US09288662B2
The present invention discloses a method for codec rate adjustment. A media gateway (MGW) determines whether an initial codec rate of a first interface is consistent with an initial codec rate of a second interface or an initial codec rate of a third interface, where the first interface is an A interface, the second interface is an Nb interface, and the third interface is an Iu interface; when determining that the initial codec rate of the first interface is inconsistent with the initial codec rate of the second interface or the initial codec rate of the third interface, the MGW adjusts the initial codec rate of the second interface or the initial codec rate of the third interface to the initial codec rate of the first interface. Therefore, quick and convenient codec rate adjustment can be implemented and voice service quality can be improved.
US09288655B2
Embodiments are presented for controlling usage of a communications device, whereby for a given number of messages generated from the device the operator (e.g., a child, person, etc.) has to successfully answer a question before a further batch of messages can be sent. The number of messages that can be sent before a question is to be answered can be configured by a parent. Further, a modifiable data store can be utilized to store questions, from which questions for presentation on the communication device can be sourced. The questions can relate to subject matter the child is studying at school, a standardized test, trivia, provided by a third party.
US09288654B2
Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, implementing and using techniques for keeping confidential records pertaining to selected communications made with a communication device. A user input is received designating one or more contacts with whom communications made with the communication device are to remain confidential. Information about the designated one or more contacts is transmitted to a server which stores records pertaining to communications made with the communication device. A statement is generated for the communications made with the communication device based on information stored on the server. Records pertaining to communications that are to remain confidential are displayed as an alias on the statement.
US09288652B2
A method for establishing a communication between a first communication device in a first vehicle and a second communication device in a second vehicle, the method including the steps of, determining whether a mobile phone service is available, obtaining, a current position information of the first vehicle, setting, by the first communication device, a communication mode of the first communication device into an access point mode, transmitting, by the first communication device, ID information and the current position information of the first vehicle, recording, by the second communication device, the ID information and the position information of the first vehicle, transmitting, by the second communication device, the ID information of the first vehicle and position information of the second vehicle via a mobile phone to a service authority, when the second communication device fails to receive the position information of the first vehicle.
US09288651B2
A system for dynamically coupling a special number call from a calling unit with at least one function-focused answerer includes: (a) at least one of an unlicensed mobile access network, a radio access network, and a public switched telephone network configured and situated for communicative coupling with the calling unit; (b) at least one network switch coupled with at least one of the networks; and (c) a special number call receiver coupled with the network switch. At least one of the special number call receiver and the network switch is configured for communicative coupling of the special number call with the at least one function-focused answerer unit. After receiving the special number call, the special number call receiver dynamically couples the special number call to an included function-focused answerer. Determining which function-focused answerer is an included function-focused answerer is made at the special number call receiver.
US09288649B2
A telephonic system and method alert a called phone of an importance level of a call. The system includes a caller module including a caller user interface configured to allow a caller to assign an importance level to a call and instructions when executed cause a processor to initiate transmission of a data message to the dialed number phone that, when received by the called phone, advises the called phone of the importance level of the call incoming, and then initiates the call to the called phone. The system includes a called phone module including a called phone user interface and instructions when executed cause a processor to determine the importance level of the call based on the data message and provide a signal to the called phone user interface concerning the importance level of the call. A proximity feature system and a reverse proximity feature system are also described.
US09288646B2
Methods and devices are disclosed for establishing a second call during a first call on a multi-SIM communication device. A quality of the first call between a calling party and a called party using a first subscription for a first network may be determined to be degrading. Network alternatives may be provided for establishing the second call in response to determining that the quality of the first call is degrading. One of the network alternatives may be selected based on an order of suitability for originating the second call. A notification to the called party using information associated with calling party and the second call may be provided before the second call is originated. The information associated with the second call may identify the calling party to the called party before the second call is originated.
US09288641B2
Exemplary methods and systems for facilitating SMS data transfer services in mobile devices are described. An exemplary method includes sending a first SMS message to a device with a payload of the first SMS message including machine-readable information. Next, a second SMS message may be received from the device with a payload of the second SMS message including machine-readable information. The first or second SMS message payloads may include, for example, a synchronization message, a call message, call data, or a scheduling message.
US09288633B2
A method of detecting a revisit position includes receiving at a computing system a plurality of position data points, each of the plurality of position data points including a signal scan measurement. The method farther includes calculating a first signal distance between a first signal scan measurement corresponding to a first position data point of the plurality of position data points and a second signal scan measurement corresponding to a second position data point of the plurality of position data points. The method further includes determining that the first signal distance is less than a first threshold, that the first signal distance is a local minimum for the first position data point, and the first signal distance is a local minimum for the second position data point. The method further includes, based on the determining, identifying the first and second position data points as revisit points.
US09288615B2
A technique to allow a server such as a location server to throttle concurrent or closely timed location requests for the position of a given wireless device such that within a certain time period preferably only one location request will be initiated to the positioning engine and the remaining closely-timed location requests will be buffered or cached. When a position for the given wireless device is returned per the outstanding location request, then the retrieved position will be used to respond to each of the buffered location requests. Thus, a plurality of location requests are satisfied with a single request to the positioning engine. By optimizing the use of cached position requests, throttling of location requests per the invention reduces network traffic significantly, increases the efficiency of a positioning server (therefore reducing business cost), and provides for an improved grade or quality of location based services in general.
US09288607B2
A method of sharing a service provided to a neighboring user equipment, which is shared by a user equipment in a wireless communication system, includes the steps of obtaining at least one URL (uniform resource locator) information corresponding to an IP (internet protocol)-based service provided by a first communication network by the neighboring user equipment, executing an application corresponding to the obtained URL information and making a request for the IP-based service to the first communication network, receiving the requested IP-based service from the first communication network, and controlling the application to execute the received IP-based service.
US09288602B2
Disclosed herein are a stereo extension apparatus and method. The apparatus includes a database that stores predetermined information as a result of Gaussian mixture model (GMM) training or hidden Markov model (HMM) training; a modified discrete cosine transform (MDCT) transformer that transforms a mono signal through MDCT, a feature parameter extractor that extracts a feature parameter of the mono signal from an MDCT coefficient output from the MDCT transformer, a side signal energy estimator that estimates subband energy of a side signal with reference to information stored in the database based on the feature parameter; an energy controller that obtains the MDCT coefficient of a side signal estimated from the subband energy of the estimated side signal, an inverse MDCT transformer that obtains an estimated side signal by transforming the MDCT coefficient of the estimated side signal through inverse MDCT.
US09288593B2
A method for adapting a hearing device (6, 7) to the hearing needs and preferences of an individual (U) is presented, wherein sound processing in said hearing device (6, 7) is programmable by means of adjustable parameters. The method comprises the steps of a) presenting at least one auditory test signal (1a) to said individual (U); b) capturing at least one image (2a) of at least a portion of said individual's body; c) analyzing said at least one image (2a); d) deducing from said image analysis whether or not said individual (U) has shown a reaction upon said presenting said at least one auditory test signal (1a) and, if yes, which reaction said individual (U) has shown; e) determining, in dependence of said at least one auditory test signal (1a) and of said reaction or lack of reaction, a setting for at least one of said adjustable parameters.
US09288591B1
Disclosed herein are methods and apparatuses for the transmission of audio information from a bone-conduction headset to a user. The bone-conduction headset may be mounted on a glasses-style support structure. The bone-conduction transducer may be mounted near where the glasses-style support structure approach a wearer's ears. In one embodiment, an apparatus has a bone-conduction transducer with a diaphragm configured to vibrate based on a magnetic field. The magnetic field being based off an applied electric field. The apparatus may also have an anvil coupled to the diaphragm. The anvil may be configured to conduct the vibration from the bone-conduction transducer. Additionally, the anvil may be coupled to a metallic component. The metallic component may be configured to couple to a magnetic field created by the bone-conduction transducer.
US09288587B2
A binaural hearing aid system includes a first hearing aid and a second hearing aid, each of which comprising a processor that is configured to process the digital input signal in accordance with a signal processing algorithm into a processed digital output signal, the processor including a compressor for compensation of dynamic range hearing loss based on the signal level, wherein wireless data communication of signal parameter from one of the first and the second hearing aids is performed at a data transmission rate with a time period between consecutive transmissions of the signal parameter from the one of the first and second hearing aids that is longer than an attack and release time of at least one of the compressors.
US09288579B2
The present invention relates to a method for dynamically adjusting a gain of parametric equalizer according to an input signal, a dynamic parametric equalizer employing the same and a dynamic parametric equalizer system employing the same wherein a gain of parametric equalizer is dynamically adjusted according to a level of an input digital audio signal to prevent distortion of output signal.
US09288578B2
An apparatus for canceling an acoustic echo signal caused by a far-end talker signal is provided. The apparatus for canceling an acoustic echo signal includes: a variance estimating unit configured to estimate a variance of a first audio signal of a near-end talker signal and a first noise signal of the near-end talker signal; a step size determining unit configured to determine a step size by using the variance of the first audio signal and the variance of the first noise signal; an adaptive filter coefficient updating unit configured to update an adaptive filter coefficient of an adaptive filter by using the step size; and an acoustic echo canceling unit configured to estimate an acoustic echo signal by using the adaptive filter coefficient, and cancel the acoustic echo signal from a microphone input signal by using the estimated acoustic echo signal.
US09288572B2
A microphone having an embedded haptic device, along with an associated program product and methodology for controlling the haptic device. A microphone is disclosed that includes: a haptic device embedded therein capable of outputting a haptic response; and a haptic control system having an input system for receiving an external input associated with a use of the microphone, an analysis engine for analyzing the external input, and a haptic response controller for triggering the haptic response.
US09288571B2
A loudspeaker system has a loudspeaker housing that comprises at least a first and a second housing chamber. The loudspeaker system has a bass loudspeaker that is mounted on a partition between the first housing chamber and the second housing chamber, wherein the back of the bass loudspeaker has the first housing chamber present and the front of the bass loudspeaker has the second housing chamber present. The partition contains at least one bass reflex opening. A phase correction element is arranged at the front of the bass loudspeaker in the second housing chamber. The bass reflex opening opens into the second housing chamber and is arranged in a region adjacent to the phase correction element.
US09288557B2
An apparatus for generating a frequency spectrum of an RF signal comprising a gate switch for generating a series of pulses from a laser of wavelength lambda modulated by an input RF signal, a first fiber optical loop for circulating a first percentage of a first pulse of the series of pulses from the gate switch, for a predetermined number of cycles n where each cycle takes time t1, a second fiber optical loop for conducting a second percentage of the first pulse for predetermined number of cycles “k”, where each cycle takes time t2, where t2*k=t1*n, a first switch with a first state for coupling the first pulse from the gate switch to a coupler, the coupler coupling the first pulse into the first fiber optical loop and tapping replicas of the pulse from the first fiber optical loop, and a second state for coupling the second percentage of the first pulse to the coupler to increase intensity of the tapped replica pulses, a processor for correlating the replicas of the pulse with each other to produce a set of data points comprising a plurality of multiplexed correlated pulses and transforming the data points into a channelized frequency spectrum of the input RF signal.
US09288551B2
Various arrangements, including systems, methods, apparatuses, and computer-readable mediums for incentivizing content viewer feedback are detailed herein. In some embodiments, a first television program with at least one commercial break is output. At least one television commercial for presentation during a first commercial break may be output. For the at least one television commercial, a rating from a viewer may be received. An incentive value determined based on at least the rating of the at least one commercial may be calculated. A second duration may be selected from a group comprising a first duration and a second duration based on the calculated incentive value, wherein the second duration is shorter than the first duration. A second commercial break of the selected second duration may be output.
US09288549B2
Plural pieces of content are sequentially reproduced, without interruption. A terminal measures a processing time from request for content data of a first tune from a server to decoding of first content data in a streaming format. A reproduction end time of content under reproduction is calculated and a time earlier than the reproduction end time by the processing time is caused to be a request time when content data of a second tune is requested. When the time occurs during reproduction of the first tune, the terminal requests the content data of the second tune from the server. The terminal receives and decodes the content data before the reproduction end time. When the reproduction of the content data of the first tune is ended, the terminal immediately reproduces the content data of the second tune.
US09288541B2
A method and apparatus for receiving information regarding content related to particular content interested by a user and downloading the related contents in a terminal are disclosed. The method for receiving content related to a particular content, includes: transmitting a content request message including a content identifier of a particular content to a server; receiving a content response message including information regarding content related to the content identifier from the server, wherein if there are at least one or more contents related to a global content identifier, the global state code has a value indicating success; checking whether there exists second information in guide information referred to by the first information on the related contents; receiving the second information if there is not the second information; and initiating a service request procedure by using the referred reception information.
US09288540B2
A media device includes a communication interface communicatively coupling the media device to one or more other media devices and a display, and a controller associated with the communication interface. The controller is adapted to access one or more templates comprising a layout of a graphical user interface (GUI). The controller further identifies one or more other media devices from which media content may be streamed and one or more media content streams available from each of the one or more media devices and determine, based upon the template and the one or more media content streams, at least one of the media content streams to display. The controller then acquires and outputs the at least one of the media content streams for display in accordance with the layout.
US09288539B2
A system and method for a user interface to manage the recording, downloading and sharing of content from multiple sources are described. Various embodiments allow requesting content from a service provider by a user and receiving a user interface from the service provider, where the user interface indicates the availability of the content via multiple sources, and where the multiple sources include an Internet Protocol (IP) network, a broadcast service and a peer-to-peer network. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US09288538B2
Methods and apparatus for conveying a delivery schedule to mobile terminals. In an aspect, a method is provided that includes receiving a contact window that describes a time interval when a content clip will be available on a distribution network, determining one or more clips of interest, determining that the content clip matches at least one of the one or more clips of interest, and scheduling a receive time to receive the content clip within the time interval. An apparatus is provided that includes scheduling logic configured to determine that a content clip matches one or more clips of interest and to schedule a receive time to receive the content clip within a contact window.
US09288530B2
A method of processing a digital television (DTV) signal in a DTV receiver, the method includes receiving a digital television signal including a plurality of extended text table (ETT) instances that appear in transport stream packets with common PID values, the ETT instances having common table ID values, each ETT instance comprising a section header and a message body, the section header containing a table identification (ID) extension field that serves to establish uniqueness of each ETT instance, the message body containing an extended text message (ETM) which provides detailed descriptions of a virtual channel or an event associated with each ETT instance, wherein the section header further contains a last section number field, wherein the ETT instance further contains a CRC 32 field, demodulating the digital television signal, and identifying at least one pertinent ETT instance from the plurality of ETT instances.
US09288525B2
A visual light communication (VLC) medium is used to provide communicative coupling between two or more devices. The communicative coupling supports a variety of functions such as, for example, device discovery, content discovery, and seamless transfer of media between the two or more devices.
US09288522B1
Content sequence technology, in which a channel subscribed to by a user of a content delivery network is identified and a genre of the identified channel is determined. A play sequence policy is selected for the identified channel based on the determined genre. The play sequence policy defines one or more rules used in determining an order to play content files on the identified channel. Display of the identified channel is controlled based on the selected play sequence policy.
US09288514B2
A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, receiving, by a first line card coupled to minimally twisted or non-twisted pair cables, a very high digital subscriber line signal, modifying the very high digital subscriber line signal for transmission over the minimally twisted or non-twisted pair cables to generate an updated very high digital subscriber line signal that overcomes a transmission deficiency, and transmitting from the first line card the updated very high digital subscriber line signal to a second line card to cause the second line card to receive the adapted very high digital subscriber line signal at a desired signal quality and convert the updated very high digital subscriber line signal to a very high digital subscriber line signal for presentation of interactive television services at the customer premise equipment. Other embodiments are disclosed.
US09288506B2
In one example, a video coder is configured to code information indicative of whether view synthesis prediction is enabled for video data. When the information indicates that view synthesis prediction is enabled for the video data, the video coder may generate a view synthesis picture using the video data and code at least a portion of a current picture relative to the view synthesis picture. The at least portion of the current picture may comprise, for example, a block (e.g., a PU, a CU, a macroblock, or a partition of a macroblock), a slice, a tile, a wavefront, or the entirety of the current picture. On the other hand, when the information indicates that view synthesis prediction is not enabled for the video data, the video coder may code the current picture using at least one of intra-prediction, temporal inter-prediction, and inter-view prediction without reference to any view synthesis pictures.
US09288503B2
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for intra prediction. The intra prediction method for a decoder, according to the present invention, comprises the steps of entropy-decoding a received bitstream, generating reference pixels to be used in the intra prediction of a prediction unit; generating a prediction block from the reference pixels on the basis of a prediction mode for the prediction unit and reconstructing an image from the prediction block and a residual block, which is obtained as a result of entropy encoding, wherein the reference pixels and/or the prediction block pixels are predicted on the basis of a base pixel, and the predicted pixel value can be the sum of the pixel value of the base pixel and the difference between the pixel values of the base pixel and the generated pixel.
US09288501B2
This disclosure describes video coding techniques applicable to a bi-predictive inter mode that uses adaptive motion vector prediction (AMVP). In particular, this disclosure describes techniques for encoding or decoding video data in which AMVP is used to code a first motion vector and a second motion vector associated with a current video block that is coded in the bi-predictive inter mode. More specifically, this disclosure describes techniques in which one motion vector of a bi-predictive video block can be used to define a candidate motion vector predictor (MVP) for predicting another motion vector of the bi-predictive video block. In many examples, a scaled version of the first motion vector of the bi-predictive video block is used as the MVP for the second motion vector of the bi-predictive video block. By defining an additional MVP candidate for the second motion vector of a bi-predictive video block, improved compression may be achieved.
US09288497B2
Systems, methods and computer program products for transcoding advanced video coding (AVC) bitstreams into multiview video coding (MVC) bitstreams are described. In some implementations, a MVC transcoder may be used to convert non-anchor pictures (e.g., at a specified temporal point) into anchor pictures by using only inter-view prediction. The MVC transcoder also may utilize inter-view reference pictures (in addition to temporal reference pictures) in the motion estimation/mode decision functions of the non-anchor pictures. The output of the MVC transcoder may be one or more MVC bitstreams each representing a different view of a same scene or image.
US09288493B2
Provided is a method extracts a merge index from a bit stream, constructs a merge candidate list using available spatial and temporal merge candidates, selects a merge predictor among merge candidates using the merge index, and sets motion information of the merge predictor as motion information of the current prediction unit. The temporal merge candidate includes a reference picture index and a motion vector, and a motion vector of a temporal merge candidate block of a temporal merge candidate picture is set as the motion vector of the temporal merge candidate. Accordingly, the coding efficiency of the motion information is improved by including various merge candidates. Also, the computational complexity of an encoder and a decoder is reduced maintaining improvement of coding efficiency by adaptively storing motion information of reference picture and adaptively generating a temporal merge candidate.
US09288488B2
An image decoding device is provided which includes an intra prediction module for reconstructing an intra prediction mode and creating a prediction block of a current block or a sub block, an inverse scanning module for converting residual signals into a quantization block, an inverse quantization module for inversely quantizing the quantization block, and an inverse transform module for inversely-transforming the inversely-quantized block. A quantization parameter predictor for deriving the quantization parameter is created using quantization parameters of a left coding unit and a top coding unit of a current coding unit. Therefore, it is possible to improve image quality by adaptively adjusting a quantization parameter of a current block depending on the size of a coding unit and enhance compression efficiency of an image by effectively encoding/decoding the quantization parameter to reduce the number of bits required for transmitting the quantization parameter.
US09288487B2
Electronic devices for de-quantization are disclosed. In one configuration, the electronic device includes a local storage storing a plurality of first user-defined sub-factors and a plurality of second sub-factors and a plurality of default de-quantization scales; a first multiplier connected to the local storage and generating a plurality of user-defined de-quantization scales by multiplying the first user-defined sub-factors and the second sub-factors; a multiplexer connected to the local storage and the first multiplier and selectively outputting one of the generated user-defined de-quantization scales and the stored default de-quantization scales for a block of a macro-block (MB) of a bitstream to be decoded; and a second multiplier connected to the multiplexer and generating a plurality of inverse quantized coefficients by multiplying the output de-quantization scales from the multiplexer by the quantized coefficients.
US09288483B2
A method of testing an electronic system. During a test session of the method, a nominal test case is performed leading to at least one nominal test output being stored, and then at least one test case is performed leading to at least one test output being stored. A test memory is used to store automatically both a test difference existing between the nominal test output and the test output, and a test comparison existing between the test difference and a corresponding reference difference as determined during a reference test session.
US09288481B2
A stereoscopic display method includes the following acts. A plurality of stereoscopic images are provided by providing a plurality of stereoscopic display panels. At least one border is disposed between two of the stereoscopic display panels adjacent to each other. At least one stripe segment is added in each of the stereoscopic images. The stripe segments are adjacent to the border, such that the stripe segments and the border form a floating frame when an observer observes the stripe segments and the border using both eyes of the observer. A width of each of the stripe segments is adjusted, such that a depth of field of the floating frame is substantially the same as a depth of field of the stereoscopic images adjacent to the floating frame.
US09288478B2
An image pickup apparatus capable of generating image signals for viewing images shot in a composition (vertical or horizontal) intended by a photographer as a three-dimensional image. The apparatus has an image pickup device for converting an optical image to a picked-up image signal as an electric signal. The device includes a plurality of unit pixels, each of which has a plurality of photo diodes for converting the optical image to the picked-up image signal. When an image pickup operation is performed, a posture of the image pickup apparatus is determined, and the plurality of photo diodes in each unit pixel are grouped into a plurality of photo diode groups according to a result of the determination. A plurality of image signals are generated from picked-up image signals output from the photo diode groups, respectively.
US09288476B2
System and method for real-time depth modification of stereo images of a virtual reality environment
Enables real-time depth modifications to stereo images of a 3D virtual reality environment locally and for example without iterative workflow involving region designers or depth artists that includes re-rendering these images from the original 3D model. Embodiments generate a spherical translation map from the 3D model of the virtual environment; this spherical translation map is a function of the pixel shifts between left and right stereo images for each point of the sphere surrounding the viewer of the virtual environment. Modifications may be made directly to the spherical translation map, and applied directly to the stereo images, without requiring re-rendering of the scene from the complete 3D model. This process enables depth modifications to be viewed in real-time, greatly improving the efficiency of the 3D model creation, review, and update cycle.
US09288469B2
A digital broadcast receiving apparatus for providing an integrated service of a 2D image and a 3D image. The apparatus comprising a demultiplexing unit configured to demultiplex a received digital broadcast signal; a PSIP or PSI/SI processor configured to extract at least any one of 3D service information related to a 2D image channel or service and 2D service information related to a 3D image channel or service from the demultiplexed digital broadcast signal; a decoder configured to decode an extension view video stream and a base view video stream from the demultiplexed digital broadcast signal; and an output formatting unit configured to format the extension view video stream and the base view video stream based on at least any one of the 3D service information and the 2D service information.
US09288468B2
Techniques are provided for viewing windows for video streams. A video stream from a video capture device is accessed. Data that describes movement or position of a person is accessed. A viewing window is placed in the video stream based on the data that describes movement or position of the person. The viewing window is provided to a display device in accordance with the placement of the viewing window in the video stream. Motion sensors can detect motion of the person carrying the video capture device in order to dampen the motion such that the video on the remote display does not suffer from motion artifacts. Sensors can also track the eye gaze of either the person carrying the mobile video capture device or the remote display device to enable control of the spatial region of the video stream shown at the display device.
US09288467B2
The present invention relates to a method for selecting an appropriate mode when performing a new broadcast, such as a 3D stereo broadcast, a UHDTV broadcast, and a multi-view broadcast, among others, while maintaining compatibility with existing broadcasting channels in an MPEG-2-TS format for transmitting and receiving digital TV, and to a method for recognizing a descriptor. To this end, the present invention suggests providing the descriptor which is related to synthesizing left and right images using the type of stream, existence of the descriptor, and a frame-compatible mode flag.
US09288465B2
A method and system for reducing visual ghost artifacts in plano-stereoscopic image transmissions is provided. Such visual ghost artifacts are reduced by retrieving a non-linear image representation comprising left and right image representations using an image processor, where each of the left and right image representations have a plurality of color component sub-images. The non-linear left and right image representations are transformed into respective linear left and right image representations. A left or right image compensation signal is generated by applying the determined at least one ghosting coefficient to its associated one of the plurality of color component sub-images. A respective compensated right or left image is generated by subtracting the left or right image compensation signal from the uncompensated linear left or right image representation.
US09288464B2
The present invention relates to a method for scaling a first channel, wherein the method comprises computing a low resolution second channel based on a transformation of the second channel with a transformation function used to transform high resolution channel into a low resolution channel; computing a correlation function between the low resolution second channel and the first channel; determining a predicted second channel having the high resolution from the low resolution second channel according to a prediction method; computing an high-pass second channel based on the difference between the second channel and the predicted second channel and based on the correlation function; determining a predicted first channel having the high resolution from the first channel according to the prediction method.
US09288462B2
The present invention converts an image into a transparency, or “foreground image”, on which the readability of text and other detail is preserved after compositing with a background, while maintaining color information of broad areas of the image.
US09288460B2
A method provided by this disclosure for adjusting white balance data may comprise: reading a first white balance data of an image of a target signal source; performing a first adjustment operation such that the first white balance data complies with a predetermined target value and a second white balance data is generated; sending the second white balance data to signal source channels except the target signal source; and performing a second adjustment operation, wherein the second adjustment operation is a second adjustment performed on a third white balance data of the signal source channels according to the second white balance data.
US09288458B1
Described is system for image de-hazing for real-time video processing. A video comprising image frames is received as input. In determining an atmospheric veil value to use, the system leverages temporal correlations or specific scene constraints to determine whether to use a new atmospheric veil value or a previously determined atmospheric veil value. A global atmospheric light value is estimated as an average of a set of the brightest pixels in an upper region of an image frame. A de-hazed image is generated from the current image frame using either the previously determined atmospheric veil value or the new atmospheric veil value and the global atmospheric light value.
US09288457B2
There are provided a device and method that correct a false color occurring in a locally highlighted region in an image. A false color pixel is detected in data conversion processing of generating an RGB array image from an RGBW array image, low-band signals corresponding to respective RGBW colors that are different according to whether a pixel is a false color pixel, and the RGBW array is converted by interpolation processing to which the calculated low-band signals are applied to generate the RGB array image. The interpolation processing is performed using the low-band signals on an assumption that a W low-band signal mW, and RGB respective low-band signals mR, mG, and mB have a proportional relation in a local region. When a pixel of interest is a false color pixel, the low-band signal is calculated by an application of a low-pass filter having a coefficient in which a contribute rate of pixel values in the vicinity of the pixel of interest is made relatively lower than that of separated pixels.
US09288442B2
A federated media server system. The federated media server system may include a plurality of media servers. A first media server may be coupled to a second media server over a network. The first media server may also be coupled to a third media server over the network. Additionally, the second and third media servers may be coupled to a plurality of respective clients. The first media server may be configured to record video, e.g., videoconferences, and stream recordings to clients and/or the second and third media servers. The second and third media servers may assist in performing video recording, transcoding, storage of recordings, multicasting, etc.
US09288440B2
A method is described for manipulating a view displayed on one or more follower participants' devices to track a view displayed on a lead participant's device. A request to manipulate the view displayed on the one or more follower participant devices is received. The lead participant is identified. The follower participants are identified. A lead view of the lead participant is determined. The lead view is communicated to the follower participants computing devices for display. A computing device and a non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions configured to implement the method are also described.
US09288434B2
Embodiments of wireless communication devices and method for congestion control in a wireless network are generally described herein. Some of these embodiments describe a method, performed by an evolved NodeB (eNodeB), that includes operations of determining that a congestion condition exists on the network. An example method can also include transmitting a suspension notification to a user equipment (UE), the UE being in an RRC_CONNECTED state with the eNodeB, to notify the UE that a radio bearer (RB) operating in the network will be suspended. Other methods and apparatuses are also described.
US09288430B2
A recording medium on which video streams, control programs and index table are recorded. The video streams include video stream composed of progressive pictures and video stream composed of interlace pictures. The video stream composed of the progressive pictures has a mandatory rate or an optional rate. The index table indicates correspondence between titles and control programs. A control program corresponding to first play title and top menu title excludes a playback path, which specifies a playback of the progressive pictures in the video stream at the optional rate, from a playback target and instructs to perform a playback in accordance with another playback path.
US09288412B2
There is provided an image pickup apparatus which outputs a digital signal based on a comparison result signal that changes the signal value at Nth (where N is an integer of 1 or higher) among comparison result signals output by a plurality of comparators.
US09288409B2
An image pickup apparatus includes a detector and an image processing unit. The detector executes image pickup operations in which electrical signals based on radiation are output and executes, in a period between a first image pickup operation and a second image pickup operation, a first inter-image pickup operation for suppressing a lag generated by the first image pickup operation and a second inter-image pickup operation for obtaining dark signals from the detector after the first inter-image pickup operation. The signal processing unit calculates a correction coefficient using a first time ts, a second time te, and the dark signals, predicts an amount of offset to be included in electrical signals of the second image pickup operation using a third time ts′, a fourth time te′, and the correction coefficient, and executes calculation using the electrical signals and the amount of offset output from the detector in the second image pickup operation.
US09288408B2
In a method for correcting defective pixels of an image sensor which has a plurality of pixels for generating respective exposure dependent pixel signals, a defect characteristic for each pixel is associated with the image sensor and comprises information at least on whether the pixel is unusable, is usable without limitations or corresponds to one of a plurality of predefined defect classes. The method comprises a determination being made after the generation of the pixel signals for each pixel, at least when the defect characteristic of the pixel does not correspond to an unusable pixel or to a pixel which can be used without limitations, in dependence on at least the associated defect class of the pixel and on pixel signals of a plurality of adjacent pixels, whether the generated pixel signal of the pixel should be corrected, with the generated pixel signal of the pixel being replaced with a replacement value if this is the case.
US09288404B2
An image processing system includes a plurality of active pixels and a plurality of flicker pixels. The active pixels output active pixel signals at a first readout frequency, and the flicker pixels output flicker pixel signals at a second readout frequency greater than the first readout frequency. A plurality of frequency detectors accumulate the flicker pixel signals and then perform frequency domain transformation of the accumulated flicker pixel signals. A frequency analyzer detects flicker by analyzing the flicker pixel signals which have been transformed into the frequency domain.
US09288399B2
There is provided an image processing apparatus including an image information combining unit that performs a pixel value combining process on a long-time exposure pixel and a short-time exposure pixel. The pixel information combining unit calculates a plurality of blending ratios based on pixel values of a plurality of pixels of different periods of exposure time, determines an applied blending ratio, which is applied to a blending process for the long-time exposure pixel and the short-time exposure pixel, based on the plurality of blending ratios, and determines pixel values of an output image or an intermediate image which is applied to produce the output image, by the blending process for the long-time exposure pixel and the short-time exposure pixel to which the applied blending ratio is applied.
US09288395B2
A system and method for creating a super-resolution image using an image capturing device. In one embodiment, an electronic image sensor captures a reference optical sample through an optical path. Thereafter, an optical image stabilization (OIS) processor to adjusts the optical path to the electronic image sensor by a known amount. A second optical sample is then captured along the adjusted optical path, such that the second optical sample is offset from the first optical sample by no more than a sub-pixel offset. The OIS processor may reiterate this process to capture a plurality of optical samples at a plurality of offsets. The optical samples may be combined to create a super-resolution image.
US09288389B2
The spatial resolution of captured plenoptic images is enhanced. In one aspect, the plenoptic imaging process is modeled by a pupil image function (PIF), and a PIF inversion process is applied to the captured plenoptic image to produce a better resolution estimate of the object.
US09288384B2
When reliability of a defocus amount which is calculated using a signal from a region 50A is low, a digital camera expands the phase difference detection target region to the regions 50A, 50B, and 50C. Further, the digital camera calculates a defocus amount using a correlation operation result of an output signal group of pixel cells 31R in an odd numbered column and an output signal group of the pixel cells 31L in an odd numbered column and a correlation operation result of an output signal group of pixel cells 31R in an even numbered column and an output signal group of the pixel cells 31L in an even numbered column, in the regions 50A, 50B, and 50C.
US09288383B2
Provided are a focusing apparatus for generating an image signal by converting image light incident through a focus lens to an electrical signal by an image pickup device, storing the image signal in a memory, calculating an AF evaluation value for an image signal read from the memory in a direction different from a reading direction of the image pickup device, and driving the focus lens by deriving a focus lens position corresponding to the calculated AF evaluation value, a focusing method thereof, and a recording medium for recording the focusing method. Accordingly, a focus can be correctly adjusted for various subject images, and a focus can be effectively adjusted for the images even in a high speed capturing mode.
US09288382B2
An imaging apparatus includes: an optical lens; light receiving units each reading a photoelectric conversion signal; microlenses each placed for every two or more of the adjacent light receiving units; a signal generating unit generating (i) a full-addition signal by adding all of the photoelectric conversion signals obtained in a predetermined frame by the two or more adjacent light receiving units, (ii) a partial addition signal by adding the photoelectric conversion signals obtained by at least one but not all of the two or more adjacent light receiving units, and (iii) non-addition independent signals that are the photoelectric conversion signals of one of the light receiving units; a phase difference detecting unit detecting a focal point from the partial addition signal and the non-addition independent signals; and a camera YC processing unit generating a main image from the full-addition signal.
US09288381B2
An in-vehicle image recognizer effectively detects a moving object from an image even when a lens has grime. In a detection sensitivity adjustor (50) which adjusts detection sensitivity to be increased according to a white turbidity level (U), the detection sensitivity of a vehicle detector (70) (image recognition application execution unit), which detects the other vehicle (6) (moving object) existing in the surrounding area of a vehicle (5) with a predetermined detection sensitivity from the image obtained by an imaging unit (10) disposed in the vehicle (5) to observe the surrounding area of the vehicle (5) through a lens (12) and convert the light signal of the observed surrounding area of the vehicle (5) into an image signal, is corrected based on the attachment level M of the attached matter such as dirt or water drops to the lens (12), which is calculated by an attachment level calculator (26).
US09288376B2
According to one embodiment of the invention, a camera determines whether to acquire an image (e.g., automatically), determines whether to store the acquired image, and determines how to store the acquired image.
US09288373B2
The present invention relates to the technical field of the human computer interaction, more particularly to, a system and method for human computer interaction. The system for human computer interaction comprises a projection unit, a first image sensing unit, a second image sensing unit, an interface unit, an image processing unit, a projected interface processing unit, and a controlling unit. The system for human computer interaction provided by the present invention may easily project the human computer interaction interface on all kinds of planes encountered in people's daily life, to realize display of the human computer interaction interface everywhere, and improve users' experience.
US09288371B2
Described herein are methods and devices that employ wireless network to control the lighting of a target image scene or subject. As described, connected environments enable control of lighting devices within the environment through the use of a network. Some embodiments of the imaging devices described herein may employ the network to control lighting devices for the purpose of illuminating a target scene or subject. Certain embodiments may employ data regarding camera location, subject location, light bulb location, and the parameters of each light bulb in a room to calculate desired lighting parameters for capturing an image of the subject, and may further be able to wirelessly adjust the light bulb parameters to match the calculated parameters.
US09288370B2
An audio signal acquired by an audio acquisition unit during a predetermined period from when a drive signal has been output is analyzed, and a noise reduction period is determined based on a specific frequency component included in the audio signal of the predetermined period. The noise generated in the noise reduction period is then reduced from the audio signal acquired by the audio acquisition unit.
US09288368B2
The pending disclosure includes a computer server receiving a video file and a global positioning system (GPS) data file. The video file includes video frames each having a timestamp and the GPS data file includes portions of geographic data each having a timestamp. Further, the computer server receives video user input from a user device indicating a user selection of a synchronization video frame and a GPS user input from the user device indicating a user selection of a synchronization portion of geographic data. The computer server processes the selected synchronization video frame and the synchronization portion of geographic data to determine the timestamp of both the synchronization video frame and the synchronization portion of the geographic data. Further, the computer server synchronizes the GPS data file with the video file based on the timestamp of the synchronization video frame and the synchronization portion of the geographic data.
US09288364B1
The disclosed embodiments illustrate methods and systems for estimating a half-tone frequency of an image. The method includes combining, by one or more processors, a first binary block, obtained from a portion of the image, with one or more second binary blocks to create a third binary block. Each of the one or more second binary blocks is obtained by shifting the first binary block. The method further includes estimating, by the one or more processors, the half-tone frequency of the portion of the image, based on the first binary block and the third binary block.
US09288360B1
Systems and methods for suppressing print verification of a printed page. One embodiment is an apparatus that includes a print verification system that performs a verification process that analyzes printed pages of a printer for print errors. The print verification system receives a rasterized page from the printer and analyzes a predetermined location of the rasterized page for a bypass symbol. The print verification system also bypasses the verification process for a printed page that corresponds with the rasterized page responsive to detecting the bypass symbol in the predetermined location.
US09288351B2
Provided is an image reading apparatus including a guide plate that is movable between a first position and a second position and guides a medium at one side thereof when disposed at the first position, a retention member that is rotatable about an axis intersecting a direction in which the medium is guided, that has a first side surface and a second side surface which has a curvature greater than a curvature of the first side surface, and that retains plural color samples on the second side surface, a reading unit that reads, at a reading position, an image formed on the medium guided by the guide plate, and a rotating unit that causes the retention member to rotate such that the other side of the guide plate and the first side surface face each other and the plural color samples are moved to the reading position.
US09288350B1
A pocket scanner includes a printed circuit board (PCB) assembly, an optical engine module electrically connected to the PCB assembly, and a cover assembly enclosing the optical engine module and the PCB assembly. The optical engine module includes a frame of which a bottom is opened with a scanning window. A top of the frame is designed with a slant plane slantwise facing the scanning window. The PCB assembly includes a control PCB placed above the optical engine module and perpendicular with the scanning window, a bracket mounted to the control PCB, and a battery module received in the bracket and electrically connected to the control PCB. A bottom of the control PCB is designed with a slant edge corresponding to the slant plane. The slant edge is against the slant plane when assembly. The cover assembly defines a scanning opening corresponding to the scanning window for scanning an original therethrough.
US09288344B2
A control unit in an image processing apparatus performs control as follows. The storage unit stores image data in a first format and image data in a second format for a particular application, into which the image data in the first format is converted by the converting unit, at image input. When the image data is to be used by a first application which is same as the particular application in a first apparatus of the same model as the image processing apparatus, a communication unit transfers the stored image data in the second format to the first apparatus. When the image data is to be used by a second application different from the particular application, the communication unit transfers image data in a format for the second application, into which the converting unit converts the stored image data in the first format, to the first apparatus.
US09288343B2
When the time required for one charging process is longer than the processing time of the execution unit of a job, one charging process is performed for a plurality of execution units of a job.
US09288338B2
Provided is an image forming system that makes operations to various miscellaneous affairs complete appropriately and certainly. Various miscellaneous affairs are settled by the miscellaneous-affairs information screen, which is a miscellaneous-affairs demand request circuit, in MFP, which is an image forming apparatus. The miscellaneous-affairs supporter list is stored in the memory, which is a memory circuit. If the request to another person is needed, a miscellaneous-affairs demand request is performed to a client terminal of a person chosen from the miscellaneous-affairs supporter list. In the case, the response to a miscellaneous-affairs demand request is obtained from the miscellaneous-affairs demand response screen, which is a miscellaneous-affairs demand response circuit of the client terminal.
US09288330B2
A server connected to a client terminal via a network, includes a conference room management unit that manages a conference room for holding a conference, and a medical image holding unit that holds the predetermined number of medical image data including medical image data linked to the conference, wherein the conference room management unit manages one state which is a conference live state and other states which are different from the one state as a conference room state.
US09288314B2
An call evaluation device pairs an utterance of the first speaker and an utterance of the second speaker, which are associated with the same screen identification information, to be a question and answer, obtains a totalized value of the number of question and answers for each screen identification information and an utterance time of the second speaker for each question and answer, and generates display information to cause an output device to display the totalized value of the number of question and answers for each screen identification information and the utterance time of the second speaker for each question and answer.
US09288312B2
There is provided a monitoring system for monitoring incoming telephone calls, including telephone calls with different called numbers, the system comprising an electronic processor and an associated database containing caller details with corresponding telephone numbers and details regarding locations and/or people to visit with corresponding telephone numbers, the system being adapted to: detect the originating number of the caller and the called number to which the incoming call was made; to store the time, date and number of an incoming call the originating number of which has been detected and store data representing the number to which the incoming call was made; and to identify the location of the caller/person being visited by the caller corresponding to the detected called number by referring to the associated database, and to identify the identity of the caller corresponding to the originating number by referring to the associated database.
US09288311B2
The subject disclosure describes monitoring when a headset is in communication with a mobile communication device, detecting the headset, comparing a name of a caller and a telephone number of the caller against a list of names and telephone numbers previously stored in a memory, determining that the name of the caller or the telephone number of the caller matches one of the names and telephone numbers in the list, determining that the one of the names and telephone numbers is associated with a pre-recorded message that the user previously recorded and stored in the memory, retrieving the pre-recorded message, and performing a text-to-speech conversion on the name and telephone number of the caller to generate a synthesized speech signal spoken text message and sending the synthesized speech signal and the pre-recorded message to the headset. Other embodiments are disclosed.
US09288292B2
A wireless communicator, including a modem operable to transmit and receive voice communication phone calls, an accelerometer to measure an angle of orientation, and a controller coupled with the modem and with the accelerometer, the controller being operable to restrict operation of the modem when the wireless communicator is not being used in a low radiation listening mode and the accelerometer indicates a substantially stationary angle of orientation longer than a pre-designated length of time.
US09288288B2
A method for forwarding FCoE packets in a network switching device includes receiving a first packet at the network switching device via an Ethernet link, determining, in the network switching device, an FC destination identifier included in the first packet, updating, in the network switching device, an Ethernet address based on the FC destination identifier, generating, in the network switching device, a first TRILL destination identifier based on the updated Ethernet address, and causing, in the network switching device, the first packet to be forwarded to a different device based on the first TRILL destination identifier.
US09288283B2
Content items stored in an online content management service can be organized and shared. Content items can be associated with sharing profiles that include various sharing-specific metadata, such as details of how an item is shared or with whom it is shared. In some embodiments, the metadata stored in the sharing profiles can be used to organize shared content into shared folders automatically and/or to sort a list of content items.
US09288280B1
A system, computer-implemented method and computer-readable medium for distributing and accessing media content of a magazine edition are provided. A distributing user selects content to distribute and selects a distribution application. The distribution application generates and transmits to a receiving user a distribution message that includes a link with information about the location of the content and how to display it. The receiving user receives the distribution message and uses the location information to access the content. The content may be accessed in a variety of ways depending on the type of hardware that is used by the receiving user and choices made by the receiving user.
US09288279B2
A method for providing a content based on a user's preference(s) includes analyzing meta-data information of a pre-stored content, determining at least one preference based on the analyzed meta-data information, transmitting the at least one preference to a content-providing server; searching, at the content-providing server, for at least one content corresponding to the at least one preference, extracting general information of at least one content found to correspond to the at least one preference and transmit the general information to the portable terminal.
US09288262B2
Systems and methods are presented for enabling a user to provide rules for the placement of computing resources at a data center for an entity that employs or is associated with the user. The data center can use the placement rules to select a data center computer system to host computing resources for a user. The rules can be used to establish diversity in computing resource placement at the data center thereby reducing the number of users who lose access to computing resources when a specific data center computer suffers a failure. Further, the placement rules can be used to facilitate configuration of the computer resources for the user based, for example, on the user's employment responsibilities.
US09288261B2
Implementations for network resource modification for enabling higher network connection concurrence are disclosed. An example method includes receiving a request from a client for a network resource having references to objects, and retrieving the network resource from one or more servers. The method further includes modifying the network resource to cause the client to open a greater number of concurrent TCP connections to the network appliance than otherwise would have been opened had the network resource not been modified due to a browser program imposed limit on a number of concurrent TCP connections. The method further includes sending the modified network resource to the client, receiving a plurality requests for the objects from the client over the greater number of concurrent TCP connections, and replying to the plurality of requests for the objects by sending the objects to the client over the greater number of concurrent TCP connections.
US09288258B2
An integrated circuit comprising multiple master units and multiple slave units connected via interconnect circuitry utilizes token based node-to-node communication flow management within the interconnect circuitry with a network node requesting a token and receiving a token signal before it asserts its communication signals onto a physical communication link shared between multiple virtual networks.
US09288248B2
A media editing system includes one or more machines that are configured to support cloud-based collaborative editing of media by one or more client devices. A machine within the media editing system may be configured to receive a render request for generation of a media frame, determine whether a client device is to generate the media frame, and initiate generation of the media frame. Moreover, a machine within the media editing system may facilitate resolution of conflicts between edits to a particular piece of media. Furthermore, a machine within the media editing system may facilitate provision of convenient access to media from a particular client device to one or more additional client devices.
US09288243B2
Sharing contact information among one or more communities or individuals in a social media environment, in one aspect, may comprise creating contact information associated with contact as social media content based on input from a first user. At least a portion of the contact information may be shared with a plurality of second users via a social media like application.
US09288242B2
Examples of systems and methods for bridging virtual and physical spaces are described. In some of these examples, a particular communicant's real world state drives changes in one or more of the communications connections, virtual state, and communications interface of the particular communicant or another communicant.
US09288240B2
The present invention provides an originating user with a prioritized list of communication contacts associated with the various communication devices of a destination user, wherein the originating user will initiate communications with the destination user using one of the communication contacts provided in the prioritized list. Upon selecting a destination user, a request is sent to a service node, which includes rules for establishing the prioritized list based on various prioritization criteria. The prioritization criteria may include static information and dynamic information, such as time, day of the week, and date, as well as presence information bearing on the availability or location of the destination user. Information may be provided in the request corresponding to the originating user, the type of communication desired by the originating user, the relative priority of the communication, among other information, which may be used to create the prioritized list.
US09288231B2
In one implementation, Web-Cache deployed in the Enterprise premises and cloud-based SecaaS are combined such that similar identity-based polices are enforced on both the SecaaS and content delivered from the Web-Cache. This identity-based policy implementation outside the network using SecaaS and within the network for web-cached content provides consistent identity-based security while still providing content to end-users with high performance. Content inspected and/or modified by SecaaS may be cached in the enterprise premises so that requests for content from an origin server decreases, freeing Internet bandwidth and reducing access time. Local caching of streaming content may decrease latency while local implementation of identity-based policy continues to limit the streamed content as appropriate. Local implementation of identity-based policy may reduce the load on SecaaS. Rather than using content delivery networks provided by a service provider for web-content, a cache server within the enterprise is used.
US09288225B1
A method includes receiving a connection request at a connection server port via a network from a client, the connection request directed to an application server, duplicating a socket for the communication and passing the socket to the application server, and replying to the network client connection request to establish a direct connection between the client and the application server via the passed socket, and this method support SSL protocol via passed socket.
US09288222B2
A method, system, and computer program product for protecting a computer system provides bootstrap operating system detection and recovery and provides the capability to detect malware, such as rootkits, before the operating system has been loaded and provides the capability to patch malfunctions that block the ability of the computer system to access the Internet. A method for protecting a computer system includes reading stored status information indicating whether network connectivity was available the last time an operating system of the computer system was operational, when the stored status information indicates that network connectivity was not available, obtaining a software patch, and executing and applying the software patch.
US09288217B2
Methods and systems for verifying the identity and trustworthiness of a user of an online system are disclosed. In one embodiment, the method comprises receiving online and offline identity information for a user and comparing them to a user profile information provided by the user. Furthermore, the user's online activity in a third party online system and the user's offline activity are received. Based on the online activity and the offline activity a trustworthiness score may be calculated.
US09288203B2
A computer-implemented method, carried out by one or more processors, for utilizing one or more input methods for passwords. In an embodiment, the method comprises the steps of determining, by one or more processors, one or more input methods supported for a password entry, wherein the password entry verifies a user's credentials; receiving, by one or more processors, a candidate password through the one or more input methods, wherein each character of the candidate password has an associated input method; and storing, by one or more processors, the candidate password as the password entry, along with the associated input method for each character of the candidate password.
US09288202B1
A method for resetting a network password of a first user initiated by a second user is provided. The method comprises a system receiving a request from the second user to reset the password of the first user, wherein the first user is associated with the network. After receiving the request, verification that the second user has a hierarchal relationship to the first user, and that the second user has an active status in the network is completed. After the verification, the network password of the first user is then reset. A notification about resetting the network password is sent to a mobile communication device associated with the first user. Contact information of the second user is found in a data store based on an identification of the second user in the request; another notification is sent about resetting the network password to a communication account of the second user.
US09288201B2
One or more user service tickets are obtained (i.e. pre-fetched) from an authentication server and stored in a ticket cache. The user service tickets facilitate a login device communicating with one or more users or group members associated with the login device. Login credentials for the users or group members may be subsequently authenticated against the user service tickets within the ticket cache thereby eliminating the need for immediate access to the authentication server or a previous login session by the users or group members. The user service tickets within the ticket cache may be refreshed as needed. In one embodiment, the user service tickets are refreshed daily and also in response to login attempts if the authentication service is readily accessible.
US09288182B1
A network gateway is implemented on behalf of a customer entity. The network gateway may be implemented using a distributed computer system and the network gateway may connect a network of the customer entity to a public communications network. The network gateway may include network-related services without the need for adding specialized hardware. The network gateway may be provisioned programmatically in response to instructions received from the customer entity. The network gateway may be provisionable and accessible over several different types of data connections. The network gateway, by virtue of being implemented on a distributed computer system, is scalable upon demand without additional input by the customer entity.
US09288180B2
A communication system and method are provided. In the communication system, a first electrical device has an end point which is configured to connect to a plurality of 3G dongles, wherein the 3G dongles have different IP addresses; a cloud server integrates the IP addresses to generate an integrated IP address when the cloud server detects that the first electrical device is connected to the 3G dongles; and a second electrical device transmits data packets with the first electrical device via the integrated IP address through the cloud server.
US09288176B2
A digital data communications network that supports efficient, scalable routing of data and use of network resources by combining a recursive division of the network into hierarchical sub-networks with repeating parameterized general purpose link communication protocols and an addressing methodology that reflects the physical structure of the underlying network hardware. The sub-division of the network enhances security by reducing the amount of the network visible to an attack and by insulating the network hardware itself from attack. The fixed bandwidth range at each sub-network level allows quality of service to be assured and controlled. The routing of data is aided by a topological addressing scheme that allows data packets to be forwarded towards their destination based on only local knowledge of the network structure, with automatic support for mobility and multicasting. The repeating structures in the network greatly simplify network management and reduce the effort to engineer new network capabilities.
US09288175B2
A method for extending a conversation across applications includes providing a conversation repository for storing a plurality of conversations for a plurality of applications. A conversation in the conversation repository is identified as having a context that is relevant to a first application object of a first application of the plurality of applications in response to a conversation call from a second application of the plurality of applications. A user interface is caused to display the identified conversation.
US09288167B2
Preserving collaborative history includes detecting a trigger for a chat session between at least two participants using a processor and, responsive to the trigger, obtaining event data for an event occurring during the chat session and involving at least one of the participants. The event data is included within a transcript of the chat session. In other cases, event data is obtained from external systems that is correlated with the chat session and is included within the transcript.
US09288165B1
The various implementations of the present invention are provided as a computer-based system configured to allow for the creation of a personalized communications network. A message recipient can establish one or more messaging relationships with persons and entities or message originators and configure their message recipient account to receive messages from the message originators without divulging or compromising the message recipient's contact information. The content and messaging platform for delivery of the messages can be customized based on a classification established for each messaging relationship between a message originator and a message recipient. A message originator can utilize the personalized communications network to send messages to multiple message recipients, even if the message originator does not have knowledge of, or direct access to, the contact information for the message recipients. The collection of the messaging relationships established by a message recipient and message originators is a “personalized communications network.”
US09288162B2
In one embodiment, a method includes identifying at a network device, characteristics of a distributed virtual switch comprising a control plane component and a plurality of data plane components, grouping the data plane components, and adapting operation of the distributed virtual switch for one or more groups of the data plane components based on the characteristics. An apparatus and logic are also disclosed herein.
US09288160B2
Methods, systems, and apparatus for extending the size of Infiniband subnets using GID switching in an Infiniband fabric. An Infiniband subnet is defined to include multiple local identifier (LID) domains, each including multiple nodes interconnected via one or more LID switches. In turn, the LID domains are interconnected via one or more GID switches. Messages may be transferred between nodes in a given LID domain using LID switches in the domain. Messages may be transferred between nodes in separate LID domains by routing the messages via one or more GID switches. In various embodiments, GID switches may be implemented to also operate as LID switches and perform routing based on selected packet header fields.
US09288148B1
Methods, systems, and computer program products for hierarchical DCS-aware network, service, and application function VM partitioning are provided herein. A method includes partitioning multiple functions, within a set of virtual machines distributed across a hierarchical network of two or more data centers, into a first set of functions and a second set of functions, wherein the first set is associated with a higher performance sensitivity measure than the second set, and wherein said partitioning is based on a desired performance sensitivity measure associated with the functions and data center sensitivity measures of the data centers; executing the first set of functions in a first data center associated with a higher data center sensitivity measure than the one or more additional data centers; and executing the second set of functions in a second data center associated with a lower data center sensitivity measure than the first data center.
US09288141B2
A computing system for processing network traffic includes a plurality of network ports configured to receive network traffic, a plurality of processing blades, not directly coupled with the plurality of network ports, configured to process the network traffic, a switch coupled with the plurality of processing blades and configured to support inter-blade communications among the plurality of processing blades, a router coupled with the switch and the plurality of network ports, the router configured to forward the network traffic to one or more of the plurality of processing blades based on resource information of the plurality of the processing blades, and a system controller coupled to the router and the plurality of processing blades, the system controller configured to receive and maintain the resource information from the plurality of the processing blades and further configured to update the router with the resource information of the plurality of the processing blades.
US09288133B2
A routing device of the present invention is included in a communication network capable of explicit routing which specifies resources included in a default path for each flow, and includes a detour path detection unit that detects a detour path which enables estimation of temporary transmission quality which can be provided to a flow within a detour region when at least a portion of an explicit default path of the flow transmitted by the routing device is detoured via resources included in a default path of another flow, and a routing unit that routes data of the flow at least to either one of the detour path and the default path, based on a difference between transmission quality of the detour path detected by the detour path detection unit and transmission quality of the default path.
US09288129B2
A virtual tunnel method is described herein which implemented by a host and next hop routers to address a problem that is related to synchronizing active tunnel(s) and active link(s) between the host and next hop routers. Furthermore, a multiple tunnel management method is described herein which implemented by a host to address the problem that is related to synchronizing active tunnel(s) and active link(s) between the host and multiple next hop routers.
US09288126B2
Technologies are generally described for clusterhead selection in a communication network. In an example, a first node may be configured to send a first responsibility and availability. In some examples, the first responsibility indicates a responsibility attributed to the second node to be the clusterhead for the first node. In some examples, the first availability indicates an availability of the first node to be the clusterhead for the second node. In some examples, the first node is effective to receive a second responsibility and availability; the second responsibility indicating a responsibility attributed to the first node to be the clusterhead for a second node; the second availability indicating an availability of the second node to be the clusterhead for the first node. In some examples, the first node is effective to determine the clusterhead based on the first and second responsibility and the first and second availability.
US09288122B1
Embodiments generally relate to providing recommendations to users in a social network. In one embodiment, a method includes obtaining activity data associated with one or more actions of each user of a plurality of users in a social network, where at least one action of the one or more actions of a performing user is associated with a recommendable user and a target user. The method also includes recommending the recommendable user to the target user based on the at least one action of the performing user.
US09288114B2
A network system includes a device management (DM) server and a Machine to Machine (M2M) gateway coupled to the DM server and to a plurality of sensor devices in a sensor network. The DM server is configured to send a DM command. The M2M gateway is configured to: after receiving the DM command, access a topology tree that includes first and second management object (MO) nodes, wherein the first MO node includes an identification and a type of the sensor network and the second MO node describes a characteristic of each of the plurality of sensor devices and a connection relationship of the plurality of sensor devices; according to address information within the DM command, locate at least one of the first and second MO nodes; retrieve information from the located at least one of the first and second MO nodes; and send the retrieved information to the DM server.
US09288112B2
Aspects of the present invention provide systems and methods using precise timing relationships between nodes in computer networks to generate mappings depicting the physical arrangement or ordering of nodes in the computer networks. The technical effect is by tracking the timing delays between nodes as observed by an individual node, and collecting such information together for subsequent processing, nodes may receive and/or construct an entire physical network topology using an algorithm accordingly.
US09288111B2
A multi-domain network comprises domains of different network technology types. A network domain comprises a plurality of network nodes connected by links and comprising border nodes which connect with other network domains. In a first domain (AS A) of a first technology type, a method comprises determining an intra-domain topology of the nodes and links of the domain by collecting values of at least one network topology parameter of the first technology type. The method determines a summarized intra-domain topology of paths between border nodes of the domain which is described using values of at least one summarized network topology parameter. Values of the summarized network topology parameter are derived from the values of the network topology parameter of the intra-domain topology of the first technology type. The summarized network topology parameter is part of a common set of network topology parameters for advertising between domains comprising apparatus of different technology types. A domain can comprise multiple layers of different technology type.
US09288110B2
A system includes a plurality of resources. A network analysis device is configured to identify a shared risk between at least two of the resources. A method includes arranging a plurality of resources in a resource group, identifying, by at least one network analysis device, a shared risk between at least two of the plurality of resources, and assigning a shared risk identifier to each resource having the shared.
US09288109B2
Embodiments of the present invention relate to methods and apparatuses for enabling cluster scaling. Specifically, there is disclosed a method of recording a context of configuration for an initial node of a cluster, comprising: retrieving at least one file to be used for configuring the initial node; and recording a context while configuring the initial node using the at least one file, the recorded context being information on the configuration of the initial node and to be used for enabling addition of a new node into the cluster. There is also disclosed a method of enabling addition of a new node into a cluster. Corresponding apparatuses are also disclosed. According to embodiments of the present invention, the efficiency of improving cluster scaling may be effectively improved.
US09288104B2
A network control system for generating physical control plane data for managing first and second managed forwarding elements that implement forwarding operations associated with a first logical datapath set is described. The system includes (1) a first controller for converting logical control plane data for the first logical datapath set to universal physical control plane (UPCP) data, (2) a second controller for converting UPCP data to customized physical control plane (CPCP) data for the first managed forwarding element but not the second managed forwarding element, and (3) a third controller for receiving UPCP data generated by the first controller instance, identifying the second controller as the controller instance responsible for generating the CPCP data for the first managed forward element, and supplying the received UPCP data to the second controller. Each controller includes a network information base (NIB) storage for exchanging data with another controller instance.
US09288100B2
Methods for down converting a modulated carrier signal to a demodulated baseband signal are described herein. The method requires that a first portion of energy is transferred from the modulated carrier signal, and stored at a first storage device when a first switch is on. At least some of the energy stored in the first storage device is discharged when the first switch is off. The method further comprises transferring a second portion of energy from the modulated carrier signal, storing at a second storage device the second portion of transferred energy when a second switch is on, and discharging at least some of the energy stored in the second storage device when the second switch is off. A down-converted in-phase baseband signal portion is generated from the energy accumulated in the first storage device while both the charging and the discharging occurs, and a down-converted inverted in-phase baseband signal portion is generated from the energy accumulated in the second storage device while both the charging and the discharging occurs, and the two portions are combined with a first differential amplifier circuit to form a down-converted differential in-phase baseband signal.
US09288099B2
A predistortion circuit for countering interference affecting a digital signal during transmission over a transmission link comprises a path of the digital signal between a mapper at a transmitter side and a demapper at a receiver side. The predistortion circuit is arranged for receiving a version of a digital symbol selected from a predefined constellation used for mapping a bit stream, and includes at least one correction stage provided with a correction path arranged for determining a correction term as a function of the output of a model equivalent to the transmission link and a corresponding symbol of a target constellation. The position of the target constellation points is determined using a measure accounting for the transmission link. The predistortion circuit is arranged for adding the correction term to the received version of the digital symbol and outputting the result of adding as an updated version of the digital symbol.
US09288074B2
Prior to a first configuration change of a first resource, such as a network resource of a network, a processor determines a first performance metric of a second resource, such as a second network resource of the network. The first configuration change does not result in complete failure or fault of the second resource. Subsequent to the first configuration change of the first resource, the processor determines a second performance metric of the second resource and compares the second performance metric to at least one of the first performance metric and a service objective to yield comparison results. Based on the comparison results, the processor can cause a second configuration change of the first resource. The second configuration change of the first resource can revert a configuration of the first resource to its state prior to the first configuration change.
US09288073B2
Transmission and reception of data can be performed between first terminal communicating by transmission signal and second terminal communicating by superimposition signal superimposed on transmission signal. When detecting interrupt signal generated by first monitoring terminal, in interrupt segment of transmission signal, transmission unit makes response requesting unit transmit response requesting data to first monitoring terminal in transmission segment. Response receiving unit receives response data that is transmitted in reply segment, in response to response requesting data, by first monitoring terminal that has generated interrupt signal. Segment securing unit transmits, in transmission segment, securing data for securing reply segment for superimposition of superimposition signal, by prohibiting transmission of response data in reply segment, with specific response data as trigger. Transmission unit makes superimposition communication unit transmit, to second control terminal, control data in reply segment secured through securing data, with superimposition signal.
US09288071B2
Objective video quality assessment models at media-layer or at packet-layer are known for estimating audio/video quality of experience. Existing models are not able to provide stable performance. A method for enabling quality assessment of a stream of frames of video data comprises receiving a sequence of packets, generating a set of parameters and inserting said generated set of parameters as side information into said stream of frames, wherein at least one parameter refers to a video slice level. A method for assessing the quality of a stream of frames of video data comprises receiving a sequence of packets, extracting a set of parameters from said sequence of packets and generating an estimated mean opinion score, wherein the video data comprise a slice level and wherein the extracted set of parameters comprises at least one parameter that refers to a video slice level.
US09288041B2
An apparatus and method for performing a compression operation in a fast message hash algorithm, which receive a 512-bit message and 512-bit chaining variable data, repeatedly calculate a 128-bit register-based step function, and then produce updated 512-bit chaining variable data. For this, the apparatus for performing a compression operation in a hash algorithm includes a message extension unit for receiving a message and generating a plurality of extended messages. A chaining variable initial conversion unit receives chaining variable data and converts the chaining variable data into initial state data. A step function operation unit repeatedly calculates a step function based on the initial state data and the plurality of extended messages and produces final state data. A chaining variable final conversion unit generates updated chaining variable data from the chaining variable data using the final state data, and outputs the updated chaining variable data.
US09288039B1
A system and method for text language identification allow private information of a server and a client to be kept secret from each other. An encrypted score for each of a plurality of languages is received by the server from the client. The encrypted scores are generated by homomorphic addition of encrypted frequencies of n-grams in a list of n-grams extracted from text. The unencrypted list is not provided to the server. The encrypted frequencies of the n-grams in the list are extracted using encrypted resources which, for each of the plurality of languages, include an encrypted frequency for each of a set of n-grams. At the server, the encrypted scores are decrypted to generate unencrypted scores and information is provided to the client based on the unencrypted scores from which the client is able to identify a language for the text.
US09288031B2
A switch arrangement comprises a first and second single pole switch. The pole of the first switch can selectively connect to a first and second path. The pole of the second switch can selectively connect to the first and second path. The first switch is configurable for a first mode of operation to connect a RF signal received at the pole to the first path to form a RF transmitter chain. The second switch is configurable for the first mode to connect the pole to the first path to form a RF receiver chain for receiving a RF signal. The first switch is configurable for a second mode to connect a RF signal received at the pole to the second path to form a second RF transmitter chain.
US09288027B2
A system for interference mitigation through carrier aggregation may include one or more processors and a memory. The memory may include instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to: provide data transmissions and control transmissions to a wireless device over a primary component carrier, determine that interference exists on the primary component carrier, and switch at least a portion of the data or control transmissions to a secondary component carrier in response to determining that the interference exists on the primary component carrier, while maintaining connectivity on the primary component carrier.
US09288024B2
Methods, base stations and access terminals for uplink signalling are provided. Resource request channel characteristics such as location in time-frequency, sequence, time slot, are assigned to each access terminal to distinguish their resource requests from the resource requests of other access terminals. Access terminals make requests using a resource request on a resource request channel having the assigned characteristics. The base station can then determine which access terminal transmitted 0 the resource request based on the resource request channel characteristics of the resource request channel upon which the resource>request was received. The base station then transmits a response to the request which may for example be a new resource allocation, a default allocation or a renewal of a previous allocation.
US09287994B2
Birefringence in optical fibers is compensated by applying polarization modulation at a receiver. Polarization modulation is applied so that a transmitted optical signal has states of polarization (SOPs) that are equally spaced on the Poincaré sphere. Fiber birefringence encountered in propagation between a transmitter and a receiver rotates the great circle on the Poincaré sphere that represents the polarization bases used for modulation. By adjusting received polarizations, polarization components of the received optical signal can be directed to corresponding detectors for decoding, regardless of the magnitude and orientation of the fiber birefringence. A transmitter can be configured to transmit in conjugate polarization bases whose SOPs can be represented as equidistant points on a great circle so that the received SOPs are mapped to equidistant points on a great circle and routed to corresponding detectors.
US09287989B2
Proposed is an optical data transmission device for an optical access network that comprises a laser transmission unit, which generates an optical transmission signal, and a driving unit, which controls the laser transmission unit for modulating the transmission signal. The device comprises an optical reception unit that converts the received optical signal into an electrical measurement signal. For this, the reception unit contains a photo-diode and an electrical amplifier. The optical reception unit is separate from the laser transmission unit. A control unit controls the laser transmission unit, such that the optical transmission signal is modulated in dependence on a measurement signal. The control unit measures multiple electrical measurement signals during a measurement interval and determines an averaged received electrical measurement signal. Even furthermore, the control unit controls the electrical amplifier, such that the electrical amplifier is turned off during a time interval prior to the measurement interval.
US09287987B2
An apparatus comprises an optical port; a first optical transmitter; a second optical transmitter; a partially reflective mirror positioned between the first optical transmitter, the second optical transmitter, and the optical port; and an optical rotator positioned between the partially reflective mirror and the first optical transmitter.
US09287978B2
A system for communication between two communication platforms, including a near-earth returning platform and a remote platform. A bidirectional asymmetrical communication link is set up between the two platforms.
US09287976B2
Systems and methods are provided that disclose providing a positioning service for devices based on light received from one or more light sources. This light based positioning service uses light information transmitted by each light source to determine the position of the device. The positioning information can include three dimension position information in a building that can then be used to deliver services and information to a mobile device. The content delivered to a mobile device can include multimedia, text, audio, and/or pictorial information. The positioning information along with other location or positioning information can be used in providing augmented reality or location aware services. The light sources can be independent beacons that broadcast information in visible light at a rate that is undetectable by the human eye. Content can be retrieved from a server over a communications connection.
US09287975B2
A lighting system (100) comprising a central lighting device (111), at least one satellite lighting device (121, 131), and a controller (141) for adjusting light settings, is provided. The controller is arranged for transmitting, in response to a user request (140), an association request over a first communication link (142). The central lighting device is arranged for receiving the association request and re-transmitting the association request over a second communication link by means of coded light (112). The satellite lighting device is arranged for transmitting, in response to receiving the association request, its identifier to the central lighting device. The identifier is only transmitted if an association process is enabled. The association process is enabled, in response to a user request, during a limited time period. The central lighting device is further arranged for associating, in response to receiving the identifier, the satellite lighting device with the central lighting device.
US09287971B2
A Wavelength Adaptation Module and a method therein for adapting an Optical Time Domain Reflectometry, OTDR, signal for supervision of Optical Network Terminals, ONTs, in a Passive Optical Network, PON, are provided. The wavelength of the OTDR signal is adapted to have a pre-selected wavelength to enable a splitter in a remote node to forward the OTDR signal to a dedicated group of ONTs in the PON, thereby supervising the fiber links between the remote node and the dedicated group of ONTs. Likewise, a remote node and a method therein for receiving an OTDR signal having a pre-selected wavelength from the Wavelength Adaptation Module and for outputting the OTDR signal to a dedicated group of ONTs with regards to the pre-selected wavelength of the received OTDR signal are provided.
US09287970B2
An optical transmission device includes: a switching configured to be capable of switching a transmission path to which light is input from a first transmission path to a second transmission path; a first calculation unit configured to calculate, based on a difference between a first light level of the first transmission path and a second light level of the second transmission path, a first control amount for the second light level; and a control unit configured to perform a first control in which the second light level is decreased or increased based on the first control amount upon switching of the transmission path.
US09287968B2
A wireless communication system according to an embodiment includes a first radio equipment that transmits first data using first radio waves, a data transmitter that transmits a second radio wave for causing a disturbance on the first radio wave according to second data, and a second radio equipment that modulates the first data transmitted from the first radio equipment, and modulates the second data transmitted from the data transmitter using a variation in a bit error rate of communication between the first radio equipment and the second radio equipment. The data transmitter includes an amplifier that amplifies a signal corresponding to the first radio wave received by a first antenna, and a feedback element that feedbacks a signal from an output node of the amplifier to an input node of the amplifier, and forms a feedback loop.
US09287966B1
A process of forming a wireless communication channel among moveable vessels (MCPs) involves establishing a directed wireless communication chain between the MCP to a fixed antenna, and at least one MCP of the MCPs utilizing two antennas to form the chain.
US09287963B2
The present disclosure relates to devices, systems, and methods for relaying data. An exemplary device includes a relay module comprising: a mast having an inner surface and an outer surface, the inner surface defining a cavity; an antenna disposed within the cavity; and a mounting device coupled to the mast and engageable with a utility structure.
US09287958B2
A method and an apparatus for processing feedback information in a wireless communication system supporting a beamforming are provided. The method includes receiving reference signals for each of at least one of transmitted beams which are transmitted from a base station with respect to each received beam of the terminal, determining reception power related information for a beam combination including each of the at least one of the transmitted beams and the received beam, determining channel capacities for each beam combination targeted beam combinations of which each value is equal to or greater than a certain critical value, as a result of the determining of the reception power related information, and determining best beam related information based on the result of the determining of the channel capacities.
US09287957B2
A method (300) and apparatus (106) for transmitting information based on a relationship between a first channel and a second channel is disclosed. The method can include taking (302) a first channel measurement corresponding to a first antenna of a wireless terminal and taking (304) a second channel measurement corresponding to a second antenna of the wireless terminal. The method can include determining (306) a relationship between the first channel and the second channel based on the first channel measurement and based on the second channel measurement. The method can include transmitting (310) information related to an uplink transmission where the information can be based on the relationship.
US09287955B2
The present invention relates to a multi-user multi-stream beamforming method and apparatus, and a base station. The multi-user multi-stream beamforming method includes the steps of: a) calculating a beamforming matrix of each user in the multi-user according to a minimum leakage principle; b) determining a user average Signal to Leakage Noise Ratio (SLNR) of the multi-user according to the beamforming matrix of each user; c) determining whether the user average SLNR is stable, and if the user average SLNR is not stable, returning to step a) to recalculate the beamforming matrix of each user by using the calculated beamforming matrix of each user.
US09287952B1
Provided are a device and method of controlling a wireless access in vehicular environment (WAVE)-based antenna. The device of controlling a WAVE-based antenna in WAVE-based antenna control technology of selectively operating a plurality of antennas through one control unit, includes: a WAVE modem configured to output a signal for selecting any one among the plurality of antennas; an interface unit configured to convert and output data which is transmitted and received and output the converted data when the data is transmitted and received between a control unit and a vehicle terminal according to the antenna selection signal output from the WAVE modem; and a data processing unit configured to transmit data to the interface unit for performing data conversion on the data when first data converted by the interface unit is transmitted through the selected antenna and second data transmitted from the vehicle terminal is received through the selected antenna.
US09287947B2
A network node which supports EGPRS, the network node being arranged to transmit RLC data blocks to at least one other network node in the EGPRS system and to receive acknowledgments from the other network node for successfully received RLC data blocks. The network node is also arranged to make pre-emptive retransmissions of unacknowledged previously transmitted RLC data blocks, and to make its transmissions with or without precoding. The network node is arranged to use precoding for a first percentage of the pre-emptive retransmissions and for a second percentage of the transmissions of RLC data blocks that have not been transmitted previously.
US09287940B2
A wireless network with coordinated sectors to mitigate interference. An example of the network includes a plurality of antennas each having a directional gain pattern, at least one antenna located at a first access point and at least one antenna located at a second access point spaced apart from the first access point, at least one antenna at the first access point oriented with maximum gain in a first direction that defines as first sector and at least one antenna at the second access point oriented with maximum gain in a second direction that defines a second sector, and at least one transceiver coupled to the antennas In sequence any antennas oriented in the first sector separately from any antennas oriented in the second sector.
US09287932B2
The external power supply comprises a modem, a power source for providing an operating voltage for the modem and a supply voltage for an appliance and a power safe control. The power safe control comprises a current sense element for sensing a supply current of the supply voltage and a threshold circuit coupled to the current sense element for switching off the operating voltage when the supply current is below a threshold value, and for switching on the operating voltage when the supply current is above the threshold value. The appliance is in a preferred embodiment a residential gateway or a set-top box and the modem a power line communication modem.
US09287922B1
The application relates to a spreading signal generating method, generating device, receiving method and receiving device. The spreading signal generating method comprises: generating a first spreading signal component and a second spreading signal component, wherein the first spreading signal component and the second spreading signal component each comprise a spreading code and a binary subcarrier, the spreading code of the first spreading signal component is the same as the spreading code of the second spreading signal component, the binary subcarrier of the first spreading signal component is different from the binary subcarrier of the second spreading signal component; and modulating the first spreading signal component and the second spreading signal component with radio frequency (RF) carriers so as to generate the spreading signal, where a phase of RF carrier for modulating the first spreading signal component is different from a phase of RF carrier for modulating the second spreading signal component.
US09287920B2
A circulator based transceiver sharing a common antenna between a receive signal path and a transmit signal path is disclosed. Techniques to reduce coupled transmit signals and coupled transmit noise in a receive signal path, implemented in a variety of embodiments is disclosed allowing elimination of a diplexer, simplification of circulator design and reduction of transceiver cost. The transceiver includes means to generate and couple a correction signal into the receive signal path to attenuate coupled transmit signal in the receive path. Furthermore, the transceiver includes echo cancellation techniques to attenuate transmit noise in the receive signal path. Methods to utilize the transceiver to attenuate coupled transmit signal and transmit noise may improve transceiver efficiency, for example, in demodulation techniques and processing of data signal.
US09287911B1
In systems and methods of mitigating L-band signal interference in a wireless communication system, it is determined that an aggregate power level of a plurality of wireless devices using an L-band carrier in communication with an access node meets a power level threshold. A probability of successful handover to a second carrier for each of the wireless devices is determined. At least one of the wireless devices is selected based on the determined probability of successful handover and a transmit power metric of the wireless device, and the selected at least one wireless device can be handed over to the second carrier.
US09287907B2
A method of calibrating coexistence of several wirelessly communicating sub-systems within a wireless device wherein the wirelessly communicating sub-systems comprise several transmitters and several receivers which are interconnected through one or more interfaces, the method comprising:—activating one of the transmitters while maintaining the other transmitters off by causing said transmitter to transmit a first signal with a known set of characteristics;—measuring unwanted signal received at each receiver and originating from a coupling of said receivers with the activated transmitter;—storing coupling data derived from each of the measured unwanted signals in relation with the set of signal characteristics of the first signal and/or a set of unwanted signal characteristics, whereby forming a calibration database for adjusting operation of one or more transmitters and/or receivers to manage the coexistence of the plurality of wirelessly communicating sub-systems during normal operation of the wireless device.
US09287904B2
Measures for interference reduction for an envelope branch type transmitter. Such measures may include determination of a target frequency span for reducing interference caused by an envelope branch type transmitter, and configuration of a differential delay between a signal branch and an envelope branch of the envelope branch type transmitter on the basis of the determined target frequency span.
US09287901B2
A single hybrid receiver is provided for processing both single carrier and carrier aggregated (CA) communications signals where carriers are split into independent receive paths without any additional external components. The receiver receives all contiguous and non-contiguous intra-band CA and inter-band CA signals allowing for improved rejection and balanced rejection of jamming signals on either side of the two carrier signals.
US09287893B1
Disclosed is an integrated circuit having a decompression block. The decompression block is configured as a pipeline that may include a length module and a distance module. The length module evaluates a length for each symbol. The distance module may resolve distances in an at least one length-distance pair. The length module may include a shifter stage configured to store two consecutive words, and control a sliding window of symbols, in order to extract literals or distances. The length module may include a mapper stage configured to map the literals or distances to positions in the output stream. The distance module may include a pointer replacement stage and a resolution stage. The pointer replacement stage configured to replace distances, represented as pointers within an output word, with either literals or other pointers to prior words. The resolution stage configured to replace the other pointers with literals, and output the literals.
US09287891B1
A SAR ADC is provided. A DAC provides an intermediate analog signal according to an analog input signal, a most significant bit capacitance and a plurality of significant bit capacitances smaller than the most significant bit capacitance. A first switched capacitor array selectively provides the most significant bit capacitance or the significant bit capacitances according to a select signal. Sum of the significant bit capacitances is equal to the most significant bit capacitance. The second switched capacitor array provides the significant bit capacitances when the first switched capacitor array provides the most significant bit capacitance, and provides the most significant bit capacitance when the first switched capacitor array provides the significant bit capacitances. A comparator provides a comparison result according to the intermediate analog signal. A SAR logic provides an digital output signal according to the comparison result.
US09287890B2
An analog-to-digital (AD) converter has a latch section having latch units, a capacitor, and a latch control signal line connected to the latch units. A third voltage less than a first voltage and greater than a second voltage is applied as a power supply voltage to the latch units. When the capacitor is electrically connected to the latch control signal line, a potential of the latch control signal line becomes greater than or equal to the third voltage. Only when the electrical connection between the capacitor and the latch control signal line is disconnected, the first voltage is applied to the capacitor and the second voltage is applied to the latch control signal line. When the potential of the latch control signal line becomes greater than or equal to the third voltage, the latch units latch clock signals.
US09287873B2
A level shifter circuit for coupling a first circuit, that uses a first supply voltage, with a second circuit, that uses a second supply voltage, includes an input node to receive an input signal and an output node to output to a level-shifted output signal corresponding with the input signal. An idle state on the input node corresponds with a particular binary logic value that is maintained for a first time period, and which is detected by a detection sub-circuit. Further, the level shifter circuit includes a first inverter that uses the second supply voltage, and has a feedback path between the input and output of the first inverter. The feedback path includes a first resistive element and a first transmission gate. The first transmission gate is configurable to open the feedback path when the detection sub-circuit detects an idle state on the input node of the level shifter circuit.
US09287869B2
A data bus synchronizer includes a plurality of registers arranged in a cascade, configured to generate a synchronized output in response to sampling an asynchronous bus without an enable signal, where the plurality of registers receive a value on the asynchronous bus. A last register of the plurality of registers is configured to generate the synchronized output in response to a load enable signal. The data bus synchronizer further includes a logic block configured to generate the load enable signal on satisfaction of a logic condition.
US09287868B1
A logic cell in a programmable logic device receives an external signal from a routing network that serves as a select signal that selects a combinatorial logic signal via a first multiplexor as well as a data input to a second multiplexor. The second multiplexor selects between the combinatorial logic signal and the external signal and provides an output signal to a register. Accordingly, the logic cell has the flexibility to support a combinatorial and/or sequential function using minimal routing resources. A third multiplexor may select the output from the register or another signal as the output signal from the logic cell. A clock signal to the register may be gated off when the register output is not selected as the output signal, thereby reducing dynamic power consumption. The programmable logic device may include a number of super logic cells, each of which includes a plurality of logic cells.
US09287863B2
A switch driving circuit for driving a full-controlled power switch is disclosed, including a pulse-width modulation unit, a pulse transformer, an anti-interference module, a pulse-width demodulation unit and a driving-power amplifier. The pulse-width modulation unit converts a driving input signal into a positive-negative narrow pulse-width signal. The anti-interference module is coupled to the secondary side and the positive-negative narrow pulse-width signal includes multiple positive pulses and negative pulses. The anti-interference module filters out the ones from the positive pulses and negative pulses of which the pulse amplitude does not reach an effective threshold, and meanwhile the anti-interference module suppress a common-mode noise caused by a high voltage transient variation at a moment when the full-controlled power switch is turned on or off. The pulse-width demodulation unit converts the filtered positive-negative narrow pulse-width signal into a driving output signal.
US09287857B2
There is provided a semiconductor device having: a latch circuit having a plurality of data holding nodes; a first capacitance element connected to the first data holding node included in the plurality of data holding nodes; and a first switch element provided between the first data holding node and the first capacitance element.
US09287853B2
A signal conversion circuit, a PLL circuit, a delay control circuit and a phase control circuit for promoting miniaturization and for reducing quantization noise. TSTC does not require a low-pass filter of capacitor Cm with large layout area conventionally required for converting pulse width to voltage, which promotes miniaturization and cost reduction. TSTC 8 generates analog voltage adequate for transition state at boundary where pulse signal transits, which reduces quantization noise, compared with conventional digital PLL circuits.
US09287847B2
A module includes: a diplexer that includes a first terminal, a second terminal, and a common terminal coupled to an antenna; a first switch that is coupled to the first terminal, includes first ports, and selects, from the first ports, and connects one port to the diplexer; a first duplexer that is coupled to at least one of the first ports; a second duplexer that is coupled to the second terminal and has a passband different from a passband of the first duplexer; and a first impedance portion that is coupled to another port of the first ports.
US09287839B1
A DC servo loop may track DC offset changes of an input signal and apply feedback to amplifiers to adjust a DC offset of the input signal. The DC servo loop may include digital loop tracking and analog loop tracking components. The digital loop tracking components may track small changes in the DC offset. When the DC offset exceeds a certain threshold, analog loop tracking may be activated to apply feedback to the amplifiers to adjust the DC offset. The adjustments to the DC offset may be delayed until an amplitude of the input signal exceeds a threshold to reduce contribution to noise in the input signal.
US09287834B2
Amplifier arrangements for read-out of MEMS capacitive transducers, such as low-noise amplifiers. An amplifier circuit has first and second MOS transistors, with the gate of the first transistor driven by the input signal, and the gate of the second transistor driven by a reference. The sources of the first and second transistors are connected via an impedance. Modulation circuitry is arranged to monitor a signal with a value that varies with the input signal and to modulate the back-bias voltage between the bulk and source terminals of the first and second transistors with the applied modulation being equal for each transistor and based on said monitored signal. The back-bias of the first transistor can be increase to extend the input range of the transistor in situations where the input signal may otherwise result in signal clipping, while avoiding noise and power issues for other input signal levels. By applying an equal modulation to the back-bias of each transistor, there is no substantial modulation of the output signal.
US09287830B2
A RF amplifier circuit including a plurality of FET devices, where a source terminal of an FET device is electrically coupled to the drain terminal of another FET device. The circuit further includes a voltage divider network and a plurality of operational amplifiers, where a separate one of the operational amplifiers is provided for each FET device. Each operational amplifier includes a positive input terminal, a negative input terminal and an output terminal, where the output terminal for a particular operational amplifier is electrically coupled to a gate terminal of a particular FET device, the negative input terminal of each operational amplifier is electrically coupled to the source terminal of the particular FET device and the positive input terminal of each operational amplifier is electrically coupled to the voltage divider network. A source resistor is electrically coupled to the source terminal of a bottom FET device in the stack.
US09287827B2
A method includes demodulating a load modulated signal at an initiator device based at least partially on a phase adjusted comparison value corresponding to the load modulated signal.
US09287821B2
A DC electric motor control device has a motor driving circuit that is constructed by a plurality of switching elements, a controller that operates the motor driving circuit to control a normal rotation or a reverse rotation of a DC electric motor, and an abnormality determination part that determines whether an abnormality is generated while the controller controls the DC electric motor. The controller previously performs reverse rotation control of the DC electric motor for a predetermined time using the motor driving circuit when performing normal rotation control of the DC electric motor, and the controller performs the normal rotation control only when the abnormality determination part determines that the abnormality is not generated during the reverse rotation control.
US09287819B2
A system and method for determining rotor shaft position of high voltage permanent magnet AC synchronous machines using auxiliary windings utilizes a permanent magnet AC synchronous motor including a stator having a main set of coils and an auxiliary set of coils. A drive controller including a digital signal processor in communication with the motor utilizes a current and voltage measurements from the main and auxiliary coils to determine the position of the rotor shaft in a sensorless mode.
US09287817B2
A control system may be switched between a Pseudo-Derivative Feedforward (PDFF) control manner and a Proportional Integral (PI) control manner. The control system includes a first operational element, a second operational element, a feedback proportion controller, an integrator, and a feedforward proportion controller. The first operational element and the second operational element are used to perform calculation of addition or subtraction on an input signal, a feedback signal, and a feedforward signal. The integrator generates an integral signal. The feedback proportion controller generates a feedback proportion signal according to a first feedback gain or a second feedback gain. The feedforward proportion controller generates a feedforward proportion signal according to a first feedforward gain or a second feedforward gain. The control system may be switched among the different control manners through selection among the first feedback gain, the second feedback gain, the first feedforward gain, and the second feedforward gain.
US09287813B2
Frequency-divided clock generating section generates a frequency-divided clock having a predetermined driving frequency by dividing a base clock having a base frequency based on a set frequency-division ratio. Division-ratio calculating section calculates a real number ratio of the driving frequency relative to the base frequency and sets a rounded frequency-division ratio by rounding the real number ratio as the frequency-division ratio while calculating a rounding error. Accumulated error calculating section adds the rounding error to an accumulated error when frequency-divided clock generating section generates a frequency-divided pulse which is a one cycle of frequency-divided clock. Division-ratio correcting section uses, as the frequency-division ratio, the rounded frequency-division ratio if the accumulated error does not exceed a threshold value, and a value obtained by correcting the rounded frequency-division ratio based on the threshold value and subtracts the threshold value from the accumulated error if the accumulated error exceeds a threshold value.
US09287812B2
Motor drives and control methods are presented for sensorless motor speed control in which inverter output currents are sampled from the inverter output and a frequency modulation value is determined based on the current feedback. A speed or frequency setpoint is adjusted at least partially according to the frequency modulation value to provide an adjusted frequency or speed setpoint value that is then used in controlling the inverter to provide stability control to mitigate hunting or motor stoppage.
US09287783B2
A PFC (Power Factor Correction) circuit improves the power factor of rectified power. Upon receiving output of the PFC circuit, a first DC-DC converter generates a voltage to be supplied to a load. Upon receiving output of the PFC circuit, a second DC-DC converter and a third DC-DC converter generate a control voltage. The second DC-DC converter and the third DC-DC converter are cascade-connected. An input terminal of the third DC-DC converter is connected to both an output terminal of the second DC-DC converter and an output terminal of the first DC-DC converter.
US09287781B2
There is disclosed a buck-boost converter comprising a voltage generation apparatus comprising: a voltage source; an inductor, wherein a first terminal of the inductor is switchably connected to the voltage source; and a plurality of capacitors switchably connected to a second terminal of the inductor, wherein a respective plurality of voltages are formed across the plurality of capacitors.
US09287780B2
A method is disclosed to operate a voltage conversion circuit such as a buck regulator circuit that has a plurality of switches coupled to a voltage source; a slab inductor having a length, a width and a thickness, where the slab inductor is coupled between the plurality of switches and a load and carries a load current during operation of the plurality of switches; and a means to reduce or cancel the detrimental effect of other wires on same chip, such as a power grid, potentially conducting return current and thereby degrading the functionality of this slab inductor. In one embodiment the wires can be moved further away from the slab inductor and in another embodiment magnetic materials can be used to shield the slab inductor from at least one such interfering conductor.
US09287779B2
The present disclosure includes systems and methods for 100% duty cycle in switching regulators. A switching regulator circuit includes a ramp generator to produce a ramp signal having a period and a comparator to receive the ramp signal and an error signal, and in accordance therewith, produce a modulation signal. In a first mode of operation, the ramp signal increases to intersect the error signal, and in accordance therewith, changes a state of a switching transistor during each period of the ramp signal. In a second mode of operation, the error signal increase above a maximum value of the ramp signal, and in accordance therewith, the switching transistor is turned on for one or more full periods of the ramp signal.
US09287777B2
The present invention relates to an average current controller, an average current control method and a buck converter using the average current controller. The average current controller includes a first comparator for generating a high H signal, a multivibrator for generating a TAVG pulse signal by receiving a high H signal outputted from the first comparator, a timing generator for generating a signal CH_ON to charge/discharge a capacitor by using at least the TAVG pulse signal, an integrator circuit unit for charging/discharging the capacitor, a second comparator for outputting a corresponding signal, an up/down counter for increasing or decreasing a counting value and a digital/analog converter for outputting by converting an output (digital signal) of the up/down counter into an analog signal.
US09287772B2
A soft-start/soft-stop (SS) controller for a voltage regulator. The SS controller includes a power up/down detector configured to perform at least one selected from a group consisting of detecting a power on condition of the voltage regulator to determine a start-up time period and detecting a power off condition of the voltage regulator to determine a shut-down time period, and a ramped reference voltage signal generator configured to perform at least one selected from a group consisting of increasing a voltage level of a ramped reference voltage signal using a pre-determined ramp-up rate during the start-up time period and decreasing the voltage level of the ramped reference voltage signal using a pre-determined ramp-down rate during the shut-down time period, wherein the ramped reference voltage signal is supplied to the voltage regulator for controlling an output voltage level of the voltage regulator.
US09287767B2
Aspects of the invention relates to a DC voltage conversion circuit including: a DC power supply; a switching device which is connected to two ends of the DC power supply through an inductor; and a series circuit which is connected in parallel with the switching device and which includes a diode and a load, so that an input voltage supplied from the DC power supply can be converted into an output voltage with a predetermined magnitude by an operation of the switching device and supplied to the load. The DC voltage conversion circuit can further include: a series circuit which is connected to two ends of the diode and which includes a snubber capacitor and a snubber diode.
US09287764B2
The invention concerns energy delivery system and method for a gate drive unit controlling a thyristor-based valve (19). The system comprises at least one current transformer (22) located in the main current path of the valve.
US09287763B2
A duty cycle balance module (DCBM) for use with a switch mode power converter. One possible half-bridge converter embodiment includes a transformer driven to conduct current in first and second directions by first and second signals during and second half-cycles, respectively. A current limiting mechanism adjusts the duty cycles of the first and second signals when a sensed current exceeds a predetermined limit threshold. The DCBM receives signals representative of the duty cycles which would be used if there were no modification by the current limiting mechanism and signals Dact—1 and Dact—2 representative of the duty cycles that are actually used for the first and second signals, and outputs signals Dbl—1 and Dbl—2 which modify signals Dact—1 and Dact—2 as needed to dynamically balance the duty cycles of the first and second signals and thereby reduce flux imbalance in the transformer that might otherwise arise.
US09287750B2
A motor is provided, the motor including a motor housing, a stator fixedly coupled to the motor housing, a rotor rotatably installed at a center of the stator by a rotation shaft, upper and bottom bearings having an outer race fixed to the motor housing and an inner race coupled to the rotation shaft, and an output clutch contacting an inner race of the upper bearing.
US09287735B2
A wireless power transmission system and a multi-mode resonator in the wireless power transmission system are provided. The multi-mode resonator includes a transmission line portion including unit-cells, the unit-cells including respective ends connected to each other, and each of the unit-cells including a capacitor, an inductor connected in parallel to the capacitor, and a via. The multi-mode resonator further includes a ground conducting portion configured to provide an electrical ground to the transmission line portion through the via of each of the unit-cells.
US09287734B2
Among other things, one or more systems and/or techniques for harvesting thermal energy for utilization by a dispensing system are provided herein. The dispensing system may comprise one or more thermal scavenging devices configured to collect thermal energy from a user. For example, a first thermal scavenging device, coupled to a top housing portion of the dispensing system, may collect thermal energy from a palm of a user hand; a second thermal scavenging device, coupled to a bottom housing portion of the dispensing system, may collect thermal energy from a top portion of the user hand; and/or other thermal scavenging devices may be operatively coupled to the dispensing system. In this way, the collected thermal energy is transformed into electrical energy for powering the dispensing system (e.g., powering a current dispense event, stored for a subsequent dispense event, validation of a refill container, detection of a user, etc.).
US09287730B2
A portable power charger having an internal rechargeable battery includes a charger housing having at least power connection port and a flashlight portion having at least one flashlight bulb. The power connection port is operatively connected to the rechargeable battery and can be used to connect the charger with an external power source, an electronic device, or both. The flashlight is operatively connected to the internal battery as well, either via a direct connection, via the power connection port, or via a dedicated rechargeable flashlight battery unit that can be recharged from the battery unit of the power charger. The power connection port can act in a power input mode when the charger is connected with an external power source via the power connection port and in a power output mode when at least one electronic device is connected to the charger via the power connection port.
US09287721B2
The charger includes: a connector to be connected to a battery; an identification unit configured to perform an identification process of judging whether the battery being connected to the connector is a compliant battery allowed to be directly connected to the connector or a non-compliant battery allowed to be indirectly connected to the connector, and output a result of the identification process; a main charging unit configured to charge the compliant battery according to a main charging condition appropriate to the compliant battery; an auxiliary charging unit configured to charge the non-compliant battery according to an auxiliary charging condition which does not cause a harmful effect on the non-compliant battery; and a control unit configured to receive the result from the identification unit, and, when the result indicates the compliant battery, activate the main charging unit, and, when the result indicates the non-compliant battery, activate the auxiliary charging unit.
US09287706B2
A method and implementing computer system are provided in which a smart power strip is controlled by a master device which is also plugged-into the power strip. In an exemplary implementation, a computer or PC operates as a master device and a direct line of communication from the computer allows the OS to make a decision based on settings whether or not to power on or off individual power outlets on the power strip used in common by the computer and various peripheral devices. Thus, only selected peripheral devices are powered-on along with the computer when the computer or other master device is powered-on at a common power strip.
US09287700B1
A protection circuit for an electronic circuit. The protection circuit includes a first transistor, a second transistor, a base current path, and a current discharge path. The first transistor is connected to a first terminal of the electronic circuit. The second transistor is connected to a second terminal of the electronic circuit. The first transistor is connected to the second transistor forming the base current path. The current discharge path conducts a discharge current from the first terminal to the second terminal through the second transistor when the second transistor is turned on with a base current in the base current path.
US09287693B2
An enhanced strength grade level utility enclosure comprises a vertical wall structure having an upright inner wall panel extending from an upper edge to a bottom edge of the structure. The inner wall panel has an inside face spanning the enclosure's interior. One or more narrow, vertically extending slotted regions are recessed in the inside face of the wall panel. Upright rigid support bars, optionally adapted for use as cable racks, are positioned in and rigidly affixed to separate slotted regions on the wall panel. The support bars provide a continuous means of rigid vertical support from the upper edge down to the bottom edge of the enclosure's wall structure. The recessed support bars, in combination with the vertical wall structure, provide enhanced wall strength in excess of industrial vertical side wall and center load test standards.
US09287683B2
A semiconductor interband laser that includes a first cladding layer formed using a first high-doped semiconductor material having a first refractive index/permittivity and a second cladding layer formed using a second high-doped semiconductor material having a second refractive index/permittivity. The laser also includes a waveguide core having a waveguide core refractive index/permittivity, the waveguide core is positioned between the first and the second cladding layers. The waveguide core including an active region adapted to generate light based on interband transitions. The light being generated defines the lasing wavelength or the lasing frequency. The first refractive index and the second refractive index are lower than the waveguide core refractive index. The first cladding layer and/or the second cladding layers can also be formed using a metal.
US09287675B2
Devices and methods of use for brush holder assemblies are disclosed. Brush holder assemblies including a mounting block and a brush holder are disclosed. Also illustrated is a brush holder assembly including a first portion in sliding engagement with a second portion. In some embodiments the brush holder includes a channel, such that at least a portion of the mounting block is disposed within the channel of the brush holder.
US09287674B2
Devices and methods of use for brush holder assemblies are disclosed. Brush holder assemblies including a mounting block and a brush holder are disclosed. Also illustrated is a brush holder assembly including a first portion in sliding engagement with a second portion. In some embodiments the brush holder includes a channel, such that at least a portion of the mounting block is disposed within the channel of the brush holder.
US09287673B2
An electrical connector for mechanically and electrically connecting first and second cables, each including an elongate electrical conductor covered by an insulation layer, includes a connector body, an electrically conductive first insulation piercing feature on the connector body, an electrically conductive second insulation piercing feature on the connector body and electrically connected to the first insulation piercing feature, and a compression mechanism. The first insulation piercing feature is configured to pierce through the first insulation layer and electrically engage the first electrical conductor. The second insulation piercing feature is configured to pierce through the second insulation layer and electrically engage the second electrical conductor. The compression mechanism is configured and operable to apply a clamping load along a clamping axis extending through both of the first and second electrical conductors to force the first and second insulation piercing features into electrical engagement with the first and second electrical conductors, respectively.
US09287670B2
Patch cords include a communications cable that has a first conductor and a second conductor that form a first differential pair, and a third conductor and a fourth conductor that form a second differential pair and a plug that is attached to the communications cable. The plug includes a housing that receives the communications cable, first through fourth plug contacts that are within the housing, and a printed circuit board. The printed circuit board includes first through fourth conductive paths that connect the respective first through fourth conductors to respective ones of the first through fourth plug contacts. The plug further includes a first conductive shield that extends above a top surface of the printed circuit board that is disposed between the first differential pair and the second differential pair.
US09287667B2
The present invention concerns a shield shell (70) to be connected to a case made of metal and including a shell main body (71) with a case connecting portion (74) to be connected to the case, a single collective shield connecting portion (72) provided on the shell main body (71) and formed into an elliptical tubular shape, and a plurality of individual-core shield connecting portions (77) provided on the shell main body (71) and formed into a cylindrical shape. The present invention may also concern a shield connector (10) including the shield shell (70), a housing (40) to be held onto the shield shell (70), wires with terminal fittings (20) inserted through the interior of the housing (40), and a single braided wire (90) connected to the single collective shield connecting portion (72) of the shield shell (70).
US09287662B2
A connector with a force multiplying mechanism includes first and second fixed connectors (F1, F2) which are arranged side by side and each of which includes cam followers (17, 18), and first and second lever connectors (L1, L2) which are individually connectable to the respective fixed connectors (F1, F2) and each of which includes a rotatably provided lever (20, 70) and is connectable to the corresponding one of the fixed connectors (F1, F2) by a force multiplying action produced by rotating the lever (20, 70) while the cam followers (17, 18) and the lever (20, 70) are engaged directly or indirectly via a slider (19). The first and second fixed connectors (F1, F2) are so arranged that surfaces where the cam followers (17, 18) are formed are perpendicular to each other.
US09287660B2
Pluggable connector including a connector housing having a mating end that is configured to engage a communication component during a mating operation. The pluggable connector also includes a coupling mechanism that is attached to the connector housing. The coupling mechanism includes a component latch and a biasing finger that engages the component latch. The component latch is rotatable about a pivot axis between open and closed positions and has an operative end that moves relative to the connector housing when the component latch is rotated about the pivot axis. The biasing finger engages the component latch at a contact area that is generally between the pivot axis and the operative end when the component latch rotates from the closed position toward the open position. The biasing finger provides a biasing force at the contact area for rotating the component latch toward the closed position.
US09287658B2
A connector unit for connecting at least two cables includes a male part, a female part, and a shuttle piston. The shuttle piston includes at least one magnetic connecting device for establishing a magnetic connection between the shuttle piston, and at least one magnetic connecting aid of the male part and at least one latching structure for establishing a force-fitting connection between the shuttle piston and the female part. The male part includes the magnetic connecting aid for interaction with the magnetic connecting device of the shuttle piston for establishing the magnetic connection between the shuttle piston and the male part, and an interaction area for interaction in a force-fitting manner with at least one backing latch of the female part. The female part includes the backing latch for establishing the force-fitting connection and for interacting at least with the interaction area of the male part in a force-fitting manner.
US09287655B2
A crimped terminal attached aluminum electric wire includes an aluminum electric wire that includes a conductor part made of aluminum or aluminum alloy and an insulative coating part which surrounds the periphery of the conductor part, and a crimped terminal that is crimped to the conductor part which is exposed by removing the insulative coating part at an end of the aluminum electric wire. The crimped terminal includes a conductor crimping part which is crimped to the exposed conductor part, and an end side conductor crimping part which is formed at an end at the side of the crimped terminal to which the aluminum electric wire is connected, and which is crimped to the conductor part at a radial compression rate which is smaller than that at which the conductor part is crimped by the conductor crimping part.
US09287641B2
In a connector including: a housing having a first fitting portion and a second fitting portion to which a flat cable and mating connector are fitted, respectively; and a contact held in the housing and having a first contacting portion a second contacting portion making contact with the flat cable and mating connector, respectively, the contact has first and second arm portions, one end of the first arm portion connects to one end of the second arm portion with a U-shaped portion, a non-connection sides of the first and arm portions interpose the flat cable, the first contacting portion is provided at or in the vicinity of a tip of the first arm portion, and the second contacting portion is formed on at least one of the first and second arm portions and is positioned between the U-shaped portion and the tips of the first and second arm portions.
US09287635B2
A network cable jack includes a printed circuit board (PCB) for balancing both inductive and capacitive coupling. Using a PCB allows compact trace paths to be formed without significantly increasing manufacturing costs. By including on each trace path two distinct inductance zones separated by a neutral zone, significant gains in degrees of freedom are achieved for designing PCB trace patterns in which a pair of inductive coupling zones jointly offset the inductive coupling caused by a specification plug and the jack contacts, both in magnitude and phase angle. Further, using distinct inductance zones offers more freedom regarding the placement of capacitive plates for use in capacitance balancing as well as the placement of terminals and insulation displacement contacts. Although the magnitude of a capacitive coupling is determined by the length of the capacitor plates parallel to current carrying traces, the approach allows capacitive and inductive coupling to be balanced independently.
US09287632B2
A structural wideband multifunctional aperture and methods are presented. A ground plane grounds radio frequency (RF) and direct current (DC) electrical fields. A structural egg crate circuit board comprises a grid of circuit board planes coupled to the ground plane and perpendicular to the ground plane around open boxes. A signal feed-line is coupled to the structural egg crate circuit board and couple-able to a signal transmission line. A driven feed layer parallel to the ground plane is coupled to the signal feed-line and to a side of the structural egg crate circuit board opposite to the ground plane.
US09287626B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide an antenna and a wireless terminal device. Through a first conductor connected to the inner side of an antenna body, the embodiments of the present invention can avoid the problem that in the prior art, while the antenna ensures the Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) performance of the wireless terminal device, the wireless performance of the wireless terminal device is greatly reduced. By adopting technical solutions of the present invention, while the SAR performance of the wireless terminal device is ensured, the wireless performance of the wireless terminal device cannot be affected.
US09287620B2
Determination of an impairment compensation matrix for compensation of impairments in an antenna array is disclosed. A plurality of different combinations of multi-signal transmissions which form at least one null at a respective location of a plurality of locations is determined. Each combination includes a multi-signal transmission that comprises at least two concurrent signal transmissions from at least two antenna subarrays of N antenna subarrays and the respective location. Based on signal characteristics associated with the plurality of different combinations of multi-signal transmissions and an expected signal reception at the plurality of locations, an impairment matrix that identifies an effect of impairments among the N antenna subarrays is determined. The impairment compensation matrix is determined based on the impairment matrix.
US09287619B2
An array of elements suitable for adaptive processing in an extreme jammed environment comprised of a plurality of smaller sub-arrays of element clusters that have natural orthogonal spatial modes of excitation, wherein the improvement comprises sub-arrays with spatial orthogonality of feed modes, cross-sub-array combination to maximize pre-processing sub-array spacing and diversity of relative configuration, a high-input analog nuller used on the pre-processing sub-array therein, a high-input analog nuller is used to null a dominant jamming signal, possibly exceeding normal communication signal levels, so that the sub-array processed signals could then be fed to an antenna processor with simultaneous beam steering and null steering.
US09287613B2
Disclosed is an apparatus with a concealment module, the concealment module including an inlet panel and an outlet panel, the outlet panel located higher than the inlet panel. Also included is a remote radio head disposed with the concealment module, mounted on a support, and located between the inlet panel and the outlet panel. A first baffle is located under the remote radio head to prevent cool air from the inlet panel from being diverted to a space between the remote radio head and the support. A second baffle is located to direct cooling air over a back of the remote radio head. A third baffle is located on top of the remote radio head to direct heated cooling air to the outlet panel. A fourth baffle is located to direct cooling air over the front of the remote radio head.
US09287609B2
An antenna measurement and control system for use with a transmitting antenna, the system comprising a sensor configured to determine an indication of the radiation emitted by the antenna; control circuitry connectable to the antenna and configured to selectively vary, or disengage, the power supplied to the antenna, and a processor connectable to the sensor and control circuitry, wherein the processor is configured to control the control circuitry in response to the determined indication of the emitted radiation.
US09287605B2
A passive coaxial signal power splitter apparatus includes an input port, an input coaxial waveguide section coupled to the input port, a guided wave structure coupled to the input coaxial waveguide section, a plurality of antenna elements arranged in the guided wave structure, and an output port coupled to each of the antenna elements. A passive coaxial signal power combiner includes a plurality of input ports, a guided wave structure coupled to the plurality of input ports, a plurality of antenna elements in the guided wave structure, wherein each antenna element is coupled to one or more of the input ports, a coaxial waveguide section coupled to the guided wave structure, and an output port coupled to the coaxial waveguide section.
US09287603B2
Provided is an electronic device including a high-frequency signal waveguide configured to transmit a high-frequency signal in a housing. An addition unit to which a communication device is able to be added is provided in the high-frequency signal waveguide. When a second module having a communication function is added to the addition unit and coupled to the high-frequency signal waveguide, data transmission is possible between the first module and the second module via the high-frequency signal waveguide.
US09287600B2
A conductor is formed of a first portion to define a first area in a plane that is substantially perpendicular to a first magnetic field direction in a first cavity resonator and a second portion to define a second area in a plane that is substantially perpendicular to a second magnetic field direction in a second cavity resonator. Inductive current generated in the first portion flows in substantially the same direction as current in the second portion. The conductor may be deployed in an aperture between the first and second cavity resonators to couple or cross-couple the first and second cavity resonators. The conductor may also be deployed to couple or cross-couple cavity resonators in a filter implemented in a broadcast- or base station.
US09287591B2
To provide a battery pack that is less likely to be affected by vibrations, shocks and the like and has a stable characteristic, and an electric bicycle that uses the battery pack.A battery pack includes: a battery protective member having a first plate section and a second plate section which is integrally connected to both edge portions of a width direction of the first plate section and extends substantially in a direction perpendicular to both surfaces of the first plate section, wherein the flat batteries are placed on the first plate section; and a protective circuit board. A moistureproof film for the protective circuit board is formed using a plurality of film forming materials different in viscosity, hardness, and thixotropic properties.
US09287590B2
A non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery (100) includes: an electrode body (150) including a positive electrode plate (155), a negative electrode plate (156), and a separator (157); and a non-aqueous electrolyte contained inside the electrode body (150). The non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery (100) further includes a reservoir member (170) defining a reservoir space (S1, S2) located adjacent to an end face (150j, 150k) of the electrode body (150), the reservoir space being used to hold the non-aqueous electrolyte forced out of the electrode body (150) through the end face (150j, 150k) of the electrode body (150).
US09287577B2
The biofuel cell has a positive electrode, a negative electrode, an external circuit electrically connecting the positive electrode and the negative electrode, a positive electrode region where the positive electrode is disposed, a negative electrode region where the negative electrode is disposed, and a proton permeable membrane disposed between the positive electrode region and the negative electrode region, and the negative electrode region houses a biocatalyst together with the crushed material. The negative electrode region is separated by a mesh into an electrode region and a crushed material region, the negative electrode is housed in the electrode region, and the crushed material is housed in the crushed material region.
US09287573B2
Li/air battery cells are configurable to achieve very high energy density. The cells include a protected a lithium metal or alloy anode and an aqueous catholyte in a cathode compartment. In addition to the aqueous catholyte, components of the cathode compartment include an air cathode (e.g., oxygen electrode) and a variety of other possible elements.
US09287568B2
This invention relates to non-precious metal fuel cell cathode catalysts, fuel cells that contain these catalysts, and methods of making the same. The fuel cell cathode catalysts are highly nitrogenated carbon materials that can contain a transition metal. The highly nitrogenated carbon materials can be supported on a nanoparticle substrate.
US09287564B2
Provided are a positive electrode active material for improving an output and a lithium secondary battery including the same. Particularly, graphite and conductive carbon which have shapes and sizes different from each other, may be simultaneously coated on a mixed positive electrode material of a 3-component system lithium-containing metal oxide having a layered structure and expressed as following Chemical Formula 1 and LiFePO4 having an olivine structure as an conductive material to improve high resistance occurrence and conductivity reduction phenomenon of a 3-component system lithium metal oxide due to a difference between particle sizes and surface areas of the 3-component system lithium-containing metal oxide and LiFePO4 olivine. Li1+aNixCoyMn1-x-yO2, 0≦a<0.5, 0
US09287562B2
A negative-electrode active material disclosed herein contains a lithium titanate having a spinel structure, and satisfies the relationship B×P<50, where B is a specific surface (unit: m2/g) of the lithium titanate as measured by a BET technique; and P is obtained by immersing 1 g of the lithium titanate in 50 cm3 of redistilled water and determining a pH of the redistilled water after 30 minutes of agitation.
US09287561B2
The present invention is a negative electrode material for non-aqueous electrolyte secondary batteries, comprising at least: particles wherein silicon nanoparticles are dispersed in silicon oxide (silicon oxide particles); and a metal oxide coating formed on a surface of the silicon oxide particles. As a result, there is provided a negative electrode material for non-aqueous electrolyte secondary batteries that enables the production of a negative electrode suitable for lithium-ion secondary batteries and the like that provides improved safety and cycle performance over conventional negative electrode materials.
US09287560B2
Provided herein are nanostructure networks having high energy storage, electrochemically active electrode materials including nanostructure networks having high energy storage, as well as electrodes and batteries including the nanostructure networks having high energy storage. According to various implementations, the nanostructure networks have high energy density as well as long cycle life. In some implementations, the nanostructure networks include a conductive network embedded with electrochemically active material. In some implementations, silicon is used as the electrochemically active material. The conductive network may be a metal network such as a copper nanostructure network. Methods of manufacturing the nanostructure networks and electrodes are provided. In some implementations, metal nanostructures can be synthesized in a solution that contains silicon powder to make a composite network structure that contains both. The metal nanostructure growth can nucleate in solution and on silicon nanostructure surfaces.
US09287559B2
A lithium secondary battery comprising a positive electrode, a negative electrode, a separator inserted between the positive electrode and the negative electrode and a non-aqueous electrolyte is provided. The positive electrode comprises a first positive electrode active material represented by following Chemical Formula 1. And the non-aqueous electrolyte comprises a first lithium salt, a second lithium salt represented by following Chemical Formula 2 and a non-aqueous organic solvent. LixMyOz [Chemical Formula 1] Li+RCOO− [Chemical Formula 2] (In Chemical Formulae 1 and 2, M=NiaMnbCoc, in which 0
US09287558B2
The invention relates to lithium-bearing iron phosphate in the form of micrometric mixed aggregates of nanometric particles, to an electrode and cell resulting therefrom and to the method for manufacturing same, which is characterized by a nanomilling step.
US09287557B2
When an active material with low ionic conductivity and low electric conductivity is used in a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery such as a lithium ion battery, it is necessary to reduce the sizes of particles; however, reduction in sizes of particles leads to a decrease in electrode density. Active material particles of an oxide, which include a transition metal and have an average size of 5 nm to 50 nm, are mixed with an electrolyte, a binder, and the like to form a slurry, and the slurry is applied to a collector. Then, the collector coated with the slurry is exposed to a magnetic field. Accordingly, the active material particles aggregate so that the density thereof increases. Alternatively, the active material particles may be applied to the collector in a magnetic field. The use of the aggregating active material particles makes it possible to increase the electrode density.
US09287555B2
Disclosed are mixed metal oxidized hydroxide precursors that can be used for the preparation of lithium mixed metal oxide cathode materials for secondary lithium ion batteries and methods of making such mixed metal precursors. The precursors typically are particles of nickel, cobalt, and manganese mixed metal oxidized hydroxides with varying metal molar ratios prepared in co-precipitation reactions in two sequential reactors.
US09287548B2
A terminal unit of a secondary battery and a method of manufacturing the same, the terminal unit including an electrode rivet, the electrode rivet being connected to an electrode assembly; a rivet terminal, the rivet terminal including a metal different from a metal of the electrode rivet; and a medium plate, the medium plate including a same metal as the electrode rivet, and being disposed between the electrode rivet and the rivet terminal so as to be overlap-weldable to the rivet terminal.
US09287547B2
In one embodiment, an electrochemical system includes an interconnector busbar including a substrate and a coating contacting the substrate, the coating including a layer of electroplated elemental nickel.
US09287546B2
The present invention relates to a galvanic element, in particular an element of the button cell type, which has a long service life even when there are high mechanical or thermal loads. The element has a cathode, an anode, an electrolyte, a separator arranged between the anode and cathode, and a housing, which comprises a housing cup, a housing cover and a sealing element, the sealing element insulating the housing cup against the housing cover. According to the invention, the sealing element is rigidly connected to the separator.
US09287542B2
A multi-layer, microporous polyolefin membrane comprising first microporous layers constituting at least both surface layers, and at least one second microporous layer disposed between both surface layers, the first microporous layer comprising a first polyethylene resin containing 8% or more by mass of ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene having a weight-average molecular weight of 1×106 or more, the second microporous layer comprising a second polyethylene resin containing 7% or less by mass of the ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene, and having a structure in which a pore diameter distribution curve obtained by mercury intrusion porosimetry has at least two peaks, and the total thickness of the first microporous layers being 15-60% per 100% of the total thickness of the first and second microporous layers.
US09287535B2
A secondary battery, which has no raw material injection spot and a burr on a lower surface of the insulating member. The sidewalls are formed on the opposite side to the side on which bending stress is applied, and the sidewalls act as a structural resistor, which result in preventing the plate from bending. The insulating member inserted into the container has an inversely stepped part to keep the insulating member from escaping from the container. A fabrication method of the secondary battery whereby an insulating member is prepared by inserting a raw material from the side on which the sidewall is to be formed into a mold and solidifying the inserted raw material, the insulating member is positioned over the electrode assembly inserted into a container, and a cap is coupled to an opening of the container with the insulating member positioned over the electrode assembly.
US09287534B2
A rechargeable battery includes an electrode assembly including first electrodes and second electrodes, a casing including a space in which the electrode assembly is embedded, a cap plate combined with the casing, and a first thin film insulating member fused with the casing and surrounding the casing.
US09287529B2
A method for fabricating the OLED including a color conversion layer using roll-to-roll processing is provided. To elaborate, the method for fabricating an OLED comprising: bonding an OLED and an inorganic phosphor to each other through roll-to-roll processing is provided, wherein the inorganic phosphor is provided as a color conversion layer.
US09287521B2
A transparent electrode is provided with a nitrogen-containing layer, an electrode layer having silver as the main component thereof, and an aluminum intermediate layer, wherein the aluminum intermediate layer is in contact with the nitrogen-containing layer and the electrode layer and sandwiched between the nitrogen-containing layer and the electrode layer. The nitrogen-containing layer is formed by using a compound containing a nitrogen atom. The effective unshared electron pair content [n/M] of this compound satisfies “3.9×10−3≦[n/M]”, where n is the number of unshared electron pair(s) not involved in aromaticity and not coordinated to metal, among unshared electron pair(s) owned by the nitrogen atom, and M is molecular weight.
US09287505B2
The invention relates to novel polymers containing repeating units based on thieno[3,4-b]thiophene, monomers and methods for their preparation, their use as semiconductors in organic electronic (OE) devices, especially in organic photovoltaic (OPV) devices, and to OE and OPV devices comprising these polymers.
US09287497B2
Integrated circuits with a Hall effect sensor and methods for fabricating such integrated circuits are provided. The method includes forming a buried plate layer within a substrate and overlying a substrate base, where the buried plate layer is doped with an “N” type dopant. A cover insulating layer if formed overlying the buried plate layer, and a plurality of contact points are formed adjacent to the cover insulating layer.
US09287493B2
A storage element including a storage layer configured to hold information by use of a magnetization state of a magnetic material, with a pinned magnetization layer being provided on one side of the storage layer, with a tunnel insulation layer, and with the direction of magnetization of the storage layer being changed through injection of spin polarized electrons by passing a current in the lamination direction, so as to record information in the storage layer, wherein a spin barrier layer configured to restrain diffusion of the spin polarized electrons is provided on the side, opposite to the pinned magnetization layer, of the storage layer; and the spin barrier layer includes at least one material selected from the group composing of oxides, nitrides, and fluorides.
US09287492B2
A piezoelectric polymer element such as a fiber or film is described, having a solid cross-section and a substantially homogeneous composition. A method of forming such a piezoelectric polymer element is also described. The method has the steps of extruding a polymer material and concurrently poling a region of the extruded material. Apparatus for forming such a piezoelectric polymer element is also described that comprises an extruder for extruding a polymer element from a granular feed and a pair of electrodes for applying an electric field across a region of the element concurrently with its extrusion. Also described is a piezoelectric construct having such piezoelectric polymer elements interposed between two conductive layers. A system for converting mechanical energy into electrical energy is described in which each of the piezoelectric construct's two conductive layers is connected to a respective terminal of a rectifying circuit.
US09287491B2
A piezoelectric element 300 includes a first electrode 60, a piezoelectric layer 70 arranged on the first electrode 60, and a second electrode 80 arranged on the piezoelectric layer 70, in which the piezoelectric layer 70 includes a composite oxide which has a perovskite structure and the composite oxide has a composition represented as a mixed crystal of bismuth ferrate and strontium titanate.
US09287490B2
A laminated piezoelectric element that includes a piezoelectric element layer and a matching layer. The piezoelectric element layer is configured to have a plurality of piezoelectric layers and a plurality of electrode layers laminated together. The matching layer is laminated on the piezoelectric element layer, and is different in acoustic impedance from the piezoelectric element layer. When Vp represents the acoustic velocity in the piezoelectric element layer, Vm represents the acoustic velocity in the matching layer, Tp represents the thickness dimension of the piezoelectric element layer, and Tm represents the thickness dimension of the matching layer, Vp/Vm=Tp/Tm holds. Further, when W represents the dimension of the laminated piezoelectric element in the width direction, Tp+Tm>W holds.
US09287484B2
A thermoelectric material including: a two dimensional nanostructure having a core and a shell on the core. Also, a thermoelectric element and a thermoelectric apparatus including the thermoelectric material, and a method of preparing the thermoelectric material.
US09287473B2
The present invention relates to an epoxy resin composition for an optical semiconductor device having an optical semiconductor element mounting region and having a reflector that surrounds at least a part of the region, the epoxy resin composition being an epoxy resin composition for forming the reflector, the epoxy resin composition including the following ingredients (A) to (E): (A) an epoxy resin; (B) a curing agent; (C) a white pigment; (D) an inorganic filler; and (E) a specific release agent.
US09287464B2
A light-emitting element includes a light-emitting layer, and an optical function film. The light-emitting layer is configured to include a first plane with a first electrode, a second plane with a second electrode, and a circumferential plane connecting the first and second planes, the second plane being opposing to the first plane, and the light-emitting layer being made of a semiconductor. The optical function film is configured to include a reflection layer being able to reflect light coming from the light-emitting layer, the reflection layer being provided with first and second regions, the first region covering the second plane and the circumferential plane, the second region protruding from the first region to an outside of the light-emitting layer to expose an end plane thereof.
US09287456B2
Provided is an element structure whereby it is possible to produce a silicon-germanium light-emitting element enclosing an injected carrier within a light-emitting region. Also provided is a method of manufacturing the structure. Between the light-emitting region and an electrode there is produced a narrow passage for the carrier, specifically, a one-dimensional or two-dimensional quantum confinement region. A band gap opens up in this section due to the quantum confinement, thereby forming an energy barrier for both electrons and positive holes, and affording an effect analogous to a double hetero structure in an ordinary Group III-V semiconductor laser. Because no chemical elements other than those used in ordinary silicon processes are employed, the element can be manufactured inexpensively, simply by controlling the shape of the element.
US09287455B2
A carbon doped short period superlattice is provided. A heterostructure includes a short period superlattice comprising a plurality of quantum wells alternating with a plurality of barriers. One or more of the quantum wells and/or the barriers includes a carbon doped layer (e.g., a non-percolated or percolated carbon atomic plane).
US09287453B2
In the case that a functional layer, made of a nitride of a group 13 element, is formed on a composite substrate including a sapphire body and a gallium nitride crystal layer disposed over the sapphire body, the deviation of the function is prevented. The composite substrate 4 includes a sapphire body 1A and a gallium nitride crystal layer 3 disposed over the sapphire body. Aa warpage of the composite substrate is in a range of not less than +40 μm and not more than +80 μm per 5.08 cm in length.
US09287446B2
A nanostructure semiconductor light emitting device includes a base layer, an insulating layer, a plurality of light emitting nanostructures, and a contact electrode. The base layer is formed of a first conductivity-type semiconductor material. The insulating layer is disposed on the base layer. Each light emitting nanostructure is disposed in a respective opening of a plurality of openings in the base layer, and includes a nanocore formed of the first conductivity-type semiconductor material, and an active layer and a second conductivity-type semiconductor layer sequentially disposed on a surface of the nanocore. The contact electrode is spaced apart from the insulating layer and is disposed on a portion of the second conductivity-type semiconductor layer. A tip portion of the light emitting nanostructure has crystal planes different from those on side surfaces of the light emitting nanostructure.
US09287442B2
A solution for designing and/or fabricating a structure including a quantum well and an adjacent barrier is provided. A target band discontinuity between the quantum well and the adjacent barrier is selected to coincide with an activation energy of a dopant for the quantum well and/or barrier. For example, a target valence band discontinuity can be selected such that a dopant energy level of a dopant in the adjacent barrier coincides with a valence energy band edge for the quantum well and/or a ground state energy for free carriers in a valence energy band for the quantum well. Additionally, a target doping level for the quantum well and/or adjacent barrier can be selected to facilitate a real space transfer of holes across the barrier. The quantum well and the adjacent barrier can be formed such that the actual band discontinuity and/or actual doping level(s) correspond to the relevant target(s).
US09287431B2
Voltage-matched thin film multijunction solar cell and methods of producing cells having upper CdTe pn junction layers formed on a transparent substrate which in the completed device is operatively positioned in a superstate configuration. The solar cell also includes a lower pn junction formed independently of the CdTe pn junction and an insulating layer between CdTe and lower pn junctions. The voltage-matched thin film multijunction solar cells further include a parallel connection between the CdTe pn junction and lower pn junctions to form a two-terminal photonic device. Methods of fabricating devices from independently produced upper CdTe junction layers and lower junction layers are also disclosed.
US09287426B1
Techniques for epitaxial growth of CZT(S,Se) materials on Si are provided. In one aspect, a method of forming an epitaxial kesterite material is provided which includes the steps of: selecting a Si substrate based on a crystallographic orientation of the Si substrate; forming an epitaxial oxide interlayer on the Si substrate to enhance wettability of the epitaxial kesterite material on the Si substrate, wherein the epitaxial oxide interlayer is formed from a material that is lattice-matched to Si; and forming the epitaxial kesterite material on a side of the epitaxial oxide interlayer opposite the Si substrate, wherein the epitaxial kesterite material includes Cu, Zn, Sn, and at least one of S and Se, and wherein a crystallographic orientation of the epitaxial kesterite material is based on the crystallographic orientation of the Si substrate. A method of forming an epitaxial kesterite-based photovoltaic device and an epitaxial kesterite-based device are also provided.
US09287424B2
Disclosed are a method of forming a back reflection layer in a solar cell, a composition used therefor, and a solar cell having a back reflection layer formed by the method, which layer has superior heat-resistance and various types of durabilities, and can contribute to improving the conversion rate of solar cells and reliability during long-term use, and which method can form a back reflection layer in a solar cell easily and at low cost. The polyimide resin composition for use in forming a back reflection layer in a solar cell includes an organic solvent, a polyimide resin dissolved in the organic solvent, and light-reflecting particles dispersed in the organic solvent.
US09287419B2
This invention is related to novel perylene diester derivatives represented by the general formula (I) or general formula (II) as described herein. The derivatives are useful in various applications, such as luminescent dyes for optical light collection systems, fluorescence-based solar collectors, fluorescence-activated displays, and/or single-molecule spectroscopy. The invention also relates to a luminescent medium, such as a luminescent film, that can significantly enhance the solar harvesting efficiency of thin film CdS/CdTe or CIGS solar cells. The luminescent medium comprises an optically transparent polymer matrix and at least one luminescent dye that comprises a perylene diester derivative. Over 16% of an efficiency enhancement to a CdS/CdTe solar cell and over 12% of an efficiency enhancement to a CIGS solar cell can be achieved.
US09287417B2
Disclosed herein is a semiconductor chip package, which includes a semiconductor chip, a plurality of vias, an isolation layer, a redistribution layer, and a packaging layer. The vias extend from the lower surface to the upper surface of the semiconductor chip. The vias include at least one first via and at least one second via. The isolation layer also extends from the lower surface to the upper surface of the semiconductor chip, and part of the isolation layer is disposed in the vias. The sidewall of the first via is totally covered by the isolation layer while the sidewall of the second via is partially covered by the isolation layer. The redistribution layer is disposed below the isolation layer and fills the plurality of vias, and the packaging layer is disposed below the isolation layer.
US09287416B2
A semiconductor system of a Schottky diode is described having an integrated PN diode as a clamping element, which is suitable in particular as a Zener diode having a breakdown voltage of approximately 20 V for use in motor vehicle generator systems. The semiconductor system of the Schottky diode includes a combination of a Schottky diode and a PN diode. The breakdown voltage of the PN diode is much lower than the breakdown voltage of the Schottky diode, the semiconductor system being able to be operated using high currents during breakdown operation.
US09287412B2
This invention describes a field-effect transistor in which the channel is formed in an array of quantum dots. In one embodiment the quantum dots are cladded with a thin layer serving as an energy barrier. The quantum dot channel (QDC) may consist of one or more layers of cladded dots. These dots are realized on a single or polycrystalline substrate. When QDC FETs are realized on polycrystalline or nanocrystalline thin films they may yield higher mobility than in conventional nano- or microcrystalline thin films. These FETs can be used as thin film transistors (TFTs) in a variety of applications. In another embodiment QDC-FETs are combined with: (a) coupled quantum well SWS channels, (b) quantum dot gate 3-state like FETs, and (c) quantum dot gate nonvolatile memories.
US09287410B2
A semiconductor device with favorable electrical characteristics is provided. The semiconductor device includes an insulating layer, a semiconductor layer over the insulating layer, a source electrode layer and a drain electrode layer electrically connected to the semiconductor layer, a gate insulating film over the semiconductor layer, the source electrode layer, and the drain electrode layer, and a gate electrode layer overlapping with part of the semiconductor layer, part of the source electrode layer, and part of the drain electrode layer with the gate insulating film therebetween. A cross section of the semiconductor layer in the channel width direction is substantially triangular or substantially trapezoidal. The effective channel width is shorter than that for a rectangular cross section.
US09287409B2
One object of the present invention is to provide a structure of a transistor including an oxide semiconductor in a channel formation region in which the threshold voltage of electric characteristics of the transistor can be positive, which is a so-called normally-off switching element, and a manufacturing method thereof. A second oxide semiconductor layer which has greater electron affinity and a smaller energy gap than a first oxide semiconductor layer is formed over the first oxide semiconductor layer. Further, a third oxide semiconductor layer is formed to cover side surfaces and a top surface of the second oxide semiconductor layer, that is, the third oxide semiconductor layer covers the second oxide semiconductor layer.
US09287408B2
Provided is a field-effect transistor (FET) having small off-state current, which is used in a miniaturized semiconductor integrated circuit. The field-effect transistor includes a thin oxide semiconductor which is formed substantially perpendicular to an insulating surface and has a thickness of greater than or equal to 1 nm and less than or equal to 30 nm, a gate insulating film formed to cover the oxide semiconductor, and a strip-like gate which is formed to cover the gate insulating film and has a width of greater than or equal to 10 nm and less than or equal to 100 nm. In this structure, three surfaces of the thin oxide semiconductor are covered with the gate, so that electrons injected from a source or a drain can be effectively removed, and most of the space between the source and the drain can be a depletion region; thus, off-state current can be reduced.
US09287406B2
A dual-mode transistor structure comprises a semiconductor body. The semiconductor body of the device includes a channel region, a p-type terminal region (operable as a source or drain) adjacent a first side of the channel region and an n-type terminal region (operable as a source or drain) adjacent a second side of the channel region. A gate insulator is disposed on a surface of the semiconductor body over the channel region. A gate is disposed on the gate insulator over the channel region. A first assist gate is disposed on a first side of the gate, and a second assist gate is disposed on a second side of the gate. Optionally, a back gate can be included beneath the channel region. Biasing the assist gates can be used to select n-channel or p-channel modes in a single device.
US09287404B2
A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes providing dielectric stripe structures extending from a first surface into a semiconductor substrate between semiconductor fins. A first mask is provided that covers a first area including first stripe sections of the dielectric stripe structures and first fin sections of the semiconductor fins. The first mask exposes a second area including second stripe and second fin sections. A channel/body zone is formed in the second fin sections by introducing impurities, wherein the first mask is used as an implant mask. Using an etch mask that is based on the first mask, recess grooves are formed at least in the second stripe sections.
US09287403B1
A method for manufacturing a FinFET, and FinFETs are provided. In various embodiments, the method for manufacturing a FinFET includes forming a fin structure over a substrate. Next, a dummy gate is deposited across over the fin structure. The method continues with forming a pair of first spacers on sidewalls of the dummy gate. Then, a source/drain region is formed in the fin structure not covered by the dummy gate. The method further includes removing the dummy gate to expose the fin structure. After that, the first spacers are truncated, and a gate stack is formed to cover the exposed fin structure and top surfaces of the first spacers.
US09287399B2
A faceted intrinsic buffer semiconductor material is deposited on sidewalls of a source trench and a drain trench by selective epitaxy. A facet adjoins each edge at which an outer sidewall of a gate spacer adjoins a sidewall of the source trench or the drain trench. A doped semiconductor material is subsequently deposited to fill the source trench and the drain trench. The doped semiconductor material can be deposited such that the facets of the intrinsic buffer semiconductor material are extended and inner sidewalls of the deposited doped semiconductor material merges in each of the source trench and the drain trench. The doped semiconductor material can subsequently grow upward. Faceted intrinsic buffer semiconductor material portions allow greater outdiffusion of dopants near faceted corners while suppressing diffusion of dopants in regions of uniform width, thereby suppressing short channel effects.
US09287383B2
A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device includes providing a semiconductor substrate having first and second sides, laterally spaced semiconductor devices integrated into the semiconductor substrate, and a drift region of a first conductivity type. Trenches are formed in the semiconductor substrate at the first side of the semiconductor substrate between laterally adjacent semiconductor devices, each of the trenches having two sidewalls and a bottom. First doping zones of a second conductivity type are formed in the semiconductor substrate at least along the sidewalls of the trenches. The first doping zones form pn-junctions with the drift region. Second doping zones of the first conductivity type are formed in the semiconductor substrate at least along a part of the bottom of the trenches. The second doping zones adjoin the drift region. The semiconductor substrate is cut along the second doping zones in the trenches to separate the semiconductor devices.
US09287380B2
A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device and a novel semiconductor device are disclosed herein. An exemplary method includes sputtering a capping layer in-situ on a gate dielectric layer, before any high temperature processing steps are performed.
US09287368B2
According to one embodiment, a nitride semiconductor device includes a substrate; semiconductor stacked layers including a nitride semiconductor provided on the substrate, and having a buffer layer, a carrier running layer provided on the buffer layer, and a barrier layer provided on the carrier running layer; a source electrode and a drain electrode provided on the semiconductor stacked layers and in contact with the semiconductor stacked layers; and a gate electrode provided on the semiconductor stacked layers and provided between the source electrode and the drain electrode.The gate electrode has a stacked structure, and a gate metal layer, a barrier metal layer, a first interconnection layer, and a second interconnection layer including Al are sequentially stacked from a side of a surface of the semiconductor stacked layers in the stacked structure.
US09287367B2
Disclosed are semiconductor devices and methods of manufacturing the same. The semiconductor device includes: a first conductive type semiconductor layer including a first lower conductive type semiconductor layer and a first upper conductive type semiconductor layer; a V-pit passing through at least one portion of the first upper conductive type semiconductor layer; a second conductive type semiconductor layer placed over the first conductive type semiconductor and filling the V-pit; and an active layer interposed between the first and second conductive type semiconductor layers with the V-pit passing through the active layer. The first upper conductive type semiconductor layer has a higher defect density than the first lower conductive type semiconductor layer and includes a V-pit generation layer comprising a starting point of the V-pit. The semiconductor device includes the V-pits having a large size and a high density to efficiently preventing damage to the semiconductor device due to electrostatic discharge.
US09287365B2
A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor layer, an insulating film of silicon nitride on the semiconductor layer, source and drain electrodes formed in openings of the insulating film and in contact with the semiconductor layer, and a gate electrode formed in an opening in the insulating film that is located between the source electrode and the drain electrode and formed in contact with the semiconductor layer. The insulating film has an Si content that is uniform in a direction of thickness of the insulating film, an upper region, and a lower region. The upper region can have an oxygen concentration that is greater than that of the lower region. The upper region can be formed by exposing the surface of the insulating film to ozone or an oxygen plasma.
US09287363B2
A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device may include: preparing a substrate formed of SiC; depositing crystalline or amorphous silicon (Si) on one surface of the substrate to form a first semiconductor layer; and performing a heat treatment under a nitrogen atmosphere to form a second semiconductor layer formed of SiCN between the substrate and the first semiconductor layer.
US09287357B2
An integrated circuit may include multiple first, non-Si, nanosheet field-effect transistors (FETs) and multiple second, Si, nanosheet FETs. Nanosheets of ones of the first, non-Si, nanosheet FETs may include less than about 30% Si. The first, non-Si, nanosheet FETs may define a critical speed path of the circuit of the integrated circuit. Nanosheets of ones of the second, Si, nanosheet FETs may include more than about 30% Si. The second, Si, nanosheet FETs may define a non-critical speed path of the integrated circuit. Ones of the first, non-Si, nanosheet FETs may be configured to have a higher speed than a speed of ones of the second, Si, nanosheet FETs.
US09287355B2
A semiconductor device comprises a semiconductor substrate; an element-forming region that includes semiconductor elements formed on the semiconductor substrate; a buried electrode plug formed so as to penetrate through the semiconductor substrate; and a trench-type electrode that is buried in a trench within the semiconductor substrate positioned between the element-forming region and the buried electrode plug.
US09287352B2
To provide a crystalline oxide semiconductor film, an ion is made to collide with a target including a crystalline In—Ga—Zn oxide, thereby separating a flat-plate-like In—Ga—Zn oxide in which a first layer including a gallium atom, a zinc atom, and an oxygen atom, a second layer including an indium atom and an oxygen atom, and a third layer including a gallium atom, a zinc atom, and an oxygen atom are stacked in this order; and the flat-plate-like In—Ga—Zn oxide is irregularly deposited over a substrate while the crystallinity is maintained.
US09287344B2
Providing for a monolithic magnetic induction device having low DC resistance and small surface area is described herein. By way of example, the magnetic induction device can comprise a substrate (e.g., a semiconductor substrate) having trenches formed in a bottom layer of the substrate, and holes formed in the substrate between the trenches and an upper layer of the substrate. Additionally, the magnetic induction device can comprise a conductive coil embedded or deposited within the trenches. The magnetic induction device can further comprise a set of conductive vias formed in the holes that electrically connect the bottom layer of the substrate with the upper layer. Further, one or more integrated circuit components, such as active devices, can be formed in the upper layer, at least in part above the conductive coil. The vias can be utilized to connect to integrated circuit components with the conductive coil, where suitable.
US09287339B2
An organic light emitting display and a method of manufacturing the same. The organic light-emitting display is a transparent display where one can see through the display to view an image on the other side of the display. Each pixel of the display has a first region that includes an organic light emitting diode and a thin film transistor, and a larger second region that is transparent. The second region is made of either transparent layers or ultra thin layers so that light is not blocked. A second electrode of the display may include magnesium and may be produced by a selective deposition process, so that use of a fine metal mask may be avoided.
US09287337B2
A first substrate provided with a plurality of pixel electrodes is prepared. A bank layer is formed so as to be placed on the periphery of each pixel electrode to define a plurality of pixel regions and contain a metal ion adsorbent. An organic electro-luminescence film is formed so as to be placed on the bank layer and the plurality of pixel electrodes and contain a metal complex which is a compound having a ligand coordinated to a metal ion. A common electrode is formed on the organic electro-luminescence film. The organic electro-luminescence film is formed such that the concentration of the metal ions is decreased above the bank layer by the metal ion adsorbent.
US09287334B2
An organic light emitting diode display includes a display panel including a display area to which a touch screen panel is attached and a pad area in which a metal wire is formed; a cover window on one side of the display panel; a resin layer between the display panel and the cover window; and a touch screen circuit film in the pad area and connected to the touch screen panel, at least one of the touch screen circuit film and the metal wire including an ultraviolet ray transmitter configured to increase a hardening degree of the resin layer in the pad area.
US09287325B2
A vertical type semiconductor device and a fabrication method thereof are provided. The vertical type semiconductor device includes a pillar structure having a stacking structure of a conductive layer and a data storage material and formed on a common source region, and a gate electrode formed to surround the data storage material of the pillar structure.
US09287324B2
A non-volatile memory includes a substrate, a fin structure, a gate structure, a transition layer, and a metal layer. The fin structure is protruded from the substrate. A first source/drain region and a second source/drain region are formed in the fin structure. The gate structure covers a top surface and two lateral surfaces of a part of the fin structure. The gate structure is arranged between the first source/drain region and the second source/drain region. The transition layer is in contact with the second source/drain region. The metal layer is in contact with the transition layer. By setting or resetting the transition layer, a resistance value of the transition layer is correspondingly changed.
US09287322B2
A method for providing a magnetic junction usable in a magnetic device and the magnetic junction are described. The method includes providing a reference layer, a nonmagnetic spacer layer and a free layer. The nonmagnetic spacer layer is between the free and reference layers. An interface is between the nonmagnetic spacer and free layers. Providing the free layer further includes applying at least one electric field while the free layer is at a local temperature above an operating temperature of the magnetic junction. The electric field(s) exert a force on an anion in the free layer in a direction away from the interface between the free layer and the nonmagnetic spacer layer. The magnetic junction is configured such that the free layer is switchable between stable magnetic states when a write current is passed through the magnetic junction.
US09287319B2
A CMOS multi-pinned pixel having very low dark current and very high charge transfer performance over that of conventional CMOS pixels is disclosed. The CMOS pixel includes epitaxial silicon and at least one transfer gate formed upon the epitaxial silicon. A pinned-photodiode is formed in the epitaxial silicon. A multi-pinned (MP) implant layer is implanted in the epitaxial silicon at least partially extending across the pinned-photodiode and substantially underlying the at least one transfer gate of the CMOS pixel to promote dark current passivation during an accumulation state and promote charge transfer during a transfer state.
US09287313B2
An integrated circuit having an array of APS cells. Each cell in the array has at least one transistor source or drain region that is raised relative to a channel region formed in a semiconductor substrate. The raised source or drain region includes doped polysilicon deposited on the surface of the semiconductor body and a region of the bodyextending to the channel region that has been doped to an opposite doping type from that of the channel region by diffusion of dopants from the deposited polysilicon.
US09287295B2
A display apparatus is disclosed. The apparatus includes a plurality of unit pixels each comprising a plurality of sub pixels, a plurality of scan wires, and a plurality of scan lines branching off from each of the scan wires and extending in a first direction. The number of scan lines from each scan wire equals the number of sub pixels for each pixel, and each scan line connects one of the scan wires with one of the sub pixels of each of a plurality of unit pixels. The apparatus also includes a plurality of data lines extending in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction and which are connected to the plurality of sub pixels. The apparatus also includes a first power supply line extending in the second direction and connected to the sub pixels, and a plurality of test pads, each connected to the scan lines of one of the scan wires.
US09287292B2
To provide a semiconductor device having a thin-film BOX-SOI structure and capable of realizing a high-speed operation of a logic circuit and a stable operation of a memory circuit. A semiconductor device according to the present invention includes a semiconductor support substrate, an insulation layer having a thickness of at mast 10 nm, and a semiconductor layer. In an upper surface of the semiconductor layer, a first field-effect transistor including a first gate electrode and constituting a logic circuit is formed. Further, in the upper surface of the semiconductor layer, a second field-effect transistor including a second gate electrode and constituting a memory circuit is formed. At least three well regions having different conductivity types are formed in the semiconductor support substrate. In the presence of the well regions, a region of the semiconductor support substrate below the first gate electrode and a region of the semiconductor support substrate below the second gate electrode are electrically separated from each other.
US09287290B1
Disclosed herein are 3D NAND memory devices having vertical NAND strings with a crystalline silicon channel and techniques for fabricating the same. The NAND string channel may be a single crystal of silicon or have a few large grains of polysilicon. The single crystal may have a (100) orientation with respect to a tunnel oxide of the 3D NAND string. When the channel region comprises grains of polysilicon, predominantly all of the silicon channel is part of a grain of polysilicon having the (100) orientation. The (100) orientation may be favorable for high carrier mobility. Techniques using metal induced crystallization (MIC) for forming the NAND strings having a crystalline silicon channel are also disclosed.
US09287287B2
Present example embodiments relate generally to methods of fabricating a semiconductor device, and semiconductor devices thereof, comprising providing a substrate, forming an insulating base layer on the substrate, and disposing a conductive layer on the insulating base layer at an initial temperature. The methods further comprise increasing the initial temperature at a first increase rate to a first increased temperature and performing an in-situ annealing process to the conductive layer at the first increased temperature. The methods further comprise increasing the first increased temperature at a second increase rate to a second increased temperature, and forming an insulating layer after performing the in-situ annealing process at the second increased temperature.
US09287284B2
Semiconductor device formed by a first conductive strip of semiconductor material; a control gate region of semiconductor material, facing a channel portion of the first conductive strip, and an insulation region arranged between the first conductive strip and the control gate region. The first conductive strip includes a conduction line having a first conductivity type and a control line having a second conductivity type, arranged adjacent and in electrical contact with each other, and the conduction line forms the channel portion, a first conduction portion and a second conduction portion arranged on opposite sides of the channel portion.
US09287281B2
Flash devices and methods of manufacturing the same are provided. The device may include: a semiconductor substrate, with a well region therein; a sandwich arrangement on the well region, including a back gate conductor, semiconductor fins on opposite sides of the back gate conductor, and back gate dielectric layers separating the back gate conductor from the respective semiconductor fins, wherein the well region serves as a part of a conductive path to the back gate conductor; a front gate stack intersecting the semiconductor fins, including a floating gate dielectric layer, a floating gate conductor, a control gate dielectric layer, and a control gate conductor stacked sequentially, wherein the floating gate dielectric layer separates the floating gate conductor from the semiconductor fins; an insulating cap on top of the back gate conductor and the semiconductor fins to separate the back gate conductor from the front gate stack; and source and drain regions connected to a channel region provided by each of the semiconductor fins. The device can achieve high integration and low power consumption.
US09287272B2
A high-k dielectric metal trench capacitor and improved isolation and methods of manufacturing the same is provided. The method includes forming at least one deep trench in a substrate, and filling the deep trench with sacrificial fill material and a poly material. The method further includes continuing with CMOS processes, comprising forming at least one transistor and back end of line (BEOL) layer. The method further includes removing the sacrificial fill material from the deep trenches to expose sidewalls, and forming a capacitor plate on the exposed sidewalls of the deep trench. The method further includes lining the capacitor plate with a high-k dielectric material and filling remaining portions of the deep trench with a metal material, over the high-k dielectric material. The method further includes providing a passivation layer on the deep trench filled with the metal material and the high-k dielectric material.
US09287267B2
A highly integrated DRAM is provided. A bit line is formed over a first insulator, a second insulator is formed over the bit line, third insulators which are in a stripe shape and the like are formed over the second insulator, and a semiconductor region and a gate insulator are formed to cover one of the third insulators. The bit line is connected to the semiconductor region through first contact plugs. Then, a conductive film is formed and subjected to anisotropic etching to form word lines at side surfaces of the third insulators, and a second contact plug is formed to be connected to a capacitor at a top of the one of the third insulators. By synchronizing the word lines, electric charge is accumulated or released through the capacitor. With such a structure, the area of a memory cell can be 4F2.
US09287265B2
A semiconductor device includes a substrate with an active region defined by a device isolation layer. A word line extends over the active region in a first direction, and a plurality of interconnections extends over the word line in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. A contact pad is disposed between and spaced apart from the word line and the plurality of interconnections, extending in the first direction to overlap the plurality of interconnections and the active region when viewed from a plan view. A lower contact plug electrically connects the contact pad to the active region. An upper contact plug electrically connects the contact pad to one of the plurality of interconnections.
US09287262B2
A fin field effect transistor (FinFET), and a method of forming, is provided. The FinFET has a fin having one or more semiconductor layers epitaxially grown on a substrate. A first passivation layer is formed over the fins, and isolation regions are formed between the fins. An upper portion of the fins are reshaped and a second passivation layer is formed over the reshaped portion. Thereafter, a gate structure may be formed over the fins and source/drain regions may be formed.
US09287256B2
Provided is a semiconductor device including a substrate of a first conductivity type, a first circuit region, a separation region, a second circuit region, and a rectifying element. The rectifying element has a second conductivity type layer, a first high concentration second conductivity type region, a second high concentration second conductivity type region, an element isolation film, a first insulation layer, and a first conductive film. A first contact is coupled to the first high concentration second conductivity type region, and a second contact is coupled to the second high concentration second conductivity type region. A third contact is coupled to the first conductive film. The first contact, the second contact and the third contact are separated from each other.
US09287253B2
In one well bias arrangement, no well bias voltage is applied to the n-well, and no well bias voltage is applied to the p-well. Because no external well bias voltage is applied, the n-well and the p-well are floating, even during operation of the devices in the n-well and the p-well. In another well bias arrangement, the lowest available voltage is not applied to the p-well, such as a ground voltage, or the voltage applied to the n+-doped source region of the n-type transistor in the p-well. This occurs even during operation of the n-type transistor in the p-well. In yet another well bias arrangement, the highest available voltage is not applied to the n-well, such as a supply voltage, or the voltage applied to the p+-doped source region of the p-type transistor in the n-well. This occurs even during operation of the p-type transistor in the n-well.
US09287245B2
A contoured package on package joint and a method for making the same are disclosed herein. A method for forming a device comprises providing a substrate having a package land and forming a mounting stud on the package land. A molded underfill is applied to the substrate and in contact with the mounting stud. A contoured stud surface is formed on the mounting stud is contoured and connecting member attached to the contoured stud surface with a second package attached to the connecting member. The connecting member may be solder and have a spherical shape. The contoured stud surface may be etched or mechanically formed to have a hemispherical shape conforming to the connecting member shape.
US09287243B2
The present invention relates to an optical device and a method for manufacturing the same. The technical object of the invention is to realize a surface emitting body which allows heat generated from a light-emitting chip to be easily dissipated, eliminates the need for an additional wiring layer, and allows a singular light emitting chips or a plurality of light emitting chips to be arranged in series, in parallel, or in series-parallel. The present invention discloses an optical device comprising: a substrate; a plurality of light emitting chips disposed on the substrate; a plurality of conductive wires which electrically connect the substrate with the light emitting chips such that the plurality of light emitting chips are connected to each other in series, in parallel or in series-parallel; and a protective layer which covers the plurality of light emitting chips and the plurality of conductive wires on the substrate.
US09287241B2
The present invention provides a light emitting device which comprises blue and red light emitting diode (LED) chips and at least one phosphor for emitting green light by means of light emitted from the blue LED chip, and an LCD backlight including the light emitting device. According to the light emitting device of the present invention, uniform white light can be implemented and both high luminance and wider color reproduction range can also be obtained. Accordingly, an LCD backlight for uniform light distribution on an LCD as well as low power consumption and high durability can be manufactured using the light emitting device.
US09287234B2
A device includes a metal pad over a substrate. A passivation layer includes a portion over the metal pad. A post-passivation interconnect (PPI) is electrically coupled to the metal pad, wherein the PPI comprises a portion over the metal pad and the passivation layer. A polymer layer is over the PPI. A dummy bump is over the polymer layer, wherein the dummy bump is electrically insulated from conductive features underlying the polymer layer.
US09287228B2
A method of etching a semiconductor structure, comprises contacting an under bump metallization (UBM) with an etching composition. The UBM includes an underlying layer comprising titanium and an overlying layer comprising a second metal. The etching composition is a liquid comprising at least 0.1 wt % hydrofluoric acid and at least 0.1 wt % phosphoric acid.
US09287226B2
To reduce the radio frequency (RF) losses associated with high RF loss plating, such as, for example, Nickel/Palladium/Gold (Ni/Pd/Au) plating, an on-die passive device, such as a capacitor, resistor, or inductor, associated with a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC) is placed in an RF upper signal path with respect to the RF signal output of the RFIC. By placing the on-die passive device in the RF upper signal path, the RF current does not directly pass through the high RF loss plating material of the passive device bonding pad.
US09287225B2
A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes forming an opening in a first substrate and filling the opening with a metal to form a first connection electrode. The first substrate is then polished by chemical mechanical polishing under conditions such that a polishing rate of the metal is less that of the region surrounding the metal. The chemical mechanical polishing thereby causes the first connection electrode to protrude from the surface of the first substrate. The first substrate is stacked with a second substrate having a second connection electrode. The first and second connection electrodes are bonded by applying pressure and heating to a temperature that is below the melting point of the metal of the first connection electrode.
US09287222B1
An integrated semiconductor device and method for fabricating the same are provided wherein the integrated semiconductor device comprises a substrate a first stress-inducing layer, a second stress-inducing layer and an integrated circuit layer. The first stress-inducing layer covers on the substrate. The second stress-inducing layer partially covers on the first stress-inducing layer. The integrated circuit layer is bonded over the substrate.
US09287220B2
Disclosed herein is a semiconductor package. The semiconductor package according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention includes: a first substrate having an electronic device mounted on both surfaces thereof; and a second substrate bonded to one surface of the first substrate and including an insertion part in which the electronic device mounted on one surface of the first substrate is inserted, wherein the second substrate includes a ground and a shielding wall which is formed along an inner wall or an outer wall of the second substrate.
US09287215B2
A source driver integrated circuit comprises a common node; a plurality of pads for inputting power, a portion of which are connected to an external power source and the remainder of which are connected to the portion through the common node; and a common power line which is connected to the plurality of power input pads through the common node. As a result, the resolution of adjacent channels varies very little and block dimming between channels can be resolved.
US09287209B2
Embodiments described herein provide a structure for finger capacitors, and more specifically metal-oxide-metal (“MOM”) finger capacitors and arrays of finger capacitors. A plurality of Shallow Trench Isolation (STI) formations is associated with every other column of capacitor fingers, with poly fill formations covering the STI formations to provide a more robust and efficient structure.
US09287193B2
A semiconductor device 1 includes a thermal radiation member 4; a first semiconductor chip 21 connected to the thermal radiation member 4; a second semiconductor chip 22 connected to the thermal radiation member 4; and sealing resin 93 sealing the first semiconductor chip 21 and the second semiconductor chip 22. The semiconductor device 1 comprises a first thermal diffusion member 31 connected to the thermal radiation member 4; a second thermal diffusion member 32 connected to the thermal radiation member 4; and a cooler 5 configured to cool the first thermal diffusion member 31 and the second thermal diffusion member 32. A space between the first thermal diffusion member 31 and the second thermal diffusion member 32 is positioned to oppose a space between the first semiconductor chip 21 and the second semiconductor chip 22 via the thermal radiation member 4.
US09287191B2
An embodiment is a structure. The structure comprises a substrate, a chip, and a reinforcement component. The substrate has a first surface, and the first surface comprises depressions. The chip is over and attached to the first surface of the substrate. The reinforcement component is over a first area of the first surface of the substrate. The first area is not under the chip. The reinforcement component has a portion disposed in at least some of the depressions in the first area.
US09287189B2
Methods, systems, and apparatuses for semiconductor devices are provided herein. A semiconductor device includes an array of conductive pads for signals. One or more non-linear compliant springs may be present to route signals from the conductive pads to interconnect pads formed on the semiconductor device to attach bump interconnects. Each non-linear compliant spring may include one or more routing segments. The semiconductor device may be mounted to a circuit board by the bump interconnects. When the semiconductor device operates, heat may be generated by the semiconductor device, causing thermal expansion by the semiconductor device and the circuit board. The semiconductor device and circuit board may expand by different amounts due to differences in their thermal coefficients of expansion. The non-linear compliant springs provide for compliance between the conductive pads and bump interconnects to allow for the different rates of expansion.
US09287188B2
A wafer seal ring may be formed on a first and/or a second wafer. One or both of the first and/or second wafers may have one or more dies formed thereon. The wafer seal ring may be formed to surround the dies of a corresponding wafer. One or more die seal rings may be formed around the one or more dies. The wafer seal ring may be formed to a height that may be approximately equal to a height of one or more die seal rings formed on the first and/or second wafer. The wafer seal ring may be formed to provide for eutectic or fusion bonding processes. The first and second wafers may be bonded together to form a seal ring structure between the first and second wafers. The seal ring structure may provide a hermetic seal between the first and second wafers.
US09287183B1
A method for detecting contamination on a patterned substrate includes: performing a via etch operation on a substrate, wherein the via etch operation is configured to define a via feature on the substrate and expose an etch-stop layer at a bottom of the via feature; performing an etch-stop removal operation on the substrate, wherein the etch-stop removal operation is configured for removing the etch-stop layer at the bottom of the via feature to expose a metallic feature underlying the etch-stop layer; applying an electroless deposition solution to the substrate, the applied electroless deposition solution configured for selectively depositing a metallic material over the exposed metallic feature and on metallic contaminants on exposed surfaces of the substrate, the metallic contaminants being generated from the metallic feature during the etch-stop removal operation; performing an inspection operation on the substrate to identify the metallic contaminants that have been deposited with the metallic material.
US09287181B2
Provided is a method for fabricating a semiconductor device. The method includes forming an interlayer insulating layer on a substrate, the interlayer insulating layer including a first trench; forming a high-k dielectric layer in the first trench; successively forming a diffusion layer and a blocking layer on the high-k dielectric layer; subsequently performing annealing; after the annealing, successively removing the blocking layer and the diffusion layer; forming a first barrier layer on the high-k dielectric layer; successively forming a work function adjustment layer and a gate conductor on the first barrier layer; and forming a capping layer on the gate conductor.
US09287179B2
The present disclosure involves a FinFET. The FinFET includes a fin structure formed over a substrate. A gate dielectric layer is least partially wrapped around a segment of the fin structure. The gate dielectric layer contains a high-k gate dielectric material. The FinFET includes a polysilicon layer conformally formed on the gate dielectric layer. The FinFET includes a metal gate electrode layer formed over the polysilicon layer. The present disclosure provides a method of fabricating a FinFET. The method includes providing a fin structure containing a semiconductor material. The method includes forming a gate dielectric layer over the fin structure, the gate dielectric layer being at least partially wrapped around the fin structure. The method includes forming a polysilicon layer over the gate dielectric layer, wherein the polysilicon layer is formed in a conformal manner. The method includes forming a dummy gate layer over the polysilicon layer.
US09287176B2
An optical device including a substrate formed of a light transmitting material and a light emitting layer formed on the front surface of the substrate. Both the front surface and the back surface of the substrate are parallel to each other and have substantially the same rectangular shape. The substrate has four side surfaces connecting the front surface and the back surface of the substrate. Each side surface of the substrate has a corrugated sectional shape such that a plurality of concave portions and convex portions are alternately formed.
US09287166B2
A system and a method for protecting vias is disclosed. An embodiment comprises forming an opening in a substrate. A barrier layer disposed in the opening including along the sidewalls of the opening. The barrier layer may include a metal component and an alloying material. A conductive material is formed on the barrier layer and fills the opening. The conductive material to form a via (e.g., TSV).
US09287165B2
A power semiconductor device includes a semiconductor body, having an active zone and a high voltage peripheral zone laterally adjacent to each other, the high voltage peripheral zone laterally surrounding the active zone. The device further includes a metallization layer on a front surface of the semiconductor body and connected to the active zone, a first barrier layer, comprising a high-melting metal or a high-melting alloy, between the active zone and the metallization layer, and a second barrier layer covering at least a part of the peripheral zone, the second barrier layer comprising an amorphous semi-isolating material. The first barrier layer and the second barrier layer partially overlap and form an overlap zone. The overlap zone extends over an entire circumference of the active zone. A method for producing such a power semiconductor device is also provided.
US09287162B2
A semiconductor structure is formed to include a non-conductive layer with at least one metal line, a first dielectric layer, a first stop layer, a second dielectric layer, a second stop layer, a third stop layer and a fourth stop layer. A first photoresist layer is formed over the upper stop layer to develop at least one via pattern. The structure is selectively etched to form the via pattern in the third stop layer through the fourth stop layer. The first photoresist layer is then removed. A second photoresist layer is formed over the upper stop layer to develop a plurality of trench patterns, each of the trench pattern comprising a via-trench portion in which the trench pattern is formed above the via pattern, and a trench portion that is remaining part of the trench pattern.
US09287161B2
A method of manufacturing a wiring includes sequentially forming a first insulation layer, a first layer, and a second layer on a substrate, etching an upper portion of the second layer a plurality of times to form a second layer pattern including a first recess having a shape of a staircase, etching a portion of the second layer pattern and a portion of the first layer under the first recess to form a first layer pattern including a second recess having a shape of a staircase similar to the first recess, etching a portion of the first layer pattern under the second recess to form a first opening exposing a portion of a top surface of the first insulation layer, etching the exposed portion of the first insulation layer to form a second opening through the first insulation layer, and forming a wiring filling the second opening.
US09287160B2
A semiconductor device, and a method of fabricating the same, include a substrate including two-dimensionally arranged active portions, device isolation patterns extending along sidewalls of the active portions, each of the device isolation patterns including first and second device isolation patterns, gate patterns extending across the active portions and the device isolation patterns, each of the gate patterns including a gate insulating layer, a gate line and a gate capping pattern, and ohmic patterns on the active portions, respectively. Top surfaces of the first device isolation pattern and the gate insulating layer may be lower than those of the second device isolation pattern and the gate capping pattern, respectively, and the ohmic patterns may include an extending portion on the first insulating layer.
US09287157B2
A semiconductor element that includes a forsy patterned conductive layer, a second pattern conductive layer and an insulating layer. The first surface of the second patterned conductive layer is connected to a second surface of the first patterned conductive layer. The insulating layer includes at least one space on a second surface thereof. The first patterned conductive layer and the second patterned conductive layer are embedded in the insulating layer between a first surface and a second surface thereof, the first surface of the first patterned conductive layer is entirely exposed on a first surface of the insulating layer, a second surface of the second patterned conductive layer is entirely exposed on the second surface of the insulating layer, and the space exposes the second surface of the first patterned conductive layer.
US09287146B2
To provide an induction heating apparatus that employs a batch-type heating system for heating a large-diameter wafer and can perform uniform heating with a high precision, an induction heating apparatus (10) that heats an inductive-heating target member using a magnetic flux generated from a solenoid-type induction heating coil (18) and heats a wafer (40) using the heat generated from the inductive-heating target member, wherein a plurality of inductive-heating target members 14 (14a, 14b, and 14c) of which principal surface is arranged perpendicularly to a core axis direction of the induction heating coil (18) are interspersed. In the induction heating apparatus (10) described above, a susceptor (12) may be configured by housing the inductive-heating target member (14) in a single holder (16) made of a member having magnetic permeability and heat conductivity.
US09287145B2
In a coating and developing treatment system including a treatment station and an interface station, the interface station has: a cleaning unit cleaning a rear surface of a wafer before the wafer is transferred into an exposure apparatus; an inspection unit inspecting whether the cleaned wafer is in an exposable state; and a wafer transfer mechanism including an arm transferring the wafer between the cleaning unit and the inspection unit. Each of the cleaning unit and the inspection unit is provided at multiple tiers in an up and down direction on the front side in the interface station, and the wafer transfer mechanism is provided in a region adjacent to the cleaning units and the inspection units.
US09287142B2
A management method is able to quickly investigate the cause of a defect generated in a semiconductor product manufacturing process. Manufacturing conditions in various QFP manufacturing steps are stored in a main server while correlating them with an identification number of the QFP, and a two-dimensional bar code corresponding to the identification number is stamped to the surface of the QFP. In the event of occurrence of a defect of the QFP, the manufacturing conditions for the QFP stored in the main server can be traced in an instant by reading the two-dimensional bar code of the QFP and thereby specifying the identification number.
US09287140B2
Provided are semiconductor packages having through electrodes and methods of fabricating the same. The method may include may include forming a wafer-level package including first semiconductor chips stacked on a second semiconductor chip, forming a chip-level package including fourth semiconductor chips stacked on a third semiconductor chip stacking a plurality of the chip-level packages on a back surface of the second semiconductor substrate of the wafer-level package, polishing the first mold layer of the wafer-level package and the first semiconductor chips to expose a first through electrodes of the first semiconductor chip, and forming outer electrodes on the polished first semiconductor chips to be connected to the first through electrodes, respectively.
US09287139B2
A method includes forming a dummy gate stack over a semiconductor substrate, removing the dummy gate stack to form a recess, and implanting a portion of the semiconductor substrate through the recess. During the implantation, an amorphous region is formed from the portion of the semiconductor substrate. The method further includes forming a strained capping layer, wherein the strained capping layer extends into the recess. An annealing is performed on the amorphous region to re-crystallize the amorphous region. The strained capping layer is then removed.
US09287137B2
Embodiments of the disclosure generally provide methods of forming a silicon containing layers in TFT devices. The silicon can be used to form the active channel in a LTPS TFT or be utilized as an element in a gate dielectric layer, a passivation layer or even an etch stop layer. The silicon containing layer is deposited by a vapor deposition process whereby an inert gas, such as argon, is introduced along with the silicon precursor. The inert gas functions to drive out weak, dangling silicon-hydrogen bonds or silicon-silicon bonds so that strong silicon-silicon or silicon-oxygen bonds remain to form a substantially hydrogen free silicon containing layer.
US09287136B2
Field effect transistors fabricated using atomic layer doping processes are disclosed. In accordance with an embodiment of an atomic layer doping method, a semiconducting surface and a dopant gas mixture are prepared. Further, a dopant layer is grown on the semiconducting surface by applying the dopant gas mixture to the semiconducting surface under a pressure that is less than 500 Torr and a temperature that is between 300° C. and 750° C. The dopant layer includes at least 4×1020 active dopant atoms per cm3 that react with atoms on the semiconducting surface such that the reacted atoms increase the conductivity of the semiconducting surface.
US09287133B2
A method for hard mask layer removal includes dispensing a chemical on a hard mask layer, in which the chemical includes an acidic chemical. The chemical is drained from a chamber after hard mask removal.
US09287131B2
A method involving identifying a pattern for an overall target cut mask to be used in patterning line-type features that includes a target non-rectangular opening feature having an inner, concave corner, decomposing the overall target cut mask pattern into first and second sub-target patterns, wherein the first sub-target pattern comprises a first rectangular-shaped opening feature corresponding to a first portion, but not all, of the target non-rectangular opening feature and the second sub-target pattern comprises a second rectangular-shaped opening feature corresponding to a second portion, but not all, of the target non-rectangular opening feature, the first and second openings overlapping adjacent the inner, concave corner, and generating first and second sets of mask data corresponding to the first and second sub-target patterns, wherein at least one of the first and second sets of mask data is generated based upon an identified contact-to-end-of-cut-line spacing rule.
US09287118B2
Provided is a highly integrated semiconductor device, a semiconductor device with large storage capacitance with respect to an area occupied by a capacitor, a semiconductor device capable of high-speed writing or reading, a semiconductor device with low power consumption, or a highly reliable semiconductor device. Provided are steps of forming a first oxide semiconductor over a first substrate, forming a first insulator over the first oxide semiconductor, injecting an ion into a region of the first oxide semiconductor through the first insulator, bonding a surface of the first insulator provided with the first substrate to a surface of a second insulator over a second substrate, performing a heat treatment in a state where the surfaces are bonded, separating the first substrate from the second substrate along the region of the first oxide semiconductor, and forming a second oxide semiconductor over the second substrate.
US09287117B2
To provide a highly reliable semiconductor device including an oxide semiconductor by suppression of change in its electrical characteristics. Oxygen is supplied from a base insulating layer provided below an oxide semiconductor layer and a gate insulating layer provided over the oxide semiconductor layer to a region where a channel is formed, whereby oxygen vacancies which might be generated in the channel are filled. Further, extraction of oxygen from the oxide semiconductor layer by a source electrode layer or a drain electrode layer in the vicinity of the channel formed in the oxide semiconductor layer is suppressed, whereby oxygen vacancies which might be generated in a channel are suppressed.
US09287115B2
A method of forming a semiconductor substrate including a type III-V semiconductor material directly on a dielectric material that includes forming a trench in a dielectric layer, and forming a via within the trench extending from a base of the trench to an exposed upper surface of an underlying semiconductor including substrate. A III-V semiconductor material is formed extending from the exposed upper surface of the semiconductor substrate filling at least a portion of the trench.
US09287111B2
An ozone gas generation processing apparatus that includes a light source of ultraviolet rays and a wafer placement section, generates ozone gas by irradiating ultraviolet rays from the light source in an atmosphere containing oxygen, and processes a wafer on the wafer placement section with the ozone gas, the ozone gas generation processing apparatus comprising a light-blocking plate that allows the generated ozone gas to pass therethrough and blocks the ultraviolet rays between the light source and the wafer placed on the wafer placement section. An ozone gas generation processing apparatus and a method of forming an oxide film silicon film can make an adjustment to make thinner an oxide film formed on a wafer surface, the wafer surface is not damaged by ultraviolet rays when processed, and a method for evaluating a silicon single crystal wafer, obtaining a more stable measurement value of C-V characteristics are provided.
US09287109B2
One method disclosed herein includes forming a layer of insulating material above a semiconductor substrate, forming a hard mask layer comprised of a metal-containing material above the layer of insulating material, forming a blanket protection layer on the hard mask layer, forming a masking layer above the protection layer, performing at least one etching process on the masking layer to form a patterned masking layer having an opening that stops on and exposes a portion of the blanket protection layer, confirming that the patterned masking layer is properly positioned relative to at least one underlying structure or layer and, after confirming that the patterned masking layer is properly positioned, performing at least one etching process through the patterned masking layer to pattern at least the blanket protection layer.
US09287097B2
The simulation method is for predicting a damage amount due to ultraviolet rays in manufacturing a semiconductor device. The method includes: calculating particle density by performing simulation based on a differential equation for the particle density; calculating emission intensity at each wavelength in a visible wavelength region based on the calculated particle density; obtaining an electron energy distribution function by comparing the calculated emission intensity at each wavelength in the visible wavelength region with an actually detected emission spectrum in the visible wavelength region with reference to information on emission species and an emission wavelength in a target manufacturing process; predicting an emission spectrum in an ultraviolet wavelength region by using the electron energy distribution function and a reaction cross-sectional area relating to the emission species; and predicting a damage amount due to the ultraviolet rays based on the predicted emission spectrum in the ultraviolet wavelength region.
US09287087B2
In a sample observation method, a sample stage is placed at a first tilt angle with respect to a charged particle beam, and an observation surface of a sample is irradiated with the charged particle beam to acquire a first charged particle image. The sample stage is then tilted to a second tilt angle different from the first tilt angle about a first sample stage axis, and the observation surface is again irradiated with the charged particle beam to acquire a second charged particle image. The sample stage is tilted to a tilt angle at which an area of the observation surface in the acquired charged particle image is the larger of the first charged particle image and the second charged particle image. The observation surface is then irradiated with the charged particle beam to observe the observation surface.
US09287085B2
A processing apparatus including a process chamber, a plasma source disposed within the process chamber, wherein the plasma source is movable in a first direction and is configured to emit an ion beam along a second direction that is orthogonal to the first direction. The apparatus may further include a platen disposed within the process chamber for supporting a substrate, and an ion beam current sensor that is disposed adjacent to the platen.
US09287080B2
A system and method for generating X-rays are provided. The X-ray source includes an X-ray chamber including a sidewall formed of a piezoelectric material at least partially surrounding an evacuated chamber, a cathode positioned at a first end of the evacuated chamber, an anode positioned at a second opposite end of the evacuated chamber, and a window positioned at the second end, the window substantially transparent to X-ray radiation. The window includes a target layer at least partially covering a surface of the window. The target layer is configured to receive a flow of electrons from the cathode and to generate a flow of X-rays from an interaction with the flow of electrons. The X-ray source includes an actuator coaxially aligned with the X-ray chamber and configured to generate a stress in the sidewall.
US09287077B2
A manufacturing method of a flexible display is provided, which comprises steps of forming an silicon layer on a rigid substrate, forming a frame-type silicon layer from the silicon layer, attaching a flexible substrate onto the surface of the rigid substrate on which the frame-type amorphous silicon layer is formed, forming a display film on the flexible substrate, and dehydrogenating the frame-type silicon layer after the formation of the display film is complete, so that the flexible substrate is separated from the frame-type silicon layer for obtaining the flexible display. The manufacturing method of the flexible display prevents the problem of low yield rate caused by the damage to the plastic substrate in the separation process.
US09287074B2
A relay for automatically selecting a monitoring range for monitoring a parameter of an input source and a method for monitoring a parameter of an input source can be provided whereby the relay comprises one or more terminals for coupling to the input source; a plurality of switchable circuits coupled to the one or more terminals; a processing module coupled to the plurality of switchable circuits for automatically selecting a monitoring range from a plurality of monitoring ranges based on a value of the parameter of the input source, each monitoring range associated with one or more of said switchable circuits; and a relay switch being configured to provide or disrupt electrical communication to a circuit, based on a trigger signal provided by the processing module. A signal conditioning module may also be provided for e.g. conditioning signals prior to selection of the monitoring range.
US09287068B2
A touch panel includes a protective cover with a lower surface herein, and an active region and a periphery region defined on the lower surface. A first sensing structure is disposed on the lower surface and covers the active region. A shelter layer is disposed on the lower surface and in the periphery region, wherein the shelter layer includes a highlight region and a highlight contrast region, a first pattern is disposed in the highlight region, and a non-transparent layer with a second pattern is disposed in the highlight region, wherein the first pattern is overlapped by the second pattern.
US09287067B2
Switch assembly for changing the direction of current from a power source to an appliance comprising—at least four wirings, two of the wirings are connectable with the power source and the remaining wirings are connectable with the appliance,—all wirings are fixed on the surface of a substrate and none of the wirings are directly connected to each other,—a first button comprising a first conductive pattern on one surface of said button,—a second button comprising a second conductive pattern on one surface of said button,—the surfaces of the buttons on which the conductive patterns are arranged face the surface of said substrate where the wirings are arranged,—the buttons are fixed on the substrate—the conductive patterns on the buttons and said wirings on the surface of the substrate are arranged in such a manner and said buttons are placed on said substrate in such manner, that (i) said conductive patterns on the buttons are not in contact with said wirings in an unpressed state of the buttons, (ii) one button connects by means of the conductive pattern in a pressed state simultaneously the first wiring of the two wirings with one wiring of the remaining wirings and the second wiring of the two wirings with another wiring of the remaining wirings to enable a first current path through the switch assembly, and (iii) the other button connects by means of the conductive pattern in a pressed state the first wiring of the two wirings with one wiring of the remaining wirings and the second wiring of the two wirings with another wiring of the remaining wirings to enable a second current path through the switch assembly being different to the first current path, wherein further the conductive patterns comprise a composition (CO) comprising a polymer and a conductive material dispersed in said polymer and/or a conjugated polymer.
US09287066B2
A key structure in an electronic product includes a housing. The key structure includes a pressing portion, a printed circuit board (PCB), a key, and a sensor. The key and the sensor are both located on the PCB and electronically connected with each other. When the pressing portion is pressed, the key structure acts as a mechanical key. When the pressing portion is simply touched, the key structure acts as a touch key.
US09287063B2
A bicycle handlebar system comprises a control element for controlling an electric auxiliary motor, said element being adapted to be fastened to the handlebar. The control element has a housing, wherein a plurality of switching elements is arranged in recesses in the housing, one membrane button is arranged in the housing per switching element, the switching element acting on said membrane button, and the membrane buttons are interconnected through a common flexibly conductor path.
US09287061B1
A rotor is shown for an electromechanical switching device, includes: a rotor housing; two contact bridges having in each case two contact portions; an intermediate element disposed between the two contact bridges and mounted so as to be rotatable about a rotation axis; and first spring pins and second spring pins; first spring elements and second spring elements. In an embodiment, the spring pins, the spring elements, and the intermediate element are operationally connected, and at least one of the first and second spring pins is disposed on the intermediate element and/or on the contact bridges such that the spring pin by rotating the rotor is tiltable between the two states in relation to the rotation axis. An embodiment furthermore relates to an electromechanical switching device including the rotor.
US09287060B2
In this device, a mechanism for receiving an input mechanical command and for actuating first and second switches comprises a lever having a first side arm tiltable about a swiveling axis of said lever and a second side arm tiltable about the same swiveling axis. The first side arm and the second side arm are respectively arranged on a first side and a second side opposite relative to said swiveling axis. The first side arm is an operating arm for operating the first switch. The second side arm is an operating arm for operating the second switch.
US09287053B2
A method of manufacturing a solid electrolytic capacitor having an even conductive polymer layer includes the steps of forming a conductive polymer layer on an anode element by bringing a dispersion containing a conductive solid and a first solvent into contact with the anode element having a dielectric film formed thereon, washing the anode element with a second solvent higher in boiling point than the first solvent, in which the conductive solid can be dispersed, after the conductive polymer layer is formed, and drying the anode element washed with the second solvent at a temperature not lower than the boiling point of the first solvent and lower than the boiling point of the second solvent.
US09287047B2
A multilayer ceramic capacitor may include: a ceramic body including a plurality of dielectric layers; a first capacitor part including a first internal electrode and a second internal electrode disposed in the ceramic body; second to fifth capacitor parts including a third internal electrode having first and second leads and a fourth internal electrode having third and fourth leads, the third and fourth internal electrodes being disposed on one dielectric layer in the ceramic body, and fifth and sixth internal electrodes disposed on another dielectric layer in the ceramic body; and a first external electrode and a second external electrode. The first capacitor part and the second to fifth capacitor parts may be connected in parallel to each other.
US09287044B2
There are provided an electronic component and a fabrication method thereof. The electronic component includes: a ceramic main body including end surfaces in a length direction, side surfaces in a width direction and top and bottom surfaces in a thickness direction; first and second external electrodes formed on the end surfaces, respectively; third and fourth external electrodes formed on the side surfaces, respectively; first internal electrodes formed within the ceramic main body and connected to first and second external electrodes; and second internal electrodes alternately arranged with the first internal electrodes, while having a ceramic layer interposed therebetween, and connected to the third and fourth external electrodes, wherein thickness t1 and t2 of the first and second internal electrodes is 0.9 μm or less, while a roughness R1 of the first internal electrode is lower than a roughness R2 of the second internal electrode.
US09287040B2
Systems and designs for tuning a wireless power transfer system are provided, which may include any number of features. In one embodiment, a wireless power transfer system can be configured such that resonant frequencies of the system move towards an operating frequency of the system as a coupling coefficient between the transmit and receive resonators becomes smaller. In another embodiment, a receive controller can be configured to control a current delivered to a DC load by comparing an actual current at the DC load to a current requested by the DC load and adjusting an angle or a magnitude of a voltage at the DC load to match the requested current. In another embodiment, a rectifier circuit can act as a controlled voltage source and be configured to tune resonant frequencies between the transmit resonator and the receive resonator. Methods of use are also provided.
US09287037B2
A transformer-bobbin including a winding-frame portion constituted by a middle barrel portion 63, a lower flange portion 62 and an upper flange portion 61, wherein there is provided a slit portion 67 which notches the terminal bed unit 65 and the lower flange portion 62 and concurrently which extends in the centrally approaching and separating direction toward the middle barrel portion 63 side, and wherein at the slit portion 67, there is provided a guide wall surface 68a whose side on the middle barrel portion 63 side is positioned on the lower flange portion side compared with whose side apart from the middle barrel portion 63.
US09287034B2
A printed wiring board has a core base having an opening portion, an inductor component accommodated in the opening portion, and a filler resin filling gap between the component and a side wall of the opening portion. The component has a support layer, a first conductive pattern on the support, an interlayer insulation layer on the support and first pattern, a second conductive pattern on the insulation layer, and a via conductor in the insulation layer and connecting the first and second patterns, the insulation layer includes a magnetic layer and a resin layer covering the magnetic layer, the magnetic layer includes magnetic material and resin material and has a first hole, the insulation layer has a second hole penetrating through the resin layer such that the second hole passes through the first hole and extends to the first pattern, and the via conductor is formed in the second hole.
US09287027B2
An objective of the present invention is to provide a rare earth metal-based permanent magnet with improved adhesion properties. A rare earth metal-based permanent magnet of the present invention as a means for achieving the objective has a laminated plating film, and is characterized in that the plating film comprises as an outermost surface layer a SnCu alloy plating film having a film thickness in a range from 0.1 μm to 2 μm, the composition of the SnCu alloy plating film is 35 mass % or more but less than 55 mass % of Sn and the rest being Cu, and a base plating film having two or more layers including at least a Ni plating film and a Cu plating film which are formed as the lower layer under the SnCu alloy plating film, and among the base plating film, the Ni plating film is located just below the SnCu alloy plating film. A joined structure fabricated using the rare earth metal-based permanent magnet of the present invention exhibits favorable initial adhesion strength when combined with a silicone-based adhesive, and is less deteriorated in adhesion strength even after a moisture resistance test.
US09287026B2
An object is to provide a magnetic material and coil component offering improved magnetic permeability and insulation resistance, while also offering improved high-temperature load, moisture resistance, water absorbency, and other reliability characteristics at the same time. A magnetic material that has multiple metal grains constituted by Fe—Si-M soft magnetic alloy (where M is a metal element that oxidizes more easily than Fe), as well as oxide film constituted by an oxide of the soft magnetic alloy and formed on the surface of the metal grains, wherein the magnetic material has bonding parts where adjacent metal grains are bonded together via the oxide film formed on their surface, as well as bonding parts where metal grains are directly bonded together in areas having no oxide film, and resin material is filled in at least some of the voids generating as a result of accumulation of the metal grains.
US09287021B2
Shelf brackets to conduct electricity to refrigerator shelves are disclosed. An example shelf bracket includes an end configured to engage a support rail, the end having a first area to conduct electricity from the support rail to the shelf bracket, an arm extending from the end to support the shelf, the arm comprising a second area to conduct electricity from the shelf bracket to the shelf, a non-electrically conductive coating applied to substantially all of the shelf bracket except in the first and second areas, a first electrically conductive material applied to at least a portion of the first area, and a second electrically conductive material applied to at least a portion of the second area, wherein the shelf bracket is formed from a third electrically conductive material, the third electrically conductive material to conduct electricity between the first and second areas.
US09287018B2
A method for preparing silver-based electrical contact materials with fiber-like arrangement of reinforcing nanoparticles includes (1) uniformly mixing reinforcement powders and silver matrix powders for ball milling; (2) pouring the obtained composite powders and silver matrix powders into a powder mixing machine for powder mixing; (3) cold isostatic pressing; (4) sintering; (5) hot pressing; and (6) hot extruding to obtain silver-based electrical contact materials with fiber-like arrangement of reinforcing nanoparticles. The method of the present invention can obtain silver-based electrical contact materials with fiber-like arrangement of reinforcing nanoparticles with no specific requirement on processing deformation, and the plasticity and ductility of the reinforcing phase. Furthermore, it has simple processes, low cost and no particular requirements on the equipment. Contact materials prepared by the present method have good resistance to welding and arc erosion, conductivity and a greatly enhanced processing performance.
US09287007B2
A redundancy control circuit includes: a fail address storage unit configured to store a fail address; a shared storage unit configured to store data as to whether a value stored in the fail address storage unit corresponds to both of a first address and a second address; an address comparator configured to compare a value stored in the fail address storage unit with a first input address and a second input address, respectively; and a redundancy controller configured to control a redundancy operation in response to a value stored in the shared storage unit and comparison results of the address comparator.
US09287002B2
A sampling circuit may include a sampling capacitance, an electronic sampling switch, and a switch controller. The electronic sampling switch may have a control input that controls whether the electronic sampling switch is in a sample state or a hold state. The electronic sampling switch may connect the sampling capacitance to an input signal while in the sample state and disconnect the sampling capacitance from the input signal while in the hold state. The switch controller may control the control input to the electronic sampling switch so as to cause the electronic sampling switch to be in the sample state during one period and the hold state during another period. While in the sample state, the switch controller may cause the impedance of the electronic sampling switch that is seen by the input signal to be substantially independent of the voltage of the input signal. The switch controller may include a pre-charge circuit that pre-charges the control input to the electronic sampling switch prior to each commencement of the sample state to approximately the average of the voltage of the input signal and the voltage on the sampling capacitance immediately prior to each commencement of the sample state. The amount of the pre-charging may be substantially independent of the voltage of the input signal.
US09287000B1
A technique is provided for programming a transistor having a source, a drain, a gate, and a channel region between the source and the drain. The gate is above dielectric above the channel region. A gate voltage is about equal to or greater than a breakdown voltage of the gate dielectric in order to break down the gate dielectric into a breakdown state. Current flows between the source and the drain as a result of breaking down the gate dielectric. In response to the transistor being programmed, the current flowing between the source and the drain is not based on the gate voltage at the gate.
US09286999B1
A semiconductor device includes a first input/output (I/O) part buffering command/address (C/A) signals inputted through a first pad part to generate delay address signals, an internal address generator generating a plurality of internal address signals according to a level combination of the delay address signals, and a second I/O part including a plurality of fuses selected by the plurality of internal address signals in a test mode. The plurality of fuses of the second I/O part are programmed according to logic levels of data inputted to the second I/O part through a second pad part to control I/O characteristics of the second I/O part.
US09286987B1
Techniques are provided for preventing program disturb of unselected memory cells during programming of a selected memory cell in a NAND string which includes a continuous charge-trapping layer, either in a two-dimensional or three-dimensional configuration. In such a NAND string, regions between the memory cells can be inadvertently programmed as parasitic cells due to the program voltage and pass voltages on the word lines. For programmed cells, an upshift in threshold voltage due to a parasitic cell can be avoided by providing a higher pass voltage on an adjacent later-programmed word line than on an adjacent previously-programmed word line. For erased cells, an upshift in threshold voltage due to the parasitic cells can be reduced by progressively lowering the pass voltage on the adjacent later-programmed word line. The lowering can occur when memory cells of a lowest target data state complete programming.
US09286985B2
According to one embodiment, a semiconductor device includes a nonvolatile memory, a volatile memory, and a controller. The controller is configured to transition a part of the volatile memory to a self-refresh mode when a request for stopping supplying of power to the nonvolatile memory is received.
US09286983B2
A memory string includes a pass transistor, first memory cells connected in series to a drain terminal of the pass transistor, and first to kth memory cell groups connected in parallel to a source terminal of the pass transistor and each including a plurality of second memory cells connected in series. Here, ‘k’ denotes an integer that is equal to or greater than ‘2’.
US09286982B2
The present invention relates to a flash memory device with EEPROM functionality. The flash memory device is byte-erasable and bit-programmable.
US09286976B2
Described are apparatuses and methods for improving resistive memory energy efficiency and reliability. An apparatus may include a resistive memory cell coupled to a conductive line. The apparatus may further include a driver coupled to the conductive line to drive current for the resistive memory cell during a write operation. The resistance of the driver may be selectively increased for two or more time periods during the write operation for detecting a voltage change on the conductive line. The current for the write operation may be turned off when the voltage change is detected to improve resistive memory energy efficiency and reliability.
US09286975B2
The present disclosure relates to mitigating read disturb in a cross-point memory. An apparatus may include a memory controller configured to select a target memory cell for a memory access operation. The memory controller includes a sense module configured to determine whether a snap back event occurs during a sensing interval; and a write back module configured to write back a logic one to the memory cell if a snap back event is detected.
US09286970B2
A memory includes a word line, a bit line and a complementary bit line. A memory cell has a data node coupled to the bit line and a complementary data node coupled to the complementary bit line. The word line controls access to the memory cell. A circuit is coupled to the bit line and the complementary bit line. The circuit is configured to pull up to a high voltage, pull down to a low voltage, or float the bit line and the complementary bit line based on a first timing of pre-charging and a second timing of write driving. The first timing and the second timing are synchronized.
US09286961B1
A method and apparatus for reducing a number of delay elements used in providing a delayed data strobe signal is disclosed. The method includes determining a number of delay elements of a master delay locked loop (DLL) needed to provide a calibrated delay of a clock signal (i.e. the data strobe). The method also include determining an integer number of half clock periods within the calibrated delay, and determining a second number of delay elements within the calibrated delay. If the integer number of half clock periods within the calibrated delay is zero, a slave DLL may be programmed with the first number of delay elements. However, if the number of half clock periods is non-zero, then a third number of delay elements is calculated by subtracting the second number of delay elements from the first number. Thereafter, the slave DLL is programmed with the third number of delay elements.
US09286960B2
According to one embodiment, each memory chip included in a memory package includes a first storage unit that stores therein first information that is n-bit information and is a comparison target of a chip address, and is used for identifying its own memory chip, a second storage unit that stores therein second information for determining an effective bit of the n-bit first information, and a control unit that determines an effective bit of the n-bit first information and an effective bit of the chip address based on the second information.
US09286944B2
A method of providing a combination of video data (37) and metadata (34) includes obtaining a sequence (23) of images captured by a video camera (5). At least one signal (24) is extracted from the sequence (23) of images, wherein each extracted signal (24) characterizes local temporal variations in at least one of light intensity and color. At least one video compression technique is applied on image data of images from the sequence (23) to obtain compressed video data (37). The extracted signals (24) are extracted from images in a state prior to the application of the at least one compression technique to image data from those images. The compressed video data (37) is provided with metadata (34) for characterizing at least one process in a subject represented in at least part of the images, which process causes local temporal variations in at least one of color and intensity of light captured from the subject. The metadata (34) is at least based on at least one of the extracted signals (24).
US09286940B1
An apparatus having a server is disclosed. The server may be configured to (i) receive via a network a first clip of video generated by a camera, (ii) receive via the network first information to edit the first clip, (iii) receive via the network one or more segments of a second clip of video generated by the camera as identified by the first information and (iv) create a third clip of video by editing the segments according to the first information. The second clip is generally a higher resolution version of the first clip. The third clip may have the higher resolution.
US09286938B1
Systems and methods for generating and presenting different length versions of a video are presented. In one or more aspects, a system is provided that includes an analysis component configured to analyze a video and generate summaries of content included in respective segments of the video, and a summary component configured to generate shortened versions of the video having durations less than the duration of the video based in part on the summaries of the content included in the respective segments of the video, wherein the video is made available for streaming in association with an option to select the video or one of the shortened versions.
US09286934B2
A method and apparatus for data de-duplication is disclosed. Use de-duplication engine (DDE) divides data into regions. The DDE processes the regions in a serial fashion. The DDE clears its hash table before processing the first region. Each region is divided into a number of chunks. A hash is generated for each chunk in a region. When a hash for a chunk is not in a hash table, the hash is stored in the hash table and the chunk is stored on media. When the hash is a duplicate of a hash already in the table, the hash and chunk are discarded and a reference to the previously stored chunk is stored to the media. The DDE does not retain all the hashes from all the regions in the hash table at the same time. The DDE only retains the hashes for the current region being processed and N previous regions where N is a positive integer greater than zero.
US09286932B2
A hard disk drive includes a storage surface, a motor, a read/write had, and a number of regions into which the storage surface is divisible. Data is writable to and data is readable from the storage surface. The motor is to rotate the storage surface at a variable speed. The read/write head is to write data to and read data from the storage surface while the storage surface is rotated by the motor. Each region corresponds to a different speed at which the storage surface is rotated for the read/write head to write data to and read data from the region.
US09286928B1
According to one embodiment, a measurement method is applied to a disk device including a disk, and a head configured to protrude toward the disk when power is supplied thereto. In the method, a reference value for each of areas of the disk is acquired from a measurement-value distribution including pre-measured values that correspond to power supplied to a heater when the head is brought into contact with the disk. In each area, a data group calculated from the distribution and the reference value is acquired. An area where the data group has lower values than in the other areas is selected as a first area to be firstly measured. An area to be measured subsequent to the first area based on the data group is selected.
US09286924B1
A flexible printed circuit assembly includes a flexible printed circuit board including a base portion and a relay portion extending from a first edge of the base portion and capable of being bent relative to the base portion, a first reinforcing member disposed at the relay portion, and a second reinforcing member attached to a first region of the base portion that includes a second edge opposite to the first edge and having an engaging portion. The first region of the base portion is capable of being folded back towards a second region of the base portion that includes the first edge, and the engaging portion of the second reinforcing member is capable of being engaged with the first reinforcing member.
US09286919B1
A magnetic transducer has air-bearing surface (ABS) and includes a main pole, at least one coil, a side shield and a side gap. The coil(s) energize the main pole. A portion of the main pole resides at the ABS. The side gap is between the main pole and the side shield. The side gap is nonmagnetic and includes a first side gap and a second side gap. The first side gap is conformal with the main pole. The second side gap is conformal with the main pole. The first side gap is between the second side gap and the ABS. The second side gap is wider than the first side gap.
US09286910B1
A system for resolving a user's question regarding media at the user's location where the question includes ambiguity as to the context of the question. Context information is acquired from a device or devices at the user's location, and if multiple possible contexts are identified, the system may attempt to resolve the question for more than one of the possible contexts. The system for answering questions and the source of the media may be different and independent.
US09286904B2
A computing device may be configured to output a digital audio stream to an audio playback system for rendering as sound over speakers. The sound may be sampled. Based at least in part on a quality of the sampled sound, the data rate of the digital audio stream may be reduced by reducing a sampling rate and/or by reducing a number of bits per sample. A reduced sampling rate may be determined based on a computed maximum sampling rate of the audio playback system, and/or a reduced number of bits per sample may be determined based on a computed maximum number of bits per sample of the audio playback system. The maximum usable sampling rate and maximum usable number of bits per sample may be determined based on an upper usable frequency within a frequency spectrum of the sampled sound.
US09286902B2
A machine may be configured to generate one or more audio fingerprints of one or more segments of audio data. The machine may access audio data to be fingerprinted and divide the audio data into segments. For any given segment, the machine may generate a spectral representation from the segment; generate a vector from the spectral representation; generate an ordered set of permutations of the vector; generate an ordered set of numbers from the permutations of the vector; and generate a fingerprint of the segment of the audio data, which may be considered a sub-fingerprint of the audio data. In addition, the machine or a separate device may be configured to determine a likelihood that candidate audio data matches reference audio data.
US09286894B1
Recognition techniques may include the following. On a first processing entity, a first recognition process is performed on a first element, where the first recognition process includes: in a first state machine having M (M>1) states, determining a first best path cost in at least a subset of the M states for at least part of the first element. On a second processing entity, a second recognition process is performed on a second element, where the second recognition process includes: in a second state machine having N (N>1) states, determining a second best path cost in at least a subset of the N states for at least part of the second element. At least one of the following is done: (i) passing the first best path cost to the second state machine, or (ii) passing the second best path cost to the first state machine. The foregoing techniques may include one or more of the following features, either alone or in combination.
US09286892B2
Some implementations include a computer-implemented method. The method can include providing a training set of text samples to a semantic parser that associates text samples with actions. The method can include obtaining, for each of one or more of the text samples of the training set, data that indicates one or more domains that the semantic parser has associated with the text sample. For each of one or more domains, a subset of the text samples of the training set can be generated that the semantic parser has associated with the domain. Using the subset of text samples associated with the domain, a language model can be generated for one or more of the domain. Speech recognition can be performed on an utterance using the one or more language models that are generated for the one or more of the domains.
US09286880B2
A masking sound outputting device includes: an inputting unit which receives a picked-up sound signal relating to a picked-up sound; an extracting unit which extracts an acoustic feature amount of the picked-up sound signal; an instruction receiving unit which receives instructions for starting an output of a masking sound; and an outputting unit which, in the case where the instruction receiving unit receives the instructions for starting an output, outputs a masking sound corresponding to the acoustic feature amount extracted by the extracting unit.
US09286875B1
An electronic percussion instrument includes a chair having a seat, a first arm disposed on one side of the seat, and a second arm disposed on an opposite side of the seat. A set of piezoelectric triggers is arrayed along each of the first and second arms and the triggers are positioned to be struck by the thumbs of a percussionist while sitting on the seat of the chair. The triggers are connected to an electronic drum machine. Sequential striking of the triggers with the thumbs of a percussionist sitting in the chair causes corresponding percussion sounds to be played by the electronic drum machine. Additional triggers are disposed on the floor and can be struck with the feet of the percussionist to produce additional percussion sounds. Thus, drum rhythms can be played easily and naturally while sitting in the chair.
US09286866B2
A drum having a vibratory member(s) tensioned over a plurality of tuned staves which acts as a sounding board and having staves which may be joined together with one or more flexible lines. The invention also includes a method of making such a drum and includes variations in the bearing edges of the tuned staves for such a drum.
US09286856B2
A display device is disclosed. The display device has pixels which include three color sub-pixels, for example, red, green, and blue sub-pixels. The pixels also include a white sub-pixel. The display calculates data for the red, green, blue, and white sub-pixels based on data for red, green, and blue sub-pixels.
US09286845B2
An adjacent gradation correcting unit 11 performs processing for correcting gradations of sub-pixels to a video signal X2 after overshoot processing. When determining that a gradation of a target sub-pixel corresponds to a higher liquid crystal application voltage than that of a gradation of an adjacent sub-pixel, and that a gradation difference between the target sub-pixel and the adjacent sub-pixel is large, the adjacent gradation correcting unit 11 corrects the gradation of the adjacent sub-pixel so as to make the gradation difference smaller. In driving a liquid crystal panel 1, a video signal X3 after correction obtained by the adjacent gradation correcting unit 11 is used. With this, when displaying a specific color, such as red, green, or blue, it is possible to suppress a lateral electric field occurring between two sub-pixels that are adjacent to each other, and to improve response speed of the liquid crystal panel 1.
US09286835B2
The present invention provides a driving circuit and a driving method for light-emitting diodes (LEDs), and a display apparatus using the same. The driving circuit comprises a power switch and a dimmer circuit. The method comprising: providing a pulse width modulation (PWM) dimming signal and a high frequency dimming signal; and multiplying the PWM dimming signal and the high frequency dimming signal for providing a driving signal to the power switch. The present invention can improve a dimming effect of the LEDs.
US09286830B2
A pixel circuit has a first capacitor having a first terminal connected with a gate of a driving transistor; a second capacitor connected between a second terminal of the first capacitor and a source of the driving transistor; a first switch applying a reference voltage to a node at which the first capacitor and the second capacitor are connected; a second switch supplying an image signal voltage to the gate of the driving transistor; a third switch supplying an initialization voltage to a drain of the driving transistor and a fourth switch supplying current to the drain of the transistor for emitting light from the current light emitting device.
US09286825B2
The apparatus for driving LED display includes a system control unit having a synchronization signal generator configured to generate a synchronization start signal and a plurality of phase locked loop circuits. Each of the phase locked loop circuits includes a divider coupled to the voltage controlled oscillator and configured to change the sequence of dividing ratios over a modulation period, a sigma delta modulator configured to generate a sequence of random numbers to the divider, and a spread spectrum modulation depth controller coupled to the sigma delta modulator and configured to receive the synchronization start signal from the synchronization signal generator. Upon receipt of the synchronization start signal, the spread spectrum modulation depth controller starts a spread spectrum modulation.
US09286811B2
Selectively concealable indicator assemblies configured to mount behind a wall plate, which provides an interface to interior wiring and is operatively mounted to a wall with a mounting fits tenet. The indicator assembly includes an elongate member and an indicator. The elongate member is disposed between the wall and the wall plate and configured to move between a first position substantially concealed by the wall plate and a second position where at least a portion of the elongate member extends beyond the wall plate. The indicator is disposed on the portion of the elongate member that extends beyond the wall plate when the elongate indicator is in the second position.
US09286806B2
A device for revising a low-altitude flight phase of a flight path of an aircraft includes an input unit configured to allow an operator to input parameters to define an intermediate flight section (Si) which has to be inserted into a low-altitude flight phase, and a processing unit configured to calculate a profile relating to the intermediate flight section (Si) using input parameters, and to automatically insert this profile into the flight phase between a first upstream part (P1) and a second downstream part (P2) so as to establish a revised flight phase (PR).
US09286804B2
Indicator light devices are useful in many applications for indicating properties of physical spaces respectively associated therewith and in physical proximity thereto. The indicator light devices are network-enabled and self-powered, and capable of participating in coordinated power-managed operation to provide a sufficient service life and lower installation and replacement costs. The indicator light devices may be used with or without associated sensors. The various embodiments described herein use various power management techniques singly or in combination to greatly increase the service life of self-power indicator light devices without diminishing their effectiveness in the application. These techniques include operating only the indicator light devices associated with the physical spaces having properties of interest, operating the indicator light devices with synchronized flashing, operating the indicator light devices in accordance with the detection of specific conditions, relevant time operation, in-vicinity activation, and ambient light responsiveness.
US09286797B1
A location for a traffic incident can be determined by a computer system, using data from a first and second sensor along a travel path. A receiving and sending symptom of the traffic incident are detected from a first and second sensor, using traffic flow data from the sensors. The locations of the first and second sensors are determined. The location and traffic flow data from each sensor are used to create a sending and receiving profiles. From the profiles, a convergence formula is build. Using the convergence formula and by determining a convergence point for the sending and receiving symptoms, a time and location of the traffic incident is identified.
US09286795B2
A system for sharing and processing road condition information includes a number of road condition information computer systems within individual vehicles or devices and a virtual road condition information server on a mobile network. The road condition information computer systems are each connected through a peer-to-peer radio, cellular, Wi-Fi, or other similar communications network, and which each operate with a database for displaying road maps, with a database storing average speed data for directions of travel along roadways, and with a location sensor used to determine the location and average speed of the vehicle or device, which are transmitted to other vehicles. The virtual server returns average speed data for road segments, which is displayed on the road maps. The system includes sharing average speed data calculated as well average speed data received from the plurality of vehicles to other vehicles, thereby enhancing the real-time communication of road condition data.
US09286789B2
In one aspect of the disclosed implementations, a device includes one or more motion sensors for sensing motion of the device and providing activity data indicative of the sensed motion. The device also includes one or more processors for monitoring the activity data, and receiving or generating annotation data for annotating the activity data with one or more markers or indicators to define one or more characteristics of an activity session. The device also includes one or more feedback devices for providing feedback, a notice, or an indication to a user based on the monitoring. The device further includes a portable housing that encloses at least portions of the motion sensors, the processors and the feedback devices.
US09286787B2
A low cost, robust, wireless sensor that provides an extended period of operability without maintenance is described. The wireless sensors are configured to communicate with a base unit or repeater. When the sensor unit detects an anomalous ambient condition (e.g., smoke, fire, water, etc.) the sensor communicates with the base unit and provides data regarding the anomalous condition. The sensor unit receives instructions to change operating parameters and/or control external devices.
US09286780B2
A smoke detector includes a drift chamber and an ionization chamber formed by a first electrode and a second electrode. Electric charges are generated by ionization of the air. The drift chamber separated from the ionization chamber by the second electrode. The smoke particles penetrates from the environment to a detector inside the drift chamber. The electrical potential of first electrode exceeds a critical electric potential value for generating a corona discharge in the vicinity of the first electrode. The second electrode has openings for the electric charges generated in the ionization chamber to move to the drift chamber. The electric potential of the second electrode allows the electric charges in the drift chamber to move from the second electrode to the third electrode. The electric field between the second and third electrodes is at least 100 times weaker than the electric field between the first and second electrodes.
US09286775B2
An image signal processing DSP subjects an image captured by an imaging element having a zoom lens to image processing for identifying a tracking target. In accordance with zoom information generated by the image signal processing DSP, the main CPU controls the zoom lens; and controls a turn table that moves the imaging element in panning and tilting directions in accordance with pan and tilt information, to track the tracking target. During tracking of the tracking target, a determination is made, from information about movements of the tracking target generated by the image signal processing DSP, as to whether or not the target to be tracked has intruded the inside of the area from the outside. In a case where the target has intruded the inside of a preset area from the outside, an alarm command is produced when the target continually remains in the area for; e.g., one second.
US09286774B2
A tactile sensation providing apparatus includes a tactile output unit configured to contact a part of a human body; a connection unit including a wire connected to the tactile output unit and made of a flexible and elastic material, and a tube enclosing the wire; and a driving unit to supply a driving force to the connection unit.
US09286772B2
A security control apparatus, system and method are provided. The security control apparatus includes a wireless communication element that supports a plurality of wireless communication protocols. The wireless communication element is configured to provide wireless communications with a user interface device and at least one premise-based device. A remote communication element is configured to provide remote communications with a monitoring center. A processor is in communication with the local wireless communication element and the remote communication element. The processor is configured to use the wireless communication element to communicate with the user interface device to receive local control and configuration data. The processor is also configured to use the remote communication element to communicate data associated with at least one of a life safety feature and life style feature with the monitoring center.
US09286765B2
Various embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to a gaming system and method providing a game providing an award if a shape of a symbol displayed at a symbol display area corresponds to a shape of that symbol display area. Other embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to a gaming system and method providing a game having a player-adjustable volatility. In certain embodiments, the game is the above-described game, while in other embodiments, the game is a different game. Generally, in certain such embodiments, the gaming system enables a player to tailor the overall volatility of a play of the game to the player's preference by selecting a desired combination of symbol display areas to employ for a play of the game.
US09286759B2
A wagering game system and its operations are described. In some embodiments, the operations include detecting an indication of a benefit available to a first player account via a wagering game venue; and selecting a second player account linked to the first player account as a social contact. The operations can further include configuring a persistent object to provide access to the benefit available to the first player account; and transferring the persistent object from the first player account to the second player account.
US09286753B2
The present invention involves methods and devices for controlling many aspects of a player's gaming experience, including game themes presented, game denomination, pay models, content and promotions. Some implementations of the invention provide a casino operator the necessary tools to create subsets Of customers, often referred to herein as “communities,” and to control the gaming experiences of players in these communities. In some such implementations, communities May be created and/or modified according to various criteria, some of which may be weighted more heavily than others. Specific marketing messages, promotions, etc., may be provided to attract and retain players having similar characteristics and preferences.
US09286752B2
Systems and methods receive digital images from online sources. The digital images are analyzed and various objects are recognized within the digital images. The recognized objects may be faces of persons appearing in the digital images. A subset of the digital images is selected according to selection rules applied to the recognized objects. The selected recognized objects are incorporated into a wagering game. For example, the recognized objects may be incorporated onto symbols of wagering game.
US09286746B2
A gaming device including a plurality of symbol generators adapted to generate a plurality of symbols at a plurality of symbol positions. In one embodiment, a player selects a first symbol position, the selected symbol position is activated and the gaming device reveals whether a terminator is associated with the selected symbol position. In this embodiment, the player continues selecting symbol positions (and the gaming device continues activating the selected symbol positions) until a terminator is revealed to be associated with a selected symbol position. After a terminator is revealed, the gaming device randomly generating a symbol at each of the activated symbol positions. The gaming device determines an outcome based on the symbols or combinations of symbols generated at the activated symbol positions and provides the player the determined outcome.
US09286745B2
Gaming system, server, gaming terminal, including a currency exchange module and game control method
A game control method according to the present invention comprises: a downloading step conducted by a server of downloading exchange-ratio changing data for use in determining the currency value of a credit in a gaming terminal to the gaming terminal; an exchange ratio determining step conducted by the gaming terminal of determining the exchange ratio between credits and currency values using the exchange-ratio changing data downloaded from the server, and an exchanging step conducted by the gaming terminal of exchanging a monetary value for a credit and/or exchanging a credit for a monetary value, based on the determined exchange ratio.
US09286741B2
A method and apparatus for controlling access from a first area to a second area includes receiving an identity signal from an identifier input device, and checking for stored data indicating that the identity represented by the identity signal is registered as present in the first area. If a predetermined access requirement is fulfilled, then a pass signal at the first access controller is generated. To control access from the second area to a third area, an enter message is sent to a second controller with at least the identity and data indicating that the identity is present in an access area of the second controller. An exit message is sent to a third controller controlling access to the first area, including at least the identity and data indicating that the identity is not present in an access area of the third controller.
US09286740B2
The invention relates to a method for displaying information, using a mobile identification provider (10) and an independent display unit (20), wherein said mobile identification provider (10) serves for an activation of a security system, said mobile identification provider (10) has an electronic unit (11), and said electronic unit (11) is used for data communication (30) with a vehicle-side part, vehicle-side information is transmitted from the vehicle-side part to the electronic unit (11) via the data communication (30), said vehicle-side information is stored in a data memory (12), said electronic unit (11) communicates with the independent display unit (20) via a communication connection (40), and said vehicle-side information is transmitted to said independent display unit (20) via said communication connection (40) and displayed thereon.
US09286734B2
The system measures time of at least one object on the basis of passing a finish line and includes a camera with a photosensitive sensor and a lens for registering an image of the line. The image is sent to a processor for processing. Timing means deliver a timing signal to the processor. The system is at least partially automatically aligned. It thereto comprises a first active optical indicator that is located at a predefined location with reference to the line of passage, which indicator is detected as part of the image registered by the camera so as to obtain detection data. The system further includes a camera adjustment arrangement for adjustment of the orientation of a center axis of the camera, said adjustment being specified by the processor on the basis of the detection data.
US09286731B2
Described herein are processes and devices that coalesced and/or collapse areas in a region of a virtual universe to conserve computing resources. Some embodiments are directed to detecting an indication to reduce usage of a computing resource in the virtual universe and, in response, determining the first area of the virtual universe for coalescing and collapsing into the second area of the virtual universe. In some embodiments, the first area comprises a plurality of virtual universe objects. Some embodiments are further directed to selecting a first set of the plurality of virtual universe objects for moving from the first area into the second area, coalescing the first set of the plurality of virtual universe objects into the second area from the first area, and, in response, collapsing the first area of the virtual universe.
US09286724B2
A book for use in an augmented reality system comprises a plurality of leaves, each side forming a page of the book, with each page comprising a fiduciary marker. The book also includes a cover having larger dimensions than the book's leaves. Thus, the cover's extremhities extend beyond the outer edges of the pages. The inside of the cover comprises a first high contrast pattern along at least a first such extremity. An entertainment device for use in the augmented reality system comprises input means to receive a video image of the book, and image processing means to estimate a position and orientation of the book from a fiduciary marker of the book captured in the video image, to estimate a position and orientation of the first high contrast pattern, and to distinguish between one or more leaves of the book being turned independently of the cover of the book.
US09286719B2
A method including displaying a three-dimensional (3D) image of a lung, receiving a selection of an airway of the lung and displaying a two-dimensional (2D) cross-section image of the airway perpendicular to the airway's long axis, wherein the display of the 2D cross-section image occurs almost immediately after the selection of the airway is received.
US09286716B2
A static model is populated with graphics objects by identifying a first graphics object that is associated with the static model, creating a first plurality of graphics objects where each graphics object in the first plurality of graphics objects comprises an instance of the first graphics object, placing each graphics object in the first plurality of graphics objects into a respective first position, and simulating a motion path for each graphics object in the first plurality of graphics objects from their respective first position to a respective second position.
US09286712B2
A map element parameterized in a two-dimensional (2D) coordinate system is applied to to three-dimensional (3D) geometry, parameterized in a 3D coordinate system, of a geographic area with which the map element is associated. The 3D geometry is rendered according to the selected perspective of a virtual camera. An approximate distance between the virtual camera and the 3D geometry is compared to a threshold value. A position of the map element is determined relative to the 3D geometry using (i) a linear transformation between the 2D coordinate system and the 3D coordinate when the approximate distance is smaller than the threshold value, and (ii) a non-linear transformation between the 2D coordinate system and the 3D coordinate system when the approximate distance is larger than the threshold value.
US09286711B2
Technology is described for representing a physical location at a previous time period with three dimensional (3D) virtual data displayed by a near-eye, augmented reality display of a personal audiovisual (A/V) apparatus. The personal A/V apparatus is identified as being within the physical location, and one or more objects in a display field of view of the near-eye, augmented reality display are automatically identified based on a three dimensional mapping of objects in the physical location. User input, which may be natural user interface (NUI) input, indicates a previous time period, and one or more 3D virtual objects associated with the previous time period are displayed from a user perspective associated with the display field of view. An object may be erased from the display field of view, and a camera effect may be applied when changing between display fields of view.
US09286710B2
Implementations generally relate to generating photo animations. In some implementations, a method includes receives a plurality of photos from a user. The method also includes selecting photos from the plurality of photos that meet one or more predetermined similarity criteria. The method also includes generating an animation using the selected photos.
US09286704B2
A technique is provided for a graphical user interface on a computer. The technique includes receiving messages individually corresponding to resources being monitored, displaying rows in a table, and generating bar graphs of the messages respectively corresponding to the resources in the rows. Each of the bar graphs displays a color coded scheme to visually distinguish severity of the messages in each of the rows for the resources. The bar graphs display the severity of the messages for one resource per the given row without requiring user intervention to view severities of the messages displayed by the color coded scheme, without requiring user intervention to view a total number of messages for the given row, while maintaining a same row height regardless of the total number of messages for the given row, and without changing a table size including a table height and a table width of the table.
US09286702B2
A radiographic imaging system is adapted to reconstruct a tomographic image in a given cross section of a subject from projection images of a subject acquired in tomosynthesis imaging. The radiographic imaging system comprises a frequency filtering processor for producing band limiting image signals having different frequency response characteristics from projection image signals corresponding to the projection images; a non-linear conversion processor for performing non-linear conversion of band limiting image signals to reduce a portion of band limiting image signals exceeding a given value; an integration processor for adding up band limiting image signals having undergone non-linear conversion through the non-linear conversion processor to produce converted image signals; and a back projection processor for reconstructing the tomographic image in the given cross section of the subject from the converted image signals corresponding to the projection images.
US09286695B2
Systems and methods for tracking points within an encasement are provided. According to an aspect of the invention, a processor designates an encasement at a first location within a first image acquired at a first time; identifies points to track within the encasement; determines characteristics of the points to track; tracks the points over time based on the characteristics; and determines a second location of the encasement within a second image acquired at a second time based on positions of the tracked points at the second time. Identifying the points to track may include identifying points within the encasement that are significant and persistent.
US09286684B2
Aspects of the present invention relate to systems, methods, and computer program products for measuring and compensating for optical distortion. The system includes a plurality of reference marks; a recording device configured to record a first orientation and a first position of a plurality of reference marks relative to a pointing angle of the recording device when an object is located outside of a field of view of a recording device, the recording device configured to record a second orientation and a second position of a plurality of reference marks relative to the pointing angle of the recording device when an object is located inside the field of view; and a processor configured to compare the first orientation and the first position of the plurality of reference marks to the second orientation and the second position of the plurality of the reference marks for measuring distortion of the object.
US09286683B1
Approaches to enable a computing device, such as a phone or tablet computer, to detect when text contained in an image captured by the camera is sufficiently close to the edge of the screen and to infer whether the text is likely to be cut off by the edge of the screen such that the text contained in the image is incomplete. If the incomplete text corresponds to actionable text associated with a function that can be invoked on the computing device, the computing device may wait until the remaining portion of the actionable text is captured by the camera and made available for processing before invoking the corresponding function on the computing device.
US09286682B1
Alignment techniques are described that automatically align multiple scans of an object obtained from different perspectives. Instead of relying solely on errors in local feature matching between a pair of scans to identify a best possible alignment, additional alignment possibilities may be considered. Grouped keypoint features of the pair of scans may be compared to keypoint features of an additional scan to determine an error between the respective keypoint features. Various alignment techniques may utilize the error to determine an optimal alignment for the scans.
US09286677B2
In a method for estimating an orientation of a cardiac long axis from corresponding early frame and late frame images implemented in a computerized processor, a bounding box of the myocardium is defined in the late frame image and the bounding box is applied to the early frame image. A main axis of the image of the early frame within the bounding box is estimated, and the image of the early frame is oriented according to the estimated main axis. A main axis of the image of the late frame within the bounding box is also estimated, and the late frame image is reoriented according to the estimated main axis. The estimated main axis of the early frame to the estimated main axis of the late frame are compared, and in attribute of the comparison result is made available as an output from the processor.
US09286673B2
The invention relates generally systems for correcting distortion in a medical image and methods of use thereof. Methods and systems for displaying a medical image of a lumen of a biological structure, generally comprise obtaining image data of a lumen of a biological structure from an imaging device, correcting the image data for translational distortions, in which correcting is accomplished without reference to another data set, and displaying a corrected image.
US09286669B2
A model is defined by a plurality of first positions on an edge extracted from a model image and a changing direction of the edge in each of the first positions. An image processing apparatus calculates a changing direction of an edge in a second position of an input image corresponding to the first position on the edge of the model image. The image processing apparatus accepts an instruction associated with a permissible value of the changing direction of the edge. The image processing apparatus calculates a similarity degree of the first position and the second position corresponding to the first position based on the accepted instruction, the changing direction of the edge in the first and second position. The image processing apparatus determines whether a specific area in the input image is similar to the model or not based on the calculated similarity degree in the second positions.
US09286659B2
A system, method, and computer program product are provided for multi-sample processing. The multi-sample pixel data is received and is analyzed to identify subsets of samples of a multi-sample pixel that have equal data, such that data for one sample in a subset represents multi-sample pixel data for all samples in the subset. An encoding state is generated that indicates which samples of the multi-sample pixel are included in each one of the subsets.
US09286657B1
Systems and methods for processing an image through an ordered series of image filters (i.e., an image filter chain) to produce an output image. The systems and methods of the present disclosure function to partition or break-up an image into dynamically sized tiles which are processed efficiently (e.g., using minimal memory), quickly and on-demand. The systems and methods allow tile sizes to be calculated dynamically based on what each image filter in an image filter chain needs. By processing each tile on-demand, significant memory and time savings are achieved because only the parts of an image required for display are processed. Further, such functionality allows for decoding of only a portion of the image, which requires less memory and operates much faster than if the entire image was decoded.
US09286654B2
An image scaling processor includes: a coefficient computing circuit that calculates interpolation coefficients to be used in an image scaling process; a multiplier that multiplies input image data by the interpolation coefficients provided from the coefficient computing circuit such that the interpolation coefficients respectively correspond to input pixels constituting the input image data; an adder that iteratively adds pieces of multiplied data output from the multiplier and obtains a total sum of the pieces of multiplied data for a predetermined number of the input pixels; a selector that outputs a total sum of the multiplied data at a timing at which the total sum of the pieces of multiplied data is obtained for the predetermined number of the input pixels; and a shift circuit that shifts an output of the selector to adjust a bit count of the output image data to a bit count of the input image data.
US09286652B2
According to an embodiment, provided is a screen generating apparatus that includes: a position information acquirer that acquires a screen position information file that sets a font size of a font included in a screen and position information of an image or a part included in the screen; a screen display size acquirer that acquires a screen display size of a display devise as a target display; a magnification calculator that calculates a magnification by using a predetermined screen display size and the acquired screen display size; a font size determiner that determines a font size in the display devise as the target display based on the calculated magnification; a converter that converts the screen position information file based on the calculated magnification and the determined font size; and a screen generator that generates a screen compatible with the converted screen position information file.
US09286647B2
A computer-implemented method for drawing graphical objects within a graphics processing pipeline is disclosed. The method includes determining that a bypass mode for a first primitive is a no-bypass mode. The method further includes rasterizing the first primitive to generate a first set of rasterization results. The method further includes generating a first set of colors for the first set of rasterization results via a pixel shader unit. The method further includes rasterizing a second primitive to generate a second set of rasterization results. The method further includes generating a second set of colors for the second set of rasterization results without the pixel shader unit performing any processing operations on the second set of rasterization results. The method further includes transmitting the first set of pixel colors and the second set of pixel colors to a raster operations (ROP) unit for further processing.
US09286643B2
The present invention may provide a method and apparatus for building a personalized memory compilation for members of a group: providing digitally encoded images, text and other data; analyzing data; eliciting a characteristic of data; selecting a plurality of the provided data; arranging the provided data, to generate a personalized memory compilation; wherein at least one of a selecting or an arranging step is performed in response to elicited characteristics. The invention may comprise a collaborative method and apparatus for gathering, enriching, preserving, and sharing memories for members of a group using the combination of 1) collaboration through nominal group recall and 2) recording of personal preferences to produce a digital asset that contains a unique blend of selected profiles, images, stories, personalized notes, and other relevant content from more than one group member to constitute a more complete and accurate rendering of an important occasion experienced by the group.
US09286637B1
The invention is directed to a method and system for providing an interface including modular customizable elements for implementation by a system user. The method and system have particular application for financial accounts, such as credit card accounts. The interface may adapt in response to user behaviors. However, the user may also customize features of the interface. Thus, a behavioral monitoring and analysis system is provided for monitoring account holder spending behaviors and analyzing the spending behaviors. Account holder customization tools may be presented to the account holders through a user interface, the account holder customization tools allowing account holders to modify a user interface display of account related parameters by inputting parameters into a computing system. An experience customization engine may be implemented by a processor for receiving input from both the behavioral monitoring and analysis system and the account holder customization tools.
US09286630B2
An information processing system, an information processing apparatus, an information processing method, and an information record medium that are controlled to generate an operation effect sound that differs for each user of a card upon an operation for electronic money are provided. A card 10 records user information 12, balance information 13, and audio data 14. The card 10 makes a settlement of electronic money with a vending machine 20 to buy a commodity. When the card 10 is presented to the vending machine 20, it reads the user information 12, the balance information 13, and the audio data 14 from the card 10 through wireless communications. The vending machine 20 makes a settlement on the basis of both information of the commodity that a user has selected and the balance information 13. As a result, the vending machine 20 provides the selected commodity to the user. On the other hand, with audio data 14, at a predetermined timing of the settlement, a predetermined sound is output. Audio data may be stored only in the vending machine 20 or both in the card 10 and in the vending machine 20. A sound that differs for each user and for each event is output.
US09286620B2
Network devices add annotation information to network packets as they travel through the network devices. The network devices may be switches, routers, bridges, hubs, or any other network device. The annotation information may be information specific to the network devices, as opposed to simply the kinds of information available at application servers that receive the network packets. As just a few examples, the annotation information may include switch buffer levels, routing delay, routing parameters affecting the packet, switch identifiers, power consumption, and heat, moisture, or other environmental data.
US09286615B2
Embodiments disclosed herein relate to methods, devices, and computer systems thereof for visibly or non-visibly indicating a subject has received a medical treatment. In certain embodiments, a subject receives an information mark in conjunction with a medical treatment. In certain embodiments, the information mark includes unique information relating to the subject. In certain embodiments, devices, computer systems, and methods relate to reading an information mark on a subject, and optionally determining if further medical treatment of the subject is warranted. In certain embodiments, receipt of an information mark entitles a subject to a reward.
US09286614B2
An electronic digital direct-mail collateral. In an embodiment, the device comprises a card stock mailer similar to a CD case, center hinged and printed with branded advertising information and graphic. The device may further comprise video, audio and cell phone operations.
US09286612B2
An integrated system for managing changes in regulatory and nonregulatory requirements for business activities at an industrial or commercial facility. Application of this system to environmental, health and safety activities, and to food, drug, cosmetic, and medical treatment and device activities, are discussed as examples. The system: provides one or more databases that contain information on operations and requirements concerning an activity or area of business; receives information on regulatory and nonregulatory changes that affect operations of the business; converts these changes into changes in data entry forms, data processing and analysis procedures, and presentation (by printing, electronic display and/or distribution) of data processing and analysis results to selected recipients, without requiring the services of one or more programmers to re-key and/or reformat the items affected by the change; and implements receipt of change information and dissemination of data processing and analysis results using the facilities of the Internet.
US09286603B2
The invention provides a method of managing an activity, including: a user making a request to engage in an activity with a first of a plurality of providers; and the user presenting to the first provider with a personal data storage device, the device provided with identification data to identify the user and a user profile comprising a plurality of sets of user profile data, each set of user profile data pertaining to at least one of the plurality of providers; wherein the user's request to engage in the activity is assessed according to one or more sets of the user profile data.
US09286602B2
A method of securely communicating a message for a financial transaction from a first correspondent to one or more recipients. The method comprises dividing the message into at least two portions. Each portion is intended for a recipient. Each portion intended for receipt by one of the recipients is encrypted with that recipient's public key. The message is signed and transmitted to one of the recipients to enable the recipient to verify the message and further transmit the message to a further recipient.
US09286599B2
A method, computer program product, and system for redacting content in online meetings is described. A method may comprise receiving, via one or more computing devices, a selected portion of content to redact in a first online meeting. The method may further comprise determining, via the one or more computing devices, if a participant of the first online meeting is in an un-trusted location. The method may additionally comprise, in response to determining that the participant of the first online meeting is in the un-trusted location, redacting, via the one or more computing devices, the selected portion of content from content available to the participant in the first online meeting.
US09286596B2
A system and method for conducting an electronic signing ceremony is provided. The electronic signing ceremony may include a number of defined steps performed by one or more people on a number of documents in a predetermined order. An activity, such as providing a digital signature, may be associated with each document and/or page of each document. The electronic signing ceremony system and method consolidates and streamlines the process of originating, organizing, signing, verifying, storing, and retrieving multiple documents requiring multiple signatures from one or more people virtually anywhere and at any time.
US09286593B1
A system and method for delivering a product such as a pharmacy bottle from a conveyor system to a delivery container via a delivery chute. A control system in communication with the components of the system detects when a product is ready for release into the chute for delivery based on information obtained by a scanner on the conveyor system.
US09286578B2
The present disclosure involves computer-implemented methods, software, and systems for determining a most suitable address for a master data object instance for a given usage in a business transaction document, master data object, or business process. A computer-implemented method includes determining, using at least one computer, an address determination sequence, applying the address determination sequence to available address instances of a master data object instance, identifying a most suitable address from among the available instances, and retrieving an address value from the identified most suitable address instance.
US09286574B2
A computer-implemented method for layered training of machine-learning architectures includes receiving a plurality of data elements wherein each data element is associated with a timestamp, determining a training window for each model layer of a layered stack of model layers, determining a plurality of training data elements for each training window by identifying the data elements with timestamps corresponding to each of the training windows, identifying a previous checkpoint for each model layer wherein the previous checkpoint for each model layer is generated by a parent model layer, training each model layer with the determined training data elements for each model layer and the identified previous checkpoint for each model layer, generating a plurality of current checkpoints wherein each current checkpoint of the plurality of current checkpoints is associated with a model layer, and storing the plurality of current checkpoints at the memory.
US09286571B2
Technologies are generally provided for maintaining performance level of a database being migrated between different cloud-based service providers employing machine learning. In some examples, data requests submitted to an original data store/database may be submitted to a machine learning-based filter for recording and analysis. Based on the results of the data requests and the filter analyses, new key value structures for a new data store/database may be created. The filter may assign performance scores to the original data requests (made to the original data store) and data requests made to the newly-created key value structures. The filter may then compare the performance scores associated with the created key value structures to each other and to performance scores associated with the original data requests and may select the created key value structures with performance scores that are at least substantially equal to those of the original data requests for the new data store.
US09286567B1
Systems, methods and articles of manufacture for providing support information for a software application and generating a knowledge database of support information. A computer system generates a page of the software application displayable on a display. The page has a support button selectable by a user. In response to selection of the support button, the computer accesses support information regarding the page from a knowledge database that is separate from the software application. The computer generates a support page displayable on the display which includes the support information from the knowledge database. The knowledge database is updated at least partly based on analytical data regarding user access of the support information.
US09286558B1
An interactive postage stamp displayable on a mail item 102 evidencing payment of postage, and represented by an encoded image framed by an interactive frame that includes at least one embedded icon activated by scanning the interactive frame causing the activation of the at least one embedded icon, where upon activation the at least one embedded icon may be engaged for accessing the multimedia content linked to the interactive postage stamp, and for controlling the review of the multimedia content using control commands represented by the activated at least one embedded icon or at least one hyperlink within the activated interactive frame.
US09286552B2
An image forming apparatus includes a communication interface unit which receives print data, an image forming unit which prints the received print data, a volatile memory which, if the received print data is data that needs to be stored, stores the received print data, and a controller which, if a power-off command regarding the image forming apparatus is input, backs up print data stored in the volatile memory in a storage medium connectable to the image forming apparatus and converts an operation mode of the image forming apparatus to a power-off mode.
US09286550B2
An image forming apparatus that operates according to given operational conditions, comprising: a target power consumption receiving unit configured to receive a target value for power consumption; an option receiving unit configured to receive options selected by a user from among a plurality of options defining the operational conditions; a basic data storage unit storing therein basic data for each of the options; a calculation unit configured to calculate the estimated power consumption from the basic data according to the options selected by the user; an excess informing unit configured to inform the user when the estimated power consumption is greater than the target value; and an alternative option informing unit configured to inform the user of an alternative option when the estimated power consumption is greater than the target value, the alternative option reducing the estimated power consumption to be equal to or less than the target value.
US09286546B2
Methods, systems, and apparatus for identifying labels for image collections are presented. In one aspect, a method includes obtaining a collection of images; obtaining, for each image in the collection of images, image similarity data that indicates a measure of similarity of the image to other images in the collection of images; generating, based on the similarity data, two or more image clusters from the collection of images, each image cluster including one or more images from the collection of images; for each image cluster: obtaining, for each image in the image cluster, a set of image labels; generating, from each set of image labels obtained for each image in the image cluster, a set of cluster labels; selecting one or more cluster labels from the set of cluster labels; and identifying the selected cluster labels as a set of collection labels for the collection of images.
US09286545B1
In one aspect, a system and method is provided that matches images that are associated with street addresses with images that are associated with locations that are stored with respect to another reference system, such as latitude/longitude. If the images match, the street address is associated with the location. In a further aspect, text contained in the images is extracted and associated with the street address as well.
US09286541B1
A system that removes underlines in text appearing in captured images in multiple stages. The improved system rejects most text regions that do not require underline removal quickly and performs detailed underline detection and removal on a small number of regions.
US09286540B2
In techniques for fast dense patch search and quantization, partition center patches are determined for partitions of example image patches. Patch groups of an image each include similar image patches and a reference image patch that represents a respective patch group. A partition center patch of the partitions is determined as a nearest neighbor to the reference image patch of a patch group. The partition center patch can be determined based on a single-nearest neighbor (1-NN) distance determination, and the determined partition center patch is allocated as the nearest neighbor to the similar image patches in the patch group. Alternatively, a group of nearby partition center patches are determined as the nearest neighbors to the reference image patch based on a k-nearest neighbor (k-NN) distance determination, and the nearest neighbor to each of the similar image patches in the patch group is determined from the nearby partition center patches.
US09286531B2
An image forming system includes a target-log-image extracting unit and a relevant-log-image extracting unit. The target-log-image extracting unit is configured to extract a log image as a target log image likely to have been generated by use for a specific purpose of an image forming apparatus when text information extracted from the log image of the image forming apparatus by optical character recognition includes a specific phrase. The relevant-log-image extracting unit is configured to extract a log image similar to the target log image as a relevant log image based on a specific feature of the target log image extracted by the target-log-image extracting unit.
US09286520B1
Methods and systems for real-time road flare detection using templates and appropriate color spaces are described. A computing device of a vehicle may be configured to receive an image of an environment of the vehicle. The computing device may be configured to identify a given pixels in the plurality of pixels having one or more of: (i) a red color value greater than a green color value, and (ii) the red color value greater than a blue color value. Further, the computing device may be configured to make a comparison between one or more characteristics of a shape of an object represented by the given pixels in the image and corresponding one or more characteristics of a predetermined shape of a road flare; and determine a likelihood that the object represents the road flare.
US09286510B2
Systems, electronic devices, and methods for redeeming user activity level or other desired user behaviors for virtual currency are disclosed. In some implementations, a method includes: at a computer system, obtaining user activity information indicating an activity level of a user; and computing an in-application credit based on the activity level. The in-application credit can be redeemed by the user in an associated application. The in-application credit can be redeemed by the user for a coupon that can be applied towards out-of-application purchases. In some implementations, the activity level is determined in accordance with (i) a motion parameter reported by an activity sensor of an electronic device associated with the user, (ii) information obtained from a cell phone tower or a GPS device (e.g., using cell tower triangulation techniques); and (iii) self-reported user activity information. In some implementations, the method also includes converting the in-application credit for out-of-application purchases.
US09286505B2
Apparatus, methods, and computer-readable media are provided for segmentation, processing (e.g., preprocessing and/or postprocessing), and/or feature extraction from tissue images such as, for example, images of nuclei and/or cytoplasm. Tissue images processed by various embodiments described herein may be generated by Hematoxylin and Eosin (H&E) staining, immunofluorescence (IF) detection, immunohistochemistry (IHC), similar and/or related staining processes, and/or other processes. Predictive features described herein may be provided for use in, for example, one or more predictive models for treating, diagnosing, and/or predicting the occurrence (e.g., recurrence) of one or more medical conditions such as, for example, cancer or other types of disease.
US09286488B2
Disclosed are a system and method of performing secure computations on a protected database. Embodiments of the method provide, in a secure processor, a database of cryptographically hashed values based on a database of cleartext values, receive a cryptographically hashed query value as input into the secure processor wherein the query value is a hash of a cleartext value that corresponds to a cleartext query, perform a comparison operation within the secure processor to determine the presence of the hashed query value within the database of cryptographically hashed values and provide the results of the comparison operation to an external interface of the secure processor, wherein the contents of the database of cryptographically hashed values and the comparison operations are encapsulated within the secure processor and unexposed externally therefrom.
US09286486B2
Disclosed are systems, methods and computer program products for copying encrypted and unencrypted files between data storage devices. In one aspect, the system detects a request to copy a file from a first data storage device to a second data storage device, determines one or more parameters of the copied file, the first data storage device and the second data storage device, selects, based on the one or more parameters, a file encryption policy for the copies file, and applies the selected encryption policy to the copied file.
US09286484B2
Techniques for utilizing security criteria to implement document retention for electronic documents are disclosed. The security criteria can also limit when, how and where access to the electronic documents is permitted. The security criteria can pertain to keys (or ciphers) used to secure (e.g., encrypt) electronic files (namely, electronic documents), or to unsecure (e.g., decrypt) electronic files already secured. At least a portion of the security criteria can be used to implement document retention, namely, a document retention policy. After a secured electronic document has been retained for the duration of the document retention policy, the associated security criteria becomes no longer available, thus preventing subsequent access to the secured electronic document. In other words, access restrictions on electronic documents can be used to prevent access to electronic documents which are no longer to be retained.
US09286480B2
An information processing device includes a processing-type accepting unit that accepts a type of first processing of data, a data accepting unit that accepts post-processing data, the post-processing data being data on which the first processing accepted by the processing-type accepting unit has been executed, and a data processing unit that determines a data confidentiality level indicating a degree of confidentiality of the post-processing data, on a basis of a first confidentiality level associated with the type of the first processing, and executes second processing according to the data confidentiality level with respect to the post-processing data.
US09286472B2
A packet handling system is disclosed that can include at least one main processor, a plurality of offload processors connected to a memory bus and configured to provide security related services on packets prior to redirection to the main processor; an arbiter connected to each of the plurality of offload processors, the arbiter capable of scheduling resource priority for instructions or data received from the memory bus; and a virtual switch respectively connected to the main processor and the plurality of offload processors using the memory bus, with the virtual switch capable of receiving memory read/write data over the memory bus, and further directing at least some memory read/write data to the arbiter.
US09286470B2
A method for protecting a volatile memory against a virus, wherein: rights of writing, reading, or execution are assigned to certain areas of the memory; and a first list of opcodes for which the access to the areas is authorized or forbidden is associated with each of these areas.
US09286456B2
A system that incorporates teachings of the subject disclosure may include, for example, obtaining a group of facial objects detected from an image captured by a camera coupled with a media device where the facial objects correspond to a plurality of users, determining authentication information for each of the plurality of users based on the facial objects, and providing the authentication information to a group of content service systems for enabling the media device to access aggregated media services from the group of content service systems. Other embodiments are disclosed.
US09286450B2
Embodiments of the invention are directed to a system, method, and a computer program product self-selected user access based on specific authentication types. The system typically including a memory, a processor, and a module configured to receive from a user, a user-selected preference, wherein the user-selected preference comprises one or more authentication types desired by the user; determine a level of authentication from a plurality of levels of authentication are associated with the one or more authentication types associated with the user-selected preference; initiate the presentation of a user interface that enables the user to select one or more application functions, wherein the one or more application functions are associated with the determined level of authentication; receive from a user, a selection of one or more application functions.
US09286447B2
A portable digital vault and related methods are disclosed that can provide a digital equivalent to the physical act of lending copyrighted content (such as a book or CD) while also providing security to prevent copying of the content. The vault acts as a self-contained authority that contains permissions relating to actions that can be taken with respect to the vault and vault contents. Vault contents can be moved between vaults, vaults can be moved between computing devices, and a vault and its contents can be moved together as a single unit. A vault can store any type of content, such as digital books, audio and video. In some embodiments, the vault can be issued by a government authority and contain currency note information that allows the vault to be used as cash. A vault can also serve as a receipt of a digital legal contract.
US09286441B2
A point-of-care computer system is provided, including a display positioned in a point-of-care location. The point-of-care computer includes hardware coupled to a frame of a hospital bed.
US09286434B2
Methods for fabricating integrated circuits are provided. In one example, a method for fabricating an integrated circuit includes generating a photomask for forming a DSA directing pattern overlying a semiconductor substrate. The DSA directing pattern is configured to guide a self-assembly material deposited thereon that undergoes directed self-assembly (DSA) to form a DSA pattern. Generating the photomask includes identifying placement of DSA target patterns in a design layout. The DSA target patterns are grouped into groups including a first group and a first group boundary is defined around the first group. The method further includes determining if a neighboring DSA target pattern to the first group boundary is at least a predetermined minimal keep-away distance from an adjacent DSA target pattern that is within the first group boundary. The method also includes determining if the DSA target patterns in the first group are DSA compatible. An output mask pattern is generated using the first group boundary.
US09286433B2
A computer implemented method for forming an integrated circuit (IC) layout is presented. The method includes forming a constraint tree when a computer is invoked to receive a first layout of the IC and generating a second layout of the IC in accordance with the constraint tree.
US09286413B1
Presenting a service-monitoring dashboard using key performance indicators derived from machine data
One or more processing devices cause display of a service-monitoring dashboard that includes one or more key performance indicator (KPI) widgets. Each KPI widget provides a numerical or graphical representation of one or more values for a corresponding KPI indicating how a service provided by one or more entities is performing at one or more points in time. Each entity of the one or more entities is associated with machine data. A KPI is defined by a search query that derives the one or more values represented by the corresponding KPI widget from the machine data associated with the one or more entities that provide the service whose performance is reflected by the KPI.
US09286410B2
An approach is provided for retrieving electronic documents. The approach provides a Web-based graphical user interface that allows users to construct complex queries that include Boolean clauses, proximity clauses and/or keyword phrases, without requiring the users to have a working knowledge of query languages. The Web-based graphical user interface also allows users to specify a semantic meaning for one or more search terms. The approach also allows users to generate various reports for search results. Various filters may be applied to manage the amount of reporting data and semantic meanings may be applied to increase relevancy. A time cost estimator provides an estimated review time for search results.
US09286407B2
A method of bookmarking internet resources in an internet browser includes providing to a user an internet resource discovered by a search conducted via the browser in accordance with user supplied criteria; creating, responsive to a bookmarking request from the user, bookmark data having identifying data for the internet resource and an associated resource representation of the internet resource; and creating a hierarchy, for presentation to the user, of representations of internet resources for which bookmarking has been requested and of associated search criteria, each bookmarked resource representation being placed subordinate to corresponding associated search criteria representation in the hierarchy. A user can navigate to a bookmarked representation of a resource of interest via the corresponding associated search criteria representation for selection and subsequent retrieval of the resource of interest.
US09286406B2
A unique ID generation apparatus that may generate a unique ID of a radio frequency (RE) card includes a card recognition unit that recognizes an RF card; a command transmission unit that transmits, to the recognized RF card, a plurality of commands which respectively correspond to a plurality of RF protocols; a response reception unit that receives, from the RF card, responses to one or more of the plurality of commands; and a unique ID generation unit that generates a unique ID of the RF card based on the received responses.
US09286405B2
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for index-side synonym expansion are disclosed. Some implementations include actions of obtaining a token sequence for a resource, wherein each token in the token sequence comprises one or more characters. The actions also include selecting a token from the token sequence, wherein the selected token comprises at least one numeric portion having one or more contiguous numeric characters, and at least one non-numeric portion having one or more non-numeric characters. Further actions include generating a new token corresponding to each of the at least one numeric portions of the selected token and storing data associating the selected token and each of the new tokens corresponding to the at least one numeric portion of the selected token as index terms for the resource, wherein the search engine index is accessed to augment search queries.
US09286402B2
A system for determining whether a website is an illegitimate website, the system comprising: a requester module configured to request one or more rules from a host server for a website and to receive a response from the host server in response to a request; an analysis module configured to determine whether a response or lack of a response received by the requester module indicates that the website is an illegitimate website; and a record module configured to store an indication that the website is an illegitimate website, wherein the one or more rules provide one or more instructions to a robot computer program regarding access of the website by the robot computer program.
US09286400B2
In some embodiments, a method comprises detecting a request to display a tag cloud, where the tag cloud includes a plurality of tags and the tags hyperlink to related web content. The method can also comprise determining a user's interests and preferences based on the information provided by the user. The method can include using the information to determine the tags relevant to the user's preferences and interests. The method can also include displaying the tags in the tag cloud.
US09286394B2
An apparatus for assessing and controlling the quality of a project in a production environment is provided. The apparatus is configured to: receive a first score, wherein the first score comprises a first numerical value associated with a first level of quality, wherein the first level of quality is associated with a first deliverable; receive a second score, wherein the second score comprises a second numerical value associated with a second level of quality, wherein the second level of quality is associated with the first deliverable; and process the first score and the second score to generate a third score.
US09286392B2
The present invention provides methods, devices, and systems for displaying results of a search engine query in a graphic, rather than, or in addition to, textual format. The search results are provided to a user such that the user is able to see the context of the words and phrases in the format of the original source document. Presentation of graphic fragments from the source document help to improve a user's ability to select among documents provided in the search results more efficiently.
US09286384B2
Methods and apparatus to share file(s)/recommendation(s) are disclosed. An example method includes verifying a first service used by a first user recommending a file and encoding a first service identification code with the file based on the first service, verifying a second service used by a second user upon receipt of a file request by the second user and/or detection of a mention of the second user in the file recommendation, searching for a second service identification code associated with the file based on the second service and encoding the second service identification code with the file, and providing the file recommendation with the first service identification code to the second user where the second service and the first service are the same or providing the file recommendation with the second service identification code to the second user where the second service and the first service are different.
US09286381B2
A disjoint partial-area taxonomy abstraction network and methods of producing same for a hierarchy, which partitions overlapping concepts into singly-rooted disjoint groups that are more manageable to work with and comprehend. This provides abstract models for summarizing overlapping concepts which permit enhanced, high-level display for users at a user interface.
US09286379B2
Systems and methods are disclosed herein for ranking the quality of documents, such as documents shared or referenced in postings by users. For a first set of documents quality attributes that are indicative of quality or lack of quality are identified. Ratings of the quality of the first set of documents are received. Classifiers are associated with each document and the ratings and quality attributes for each attribute used to train class-specific models corresponding to the classifiers. Subsequently received documents are then classified and corresponding quality attributes are evaluated using the corresponding class-specific model in order to rank the quality of the document.
US09286370B2
Techniques are disclosed for generating a dimensional query that includes dimensional and relational constructs. A report specification for retrieving data from a dimensional data model is received. The report specification includes the dimensional and relational constructs. The dimensional query is generated from the report specification, based on a predetermined sequence of applying the dimensional and relational constructs.
US09286366B2
In one embodiment, an apparatus includes a processor and logic integrated with and/or executable by the processor configured to cause the processor to receive data to store to a first cluster, store one or more copies of the data to the first cluster, and set a time-delayed copy consistency point time-delayed cops consistency point indicating an amount of time in which data stored to the first cluster is aged prior to being copied from the first cluster to a second cluster. In another embodiment, a method for time-delayed replication includes receiving data to store to a first cluster, storing one or more copies of the data to the first cluster, and setting a time-delayed copy consistency point, the time-delayed copy consistency point indicating an amount of time in which data stored to the first cluster is aged prior to being copied from the first cluster to a second cluster.
US09286365B2
A data synchronizing system and a method thereof are provided. One of clients capable of being connected to a synchronizing server may be selected as a synchronization processing client, and after the synchronization processing client is synchronized with all the clients, the synchronization processing client is synchronized with the synchronizing server, so as to achieve the technical efficacy of improving synchronizing convenience of a plurality of clients.
US09286363B2
A facility for navigating within a body of data using one of a number of distinct browse graphs is described. Initially, a navigation request is received. Based upon information contained in the received navigation request, the facility selects one of the plurality of browse graphs. In response to user input, the facility browses the body of data using the selected browse graph. The browse graphs may each correspond to a collection of the body of data, such as a website.
US09286348B2
A method is described of dynamically searching a search domain. A first result set of data objects is presented. The first result set is obtained from a first search of a search domain having active and inactive data objects for first search features obtained from a source data object. An update is detected in the search domain. Key features are extracted from the source data object to be included in second search features when the update in the search domain is in the source data object. A second search of the updated search domain is performed for data objects having the second search features.
US09286347B2
Improved descriptive query techniques are provided. More particularly, techniques are provided for specifying and processing descriptive queries for data providers grouped into provider kinds with hierarchical containment relationships. The query may include arbitrary boolean combinations of arbitrary tests on the values of attributes of the data providers.
US09286341B2
A database comprises a database interface and a database updater. The database interface enables a reading of a first set of information from the database. The database updater updates a second set of information in the database based at least in part on one or more conditions. The one or more conditions limit changes allowable to the first set of information from the database that occurred after the reading of the first set of information from the database.
US09286340B2
Systems and methods for collecting information from digital media files. More specifically, a collection module may be used to communicate with a social networking system and analyze the digital media files associated with a user profile. The collection module may generate media-based profile information based on media content and/or location, time and date data extracted from the digital media files. The media-based profile information may be incorporated into the user profile information and used by the social networking system for various purposes.
US09286339B2
A method for dynamically partitioning a B-tree data structure, includes: determining if the B-tree data structure requires a partition; establishing a midpoint of the B-tree data structure; migrating from a beginning of the B-tree data structure to the midpoint of the B-tree data structure to a first B-tree data structure; migrating from the midpoint of the B-tree data structure to an end of the B-tree data structure to a second B-tree data structure; and allowing normal operations on the B-tree data structure during migration.
US09286326B1
A system for selecting an image to accompany text from a user in connection with a social media post. The system includes receiving text from the user; identifying one or more search terms based on the text; identifying candidate images from images in one or more image databases using the search terms, where the candidate images comprise a sponsored image; presenting one or more candidate images to the user, where the sponsored image is presented preferentially compared to other candidate images; receiving from the user a selected image from the one or more candidate images; generating the social media post comprising the selected image and the user-submitted text; and transmitting the social media post for display.
US09286312B2
An approach to compression of a large (n point or samples) data set has a combination of one or more desirable technical properties: for a desired level of accuracy (ε), the number of compressed points (a “coreset”) representing the original data is O(log n); the level of accuracy comprises a guaranteed bound expressed as multiple of error of an associated line simplification of the data set; for a desired level of accuracy and a complexity (e.g., number k of optimal line segments) of the associated line simplification, the computation time is O(n); and for a desired level of accuracy (c) and a complexity of the associated line simplification, the storage required for the computation is O(log n).
US09286311B2
This technology relates to real-time filtering of relevant events from a plurality of events distributed spatially. An event processing engine receives the plurality of events from one or more real-time data sources. The received plurality of events are each compared with significant events stored in a significant event database and an entity associated with each of the significant events is identified. Next, the event processing engine identifies related events associated with each of the identified entities. The related events are aggregated to form one or more temporal sequence structures which are then matched with a plurality of sequential event patterns to identify each of the temporal sequence structures which match at least one of the plurality sequential event patterns. The entity associated with the one or more temporal sequence structures is filtered for providing one or more actions.
US09286303B1
A catalog of one or more metadata objects associated with metadata is stored in a persistent manner. The data objects are stored at least in part on a user node included in a data management system. A request associated with accessing a metadata object included in the persistent catalog is received. In response to receiving the request, access to the requested metadata object is provided.
US09286302B2
Systems and methods for inode use are presented. In one embodiment; an inode reuse method includes: receiving an indication of an operation that involves access to file related information; assigning an inode to the access; identifying one of a plurality of inode reuse scenarios for the inode; and making the inode available for reuse in accordance with the one of the plurality of inode reuse scenarios. In one embodiment, the one of the plurality of inode reuse scenarios is a relatively expedited reuse scenario. In one exemplary implementation, the relatively expedited inode reuse scenario is utilized if the inode is not required for further processing associated with the operation. The inode can be reused for another immediately subsequent operation. In one embodiment, a first one of the plurality of inode reuse scenarios includes placing the inode at a head queue position of a use queue and a second one of the plurality of inode reuse scenarios includes placing the inode in a tail queue position of the use queue. Association of the inode to the inode reuse scenario can be tracked. The tracking can include flagging the inode for relatively expedited reuse.
US09286290B2
Mechanisms for generating insight statements from table data are provided. A portion of content comprising a table data structure and text associated with the table data structure is received and at least one of key terms or semantic relationships in the table data structure and the associated text are identified. Fields of an insight statement template are populated with information obtained from the key terms and semantic relationships to generate an insight statement data structure. The insight statement data structure is then output. The insight statement data structure is a natural language statement describing an aspect of the table data structure.
US09286285B1
A computer-implemented method for editing a formula includes receiving a text string including formula information. The method further includes parsing the received text string and analyzing the parsed text string for a formula and formula errors while the text string is being received. In response to a formula error being detected in the analyzed text string, the method can include generating a message pertaining to the formula error. In response to a formula detected in the analyzed text string, the method can include calculating at least one sub-value for the formula and generating a message pertaining to the at least one sub-value of the formula.
US09286280B2
Classification and text analytics are used to evaluate passages, extract text, identify concepts, and provide displayable and searchable notations to assist document editors in identifying and evaluating conflicting or duplicate directives (also called policies or rules) within a large document.
US09286277B2
Inputting in a textbox comprises: monitoring a related event of inputting text in a textbox; providing an extended window for displaying excess text in response to detecting that the text exceeds the textbox; hiding the extended window, and storing a state of inputted context and the inputted text in response to a monitored event that the textbox loses focus; and displaying the extended window and the textbox, with their text, according to the stored state of inputted context in response to monitoring again the related event of inputting text in the textbox after monitoring the event that the textbox loses the focus. A global view can thus be provided for a user, whereby the user is capable of seeing at one time the content as a whole inputted by himself/herself, and immediately locating the last text inputted when the user leaves the textbox and then comes back for inputting.
US09286274B2
Methods and systems for enabling a user to define a webpage and webpage layout without knowing a programming language are disclosed. A library of modules is provided usable to configure a layout and look of a webpage. The user may add modules from the library to a webpage layout design area. The user may configure a given module so as to control the look and feel of the content accessed and displayed by the module. Different instantiations of the same module may be used to access content from different sources, including sources using different file and data formats. Content from the different sources may be accessed and stored in a schema-less database.
US09286269B2
An information processing device includes: a receiving unit; a discriminating unit; a plotting unit; a determining unit; a correcting unit; and a linear segment plotting unit.
US09286267B2
In one embodiment, the present invention includes a method for receiving a rounding instruction and an immediate value in a processor, determining if a rounding mode override indicator of the immediate value is active, and if so executing a rounding operation on a source operand in a floating point unit of the processor responsive to the rounding instruction and according to a rounding mode set forth in the immediate operand. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US09286253B2
A method, system and computer readable medium for presenting unique Serial Attached Small computer system interface (SAS) target devices through a single target device. The method includes embedding a SAS protocol chip within an initiator-connectable device, the SAS protocol chip having storage for at least two SAS addresses and configured to select a single address, loading two or more SAS addresses into the SAS protocol chip, and mapping a respective SAS address to one of the unique target devices. The system includes a SAS protocol chip having storage for at least two SAS addresses and a method for selecting a single SAS address, and a processor unit connected to the SAS protocol chip by an interface bus, the processor configured to load two or more identifier addresses into the SAS protocol chip. The computer readable medium contains instructions that cause a processor to perform the described methods.
US09286250B2
There is a need to cause a delay to occur less frequently than the related art during processing of an input signal in need of relatively fast processing. In a semiconductor device, a conversion portion includes first channels and second channels and A/D converts a signal input to a selected channel. A signal input to the first channel requires faster processing than a signal input to the second channel. The conversion portion receives a scan conversion instruction from a central processing unit, sequentially selects the input channels in a specified selection order, and successively performs A/D conversion. In this case, the conversion portion notifies a peripheral circuit of completion of A/D conversion after completion of A/D conversion on signals input to the first channels and before completion of A/D conversion on input signals input to all input channels.
