration information specifying the output signal.
US09262709B1
An electronic card uses a magnetic stripe communication device in which either a horizontal magnetic field generator or a vertical magnetic field generator is selectively activated on a transaction specific basis as determined by the electronic card to transmit data to a magnetic reader to emulate a magnetic stripe.
US09262707B2
An image forming apparatus has a display device and a mechanically-configured operating unit, and enables use of a function implemented in an information processing apparatus via a network. The image forming apparatus includes: a remote function-displaying unit that obtains display information to display a visual interface of the function implemented in the information processing apparatus to display the visual interface on the display device; a remote operating unit that sends operation information indicating contents of an operation on the display screen to the information processing apparatus; and a mechanical operation detecting unit that obtains contents of an operation on the mechanically-configured operating unit. When the visual interface of the function implemented in the information processing apparatus is being displayed on the display device, the mechanical operation detecting unit sends mechanical operation information indicating the contents of the operation on the mechanically-configured operating unit to the information processing apparatus.
US09262701B2
An image processing apparatus includes a reading unit configured to read an image formed on a sheet, an erasing unit configured to erase the image formed on the sheet, and a controller configured to determine whether or not the image on the sheet as read by the reading unit is formed of an erasable material and prevent the sheet that is determined to have an image formed of the non-erasable material from being conveyed to the erasing unit.
US09262698B1
A computer-implemented method for object recognition using a recursive cortical network comprising receiving an input image at an input module, applying a trained recursive cortical network (RCN) to the image using an inference module to activate child features of the RCN, selecting pools of the RCN containing the activated child features, propagating the selection of the pools to identify probabilities of one or more high-level features matching one or more objects in the input image.
US09262687B2
An image processing apparatus includes a feature value calculating section that calculates a feature value from an image picked up of a living mucous membrane, an extraction section that extracts a structure corresponding to the feature value, and a region division section that divides the structure into partial regions according to a predetermined condition.
US09262686B1
A system and method for receiving an image of a product's packaging and extracting information (e.g., a set of facts) associated with a product from the image. The extracted information associated with the product may be added to a product profile if a confidence score associated with the extracted information is greater than or equal to a threshold.
US09262678B2
A method for analyzing an image of a real object, generated by at least one camera includes the following steps: generating at least a first image by the camera capturing at least one real object, defining a first search domain comprising multiple data sets of the real object, each of the data sets being indicative of a respective portion of the real object, and analyzing at least one characteristic property of the first image with respect to the first search domain, in order to determine whether the at least one characteristic property corresponds to information of at least a particular one of the data sets of the first search domain. If it is determined that the at least one characteristic property corresponds to information of at least a particular one of the data sets, a second search domain comprising only the particular one of the data sets is defined and the second search domain is used for analyzing the first image and/or at least a second image.
US09262677B2
A valuable file identification method includes step 1: selecting a characteristic area of the valuable file, and extracting a valuable file characteristic for last classification; step 2: an input valuable file is fast classified according to the extracted valuable file characteristic in step 1 to gain the banknote kind, denomination, direction and image quality information of the valuable file, and the banknote with better image quality and bad image quality are selected; step 3: an image restoration technique is utilized based on a partial differential equation to restore the old banknote image; step 4: the new banknote is directly identified and the old banknote is identified via the restored image to judge the authenticity of the current banknote; step 5: a result is output. The method enables eliminating restoration treatment for images comprising good quality and uninterested area, and saving time and improving system processing efficiency. A valuable file identification system and a valuable file identification device are also disclosed.
US09262670B2
This disclosure relates to adaptively determining and improving the quality of a region of interest in video content. A region inspection component inspects regions of an image. A detection component determines chroma values contained in the regions. A comparison component compares the chroma values against a set of predetermined chroma values, and determines, based on the comparison, a set of regions of interest in the frame. An encoder encodes the regions of interest in the image at a higher or better quality than a remainder of the image.
US09262661B2
A method for decoding decodable indicia includes sensing the polarization of light from a plurality of orientations in connection with the decodable indicia, and controlling at least one of energizing an illumination subsystem based on the sensed polarization indicating a generally randomly polarized light, and inhibiting energization of the illumination subsystem based on the sensed polarization indicating a generally linearly polarized light. One or more images are captured, and an attempt is made to decode the decodable indicia using at least one of the one or more images.
US09262650B2
A communication control device configured to access an information processing apparatus in which data is stored. The device and method acquires an operational condition of an information processing apparatus, and notifies the information processing apparatus of a security command for causing the information processing apparatus to execute a security process on the data in an event that an operational condition is activated and, in an event that the operational condition is a standby mode, a hibernate mode, or a shutdown mode, notifies the information processing apparatus of an activation command for activating the information processing apparatus, and notifies of a security command for causing the information processing apparatus to execute a security process on the data.
US09262632B2
Procedures are described for enhancing target system execution integrity determined by power fingerprinting (PFP): by integrating PFP into the detection phase of comprehensive defense-in-depth security; by deploying a network of PFP enabled nodes executing untrusted devices with predefined inputs forcing a specific state sequence and specific software execution; by embedding module identification information into synchronization signaling; by combining signals from different board elements; by using malware signatures to enhance PFP performance; by automatic characterization and signature extraction; by providing secure signature updates; by protecting against side-channel attacks; performing real-time integrity assessment in embedded platform by monitoring their dynamic power consumption and comparing it against signatures from trusted code, including pre-characterizing power consumption of the platform by concentrating on trace sections carrying the most information about the internal execution status; by using PFP from sequence of bit transitions to detect deviations from authorized execution of software in a digital processor.
US09262619B2
A system and method for protecting data from external threats includes a computer system having a plurality of input/output units, a key device that is removably mated with one of the input/output units, a processor, a local memory, a primary bulk storage device, a secondary bulk storage device, a first communication unit and a second communication unit. A method includes performing software and hardware verification of a first and second user password, and selectively engaging each of the bulk storage devices and communication units when the system is in one of a protected mode and an open mode.
US09262612B2
A device can be configured to receive speech input from a user. The speech input can include a command for accessing a restricted feature of the device. The speech input can be compared to a voiceprint (e.g., text-independent voiceprint) of the user's voice to authenticate the user to the device. Responsive to successful authentication of the user to the device, the user is allowed access to the restricted feature without the user having to perform additional authentication steps or speaking the command again. If the user is not successfully authenticated to the device, additional authentication steps can be request by the device (e.g., request a password).
US09262611B2
A data security system is provided that includes: verifying the user by providing user identification to retrieve an authentication key; employing the authentication key for retrieving an encryption key; and employing the encryption key for allowing unencrypted communication through a storage subsystem between a host computer system and a storage media.
US09262608B2
The invention provides secure and private communication over a network, as well as persistent private storage and private access control to the stored information, which is accomplished by imposing mechanisms that separate a user's actions from their identity. The system provides (i) anonymous network browsing, in which event the anonymity system is unaware of both the user's identity and browsing activities, (ii) private network storage and retrieval of data such as passwords, profiles and files in a manner such that the data can be stored into the system and later retrieved without the system knowing the contents or owners of the data, and (iii) the ability of the user to control and manage access to the remotely stored data without the system knowing the contents, owners, or accessors of the data.
US09262606B2
Disclosed are methods and systems of providing access, indexing, and/or connecting a user to a network-based service, associated with a particular entity, using an identifier that can be uniquely associated with the particular entity (e.g., with respect to a given scope of identification), can be proprietary to the entity, and/or issued by a third-party (i.e., a party not providing the method or system). A method can comprising receiving from a client computer system an entity identifier uniquely associated with a real world entity in a scope of identification, the entity identifier being issued by a third-party in association with the real world entity. The method can select a network-based service uniquely associated with the entity identifier, determine a public access parameter to the network-based service, and provide the client computer system with public access to the network-based service according to the public access parameter.
US09262595B2
Methods and apparatus for accessing licensable items unique to a geographic area via a wireless device are provided. The method and apparatus may include obtaining access to licensable items available in a first location of the wireless device. The methods and apparatus may further include downloading a licensable item. The licensable item is associated with a license providing the wireless device with a right to distribute the licensable item. The methods and apparatus may also include leaving a virtual copy of the licensable item in a second location of the wireless device different from the first location using the right to distribute.
US09262587B2
Disclosed herein are systems and methods for collecting a plurality of medical images. According to one embodiment, a system may include an image acquisition unit to acquire image data, a processing unit to process the image data, a workflow unit to receive a selection of a primary workflow, and an insertion unit to suspend the workflow system. The insertion unit may receive a second selection of a secondary workflow. Upon the completion of the collection of the second plurality of medical images, the workflow unit may resume the collection of the first plurality of medical images. According to certain embodiments, the primary workflow or the secondary workflow may specify an order for collecting a primary and secondary plurality of medical images. Annotations may be added to the plurality of images based on the primary workflow and/or the secondary workflow.
US09262581B2
A system for noninvasively determining at least one physiological characteristic of a patient may include at least one computer system configured to, using a three-dimensional surface mesh model created using patient-specific imaging data, create a three-dimensional combined surface and volume mesh model, including at least a first model portion that has a different spatial resolution than at least a second model portion. The computer system may be further configured to input the three-dimensional surface and volume mesh model into a fluid simulation system and determine a measurement of the physiological characteristic, using the fluid simulation system.
US09262578B2
Provided is an integrated circuit (IC) manufacturing method. The method includes receiving a design layout of an IC, wherein the design layout includes a plurality of non-overlapping IC regions and each of the IC regions includes a same initial IC pattern. The method further includes dividing the IC regions into a plurality of groups based on a location effect analysis such that all IC regions in a respective one of the groups are to have substantially same location effect. The method further includes performing a correction to one IC region in each of the groups using a correction model that includes location effect; and copying the corrected IC region to other IC regions in the respective group. The method further includes storing the corrected IC design layout in a tangible computer-readable medium for use by a further IC process stage.
US09262576B2
A method provides a layout defining a structure to be patterned onto a substrate. The structure is registered with a predefined grid of the layout. The method includes locally stretching the grid in a first portion of a layout causing a problematic spot on the substrate.
US09262575B2
A method for predicting a condition in a circuit under design includes obtaining a set comprising first static noise margin curve for the circuit and a second static noise margin curve for the circuit, wherein the second static noise margin curve is complementary to the first static noise margin curve, matching the set to a two-dimensional model of a cell, and predicting the condition in accordance with hardware characterization data corresponding to the cell.
US09262573B2
An embodiment cell shift scheme includes abutting a first transistor cell against a second transistor cell and shifting a place and route boundary away from a polysilicon disposed between the first transistor cell and the second transistor cell. In an embodiment, the cell shift scheme includes shifting the place and route boundary to prevent a mismatch between a layout versus schematic (LVS) netlist and a post-simulation netlist.
US09262555B2
Example methods, apparatuses, or articles of manufacture are disclosed that may be implemented, in whole or in part, using one or more computing devices to facilitate or otherwise support one or more processes or operations for a machine for recognizing or generating one or more Jabba-type sequences.
US09262553B2
Recommendation systems are widely used in Internet applications. In current recommendation systems, users only play a passive role and have limited control over the recommendation generation process. As a result, there is often considerable mismatch between the recommendations made by these systems and the actual user interests, which are fine-grained and constantly evolving. With a user-powered distributed recommendation architecture, individual users can flexibly define fine-grained communities of interest in a declarative fashion and obtain recommendations accurately tailored to their interests by aggregating opinions of users in such communities. By combining a progressive sampling technique with data perturbation methods, the recommendation system is both scalable and privacy-preserving.
US09262551B2
Relationship management systems in accordance with embodiments of the invention are configured to provide systematic ways for a user to measure, and manage relationships in the user's social network. One embodiment of the invention includes a relationship management server system, and a database. In addition, the relationship management server system is configured to store a user account associated with a user in the database, store information concerning contacts associated with the user in the database, store event information associated with the user and at least one of the stored contacts in the database, store at least one objective in the database, score at least one relationship between the user and a contact based upon stored event information associated with the user and the contact to create a scored relationship graph, and generate a recommendation concerning an action based upon the stored objective and the scored relationship graph.
US09262545B2
The present invention relates to a system which enables cooperative rich media content management, sharing, and publishing across a distributed set of Web sites, Web servers, and media servers based on control information in an online database. Media files are housed on any number of heterogeneous media repositories. The system of the present invention is used for managing, sharing, and publishing rich media content including video, images, animations, audio, etc. Authorized viewers access media files through dynamically generated content and media links embedded on Web sites. Content administrators publish media entries to any number of such distributed Web sites, and can set viewer permissions for individual video entries when published on specific Web sites. Content administrators can also dynamically establish media sharing and access relationships.
US09262542B2
A system and method for providing location information for communications through an access network in accordance with embodiments of the invention are disclosed. The system and method involve receiving a communication including a message from an origination device. The communication includes access point information and the message includes an identifier of the communication. The access point information from the communication is extracted and the access point information or geographic data based on the access point information is stored in a database. The message including the identifier is sent to a destination device of the message. The storing of the access point information or the geographic data in the database enables the destination device to obtain the access point information or the geographic data using the identifier included in the message by querying the database.
US09262540B2
A location query engine in a social networking system provides users with a subset of candidate locations based on location query received from a user. The social networking system identifies candidate locations from stored location data that has one or more attributes matching at least one attribute of the location query. The candidate locations are ranked based on social data determined from a user profile associated with the user, and the subset of candidate locations is selected from the ranking and provided to the user. Examples of social data used for ranking the candidate locations include locations associated with other users connected to the user, locations associated with objects connected to the user and locations previously associated with the user.
US09262539B2
Two parties have three distinct viewpoints of their relationship, from which assumptions emerge and working hypotheses about how to manage their relationship. The system, device, and method described herein include using a computer system for understanding face-to-face human interactions. The process includes using a mobile device connected to a server in a network for reviewing an audio-video recording of an interaction with one or more other persons, whereby one or more of the participants use the mobile device to describe their viewpoints of the interaction. The participants use the mobile device to receive immediate feedback for analysis, to compare viewpoints, to examine how the viewpoints are arrived, and to explore the viewpoints' consequences for the participants' relationship.
US09262520B2
A computer network-implemented method for displaying a tag cloud representing a data structure. The data structure includes data entities and representations of relationships between the data entities. The method enables one or more users to interact with the data structure, and via the data structure, to interact with one another. In an example embodiment, the method comprises, via a computer processor, populating a display of a user interface showing a tag cloud populated with images of data entities from the data structure, such images, and in response to user input to the interface, associating one or more visual properties of the user interface with one or more of said relationships between data entities in the data structure.
US09262517B2
Systems and methods are provided to collect, analyze and report social media aggregated from a plurality of social media websites. Social media is retrieved from social media websites, analyzed for sentiment, and categorized by topic and user demographics. The data is then archived in a data warehouse and various interfaces are provided to query and generate reports on the archived data. In some embodiments, the system further recognizes alert conditions and sends alerts to interested users. In some embodiments, the system further recognizes situations where users can be influenced to view a company or its products in a more favorable light, and automatically posts responsive social media to one or more social media websites.
US09262512B2
Provided are a computer program product for generating suggestions for an input string. A determination is made of strings in a user selected data source having at least a substring matching an input string, from a computer implemented user interface, comprising at least one character for use by a computer implemented process. The determined strings are provided to the user interface and selection is received of one of the determined strings from the user interface to provide to the computer implemented process.
US09262511B2
A system, method and computer readable medium for indexing streaming data. Data may be received from distributed devices connected via a network. Data elements may be stored and allocated to data blocks and events of the block stores. Non-text data may be converted into a text representation. The data may be split into terms, and term frequencies of each term within each of the event may be calculated. Block-level term frequency statics may be calculated based on the term frequencies. Tree index structures, such as the Y-tree index, may be generated based on the block-level term frequency data. The Y-tree index structures may use the terms as keys and pointers to the corresponding data blocks and block-level term frequency data. A search query may be performed over the tree index structures.
US09262491B2
A computer-implemented method, computer program product, and computing system for implementing multi-temporal tables in a database is described. One or more databases are utilized, wherein the one or more databases implement a first temporal table that includes a first and a second time domain. The one or more databases are enabled to implement a second temporal table that includes at least a third time domain, wherein the second temporal table is associated with the first temporal table.
US09262488B2
Described herein is a technology for facilitating visualization of multiple hierarchies. In some implementations, a primary hierarchy having primary components arranged in different primary hierarchical levels is provided. A second hierarchy for the primary components of the primary hierarchy is provided. The primary components are configured as geometric objects with concentric zones corresponding to different secondary hierarchical levels with secondary components.
US09262485B2
Embodiments relate to identifying a sketching matrix used by a linear sketch. Aspects include receiving an initial output of the linear sketch, generating a query vector and inputting the query vector into the linear sketch. Aspects further include receiving an revised output of the linear sketch based on inputting the query vector and iteratively repeating the steps of generating the query vector, inputting the query vector into the linear sketch, and receiving an revised output of the linear sketch based on inputting the query vector until the sketching matrix used by the linear sketch can be identified.
US09262483B2
One or more techniques and/or systems are provided for creating socially authored, or community authored, summaries of documents and/or for navigating a forum comprising such summaries. In one embodiment, at least some of the summaries are generated automatically when a document is written and/or discovered (e.g., by a web crawler), for example. In another embodiment, the documents are created by users of the forum. A plurality of summaries of a document may be created (e.g., by different users), and users can provide feedback, such as comments or ratings, that may assist other users in identifying which summary or summaries better describe the document. Moreover, the users can navigate the forum and retrieve summaries by browsing categories (and subcategories) to identify a topic of interest and/or by performing a search based upon user inputted search term(s).
US09262482B2
In one embodiment, a method includes accessing a social graph that includes a plurality of nodes and edges, generating a plurality of structured queries, where each structured query comprises references to nodes and edges of the social graph, calculating a score for each structured query based on user-engagement factors, and sending each structured query having a score greater than a threshold score to a first user for display.
US09262468B1
System and method for event-based updating of user profiles UP of users U in a social network and formation of new communities based on a resonance condition. A database of user profiles UP with profile domains D based on self-reports as well as observed network behaviors is deployed. The user profiles UP of users U in groups G attending an event are re-compiled by an event-based updating module based on event responses ER. Further, the event-based updating module identifies a profile change ΔP* in at least one of the profile domains D of user profiles UP, and the new community is formed by the event-based updating module from a subgroup SG whose profile change ΔP* indicates a mutual resonance or consensus in their event responses ER.
US09262467B2
Techniques are described for identifying conflicts between an index of temporal keys and a prospective temporal key. The prospective temporal key specifies a prospective range of time. Embodiments scan the index to identify a first temporal key that potentially conflicts with the prospective temporal key. The first temporal key specifies a first range of time and is identified based on a comparison between the first range of time and the prospective range of time. Embodiments determine whether the prospective temporal key conflicts with any temporal keys in the index, where the prospective temporal key conflicts with the first temporal key if the first range of time overlaps with the prospective range of time and the first temporal key is not a pseudo-deleted key, and such that the prospective temporal key does not conflict with any temporal keys if the temporal key does not conflict with the first temporal key.
US09262461B2
Keys are obtained and aggregated by storing a primary object as an entry in a parent keys storage and a child keys storage, the entry identified as unvisited in each. An object evaluation process is then performed until all unique entries in the parent keys storage and all unique entries in the child keys storage have been visited and by committing the keys of at least one related object as an entry to the hierarchical database. The object evaluation process visits each unvisited object in the parent keys storage and child keys storage by selecting, for the unvisited object, objects in the parent direction that have not already been visited and objects in the child direction that have not already been visited and by inserting the keys of the selected related objects as entries in the parent keys storage or child keys storage.
US09262460B2
A method for entering identification data of a vehicle into a user database of an Internet server includes the steps of: establishing a network connection via the Internet to the server and authenticating a user at an internet portal of the server and transmitting the identification data (VIN) via the network connection to the server, and storing the identification data (VIN) as part of user data of the user in the user database by the server. The aim is to make determination of the identification data easier for the user. For that purpose, the network connection is established by a mobile communication device, which is additionally connected to the vehicle by a transmission device for transmission of data, and the identification data (VIN) is received from the vehicle by the communication device via the data transmission device.
US09262454B2
Embodiments of the present application relate to a web page retrieval method, a web page retrieval device, and a computer program product for retrieving a web page. A web page retrieval method is provided. The method includes receiving a query, retrieving an attribute identifier of a web page to be retrieved and a query range related to the attribute identifier, based on the query, obtaining a range of attribute values, determining whether an intersection between the range of attribute values to be retrieved and a plurality of index ranges established in advance in a system receiving the inputted query exists, in the event that the intersection exists, retrieving a web page relating to intersecting index ranges, the attribute identifier of the web page corresponding to the attribute identifier of the web page to be retrieved, and the attribute values intersecting the query range, and returning the retrieved web page.
US09262446B1
Techniques are disclosed for automatically generating and maintaining personal data, such as an address book, a financial portfolio, a discussion groups or blogs book, or other types of personal data stores, based on a person's structured search data and/or usage data (e.g., browsing) and/or other sources of personal data (e.g., emails the user receives). Related metadata can also be used in the generating and/or maintaining of the personal data. Dynamic personal data ranking and/or autocomplete functions are also provided, which can be used in conjunction with the automatic generation and maintenance of the user's personal data, to further ease the user's burden in managing and/or handling such data.
US09262445B2
Images are retrieved and ranked according to relevance to attributes of a multi-attribute query through training image attribute detectors for different attributes annotated in a training dataset. Pair-wise correlations are learned between pairs of the annotated attributes from the training dataset of images. Image datasets may are searched via the trained attribute detectors for images comprising attributes in a multi-attribute query. The retrieved images are ranked as a function of comprising attributes that are not within the query subset plurality of attributes but are paired to one of the query subset plurality of attributes by the pair-wise correlations, wherein the ranking is an order of likelihood that the different ones of the attributes will appear in an image with the paired one of the query subset plurality of attributes.
US09262442B2
A technique for generating a representative image representing a case and radiographic interpretation information for each case includes calculating wavelet features of a plurality of images that have been taken and stored in the past. The calculated wavelet features and extracted keywords are stored in association with the stored images. The stored images are classified on the basis of the extracted keywords to generate a plurality of groups. For each of the generated groups, a centroid vector of wavelet feature-based feature vectors of respective images corresponding to the keywords is calculated and a spatial distance between the calculated centroid vector and each of the wavelet feature-based feature vectors is calculated. For each of the groups, the image for which the calculated spatial distance is the shortest and the radiographic interpretation information associated with the image is stored as a representative image of that group.
US09262436B2
A method in an online game system is disclosed. The method comprises steps of providing a plurality of data files in a file directory of a file system, processing encoded file system information by encoding the plurality of data files and file directory information, storing the encoded file system information in a central memory device accessible by a plurality of client devices, and performing an online session in one of the plurality of client devices, the online session comprising steps of receiving a request for a data file of the plurality of data files, the request comprising request information identifying the data file, receiving at least part of the encoded information from the central memory device in a local memory device assigned to the client device, determining whether the data file requested is available in the local memory device, comprising a step of comparing the request information to the encoded information received in the local memory device, and, if it is determined that the data file is not available in the local memory device, loading the data file from the central memory device into the local memory device. Furthermore, an online game system is provided. (FIG. 1).
US09262433B2
Various embodiments of a system and method for providing input/output virtualization for a file are disclosed. The system may include a filter program that intercepts a write request for a particular file and stores change information specifying the data and the write location indicated by the write request. However, the file itself is not modified. The filter program may also intercept a read request referencing the file and determine whether change information representing a write request to write data at the location specified by the read request has been previously stored. If so then the data specified by the change information is returned in response to the read request.
US09262429B2
Systems and techniques of de-duplicating file and/or blobs within a file system are presented. In one embodiment, an email system is disclosed wherein the email system receives email messages comprising a set of associated attachments. The system determines whether the associated attachments have been previously stored in the email system, the state of the stored attachment, and if the state of the attachment is appropriate for sharing copies of the attachment, then providing a reference to the attachment upon a request to share the attachment. In another embodiment, the system may detect whether stored attachments are corrupted and, if so, attempt to repair the attachment, and possibly, prior to sharing references to the attachment.
US09262424B1
A slice consistency check method is presented including, for each slice of a plurality of slices (a) obtaining a first vote for ownership of that slice according to a filesystem manager configured to manage a set of filesystems stored on a set of sparse metavolumes, (b) obtaining a second vote for the ownership of that slice according to a first driver, the first driver being independent of the filesystem manager, (c) obtaining a third vote for the ownership of that slice according to a second driver, the second driver being independent of the filesystem manager and the first driver, and (d) assigning ownership of that slice based on a majority vote of the first vote for the ownership of that slice, the second vote for the ownership of that slice, and the third vote for the ownership of that slice.
US09262419B2
A container format processing tool performs syntax-aware manipulation of hierarchically organized syntax elements defined according to a container format in a media file. For example, a container format verifier checks conformance of a media file to a container format, which can help ensure interoperability between diverse sources of media content and playback equipment. Conformance verification can include verification of individual syntax elements, cross-verification, verification that any mandatory syntax elements are present and/or verification of synchronization. Or, a container format “fuzzer” simulates corruption of a media file, which can help test the resilience of playback equipment to errors in the media files. The container format fuzzer can simulate random bit flipping errors, an audio recording failure or incorrect termination of recording. Or, a container format editor can otherwise edit the media file in the container format.
US09262414B1
Detecting time zones using historical date sampling is disclosed. In various embodiments, an offset between a system time and a reference time is determined for each of a plurality of sample points, to produce a resulting set of offsets. A representation of the set of offsets is computed. The representation of the set of offsets is used as a key to look up a time zone associated with the system.
US09262413B2
System and methods of presenting multiple contexts, while continuing playback of digital content, such as a digital video, are presented. A user interface (UI) with multiple portions is provided to a user. The digital content is played in the first portion of the UI. The second portion of the UI includes a list of context items associated with the digital content. A user selection of a context item is received and a next context associated with the selected context item is displayed in a next portion of the UI, while playback of the digital content continues.
US09262411B2
The present disclosure relates generally to the field of socially derived translation profiles to enhance translation quality of social content using a machine translation. In various embodiments, methodologies may be provided that automatically use socially derived translation profiles to enhance translation quality of social content using a machine translation.
US09262400B2
A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program is provided. A process of the program includes: extracting, concerning first document information including texts, a word sense associated with a word in each text; setting a word sense to be a teacher signal; creating a first topic model by using the teacher signal; estimating a topic of each text by using the first topic model; generating a learning model by using the topic as a feature and the teacher signal as a category; extracting, concerning second document information including texts, a word sense associated with a word in each text; setting a word sense to be a teacher signal; creating a second topic model by using the teacher signal; estimating a topic of each text by using the second topic model; and estimating a category of each text by using the topic as a feature and the learning model.
US09262398B2
A set of language tags in a backend application can be passed to a frontend application in the form of a language selection tool. The disclosure creates a mapping between the frontend and backend application of at least one non-default language descriptor string onto a language tag of the backend application. The frontend language selection tool then displays to the user the non-default language descriptor string. The use of non-default language descriptor strings clarifies to the user otherwise ambiguous language identifiers.
US09262396B1
Browser compatibility checking of a web page source document is implemented on one or more servers. The browser compatibility checking of the web page source document involves receiving a request to render a web page source document for compatibility testing with different web browsers. The web page source document is then distributed to multiple rendering applications on a rendering server, in which each of the rendering application is to render the web page source document for one of the web browsers. The web page source document is then rendered at each of the rendering applications to generate rendered web page images.
US09262393B2
In accordance with embodiments, there are provided mechanisms and methods for providing simplified form filling in an on-demand service in a database system. These mechanisms and methods can enable embodiments to provide users with an efficient form wizard for filling electronic forms. The ability of embodiments to provide a form wizard can enable users to efficiently accomplish the rapid filling of multiple forms without the need to scroll through the electronic forms and entering the same information repeatedly.
US09262385B2
The present disclosure involves systems, software, and computer implemented methods for determining one or more themes for a portal site. One example process includes operations for identifying a reference to an organizational site that is to be used as a thematic basis for a new portal site. The reference is used to identify a representation of the organizational site. The representation is analyzed based on an analysis rule set. At least one potential theme associated with the organizational site is determined, based on the analysis, and the at least one potential theme is presented to a user.
US09262381B2
A method, apparatus practicing the method, a system and an interface for displaying an array of computer-readable files having time portions thereof is described. The time portions are configured to display computer-readable files associated with respective time periods to order the computer-readable files along a timeline. The time portions being configured to define at least one of a past portion adapted to display computer-readable files associated with a time before a present time, a present portion adapted to display computer-readable files associated with the present time, and a future portion adapted to display computer-readable files associated with a time past the present time.
US09262379B2
A matrix calculation device includes a first partition position display unit configured to distinguishably display a partition position of the one matrix partitioned by the matrix partitioning unit, a partition position determination unit configured to determine, based on a partition position of the one matrix distinguishably displayed by the first partition position display unit and a definition of a product of matrices, a partition position of the other matrix, and a second partition position display unit configured to distinguishably display the partition position of the other matrix determined by the partition position determination unit.
US09262378B2
A method and device for multi-granularity parallel FFT butterfly computation. The method and device read data and twiddle factors for computation in one butterfly group from the input buffers and the twiddle factor buffer at a time, perform multi-stage butterfly computation in parallel using uniform butterfly representations, and write the results back to the input buffers. The method and device greatly reduce the frequency for accessing the memory, improve speed for butterfly computation, and reduce power consumption. The method and device achieve multi-granularity butterfly computation of various data formats in a parallel and efficient manner. The method and device can specify the parallel granularity and data format for butterfly computation according to particular applications, and are applicable to FFT butterfly computation of balanced and unbalanced groups.
US09262376B2
A synchronization pattern generating unit generates a synchronization pattern required for a clock recovery unit which has been built into a DUT to maintain a link with an external circuit. A gate signal generating unit generates a gate signal which is asserted in a period in which a vector pattern is to be supplied to the DUT. In a first mode, a pattern selecting unit is configured such that it outputs the vector pattern during a period in which the gate signal is asserted and outputs a fixed output level during a period in which the gate signal is negated. In a second mode, the pattern selecting unit is configured such that it outputs the vector pattern during a period in which the gate signal is asserted and outputs the synchronization pattern during a period in which the gate signal is negated.
US09262375B1
Manageability ports for inter-processor communication links, along with associated systems and methods, are generally provided.
US09262374B1
In one embodiment, a method performs, by at least a processor, a computer networking function as controlled, at least in part, by a configuration for a networking device. Source commands are received to establish the configuration, wherein the source commands are written in a source command language. The source commands are translated from the source command language to target commands written in a target command language, wherein the translation is based, at least in part, on a function to function translation model. The configuration is then established by executing at least the target commands.
US09262368B2
Time-related properties may be modeled independent of a base object. Rather than storing time properties with the object, they may be stored independently. A given object may be stored once, even if it has a recurrent time property. The description of a “meeting,” for example, may be stored once. Each occurrence of that object over time may be stored in a “timeslot” (object
US09262365B2
In a method for enabling transmission of larger data quantities relatively rapidly in a data network, the sent data frames have a logical structure according to CAN Specification ISO 11898-1, the bit length in time within a data frame being able to assume at least two different values; for a first specifiable range within the data frame, the bit length in time being greater than, or equal to a specified minimum value of approximately one microsecond and in at least one second specifiable range within the data frame the bit length in time compared to the first range is at least halved, preferably less than halved; the change of the bit length in time being implemented by using at least two different scaling factors for setting the bus time unit relative to a shortest time unit or the oscillator clock pulse during running operation.
US09262350B2
One embodiment is an apparatus having a memory, a controller, and a de-interleaving module. The memory is configured to store portions of a set of interleaved values, where the set of interleaved values correspond to a single application of an interleaving mapping to a set of un-interleaved values. The controller is configured to retrieve each portion from an other memory that stores the set of interleaved values by moving the portion from the other memory to the memory. The de-interleaving module is configured to de-interleave the interleaved values in at least one of the portions to generate a de-interleaved portion such that processing downstream of the de-interleaving module can begin processing the de-interleaved portion before all of the interleaved values in the set of interleaved values are de-interleaved by the de-interleaving module.
US09262349B2
A memory content access interface may include, but is not limited to: a read-path memory partition; a write-path memory partition; and a memory access controller configured to regulate access to at least one of the read-path memory partition and the write-path memory partition by an external controller.
US09262334B2
A command from an application is received to access a data structure associated with one or more virtual addresses mapped to main memory. A first subset of the virtual addresses for the data structure having constituent addresses that are mapped to the symmetric memory components and a second subset of the virtual addresses for the data structure having constituent addresses that are mapped to the asymmetric memory components are identified. Data associated with the virtual address from the first physical addresses and data associated with the virtual addresses from the second physical addresses are accessed. The data associated with the symmetric and asymmetric memory components is accessed by the application without providing the application with an indication of whether the data is accessed within the symmetric memory component or the asymmetric memory component.
US09262328B2
Cache hit information is used to manage (e.g., cap) the prefetch distance for a cache. In an embodiment in which there is a first cache and a second cache, where the second cache (e.g., a level two cache) has greater latency than the first cache (e.g., a level one cache), a prefetcher prefetches cache lines to the second cache and is configured to receive feedback from that cache. The feedback indicates whether an access request issued in response to a cache miss in the first cache results in a cache hit in the second cache. The prefetch distance for the second cache is determined according to the feedback.
US09262321B2
A storage controller that includes a cache receives a command from a host, wherein a set of criteria corresponding to read and write response times for executing the command have to be satisfied. The storage controller determines ranks of a first type and ranks of a second type corresponding to a plurality of volumes coupled to the storage controller, wherein the command is to be executed with respect to the ranks of the first type. Destage rate corresponding to the ranks of the first type are adjusted to be less than a default destage rate corresponding to the ranks of the second type, wherein the set of criteria corresponding to the read and write response times for executing the command are satisfied.
US09262319B2
The present invention is directed to a method for increasing the operational lifetime of a flash memory device, wherein, the method comprises varying the operating parameters of the flash memory device over the lifetime of the flash memory device. The advantage of providing a method which varies the operating parameters of a flash memory device is that the operational lifetime of the flash memory device will be increased. Relatively low voltages and relatively short voltage periods may be used initially to write to, read from and erase the flash cells in the flash memory device. As time passes, the flash cells in the flash memory device will begin to degrade and it will be necessary to increase the voltage and the period of the voltage applied to the flash memory device in order to ensure that the correct write, read and/or erase commands are carried out. The invention is also directed towards a flash memory device.
US09262316B2
In at least one embodiment, a data storage system includes a non-volatile memory array, such as a flash memory array, and a controller coupled to the memory array. The controller records, for each of a plurality of valid pages in the memory array, a respective indication of a dwell time of each valid page.
US09262303B2
A simulation system enables comparison of a realized physical implementation against the simulation models that produce them, thereby detecting differences between an initial, logical design and the resulting physical embodiment. Errors introduced by an initial design, faulty Intellectual Property blocks, faulty programmable logic device silicon, faulty synthesis algorithms and software, and/or faulty place and route algorithms and software may be detected. As a result, the simulation system reflects both the accuracy of the actual implemented device with the capacity and performance of a purpose built hardware-assisted solution.
US09262298B2
The claimed subject matter provides for systems and/or methods for debugging a computer-executable file. The computer-executable file may be executing in a first runtime environment and located in a first process. The file may further comprise on object having a proxy in that first runtime environment. One method embodiment comprises the steps of debugging said computer-executable file; detecting a proxy for an object called by said file; decoding said proxy to obtain physical information regarding said object; returning said physical object information; and transforming said physical object information into logical object information. In addition, one embodiment of a system is provided that comprising a debugger, said debugger debugging client code; a proxy decoder, said proxy decoder providing information to said debugger about the object pointed by said proxy; and an abstraction transformation, said abstraction transformation transforming physical expressions of a proxy into higher level logical expressions.
US09262294B2
An exemplary embodiment of the present techniques may detect and correlate events from moving object sensor data by receiving data from a sensor. The data received from the sensor may be mapped, and events may be detected based on the mapped sensor data. Events from the mapped sensor data may be correlated online.
US09262285B1
A system and method for utilizing virtual ports associated with a physical port in a Fiber Channel adapter for use in a clustered storage system is disclosed. A plurality of virtual ports are created and associated with a physical port on a storage system. One of the virtual ports is utilized as a standby port to be used to assume the identity of a port associated with a failed storage system in the cluster. In the event of a failover operation, the standby port is activated and assumes the identity of the failed storage systems port. Data access requests previously directed to the failed storage system are received by the activated virtual port and processed by the surviving storage system.
US09262278B2
A data storage system may be configured to allocate replica-sets in a balanced manner and mark some of these balanced replica-sets as being spares. As one or more drives or machines fail, the data storage system may move all copies of an affected replica-set to a marked spare replica-set and mark the affected replica-set as being inactive or invalid. As the failed drives are replaced, the data storage system may reconfigure those inactive replica-sets and use them as new spares. The data storage system may implement a coordinator module that handles the balancing and allocation of spares within a sub-cluster. The coordinator may also reallocate entire replica-sets across sub-clusters to maintain balance at the cluster level.
US09262275B2
A system for archiving data objects using secondary copies is disclosed. The system creates one or more secondary copies of primary copy data that contains multiple data objects. The system maintains a first data structure that tracks the data objects for which the system has created secondary copies and the locations of the secondary copies. To archive data objects in the primary copy data, the system identifies data objects to be archived, verifies that previously-created secondary copies of the identified data objects exist, and replaces the identified data objects with stubs. The system maintains a second data structure that both tracks the stubs and refers to the first data structure, thereby creating an association between the stubs and the locations of the secondary copies.
US09262272B2
A power cap agent establishes a power cap. The power cap agent throttles a first power priority virtual machine. The power cap agent determines that the first power priority virtual machine and the additional power priority virtual machine contribute to power consumption above the power cap among the plurality of servers. The power cap agent throttles the additional power priority virtual machine, wherein the first power priority virtual machine has a first power priority lower than an additional power priority of the additional power priority virtual machine. The power cap agent determines that the first power priority virtual machine and the additional power priority virtual machine contribute to power consumption above the power cap, responsive to throttling the first power priority virtual machine and throttling the additional virtual machine.
US09262261B2
Memory devices facilitating differing depths of error detection and/or error correction coverage for differing portions of a memory array.
US09262258B2
The concept of faults and fault handling are added to the execution of continuous event processing (CEP) queries. By introducing fault handling techniques to the processing of CEP queries, users are enabled to instruct a CEP query processor to respond to faults in a customized manner that does not necessarily involve the halting of the CEP query relative to which the faults occurred. For example, a fault might be due to a temporary problem. Under such circumstances, the CEP query processor can be instructed to ignore the fault and allow the execution of the CEP query to continue relative to the remainder of the event stream. Alternatively, if the fault is due to a problem with the CEP query itself, then the CEP query processor can be instructed to propagate the fault through the query processing system until the fault ultimately causes the problematic CEP query to be halted.
US09262243B2
Methods, parallel computers, and computer program products for analyzing update conditions for shared variable directory (SVD) information in a parallel computer are provided. Embodiments include a runtime optimizer receiving a compare-and-swap operation header. The compare-and-swap operation header includes an SVD key, a first SVD address, and an updated first SVD address. The first SVD address is associated with the SVD key in a first SVD associated with a first task. Embodiments also include the runtime optimizer retrieving from a remote address cache associated with the second task, a second SVD address indicating a location within a memory partition associated with the first SVD in response to receiving the compare-and-swap operation header. Embodiments also include the runtime optimizer determining whether the second SVD address matches the first SVD address and transmitting a result indicating whether the second SVD address matches the first SVD address.
US09262233B1
A method and/or computer for a tuned spin count in a multithreaded system determines a re-calculation time interval at which to re-calculate a current spin lock value. Then, a spin-lock-re-calculation is repeatedly executed at the re-calculation time interval to perform:observing a current environment of the multithreaded system, determining, using a second-order tuning and values of the current environment, a dynamically calculated heuristic to provide the newly-recalculated spin lock value, and memorizing the newly re-calculated spin lock value, in a memory, as the current spin lock value. Meanwhile, thread(s) in the multithreaded system which want to execute a spinlock will obtain the current spin lock value which is memorized in the memory, and execute the spin lock using the current spin lock value to set a length of the spin lock.
US09262232B2
A mechanism for priority build execution in a continuous integration system is disclosed. A method includes executing, by a computing device in a continuous integration system, a low priority job of the continuous integrations system using a resource of the computing device. The method also includes receiving a high priority job to be executed by the computing device and identifying a conflict at the resource when the high priority job is assigned to execute using the same resource that is currently being used for executing the low priority job. When the conflict is identified, the method further includes suspending the execution of the low priority job, recording a state of the low priority job at a time of the suspension of the execution and executing the high priority job using the resource.
US09262231B2
The present disclosure relates to a method and system for configuring a computing system, such as a cloud computing system. A method includes determining, based on a shared execution of a workload by a cluster of nodes of the computing system, that at least one node of the cluster of nodes operated at less than a threshold operating capacity during the shared execution of the workload. The method further includes selecting a modified hardware configuration of the cluster of nodes based on the determining such that the cluster of nodes with the modified hardware configuration has at least one of a reduced computing capacity and a reduced storage capacity.
US09262229B2
A system and method is described for use with a data grid cluster, for supporting service level quorum in the data grid cluster. The data grid cluster includes a plurality of cluster nodes that support performing at least one service action. A quorum policy, defined in a cache configuration file associated with the data grid cluster, can specify a minimum number of service members that are required in the data grid cluster for performing the service action. The data grid cluster uses the quorum policy to determine whether the service action is allowed to be performed, based on a present state of the plurality of cluster nodes in the data grid cluster.
US09262228B2
A method that can be used in a distributed workflow system that uses loosely coupled computation of stateless nodes to bring computation tasks to the compute nodes is disclosed. The method can be employed in a computing system, such as cloud computing system, that can generate a computing task separable into work units and performed by a set of distributed and decentralized workers. In one example, the method arranges the work units into a directed acyclic graph representing execution priorities between the work units. The plurality of distributed and decentralized workers query the directed acyclic graph for work units ready for execution based upon the directed acyclic graph. In one example, the method is included in a computer readable storage medium as a software program.
US09262225B2
A server apparatus comprises a plurality of server on a chip nodes interconnected to each other through a node interconnect fabric. Each one of the server on a chip nodes has respective memory resources integral therewith. Each one of the server on a chip nodes has information computing resources accessible by one or more data processing systems. Each one of the server on a chip nodes is configured with memory access functionality enabling allocation of at least a portion of said memory resources thereof to one or more other ones of the server on a chip nodes and enabling allocation of at least a portion of said memory resources of one or more other ones of the server on a chip nodes thereto based on a workload thereof.
US09262222B2
System, method, and computer program product to perform an operation, comprising receiving job information for a stream computing application, the job information comprising a plurality of processing elements configured to process streaming data tuples according to an execution path defined by a operator graph, deploying a first set of processing elements of the plurality of processing elements to one or more compute nodes, initializing a subset of the first set of processing elements, executing the stream computing application on the first set of processing elements, and, responsive to receiving a predefined number of data tuples to be processed by an additional processing element of the plurality of processing elements when executing the stream computing application, deploying the additional processing element to the one or more compute nodes, and initializing the additional processing element.
US09262217B1
A resource request is sent from a user to a resource controller. The resource controller is resident on a node of a distributed computing platform comprising a plurality of nodes configured to collectively execute at least one application program. A quota pool associated with the resource controller is searched for a matching resource quota for the user to inherit. The resource quota is assigned to the user when a matching resource quota for the user to inherit is found in the quota pool. The resource request is forwarded to a resource scheduler that globally manages resources for the distributed computing platform, when a matching resource quota for the user to inherit is not found in the quota pool.
US09262212B2
A system includes a first computing device including a virtual machine (VM), a second computing device, and a third computing device coupled to the first computing device and to the second computing device. The third computing device includes a management module configured to create a backup image of the VM while the VM is executing on the first computing device, create at least one delta file for use in storing changes to the VM that occur after the backup image is created, and copy the backup image to the second computing device while the VM is executing. The management module is also configured to suspend the VM on the first computing device after the backup image has been copied to the second computing device, and execute the VM on the second computing device using the backup image and the at least one delta file.
US09262211B2
Provided is an apparatus for software migration between devices in a mobile environment. The software migration apparatus may include a policy manager configured to select a migration method for target software according to a migration environment, and a migration manager configured to perform migration of the target software according to the migration method. In addition, provided herein is a software migration method which is performed in a mobile environment. The software migration method may involve analyzing a current migration environment, selecting a migration method according to the analyzed current migration environment, and performing the migration of the target software.
US09262180B2
A computer implemented method and apparatus for recommending product features in a software application in real time comprising analyzing an object to detect at least one issue to be addressed in the object; identifying at least one user action taken to address the at least one issue in the object; accessing a recommendations library to find at least one recommendation to address the at least one issue in the object; and displaying the at least one recommendation.
US09262179B1
Mapping logic information associating a particular type of input with a particular response may be stored in memory. Data including information regarding a display of the host device may be received. Such information may be used to identify multiple descriptions of the host device display. Each description is mapped to a response based on the stored mapping logic. For example, a status bar may be used by the host device to show status updates. The map allows for a different type of response to status updates on the client device, such as a translucent pop-up window. Instructions may be generated for the client device, such that the client device response to input information is based on the mapped description.
US09262178B2
Methods, systems and computer program products are disclosed for enhanced system boot processing that is faster to launch an operating system, as certain devices such as user input hardware devices may not be initialized unless it is determined that a user-interruption to the boot process is likely. That is, although an interface for the devices is exposed, no initialization occurs unless a call to the interface occurs. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US09262174B2
One embodiment sets forth a technique for dynamically mapping addresses to banks of a multi-bank memory based on a bank mode. Application programs may be configured to perform read and write a memory accessing different numbers of bits per bank, e.g., 32-bits per bank, 64-bits per bank, or 128-bits per bank. On each clock cycle an access request may be received from one of the application programs and per processing thread addresses of the access request are dynamically mapped based on the bank mode to produce a set of bank addresses. The bank addresses are then used to access the multi-bank memory. Allowing different bank mappings enables each application program to avoid bank conflicts when the memory is accesses compared with using a single bank mapping for all accesses.
US09262169B2
Embodiments relate to branch prediction table install source tracking. An aspect includes a system for branch prediction table install source tracking. The system includes memory configured to store instructions accessible by a processor. The processor includes a branch target buffer, where the processor is configured to perform a method. The method includes receiving at the branch target buffer a request to install a branch target buffer entry corresponding to a branch instruction for branch prediction, and identifying a source of the request as an install source of the branch target buffer entry. The method further includes storing an install source identifier in the branch target buffer based on the install source.
US09262164B2
A digital system is provided. The digital system includes an execution unit, a level-zero (L0) memory, and an address generation unit. The execution unit is coupled to a data memory containing data to be used in operations of the execution unit. The L0 memory is coupled between the execution unit and the data memory and configured to receive a part of the data in the data memory. The address generation unit is configured to generate address information for addressing the L0 memory. Further, the L0 memory provides at least two operands of a single instruction from the part of the data to the execution unit directly, without loading the at least two operands into one or more registers, using the address information from the address generation unit.
US09262162B2
A register file is provided. The register file includes a plurality of registers configured to form at least one register cluster, each of the registers being configured to have a virtual index defined for each cluster and a physical index defined for each register, and an index converting unit configured to convert the virtual index to the physical index.
US09262158B2
The subject disclosure relates to capturing window definitions of an executing user interface application and/or website and generating an editable model representation. A starter storyboard or screens can be generated quickly by recording a manipulation of an existing application or website. States associated with a multitude of user interface control hierarchies of a target application are captured, stored in a generic user interface model, and used for generation of mockups, code, and so forth. In an aspect, an indication is received that an application or website is be captured. Thereafter, the state of the website or application window and subsequent windows are observed and captured. For each of the subsequent windows traversed in a live control hierarchy, basic information about each item is captured. The information gathered for a given window and its control hierarchy can be serialized into a simple XML representation.
US09262156B2
Computerized methods for providing one or more memory values present in memory during execution of a procedure to be automatically available to an asynchronous callback executed later. The methods comprise receiving a code containing procedures, the procedures having input parameters to be executed as asynchronous callback procedures. The methods further comprise replacing the procedures in the code with wrapper procedures, where the wrapper procedures comprise instructions for storing one or more memory values, storing the asynchronous callbacks of the input parameters, replacing each of the input parameters with a wrapper callback, the wrapper callback comprising instruction for restoring the memory values and executing the asynchronous callbacks. The methods further comprise executing the original procedures. The methods further comprise executing the code with the wrapper procedures, providing the memory values present during execution of the procedure to be automatically available to the asynchronous callback executed later.
US09262155B2
A system and method can support controlled and secure firmware upgrade in a middleware machine environment. The system can provide an input/output (I/O) device, which is associated with a host node. The host node can use the I/O device to connect to a shared resource, and the I/O device operates to receive at least one of a firmware image and a firmware update from a fabric administrator that manages the shared resource, and upgrade firmware in the I/O device. Furthermore, the system allows the fabric administrator to send said at least one of a firmware image and a firmware update to the I/O device, using either an in-band connection or a side-band connection.
US09262153B2
A firmware update system is described that collectively handles firmware updates for hardware resources of a computing device. The firmware update system may be configured to handle firmware updates in a consistent manner across different computing platforms/architectures. A data structure is defined to associate each updateable resource with a corresponding identifier to enumerate the updateable resources to the firmware update system. The firmware update system may reference the data structure to produce representations of the each individual resource that provide an operating system level abstraction through which detection, analysis, acquisition, deployment, installation, and tracking of firmware updates is managed. Using the representations, the firmware update system operates to discover available firmware updates collectively for the enumerated resources, match the updates to appropriate resources, and initiate installation of the updates.
US09262152B1
A technology/operating system-agnostic and protocol-agnostic modular-based service delivery system that includes a management of enterprise-wide deployment of services and updates to services delivered by the modules of the system. Management includes determination and automatic implementation of an optimal schedule for service deployment, service version updates and service version roll-backs based on (i) predetermined lifecycle levels assigned to networked devices in the enterprise executing the service delivery application, and/or (ii) segments within the enterprise.
US09262148B2
A distributed system manager may identify updates to perform, identify devices to update, and perform the updates while maintaining service availability. The manager may consist of an orchestrator that uses a plug in architecture to interface with different update systems. The plugins may interface with an update system and respond to scan, download, and install commands from the orchestrator. The orchestrator may prepare each device within the distributed system for updating, then cause the updates to be performed via the plugins. In some embodiments, the logic for selecting devices to update and managing the workloads on the devices may be contained in a second type of plugin.
US09262145B2
Methods, computer-readable media, and systems are provided for deployment of software tools across a network. One example method includes initiating a discovery mechanism to poll a plurality of computing machines 121-1, . . . , 144-T from a remote deployment system 101 to multiple systems 120/130/140 across a network 108. The multiple systems 120/130/140 include computing machines 121-1, . . . , 144-T having different operating system (OS) types. Respective agents 151 are deployed for each type of OS identified in the response to the discovery mechanism 210/220. Each of the respective agents 151 is configured to manage communications 230 between the deployment system 101 and the different OS types for each of the plurality of computing machines 121-1, . . . , 144-T on the network 108 and to initiate application deployment and monitoring on each of the plurality of computing machines 230.
US09262144B1
A method, system and computer program product for deploying a pattern. A placement engine of a hierarchical tier selects the region(s) of a next lower tier based on placement policies and constraints at the next lower tier and availability of the artifacts required by the virtual machine instance(s) in the next lower tier utilizing the summarization of resource usage and availability at the next lower tier. The placement engine at the lowest tier selects the compute node(s) in the selected region(s) of the lowest tier to place the virtual machine instances of the pattern based on placement policies and constraints at the compute node level and availability of the artifacts required by the virtual machine instance(s) of the pattern in the compute node level. In this manner, the virtual machine instances of the pattern can be effectively deployed when the resources of the cloud environment are large and geographically dispersed.
US09262139B2
A method, a system, and a non-transitory computer readable medium for parallelizing computer program code including a loop are presented. An intermediate language version of the computer program code is generated based on a parallel type of the loop, wherein the intermediate language version includes information about parallelism in the computer program code. The intermediate language version is optimized at runtime based on the device characteristics where the computer program code is to be executed. The parallel type may include a thread parallel type, wherein the loop is dispatched to multiple threads for execution, or a general parallel type, wherein the loop is dispatched to a single thread and may be vectorized for execution. The intermediate language version may be saved separate from the computer program code.
US09262135B2
A programming language is extended to have embedded interpretive types (EIT) that define objects and variables to be resolved at translation time. A variable or data element having a type that is one of the EITs is referred to as an embedded interpretive variable (EIV). A control construct containing an EIV is interpreted (i.e. executed) at translation time.
US09262131B1
Systems, methods and machine-readable mediums for batch process straight through modeling are provided. The systems may include a storage device and a processor. The storage device may store at least one batch process model. The processor may be programmed to display a graphical user interface for graphically defining the batch process model with at least one flowchart, and receive a selection of at least one activity step for inclusion in the at least one flowchart, each activity step corresponding to a predefined execution logic. The processor may be also programmed to determine the batch process model from the at least one activity step selected, and display the at least one activity step in the at least one flowchart.
US09262124B2
A method, an apparatus and an article of manufacture for estimating risk of impact of a natural disaster on a populated area. The method includes using dynamic natural disaster modeling information to estimate a spatio-temporal distribution of a parameter of a potential natural disaster, wherein the modeling information is input to an instance of a weather forecast model which computes simulation results for natural disaster parameters for an area at a given time interval and the results produced on each time step within the time interval the estimate of the spatio-temporal distribution, and using static demographic data to estimate risk of impact of the parameter of the natural disaster on a populated area based on the estimated spatio-temporal distribution, wherein the demographic data is overlayed with the estimated spatio-temporal distribution via applying a weight to each populated area based on historical natural disaster incidents and related impact for each area.
US09262109B2
A print instruction apparatus includes a designation storing unit that stores plural pieces of designation information, each designating a print condition not specifying any printer, a combination storing unit that stores a combination of any of the plural pieces of designation information, a group storing unit that stores a group of print settings which realize, in each of plural printers, designation indicated by each of the plural pieces of designation information stored in the designation storing unit, for each of the printers, and a constraint deriving unit that derives a constraint relationship common to the plural printers, on the basis of the combination and the group.
US09262098B2
A controller controls data input/output for a semiconductor memory device. The controller includes a first buffer configured to perform data transmission between an interface and the semiconductor memory device, a first control unit configured to control the semiconductor memory device according to an external request, and a second control unit configured to control the first buffer and the first control unit to simultaneously process a plurality of external requests according to a pipeline scheme.
US09262080B2
In a read processing storage system, using a pool of CPU cores, the CPU cores are assigned to process either write operations, read operations, and read and write operations, that are scheduled for processing. A minimal number of the CPU cores are allocated for processing the write operations, thereby increasing write latency. Upon reaching a throughput limit for the write operations that causes the minimal number of the plurality of CPU cores to reach a busy status, the minimal number of the plurality of CPU cores for processing the write operations is increased.
US09262074B2
A light-based finger gesture user interface for an electronic device including a housing for an electronic device, a display mounted in the housing, a cavity, separated from the display, penetrating two opposite sides of the housing, a detector mounted in the housing operative to detect an object inserted in the cavity, and a processor connected to the detector and to the display for causing the display to render a visual representation in response to output from the detector.
US09262073B2
Joystick display data is generated for display on a touch screen of an electronic device. The joystick display data creates a visual representation of a virtual joystick when displayed on the touch screen. Touch data from the touch screen is processed to determine when the touch data indicates user interaction with the virtual joystick. When the touch data indicates user interaction with the virtual joystick, the joystick display data is adjusted to reflect the user interaction with the virtual joystick, based on the touch data, and joystick data is generated based on the user interaction with the virtual joystick. The display of at least one other element on the touch screen can be adjusted based on the joystick data.
US09262068B2
In one implementation, a computer-implemented method includes accessing, by a computing device, a real-time three dimensional (“3D”) image of at least a portion of a user who is standing in front a surface; identifying, by the computing device, coordinates in 3D space for at least one appendage of the user from the 3D image; determining, by the computing device, a position of the at least one appendage of the user over the surface based on the coordinates of the at least one appendage in 3D space; determining whether the position of the appendage is within one or more active areas of the surface; and based on the determination of whether the appendage is within the one or more active areas of the surface, updating a visual image that is being projected onto the surface by a projector that is located above the surface.
US09262067B1
Approaches are described which enable a computing device (e.g., mobile phone, tablet computer) to display alternate views or layers of information within a window on the display screen when a user's finger (or other object) is detected to be within a particular range of the display screen of the device. For example, a device displaying a road map view on the display screen may detect a user's finger near the screen and, in response to detecting the finger, render a small window that shows a portion of a satellite view of the map proximate to the location of the user's finger. As the user's finger moves laterally above the screen, the window can follow the location of the user's finger and display the satellite views of the various portions of the map over which the user's finger passes.
US09262065B2
A time based touch screen input recognition system detects a touch on a touch screen display. The system determines a length of the touch and identifies a function corresponding to the length of touch. The system causes a processing device to implement the corresponding function.
US09262063B2
A user interface for a touch-screen display of a dedicated handheld electronic book reader device is described. The user interface detects human gestures manifest as pressure being applied by a finger or stylus to regions on the touch-screen display. In one implementation, the touch-screen user interface enables a user to turn one or more pages in response to applying a force or pressure to the touch-screen display. In another implementation, the touch-screen user interface is configured to bookmark a page temporarily by applying a pressure to the display, then allowing a user to turn pages to a new page, but reverting back to a previously-displayed page when the pressure is removed. In another implementation, the touch-screen user interface identifies and filters electronic books based on book size and/or a time available to read a book. In another implementation, the touch-screen user interface converts text to speech in response to a user touching the touch-screen display.
US09262059B2
A display device that incorporates a supplemental flexible display that is stored within a main body of the display device is presented that is able to optimize the operation of the display device by controlling an application that is displayed on the supplemental flexible display. The display device is optimized by relating certain applications as being optimized to be displayed for certain display sizes, where the display size is determined by a pulled out length of the supplemental flexible display. This is done because a display size may have a significant impact on the effectiveness of certain applications.
US09262050B2
A sidebar UI of an application program provides access to the application program's functionality while occupying a reduced amount of real estate on the screen when compared to conventional UIs. The sidebar UI comprises an icon or multiple icons, and each icon references a pane that provides its user the ability to access and utilize a function and/or feature of the application program. Selecting an icon in the sidebar UI causes the referenced pane which provides access to, for example, a feature of the application program to be displayed on the screen. “Clicking off” the pane causes the pane to close.
US09262049B2
The present invention relates to an apparatus and method of providing a graphical user interface, and, more particularly, to an apparatus and method of providing a graphical user interface that enables a user to rapidly search a desired menu.An apparatus for providing graphical user interface according to an aspect of the invention includes an apparatus including an output unit outputting a first menu in which a plurality of menu items are arranged in a predetermined direction, and outputting a second menu having a first region and a second region that are classified from a menu item selected from the first menu according to a predetermined classification standard, and a control unit performing an operation that corresponds to a menu item selected from the second menu.
US09262047B2
A method including receiving a first input for displaying an external input list; and displaying, by the display device, the external input list in response to the first input. The external input list includes a first button for displaying a first external input list including at least one icon corresponding to at least one external device connected to the transmitting device, and a second button for displaying a second external input list including at least one icon representing at least one external device connected to the display device. The first external input list is displayed when the first button is selected. The second external input list is displayed when the second button is selected. The method further includes receiving a second input for selecting an icon from the external input list; and accessing an external input corresponding to the selected icon in response to the second input.
US09262035B1
A system for displaying an embedded intelligence applet comprises a processor and a memory. The processor is configured to provide display information to display in the embedded intelligence applet window and to provide an indication to display the embedded intelligence applet window in an opaque mode. The processor is configured to determine whether an indication to activate a window other than the embedded intelligence applet window is received. The processor is configured to provide an indication to display the embedded intelligence applet window in a partially transparent mode in the event that an indication to activate a window other than the embedded intelligence applet window is received. The memory is coupled to the processor and is configured to provide the processor with instructions.
US09262031B1
A touch input device capable of detecting a pressure of a touch on a touch surface may be provided that includes: a display panel; and an electrode disposed under the display panel. When a pressure is applied to the touch surface, a distance between the electrode and a reference potential layer is changed. A capacitance which is detected at the electrode is changed according to the distance change. The display panel includes a first area and a second area. Under a same distance change condition, a capacitance change amount detected at the electrode disposed under the second area is greater than a capacitance change amount detected at the electrode disposed under the first area.
US09262025B2
A touch input device provided in the present invention includes a pen tip, a pressure sensing module, a control unit and a PWM generator. The pen tip is utilized to touch a capacitive touchscreen and conduct a touchscreen driving signal. The pressure sensing module is utilized to generate a pressure sensing signal which corresponds to a pressure of the pen tip on the capacitive touchscreen. The control unit is utilized to receive the touchscreen driving signal and the pressure sensing signal, and then to generate a PWM control signal according to the pressure sensing signal. Further, a pulse width of the PWM control signal is proportional to the pressure. The PWM generator is utilized to provide a PWM signal to the pen tip according to the PWM control signal. A touch input system is further provided in the present invention.
US09262024B2
According to an aspect of the present invention, a liquid crystal display panel includes a pixel array including data lines through which a data voltage is supplied, gate lines through which a gate pulse is supplied, a plurality of sub-pixels arranged at intersections of the data lines and the gate lines, Tx lines provided with a touch driving signal and connected to Tx electrodes, and Rx lines connected to Rx electrodes, wherein an shield area including an shield pattern to which a voltage at a level different from the data voltage and the touch driving signal is supplied is formed between each of the Tx electrodes and each of the Rx electrodes.
US09262011B2
An interactive input system comprises an optical waveguide, a radiation source directing radiation into the optical waveguide, the radiation undergoing total internal reflection within the optical waveguide in response to at least one touch input on a surface of the optical waveguide. At least one imaging device is positioned adjacent to the waveguide, the at least one imaging device having a field of view looking inside the optical waveguide and capturing image frames thereof. Processing structure processes the image frames captured by the at least one imaging device to determine a location of the at least one touch input based on a frequency of reflections of the radiation appearing in the image frame.
US09262009B2
A touch device and method for detecting a touch point thereof are provided. The method includes: detecting a plurality of first touch values, second touch values and third touch values corresponding to a plurality of touch regions of a touch panel, respectively, during a first frame period, a second frame period and a third frame period; performing a value obtaining operation to output a median of the first touch value, the second touch value and the third touch value to which each of the touch regions correspond; and determining a real touch point according a touch threshold and the first touch values, the second touch values and the third touch values outputted by the value obtaining operation.
US09262007B2
An operation input device includes touch panel, depression time detecting portion, input determination portion, display control portion, sound control portion, vibration portion, and vibration control portion. Touch panel outputs a depression signal according to a depression time when an input region is depressed. The depression time detecting portion detects the depression time based upon the depression signal from the touch panel. Input determination portion determines input content according to the depression time detected by the depression time detecting portion. Display control portion outputs visual information, which corresponds to the input content determined by input determination portion, to a display portion of the touch panel. Sound control portion outputs sound corresponding to the input content determined by input determination portion. Vibration portion transmits vibration to touch panel. Vibration control portion vibrates touch panel by vibration portion according to a vibration pattern corresponding to the input content determined by input determination portion.
US09262002B2
A computing device includes a touch screen display with a plurality of force sensors, each of which provides a signal in response to contact with the touch screen display. Using force signals from the plurality of force sensors, a characteristic of the contact is determined, such as the magnitude of the force, the centroid of force and the shear force. The characteristic of the contact is used to select a command which is processed to control the computing device. For example, the command may be related to manipulating data displayed on the touch screen display, e.g., by adjusting the scroll speed or the quantity of data selected in response to the magnitude of force, or related to an operation of an application on the computing device, such as selecting different focal ranges, producing an alarm, or adjusting the volume of a speaker in response to the magnitude of force.
US09261997B2
Touch regions in a diamond configuration in a touch sensitive device are disclosed. Touch regions can include drive regions of display pixels to receive stimulation signals and sense regions of display pixels to send touch signals based on a touch or near touch. The drive regions and sense regions can be disposed diagonally adjacent to each other to form a diamond configuration. In an example diamond configuration, diagonal drive regions can be separate and unconnected from each other, while diagonal sense regions can be electrically connected to each other via their sense lines. The diagonal sense region connections can be in a forward diagonal direction, a backward diagonal direction, or a combination thereof. In an alternate example diamond configuration, diagonal drive regions can be electrically connected to each other via their drive lines, while diagonal sense regions can be electrically connected to each other via their sense lines. The diagonal drive and sense region connections can be in a forward diagonal direction, a backward diagonal direction, or combinations thereof. An exemplary touch sensitive device having a diamond configuration can be a touch screen.
US09261996B2
Methods and apparatus are provided for controlling a mobile terminal including a touch screen supporting a multi-touch input. The method includes: determining a number of one or more points inputted as a first touch input on the touch screen; when the number is 3, determining the first touch input as a three-point input; determining a size of a largest internal angle of a triangle generated by connecting points of the three-point input on the touch screen; displaying one of a linear tool and a circular tool based on a size of the largest internal angle of the triangle; receiving a second touch input; generating a line corresponding to the second touch input by interworking with one of the linear tool and the circular tool; and displaying the generated line on the touch screen.
US09261991B2
A display component (108) displays multiple icons that a user can touch. A multi-layered sensing component (104) includes at least a high resolution sensing component (204) and a low resolution sensing component (202). The low resolution sensing component is activated to detect objects touching the multi-layer sensing component. In response to the low resolution sensing component detecting an object touching one of the multiple icons, the low resolution sensing component is deactivated and at least a portion of the high resolution sensing component over the touched icon is activated. The high resolution sensing component senses the user's fingerprint, which is authenticated. After sensing the user's fingerprint, the high resolution sensing component is deactivated and the low resolution sensing component is reactivated.
US09261990B2
A hybrid touch screen device applied to an electric device. The hybrid touch screen device preferably includes a touch panel, a pen touch panel, a display panel, and at least one processor. The touch panel detects an input event by a direct touch. The pen touch panel detects a touch pen input and an input event from an entry into a predetermined detection distance before a touch. The display panel displays a screen according to the touch panel, the pen touch panel, and a user operation. The processor also performs control to execute a relevant function according to an input event inputted to the touch panel and the pen touch panel. The processor also performs control so that an input event of the touch pen and an input event of the touch panel are detected independently of each other.
US09261987B2
A method comprises receiving an input event associated with a first user ID, the input event being a command for selecting at least one graphic object; determining if a selection is currently associated with the first user ID; and if no selection is currently associated with the first user ID creating a first selection; associating the first selection with the first user ID; and including the selected at least one graphic object in the first selection.
US09261980B2
The invention applies to a pointing device of a mobile element, for example a cursor, on a plane surface. The pointing device comprises a first sensor for measuring the angular rates of the device and a second sensor of the linear accelerations along three dimensions of said device. Preferably, the first sensor is a two-axis or three-axis gyrometer and the second sensor is a three-axis accelerometer. The invention makes it possible to render the movements of the mobile element in the surface of the orientation in which the pointing device is held by its user. This result is achieved by global resolution of the angles of torsion by combining the measurements of the first and second sensors either within an extended Kalman filter or by application of an optimization criterion. The invention also provides a method for estimating the parameters which characterize motion and/or orientation of an object in space from said combination of the measurements of the first and second sensors either within an extended Kalman filter or by application of an optimization criterion.
US09261962B2
A method for providing tactile feedback comprises displaying a visual representation of a physical object having at least one haptic property, generating time-varying data associated with the at least one haptic property from the visual representation, sending the time-varying data to a computing device including a feedback apparatus electrically connected to the computing device, and generating the tactile feedback via the feedback apparatus in response to a pressure on the feedback apparatus applied by a user.
US09261961B2
A screen protector is provided with tactile aids for vision-impaired users. The screen protector can be placed on the display screen of a computing device to enhance the out-of-box experience for vision-impaired users and/or guide the user during subsequent use of the device. For example, the screen protector can be configured to be tactilely-informative about how to activate accessibility features of the device and/or how to proceed with initial set-up and configuration of the device. The screen protector may include, for example, braille instructions for activating the accessibility mode and/or a raised or embossed tactile aid that identifies the location of a UI control feature that can be engaged to initiate the accessibility mode or other desired function. Once the user has engaged the accessibility mode, the user may receive verbal instructions and cues going forward so as to allow the user to successfully use the device.
US09261958B2
A digital object navigation apparatus and method using gaze information of a user is provided. The digital object navigation apparatus may collect gaze information and gesture information of the user, may determine navigation information with respect to a digital object including a zoom rate, a rendering quality, or an intensity of an annotation, and may navigate in the digital object. The user may navigate in the digital object by only gazing without separate manipulation.
US09261956B2
The present invention provides a display apparatus and a display method for realizing control for display operations by a user precisely reflecting the user's status, i.e., the user's intentions, visual state and physical conditions. Worn as an eyeglass-like or head-mount wearable unit for example, the display apparatus of the present invention enables the user to recognize visibly various images on the display unit positioned in front of the user's eyes thereby providing the picked up images, reproduced images, and received images. As control for various display operations such as switching between the display state and the see-through state, display operation mode and selecting sources, the display apparatus of the present invention acquires information about either behavior or physical status of the user, and determines either intention or status of the user in accordance with the acquired information, thereby controlling the display operation appropriately on the basis of the determination result.
US09261951B2
Certain embodiments of systems and methods for managing security data are provided. In one embodiment, a system can be provided. The system can include at least one processor operable to execute one or more computer-executable instructions. The system can also include at least one memory operable to store the one or more computer-executable instructions. The instructions can be operable to: collect status information associated with a plurality of sites monitored by a security service provider; generate, based at least in part upon the collected information, at least one graphical presentation associated with the plurality of sites, the at least one presentation comprising one or more respective selectable status indicators associated with each of the plurality of sites; and output, by the monitoring system, the generated at least one presentation.
US09261949B2
An apparatus and method for dynamically adjusting power limits for processing nodes and other components, such as peripheral interfaces, is disclosed. The apparatus includes multiple processing nodes and other components, and further includes a power management unit configured to set a first frequency limit for at least one of the processing nodes responsive to receiving an indication of a first detected temperature greater than a first temperature threshold. Initial power limits are set below guard-band power limits for components that do not have reliable reporting of power consumption or for cost or power saving reasons. The amount of throttling of processing nodes is used to adjust the power limits for the processing nodes and these components.
US09261944B2
A novel information processing apparatus includes an energy-saving mode controller that controls the information processing apparatus in an energy-saving mode, and a restart controller that restarts the energy-saving mode controller each time a predetermined value is counted using a counter. The energy-saving mode controller resets a counter in the restart controller based on information output in a shorter cycle than counting of the predetermined value by the counter in accordance with an operating mode of the information processing apparatus.
US09261929B2
A computing system can include a monitor (150) to estimate a temperature of a storage device (120). The monitor estimates the temperature from an activity indicating signal of the storage device. A cooling device controller (155) can be connected to the monitor. The cooling device controller can control the output of a cooling device (115).
US09261926B2
Thermally actuated vents for electronic devices. An embodiment of an apparatus includes a vent having a first position and a second position, wherein the first position is an open position and the second position is a closed position; a muscle wire, a first end of the muscle wire being coupled with a connection to the vent and a second end of the muscle wire being coupled with an anchor point; and a tension element, a first end of the tension element being coupled with the vent at a connection point. The muscle wire is to apply a force to the vent to move the vent to the open position upon the muscle wire entering a contracted state, and the tension element pulling the vent to the closed position upon the muscle wire entering a relaxed state.
US09261918B2
Low profile portable information handling systems rotationally couple a lid and chassis portion with a dual axis hinge that couples at one axis with an extension and countersink engagement to enhance system strength. For example, a conical boss in a lid support frame extends into a countersink formed in a hinge axis and includes threads to accept a screw inserted from the hinge axis into the conical boss. The conical boss inner diameter extends the space available for placement of threads to engage a screw to provide enhanced coupling strength between the hinge axis and lid support frame.
US09261906B2
An apparatus includes a first body, a second body, and a linking mechanism. The first body includes an input unit on an input side of the first body. The second body includes a display on a display side of the second body. The linking mechanism is configured to link the first body and the second body such that the first body and the second body can be switched between four different modes.
US09261902B2
An electric device with a tilt mechanism is provided. The electric device includes a main body and a panel body rotatable with respect to the main body about a rotation axis. The electric device includes an engagement piece mounted on one of the panel body and the main body and an engaging piece mounted on the other one of the panel body and the main body. The engagement piece is formed to have a plurality of teeth on a plane spreading orthogonally with respect to the rotation axis. The plurality of teeth are disposed along a circumference centered on the rotation axis at a predetermined interval from one another. The engaging piece includes an engaging claw configured to be movable to be closer to and farther from the engagement piece, and an urging member configured to urge the engaging claw in a direction to be closer to the engagement piece.
US09261900B2
A shift-brake device includes a locking assembly and two pivot shafts. The locking assembly includes a base seat, a pressing plate and two shaft sleeves. The pressing plate pivotally connected to the base seat is configured with two sleeve holes, and convex portions, the two shaft sleeves are respectively configured with sleeve portions. The two shaft sleeves are configured with circular flanges having concave portions. The pivot shafts arranged on the base seat and the pressing plate are linked with the shaft sleeves. When one pivot shaft is pivoted, the connected shaft sleeve is synchronically driven to cause a concave portion thereof to be deviated from a corresponding convex portion of the pressing plate, the circular flange of the shaft sleeve pushes against the convex portion of the pressing plate to incline the pressing plate, thus to cause the other shaft sleeve unable to be pivoted.
US09261891B2
A reference voltage generating circuit. A bandgap circuit includes a current mirror circuit and an output circuit. The current mirror circuit generates a first current. The output circuit generates a reference current based on the first current. A compensation circuit is coupled to the bandgap circuit in parallel at a combination node and generates a compensation current. The compensation current is smaller than the reference current. The reference current has a first temperature coefficient and the compensation current has a second temperature coefficient that is inverse to the first temperature coefficient. The reference current and the compensation current are combined at the combination node, such that an absolute value of a temperature coefficient of the reference voltage of the combination node is smaller than an absolute value of the first temperature coefficient and an absolute value of the second temperature coefficient.
US09261889B1
A method for controlling the system power is applied in an electronic device. The method includes detecting a sensing temperature of a system-on chip of the electronic device, comparing the sensing temperature with a presetting temperature, capturing a detected signal produced by a gravity sensor of the electronic device when determining the sensing temperature is greater than the presetting temperature, and lowering the surface temperature of the electronic device by setting the power limitation of the system-on chip to be a first preset power corresponded to a first setting status when the detected signal indicates that the electronic device is in the first setting status.
US09261886B2
A method and system for monitoring the temperature and humidity of warehouses are disclosed. The method includes: installing a detecting module in a cartridge, transporting the cartridge to a plurality of storages of the warehouse by a transmission assembly so as to measure the temperature and humidity of each of the storages by the detecting module, transmitting the measured results to a control unit by a wireless network, and dynamically monitoring the temperature and humidity of the warehouses according to the measured results by the control unit. The method and the system not only control and adjust the temperature and humidity of each of the storages of the warehouses in time, but also reduce detection cost.
US09261883B2
Systems and methods that alert the pilot of the unusual negative pitch attitude. Additionally, the system can bias a “sink rate” envelope toward a more sensitive direction, such that the pilot can be alerted while (or before) a large sink rate is built up during an unusual negative pitch attitude condition.
US09261882B2
Provided are an apparatus and method for sharing vehicle information among autonomous vehicles. According to the apparatus and method, not only current driving-related information and future driving-related information of a self vehicle but also current driving-related information and future driving-related information of another vehicle is acquired and used to control travel of the self vehicle. Accordingly, the safety of travel is improved, and efficient autonomous travel is enabled.
US09261871B2
The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for determining operation compatibility between field devices for example, between a first field device and a second field device. The first and second field devices are for use in an industrial process and the second field device may be a candidate for replacing the first field device, the first and second field devices being configured to communicate using the same communications protocol.
US09261866B2
A controlling and monitoring control application associated with one or more work operations of one or more utility devices is disclosed. The controller is programmed for controlling one or more external work operations associated with one or more utility devices. An I/O board is connected in communication with the primary controller having a module with a plurality of device-specific control applications associated with one or more device-specific work operations. The housing of the controller includes one or more cable access points for plugging a cable into the controller. The cable access points are sealed to prevent water from entering into the housing. A mounting bracket assembly provides flexibility for mounting the controller at various orientations and/or positions. The controller also includes a DC control circuit for controlling backlight luminance over the entire dimming ratio.
US09261861B2
A radio-controlled timepiece includes the following. A timekeeping unit keeps date and time. A satellite radio wave receiving unit receives a transmitting radio wave of a positioning satellite. A receiving term setting unit sets a receiving term with the satellite radio wave receiving unit. A date/time obtaining unit obtains date/time information from the transmitting radio wave received by the satellite radio wave receiving unit. An elapsed time counting unit counts elapsed time from when the date and time is obtained by the date/time obtaining unit. A first judging unit judges whether the elapsed time is less than a first reference time determined based on a timekeeping error of the timekeeping unit and a format of a signal transmitted from the positioning satellite.
US09261856B2
Apparatus main body of image forming apparatus includes first rotation portion, second rotation portion, and lever. Toner container includes opening/closing mechanism for opening and closing the toner discharge outlet, and first coupling portion that is provided rotatably with respect to the housing and configured to, when the toner container is attached to the apparatus main body, be coupled with the first rotation portion of the apparatus main body to be integrally rotatable therewith. The opening/closing mechanism includes second coupling portion configured to, when the toner container is attached to the apparatus main body, be coupled with the second rotation portion of the apparatus main body to be integrally rotatable therewith. The opening/closing mechanism is configured to open and close the toner discharge outlet as the second coupling portion is rotated. The second coupling portion and the first coupling portion are configured to rotate in conjunction with each other.
US09261850B2
An image forming apparatus includes a collecting container; connecting portions; shutters; first urging members for urging the shutters; a movable member which is accommodated toward the collecting container by contact with the main assembly when the collecting container is mounted in a mounting portion and which is projected outwardly from a side portion of the collecting container when the collecting container is dismounted from the mounting position; and a second urging member for urging the movable member. When the collecting container is mounted in the main assembly, the first urging members and the second urging member are provided so that a sum of rotation moment acting on the collecting container by the first urging members and rotation moment acting on the collecting container by the second urging member are directed opposite to each other.
US09261849B2
A toner conveying device includes a common conveyance path, toner input paths and blades. A screw for conveying a toner is installed in the common conveyance path. The toner input paths extend in an up-down direction and have lower ends connected to the common conveyance path. The blades are installed so as to make contact with a shaft of the screw and are configured to scrape off a toner adhering to the shaft of the screw. The blades are arranged immediately below the toner input paths so as to make contact with the shaft of the screw. The blades are disposed at a pitch of an integer multiple of a pitch of the fin of the screw.
US09261846B2
An image forming apparatus including: a plurality of process units; a circuit board configured to generate voltages to be applied to the plurality of process units; and a plurality of separate power feeding members configured to supply the voltages to the process units, wherein the plurality of separate power feeding members holds the circuit board, the circuit board including: a plurality of voltage output portions arranged at different positions in a direction along an outer edge of the circuit board; and a plurality of positioning holes configured to position the plurality of separate power feeding members, and wherein the plurality of separate power feeding members each includes: a connecting portion to be connected to a corresponding one of the voltage output portions; a positioning portion to be fitted into a corresponding one of the positioning holes; and a latching portion configured to latch the circuit board.
US09261837B2
A roller support mechanism supports a rotary shaft of a second roller disposed in parallel with a first roller. The roller support mechanism includes a support frame, a cover member, a bearing member, and an urging member. The support frame is made of sheet metal and has a support groove extending in a direction away from the first roller and receiving the rotary shaft. The cover member is made of sheet metal and is attached to the support groove to cover a pair of side edge sections facing each other across the support groove. The bearing member is made of resin and has a bearing groove that rotatably supports the rotary shaft. The bearing member is disposed in the support groove, with the cover member interposed therebetween, so as to be movable in a direction toward/away from a bottom of the support groove. The urging member urges the bearing member in a direction away from the bottom of the support groove.
US09261831B2
An image forming apparatus includes an endless belt, a heater, a first temperature sensor, a second temperature sensor, and a controller. The endless belt has a center portion and end portions in an axial direction, and defines an internal space therein and an outer peripheral surface. The first temperature sensor is positioned at the center portion and facing the outer peripheral surface. The second temperature sensor is positioned at one of the end portions and in the internal space. The controller is configured to: receive a first signal from the first temperature sensor; control the heater based on the first signal; receive a second signal from the second temperature sensor; and determine whether an edge overheat occurs at the one of the end portions based on the second signal.
US09261830B2
In an image-forming apparatus an image-forming portion performs a printing operation in which an image is formed on a sheet. A heater thermally fixes the image on the sheet. A processor is configured to: determine whether a temperature detected by a detector is higher than a threshold value before the image-forming portion performs the printing operation; drive a fan at a first speed following start of the printing operation when the temperature is higher than the threshold value; and drive the fan at a second speed lower than the first speed for a prescribed period of time following the start of the printing operation when the temperature is lower than the threshold value or equal to the threshold value, and subsequently drive the fan at the first speed; control a temperature of the heater based on the temperature detected by the detector while the image-forming portion performs the printing operation.
US09261829B2
To appropriately adjust the fixing temperature corresponding to the amount of applied toner, an image forming apparatus controls the temperature of a fixing unit configured to fix a recording material on a sheet. The apparatus acquires the amount of the recording material of each page in image data of a plurality of pages generated by dividing image data of one page, determines one fixing temperature using the acquired plurality of amounts of the recording material if a setting of dividing the image data of one page and printing the image data on a plurality of sheets is performed, and controls the temperature of the fixing unit using the determined fixing temperature.
US09261818B2
A toner cartridge for an electrophotographic image forming device according to one example embodiment includes a housing having a reservoir for storing toner. An outlet port is positioned on the housing for transferring toner out of the toner cartridge. A first vent has a first inlet opening positioned to receive air from outside the housing, a first outlet opening positioned to exit the received air into the reservoir, and a first one-way valve that permits airflow through the first vent from the first inlet opening to the first outlet opening and prevents airflow through the first vent from the first outlet opening to the first inlet opening. A second vent is positioned to introduce air received at the outlet port into the reservoir.
US09261816B2
A developer amount detector to detect an amount of developer inside a developer container includes a light-emitting element; a light-receiving element; a first light guide including a first end disposed to face the light-emitting element and a second end disposed inside the developer container, covered with a translucent cover including a light-emitting face; a second light guide including a first end disposed to face the light-receiving element, a second end disposed inside the developer container, covered with a translucent cover including a light-receiving face to face the light-emitting face across a gap; and a cleaner including a sliding portion to slidingly contact the light-emitting face and the light-receiving face. The cover of each of the first and second light guides includes a material lower in chargeability with the sliding portion than a material of a body of each of the first and second light guides.
US09261814B2
A developing roller that is capable of carrying toner on a surface thereof, and that supplies the toner carried on the surface to a surface of a photosensitive drum when a voltage is applied thereto, includes: an elastic layer; and a surface layer that covers the elastic layer and contains aluminum oxide, wherein the aluminum oxide of the surface layer contains tetracoordinated aluminum atoms and hexacoordinated aluminum atoms existing in a higher proportion than the tetracoordinated aluminum atoms.
US09261796B2
An apparatus and method for cleaning a contaminated surface of a lithographic apparatus are provided. A liquid confinement structure comprises at least two openings used to supply and extract liquid to a gap below the structure. The direction of flow between the openings can be switched. Liquid may be supplied to the gap radially outward of an opening adapted for dual flow. Supply and extraction lines to respectively supply liquid to and extract liquid from the liquid confinement structure have an inner surface that is resistant to corrosion by an organic liquid. A corrosive cleaning fluid can be used to clean photo resist contamination.
US09261794B1
A pulsed light beam emitted from an optical source is received, the pulsed light beam being associated with a temporal repetition rate; a frequency of a disturbance in the optical source is determined, the frequency being an aliased frequency that varies with the temporal repetition rate of the pulsed light beam; a correction waveform is generated based on the aliased frequency; and the disturbance in the optical source is compensated by modifying a characteristic of the pulsed light beam based on the generated correction waveform.
US09261793B2
A pupil filter can be designed for any combination of an illumination lens and for various types of lithographic features. The pupil filter can be placed at the pupil plane of a projection optics system. For any given illumination lens providing a pupil fill within a pupil lens, a lithographic mask can be designed for the purpose of printing a one-dimensional array of line and space features or for the purpose of printing a two-dimensional array of contact holes by blocking areas, for each pixel in the pupil fill, the corresponding pixel and diffraction order pixels in the pupil lens unless +1 or −1 diffraction order pixels fall within the area of the numerical aperture. For the purpose of frequency doubling, the pupil fill area is blocked.
US09261785B2
Provided is a polymer compound that has excellent sensitivity, high resolution, and small line edge roughness and is capable of forming a fine pattern precisely, and less causes post-develop defects.The polymer compound according to the present invention includes a monomer unit (a) and a monomer unit (b). The monomer unit (a) is represented by Formula (a), and the monomer unit (b) includes an alicyclic skeleton containing a polar group. The polar group of the monomer unit (b) is preferably at least one group selected from —O—, —C(═O)—, —C(═O)—O—, —O—C(═O)—O—, —C(═O)—O—C(═O)—, —C(═O)—NH—, —S(═O)—O—, —S(═O)2—O—, —ORa, —C(═O)—ORa, and —CN, where Ra represents, independently in each occurrence, optionally substituted alkyl.
US09261784B2
A lithographic process includes the use of a silicon-containing polymer or a compound that includes at least one element selected from the group consisting of: Ta, W, Re, Os, Ir, Ni, Cu or Zn in a resist material for an EUV lithographic process. The wavelength of the EUV light used in the process is less than 11 nm, for example 6.5-6.9 nm. The invention further relates to novel silicon-containing polymers.
US09261779B2
An auto-repairing photoresist composition comprises 1 to 10 wt % of microcapsule having a capsule wall and a capsule core based on the total weight of the photoresist composition, wherein the capsule wall includes an alkali-insoluble resin, and the capsule core includes: 10 to 60 wt % of a photo-curable unsaturated resin oligomer; 10 to 50 wt % of a photo-curable monomers; 10 to 70 wt % of a first black pigment paste; 0.1 to 10 wt % of a first photo-initiator; and 0.1 to 5 wt % of a coupling agent, based on the total weight of the capsule core. The photoresist composition of embodiments of the present invention can be used for preparation of Black Matrix, and has an auto-repairing property to improve substantially the pass yield of product. A method of preparing the photoresist composition, a color filter substrate, and a display apparatus are also disclosed.
US09261777B2
A method for making three-dimensional nano-structure array is provided. The method includes following steps. A base is provided. A mask layer is located on the base. The mask layer is patterned, and a number of bar-shaped protruding structures is formed on a surface of the mask layer, a lot is defined between each of two adjacent bar-shaped protruding structures of the number of protruding structures to expose a portion of the base. The exposed portion of the base is etched through the slot so that the each of two adjacent bar-shaped protruding structures begin to slant face to face until they are contacting each other to form a protruding pair. The mask layer is removed.
US09261775B2
A method for analyzing a photomask comprises the determination of a Bossung plot.
US09261773B2
Reflective mask blank for EUV lithography, and reflective layer-coated substrate for EUV lithography
To provide a mask blank for EUVL wherein the incident angle dependence of EUV reflectivity and the film stress in a Mo/Si multilayer reflective film are improved, and a reflective layer-equipped substrate for such a mask blank. The reflective layer-equipped substrate for EUV lithography (EUVL), comprises a substrate, and a reflective layer for reflecting EUV light, formed on the substrate, wherein the reflective layer comprises a second multilayer reflective film having a Mo layer and a Si layer alternately stacked plural times on the substrate, an adjustment layer stacked on the second multilayer reflective film, and a first multilayer reflective film having a Mo layer and a Si layer alternately stacked plural times on the adjustment layer.
US09261768B1
A body, preferably a trophy, containing a projector. The projector includes a front face at a base of the body, and a momentary switch that allows for automatic projection of an image when the trophy is lifted from a surface.
US09261764B2
A pixel array display system which has an illumination source with a plurality of emitters in a sparse array, collimators in front of the emitters, a condenser lens downstream of the collimators, an optical homogenizing element downstream from the condenser lens, a relay lens downstream from the optical homogenizing element, a pixel array downstream from the relay lens, a rear group of lens elements of a projection lens downstream from the pixel array, a polarization converter stack downstream from the rear group of lens elements and a front group of lens elements of the projection lens downstream from the polarization converter stack, so that light from the emitters is imaged onto input apertures of the polarization converter stack.
US09261763B2
A pico projection fixing module includes a bracket main body, plural color light sources, and plural collimator lenses. The bracket main body includes plural assembling seats. The plural assembling seats are arranged side by side. Each of the plural assembling seats includes a first assembling part and a second assembling part beside the corresponding first assembling part. The plural color light sources are installed on the first assembling parts of the plural assembling seats, respectively. The plural collimator lenses are installed on the second assembling parts of the plural assembling seats and aligned with the plural color light sources, respectively. Moreover, plural color light beams from the plural color light sources are projected out through the corresponding collimator lenses. Moreover, plural concave spaces are arranged around bottoms of the plural second assembling parts, respectively, wherein the plural concave spaces are separated from each other.
US09261760B2
An illumination system disposed in a projection apparatus includes a solid-state light source group, a cooling module, and an ion fan. The cooling module is thermally coupled to the solid-state light source group. The cooling module is located on a path of a forced convection air generated by the ion fan. The projection apparatus avails prolonging a life time of the illumination system, and the ion fan does not have a magnetic shearing sound of a motor and a wind shearing sound of fan blades to avail reducing an operation noise of the illumination system.
US09261745B2
A phase retarder comprises first and second π-cells or other tunable birefringent devices arranged optically in series. The phase retardation value of the phase retarder is a difference between the phase retardation values of the first and second π-cells. Driving circuitry drives the phase retarder to generate a target phase retardation value by: (1) prior to a relaxation period, biasing the π-cells to produce the target phase retardation value; (2) during the relaxation period, biasing the first π-cell at a constant bias value; and (3) during the relaxation period, lowering the bias value of the second π-cell continuously or stepwise to maintain the target phase retardation value for the phase retarder throughout the relaxation period. In some embodiments the operation (2) comprises applying zero bias to the first π-cell throughout the relaxation period. In some embodiments the operation (1) comprises applying a maximum operational bias to the second π-cell.
US09261742B2
A display substrate includes a circuit mounted part that has a driving IC mounted thereon. The circuit mounted part includes an input pad part connected to an input terminal of the driving IC and an output pad part connected to an output terminal of the driving IC. A flexible pad part connected to a terminal of a FPCB includes a driving pad part to receive a drive signal of the driving IC. A driving line part is connected to the driving pad part to be extended along a length direction of the circuit mounted part within the circuit mounted part. Connection lines are extended from the driving line part disposed within the circuit mounted part toward the output pad part. The connection lines are partially removed in a trimming area defined between the driving line and the output pad part.
US09261740B2
To allow drive at low voltage and obtaining high transmittance in liquid crystal panel driven by FFS mode. Liquid crystal panel 10 has first substrate 14 and second substrate 27 oppositely arranged, and liquid crystal layer LC interposed between the first and the second substrates, wherein the first substrate has plural signal lines 18 and scanning lines 15 formed in matrix in mutually insulated state, upper electrode 24 having plural slit-shaped openings 25 divided by the scanning lines and signal lines, and formed for every sub-pixel, and lower electrode 21 formed with the upper electrode through insulating layer 23, the second substrate has light-shielding layer 28 superimposed with the signal lines and scanning lines in planar view, and color filter layer 29 formed for every sub-pixel, and the liquid crystal layer has at least one compound having negative dielectric anisotropy and at least one compound having positive dielectric anisotropy mixed.
US09261738B2
A Fresnel liquid crystal lens and a 2D/3D switchable display panel are provided. The Fresnel liquid crystal lens includes a plurality of liquid crystal lens units. Each liquid crystal lens unit includes a first main electrode and two first sub electrodes disposed on a first substrate, a second main electrode and two second sub electrodes disposed on a second substrate, and a liquid crystal layer disposed between the first and second substrates. The first sub electrodes are disposed on two opposite sides of the first main electrode, and a first gap is formed between the first main electrode and the first sub electrode. The second sub electrodes are disposed on two opposite sides of the second main electrode, and a second gap is formed between the second main electrode and the second sub electrode. In a vertical projection direction, the first main electrode overlaps the second main electrode, the first sub electrodes overlap the second sub electrodes, and the first main electrode partially overlaps the second sub electrodes.
US09261737B2
A liquid crystal display including: a first substrate; a second substrate facing the first substrate; a liquid crystal layer including a liquid crystal disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate; a thin film transistor disposed on the first substrate; a first electrode connected to the thin film transistor; a second electrode overlapping the first electrode with an insulating layer interposed therebetween; and a first alignment layer disposed on the first electrode. The first alignment layer includes a photo-alignment layer, and the liquid crystal has negative dielectric anisotropy.
US09261708B2
A 3D image display device includes: a liquid crystal (LC) display panel including, a first array substrate (AS) including a gate line (GL) extending in a first direction (FD), a data line (DL) extending in a second direction (SD) substantially perpendicular to the FD, and a pixel electrode (PE) connected to the GL and the DL and having first branch electrode portions (FBEPs) having a first width, each of the FBEPs being spaced from each other by a first interval substantially ≧the first width, and a LC lens panel including a second AS including lens electrodes (LEs) extending in a third direction (TD) tilted with respect to the SD by a first angle having an absolute value ≧about 5° and ≦about 15°. Each of the FBEPs extends in a fourth direction having a first tilting angle with respect to the TD by about 45° or about 135°.
US09261705B2
Disclosed herein is a display device, including: a display unit configured to display images each corresponding to a respective one of a plurality of shutter mechanisms that carry out opening and closing operation at timings different from each other, in such a manner as to switch the images in a time-division manner; and a shutter controller configured to set a respective one of the shutter mechanisms to an opened state in a display period of the image corresponding to the respective one of the shutter mechanisms, and variably control at least one of start time and length of an opened-state period of the shutter mechanism.
US09261701B2
A head-wearable device includes a center support extending in generally lateral directions, a first side arm extending from a first end of the center frame support and a second side arm extending from a second end of the center support. The device may further include a nosebridge that is removably coupled to the center frame support. The device may also include a lens assembly that is removably coupled to the center support or the nosebridge. The lens assembly may have a single lens, or a multi-lens arrangement configured to cooperate with display to correct for a user's ocular disease or disorder.
US09261700B2
Embodiments described herein may provide a configuration of input interfaces used to perform multi-touch operations. An example device may involve: (a) a housing arranged on a head-mountable device, (b) a first input interface arranged on either a superior or an inferior surface of the housing, (c) a second input interface arranged on a surface of the housing that is opposite to the first input interface, and (d) a control system configured to: (1) receive first input data from the first input interface, where the first input data corresponds to a first input action, and in response, cause a camera to perform a first operation in accordance with the first input action, and (2) receive second input data from the second input interface, where the second input data corresponds to a second input action(s) on the second input interface, and in response, cause the camera to perform a second operation.
US09261690B2
A phase-contrast microscope system includes: an illumination optical system that illuminates a specimen with an illumination light from a light source; an imaging optical system that forms an image of the specimen from a light from the specimen; a first spatial modulation element that is disposed in a position of a pupil of the imaging optical system and changes an amplitude transmittance distribution of the light from the specimen; an image sensor that detects the image of the specimen by the imaging optical system and outputs a picture signal; a calculation section that calculates the amplitude transmittance distribution of the light from the specimen appropriate for observing the specimen on the basis of the output data detected by the image sensor and the amplitude transmittance distribution of the light from the specimen formed by the first spatial modulation element.
US09261684B2
The zoom lens substantially consists of a positive first lens group fixed while changing magnification, a negative second lens group which moves from the object side to the image side while changing magnification, a positive third lens group which moves while changing magnification, and a positive fourth lens group which moves from the image side to the object side while changing magnification, and a positive fifth lens group fixed while changing magnification in this order from the object side. A floating system in which the third lens group and the fourth lens group move relative to each other while changing magnification is adopted. The image formation magnification rates of the combined lens group formed by the third lens group and the fourth lens group together and the second lens group simultaneously pass −1× point while changing magnification from the wide angle end to the telephoto end.
US09261667B2
A driving device includes: a driving state detection unit which detects a driving state of a driving unit which drives a driving target; and a control unit which performs a first control for driving the driving unit for an amount based on the driving state of the driving unit detected by the driving state detection unit and a second control for driving the driving unit for a predetermined amount.
US09261666B2
A fiber optic enclosure assembly includes a housing having an interior region and a bearing mount disposed in the interior region of the housing. A cable spool is connectedly engaged with the bearing mount such that the cable spool selectively rotates within the housing. A termination module disposed on the cable spool so that the termination module rotates in unison with the cable spool. A method of paying out a fiber optic cable from a fiber optic enclosure includes rotating a cable spool, which has a subscriber cable coiled around a spooling portion of the cable spool, about an axis of a housing of the fiber optic enclosure until a desired length of subscriber cable is paid out. A termination module is disposed on the cable spool.
US09261663B2
A fiber optic distribution terminal includes an enclosure having a base. A cover is pivotally engaged to the base. The base and the cover cooperatively define an interior region. A cable spool assembly is disposed in the interior region of the enclosure. The cable spool assembly includes a first flange and a second flange. The first flange has a flange and an inner drum that extends outwardly from the flange. The second flange has a tray and an outer drum that extends outwardly from the tray. The outer drum defines a bore. The outer drum is in snap-fit engagement with the inner drum. A plurality of adapters is disposed on the tray. A fiber optic cable is disposed about the outer drum of the cable spool assembly. The fiber optic cable includes a plurality of connectorized ends that is engaged with first ports of the plurality of adapters.
US09261657B1
An optical fiber array connector includes a ribbon fiber and a ribbon fiber holder. The ribbon fiber includes optical fibers having fixed pitch. The ribbon fiber holder includes a connection plate and a support member connected to the connection plate. The connection plate defines a ribbon shaped through hole. The support member includes a top surface and two rails. The two rails are supported by the top surface and parallel to each other. The two rails and the top surface cooperatively define a ribbon shaped receiving channel. The ribbon shaped receiving channel communicates with the ribbon shaped through hole. The ribbon fiber is received in the ribbon shaped receiving channel. The optical fibers are received in the ribbon shaped through hole.
US09261655B2
A connector having a ferrule, and a translucent or transparent covering membrane sealingly bonded with the ferrule by a paste zone and blanking the opening of the connector. The covering membrane being detachable from the ferrule by peeling and having a strip for gripping the membrane during peeling. The covering membrane having a line defining an easy cutting path to prevent its re-installment on the ferrule after its peel off.
US09261650B2
An apparatus and method for flexible configuring of optical fibers to illuminate digital projectors. The optical fibers are attached to various positions of a configurable back plane assembly and a condensing assembly condenses the light beams prior to launch into the projector. Horizontal and vertical launch symmetries are maintained for any number of optical fibers between 1 and 9.
US09261646B2
An optical fiber with a large effective area includes a core layer and a cladding layer. The core layer comprises an inner core layer having a radius of 1-4 μm and a relative refractive index difference Δ12 of −0.2%≧Δ12<0% relative to the outer core layer, and an outer core layer having a radius of 4-7 μm and a relative refractive index difference Δ2 of −0.15%-0.05%. Δ12 remains unchanged or increases as the radius of the inner core layer increases. The cladding layer comprises an inner cladding layer cladding the core layer and having a radius of 7-20 μm and a relative refractive index difference Δ3 of −0.5%˜−0.1%, a depressed cladding layer has a radius of 12-40 μm, and a relative refractive index difference Δ4 of −1.0%˜−0.3%, and an outer cladding layer having a relative refractive index difference Δ5 of −0.2%˜−0.4%.
US09261633B2
Disclosed is a black resin composition with which a black matrix having high insulation properties even after heat treatment at a high temperature and, in addition, achromatic reflection properties can be readily formed. The black resin composition comprises (A) a light-shielding material, (B) an alkali-soluble resin, and (C) an organic solvent, and comprises (A-1) a carbon black and (A-2) titanium nitride compound particles as the light-shielding material (A). The carbon black (A-1) is surface-treated with a sulfur-containing compound, and in the surface composition, the percentage of carbon atoms is 95% or less and the percentage of sulfur atoms is 0.5% or more.
US09261629B2
A method of manufacturing a lens module including following is provided. A first lens plate having a plurality of first lens sections, a second lens plate having a plurality of second lens sections and a third lens plate having a plurality of third lens sections are provided. The first lens sections of the first lens plate are separated to form a plurality of first lens units. The second and third lens plates are connected. A relative position between each of the first lens units and one of the second lens sections corresponding to the first lens unit is adjusted. Each of the first lens units and the second lens section corresponding to the first lens unit are connected. The second and third lens sections are separated to form a plurality of second lens units and a plurality of third lens units connected to the second lens units.
US09261623B2
A target assembly for a radiation generator may include a target body and a beam dump. The target assembly may also include a temperature activated coupler between the target body and the beam dump to move the beam dump between a non-contact position with the target body and a contact position with the target body based upon temperature.
US09261616B2
A method for estimating velocity dispersion in seismic surface waves in massive 3-D data sets (401) that improves upon auto-picking of a curve along the peak or ridge of the magnitude of the beam-formed field (402). The seismic data are transformed to the frequency-slowness domain, where nonlinear constrained optimization is performed on the transformed data. The optimization matches a nonlinear mathematical parametric model (403) of a beam-formed field to that in the transformed data, adjusting the parameters each iteration to reduce mismatch (404). Dispersion curves are determined by the center of the beam in the optimized models (405). A preferred nonlinear parametric mathematical model is a Gaussian-shaped beam or a cosine-tapered boxcar beam.
US09261615B2
Method for identifying geologic features from seismic data (11) using seismic anomaly detection by a double-windowed statistical analysis. Subtle features that may be obscured using a single window on the data are made identifiable using two moving windows of user-selected size and shape: a pattern window located within a sampling window larger than the pattern window (12). If Gaussian statistics are assumed, the statistical analysis may be performed by computing mean and covariance matrices for the data within the pattern window in its various positions within the sampling window (13). Then a specific measure of degree of anomaly for each voxel such as a residue value may be computed for each sampling window using its own mean and covariance matrix (14), and finally the resulting residue volume may be analyzed, with or without thresholding, for physical features indicative of hydrocarbon potential (15).
US09261613B2
The invention concerns a passive monitoring method to detect the presence of and characterize a micro-seismic event (3) occurring in the subsurface, by processing seismic data recorded by a plurality of seismic receivers (R1, Rn) arranged on the earth surface (4), said seismic data comprising acquisition noise and a wave field (6) generated by the micro-seismic event, said wave field being drowned in the noise, the method comprising the performing of waveform inversion directly on the seismic data recorded by the seismic receivers with no prior detection of the wave field generated by the micro-seismic event.
US09261609B2
Apparatus and methods for charge collection control in radiation detectors are provided. One radiation detector includes a semiconductor substrate, at least one cathode on a surface of the semiconductor substrate, and a plurality of anodes on a surface of the semiconductor substrate opposite the at least one cathode, wherein the plurality of anodes have gaps therebetween. The radiation detector further includes a charge collection control arrangement configured to cause one or more charges induced within the semiconductor substrate by incident photons to drift towards one or more of the plurality of anodes.
US09261608B2
The invention is an imaging apparatus comprising a detector device (12) for determining points of incidence of photons and having an impact surface (13), and an aperture (16) suitable for projecting the photons to the detector device (12) having an inlet surface (17) and an outlet surface facing the impact surface (13), and comprising pinholes (18′, 18″, 22) connecting the inlet surface (17) and the outlet surface. The pinholes (18′, 18″, 22) comprise one or more central pinholes (18′, 22) and one or more peripheral pinholes (18″), and at least one central pinhole (18′, 22) and at least one peripheral pinhole (18″) are formed with focal opening (20′, 20″, 23) depth or focal opening (20′, 20″, 23) sizes different from each other. Furthermore, the invention is an aperture for the imaging apparatus and a method of manufacturing an aperture of an imaging apparatus.
US09261605B2
The present invention provides a radiation detector for detecting both the intensity and direction of one or more sources of radiation comprising a radiation sensor, an inverse collimator that shields the sensor from at least a portion of the incident radiation originating from the direction in which the inverse collimator is pointed and a means for pointing the inverse collimator in different directions. In accordance with another aspect of the invention, there is provided a method for detecting both the intensity and direction of one or more sources of radiation comprising the steps of providing a radiation sensor, providing an inverse collimator that shields the sensor from at least a portion of the incident radiation originating from the direction in which the inverse collimator is pointed, providing a means for pointing the inverse collimator in different directions, pointing the inverse collimator in a direction, recording the direction in which the inverse collimator is pointed and recording the signal from the sensor, repeating the preceding two steps one or more times for one or more different directions.
US09261593B1
A method for processing received return signals in a visual synthetic aperture radar (ViSAR) system is provided. The method includes receiving a plurality of pulsed radar return signals over a time period corresponding to a plurality of data frames. From this data, processing is performed to generate a SAR image for each single data frame of the plurality of data frames. In parallel, the radar pulses used to form the image frames are buffered into a longer pulse sequence that is used to perform the detection processing, including identifying targets as having characteristics associated with one or more predetermined motion classes according to phase changes sensed between data frames. A visual indication of targets associated with a predetermined motion class is generated, and overlaid onto one of the SAR images.
US09261580B2
A system for time-of-flight (ToF) positioning in an IEEE 802.11 network comprises an initiating station that transmits a request frame over a channel to a responding station for a ToF position measurement. The responding station may respond with an offloading of the channel information, request frame receipt time, and response frame transmit time back to the initiating station to enable the initiating station to calculate the ToF position with respect to the responding station.
US09261569B2
Provided is a sensor device capable of removing the influence of each offset voltage of a sensor element, a differential amplifier, and an amplifier of the sensor device, to thereby detect a physical quantity with high precision and respond to high-speed operation. The sensor device includes: a switch circuit connected to a first terminal pair and a second terminal pair of the sensor element, for controlling switching of the terminal pairs and outputting signal voltages; a differential amplifier including a first input terminal and a second input terminal connected to a first output terminal and a second output terminal of the switch circuit, respectively, for outputting a result obtained by amplifying a difference of the signal voltages; an amplifier including at least two differential input pairs, one of which inputs the differential signal output from the differential amplifier, and at least one of which inputs a reference signal corresponding to a physical quantity to be detected; and a detection voltage setting circuit for outputting the reference signal to the amplifier. Switching of the switch circuit provides a first detection state and a second detection state, and detection is performed in one first detection state and one second detection state.
US09261568B2
System and method to detect battery cell malfunctions through redundant offset battery cell monitoring. Redundant battery monitoring may be implemented in a battery monitoring system to process battery cell voltages at offset times. A processor may compare offset voltage samples for a particular battery cell. If the samples vary outside a predetermined range, the processor may indicate a battery cell malfunction.
US09261567B2
A remaining battery power calculation circuit includes: a detection unit configured to detect an output voltage of a battery; a data storage unit configured to store data in an associated manner with each of a plurality of current values for charge or discharge of the battery, the data indicating a relationship between the output voltage and a ratio of remaining power of the battery to a capacity of the battery in a case where the battery is charged or discharged with each of the plurality of current values; and a first calculation unit configured to calculate a charging/discharging current of the battery based on the data and the output voltage.
US09261566B2
An impedance analysis device adapted to an object under test (OUT) includes a signal generator, a signal analysis unit and a processing unit. The signal generator outputs a pulse signal to the OUT. The signal analysis unit acquires a response signal which the OUT responds to the pulse signal, and analyzes the response signal to obtain an analysis parameter. The processing unit coupled to the signal analysis unit receives the analysis parameter, so as to obtain an impedance variation characteristic of the OUT.
US09261565B2
A method of testing a secondary battery includes step A of charging the secondary battery to a predetermined charge voltage, step B of setting aside the secondary battery for a predetermined time (tb) after the step A, step C of discharging the secondary battery to a predetermined discharge voltage after the step B, and step D of detecting a battery voltage increase for a preset time (t2) after a predetermined time (t1) has elapsed after the step C. This method of testing a secondary battery can evaluate a measurement of how much the negative electrode active material layer covers the positive electrode active material layer based on the battery voltage increase detected in the step D.
US09261561B2
A scan chain latch circuit, a method of operating a latch circuit in a scan chain, and a computer-readable medium having stored thereon a data structure defining a scan chain latch circuit for instantiation on a semiconductor die are disclosed. In an embodiment, the scan chain latch circuit comprises a first latch for holding one data value, a second latch for holding another data value, and a multiplexor. The one data value is applied to a first data input of the multiplexor and the another data value is applied to a second data input of the multiplexor. An alternating clock signal is applied to a select input of the multiplexor to control the output of the multiplexor, wherein the output of the multiplexor toggles between the two data values held in the two latches at a defined frequency.
US09261549B2
A sensor apparatus for detecting leakage current in a suspension-type insulator of an electrical power system is disclosed. The sensor apparatus includes a housing having a leakage current sensor contained therein, a door pivotally connected to the housing and adapted to move between an open position where a grounded end fitting of the insulator is received by the sensor apparatus and a closed position, and a clamping mechanism connected to the housing. The leakage current sensor is adapted to detect a leakage current along the insulator. The clamping mechanism is adapted to clamp the sensor apparatus to the grounded end fitting of the insulator.
US09261548B2
A hum noise detection device includes: a frequency conversion unit (1) configured to perform a frequency converting process at a constant time interval on an input signal, and converting the input signal into a frequency signal; a peak frequency calculation unit (2) configured to calculate a stationary peak frequency based on the frequency signal; a fundamental frequency estimation unit (3) configured to estimate a fundamental frequency of hum noise based on the stationary peak frequency; and a hum noise judgment unit (4) configured to judge whether or not there is hum noise in the input signal based on the estimated fundamental frequency and the stationary peak frequency.
US09261536B2
A testing apparatus for electronic components comprises a mounting block and a plurality of contact strips arranged on the mounting block. The contact strips are configured such that electrical leads of an electronic component are operative to press against and bend the contact strips in a biasing direction to ensure good contact between the electrical leads and the contact strips during testing of the electronic component. Further, a preload block located on the mounting block is operative to contact and apply a pre-stress force onto the contact strips in the biasing direction prior to contact between the electrical leads and the contact strips.
US09261535B2
An adapter for attaching an active probe to a device under test is disclosed. According to one aspect, an active probe adapter includes an adapter body for connecting an active probe to a device under test (DUT), the adaptor body having an impedance controlled conducting path for connecting a signal of the DUT to a signal input of the active probe, the path including a signal conductor and a reference conductor. The adapter body includes probe-side electrical contacts for electrically connecting an active probe to the signal and reference conductors of the adapter, and a set of DUT-side electrical contacts for electrically connecting the signal and reference conductors of the adapter to the DUT via one or more connectors attached to the contacts. The DUT-side electrical contacts are physically arranged to allow different orientations of the connector relative to the adapter body.
US09261534B2
Among other things, one or more techniques and/or systems are provided for shielding a signal pin. A signal pin, such as a signal pin within a probe card used to test electronic devices, such as integrated circuits, is shielded from interference signals, which are emitted from other signal pins within the probe card. Shielding the signal pin mitigates cross-talk issues and/or impendence control issues associated with signals that are carried by the signal pin. In one example, one or more shield pins are arranged with respect to the signal pin according to a shield configuration. For example, the shield configuration comprises a plane of signal pins, a substantially regular layout of signal pins, or a polygonal layout of signal pins, etc. In this way, one or more shield pins inhibit unintended interactions or effects that otherwise occur among two or more signal pins.
US09261530B2
An acceleration sensor includes a weight portion having a recess section and a solid section, beam portions, a movable electrode provided on the opposite surface of the weight portion from an open surface of the recess section to extend over the recess section and the solid section, a first fixed electrode arranged at the opposite side of the movable electrode from the recess section, and a second fixed electrode arranged at the opposite side of the movable electrode from the solid section. The acceleration sensor detects acceleration using a change in capacitance between the movable electrode and the fixed electrodes caused by rotation of the weight portion. The beam portions are shifted toward the recess section such that an angle between a perpendicular line extending from a gravity center position of the weight portion to the rotation axis and a surface of the movable electrode becomes equal to 45 degrees.
US09261527B2
A method of utilizing a mobile device to detect an emergency includes detecting whether the mobile device is carried by a user; detecting an acceleration status of the mobile device when the mobile device is determined to be carried by the user; and determining whether the user is in the emergency according to the acceleration status of the mobile device.
US09261523B2
A system for managing the inventory of reagents for a laboratory automation system. The system for managing the inventory of reagents comprises a controller, software for the controller, and a refrigerator capable of refrigerating reagents, detecting the presence or absence of reagents in the refrigerator, and detecting the location of reagents in the refrigerator. The system for managing the inventory of reagents is connected to a laboratory automation system. The laboratory automation system comprises at least one clinical analyzer. A typical system for managing inventories of reagents includes an operator interface for the loading of boxes of reagents and other supplies, radio frequency identification system for identification of inventory and tracking, robotic mechanisms for loading containers onto the track system and removing containers from the track system, de-capping equipment, refrigeration equipment, and information technology connections to laboratory analyzers and vendors.
US09261511B2
The present invention relates to human IgE antibodies and derivatives thereof, which bind non-continuous planar allergenic epitope, such as in β-lactoglobulin, with high affinity and specificity. The present invention also relates to processes for making and engineering such allergen binding monoclonal antibodies and to methods for using these antibodies and derivatives thereof in the field of immunodiagnostics and immunotherapy.
US09261503B2
A combination of mutually exclusive cell-based analytical techniques can be applied to the same group of cells for analysis. The same group of cells can be prepared for analysis by each technique resulting with candidate cells targeted for mass cytometry analysis. This configuration allows for the correlation of the information between each technique to produce a matrix of multi dimension of cellular information with the same group of cells.
US09261498B2
The invention disclosed herein provides methods for the examination and/or quantification of biochemical pathways that are disregukted in pathologies such as cancer and to reagents and kits adapted for performing such methods. For example a correlation between VHL loss and mTOR inhibitor sensitivity in human kidney cancer cells is disclosed, indicating that VHL loss confers autonomous and angiogenic competitive advantages to such cells.
US09261492B2
Provided are a method of semi-quantitatively evaluating concrete carbonation including the steps of a specimen preparing step of preparing a concrete specimen for identifying a degree of carbonation, a carbonation depth measuring step of measuring a carbonation depth of the specimen by a method of promoting carbonation of the specimen using a carbonation promoting tester and applying an indicator, an X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyzing step of qualitatively analyzing components of the specimen by an XRD method after cutting the specimen from a top end to a predetermined depth and crushing the specimen. Thus, the method of the present invention may calculate the exposure time of concrete carbonation by converting the analysis result value of XRD to the result value of TG-DTA.
US09261475B2
Foreign metal inspection equipment is provided with: a conveying device for conveying a sample to be subjected to inspection; electrodes positioned so as to face the surface of the sample; a measurement device for measuring the capacitance between the electrodes and the sample being conveyed by the conveying device; and a processing unit that inspects for foreign metal mixed in the sample on the basis of the change in capacitance measured by the measurement device.
US09261470B2
High precision elemental concentration determination is achieved using a nuclear magnetic resonance device that can continuously monitor samples of a source fluid in the field and in the refinery plant while the source fluid is refined into a desired product fluid.
US09261466B2
A device for determining a composition of a fuel mixture is provided, in particular for determining an ethanol component and/or a water component in the fuel mixture. The device includes at least one housing having at least one electrically conductive housing element through which the fuel mixture is able to flow. At least one internal conductor, which is at least partially enclosed by the housing element, is introduced into the housing element. In addition, the device has at least one connection device for the coupling of microwave signals.
US09261464B2
Provided are photoluminescence spectroscopy systems and methods for identifying and quantifying impurities in a semiconductor sample. In some embodiments, the systems and methods comprise a defocused collimated laser beam illuminating a first sample surface, and collection by a collection lens of photoluminescence from a sample edge at the intersection of the first surface with a substantially orthogonal second surface, wherein the first sample surface is oriented from about 0° to 90° with respect to a position parallel to the collection lens.
US09261462B2
Photo-aging monitoring of light-based chemical indicators that experience performance degradation as the cumulative amount of light exposure from measurement and/or reference illumination increases from usage. Differing regions on a chemical indicator are illuminated with measurement illumination light of differing exposures, for example, higher brightness, longer exposure times, or both. Readings from the differing regions are compared with known aging information for the chemical indicator at issue to determine a confidence factor for the measurements. The confidence factor can be used to control various actions relating to measurements acquired from the chemical indicators, such as compensating measurement readings for photo-aging, assigning confidence levels to measurement readings, and issuing alerts to users when photo-aging exceeds one or more predetermined thresholds.
US09261457B1
In one embodiment, an apparent equilibrium constant involving a clumped isotope in a gaseous sample is measured by acquiring sample spectra of portions of the gaseous sample at different pressures. An external bulb coupled to a sample cell is filled with the gaseous sample. A first portion of the gaseous sample is transferred from the external bulb to the sample cell, where it is at a first pressure. A first sample spectrum is obtained. Then, a second portion of the gaseous sample is transferred from the external bulb to the sample cell, where it is at a second, different pressure. A second sample spectrum is obtained. An apparent equilibrium constant for the clumped isotope is calculated by determining a first isotopic ratio at the first pressure, determining a second isotopic ratio at the second pressure, and taking a product of the first isotopic ratio and the second isotopic ratio.
US09261455B2
The present invention relates to a capillary microcuvette, the microcuvette comprises a body member having two plates and a cavity formed within the body, the cavity being defined by two opposing inner surfaces of the two plates of the body member, a portion of the cavity defining a detection zone, a capillary inlet being provided at one end of the body member that is communicated with the cavity, a sample slot being provided at a portion of the body member in which the capillary inlet is not formed, the sample slot being communicated with the cavity. The present microcuvette improves user convenience by providing dual application means of applying a specimen directly from a fingertip or using a pipette.
US09261454B2
A meniscus reducing member for use in a vessel for containing a liquid including a surface feature overlying at least a portion of an interior surface of the vessel. The surface feature includes at least two surfaces for contacting the liquid that cooperate to reduce a width of a meniscus formed at an interface between the liquid and the surface feature by physically altering a contact angle between the liquid and the surface feature.
US09261453B2
Gas analyzer and method for measuring the concentration of a gas component in a sample gas, wherein the wavelength of the light of a wavelength-tunable light source is varied within periodically successive sampling intervals and, in the process, additionally modulated with a frequency to perform wavelength dependent sampling of an absorption line of a gas component to be measured in the sample gas.
US09261451B2
Device and method for determining the permeation rate of barrier elements and ultra-barrier elements
The invention relates to a method and a device for determining the permeation rate of barrier elements and ultra-barrier elements according to an isostatic permeation measurement method. In the process, the convective mass transfer of a permeate permeated through a barrier element is replaced by a diffusion-controlled mass transfer along a diffusion path in a subsequently arranged measurement chamber with a hollow conducting element and permeate sink.The permeate sink ensures that permeate is removed continuously, and so a mass flux equilibrium of the permeate is set through the barrier element and through the diffusion path.The concentration gradient of the permeate and, from this, the permeation rate of the barrier element is then determined by non-invasive determination of the concentration of the permeate along the diffusion path.
US09261441B2
A system for generating a slicing scheme for slicing a specimen is disclosed. A parameter unit (1) is arranged for determining at least one parameter of a lesion in a specimen, based on an image dataset (14) representing at least part of the specimen. A slicing scheme unit (2) is arranged for determining a slicing scheme (15) for pathologic examination of the specimen, based on the at least one parameter. A specimen preparation unit (3) is arranged for determining a slicing preparation protocol, based on the image dataset, wherein the slicing preparation protocol comprises a representation of preparation steps relating to the specimen. A segmentation unit (5) is arranged for segmenting the lesion in the image dataset (14), wherein the parameter unit (1) is arranged for determining the at least one parameter, based on the segmented lesion.
US09261434B2
An apparatus for changing rim sets at a testing station of a tire uniformity testing system that includes a storage unit for storing a plurality of rim set assemblies. A transfer arm is reciprocally movable and includes a gripper mechanism for gripping a rim set assembly and moving it from a storage position to a position at which rims forming part of the rim set assembly are aligned with opposed spindles at the testing station. The rim set assembly includes a bracket having structure engageable by the transfer arm and at least one of the rims forming part of the assembly includes a locking member rotatable between a first position and a second position. The bracket includes a structure for immobilizing the rim to inhibit relative rotation between the rim and the bracket and further includes a lever mechanism for moving the locking member from its first position to its second position in order to engage retaining members forming part of the bracket. The lever mechanism moves the locking member from its second position to its first position when the rim is aligned with an associated spindle in order to engage other retaining members forming part of the spindle. The rim is released from the bracket as the locking member moves to engage the other retaining members. After release, the bracket moves to a remote position spaced from the testing station. To remove the rim sets, the steps for attaching rims to the spindles are reversed in order to release the rims from the spindles while simultaneously engaging the bracket. The resulting rim set assembly is moved to a remote position defined by a storage unit that stores a plurality of rim set assemblies. The disclosed locking member and associated rim can be used to facilitate the manual installation of a test rim to a spindle.
US09261433B2
When ignition is retarded in an internal combustion engine, an engine misfire detection system calculates a difference between combustion-time engine torque produced when combustion takes place in the engine, and expansion torque corresponding to non-combustion-time engine torque produced when the engine rotates without causing combustion, at intervals of a predetermined crank angle, calculates a shift amount with which a total value of the differences within a misfire determination period is maximized, and shifts the misfire determination period by the shift amount.
US09261432B2
Methods and systems for detecting barometric pressure (BP) changes based on tire pressure changes are disclosed. In one example approach, a method comprises adjusting an evaporative leak detection threshold based on a change in barometric pressure, where the change in barometric pressure is based on a tire pressure change.
US09261428B2
The invention relates to a method for calibrating at least one headlamp (2, 3) and/or at least one element of a headlamp, particularly on a motor vehicle (1), using the illumination structure that is contained in the light distribution of the headlamp or of the element of the headlamp, with an image data acquisition unit (6) and a control unit (7), wherein the illumination structure of at least one headlamp (2, 3) and/or of at least one element of a headlamp is formed between a dark area (9) and a light area (10), such as a dark/light boundary, and the image data acquisition unit (6) detects an, in particular retro-reflective, object (13) when changing from the dark area (9) to the light area (10), wherein also the absolute position of the object (13) upon entry into the light area (10) is determined and this is used to determine an actual setting of the at least one headlamp (2, 3) or of the at least one element of a headlamp. The invention also relates to an apparatus in this regard.
US09261425B2
A pressure sensor assembly includes a pressure sensor having a pressure sensing transducer connected to a plurality of electrode pins via a plurality of electrode pads disposed on the transducer, an inner casing configured to hold the pressure sensing transducer including a plurality of inner casing electrode pin channels having the electrode pins disposed therein. The pressure sensor further includes an outer casing holding the inner casing therein having a capsule header with a plurality of capsule header electrode pin channels defined therein which can include a ceramic seal disposed therein such that the capsule header electrode pin channels engage the electrode pins in an insulating sealed relationship. The outer casing further includes an isolator plate including an isolator plate fluid port defined therein and a pressure isolator disposed on the isolator plate and configured to deflect in response to a change in ambient pressure. The pressure sensor includes a pressure transmitting fluid disposed in the fluid volume.
US09261424B2
A method of determining and utilizing an Energy Efficiency Indicator, the method initiating with a step of determining a distal or angular offset between a pair of coupled shafts provided between adjacent rotating machines. The offset is correlated to energy efficiency between the pair of coupled shafts. Correlation is referred to as an Energy Efficiency Indicator (EEI). The Energy Efficiency Indicator (EEI) can be used to predict changes in alignment, changes in energy efficiency, and the like. Monitoring the coupled rotating machines and using the Energy Efficiency Indicator (EEI) can provide the operator with predictive information to enhance the reliability and extend the lifespan of the coupled rotating machines.
US09261411B2
An uncooled microbolometer detector that includes a substrate, a platform held above the substrate by a support structure, at least one thermistor provided on the platform, and an optical absorber. The optical absorber includes at least one electrically conductive layer extending on the platform over and in thermal contact with the at least one thermistor and patterned to form a resonant structure defining an absorption spectrum of the uncooled microbolometer detector. The optical absorber is exposed to electromagnetic radiation and absorbs the electromagnetic radiation according to the absorption spectrum. A microbolometer array including a plurality of uncooled microbolometer detectors arranged in a two-dimensional array is also provided. Advantageously, these embodiments allow extending the absorption spectrum of conventional infrared uncooled microbolometer detectors to the terahertz region of the electromagnetic spectrum.
US09261408B2
A thermal position sensor includes a collection of micro-bolometers, each having an electrical resistance and each including a substrate and an absorptive element. The absorptive element is suspended above the substrate and configured to absorb infrared radiation, including 10-micron long-wavelength infrared radiation. A change in a temperature of the micro-bolometer causes a change in the resistance of the micro-bolometer. The collection of micro-bolometers is partitioned into a first quadrant, a second quadrant, a third quadrant, and a fourth quadrant, where each of the quadrants represents a 90-degree segment of the sensor and includes at least one micro-bolometer of the collection of micro-bolometers. Each of the quadrants includes at least one output signal that provides information indicative of a temperature of the quadrant based on a resistance associated with the at least one micro-bolometer of the quadrant.
US09261394B2
The invention relates to a dosing device comprising a storage container and a storage chamber disposed therein, a dosing container and a dosing chamber disposed therein, and a dosing connection between the storage chamber and the dosing chamber.
US09261390B2
The present invention provides an acoustic flow meter assembly (2) for pipes or open channels, said assembly including a frame (24) with a predetermined geometry. The frame has at least one user accessible port (36-42) with the at least one user accessible port (36-42) adapted to receive an interchangeable cartridge (44) which contains at least one acoustic transducer (46) to measure fluid velocity through said frame (24).
US09261384B2
A system for attaching a device to a rotating shaft is provided herein. The system may include one or more intermediate members positioned about the device. The system also may include a restraining strap configured to apply a restraining force to at least one of the one or more intermediate members to secure the one or more intermediate members to the rotating shaft. The one or more intermediate members may be configured to at least partially avert and/or disperse the restraining force of the restraining strap away from the device.
US09261382B2
A method of measuring mechanical runout including: mounting a work piece on a rotatable mount, wherein the mount is configured to rotate the work piece; placing a displacement sensor at a known position adjacent a surface of the work piece, the displacement sensor being configured to measure a radial dimension of the work piece; attaching a removable angle indicator to the surface of the work piece; rotating the work piece while mounted on the mount and collecting rotational data of the rotational position of the work piece during the rotation; collecting displacement data from the displacement sensor as the work piece rotates, wherein the displacement data indicates a radial distance from a rotational axis of the work piece to the surface of the work piece at points on the surface as the surface rotates with respect to the displacement sensor; analyzing the displacement data to detect data representing the angle indicator on the surface of the work piece; correlating the displacement data with the rotational data, and determining displacements of points on the surface of the work piece based on the correlated displacement data.
US09261378B2
A navigation assistance system for a vehicle enables possible routes from the starting point to a destination to be ascertained with the aid of route network data, a preferred route being specified, and at least one driving recommendation that guides at least one user along the specified route being output, such that no driving recommendations are output that are superfluous for and therefore irritating and/or disturbing to the operator of the vehicle. The number of times or the frequency with which the vehicle has already previously passed at least one location point or junction point of the preferred route is ascertained, and the at least one driving recommendation for this point of the preferred route is suppressed if the ascertained number of times or frequency reaches at least one threshold value.
US09261374B2
A method for optimized route planning for a user, including: (a) determining a departure point and a destination point for multimodal travel; (b) based on said departure point and destination point, computing and proposing criteria for restricting the number of candidate routes to consider, (c) proposing an updated list of candidate routes between said departure point and said destination point, said updated list being either: i) automatically displayed after a delay, and/or: ii) based on user selection of said criteria.
US09261373B2
A map navigation tool provides a start-of-route buffer area in which off-route feedback (e.g., audio or visual warnings or alerts) can be suppressed in some circumstances. For example, a mobile computing device implements a map navigation tool that can output off-route feedback when the user strays from a route, but also can suppress off-route feedback when the user is within a start-of-route buffer area. Off-route feedback can continue to be suppressed until some other event, such as the user leaving the start-of-route buffer area, occurs. Off-route feedback can be suppressed even if the user is not within a start-of-route buffer area, such as when the map navigation tool generates a route when the user is at an initial location that is far away from any part of the route and then joins the route later (e.g., at the start location or downstream from the start location).
US09261371B2
Systems and methods of voice based personalized interactive evacuation guidance are provided. Some methods include receiving a notification about an occurrence of a predetermined event in a monitored region, responsive to receiving the notification, pairing with a fixed device in the monitored region, responsive to pairing with the fixed device, transmitting location identifying information to a remote wireless system, and receiving, from the remote wireless system, information identifying an optimal route from a current location. Some methods include receiving user input requesting an optimal route from location A to location B in a monitored region, transmitting the user input to the remote wireless system, and receiving, from the remote wireless system, information identifying the optimal route.
US09261367B2
In one embodiment, a method includes receiving a request for a route from a first geolocation to a second geolocation; calculating the route from the first geolocation to the second geolocation; identifying one or more logged paths of a user that coincide with at least a portion of the route; updating one or more navigation instructions for the route based on the identified logged paths of the user; and providing the updated navigation instructions.
US09261364B2
Provided is a driving circuit, system, and driving method for a gyro sensor. The gyro sensor driving circuit includes a charge/voltage conversion unit receiving a charge output from a vibration-type gyro sensor and converting the charge output into a voltage signal; a phase converting unit receiving a signal from the charge/voltage converting unit and converting a phase of the received signal; a pulse generating unit receiving an output signal of the phase converting unit and outputting the output signal as a pulse wave; a pulse converting unit converting the pulse wave output from the pulse generating unit into a pulse signal using a certain voltage level as reference so as to apply the pulse wave as a driving signal; and a control unit controlling the pulse converting unit to generate the pulse signal using the certain voltage level as reference.
US09261361B2
Apparatuses and methods enhance depth perception, e.g., the depth perception of a human being using an apparatus worn on the user's head.
US09261354B1
A system for measuring a deflection has a base, a first laser directed downwardly toward an underlying surface at an acute angle, a second laser in spaced relation to the first laser and directed downwardly toward the underlying surface at an approximately vertical angle, a third laser affixed to the base in spaced relation to the second laser and directed downwardly toward the underlying surface at an acute angle in a direction toward the second laser, a camera directed toward the points of reflectance of the lasers with the underlying surface, and a processor cooperative with the camera so as to measure a distance between the points of reflectance of the first and second lasers and measuring the distance between the points of reflectance of the second and third lasers. The processor compares the measured distances so as to produce an angle of deflection of the underlying surface.
US09261353B2
A medical robot system and a method to control the medical robot system are used to detect position information of a surgical instrument in an incised region, thereby improving the safety of robotic surgery. A surgical instrument may be inserted in a through-hole of a trocar inserted into an incised region of a patient. The medical robotic system includes a surgical instrument position detection apparatus to detect position information of the surgical instrument in the through-hole of the trocar, when the surgical instrument is inserted into the through-hole. The medical robotic system further includes a console to control an operation of a surgical robot having the surgical instrument, based on the detected position information of the surgical instrument.
US09261349B2
An embodiment provides a method for setting the characteristics of the light to be output from a light source unit for optical coherence tomography, using a computer. This method is performed by using relation information in which a representative wavelength, a wavelength range including said representative wavelength, and the light loss amount due to absorption by a medium are related to each other. This method includes the following steps: setting each value of a first parameter and a second parameter among the representative wavelength, the wavelength range, and the light loss amount; acquiring a value of a third parameter among the representative wavelength, the wavelength range, and the light loss amount other than said first parameter and said second parameter based on the set two values and said relation information; and outputting a value of said acquired third parameter.
US09261327B1
A shroud for covering the hammer of a firearm, requiring no alteration to the firearm, that may be easily removed or fall off when the firearm is used.
US09261322B1
A rifle bow assembly is disclosed herein. The rifle bow assembly includes: an outer barrel slide subassembly having an elongate cavity disposed therethrough, and being configured to affixedly attached to a bow assembly such that the outer barrel slide subassembly remains stationary relative to the bow assembly; a projectile barrel subassembly configured to be slidingly received within the elongate cavity of the outer barrel slide subassembly, and the projectile barrel subassembly having a rifled projectile passageway extending in a lengthwise direction thereof; a magazine subassembly coupled to a second end of the projectile barrel subassembly and having attachment means for securing a projectile magazine thereto; and a release subassembly coupled to an end portion of the magazine subassembly, and having at least one string release mechanism for releasably engaging a bow string of the bow assembly. A rifle bow, which incorporates the rifle bow assembly, is also disclosed herein.
US09261321B2
Provided is a self-tunable compound bow including: a bow main body including a pair of limbs that are respectively coupled to both ends of a handle; upper and lower pulley assemblies that are respectively coupled to the rear end of each limb; a bowstring; and first and second cam cables that are wound around a cam of each of the upper and lower pulley assemblies as the bowstring is pulled. A contact pin is formed in one of the pulley assemblies, in which the contact pin is in contact with the first cam cable when the bowstring is pulled, and an indicator is formed in the other of the pulley assemblies, in which the indicator is in contact with the second cam cable and moves when the bowstring is pulled in a guide hole formed in the pulley of the other of the pulley assemblies.
US09261315B2
A method and system for preventing the firing of a gun comprises a component on the gun for preventing the gun from being fired, for example, preventing the trigger from being pulled when the gun is in an area that has a wireless power sending source configured to send power to the component for firing prevention. There is no need for a battery on the gun or the transfer of any information between the component and the wireless power sending source, the power being emitted from the source and received by the component controls the firing capability.
US09261312B2
A propulsion system for an electric vehicle includes a battery pack having at least one battery cell. A cooling system includes a cooling plate abutting the battery cell. A heat sink is in thermal communication with the cooling plate by at least one carbon fiber brush coupled to at least one of the cooling plate and the heat sink.
US09261303B2
An ice-making unit, which uses a cooling unit in which a refrigerant pipe is received, and a refrigerator having the same. The cooling unit includes a cooler for conduction of coldness, an inner surface of the cooler coming into direct contact with the refrigerant pipe, realizing a direct cooling type ice making operation. A rotatable tray is provided under the cooling unit, so that an ice-separating member attached to the cooling unit pushes ice upon rotation of the tray, allowing the ice to be discharged in a direction opposite to the rotating direction of the tray.
US09261295B1
Embodiments of the disclosed invention relate to providing cooling to instruments or other components. More particularly, hydrogen from a store is provided to pre-cool helium contained within a closed loop refrigeration circuit. Helium pre-cooled by the hydrogen, for example after expansion of the hydrogen in an expansion valve, is itself passed through an expansion valve, and applied to a heat load. The helium can be circulated through the refrigeration circuit using a compressor. The hydrogen used for pre-cooling the helium can be from a store of hydrogen that also provides fuel to a hydrogen consumer, for example for propulsion of a vehicle carrying the cooling system or for the production of electrical power. A hydrogen consumer can also be provided with hydrogen that has first been used to pre-cool the helium refrigeration circuit.
US09261290B2
In at least some embodiments, a system includes a heat pump and an energy recovery ventilator (ERV). The system also includes a controller coupled to the heat pump and the ERV. The controller implements an ERV operation algorithm that automates operations of the ERV.
US09261288B2
An air conditioning system processes sensible heat load and latent heat load of a target space, and adjusts temperature and humidity of the target space. The air conditioning system includes a cooling heat exchanger circulating a heat exchanging medium to cool and dehumidify air blown into the target space, a heater heating the air cooled and dehumidified by the heat exchanger, a staged variable speed fan creating a flow of the air blown into the target space through the heat exchanger and the heater, and a control unit. The control unit has a cooling adjusting unit adjusting a quantity of cooling supplied from the heat exchanging medium to the air in the heat exchanger, a heating adjusting unit adjusting a quantity of heating supplied from the heater to the air, and an air flow adjusting unit adjusting an air flow volume supplied by the fan.
US09261287B2
An electronic thermostat and associated methods are disclosed for power stealing from an HVAC triggering circuit. The methods include making voltage measurements while controlling the amount of current drawn by the power stealing circuitry so as to determine a relationship that can be used to select how much current to draw during power stealing. Through the use of the described methods, the likelihood of inadvertent switching of the HVAC function (on or off) can be significantly reduced.
US09261286B1
An adjustable dryer vent transition device. The device provides an adjustable dryer vent adapter with an elongated first duct and an elongated second duct which are rotatably adjustable with respect each to the other. An external inlet is provided at the elongated first duct for receiving hot most air from a clothes dryer. An external exit is provided from the elongated second duct for discharge of hot moist air from a clothes dryer. The adjustable dryer vent adapter provides a three hundred sixty (360) degree freedom of movement for placement of the external inlet and the external outlet along centerlines that may be coincident, or spaced maximally apart according to the distances afforded by the length of elongated first duct and elongated second duct, and at any rotational angle with respect to an outlet stub from a clothes dryer.
US09261285B2
An air conditioner has: a casing 20 having an air inlet 21 and an air outlet 22; a heater 53 disposed in the casing 20 and heating air having flowed through the air inlet 21 into the casing 20; holders 54 and 55 holding the heater 53 and fitted to the casing 20; and a spacer 59 in contact with the heater 53 and disposed between the holders 54 and 55 and the heater 53. At least one of the heat-resistance and the flame-retardance of the spacer 59 is higher than that of the holders 54 and 55.
US09261284B2
An operation planning method performed in a system including a power generation device, a first electric load operating using power generated by the power generation device, and a second electric load which generates heat using power generated by the power generation device. The operation planning method is performed to design an operation plan for the second electric load and includes: predicting, for individual unit time periods, a power generation amount by the power generation device and a power consumption amount by the first and second electric loads; and designing the operation plan for the second electric load to operate during an operation period including the time period with the largest amount of reverse power, calculated by subtracting the first and second power consumption amounts from the power generation amount.
US09261274B2
A method of gasification by introducing a feed material to be subjected to gasification into a dual fluidized bed gasifier comprising a pyrolyzer fluidly connected with a combustor such that a circulation stream comprising a heat transfer material can be continuously circulated between the pyrolyzer, in which the temperature of the circulation stream is reduced, and the combustor, in which the temperature of the circulation stream is increased, wherein the pyrolyzer is operable to convert at least a portion of the feed material into a gasifier product gas comprising hydrogen and carbon monoxide, and wherein the combustor is operable to increase the temperature of the circulation stream via combustion of char introduced thereto with the circulation stream and at least one supplemental fuel. A system for carrying out the method is also provided.
US09261273B2
Apparatus and method to produce point-of-use compressed superheated steam for a wide variety of uses including, but not limited to, cleaning, heating, drying, surface preparation, sterilization, pest control and elimination, degreasing and food preparation. The apparatus produces and compresses superheated steam without the hazards and problems associated with the current state of the art where steam is generated, compressed and stored in potentially dangerous and maintenance intensive boilers and associated piping and fixtures. The in-line steam generator of the present application produces superheated steam at one atmosphere which is immediately pressurized using a compression means and then immediately utilized through application employing a nozzle or a storage tank or other such device.
US09261271B2
An LED light fixture a housing, a heat sink secured with respect to the housing, the heat sink has a base with front and back surfaces, and an LED arrangement mounted at the front surface of the heat sink. The back surface of the heat sink is open to water/air flow thereover. The LED light fixture also includes at least one closed channel extending along the base and spaced therefrom for receiving wire connections for the LED arrangement. The at least one closed channel receives wiring extending to/from the second LED module. The LED arrangement may include at least first and second LED modules, the first LED module being proximal to the housing with the at least one closed channel receiving wiring extending to/from the second LED module. The first and second LED modules may be in end-to-end relationship to one another such that the second LED module is distal from the housing.
US09261262B1
An apparatus for sharing information in a space comprising a first two dimensional outer emissive surface, a first two dimensional inner emissive surface, a support structure resting on and extending upward from the support floor, the support structure supporting the first outer emissive surface with a first outer surface bottom edge at a work surface height, a first outer surface top edge at a ridge height above the work surface height and supporting the first inner emissive surface with a first inner surface bottom edge at a valley height below the work surface height, a first inner surface top edge at a height above the work surface height, the first inner emissive surface spaced behind the first outer emissive surface by at least twelve inches to form a space between the first outer emissive surface and the first inner emissive surfaces.
